Guyana Times International

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You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

ISSUE NO. 363

Jagdeo raises serious concerns about new Demerara River bridge …queries land acquisition, funding See story on page 9

United States Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway hosted a luncheon recently for the 2017 Youth Ambassadors who returned home from a three-week exchange program to the United States. The youths spoke of their experience, which included the opportunity to explore new approaches to leadership development through critical thinking, participate in volunteer activities, network and build relations through cross-cultural communication, experience American culture and meet with officials from the U.S. Department of State and Guyana Embassy in Washington. Representing Guyana were Sarah Dos Ramos, Claudia Garraway, Omar Hoppie, Shafeena Milton, Vishani Ragobeer, Ayodele Roache, and Jacqueline Johnson – Mentor. (In photo: Ambassador Holloway in conversation with some of students who benefited from the programme.)

City holds Day of Action to spread awareness to NYC's 30,000 “Dreamers” Page 4

Mayor Bill de Blasio

New Canadian envoy envisions increased cooperation in energy sector Page 7

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 3

Paul Williams to act as Crime Chief as Budhram needed in ‘F’ Division- Ramnarine J

ust days after it was announced that ‘F’ Division Commander Ravindradat Budhram would be temporarily taking up the mantle of Crime Chief until such time that Detective Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum returns from leave, Acting Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine has announced a change in that plan.

Ramnarine in responding to inaccuracies surrounding the deployment of Blanhum on leave, said, among other things, that a series of events led to Budhram being temporarily chosen to helm the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

He noted that Blanhum’s Deputy, Detective Senior Superintendent Rishi Das fell ill and is overseas seeking medical attention hence the responsibility for the CID department could not fall to Das, whom he also said had officially requested to be moved from the CID due to "its strenuous engagements" which may be exacerbating his illness.

‘F’ Division Commander Ravindradat Budhram

Moreover Ramnarine posited that "at the same time Detective Superintendent Joel David who is stationed at the Criminal Investigation Department, Headquarters, Eve Leary was and still is on a special as-

Assistant Commissioner Paul Williams

signment with a team of Officers, investigating the episode of the illegal Aircraft in Mandacaro, Region 9 (Lethem District)."

He continued that "in the circumstances, the initial decision was made to have Senior Superintendent

R. Budhram ‘fill the breach’ at the Criminal Investigation Department, Headquarters, Eve Leary temporarily until such time, that is a matter of days when a more informed decision would have been made."

Ramnarine said further that Budhram's move was never intended to last long since the "‘F’ Division which he commands is increasingly becoming a geographical area of much interest, and in which he has developed a comprehensive understanding of."

He also noted that the CID, Headquarters, Eve Leary is equally too important to be ‘left in the open’ without the requisite command leadership.

Accordingly, the acting Top Cop indicated in a public missive that the 'informed decision' was to appoint at this point in time Assistant Commissioner Paul Williams to act as Head of the CID until Blanhum returns while Assistant Commissioner Lindon Alves will act as Commander of ‘B’ Division.

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

INTERNATIONAL To contact: Guyana Times International

New York Office 106-15 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica NY 11435 Email: guyanatimesnyint@gmail.com Tel no: 718-658-6804 Fax no: 718-849-2286 Preferred method of contact via EMAIL Guyana Office Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana.

Tel no: (592) 223-7230/1, 225-7761.

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EDITORIAL

What’s next for “Dreamers”?

I

n what could be regarded as a massive blow to the immigrant community in the United States, the Donald Trump Administration last week announced that it has scrapped an immigration programme designed to protect young undocumented immigrants, also referred to as “Dreamers”.

The policy, widely known as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) programme, was introduced by then President Barrack Obama in 2012. The programme was mainly designed to protect young illegal immigrants in the US from deportation, and provide temporary permits for work and study. The policy was created after acknowledgment that these young people had largely been raised in the US, and the policy was seen as a way to remove immigration enforcement attention from “low priority” individuals with good behaviour.

As expected, thousands of persons hoping to make the ‘American dream’ a reality took advantage of the programme from the time it was introduced five years ago, as they saw it as a means of eventually achieving US citizenship.

In order to qualify for DACA, applicants under the age of 30 submitted personal information to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They had to go through an FBI background check and have a clean criminal record, and either be in school, recently graduated, or have been honourably discharged from the military. In exchange, the US Government agreed to “defer” any action on their immigration status for a period of two years.

Now that the present Government has taken a hardline approach to immigration issues, many of those who have benefited and are benefiting from the DACA programme are scared as to what lies ahead with regards to their future status in the country. The Government has said that, with immediate effect, no first-time applications for the programme will be considered. However, existing recipients will not be affected for at least six months.

In announcing its decision, the Trump Administration said: “Such an open-ended circumvention of immigration laws was an unconstitutional exercise of authority by the executive branch”. It added that the effect of “this unilateral executive amnesty among other things contributed to a surge of minors at the southern border that yielded terrible humanitarian consequences. It also denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans by allowing those same illegal aliens to take those jobs”.

However, as expected, the announcement was met with much opposition from both within and outside Trump’s own party. According to the New York Times, Democrats and some Republicans, business executives, college presidents and immigration activists condemned the move as a coldhearted and shortsighted effort that was unfair to young immigrants and could harm the economy.

On his part, President Obama condemned the move as “cruel”, saying, “they were brought to this country by their parents, sometimes even as infants. They may not know a country besides ours. They may not even know a language besides English. They often have no idea they’re undocumented until they apply for a job, or college, or a driver’s licence… Kicking them out won’t lower the unemployment rate, or lighten anyone’s taxes, or raise anybody’s wages.”

It is well known that Trump campaigned on a narrow, antiimmigrant and American nationalistic agenda; and it was bought by a majority of American voters. Caribbean nationals, including Guyanese, are among the millions of illegal immigrants living in the US, and they were anxiously waiting for the time when they could have their status regularised. For many of these immigrants, there is a lot of uncertainties regarding their future.

It is still unclear as to how this issue will unfold in the coming months. Congress now has up to six months to find a legislative alternative. There is a likelihood of Congress being unable to hammer out a new comprehensive immigration policy, and beneficiaries could be at a risk of deportation. Then there is the option of taking the matter to court, as we have seen in previous cases. Also, some experts suggest that DACA could be replaced by new legislation, where current beneficiaries remain protected.

However as the situation unfolds, at the moment, there is great fear and anxiety among “Dreamers”, as their immigration status could be changed with very short notice.

Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs Sydney Allicock in conversation with Toshao Nicholas Fredericks, of Shulinab, Region 9. The Vice-President is expected to visit several villages in the region to participate in Indigenous Heritage Village activities. (DPI photo)

City holds Day of Action to spread awareness to NYC's 30,000 “Dreamers” O n September 8, the City hosted a Day of Action on the DACA program, providing information and resources for New York City’s 30,000 Dreamers.

The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, the NYC Commission on Human Rights, the Department of Consumer Affairs, and the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit worked alongside over 200 volunteers in 31 neighborhoods with high-density immigrant populations, a release from the Mayor’s Office stated.

Volunteers were joined

by Bitta Mostofi, Acting Commissioner of MOIA, Carmelyn P. Malalis, Commissioner and Chair of CCHR, and Council Member Carlos Menchaca to assist in flyering in all five boroughs.

Volunteers distributed thousands of pieces of literature on the DACA announcement and City resources that are available to New Yorkers regardless of immigration status. DACA information was also available at all 26 IDNYC enrollment centers across the five boroughs.

“Dreamers are our neighbors, and New Yorkers stand by our neighbors in their time of need,” said Mayor de Blasio.

“We are working hard to make sure that Dreamers – and all immigrant New Yorkers – know what City resources are available to them. We will meet the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant actions with New York values,” the Mayor added.

“This is a deeply troubling time for families in our immigrant communities, filled with uncertainty and fear of deportations,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray, who leads the City’s mental health and substance misuse efforts.

“New York City stands with Dreamers and all residents regardless of immigration status. And, the presence of more

Mayor Bill de Blasio

than 200 volunteers underscores the fact that help is here.

Immigrant communities are a vibrant and fundamental part of our city and country's social fabric and we stand with them,” the First Lady added.

“The termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is complete affront to American values and the important contributions immigrants have made to our country,” said Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.

“Dreamers are Americans in every sense of the word and while the Presidential Administration continues to toy with the lives of these young people, the New York City Council will continue to stand up all immigrant New Yorkers and help lead the way on local immigration reform.”

“As the ultimate city of immigrants, it is our duty to uphold the eternal values of inclusion and empathy symbolized

by Lady Liberty at the New York Harbor,” said Richard Buery, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives.

“By standing with Dreamers, we protect the promise that anyone can make it here if they work hard and strive for greatness – a promise that afforded my immigrant family a chance at a better life.

All 30,000 Dreamers are part of our family and we care about

your well-being. If you are suffering with anxiety, depression, or any other mental health issues, resources are available, regardless of your immigration status. This is and will always be your city,” the Deputy Mayor declared.

The Day of Action is built on the City’s ongoing outreach work in support of DACA. Last weekend, MOIA led a DACA Faith Weekend of Action in partnership with Center for Faith and Community Partnerships and faith leaders in the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens. City staff and volunteers worked with faith leaders to give presentations on DACA, provide information and resources, connect people to immigration legal services, and facilitate advocacy, the Mayor’s Office reported.

The Mayor is a long-time supporter of DACA and, under this Administration, the City has made unprecedented investments in immigration legal services, which have aided DACA-eligible youth apply and renew their DACA applications. In addition, MOIA has led two campaigns targeting New Yorkers eligible for DACA: a 2014 campaign to boost enrollment and a 2016 campaign to encourage recipients to obtain Medicaid and access additional City benefits.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 5

Ministers’ relatives, friends now applying for oil licences

…allegedly using ‘front companies’

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worrying case of cronyism is currently evolving where relatives, friends and associates of Ministers and senior Government functionaries have been incorporated into companies through complex shareholding arrangements and are applying for Exploration and Production Licences for Oil and Gas in the blocs still available in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the Atlantic.

The matter was raised on Wednesday by former President Bharrat Jagdeo when he addressed media operatives at his Church Street office.

According to the Opposition Leader, such a ploy could see middlemen through these front companies with close relations to the coalition A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration raking in tens of millions of US dollars by flipping those licences to international companies since they are unable to raise the required capital for the exploration and development activities required for commercial oil production.

One such company identified in recent times is Totaltec, which is allegedly spearheaded by the brother of the Petroleum Advisor to President David Granger, Dr Jan Mangal.

Jagdeo has called on the Administration to have the available blocs auctioned instead.

He told members of the local me-

dia corps “it has been brought to our attention that a number of front companies with key APNU/AFC individuals and Ministers and their families as shareholders have submitted applications to the Ministry of Natural Resources for petroleum Exploration and Production Licences.”

The Opposition Leader said: “There are at least two companies that we know of that have developed complex shareholding structures that have made applications.”

Speaking to the need for the available blocs to be instead auctioned off rather than having preferred companies apply, Jagdeo sought to point out that a premium must be considered.

Jagdeo suggested that the worldclass discovery of oil in Guyana could be compared to a ‘gold shout’, and said the moment oil was discovered, “there is a premium now to owning offshore blocs and getting an Exploration or Production licence”.

He was adamant that several of the local companies applying for petroleum licences “have no means whatsoever – who are aligned to Ministers and their families, etc, and some others, cronies – they have no means of finding hundreds of millions of US dollars to do the exploration work.”

As such, he opined that the companies in question “will get these blocs and weeks later, they will sell the blocs without any competitive process being followed”.

Jagdeo suggested too that even

some of the foreign companies that have been making applications had “unhealthy contacts with some Ministers and their surrogates”.

The Opposition Leader posited that were these companies to secure licences, there is the possibility of them earning tens of millions of US dollars.

He told members of the media that according to industry experts he has been in communication with, “the big companies will just buy these up (licences)”.

Jagdeo suggested that were President Granger serious about transparency in the sector, he would shut down the application process and instead have the blocs auctioned off.

“The process is not transparent now, they should look at the beneficiaries, the shareholders of these companies, they are very complex now; they are a lot of front people, and they should go to an auction because now this is a valuable resource.”

Jagdeo also reminded that given the discovery of oil, the blocs could now be sold at a premium.

“If you go to an auction, money that the middle men will make will come to the State…so if they auction off these blocs, the companies that will buy it they don’t have to get middle man who will buy it and sell it to them without any tender in a secret process.”

The former President reminded

Advisor to the President on Petroleum, Dr Jan Mangal

too of what he called the ‘dilly dallying’ on the part of the Administration and the Natural Resources Ministry when it came to putting in place key mechanisms such as the Petroleum Commission, Local Content legislation and the Sovereign Wealth Fund among others.

“I think it suits the Ministry not to have these institutions in place, not to have laws in place, because then the Minister and a few people around him have absolute power to do what they want without any public scrutiny,” Jagdeo posited.

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Women have fought for the right to work and should not be prevented from doing so Dear Editor, I do not think that the proposal being advanced by the Social Protection Ministry, through its minister responsible for labour, is possible at this juncture. The fact is that too many women need to work to supplement their families, as they are the sole bread-winners of their households.

It is the opinion of this writer that Keith Scott has moved with emotion, love and respect for our women. It is known that at times emotionality can affect our judgement, but at the same time, it can lead to new and greater discoveries.

As I see it, the Minister is moved by particularly single-parent mothers working in the nights, and he has zeroed in on particularly security personnel. But in all fairness to the gentleman, in his introduction at the Meeting

held at the Ministry of Labour with Private Security Firms on August 24, 2017, he gave evidence of nurses working at nights and the effects it has on their psyche and general demeanour.

I wish to state several points in response to the Honorable Minister. During the meeting, I suggested to the minister several divergent views which some viewed as sarcastic; but nevertheless, I know we have to face the reality and the existence of the situation in Guyana. The fact remains that there are Policewomen, nurses, soldiers, pilots, drivers and restaurant workers who are single mothers. So, while the concern and love is appreciated from the minister, to this writer it does not seem practical.

Indeed, I signed the document proposed by the Ministry

for two reasons: out of respect, and for the principle of the idea. I also believe that he should appeal to the hospitals in Guyana to curtail the use of nurses at nights; his example to show the detriments to women’s health was based on nurses, so it would be pertinent for the Ministry to meet with the organizers of the hospital industry.

In my speech, I made a proposal to the Minister and his cabinet: that they can insert a line item in the budget which would pay these single mothers to stay at home and to bring up very moral, educated and decent children. That would be the best way to go.

Of course, the audience and the head table were very silent and paid rapt attention. The agreement will cause private security firms to become more conscious of the shifts and con-

Guyana’s sugar industry can be saved

Dear Editor, One thing’s for certain: media coverage of the sugar issue is not where it ought to be at this time, and many of the experts I have spoken to have advised me it has much to do with sugar being seen as a rural issue when the media houses are all based in Georgetown. I am humbly calling on the media houses to spend some more time reporting on the sugar issues in the villages of Demerara and Berbice.

But that issue aside, one of the greatest betrayals of our people has taken place over the past two years under Dr Clive Thomas, and I speak directly to the way the sugar industry is being managed under this Granger regime. All humans suffer from dreams, but when politicians like Thomas proceed along a road that sells “false hope” to the poor and the working class rather than practical realities, nothing good can come from such evil. The sugar industry suffered under the poor leadership of Errol Hanoman, then Paul Bhim, and then Raj Singh, all under the PPP. But what is worse is how the intensification of the suffocation was allowed to happen again under Hanoman during this PNC-led regime.

These actions by the Granger regime can be compared to “turning the sword in the wound” in some sort of fatalistic game similar to what the narco-traffickers do to their enemies.

Is the sugar belt the enemy of the Granger regime? This damage done over the past two years under Thomas and Hanoman is unpardonable. When one reads of the false hope in an article published on September 7, 2017 in the State Media, one can only find words to the effect that the senior leadership in the industry has done a poor job of executing the solutions for the industry.

In summary, Thomas and Hanoman have taken the industry backwards, But Thomas is proud to pronounce on “promised financing” from the Government of Guyana for diversification works. But why could not the money for this financing be funnelled into an ethanol plant at Wales, rather than a harebrained rice project at the same estate?

We hear of capital investment to clean up the image of Enmore to make it more marketable for privatization. But why could not those sums of money be pumped into the field, factory and packaging plant along with an initiative to conduct a heavy marketing push to make the Demerara Gold the sugar of choice at every coffee table across the Caribbean and even in Starbucks?

We hear of new money being pumped

into NICIL to help with the privatization of Skeldon, but yet these boys could not explore joint venture opportunities to fix the factory once and for all with the Indians, build a sugar refinery and a new state-of-the-art Wharf at Corriverton to make Berbice profitable as the producer of refined sugar for the Caribbean.

You see, for years on the sugar belt, it has always been about the personal vested interest of a few, rather than the industry’s vested interest; and that is why it has failed. That is why I can never accept one word from Donald Ramotar on the sugar belt, and that is why I can never accept one word today from Clive Thomas. They are both discredited on the sugar issue.

But even with the destruction caused by Thomas and Hanoman today, I still remain convinced that, with much restructuring, the sugar belt can be saved. But the message has to be elevated to the front pages of the media and into the cabinet meetings. That is why it is extremely important that GAWU ramp up its activism across the sugar belt and in Georgetown to bring this issue to the decision-making table for further deliberations.

I have personally built a turnaround model in 2015, and have even revised it earlier this year after seeing the 2016 draft financial from GuySuCo. From that model, once it is resourced within 5 years, GuySuCo can be cash-neutral; and without shutting down factories. The solution has always been moving upstream to value-added sugar-related products like ethanol, alcohol, refined sugar, agro energy and packaged sugar. Raw-sugar production in Guyana is dead, but value-added sugar-related products is very much alive.

If you observed, Hanoman has done nothing in the last 2 years to move the sugar industry up the value chain. It is as if the plan all along was to destroy asset value in the sugar belt.

Let me make it absolutely clear to all investors who think they want to join the Granger regime in raping the assets of GuySuCo: I have been assured that all of those signed agreements will be reviewed, and if found unfair to the industry, will be reversed and annulled post-2020.

Until the Guyanese people get a fair chance to develop what their fore-parents toiled for in slavery (Afro-Guyanese) and indentureship (Other Groups), those assets will not be allowed to be liquidated.

Regards, Sase Singh

ditions women will work.

I am advising Government Ministers and employers of single mothers, who are thinking to limit women in this manner, to face reality and smell the odour of a brewing strong cup of coffee. In the words of an ‘old head’ in this industry: “Women are the backbone of the security industry, Police Force and the army. If they want to work, no one can tell them not to.”

Again, to be fair to Minister Scott, he did reiterate this point. In my view, all security employers of single mothers must provide proper training (inclusive of self-defence and profiling) and place them at safer locations. I wish to advise that there are many Government locations without guard huts and toilets, and fences are dilapidated and useless. These issues need to be

dealt with seriously if we are to help these security guards.

In Northern (United States and Canada) and European countries, women would have fought assiduously for many decades to have the right to be a part of the Police Force and army. Therefore, if we place a restriction on single mothers and their working hours, critics will argue that this goes against the women’s liberation movements and gender discrimination activism.

I do not think that this initiative was studied enough for implementation to be forthcoming. I encourage the Government to review this decision, and address the concerns so that we understand the plans of the Government for single mothers and women in the future.

Yours sincerely, Roshan Khan Snr.

No justifiable reason for delay in selecting GECOM Chair Dear Editor, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo submitted his list of six nominees to President Granger for selection of one to be appointed as Chairman of the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM). The President should move with haste in making the appointment, since all of the nominees are fully qualified and ‘fit and proper’ to head GECOM. The business of the elections body has been left at a standstill since last February. That is more than six months, with a lot of work remaining in planning and organising for the next local government elections, due in 2019, and the general elections in 2020. This is enough reason to appoint a chair now.

There is no justifiable reason to further delay the appointment.

The President wanted someone who is a judge or qualified to be a judge. The Chief Justice has chimed in, saying the six nominees or an appointee does not have to be a judge.

The population at large also agrees with the Chief Justice in an opinion poll I conducted earlier this year. At any rate, Jagdeo has nominated a former Judge in his list.

As the language said, any fit or proper person can serve as Chair. Indeed, none of the Chairs of GECOM had been a judge, thus any fit or proper person who is not a judge or not qualified to be a judge, or not a lawyer, can be Chair of GECOM. All of the nominees submitted by Jagdeo in his three different lists of six were/are all qualified to serve as Chair.

Some were/are judges, or qualified to be judges; and some are respected lawyers.

All 18 nominees are outstanding characters who would have done an exceptional job in guaranteeing free and fair elections. One was certain the President would have appointed Lawrence Lachmansingh or Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram, men of integrity; or one of the other great Guyanese.

Chris Ram campaigned for the coalition in 2011 and 2015, and Lachmansingh served as an election observer in several elections that benefited the coalition. One could not get a reasonable explanation for their rejection.

On the current list of nominees, retired Major General Joseph Singh is a former Chair of GECOM. He is the most qualified to be Chair, given his prior experience at the commission. In all likelihood, he would be the appointee, though the others would also do an exceptional job — Attorneys-at-Law Teni Housty and Sanjeev Datadin; former Magistrate Krishnadat Persaud; Aviator and businesswoman Annette ArjoonMartins; and Pastor Onesi La Fleur.

President Granger would be hard put to reject Joe Singh or a former judge or a lawyer; and outside of these nominees, a more qualified person to serve as Chair would be almost impossible to find. The President should expedite the appointment from the latest list.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

news 7

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

New Canadian envoy envisions AFC executives land in Court for increased cooperation in energy sector fighting over questionable

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resident David Granger on Wednesday accepted Letters of Credence from Her Excellency Lilian Chatterjee, accrediting her High Commissioner Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Guyana. The new High Commissioner replaces His Excellency Pierre Giroux whose tour of duty ended in July.

The President said while the two countries have much in common in terms of stable economies and plural societies, Guyana has much to learn from Canada, especially in the areas of social cohesion and inclusionary democracy. To this end, he said Government welcomes the active cooperation between the two states in enhancing parliamentary democracy and good governance.

“Canada, the second largest country in the world, is renowned for its openness to immigrants from all around the world.

It remains a model of diversity and inclusion.

Thousands of Guyanese have been accepted as immigrants and citizens of your country,” President Granger said.

Additionally, Guyana looks forward to a sustained and robust partnership with Canada through the Caribbean Community (Caricom)-

contracts

By Andrew Carmichael

T

Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee lays a wreath at the Independence Arch, Brickdam, Georgetown as a mark of respect for the country she will be serving

Canada mechanism, the Commonwealth, the Organisation of American States and the United Nations.

Canada is home to a large Guyanese Diaspora and President Granger said Guyana has likewise proven to be an attractive destination for Canadian investment in mining, banking and, more recently, oil and gas exploration.

In terms of green development, the President said Guyana looks forward to working with Canada in the development of local alternative energy sources and in the sustainable development of our natural resources.

High Commissioner Chatterjee, in her remarks, described the Guyana-Canada relationship as extraordinary and noted that people-to-people links between the two states remain strong while bilateral and com-

mercial relations have been continuously expanding. “Merchandise between our countries for 2016 was over G$700 million, positioning Guyana as Canada’s largest merchandise trading market within Caricom and the third largest in the Caribbean. Canada is now Guyana’s top destination for exports,” she said.

Additionally, Canadian companies have a robust presence in Guyana in the extractive, aviation, education, clean technology, oil and gas and infrastructure sectors. The High Commissioner said with Guyana poised to become a major oil producer and exporter in the near future, the opportunities for further cooperation will increase significantly.

Guyana and Canada established diplomatic ties on May 26, 1966, the date of Guyana’s Independence. (DPI)

wo officials from the Alliance For Change (AFC), who were arrested on Monday, were on Wednesday hauled before Magistrate Alex Moore in New Amsterdam after a fight between the two erupted at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) compound in New Amsterdam, Berbice.

The fight was allegedly over contracts for school repairs.

AFC Regional Vice Chairman Michell McBean, 60, of Liverpool Village, Corentyne, was charged with unlawfully assaulting Joseph Baichu, 52, of Number 45 Village, Corentyne on Monday last in the vicinity of Republic Road, New Amsterdam.

Magistrate Moore also read a counter charge to Baichu stating that on the same date, time and place, he also unlawfully assaulted McBean.

Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges and told the court that they were friends and did not wish to give evidence against each other.

McBean said he wanted the friendship to continue, but Baichu said he no longer wanted to be friends with McBean.

Since they had both

AFC Regional Vice Chairman Michell McBean

told the court that they did not wish to give evidence, the Magistrate dismissed the matter.

Baichu is the Secretary of the AFC and also an executive member of the party.

Both McBean and Baichu had been candidates on the APNU/ AFC coalition election list. They are now both contractors executing work for the Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Administration.

Reports indicate that Baichu was awarded three contracts to repair schools in Region Six, but he was not capable of fully executing these regional contracts so he sub-contracted the work.

The contract for repair work on the Number 59 Nursery School he reportedly sub-contracted to another contractor; while the contract to repair the Mibicuri Primary School

AFC Secretary Joseph Baichu

and a similar contract to repair the Winifred Gaskin Secondary School Baichu allegedly sub-contracted to McBean.

The Mibicuri Primary School contract is worth G$1,142,999 and the Winifred Gaskin Secondary School contract is worth G$1,707,339.

The work has been completed and the cheques were handed over on Monday to Baichu. When payment was made, McBean was at the RDC for his cut.

Investigators were told that Baichu refused to go to the bank, resulting in an argument and subsequently a scuffle in the presence of many RDC workers. The matter was reported to the Police and they were both arrested.

Meanwhile, works committee members have raised concerns over the quality of work being carried out by some regional contractors.

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Four GTI graduates see benefits from oil and gas training (DPI Feature)

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our Government T e c h n i c a l Institute (GTI) graduates are benefitting from hands-on training in the oil and gas industry through a programme facilitated

by El Dorado Offshore (EDO).

EDO’s Country Manager, Kerri Gravesande, told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the programme is aimed at empowering young people and is part of EDO’s local content development plan to bring awareness of opportunities in the oil and gas industry.

A ‘great’ experience

DPI spoke to three of the GTI graduates who are participating in this programme, the fourth participant is currently working on the Stenna Rig. Derick Mingo studied Building and Civil Engineering at GTI before being selected. “I always wanted to be in the oil industry,” Mingo said. “The opportunity came (and now) I get to work with Exxon. What I learnt at TI was very applicable and it was put into use,” he added.

Mingo is currently posted at EDO’s office located at Exxon’s shore

Country Manager of EDO, Kerri Gravesande, (center), Principal of GTI, Exxon’s Community Relations and Communications Manager Nicholas Yearwood (far left) pose with the trainees.

base facility currently located at Water Street.

There, he works alongside the operations coordinator. “The experience was great. They have taught me a lot, they have showed me how they do the coordination in Guyana and the basic stuff when we go on the rig,” he said.

“This position can actually develop to a position called the store keeper. We have requests for store keepers in Guyana from several of the energy companies already,” Gravesande noted.

Mingo, like the other trainees, will even-

tually work alongside ExxonMobil’s Rig Clerk on the Stenna Carron which is conducting exploration drilling for the oil giant. The trainees will spend two weeks aboard the Stenna where they will oversee materials being shipped to and from the rig.

Gerald Moonsammy, who has already served his two-week stint on the rig, summed up the experience, “It was pretty good. Getting to learn the coordinates of what is going on and detailing coordinates was pretty good.” He said learning the “strings of each operation” was

challenging, “But once you put yourself into it, you slowly grasp it.”

Moonsammy completed his Diploma in building and Civil Engineering at GTI. Randy Gittens has also completed his stint on the Stenna rig.

Working in the in the oil and gas industry was a mere thought for Gittens. The Building and Civil Engineering graduate of GTI said he did not think it was possible for him to land a job in the industry, until now.

“It seemed like it won’t be available to me…so when this op-

portunity came to me I was (like) yes,” Gittens enthusiastically recalled. This opportunity has “definitely” sparked a career decision in the industry for Gittens.

“At some point, I’m hoping to create Guyana’s first oil refinery, if possible. That’s something that I am hoping to accomplish,” he shared. Gittens noted this experience “is right in the ballpark” towards achieving this end goal.

EDO’s programme will run for six-months.

In August, the trainees completed a three-day offshore safety induction and emergency training at Flack Nutec Safety Services in Trinidad and Tobago. They are also being mentored as they work alongside Exxon’s Offshore Logistics Coordinator.

EDO Country Manager, Gravesande, noted that at the end the programme two of the participants will secure positions on the Stenna and the remaining two will get a chance to work on future vessels.

‘Tons of opportunities’ through partnerships Principal of GTI, Renita CrandonDuncan, said partnering with EDO has provided

“tons of opportunities for our students”.

“Most importantly, our students have to partake in industrial attachments and El Dorado Offshore has been able to give us those opportunities for our students, so that they can be able to actually marry and match the things they would have learnt in the classroom with the work experience itself”, Crandon-Duncan explained.

GTI’s Principal noted that the existing programmes offered by the institute can suit the needs of the offshore business. “We have been trying our best to coordinate with industry, find out what it is they need so that we can tailor our programmes to suit those needs.”

According to Crandon-Duncan GTI has been facilitating more attachment with industry and using the feedback to better tailor programmes that will be effective in the workforce. There are also plans to introduce programmes specific to the oil industry.

GTI’s Principal noted there has been “tremendous rush” for courses offered by the institute particularly the engineering programmes.

NEWS 9

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Jagdeo raises serious concerns about new Demerara River bridge which has since been pulled from the public domain.

By Gary Eleazar

F

ormer President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo is calling on Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, and the Government at large, to come clean with the Guyanese populace on its bid to bridge the Demerara River, including the financial structure, level of subsidies, toll increases and likely sovereign debt to be guaranteed.

The former President now Opposition Leader made the demands during a press engagement with members of the local media corps at his Church Street office on Wednesday and further suggested that based on what little information was available, the project already reeked of corruption.

No coincidence

Jagdeo was adamant it was no coincidence that a senior member of the Reform component of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and financier of the ruling coalition government, Stanley Ming, now stands to benefit from possibly hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Opposition Leader during his media engagement used the occasion to draw reference to a plan that had been devised by Ming in 2015, which had concluded that the best location for the new bridge was between Versailles and Houston.

Jagdeo surmised that Ming’s suggestion was made without the aid of a feasibility study and juxtaposed his then suggestion, with the recommendation in the feasibility study which ‘miraculously’ chose that location as the best option for the bridge. This despite the conclusion of any environmental and other social impact studies being conducted on the identified alternative locations.

According to the former President, Ming now stands to benefit from huge sums of money, since the land at the Versailles end of the proposed bridge belongs to him and Government will have to pay him to acquire the land.

According to Jagdeo, based on the recommendations of the consultant in addition to the monies that will be required to construct the ‘approach roads network’ and acquire the private property, including those belonging to Ming, coupled with the actual construction of the new bridge, the cost could be as high

Subsidies

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

as US$200 million.

He noted that this would see the construction of the new bridge being even more expensive than the construction of the Skeldon Sugar Factory, completed at a cost of some US$130 million and the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at US$150 million.

Secretive

In his critique of the current approach being pursued by Government in order to construct the bridge, Jagdeo pointed to the shady nature of the ongoing entreats to solicit contractors.

He reminded that Patterson in August had publicly criticised the past Administration for its resort to confidentially clauses – a practice Patterson said the coalition Government would move away from.

Jagdeo subsequently drew reference to the secretive nature of the process now being employed by the Administration, as evidenced in its invitation for contractors to be prequalified and the demands being made for parties to sign non-disclosure agreements.

The former President said notwithstanding the public pronouncements and criticisms of the construction of the Berbice River Bridge and the nature of the concessions offered, a plethora of documentation, including the Information Memorandum, for that project was made publicly available.

The Berbice River Bridge was constructed at a cost of US$40 million and according to Jagdeo, this obtained with no debt having to be guaranteed by the State or any subsidies having to be transferred.

Raising several burning questions on the construction of the new bridge across the Demerara River, currently being pursued by the Administration, Jagdeo pointed to the concerns raised by the consultant in its feasibility report – a document

In that report – excerpts of which were shared with members of the media by Jagdeo, the Dutch consultant had pointed out that the cash flow from the operations of the bridge would remain in the negative for at least 15 years and that Government would have to subsidise the operations in addition to having increased tolls.

It was found that the commercial markets cannot support the operations of the bridge and, as such, it would require the financial support of Government.

The consultant in its report informed the Guyana Government that the tolls alone would not be enough to cover the operations of the bridge and the costs to even get it in place would be considerable.

The consultant said too that commercial funding parties would require Government’s involvement and further commercial investors were not likely to be found, since they would demand value creation and an exit strategy within 10 years following its opening. With the project being considered under a Public-Private Partnership model, Jagdeo noted that the consultant has pointed out that Government was being called on to provide a subsidy on tolls, guarantee minimum toll revenues and guarantee debt servicing along with an upfront subsidy or grant to lower the investment amount to be financed

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

privately.

The former President recalled the plethora of critics that were against investing in the Berbice Bridge at the time, saying “we have seen a lot of the financial commentators say it is a bad investment, so if that one (Berbice Bridge) is bad,

…queries land acquisition, funding

much less this investment where the cash flow can’t even cover the debt service.”

Jagdeo was adamant “the Government needs to tell us now how much they are going to put into this bridge and where the money is going to come from, how much toll support they will give per year, what will be the level of the subsidy…the extent of the sovereign guarantee for debt contracted on this project.”

Come clean

He has since challenged the ‘financial commentators and economists’ to analyse the feasibility study conducted and concerns raised, and “see how many unanswered questions are there. We believe that

this project requires much more work, the Government still has to answer how these alignments landed in their supporter’s land.”

Jagdeo surmised that Government itself also seemed unaware of how exactly to move forward with the financing of the bridge since it was inviting applications to make proposals.

“This is like advertising for buying mangoes, not a US$200 million bridge,” Jagdeo suggested as he urged the preparation and dissemination of an Information Memorandum for the project that will outline the parameters for bidders, as was done by his administration for the construction of the Berbice River Bridge.

10 news

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Regulatory Body proposed to safeguard local content … as T&T expert calls for common vision across political divide

T

he Government of Guyana has embarked on a consultative process aimed at crafting a Local Content Policy designed at securing the input of Guyanese in the emerging oil and gas sector; and as such, has proposed new laws along with a regulatory body to oversee the industry.

The proposal has been outlined in the Draft Local Content Policy crafted by Trinidadian Energy Expert Anthony Paul.

According to the draft supplied

by Paul and for which Government has begun to embark on finalising, the Local Content Policy will be enforced through appropriate legislative mechanisms and be regulated by “a capable, well-resourced and accountable institution.”

Paul in his Draft Policy – to be supported by proposed laws – has proposed that the regulator will be overseen by a multistakeholder body representing those Guyanese parties involved in delivering national development and sector goals that support and/or are impacted by local capacity development and participation in the sector.

The regulator will report to the people of Guyana through their elected representatives in the Parliament of Guyana.

The proposed regulator for the local content aspect of the industry is also earmarked to require international operators and contractors to manage their procurement through local content policies.

Political divide

Meanwhile, cognisant of the political climate in Guyana, the Trinidadian Industry expert has written into his draft proposal for a Local Content Policy, the need for cooperation across the political divide.

According to Paul in his draft policy document, investments and activities in the sector require long timelines, often out of sync with national election cycles.

Minister Raphael Trotman

As such, “robust management of the sector to enable maximum benefit capture therefore requires a common vision or aspiration for the sector and country, across the political divide, which lends itself to predictability in policy direction and sector governance.”

ExxonMobil and the Government in February last had hosted high-level consultations with key Ministers, Opposition parliamentarians and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman at the time had committed to having Guyanese at all levels – including those living in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean – being briefed on the developments in the sector.

According to Trotman at the time, “It is important, as Guyanese and particularly as policymakers, that we know what the resources are, how it is going to be exploited and captured and developed and very importantly how are we going to use the resource for the benefit of all Guyanese.”

Despite the assurances, the Opposition Leader this past week lamented the level of consultations and briefings that are being held with the Opposition members on the development of the sector.

Minister Trotman had recently pointed to ‘frequent’ briefings being afforded to the political Opposition – a notion dispelled by Jagdeo.

He gave as example a recent meeting held in Texas, USA where the Ministerial Sub-Committee along with the President’s Petroleum Advisor, met with a team from ExxonMobil but the matter only came to light when it was reported in the media.

Both Government and ExxonMobil were silent ahead of the excursion to the US. Jagdeo this past week during the party’s weekly engagement with the local media corps had lamented the state of affairs.

Jagdeo told reporters he was unaware as to what Trotman meant by ‘frequent briefings,’ since it was only after it was discovered by the media that five Government Ministers visited ExxonMobil’s Headquarters in Texas, USA, he received a call from the oil company to brief him about what was told to the Ministers while on the trip.

According to Jagdeo, “After the media discovered this, and then it became a public issue, I got a call from ExxonMobil to say that they wanted to brief me about what was told to the Ministers in Texas, and I was thankful for it, and I had that briefing…But I don’t know what Trotman means by frequent briefings.”

The Opposition Leader was at the time reticent in disclosing the details of that briefing and adopted the position instead, “I was not on the trip. I got a few pages of what took place. He should be telling the country.”

He was adamant the Administration “should have disclosed the visit and the circumstances under which they were going and all of the financial issues etc, before they left and they should have explained why they did not take any technical people.”

Those who travelled to Texas to meet with ExxonMobil’s executives included Ministers Trotman, Carl Greenidge, Winston Jordan, David Patterson and Dominic Gaskin.

MESSAGE FROM RICHARD DAVID Dear friends, Thank you for voting on Tuesday, Sept. 12, and for supporting our campaign. I'm humbled by the overwhelming interest in improving our quality of life and demanding funding return to the district.

While we did not achieve our goal of winning, we made strong progress. I'm proud we ran a campaign based on inclusion, representing all the diverse communities of our district - bringing together Rochdale Village and Richmond Hill, South Jamaica and South Ozone Park. We must continue to demand that the next Council Member provide fair representation and resources to communities on both sides of the Van Wyck.

For my Guyanese, Indo-Caribbean and South Asian supporters who still have no voice in the NYC Council, thank you for coming out in record numbers and in unity. I'm sorry to have let you down.

Please forgive me if I made any mistakes on this campaign. I will continue to advocate for our rights and I hope you will too. We must never give up.

My deepest appreciation for giving me a chance.

I'm excited to see how we will build on the progress we have made. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity.

In solidarity, Richard David Candidate, NYC Council District 28 www.RichardDavidNYC.com

Cocaine mule dragged off Canada-bound plane

A

cocaine mule was taken off a Canada-bound fight on Tuesday morning by ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and has since excreted several pellets.

CANU has since identified the suspect as 39-year-old Julius Fidel Watkins of Second Street, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara.

According to the anti-narcotics agency, after confessing to ingesting cocaine-filled pellets on Tuesday morning, the suspect was escorted to a city hospital where he was admitted. The suspect has since been med-

ically examined and so far, he has excreted a total of 86 suspected cocaine-filled pellets.

Investigators believe that the man may have swallowed over 100 pellets. The suspect remains under observation at the medical facility.

While CANU has been strengthening efforts to curb narcotic trafficking in the country, the agency continues to reiterate the danger of ingesting the illicit substance.

“It is important to note that these practices are hazardous to the health of the intended trafficker and can gravely compromise life,” CANU said on Tuesday.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

news 11

Guyana Gov’t pledges initial US$50,000 to regional relief efforts I n light of the massive destruction that has taken place in many Caribbean territories owing to Hurricane Irma, Government has pledged an initial sum of US$50,000 to aid urgent relief efforts through Caricom’s regional mechanism, which is coordinated by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) in partnership with the Association of Caribbean States (ACS).

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon told a special meeting convened at the boardroom of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) in Georgetown on Monday that this was agreed to following a high-level meeting convened by President David Granger at State House earlier in the day. He said further assistance would be determined subsequent to the completion of a needs assessment.

Harmon, who has responsibility for disaster relief, noted that needs assessments were being conducted at the regional level and added that regular situation reports were being monitored as Guyana continued to work with the Region to ensure a coordinated response. He said the President has also mandated a comprehensive response to the needs of Guyanese citizens who are residing in the affected territories.

At the meeting, some members of the PSC sought to find out whether there was a need to have a recognisance team on the ground in some of those affected islands to assist with a more proper needs assessment, but Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo did not forcefully object to the idea. He said at this point the Government would prefer to work with the CDEMA in its relief efforts. Nagamootoo, who is heading a Ministerial Task Force that will be responsible for oversight of the efforts of

Officials of Government, the Private Sector and international donor agencies gathered on Monday to craft a plan to assist hurricane hit countries in the Caribbean

the Civil Defence Commission’s (CDC) National Risk Reduction Platform, which has since been activated, said too that both CDEMA and the CDC have the experience and knowledge to gather such information, and based on that, Guyana would continue to respond to the needs.

Assistance

In a statement issued on Monday, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo urged Government to immediately initiate steps to provide assistance to evacuate Guyanese living on the affected islands, who are so desirous of being evacuated, noting that the extent of damage was insurmountable. “…buildings flattened and thousands of people without access to water, food and proper shelter. Hurricane Irma has practicably reduced some of these islands to ground zero. It is, there-

fore, incumbent upon the Government of Guyana to take immediate action,” he said.

The Prime Minister at that meeting also raised concerns about the safety of Guyanese nationals in these Caribbean territories ravaged by Hurricane Irma.

“We want to reach out to them…The Task Force, first and foremost, will try to access information about the number of Guyanese affected and the places where they are affected and to make general appeals to Guyanese in the Caribbean to get in touch with the Consulates in those areas or in other parts, where they can access Consulate services. We need the information as to Guyanese who may want to be evacuated or who may want assistance at this point in time of a specific nature,” the Prime Minister explained.

He also informed that over the next

few days, strenuous efforts would be made to keep an open line of communication to ensure that relatives of those residing in hurricane-hit zones were provided with the necessary information regarding their loved ones.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge said that Cuba has better infrastructure than many of the other Caribbean countries and noted that from current reports, the Ministry has no reason to believe that scholarship students were in any danger or have suffered in any alarming way.

Nevertheless, the Ministry will be setting up a portal on its website to facilitate communication between those affected and their families as well as the authorities in Guyana.

Lack of communication is one of the major difficulties that the regional response effort faces. Minister Greenidge explained that while there was a basic framework of communication such as Honorary Consuls, Ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives, the storm has ravaged communications infrastructure, especially in places like St Martin, St Barts and Barbuda.

During the meeting, suggestions were made to have a bank account set up to allow persons to donate funds towards relief efforts. While the PSC was open to the idea of sending building materials, food and water and other essential supplies, it has asked Government to find out if these items could be transported to some of these affected countries via air or sea. Recommendations were also made to have the Guyana Power and Light Inc and GTT be put on standby to assist. One businessman also came forward, stating his willingness to donate prefab homes to Barbuda’s rebuilding efforts.

12 news

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

President Granger signs British woman found dead in NA house into law tougher money A laundering sanctions

H

President David Granger

ead of State, P r e s i d e n t David Granger, has signed into law tougher measures under the contentious Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act. The amendments were successfully piloted by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams ahead of the recent parliamentary recess by legislators.

The President gave his assent at the end of August and the amendments have since been published in the Official Gazette.

At the time he presented the amendments to the 65-member legislative arm of government for its approval, Williams had indicated that the changes sought to amend the principal Act with a view to making money laundering a hybrid offence.

He explained, “It can either be indictable or a summary offence.”

As a result of the successful amendments, the authorities are now given more time to prepare their cases if they are complex in nature.

The amendments also significantly increased fines under the law to not less than G$200 million or more than G$500 million for offending corporate bodies.

As it relates to the time constraints that had been imposed in the principal Act, the House heard that “the Prosecutor could only institute proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court within six months of the offence being committed.”

It was pointed out in the explanatory memorandum accompanying the legislative changes that “with the amendments, the offence is now a hybrid one and that the time limit provided for summary offences do not apply to indictable offences”.

As a result, as it re-

lates to the instituting of proceedings against suspected money launderers, “the Prosecutor would have a longer time as no limitation for the indictable offences of money laundering is provided for by the statute”.

The explanatory memorandum further states, accordingly, “this amendment is important because more time would be given to the relevant personnel to conduct their investigations and prepare their case especially if the matter is a complex one”.

Opposition Member of Parliament Anil Nandlall, during the debate, had said that he checked the principal Act and noted there they were legislated to create an offence against a body corporate. An officer must be identified, either a director or company secretary for the purpose of enforcement, he noted.

Nandlall said he was under the impression that the bill was intended to treat a particular factual situation, that is, not only increasing the period of time for those needed to be held in custody for potential prosecution but applying this retroactively. If it is applied retroactively, it would be unconstitutional, he stressed.

Minister Williams at the time reminded the House, “There is no question of retrospectivity, since there only

existed the principal Act when the new government took office”.

He said too that within eight months that changed with the passage of several key amendments, four within a short time.

Williams questioned why a body corporate could not be charged and noted the need for a longer period to conduct extensive investigations by authorities.

Only recently, the AML/CFT legislation was utilised to take action against two Guyanese nationals both convicted in the United States of America for their involvement in a plot to cause an explosion at the John F Kennedy Airport, New York.

The order was effected by Minister within the Finance Ministry, Jaipaul Sharma on August 29.

The Ministerial Order, which has since been officially gazetted, is titled the “Targeted Financial Sanctions (Specified Persons) Order 2017”.

Under that Ministerial Order, it was noted that the two specified persons were identified as a result of being targeted for financial sanctions in accordance with a United Nations Security Council Resolution #1373 and referred to under Guyana’s AML/ CFT laws.

Abdul Kadir, a former People’s National Congress (PNC) Member of Parliament (MP), is currently incarcerated in a US penitentiary in Pennsylvania, as inmate #64656-0533. He is also identified by the moniker “Aubrey Michael Seaforth”.

Abdel Nur, also known as “Compton Eversley”, is incarcerated in a North Carolina State Federal Correctional Institution.

The 2007 JFK International Airport attack plot was an alleged Islamist terrorist plot to blow up a system of jet fuel supply tanks and pipelines that feed fuel to the Airport in Queens, New York. These pipelines travel underground New York City in densely populated areas. The alleged plot was foiled when an undercover law enforcement official was recruited to the homegrown terrorist cell.

British woman was on Sunday evening found dead at a house in New Amsterdam, Berbice.

The 50-year-old Dajee Sarah Rosemary, also called Rosie Dajee, an accounts assistant at Admin Re Alico, was discovered hanging from the ceiling of a house at Pope Street, New Amsterdam with a phone cord around her neck.

The discovery was made about 19:30h by her friend and co-worker Jessica Grumble with whom she came to Guyana two weeks ago for a threeweek vacation.

According to reports, about one week ago, Rosemary started acting strangely. On one occasion, she told Grumble’s mother, who is a Guyanese also home on vacation, that she was getting married to a local photographer.

Rosemary had also reportedly requested to take Grumble on a trip to the Kaieteur Falls. However, Grumble’s mother did not allow it, reportedly saying that the weather was too bad.

On Saturday, however, Rosemary said she was leaving the country and requested a ride

Dead: Dajee Sarah Rosemary

to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) for a late-night flight. However, at the Airport, it was discovered that her name was not listed on any flight, but in an effort to assist the airline clerk asked Rosemary for her passport, but she reported that she could not find her passport.

She was taken back to New Amsterdam.

Around 19:30h on Sunday, Rosemary’s friend made the horrific discovery and an alarm was raised.

The matter was reported to the Police, who examined the body.

The body was transported to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Meanwhile, B Division (Berbice) Commander, Assistant Commissioner Paul Williams said that an investigation has been launched.

Biker dies in South Ruimveldt accident

A

biker was on Monday killed on Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown after he lost control of his motorcycle during an alleged race.

Dead is Sunil Samaroo, 23, of Kaneville, Grove, East Bank Demerara.

Injured was pillion rider 24-year-old Keitze Bazilo of Lot 33 Howes Street, Charlestown, Georgetown.

Reports reaching Guyana Times International stated that Samaroo, who was riding an unregistered motorcycle, along with pillion rider Bazilo, was alleged to have been racing with two other motorcyclists, all proceeding east along Aubrey Barker Road.

However, upon reaching the vicinity of the Tucville Bridge, the now dead man lost control of the motorcycle causing him and his passenger to be tossed to the road.

Given the speed in which they were proceeding, the duo wiped out on the surface of the roadway and as a result, sustained severe injuries.

Following the accident, the two were rushed to the Woodlands Hospital. The biker was pronounced dead on arrival. However, Bazilo remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the private institution, with her condition listed as critical.

This report comes one day after a 21-year-old electrician succumbed to injuries sustained in a similar accident after his motorcycle crashed into a parked forklift at the side of the road. Kevin Singh of Hague Backdam, West Coast Demerara (WCD), is now dead while his girlfriend Verna Wells, the pillion rider, was at the Georgetown Public Hospital in an unconscious state.

news 13

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyanese living in hurricane-hit territories may be forced to return home

BY SAMUEL SUKHNANDAN

G

uyanese nationals living in some Caribbean islands that have been hit

by Hurricane Irma may be forced to return home.

One senior British Virgin Islands (BVI) Government official has been reported as encouraging non-nationals, including Guyanese, to leave the British Overseas Territory.

Vincent Wheatley, the Sister Islands Programme Coordinator in the Deputy Governor’s Office of BVI, made the call for non-nationals, including Guyanese, who can’t find work after the damage caused by Hurricane Irma, to leave the island soon, the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) has reported.

This call was made even as several Caribbean Community (Caricom) nationals, including those from Guyana and St Vincent and the Grenadines, were among other non-BVI nationals being housed in a community centre that had been stripped of its roofing shingles.

The building is at risk of being flooded if it rains, as only the woodwork on the roof which was damaged in some areas, is protecting the occupants of the shelters from the elements.

BVI’s 2010 Housing and Population Census Report shows that of the island’s 28,000 inhabitants, there was a small minority of people born on the BVI and there are over 113 countries’ nationals living there. Guyana is among the top 10 countries that accounted for a substantial portion of the population.

A Guyanese professional living on that island told this newspaper on Wednesday that he could not confirm whether the information of non-nationals being encouraged to return home is true. Daniel Singh, a former General Manager, said he plans to stay on and help in the rebuilding efforts.

“I have not heard any similar sentiments from people that I have been in touch with. While I wouldn’t want to contradict what the gentleman may have said, I haven’t heard anything of that nature and I am not sure if he himself is speaking on behalf of the entire Government… BVI has been good to me and I have been encouraged to stay and help to rebuild,” he said.

Singh said various country-related groups have arranged for their nationals to return home at this time, because a lot

(Reuben Stoby photo)

of people are without jobs.

“So, indeed while persons are taking it on their own to leave because it may be in their best interest at this point in time, I am not aware that Government has asked people to leave, but have assured people that emergency measures have been taken.”

According to him, there are Guyanese in every profession and every industry you can think of in BVI. A lot of them are employed in construction and other skilled areas. There are also Guyanese in Government, the financial services industry, tourism and other professional sectors. “Guyanese play a significant part in the economy on the BVI,” Singh said and he would want to think that they will stay and help to rebuild their homes, communities and the country as a whole.

However, in explaining the devastation the hurricane has caused on the island, Singh told this newspaper that his life has suddenly changed where he is now fetching water and using torchlights. But amidst the adversities, “We are trying to band in groups that are close to you, whether by virtue of proximity or by neighbours, to live under one roof that might have minimal damage. Communities have come together. It’s a crisis. But the response of the people has been quite positive. People have come together to share resources, vehicles and water supply. The response from Government and the other Private Sector has also been positive. People are getting back slowly to work.”

The Guyanese national said at present there is not a separation of who is a BVI islander and who is a foreign national. People have come together regardless of nationalities and background. “While I am devastated by the damage caused by Irma, I am encouraged by the resolve and unity and the way people have banded together to solve the supply of basic human needs,” he further explained.

Meanwhile, a Guyanaborn journalist attached

to the St Maarten Daily Herald told this newspaper that there are about 6000 Guyanese that are legally registered in that country. According to Alita Singh, this number could be much larger, because there might be some undocumented Guyanese who are living on the is-

land, which was also severely affected by the hurricane.

Alita said Guyanese are just a fraction of the entire 33,000 inhabitants on that island who are all facing the same issues of their homes being completely destroyed in some cases and their need for

food, water and shelter.

She said while Guyanese who have relatives on the island and may feel the need to assist them, she would advise them to send basic stuff such as clothing, cash and other items that are necessary at this time.

When asked about whether the Government of that island has made any similar statements with regards to having Guyanese and other Caribbean nationals sent home, Singh said that has not been the case for St Maarten. Singh told this newspaper also that if there is any island in the Caribbean that has been devastated by the hurricane, there must be a reason for doing so.

“No Government official has asked anyone to evacuate from St Maarten.

A lot of the countries which has non-Dutch nationals have sent in or ar-

ranged for (either privately or via airlift) to evacuate their nationals out of St Maarten for the mere fact that our infrastructure cannot sustain people. We have not asked anyone to leave and every single evacuation has been voluntary.”

During a press conference on Wednesday, Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge reminded that lack of communication still remains a major issue that the regional response effort faces. Minister Greenidge explained that while there is a basic framework of communication such as Honorary Consuls, Ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives, the storm has ravaged communications infrastructure, especially in places like St Maarten, St Barts and Barbuda.

14 news

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Gov’t still committed to constitutional reform process, says PM Nagamootoo

W

hile pointing out that the Government is still committed to ensuring that constitutional reform remains a top priority, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo reminded the public on Monday that draft legislation on the Constitutional Reform Bill was tabled in the National Assembly before the recess.

Nagamootoo has said that this would pave the way for the establishment of a Constitutional Reform Consultative Commission to guide this long overdue process, noting that the Committee was a bipartisan one that would hopefully push this mat-

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

ter more quickly through Parliament.

“I am trying to remove myself as a politician and a representative of the Executive from the process by putting it at the parliamentary floor,” he said on Monday to the media, while explaining that the process could be fast tracked given that the Committee has a balance of politicians from both sides.

The Prime Minister said too that he would support organisations like Reform, Inform, Sustain Educate (RISE) Guyana, which are interested in educating the citizenry on the importance of constitutional reform and what changes that could bring about for Guyana as a whole.

“You need to have organisations in Guyana that can go down to the grassroots to tell people that your life is linked to the Constitution and it matters very much if there is constitutional reform that will bring some change to your system of governance,” he said.

RISE Guyana, a non-profit organisation, had announced that it would be embarking on a countrywide push for reforming Guyana’s Constitution over the next two years, and said its members were free to engage in active politics with any party of their choice.

Established in June, the group of free-thinkers plans to establish groups across the country and consult with Guyanese to ascertain their basic concerns and the types of constitutional reforms they would like to see to address those concerns.

M e a n w h i l e , Nagamootoo also noted that the Constitution of Guyana was inherited and there were some features of it that could be exploited to build authoritarian structures, and given Guyana’s potential to become a wealthy country, with the emerging oil sector, this should never be encouraged.

The move to have the bill debated at a parliamentary select committee level is seen as a major step to assist with constitutional reform, something that the coalition Government promised during its election campaign to deliver.

According to the draft bill, the Consultative Commission will be made up of 15 members.

The establishment of this Commission will allow for some 100 countrywide public consultations.

The bill allows for President David Granger to appoint two constitutional law experts.

Eleven of the other members will be nominated each from the parliamentary parties; trade union movement; organisations representing Guyanese youths; the Guyana Bar Association; the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers; Christian, Muslim, and Hindu organisations and the National Toshaos’ Council.

The bill states that if any entity fails to make a nomination, the President shall appoint a member to represent that entity after due consultation.

The six criteria for selecting members of the Commission shall include experience, knowledge of Guyana’s Constitution, commitment, academic expertise, and practical expertise.

Further, the Commission will be tasked with assisting the Standing Committee in the Committee’s review of how effectively Guyana’s Constitution has been working and to ascertain the views of Guyanese through consultations in the 10 Administrative Regions.

The Consultative Commission on Constitutional Reform will be funded from the Consolidated Fund, and donations and contributions from international agencies.

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PPP plugs need for Audit Office to be strengthened ahead of oil revenues

PPP/C Member of Parliament, Juan Edghill

A

s Budget 2018 inches closer, the political Opposition is warning the Government against undermining the financial autonomy of constitutional agencies. And as oil production also creeps closer, it is also putting the Government on notice of the need to strengthen the Audit Office.

Guyana is expected to start earning revenue in the form of royalties and profit sharing, from its oil sector by 2020. Speaking to this newspaper, former Minister within the Finance Ministry, Juan Edghill, noted that with this expected inflow of money, the Audit Office of Guyana needed to be operating at full-throttle efficiency.

“Constitutional agencies must not be tricked into sitting down with the staff or the planners at the Ministry of Finance, because the Minister will then come to Parliament and say that the figures is one that was agreed upon, where their budgets will be cut privately by the Ministry of Finance,” Edghill stated.

“For instance,” he continued, “If the Audit Office makes requests for additional staffing or equipment, in preparation for first oil, we would like to see what the Minister of Finance will do, as it relates to strengthening the Audit Office in preparation for oil. So, there must be no backroom dealings.”

During the closing ceremony for a multi-year capacity-building programme held last week, Resident Representative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Sophie Makonnen had highlighted this issue. At the time, Auditor General Deodat Sharma had been in attendance.

According to

IDB’s Resident Representative, Sophie Makonnen

Makonnen, the independence and capacity of the Auditor General’s Office is one of the priority areas to be addressed by Guyana. She had noted that this was to ensure there were transparency and accountability with regard to oversight of the nation’s revenue and expenditure of public resources.

She had explained that the US$2 million the IDB plugged in to the capacity-building programme for the Audit Office was a component of the wider assistance provided to Guyana with regard to capacity building for the Public Sector.

The Audit Office of Guyana was reportedly plagued with a poor work environment, limited IT capacity and a huge backlog of statutory auditing among other issues prior to technical assistance from the IDB and the Government.

But while the international donor agency has been fully supportive, the same cannot be said about the Government. The proposed budget for the Audit Office was slashed by the Government in the National Assembly during consideration of the 2017 Estimates of Expenditure, and the resultant consequences had included the body grappling with not having adequate staff or adequate funds to pay them.

The proposed estimate in the last budget for the constitutional agency that is tasked with auditing “the State apparatus” was G$771.2 million, but Finance Minister Winston Jordan had decreased this sum to G$754.9 million.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has been vocal in its opposition to the budgetary cut. The Party pointed out that the total budgetcontinued on page 24

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Exxon will provide updated Local Content Plan every year – says Gov’t Affairs Director Senior Director of Exxon’s Public and Government Affairs, Kimberly Brasington

By Jarryl Bryan

O

il giants ExxonMobil are providing assurances that the Local Content Plan they submit by year-end will not be the summation of their corporate responsibility towards the development of Guyanese.

Company executives have said there rather is an intention to, on an annual basis, provide an updated plan in regard to Local Content as the sector evolves.

According to the Senior Director of Exxon’s Public and Government Affairs, Kimberly Brasington, the Local Content Plan would be an ambitious one that would include plans to develop the local business enterprises which will have to supply Exxon’s operations with essential goods and services.

“Our Local Content Plan will include both plans for supplier development and plans for workforce development,” she related in an interview with this publication. “The plan will (also) include the metrics of Guyanese content in the project to date,” she explained.

“Supplier development includes how we and our main prime contractors will increase capacity of local companies so they can be a part of the supply chain by winning contracts,” Brassington explained.

“On the other hand,” she continued, “workforce development will encompass the hiring, staffing, and development plans for Exxon’s employees and key contractors.”

She also promised that Exxon would not present Guyana with a static or unchanging plan.

“Local Content evolves over time, and is always changing,” she said. “The plan is not static; we will submit it in December, and update it every year based on the growing capacity and the stage of the project.”

Local Content and what it will do for Guyana has been a burn-

ing question since the announcement of oil being discovered in the Stabroek block. After Exxon first tempered expectations by saying that few job opportunities would be created by oil, it has since said it would help with Local Content delivery.

Since being granted a production licence in June of this year, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, had given Exxon a six-month deadline in order to submit its Local Content Plan to the Government.

ExxonMobil’s recently appointed Country Manager in Guyana, Rod Henson, had recently announced that the company would be relocating its onshore operations, which were used for support services, from neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago to Guyana.

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

Trotman had, in 2016, announced that Cabinet had given its ‘no objection’ to the establishment of the onshore industrial site on Crab Island, in the mouth of the Berbice River. He had said it would be forged through the joint efforts of the ministries of Natural Resources, Public Infrastructure and Business.

Construction was announced for early this year, and the investments from the private

sector and Government’s infrastructural work and support were to be equivalent to US$500 million; but the Crab Island facility is yet to materialise.

According to information released by the Government’s Department of Public Information (DPI) this March, the construction of an onshore oil-and-gas facility seeks to cater to the expansion of exploration and subsequent production of oil in Guyana.

That report had said Government would be investing US$500 million to construct the onshore facility during the course of this year, and that the facility would serve as a logistics and supply base to the offshore production, crucial areas of opportunity for Local Content.

What is happening now is that an onshore facility to service Exxon is being constructed

by Guyana Shore Base Incorporated (GYSBI) at Houston, EBD. GYSBI is acting in partnership with Muneshwer’s Limited, Pacific Rim Constructors, Total Tech Oil Field Services and LED Offshore.

Guyana

M e a n w h i l e , Government itself has formulated its own draft Local Content Policy, which was seen by this publication. According to the policy, legislation is likely to be enacted to set out how Guyanese would benefit. The document also sets out that the policy would be enforced by a well-funded and resourced regulatory institution. The regulator, in turn, will be overseen by a multi-stakeholder group representing local bodies that are involved in the sector.

The regulatory agency will also have to report to the National Assembly, as is customary for most regulators who report to the Public Accounts Committee or are overseen by the Auditor General and the Social Services Committee.

Exxon’s operations in the Stabroek Block

Jagdeo chides Gov’t for “callous disregard for Indigenous peoples”

F

ormer President Bharrat Jagdeo has chided President David Granger and Government ministers over their lacklustre approach towards Guyana’s first people and the Heritage Month celebrations currently underway.

Speaking at his Church S t r e e t Office, the Opposition Leader drew specific reference to the President and his minister’s approach and treatment of this grouping of Guyanese, as was evident during the hosting of the National Toshaos Conference (NTC).

President Granger was also a no show on the opening night of the Heritage Month activities, with subject minister Sidney Allicock simply declaring that the Head of State was “busy.”

Speaking with members of the local media corps during a press engagement, Jagdeo said, “We hope that we are not going to be subjected to platitudes again from Government of Guyana about how much they care for Amerindian people in speeches this month, when the practice in the past two years is one that could lead to the dispossession of Amerindians of their lands and a loss of welfare in their communities.”

Jagdeo was adamant the PPP/C and the Amerindian peoples were not looking to hear commonplace jargon and rhetoric from the administration about their love affair with peoples of the hinterland.

According to Jagdeo, the current administration “has a lot of ministers who do very little during the day…

Look at the callous disregard they had for the Amerindian People; the Minister said they can only meet with the Amerindian from 6 to 8pm when the Toshaos conference was going on.”

He quipped that Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan was too busing hunting criminals during the day.

The former president recalled that during his tenure as Head of State, he attended the NTC and sat for two full days during the course of

between Afro- Guyanese and Amerindian, but Afro Guyanese and IndoGuyanese now.”

He reminded, too, that the PPP would adamantly oppose any attempts to take away any

Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo

those meetings, in addition to having the ministers present “working with people, listening to their concerns.”

He juxtaposed his administration’s approach to that of the coalition APNU/ AFC (A Partnership for National Unity, Alliance for Change) Administration.

“In this case, we had a speech from the President right at the beginning. (He was) supposed to go the last day, (but) didn’t even show up. It is total disregard for people; and then you question why they are concerned.”

Speaking to the recently concluded NTC, Jagdeo surmised that many left the capital city “without being any clearer as to the Government’s position, or in fact leaving with more trepidation about the Government’s position on these issues.”

He drew reference to the Commission of Inquiry set up by President Granger to look into land ownership, “and the position taken by Government in this regard.”

Jagdeo observed, too, that despite the Amerindian land component of the CoI being put on pause, “the damage is already done, because the Government unilaterally put in place the terms of reference without consultations.”

He posited that Government has also publicly endorsed some of the “more extreme positions that could become a wedge between Amerindians of Guyana and other races, particularly Afro-Guyanese; and we must fight this.”

The Opposition Leader also surmised that with the CoI proceeding as it is, “it is raising more worry in the minds of the people as to where it will end, and how much more divisive it will be, not just

benefits afforded to Amerindians through proposed amendments to the Amerindian Act. “We have seen Eric Phillips before the CoI saying that the Amerindian Act of 2006 was an act of reparation.”

Jagdeo reminded that the Amerindian Act of 2006 did not give any lands to that section of the Guyanese population—a notion being peddled by Phillips—but rather outlined a process by which Amerindians can access land. He recalled, too, the now infamous statements by Minister Keith Scott, wherein he called Amerindians avaricious (greedy), and had said too that subsurface rights had been afforded to Amerindians as a result of the act; and as a result, they should not benefit from sub-surface rights.

“Any attempts to take away sub-surface rights from indigenous people will again be opposed,” according to the opposition leader.

He was critical too of Government’s approach to the use of money earned under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and Guyana’s pact with the Kingdom of Norway, which led to sums being set aside for the land titling programme for Amerindians.

“A significant part was set aside for the titling activities; that has practically stalled.” He reminded too that monies had been placed in an Amerindian Development Fund but Government has since been cherry picking with its use of funds that had already been set aside.

Jagdeo is adamant the money is there, and that Government must, instead of dragging its feet, accelerate the process.

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Guyana’s private sector calls for stimulus package

…to kick-start stagnant economy

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he coalition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government cannot continue with its ‘hodgepodge’ approach to managing the economy; it must present a stimulus for growth in the declining sectors of the economy, without abandoning traditional pillars of economic growth, since the oil industry is still a developing one.

The frank views were articulated by President of the Georgetown Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Deodat Indar, this past week during an interview with members of the local media corps, where he called for a stimulus programme to be introduced by the sitting Government in order to kick-start growth in Guyana’s tradition industries.

Indar was at the time giving the Private Sector umbrella body’s views on the troubling figures released

by Finance Minister Winston Jordan when

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan

he recently released the mid-year report on the national spending expenditure, savings and earnings.

“We can’t have a ‘hodge-podge’ thing…

We need something proper, something broad to look at all segments facing some level of downturn and to make sure we put stimulus in place to kick-start some of those things,” according to Indar.

The GCCI President told journalists gathered at the Georgetown Marriott for an Audit Office Capacity Building forum that “based on last numbers coming out

of Central Bank, there are some sectors facing trouble… Our members are complaining.”

He pointed to the mid-year report for 2017 and observed that while there was some good news for smaller sectors such as construction, other crops, and transportation, the traditional pillars of the economy in addition to other major contributors have been on a steady decline.

He noted that in addition to the negative performances returned by sugar, timber and other sectors’ growth in some areas are being somewhat misconstrued.

According to the GCCI President, while growth is reflected in the manufacturing sector, this is only due to the performance of one commodity under that economic rubric, namely rice.

Indar told journalists that were the rice figures to be removed from the equation, then a non-rice manufacturing sector would reveal that the industry is in fact

GCCI President Deodat Indar

facing troubling times, since it would then reflect a negative growth.

According to Indar, the current state of affairs will inevitably lead to greater job losses which would in turn lead to reduced consumption.

The GCCI President pointed out that reduced consumption by a populace stricken by reduced or lost income will lead to reduced revenue companies and this would mean reduced taxes.

He warned that in such a situation where the tax base is reduced, it will ultimately lead to a budget deficit which

means Government will either have to increase taxes or “have to borrow money to run the country.”

The GCCI President opined this to be an undesirable situation adding “we want to see the real sector kick-start.”

He noted that oil and gas sector is still in its developmental stage and the country already has well established sectors of the economy already.

Indar was firm in his conviction that these traditional sectors require urgent assistance on the part of the Administration in order to maintain economic gains until that time comes when there can be an influx of additional revenues from the oil and gas sector.

“We have some traditional sectors and we should not abandon them,” he cautioned.

Meanwhile, as it relates to the imminent presentation of the budget for the coming year, Indar told journalists the grouping has not yet met with the Minister

but do look forward to an invitation to be consulted.

The mid-year report – which was released by the Minister before the National Assembly – went into recess had also highlighted Government’s continued failure at using its annual budget for the provision of services to the nation, this, even as the country’s export earnings continue to decline and gold joining the list of commodities on the decline.

In that report the Minister has also had to revise his overall projection for national growth downwards again.

Of note in the report is that while many of the traditional sectors, such as sugar and forestry, continue to perform poorly, the gold sector which has been credited with keeping the economy buoyant in recent years, has now also begun to decline in terms of production and earnings from sales on the international markets.

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Hardships facing miners:

Gov’t to review gold processing fees

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ollowing a high-level meeting with a number of mining organisations and syndicates, the Government has decided to take steps to review not only an unpopular hike in the gold processing fee, but the mining regulations as well.

The meeting, which saw Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman in attendance, was held on Friday at Cara Lodge. Present at the meeting were members of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association (GGDMA), the Guyana Women Miners’ Organisation (GMWO) and representatives from various mining syndicates.

It is understood that a number of concerns were raised, including issues of taxation, issues related to the functioning of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the state of interior roads, the Guyana Gold Board’s processing fee, revision of mining regulations, security for miners and mining lands for syndicates.

Present also at the meeting was Chairman of the Board of the Guyana Gold Board, G H K Lall. According to a statement from the Ministry, it was agreed at the meeting that the gold processing fee would be reviewed, with Trotman promising to find a rate that was reasonable at all levels of mining.

In addition, it was related that Trotman took a decision to resuscitate a committee headed by Natural Resources Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Joslyn McKenzie.

The committee will also see members of the body of miners in attendance, who will propose reviews of the regulations. Trotman also committed to addressing some of the issues with his colleague Cabinet Ministers to bring them to a resolution.”

The mining industry has been beset by problems from a number of directions, leading up to a statistical review

Taxes

Minister Raphael Trotman

in the 2017 Mid-year report.

According to the report, the mining and quarrying sector contracted by four per cent during the first half of 2017.

Gold production, it noted, fell by 1.7 per cent to 317,096 ounces, in the first half of 2017, compared to the same period in 2016.

It is understood that of the total gold declared, 65.7 per cent came from small- and medium-sized miners and dealers whose declarations were above projections, while Guyana’s two large gold companies – Guyana Goldfields and Troy Resources – were below projections.

Fees

It was recently revealed that all miners, including small- and medium-scale miners, will have to pay a hiked processing fee of a G$2500 per ounce of gold they declare to the Guyana Gold Board.

The fee was previously just G$1000 per ounce.

Had the GGDMA not intervened when a public notice announcing the hike first appeared in the daily newspapers, that fee would have been a whopping G$4000 per ounce.

According to a missive from Avalon Jagnandan, the Administrative Manager at the GGDMA, the Association first became aware of the hike when a public notice appeared in the newspaper declaring that all miners and dealers selling gold to the Gold Board would have to pay the G$4000 fee.

For some time, miners have been raising issues such as the spike in taxes across the board implemented by the Government; in particular, the increase of the Tributors Tax from 10 to 20 per cent, Value Added Tax on heavy-duty mining equipment and the two per cent Withholding Tax. In addition, the Association had complained of not being able to benefit from the grant of duty-free concessions on mining equipment, vehicles and fuel, owing to the red tape experienced at the regulatory agencies involved.

Roads

In June, a group of truck operators made their grievances regarding the state of the interior roads known at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition on Church Street, Georgetown.

The truckers had complained that some trips which formerly took those two days to complete were now taking triple that time. And while it wasn’t the only factor, the poor state of the roads was driving up their maintenance costs to the point where they cut back on their operations.

But declaring that overweight trucks are chiefly responsible for wreaking havoc on interior roads in Guyana, Government had announced that moves will be made to amend the relevant laws in order to enforce weight limits on the roadways.

GGMC protests

Also in June, small miners had protested in front of the GGMC’S Brickdam office. The small miners had contended that they are being neglected by the GGMC and had accused the organisation of being corrupt.

They had called for the sacking of acting Commissioner, Newell Dennison and his Technical Adviser, Donald Singh. The miners had also alleged that they have been unable to mine for years since their applications are not being looked at.

Fifth Nereid’s yacht rally to be hosted in Guyana

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ome 12 yacht will soon begin arriving in Guyana sailing from Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and French Guiana for the fifth international Nereid’s rally.

The rally will be hosted at an official luncheon and welcome by Business Minister with responsibility for Tourism, Dominic Gaskin.

The cruisers, who will be spending some 10 days in Guyana offshore at the Hurakabra River Resort, will be sailing from the USA, Canada and Europe.

Regional Chairman of Bartica, Gordon Bradford, will be hosting the crew members to a day visit to explore the Baracara Falls.

The visit to Bartica, in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) will feature an exhibition and performance of our Indigenous culture in recognition of Amerindian Heritage Month.

Following that tour, the visiting yacht crews will be given the opportunity to visit Guyana’s Kaieteur Falls and other hinterland tourism attractions, as well as a day in Georgetown.

Hurakabra River Resort is organising three

day trips to the Essequibo River beginning today, then on Saturday, September 16 and Sunday, September 17 to the resort during the rally via Fort Island to visit the Dutch Heritage Museum and including lunch and games at the Resort.

The rally will depart Guyana on September 22 to its final destination, via Suriname, at Saint Laurent on the Maroni River in French Guiana for an elaborate welcome by the Mayor of the town, complete with Trinidad and Tobago steel band.

The Nereid’s Rally was born when Italian sailor, David Matelicani, in sailing up the Essequibo River in 2011, met with Kit Nascimento, joint owner of Hurakabra River Resort with his wife Gem. Matelicani, who had already started a Marina in Saint Laurent, immediately saw the potential for developing a marina in the Essequibo River, and as such, work started to have the rally here in Guyana.

Sugar union contemplating next ‘serious’ move over impending closure of estates

T

he Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU) is still working with people in the sugar belt to get their support to protest the impending action to close more sugar estates in Guyana.

The union is actively engaged in discussions that look at ways in which they could help to inspire more workers to protest what they have described as an unconscionable decision.

President of GAWU, Komal Chand, told Guyana Times International on Sunday that sugar workers are still fired up and will do whatever it takes to have the coalition Government reverse its decision.

Chand said the union is also contemplating its next “serious” move, and has a particular action in mind that could help to change the decision; but this will be used as a last resort.

“We don’t want to disclose that yet. So, we don’t think the mood is getting dim. We think the workers are there, and if they see more action and protest, (it) will put them in that spirit to fight this decision and stand up to the Government to the end, and avoid the closure,” he explained.

The GAWU leader said the recent public meeting held by the union, which saw Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo addressing the gathering, was well attended, and this shows that people are deeply concerned about their future and those of their families.

Chand also maintains that the Government has a moral responsibility to hold a referendum to determine whether the sugar industry should be downsized or not, as it has the potential to affect thousands of people employed within the industry.

The GAWU head reminded that many of the current Government ministers who were in the last political campaign had made a lot of promises to the people in regard to sugar.

However, these same people are now supporting the miniaturising of the industry, which will render about 10,000 workers redundant, and could affect thousands of households.

During the public meeting on August 30, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo told sugar workers that the number of jobs slated to emanate from the emerging local oil industry will not suffice for, or outweigh, the avenues of employment that existed in the once thriving sugar industry.

Jagdeo claimed that Government’s decisions on the industry are motivated by malice and a lack of consider-

GAWU President Komal Chand

ation for thousands of employees and their families, who stand to suffer from the closures. He also told the gathering at Enterprise, East Coast Demerara that, from an economic perspective, there is much risk in being too heavily dependent on oil, given the volatile nature of the market.

Over the past months, GAWU has been holding several protest actions across the country and along the sugar belt, and has managed to get the support of not only sugar workers, but persons in the various communities, as well as shopkeepers, pensioners and concerned citizens.

Former Presidential Advisor and economist, Ramon Gaskin, has warned the Government to be careful how they go about implementing this new policy. He emphasised it could have a negative effect on the local economy.

Gaskin said it could also lead to the increase in other social ills that remain prevalent in society, including suicide and crime.

The economist believes that if Government goes about addressing this issue the wrong way, it could find itself facing a rebellion along the sugar belt. He referred to the 1904 Rose Hall rebellion and said this could occur again, unless alternative employment is provided to the thousands that are likely to be affected.

In announcing plans to downsize the sugar industry, Government said it plans to close the Enmore and Rose Hall Sugar estates and sell the Skeldon Sugar Factory, but keep functioning estates at Blairmont on the West Bank of Berbice, Albion-Rose Hall in East Berbice, and UitvlugtWales in West Demerara.

Government also plans to cut sugar production to approximately 147,000 tonnes per annum, to satisfy the demand in the local market (25,000 tonnes per annum); Caricom and other regional markets (50,000-60,000 tonnes per annum); the United States (12,500 tonnes per annum) and the world market (50,000 tonnes per annum).

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Gov’t unit flouts court order to demand exorbitant broadcast fees

T

he local media fraternity, through its broadcasters, and the Coalition Administration, through the Minister of Information, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, are at loggerheads over the payment of fees; and broadcasters are disputing official statements emanating from the Government’s Department of Public Information to the effect that all is well in the media landscape.

The matter has since attracted the attention of the Guyana Media Association (GMA), which has since condemned demands made for payment in violation of a court decision handed down by then Chief Justice Ian Chang in May 2014. An absolute order was made on that date.

According to the

GMA, the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) is currently demanding fees which are being asked for as back-payments from the year 2014.

“It is this Association’s understanding that the Authority is making the demand for these back-payments on the basis of fees set GNBA Chairman Leslie Sobers under a court-overturned regulation which was institutthe Constitution, which ed by the past adminis- guaranteed the broadtration”, the GMA has casters’ right to freesaid. dom of expression.

The decision by then The Broadcasting Chief Justice Chang fol- Act, as noted in the delows an action by four cision, allows for a fee existing broadcasters ‘which shall be a sum to challenge the impo- equivalent to such persition of G$2.5 million centage of the gross revin fees, which repre- enue of the licensee as sented a 1000 per cent the Minister may by increase, and would regulations prescribe.’ cause financial ruin.

This, according to It was considered in the GMA, does not albreach of Article 146 of

low for the imposition of a fee to be prescribed by the Minister under an option where, if the percentage of the gross is less than G$2.5 million, the Authority will ask for the greater sum of G$2.5 million, as being demanded.

In his decision on May 9, 2014, the Chief Justice examined the sections in the Broadcasting Act, distinguishing between a grant fee for a new licence and an annual fee.

The Chief Justice, in his decision, stated the Authority’s reliance on regulations which were published on November 29, 2013 in the Official Gazette. This set out the demand of G$2.5 million if it is greater than a gross percentage.

Justice Chang had

at the time also ruled that while the relevant section empowers the Minister to make regulations on grant fees, such a fee ‘would, of necessity, apply only to first time broadcasters, and not to existing broadcasters.’ In granting the order in favour of the existing broadcasters, Justice Chang had ruled: “It goes without saying that an annual fee based on a percentage of gross revenue of the previous year cannot apply to a first-time broadcaster, and can apply only to existing broadcasters…

On the other hand, a grant fee of G$2.5 million cannot apply to existing broadcasters, and can apply only to firsttime broadcasters.”

He further ruled that the ‘grant fee of G$2.5 million has no application to the applicants, as existing broadcasters.

According to the GMA, the Broadcasting Act 2011 required existing broadcasters to re-apply for their licences within 30 days, a stipulation with which they complied.

An Amendment which was passed in 2017 duplicates this requirement by asking existing broadcasters to again re-apply within 30 days.

Meanwhile, contrary to reports issued by the Department of Public Information under its Director Imran Khan — a unit which falls under the purview of Prime Minister and Minister of Information Moses Nagamootoo — local and regional media associations have also challenged the requirement of allocating free time of 60 minutes for public service broadcasting, imposed in the Amendment and defined in the Amendment to include the promotion

of ‘policies and activities of the Government that benefit the public as a whole.’

According to the GMA, international press bodies among others have urged the President not to assent to the amendment, with Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), also known as Reporters Without Borders, urging for ‘“consultations with broadcasters, in order to take into account their recommendations”.

The Department of Public Information has, however, reported that the GNBA, in a letter to Prime Minister Nagamootoo, “has reported that following discussions with several broadcasters, there has been positive feedback”, and no broadcaster has “expressed any disagreement with the sixty (60) minutes’ time allocation for PSA”.

The letter, dated September 8, 2017 and signed by the Chairman of the GNBA, Mr. Leslie Sobers, also stated that “the GNBA fully supports the Amendments as passed by the National Assembly in August 2017”, and that the board “has formally tabled a motion” to communicate same to the Prime Minister.

The GNBA, in updating Prime Minister Nagamootoo, reported that meetings with broadcasters will continue, and that the number of compliant broadcasters has doubled from 6 to 12 from July 2017 to September 8th, 2017, with regards those making payments.

The Broadcast (Amendment) Bill 2017 was passed in the National Assembly, and is awaiting the assent of President David Granger.

PPP plugs need for Audit Office to be strengthened...

from page 16

ary allocation for constitutional agencies in 2016 was G$8 billion, whereas it was only $6 billion in 2017.

The Audit Office has a wide remit, being responsible for auditing the public accounts of Guyana and presenting reports of those audits to the Finance Minister, thence to the National Assembly. As laid out in Article 223 of the Constitution of Guyana, the Audit Office is authorised to audit all officers and authorities of the

Government, including Commissions.

PPP/Civic Member of Parliament Edghill had, during a previous press conference, reminded that a budget was a financial plan which articulated the direction of an organisation and the cost to get there. Therefore, he argued, when the budgets are cut, affected organisations would now have to re-organise priorities and neglect funding for some critical undertakings.

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Authorities in Guyana intensify hunt for prison riot mastermind

A

s Police intensify operations to capture the alleged mastermind of the July 9 Camp Street jailbreak and prison fire, Assistant Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken has disclosed that investigators were not ruling out the possibility that the fugitive could still be in or around Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice).

Two months ago, in an escape bid, prisoners set the penitentiary on fire, resulting in it eventually being flattened and prison officer Odinga Wickham being killed.

The alleged mastermind, Mark Royden Durant, called “Smallie”, and his surviving accomplice, Cobena Stephens, called OJ, remain on the loose. On September 1, ex-Policeman Uree Varswyck was killed in an exchange of gunfire at Linden moments after being spotted with Durant, also called Mark Royden Williams.

Commander Hicken, who also functions as Head of (Police) Operations, was questioned by reporters on Monday about the efforts to recapture the wanted man. The Commander said that Police were looking at various possibilities.

Mark Royden Williams or Mark Royden Durant

“It (the operation) is intel-driven and we have a posture in place,” Hicken pointedly stated.

It is believed that “Smallie” is still in Guyana and is moving along the coast and through the backlands. As such, Joint Services ranks are stationed throughout the country to recapture the murder convict who was sentenced to death along with Dennis “Anaconda” Williams for the 2008 Bartica Massacre. Hicken stressed that operations were being carried out across the land to recapture the elusive convict.

“The exchange was in Linden and he was with Varswyck [and] we are not ruling out the possibility that he’s still in Linden and we are not ruling out the possibility that he’s not in Linden.

We have our postures throughout the length and breadth of the coun-

try just in case,” the Assistant Commissioner observed.

Apart from Williams and Stephens, another prisoner, who escaped in a separate prison breakout at Lusignan, Paul Goriah remains on the run. However, he is not believed to be moving with “Smallie”.

Durant and Varswyck were seen in the Central Amelia’s Ward area of Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), a short distance away from the Amelia’s Ward Police Outpost. When members of the Joint Services had approached their hideout, on September 1, the wanted men opened fire.

Ranks returned fire, killing Varswyck. Williams, however, made good his escape.

A 9mm pistol with 40 live rounds, a haversack and cloth bag containing medication, a gas mask, military camouflage clothing, toiletries and a cellular phone were all found when Police retrieved Varswyck’s body.

In late August, excop and Linden resident, Teon Allen 31, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of sheltering fugitives – Williams and Varswyck.

He was remanded and was scheduled to next appear in court on September 28.

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mountains

C

Crumpled, ancient mountains

rumpled, ancient Potaro River mountains are a sight to behold when travelling to the Kaieteur National Park to view the magnificent Kaieteur Falls.

These mountains, made of sandstone conglomerate, are part of the Guiana Shield, one of the oldest rock formations in the world, stretching through Guyana, Venezuela and Colombia.

A tributary of the Essequibo River, the source of the Potaro is in the Mount Ayanganna area of the Pakaraima Mountains in the North Rupununi savannahs. (Photos by David Johnstone)

Magnificent mountains on the Potaro river, Kaieteur National Park

The crystal clear waters of the Potaro river reflects the forested mountain ranges Potaro river rapids, downstream from Kaieteur Falls (Photo by Cody Hinchliff)

Potaro canyon from Kaieteur Falls (Photo by Allan Hopkins)

Mist descends eerily on the mountains

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President Granger to meet with UN boss on border controversy

September remember

S

atiricus was literally scratching his head. He and the fellas had been throwing back at the Back Street Bar for the better part of the night and the words had become a bit slurred and the thinking fuzzy. With Irma following Harvey but doing most of its damage in the Caribbean, they’d been commiserating with their fellow West Indians. It had taken its toll on them!

“But thank God, it’ll soon be over,” said Hari with a loopy smile. “Let’s drink to that!”

“How yuh suh shore ‘bout da?” asked Bungi, while he signalled to the waitress to bring some more cutters.

He’d become hungry.

“Don’t you remember the hurricane season nursery rhyme, we did in Lil ABC?” asked Hari, as Satiricus and Bungi knotted their brows. “Teacher la Rose used to whip us good when we forgot.”

“Who can remember one line, get a free beer,” slurred Satiricus, hoping to buy some time and have his memory jogged.

“Me remembah somet’ing” said Bungi uncertainly.

“June too soon? Da mean hurricane na come in June!”

“An who said fetching all that cane on your head made it soft!!” teased Hari. “One beer for you!”

“July, standby!” shouted Satiricus, who was happy as a kiskadee he’d saved his honour. He’d been Miss La Rose’s pet in Lil ABC! “One for Sato!” said Hari, marking his imaginary bat like his Warriors’ hero Walton. “August – Lookout you must! Score one for me!”

“Septembah, remembah!!” shouted Bungi. “But dis year, like abee na gat fuh remembah; dem hurricane remin’ abee demself!!”

“October – It’s all over,” said Satiricus, proud that his brain was kicking into gear.” But I’m not sure this year it’ll be all over.”

“Why?” asked Hari and Bungi – while at the same time they ticked off the score on their imaginary bats.

“Miss La Rose had said the world would end when Bungi remembered the poem!” he said to laughter all around.

P

resident David Granger is preparing to address the United Nations General Assembly and meet with UN Secretary General António Guterres and his personal representative in the border controversy issue between Guyana and Venezuela, Dag Halvor Nylander on September 25, on the sidelines of the 72nd Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly to be held in New York.

Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge told a press conference on Wednesday that President Granger’s address to the UN General Assembly was also expected to send a clear message that Guyana wanted the UN Secretary General to stick to the deadline as regards that issue. “I don’t think there is any reason to expect that we could be requested to extend this time,” he added.

Greenidge recalled that the then UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had called for a last effort at dialogue to hopefully resolve the border issue. And while that process should have taken one year, it was

now approaching two years since the request was made and the effort was launched. He said, “We are in no position to make this a permanent state. Right now, the Secretary General communication to the two countries is there, it is a process and the process has timelines,” he assert-

ed.

Notwithstanding some of the concerns raised by Guyana, the Foreign Affairs Minister reminded that Guyana embraced the process with the understanding that it would be implemented in good faith by all parties, including the UN. Guyana,

he said, has constantly stressed the consequences of the uncertainty and the behaviour of Venezuela with respect to this controversy. For the most part, Greenidge said Venezuela’s behaviour has been mainly aimed at undermining Guyana’s development.

He added that while continued on page 41

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History of Education in Guyana A

s we observe Education Month (September), let’s take a look at the notable efforts of dedicated individuals who sought to ensure that all social classes have the right to equal academic opportunities.

Arrival of the missionaries

According to the Guyana Institute of Historical Research, the church was the largest private institution that contributed to the development of education, particularly at the primary level. The coming of the first missionary of the London Missionary Society (renamed the Congregational church) coincided with the abolition of the British participation in the African slave trade. During slavery, the missionaries concentrated on teaching the children of freed parents.

Hermanus Post, a Dutch planter on the East Coast of Demerara had invited the London Missionary Society to send a missionary to his plantation at Le Resouvenir to instruct his slaves.

Rev. John Wray was the first missionary to work among the slaves.

He arrived in Demerara in 1808. In 1813, Wray was asked by the commissioners of the crown estates, who had about 1100 African slaves under their care, to start the Berbice mission. But many of the Dutch planters were hostile to educating slaves.

During the early part of the 19th century, the other main missionary societies in Guiana were the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel; the Methodist Missionary Society; the Church Missionary Society, which worked specifically among the Amerindians from about 1827 to 1858, the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian); the Roman Catholic Church and the Moravians.

Rev. John Davies, a missionary of the London Missionary Society, had taught the “free children of Georgetown”. In 1810, he distributed copies of a small spelling book, called the “First Class Book”.

In 1824, there were two free schools – one for boys and the other for girls. It appears as if some churches gave aid to the free schools. In 1838, it was recorded in the minutes of the Kirk session of St. Andrews that a collection of 1,155 guilders was to be divided equally between the two free schools.

Rev. J. Bernau in-

Some of Guyana's first educators

troduced the “normal” school idea to the Bartica community in 1835. He had a day and evening school, and later a boarding school-cum-orphanage.

Colonial support

In 1840, the Combined Court voted $2,000.00 for the education of Amerindians. It had to be shared equally among the missions on Pomeroon, Essequibo, Demerara, Corentyne, and Berbice.

During the 1840s, the Combined Court vacillated over whether they should continue to support the denominational schools for the Amerindians.

Between 1835 and 1845, the imperial government voted money for the education of the masses under the “Negro Education Grant”. The government offered 30,000 pounds per annum for five years, and gradually reduced the grant each year until it ended in 1845. The missionary societies, who were involved with the ex-slaves, were the beneficiaries of the funding. The missionaries, like the Colonial Office, were concerned that the children of the masses were taught moral and religious education.

Priority was not given to secondary education and teacher training.

Almost all of the schools established during the apprenticeship period began with classes in church buildings.

The teachers were either the minister or his wife, a catechist, or in very rare cases, someone with some experience of teaching.

In order to solve the problem of the shortage of teachers, the missionaries sought to establish “normal schools” where teachers could be trained to satisfy local needs.

The bible was used for all instruction.

After 1845, some of the missions were forced to close their schools because of inadequate funding. There was also

a widespread feeling that the Africans should finance their own education. However, the churches, which continued in the field of education, were generally supported by their headquarters.

Church’s role in education after emancipation

The Roman Catholics initially established schools for the Portuguese. In 1838, Dr. William Clancy, of the Roman Catholic Church, outlined his plan to send six ecclesiastics, three school masters and three school mistresses, for educating the population, and also to construct three school buildings in each county. By 1841, six nuns of the Sisters of Presentation arrived in the colony to open a day school and a boarding school.

In 1847, the Ursuline Convent School was established.

By 1866, the Roman Catholic Church established St. Stanislaus College boys’ schools. In 1897, the St. Joseph High school for girls was established by the Sisters of Mercy.

The Anglican Church also participated in the field of education.

In 1824, the St. George’s free school was established, under the aegis of the Anglican Church.

The school was conducted separately for boys and girls. Another Anglican school, All Saints was established in New Amsterdam, Berbice, in 1829.

In 1851, Bishop’s College was launched with the support of the S.P.C.K. It was established for the training of theological students and the general training of teachers. The Methodists, Presbyterians, and the Anglicans established schools for the Indians.

The planter Quintin Hogg supported the Anglican Church in the erection of a series of buildings of a chapel-school combina-

tion in Essequibo and Demerara.

One such chapel-school building was erected at Bel Air, on the East Coast of Demerara in 1873.

“The school-house is built then to make you happy – to teach you to love God because He is your Father. I have and want you to listen every Sunday at 2 o’clock there will be school for the children. At 3 o’clock, there will be Service for the adults. Every day there will be school for the children, and every Monday, at Half-past four, there will be a class for instruction in reading and writing in Hindustan and English,” Quintin Hogg

is said to have commented.

Apart from the training institutes, estates’ schools, parochial schools and the orphan asylum, there were also private nursery schools, and special evening schools both in Demerara and Berbice.

There were evenings or night schools at Nismes on the West Bank of Demerara, at Lusignan, Annandale, Enmore and Clonbrook.

In addition, Indian immigrants received instruction at the Kingston Coolie School, and at the Church of Scotland at Lochaber in Berbice.

Free education

By the second half of the 20th century, there were private individuals who established high schools for the poorer classes. The Muslims and Hindus also established schools for the children of their followers. These individuals included Richard Ishmael, the Costello brothers, Sidney King, Hilton McAllister, Shruti Kant, Joseph Luck, Sir Homer, Walker Under Twelve, H.M. Pollard, and others too numerous to mention.

In 1976, private education was abandoned.

The government introduced free education from nursery to university. During the 1980s, private lessons were popular and were run by teachers such as Wilfred Success, Teacher Chandra, Sir Wahab, Mrs Alli, Sir Trotz, Mrs Edna Perry, Mrs Maureen McGowan and Sir Lee. In September 1992, private education returned to Guyana. The first private school was Mae’s (1992), then Marian Academy (1998) and School of the Nations (1995). (Submitted by the Guyana Institute of Historical Research)

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sons living in Paruima, a Seventh-day Adventist community. It is surrounded by forested mountain slopes. The village’s main economic activity is subsistence farming. Interestingly, it is the only Arecuna village in Guyana.

Cultural Preservation Project

D

In Washington, D.C.

olly Chambers belongs to one of the four founding families of her village, Paruima, who are said to be the only remaining families of the Arecuna nation.

The 18-year-old was born in Kamarang vil-

Dolly at her project launch

lage, Region Seven.

She attended Paruima Primary School, and then went on to Graham’s Hall Primary and St. Stanislaus College in Georgetown. She is of the Arecuna nation.

Brief history of Paruima

The tallest of our indigenous peoples, the Arecunas, who refer to themselves as “pemon” meaning “the people”, occupy upper and central Kamarang river since 1839. They are presently concentrated at Paruima, which is located on the Kamarang river in the Upper Mazaruni District.

Paruima was founded by four friends who settled in the area: Percy, Henrito, McNaughton and Chambers. Paruima got its name from the large plantains called ‘paruru’ that are grown in the village.

Today, there are approximately 715 per-

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Dolly said she was inspired to start her cultural preservation project after visiting the US in 2015, where she represented Guyana at the Youth Ambassadors’ Program along with four other [Guyanese] students, one mentor and 30 students from across the Caribbean. Dolly noted that the programme impacted her life significantly.

“After experiencing the cultural riches of Rapid City, South Dakota, US, via museums and galleries that both preserved heritage and move artistic expressions forward, I was motivated to establish an indigenous museum in Guyana. Attending a traditional ‘Powwow’ was one which I certainly enjoyed. I danced and interacted with the Lakota tribe. I was able to see the similarities and differences between the Arecunas and the Lakotas. I was very much impressed of the way indigenous culture is preserved in Rapid City. I realised that there is so much that we can do to preserve our culture,” she expressed.

Dolly added due to there being only one village in Guyana that is

In traditional wear at the Paruima Falls

home to the Arecunas, she believes her project can help in the preservation of the Arecuna culture for future generations, “who may not practice the cultural heritage in the future due to the introduction of technology”.

“I am aware a museum cannot start in one day, so I decided to implement a cultural preservation project in my village, Paruima, as a start. I also plan on compiling a book of Arecuna recipes and a story book.

I visited homes to gather information and made appointments with the elders so that I can record their stories. Many persons prepare their meals differently, so I had to collect several recipes used to prepare one meal and just record the most popular method. Currently, I am editing my recipe book so that the final draft can be submitted by September 15. I need help with transportation to go back home to take photographs of the prepared traditional foods, since it is heritage month, and professional photographers to help me execute that,” she pointed out.

Dolly’s objectives are to increase awareness and appreciation of the culture and traditions of the

Arecuna people, highlight aspects of the culture or traditions of the Arecuna nation that are threatened, and identify and recommend areas of preservation.

“By early next year, I want to publish a story book and a recipe book. For my next project, I would like to compile a book on Arecuna medicines. However, I cannot do it alone. I’ve struggled through the past year alone. Also, I would like to record and learn the steps for the four main dances. I would like to establish an indigenous museum in Guyana as my long term goal. Times are changing and our chil-

dren need to know about themselves and their ancestors. One year ago, I didn’t know a lot, but today I can say differently.

I’ve learned a lot during the past month about my cultural heritage,” Dolly declared.

The aspiring architect is currently a contestant in the Miss Indigenous Heritage Month Pageant 2017, which is scheduled for September 30 at the National Cultural Centre. She stated that winning the pageant will give her the “boost to continue initiating and executing cultural projects, because there is a budget allocated for that via the pageant”.

Cleaning cassava

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A

Inside a tuma pot

s we celebrate Indigenous Heritage Month, the ‘tuma pot’ will be a popular offer on many menus. Tuma pot is commonly known as a meal, but did you know it is also an actual pot (container)?

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Lokono Arawak archaeologist, George Simon, explained how the pot is made and the cuisines enjoyed from it.

Tuma pots are principally associated with the Rupununi savannah peoples, the Macushi in the north and Wapishana in the south. No doubt the tradition of pottery making once existed among coastal indigenous nations, but today it is difficult to find potters who still make ceramic pots.

Sadly, the skill seems to have been lost.

In the south savan-

nahs, however, among the Wapishana, the tradition is still very much alive, though not every Wapishana village produces them.

The Wapishana village of Waranau still produces these particular pots. The Wai Wai also produces tuma pots.

Villagers in the south savannahs would therefore access their pots from particular potters from other villages. Toka village in the north once boasted of a strong pottery making tradition, but the skill has been lost with the passing of their skilled potters. The younger generation of Machusi in that village has not upheld the pottery tradition.

The tuma pot is made from clay and is fired at low temperature in an ‘open fire’ system of pottery making. The potter would have collected the clay from a particular

clay source, not found in most villages. The clay is processed and refined and sometimes ash, crushed pottery fragments, and fine sand are included in the clay to strengthen it.

Once the base of the pot is established, the body of the pot would be made, and from coils of clay, gradually building and fashioning the shape outwards towards the shoulder and then inwards to form the neck, which will then be developed outward to form the rim.

The base of the pot can be flat or oval. The oval pots are placed on the ground in a shallow hole and supported by three rocks. The flat based pots can rest on the ground or be placed on three rocks over the fire wood.

Tuma refers to something that is tasty, mouth-watering, hence tuma pot – “food that is delicious”. Another Wapishana word is “damuriid”, which refers to tuma pot or pepperpot.

Most importantly, the tuma pot brings people together in villages.

The making of the pot is a collaborative effort and the meal made in the pot is enjoyed as a group.

Tuma pots with stewed meats and other indigenous cuisines

feature 35

Indigenous cuisines

In prehistoric times, the indigenous people roamed about freely in the forests and savannahs as expert hunters, fishermen and tropical forest collectors.

Today, in Guyana, the nine indigenous nations live in different parts of the country, some in the rich alluvial swamp lands of the coastal plain, and others in the terra firm of the hinterland.

These two environments bid fair for providing the inhabitants with adequate food resources, which are used in a sustainable manner.

The Arawaks, Caribs and Warraus live on the north/west and east coast swampy region of the country, the Arecuna, Akawaio and Wai Wai in the forested and riverain region, the Patamona on the part forest/ part savannah Pakaraima Mountains, and the Macushi and Wapishana on the flat Rupununi savannahs.

Each nation is a master of his environment.

In the wild coast of Guyana, the north/ west region of the country has some 30 shell mounds. These mounds attest to the magnitude of subsistence resources available to the first inhabitants in the region, such as the Carib, Warrau and Arawak, who still live there.

Archaeologists have excavated some of these

Cassava bread soaked in tuma pot soup and smoked meat (Photo from courtingtheglobe.blogspot.com)

mounds and marvelled at the remains found in them, as they revealed that the inhabitants consumed a variety of animals, birds and seafood, which included a variety of fish, shellfish, crab, oyster, lobster, shrimp, and snails.

Vegetables, fruits and nuts gathered from the forest and reefs supplemented their diet.

The Upper Mazaruni is home to the Arecuna and Akawaio, the Pakaraima Mountains to the Patamona, and the Upper Essequibo to the Wai Wai. These four nations live in almost the same environmental situation and get their supply of food from the rivers and forest where there is an abundance of animals, fish and birds.

The most popular game animals are the deer, wild cow, wild hogs, labba, acuri (agouti), sloth, manatee, capybara, alligator and all types of monkeys. They also hunt birds like the pow-

is, marudi, maam, and pigeons. Frogs, maggots and insects, both land and river turtles and turtle eggs, vegetables and fruits are collected from the forest, and a variety of fishes and eels from rivers are all part of their diet.

For the Macushi people, who live in the north, and the Wapishana, to the south Rupununi savannah, their food supply originates from the savannahs, the Rupununi River and streams that drain the vast savannah. The Rupununi savannah and the Pakaraima Mountain region have an abundance of ants, armadillo, swamp birds, and savannah deer that add to their diet.

The tuma pot is used to cook all these succulent meats, which is served with delicious cassava bread.

(Information by George Simon)

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Preserving our literary heritage

John Peter Bennett (1914-2011) er, priest, educator, linguist, translator, writer and more. He was the first indigenous person to be ordained as an Anglican priest in Guyana; the first indigenous person to be canonised in the Anglican Church of Guyana; and the first indigenous person to write and publish “An Arawak-English Dictionary”.

Early life

John Peter Bennett

By Petamber Persaud

T

hough blind, John Peter Bennett continued to work on his typewriter to produce seminal work on the indigenous Arawak people.

Bennett was a man who loved books, reading and writing; a man who rewarded good work with more work.

Bennett was a teach-

John Peter Bennett was born in 1914 in Kabakaburi on the Pomeroon River. He died in 2011, in the same village in which he was born, after living a fruitful life.

At an early age, Bennett knew something was wrong when students were flogged for speaking their native tongue.

He knew something was wrong when speaking their native language in school was discouraged. He knew

this was wrong since he learned much and understood more when his father spoke to him in Lokono – his first language. This realisation manifested itself in making Bennett a linguist, translator and author.

Bennett’s formal education ended when he was about the age of 12. But he furthered his education through reading, perhaps encountering Mark Twain’s “[d]on’t let schooling interfere with your education”. In this respect, the library of an Anglican priest, Reverend Martin B. Hirst was of enormous help to him.

One of his skill trainings came to his aid in a world where there were few opportunities available to a thinker and enterprising young man. As a tailor, Bennett knew how to cut his coat according to his

cloth. He didn’t allow blindness and partial paralysis prevent him from doing his lifework as he tapped away long hours at his typewriter. And he didn’t miss out on reading; his grandchildren were ready and willing to read to him.

In 1940, Bennett married Clara James and the union produced a boy, Maurice, and a girl, Jennifer. Their first daughter died in infancy. Even with a family to provide for, he pursued his dreams in service to his people. For this, he had to equip himself with the necessary tools.

He attended Codrington College in Barbados to train for the priesthood.

After ordination, he served as priest in several parishes across Guyana. Later, he was made canon of the Anglican Church.

In 1989, Bennett was awarded The Golden

Arrow of Achievement (A.A.) by the Government of Guyana. In September 2015, the National Art Gallery in collaboration with the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs paid homage to Bennett by mounting an exhibition of artwork by indigenous artists.

A granddaughter’s memories

Below is an extract of an interview with Dr Viviane Baharally (VB), a granddaughter of John Peter Bennett, Georgetown, Guyana, October 2015: PP (Petamber Persaud): Concerning your grandfather, John Peter Bennett, there are a number of things you touched on – reading, writing, storytelling… His writing led to a significant pen pal relationship with Richard Hart, which resulted in the publication of the book “Kabethechino”.

Let’s, for a moment, look at his correspondence with Richard Hart.

VB: The most I know about those correspondences was me collecting bundles and bundles of letters from the school where there were left for us to retrieve. After a time, I use to leave my basket at the school because they were so many… But I must say I never really had a look at any.

This book is out of print, and now because of that, I will be encouraged to read them.

PP: I want to now raise something very important. In this biography, it is said he was puzzled by the fact that students were not allowed to use their first language in school.

And this led him to work on the Arawak language, which resulted in another publication, “The Arawak English Dictionary”. You did a lot of typing for him, so you are familiar with the contents of his writing…

VB: I just did the typing; I do not know Arawak…

PP: That’s why he wrote “‘The Arawak English Dictionary”…

VB: But, there is no excuse for not knowing. At that time of growing up, we didn’t see it as important…

PP: That is why you and your contemporaries, who now know of the importance of the work, should be responsible of passing this knowledge – a language is vital to a people and it should not be allowed to die.

Not long ago, Vernon Cheong performed his poetry, one of which decries the loss of the Amerindian way of life. And more than a decade ago, Uncle Basil [Basil Rodrigues] performed his poem, ‘A Merry Indian No More’…

What I’m getting at is that we are more enlightened now; that, coupled with advanced technology, would make it easy to continue the work of this remarkable man.

Some things I can’t get out of my mind about this remarkable man, like he was not only a consumer of books, but was also a producer of books.

There are many more things in the life of this remarkable man… he was an inspiration to anyone who knew him, especially to the people of Kabakaburi village… and we should remember him as a man who was not ashamed of his language and his culture…

VB: When I said I was ‘ashamed’, it was not of the language or the culture, it was of not knowing the language. There was no excuse for it…

PP: But it is never too late to do something to ensure the language isn’t lost.

The achievements of John Peter Bennett cannot be easily measured as his legacy lives on, inspiring others to safeguard our national patrimony.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Getting it right…

A

…on our history

s you, Dear Reader, would know by now, your diligent Eyewitness reads all the dailies. It’s part of his job description. But he takes special care to read the Chronic – since it’s supported by his tax dollars. Well, not TOTALLY…but you know!! And he expects the rag to do the right thing by all of us. So he was more than a bit taken aback when he read its editorial yesterday. (Yes…your Eyewitness has to read even editorials!)

The editorial says we should know our history…

Now there’s nothing wrong about that. In fact, there’s everything good. But it then goes on to claim, “We have lost track of our identity and adopted other identities without understanding the fundamental core principles of the civilisations we want to emulate…(that of Britain and other Western countries). Now this is the kind of crock that’ll ensure we remain at the bottom of the ladder “from now to thy kingdom come”.

First of all, we have not “lost track of our identity”.

Our identities were literally beaten out of us with whips, racks, treadmills and hangings when we were denied our humanity and deemed slaves and indentured servants. The identity injected into us during that period and afterwards by our “masters” was how to become good servants. Does the Chronic not see the loss of the colonial identity they mourn so poignantly was one intended to keep us in “our place”?

How can we be comfortable with forever trying to imitate our former masters? Aren’t we setting ourselves up for perpetual psychic damage since we can never BECOME them, but remain (dark) imitations? Even if we do our darndest (and Lord knows, our ancestors – and the present bow-tied UG Vice Chancellor – tried!!) weren’t the goalposts always moved? Was Burnham ever accepted by them even though he cultivated Churchill’s accent and wore jodhpurs when he rode a horse at Hope Estate to crack his whip at Civil Servants he’d dragged into the fields?

To emphasise how backward its thinking is, the Chronic insists, “The British lead us into the industrialisation age from the technology of mining bauxite, gold, etc.”!!! Can you believe this? Britain led us into the industrialisation age??! Even factually, it was locals who started gold mining in the 1890s and the US and Canada mined our bauxite – but never opened up an aluminium smelter. And did England ever refine sugar here? Lord!! Did the Chronic’s editorial writer even read Rodney’s thesis of “underdevelopment”??

The Chronic should get a grip of the narrative it’s spewing. Even Burnham, personally twisted as he was, understood that our original humanity had to be regained. …on alcohol Minister Norton hinted his government might impose some sort of controls over the sale and distribution of alcohol in this country. And not a moment too soon. He mentioned the rising number of accidents committed by persons “Driving Under the Influence” (DUI) to justify the State’s intervention into what some may claim is a “private matter”.

But DUI’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’re the costs our free medical care incurs in dealing with all the ailments caused by alcohol consumption: cirrhosis, Steatosis, Alcoholic Hepatitis, and Fibrosis of the liver, Cardiomyopathy, Stroke Arrhythmias, high blood pressure. And let’s not talk about the brain and the loss of coordination during DUI. So shouldn’t we have warnings on bottles of alcohol like we do on cigarette packs? Shouldn’t we have greater penalties for DUI? Like seizing the cars of offenders after three strikes like they do in New York.

Or insisting the GRA observe the law and NOT issue liquor licences to all the “bottom house” bars springing up like jumbie umbrellas? …in Police reform Now that Prezzie’s indicated deep-seated reform of the Police hierarchy is imminent, could he also throw in the major reform that was the raison d’être of the Disciplined Forces Commission he sat on in 2003?

Ethnic proportionality in composition.

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World Suicide Prevention Day 2017

‘A day to celebrate life, resilience and hope’ T

oday we observe World Suicide Prevention Day under the theme, “Take a minute, change a life”.

As members of communities, it is our responsibility to look out for those who may be struggling, check in with them, and encourage them to tell their story in their own way and at their own pace. Offering a gentle word of support and listening in a nonjudgemental way can make all the difference.

World Suicide Prevention Day was first recognised in 2003, as an initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention and endorsed by the World Health Organization.

World Suicide Prevention Day takes place each year on September 10.

Speaking on suicide in Guyana, Dr Caitlin Vieira, a psychologist and addiction specialist, said: “Today is an extremely special day.

Although many of you are grieving today, I encourage you to view this as a day to celebrate life, resilience and hope.

Hope for those who have survived attempts and hope for their recovery.

This is also a day to appreciate those survivors and all others who dedicate their lives to awareness and prevention.”

She added that the issue of suicide is not a simple one to consider because we, as a culture, have difficulty broaching it. However, Caitlin mentioned that suicide is an inescapable public health issue - one that still holds undeniable stigma within our community. She pointed out that every human being is vulnera-

who has disseminated information throughout our country deserves congratulations and recognition. Guyana’s declining suicide rate is your victory,” she declared.

Testimonial

Dr Caitlin Vieira

ble to mental illness and suicidal thoughts, so it is her hope to bring awareness, understanding and compassion, and to encourage persons to have the strength to engage in life-saving discussions and reach out for help.

Caitlin noted that suicidal feelings and behaviours do not just affect depressed persons, but everyone around them.

She said this issue [suicide] has been discriminated against for far too long.

Gathering statistical information from the World Health Organization, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, and the Drug Information Network, the psychologist reported that the suicide rate in Guyana is 29 per 100,000 - well above the world average. She noted that before April 2017, Guyana had the highest suicide rate in the world at 44 per 100,000. Our nation is now ranked 4th in the world behind Sri Lanka, Lithuania and

Democratic People’s Republic (North) of Korea. Still, approximately 200 people end their own lives every year in Guyana.

She went on to report that Region Two (Essequibo) and Region Six (Berbice) have the highest suicide rates in the country, adding that females attempt suicide up to four times more than males, but males are more successful in their attempt. Caitlin revealed that the majority (80%) of suicides happen within the IndoGuyanese community.

The most affected groups are between the ages of 20-49.

“While the suicide rate in Guyana has decreased, our awareness and prevention efforts should not. It is not the time to get confident or complacent, but rather a time to further our efforts as they have proven to be effective. Every child, student, parent, teacher, police officer, nurse, social worker and community member of any kind

The psychologist and advocate said she counsels suicidal individuals every day, and while she cannot understand everything they are feeling, she has a fair idea of what’s on their mind.

“I know that most feel like a burden on their families and that everyone around them would be happier if they were gone. They develop such feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, they come to genuinely believe they won’t be missed or that their death would have no impact. Nothing could be farther from the truth according to everyone I have ever spoken to who has lost a loved one to suicide,” Caitlin disclosed.

One of the testimonials submitted by Caitlin was written by Amy Young, who lost her aunt to suicide.

This is an extract of Amy’s story: “Suicide is often talked about like an anomaly, a rare and extraordinary tragedy, yet, it’s incredibly common. However, I never thought it would be common for me. I never thought I would know anyone who would commit suicide or even think about it, let alone my favourite person in the world.

“I was a typical 26-year-old living a completely contented life until one phone call changed it forever. The devastating call came on January 31 at 11:55am

Amy Young, as a child, with her aunt Beda in happier times

bringing the news that my aunt Beda had died.

Before even having a second to properly process this news, my heart was broken and my face wet… Aunt Beda, one of my mom’s youngest sisters, had been in my life for as long as I could remember. She teased me, bought me treats, played with me, loved me and most of all made me feel so special… She tried every day to make me happy and keep me laughing…

“My aunt had trials and tribulations in her life, like every other person. I heard whispers that she wasn’t feeling well and that she was depressed, but I never saw it. Around me, she was always happy and spirited… I don’t know what she was feeling, what pain she was carrying with her, or why

she thought that suicide was the only way to be rid of it… I wish I had paid more attention, maybe spent more time with her, then maybe I could’ve seen the signs and talk to her and show her that the world would not be the same without her.

“Sometimes you feel guilty for going on with life and laughing and having a good time. But not a day goes by that I don't wish she was here with me…

“I know suicide victims have much pain and sadness, but when they get rid of their pain and sadness, their family and friends get that pain and sadness too. I have to live every day of my life without my aunt. Her grandchildren can never get to meet her. My mother probably won't laugh as hard again without her.”

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Staff shortage plagues West Dem Hospital …Public Service Ministry yet to confirm several positions

The West Demerara Regional Hospital, along with the Region, is facing a staff shortage

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s a staff shortage continues to affect health-care delivery at the West Demerara Regional Hospital and other medical institutions in Region Three (Essequibo Islands- West Demerara), doctors and other medical staff have relayed their frustration over the delay in confirmation of several positions.

Guyana Times International was told that a list of suitable persons to fill various vacant positions was sent to the

Public Service Ministry several months, but hospital officials were still awaiting approval.

During last week’s top-level meeting at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings was told of doctors being reluctant to work beyond their standard eight-hour shifts owing to the current payment package being offered for over time.

More important-

ly, Deputy Regional Executive Officer (DREO) for Region Three, Jennifer FerreiraDougall indicated that doctors in the district and other medical staff have been waiting since before April to be confirmed to their positions before opting to work beyond the normal call of duty.

“Since I came into the Region, they are waiting on the Public Service Ministry to okay those positions, like in the lab. I don’t think the lab

technician is confirmed,” Ferreira-Dougall disclosed.

This publication was told that a senior health official was told of these concerns when she visited the Region earlier this year and after that visit, a list of persons for confirmation were passed on to the Public Service Ministry.

Nevertheless, the situation remains unchanged. The DREO highlighted that the medical employees are seeking to be duly compensated for their time.

“A doctor is like a pilot, you can’t have them working over a certain hour and in terms of remuneration, if you’re going to ask the doctors and nurses to come back on, they are looking for an extra dollar,” she stressed.

This publication previously reported that pharmacy graduates from 2016 were among the medical personnel awaiting placement at health facilities throughout the Region.

Other departments with staff shortages include the x-ray department and theatre. On this note, Dr Cummings encouraged the officials to re-submit the lists of names to the Public Service Ministry, along with justification for the positions to be filled/confirmed.

Regional officials and the Minister engaged in an hour-long meeting which included Hospital Administrator Sanjah Persaud and Warehouse Manager at the Public Health Ministry’s Materials Management Unit (MMU), Sihouette Craig. The regional officers present included the DREO and Medical Superintendent and acting Regional Health Officer, Dr Bibi Jabar and Inter Ministerial Sector Coordinator, Mr Seewchan.

At the meeting, Dr Cummings had called on the Region Three officials to explain the Region’s problems associated with timely drug procurement at those facilities.

She heard that often times requests to the MMU are only made by health centres when the supply of drugs is finished. Many of these health facilities are in need of persons to fill the position of pharmacy assistant.

Ducking…

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…climate reality

ell now that Irma tore up the West Indian “Greater Antilles” – especially some outcroppings like Barbuda – are we finally going to get some serious rethinking about the connection between these intensified storms, global warming and our carbon pollution? The short answer is NO!! And why is your usually non-committal Eyewitness being so adamant in his answer? Well just that the real Irma didn’t really hit Florida – just a tired, exhausted version!

Now don’t think your Eyewitness WANTED Irma to do more damage… but if it had, especially after Harvey in Texas, then there definitely would’ve been some reflection by the Southern Bible Belters who form the core of Trump’s climate-change deniers. So while China and India will be going green, Trump and America will be pumping ever more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by fracking shale oil – and even coal.

Now the East convinced us natives – in what’s now the “Third World” – that we were just ignorant sods because we didn’t do things “scientifically”. Using cow dung and other waste as manure?! Backward – not to mention disgusting! Artificial fertilisers like urea which is made from petroleum gas is better.

Living in harmony with forests? Eweuuu! That’s for uncivilised pygmies and Indigenous Indians! Burn the forests down!

But suddenly even though their own science and scientists assert conclusively that climate change is connected with the increasingly higher temperatures created by higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels – and that’s causing havoc with our climate – the cry by Trump is “What Climate Change and carbon emissions?” And the yokels follow their piper!

Now one can say the truth was hidden from them by companies like Exxon, which we know hid the real data, their studies revealed – confirming the connection between carbon dioxide levels and climate change. But that’s not the whole truth, is it? The Americans that follow Trump don’t believe the scientists because to do so would force them to accept that five per cent of the world’s population shouldn’t be using us 25 per cent of the world’s resources including burning up nearly 25 per cent of the coal, 26 per cent of the oil, and 27 per cent of the world’s natural gas.

This obviously would mean taking a cut in the ever-rising standard of living it takes to be number one in the world…and that’s a no no!! But while some may feel this is all academic to us Guyanese since hurricanes and such like will literally pass over our heads, there’s still that small matter of rising seas.

With our mudland already five feet BELOW sea level, it wouldn’t take much to wash away those sea walls! …the ducks Your Eyewitness’ ears literally perked up when he read about the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) producing 408,000 ducklings last year. Now in the interest of fair disclosure, your Eyewitness has to admit he loves duck in any of the myriad forms it can be prepared – fried, curried, baked, bunjal, stewed, and most of all – roasted “Peking Duck” style. Ahhh…he has to sop up his salivation as he remembers those crisp, crackling paper-like skin of that roasted duck he had in China Town last month!!

But he didn’t know the GLDA was not only selling the ducklings – that was but a mere seven per cent of what they sold to farmers, but the rest – amounting to over 1 MILLION pounds they sold off @ $250/lb!!

Your Eyewitness’ better half nearly had a fit when she heard that. Here it was, she’d been buying WHOLE ducks at her local market – with feathers and all – @ $580 per scrawny lb!!

So who’s been getting this MILLION pounds of duck practically free? …crime The Police reported there was a 41 per cent INCREASE in robbery with violence, but the Chronic decided to headline an 18 per cent DECREASE in murder.

Looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses or propagating propaganda?

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com from page 31

President Granger...

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and President David Granger

“Guyana has never had any difficulty speaking to Venezuela as regards attempts and its willingness to resolve the issue of the controversy and we will continue to be accommodating”, the country’s political, economic and social stability depends on the matter being resolved quickly.

Minister Greenidge said he could not state what progress was made towards resolving the controversy between Guyana and Venezuela through the UN Good Officer Process, saying the process did not allow him to. However, the Secretary General had said if by the end of 2017 no significant progress had been made towards arriving at a full agreement, he would choose the International Court of Justice as the next means of settlement, unless both Governments jointly request that he refrain from doing so.

With a territory that is several times bigger than Guyana’s, and a population that is almost 40 times that of Guyana, Venezuela, in 1968, purported to claim the entire territorial sea of Guyana by means of the Leoni Decree, which has never been withdrawn. For decades now, Venezuela has occupied the Guyana side of Ankoko Island, objected to the development of hydropower stations in Essequibo, and has been staunchly op-

posed to Guyana exploring for oil offshore and onshore its Essequibo territory.

The Venezuelan Navy had, in 2013, intercepted and detained a Malaysian seismic vessel that had been conducting surveys in an offshore concession granted

by Guyana to the United States-based Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, causing that company to leave and never return.

Days after the American oil giant ExxonMobil announced the discovery of oil in commercial quantities offshore Guyana, Venezuela’s President, Nicolás Maduro in a decree announced the purported unilateral extension of his country’s maritime boundary to take in all of the Atlantic sea offshore Essequibo.

That sea-space also included several Caribbean island nations and had stretched as far as Suriname and French Guiana.

There have also been incidents inland Guyana, with Venezuelan aircraft attacking vessels operating on the portion of the Cuyuní River that the arbitration court had awarded to Guyana.

Guyana is now seeking relief through one of the options in Article 33 of the United Nations Charter. Those options include arbitration and juridical settlement of the issue.

Tuschen man appears in Court over alleged rape of 17-year-old girl

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resident of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, was on Monday morning arraigned at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court charged with the rape of a 17-year-old girl.

Indrajeet Mootilall appeared before Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool and denied that he carried out the act. The charge brought against him stated that he executed the act on November 22, 2016 in a village located in the West Demerara district.

The accused who had been on the run since the allegation was made against him was ap-

prehended by ranks on Friday.

The Virtual Complainant (VC) and the rape accused were known to each other prior to the incident.

The accused is vehemently denying that he raped the VC, and continues to claim that he had consensual sexual relations with her.

He is also accusing the VC’s grandparents of instigating her to make such a claim to the court.

Mootilall was granted G$100,000 bail and was expected to make his next appearance on September 29, 2017.

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Stakeholders benefit from capacity building training to access funding for ‘green’ initiatives

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No stopping…

he Office of Climate Change (OCC), which falls under the purview of the Ministry of the Presidency, yesterday, opened a three-day workshop at the Herdmanston Lodge, which focuses on building the capacity of community leaders and private and public sector stakeholders to apply and access funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for projects which promote low emission and Members of the Indigenous community at the training programme climate resilience development, according to a govment for GCF processes Determined Contributions, ernment release. the National Adaptation The Green Climate Fund within the country.

She also noted that var- Plans, the Technology Needs was set up in 2010 at the 16th Conference of Parties ious barriers currently hin- Assessment and all National in Cancun, Mexico and is der Guyana’s NDA at ef- Strategies and Plans that now the world’s largest ded- fectively undertaking its would have been elaboratresponsibili- ed by those countries for adicated climate fund, which fund-related is intended to be the cen- ties, including low levels of dressing their climate reterpiece of the global efforts awareness and understand- silience and addressing the to mobilise $100 billion per ing among NDA personnel adaptation and mitigation year in climate finance by of the GCF operational pol- priorities.

The workshop includes 2020. As of March 2017, the icies and their respective from the GCF has raised the equiv- roles and responsibilities in participants alent of US $10.3 billion in relation to Guyana’s engage- National Toshaos Council (NTC), the Guyana Forestry pledges. It has as its main ment with the GCF. Commission, the Guyanese “It is against this backgoal, support to developing ground that the Government Organisation of Indigenous countries in achieving a paradigm shift towards a low of Guyana and the Caribbean People’s, the Guyana Lands emission and climate resil- Community Climate Change and Surveys Commission, ient development pathway Centre (CCCCC) has re- the Project Management by funding transformative ceived funding from the Office, the Private Sector (PSC), the projects and programmes on GCF and has commissioned Commission adaptation and mitigation to to implement the project Guyana Geology and Mines ‘GCF Readiness Preparation Commission, among other climate change.

According to the Ministry Support Project for the agencies and organisations.

Participants have welof the Presidency, Head of the Enhancement of Guyana’s comed the workshop, noting capacity to access and delivOCC, Ms. Janelle Christian, in her remarks, said that er international climate fi- that as Guyana continues for Guyana, the Ministry nance through targeted in- to forge ahead in pursuit of of the Presidency has been stitutional strengthening’,” a ‘green’ economy, training sessions such as these would appointed to act as the she said.

Ms. Christian said that be helpful for citizens and GCF’s National Designated organisations to make their the GCF will specifically Authority (NDA). The NDA plays a crucial role in facil- support countries to imple- own contributions, the MotP itating, supporting and cre- ment their programmes as reported. ating an enabling environ- articulated in the National

Y

…the retracting bridge? our Eyewitness can spot an election gimmick a mile away…and the new Demerara Harbour Bridge the Government’s “bigging up” is nothing more than that. 2020’s almost nigh upon the APNU/AFC Government and they’re pulling their hair out to show they “did something” concrete (pun intended!) by then.

The D’Urban Park Jubilee Stadium, you murmur Dear Reader?

The Government would like you to forget about THAT, thank you!! No concrete and not much greenheart even, to show for the over G$1 billion thrown into that white elephant.

And that new supposedly PAHOcompliant Pharma warehouse in Albouystown is privately owned by the other Larry – Singh – so that doesn’t count also. The new Terminal at Cheddi Jagan might be ready…but that was actually quite a long way already before the PPP were ousted, so they can’t really take much credit, can they? So since they just wouldn’t want to face the electorate as wankers who broke more than they built (Wales, Enmore, Rose Hall Estates, Stabroek vendors’ stalls, etc), we’re back to the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

Going full steam ahead, just like the captain of the Titanic, Patterson and crew insist that “all stakeholders” – -including NDCs and such like – have been “consulted” and they’re in favour of another retracting bridge!!! So all that’s left is the prequalification of contractors – closing on Oct 17. Now let’s pick sense from nonsense, shall we? If the cost for the Bridge is one aspect of the submission by contractors seeking to “pre-qualify”, how can anyone give their approval if they didn’t know what’s the difference in cost between the high-level fixed bridge recommended by the pre-feasibility study?

If anyone can tell your Eyewitness this isn’t another “pig-in-a-poke”, then he doesn’t know what is! If the Government wanted to hedge their bets, wouldn’t it have been better

Values for life I

“Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.”–C. S. Lewis

’ve been in school for 17 of the 21 years of my life, and would like to believe I have a fair idea of what different types of teachers could be like.

Some go about their jobs like they truly love what they’re doing, others seem to go through the day like teaching is an obligation; and then there are those who clearly see it as an imposition.

But no matter what their personal teaching attitudes or stances are, we inevitably learn a lot from our teachers, even in the breach. Teachers teach more than just Science and Math and all the other “subjects” on the curriculum; they

teach ethics as well.

In addition to, say, the weekly one hour of “Pastoral Care”, they do this generally through the most powerful medium – not through words, but by their actions. Their behaviour impacts their students strongly. And, of course, since it’s always best to lead by example, we’re most likely to do as our teachers do, rather than as they say.

So, if the Education Ministry says it wants to produce “more rounded students”, then it would have to start producing more rounded teachers.

Quite a bit of my personal values and sense of ethics, as to what might be the

way to act in the public sphere, are a product of the influence of my school teachers. Of course, the major chunk of core values were directly instilled into me by my parents, who still remain my most influential “teachers” in the real meaning of the term. But at some level, we’ve all been influenced by our teachers in the formal public educational institutions.

My current value system, therefore, is a melange of what I’ve been taught at home and whatever modifications my experiences have forced me to make — with me spending such huge chunks of my time every

Anu Dev day in school.

And I’ve realised how damaging it could’ve been if I had teachers whose values and ethical standards were not that solid – especially in the early formative years.

What if I had teachers who threw things and screamed at their students, calling them names or belittling them?

If a student doesn’t have a strong personal value system or positive role models, that student

to ask for bids on both structures?

We know that will take a bit longer, but we aren’t even talking about a suspension bridge for crying out loud!! And those have been around for more than a hundred years now!

These concrete bridges – whether high or low level, retracting or nonretracting –aren’t exactly like cuttingedge quantum computers, are they?

As we mentioned before, Suriname built their fixed high-level bridge since the 1990s.

So we’ll be stuck with this lowlevel retracting bridge for 70 years just to win some votes! …the exodus from Myanmar While we rightfully bemoan the fate of Floridians streaming out of their homes in the millions to escape Irma, spare a thought for what’s unfolding in Myanmar and the more than a million Rohingya Muslim refugees. Unlike the Floridians, they’ve got no home to return to at any time. Heck, even before this latest outflow, they were declared “stateless” by the Myanmar Government because they were dubbed Muslim “foreigners”.

The question is why isn’t more being done for them by the international community in general, and the nearby Muslim-majority nations like Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia, in particular. But this is where it gets “complicated”. While most of the world feel the Muslim countries should do more, the Rohingya are Shia Muslims and the neighbours are Sunni – and they don’t see eye-to-eye on a host of what they consider to be fundamental issues.

Witness the distrust between Saudi Arabia (Sunni) and Iran (Shia).

Would that the world could be as one, as John Lennon asked years ago.

Sigh… …drugs transshipment Whatever happened to the plane surveillance system – including drones – our Public Security Minister assured us were going to be supplied to us by the Americans to intercept those drugs bound for the US markets??

Just a gyaff?

could easily accept that sort of behaviour as being okay, or acceptable.

And that student might carry over that type of behaviour into adulthood, in their professional and personal life. The horror!

The horror!

Our teachers, as a consequence, have great power in forming the “Guyanese nation” we all aspire to, as articulated in our national motto.

More emphasis should probably be placed, when training teachers, on their role in moulding the values of their students.

Implicit values like work ethics are undermined when young students see their teachers “hold back” materials which are taught only in their “lessons”.

Explicit values like the importance of confidentiality and the importance of privacy could be emphasized by the teachers, so that when the students leave

the school system, they’ll be able to function like adults that are capable of respecting the autonomy of persons they interact with.

Other values, like the importance of accountability and punctuality, should all be established as being important from a young age.

Teachers that violate these tenets in their classes do damage beyond the details of the “subject” not being covered.

Our teachers, then, hold great sway over how we might turn out at the end of our tenure at school; they could be the difference between whether we become successful professionals or whether we go about our jobs in a very slipshod manner. We need a solid foundation in professionalism, and our teachers can give us that, hopefully by their actions, and not just their words.

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Judicial system should capitalise on modern technology …to address challenges

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echnological advancement should not exclude the judicial system rather it should be used as a method of addressing the backlog of cases that impinges on the right to a fair and timely trial, Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) President, Sir Charles Michael Dennis Byron has said.

Sir Charles, who was in Guyana for a brief visit, noted that the backlog of court cases is not only limited to Guyana as it has become an issue that plagues almost all

Caribbean countries.

He said that in order to deal with the heavy backlog of cases in the judicial system, the necessary infrastructure needed to be put in place to make the courts electronic, noting that the CCJ has developed systems and set standards to deal with backlogs.

“Everywhere I go in the Region, people complain about the process and the backlogs in the courts and I have first-hand indication that many of these complaints are justified. We

have tried our best to highlight this to the judiciaries involved and to propose programmes to improve the situation. We have designed programmes and given them to the judiciaries to implement to the extent they wish,” Sir Charles related.

“We have reached a stage now where the courts must engage in electronic communication with litigants.

Everybody in Guyana is using mobile phones, laptops and computers and a lot of the delays would be

T&T mom, grandson taken by wave in St Maarten (Trinidad Guardian)

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n Arima community last night paid their respects to a well-loved resident who lost her life trying to save her grandson from a massive wave during the passage of Hurricane Irma in St Maarten last week.

Melan “June” Salvary, 54, and her grandson, Oliver Gedio both died when they were swept away by a massive wave as they fled from their home which had been torn apart by Irma’s heavy rain and powerful winds.

Gedio’s tiny body was found last Wednesday along the coastline while Salvary’s body was found on Friday. Both bodies were said to be in a badly decomposed state.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Salvary’s youngest sister, Emily Pasqual, said Salvary, Gedio and other relatives were at their home at French Quarter when the house began to fall apart.

“A wall of the house they were in crashed down and the entire structure began ripping apart. I heard that they attempted to go to another relative’s house that was close by and just before my sister reached a massive wave came up from the sea and swept she and her grandson away,” Pasqual said.

Pasqual said the

news had sent them into a “state of shock” and although preparations were under way at her home for last evening’s vigil, she wished deep down in her heart that they could have been still found alive.

“My sister was a happy, go-lucky person who lived today for today and who did not have any kind of worry in this world,” Pasqual said.

She added that over the past five years, Salvary has been frequenting St Maarten for vacations to spend time with one of her daughters, Daphne, and grandchildren who live there.

“She would have usually spent weeks, sometimes two months there and come back home. This time she left Trinidad just over two weeks ago for another vacation.”

Pasqual said because communication services were disrupted on the island during Irma’s passage they had not been able to make proper contact with Salvary’s daughter.

Another relative said they are now hoping they will get assistance to repatriate Salvary’s body to Trinidad for burial.

“We don’t know how to go about it but we are trying to find out and it is our last wish for her (Salvary),” the relative said.

eliminated if the existing technology were applied to the court processes. I also feel that the systems of managing cases, the court should operate like any other modern enterprise and use best management practices when dealing with its caseload. This must be supported by available technology. Then, of course, the State must provide an adequate complement of Judicial Officers and the infrastructure that is necessary to operate must be in existence,” he added.

He noted that every case that was filed before June 1 has already been heard by the CCJ, and added that he hoped that could become the standard practice for every judicial system in the Caribbean. Sir Charles told reporters that he has always been an advocate for the elimination

Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) President, Sir Charles Michael Dennis Byron

of backlogs in the judicial system, noting that they impinged on the right of timely justice. He further stated that they were developing e-filing systems and working with the Regional Judicial Systems to improve the quality of case management.

“I have been a firm advocate about the elimination of delay in the ju-

dicial process. I believe that when you look in terms of our duties – to provide fair and just dispute resolution in reasonable time is something which we have to take seriously,” he said.

In the Guyana context, there have always been heavy legal backlogs.

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Taapsee Pannu to play a selfdefense instructor in Kapil Verma’s upcoming short film

Wasn’t a conscious decision to stay away from films: Darsheel Safary

‘P

ink‘ and ‘Naam Shabana‘ actress Taapsee Pannu will be seen playing a self-defense instructor in an upcoming short film, says its director and producer Kapil Verma. Taapsee is also professionally trained in Aikido and mixed martial arts. We have already seen Taapsee flaunting her slick martial art moves in her last film ‘Naam Shabana‘.

The story of the short film revolves around the relationship between two siblings. Vicky Arora plays the brother in the film. Verma says he had a great time shooting the film with Taapsee, who went through a training session to get the physical nuances of her character right.

“I narrated the script to her in Mauritius on

the sets of ‘Judwaa 2′ and at the end of the narration, she asked me ‘When would you like to shoot it?’ She trained very hard for the film.

We had a great time shooting, it was fun and quite intense too.”

Asked why he chose Taapsee for the film, Verma said, “I had written this script around two years ago. I had watched Taapsee’s film ‘Pink’ and worked with her in‘Naam Shabana‘.

I knew then that she

would be perfect for the part.”

Though the title of the short film is yet to be decided, the cast and crew finished its four-day shoot in Mumbai. Tapsee Pannu is currently busy promoting her forthcoming film ‘Judwaa 2‘ opposite Varun Dhawan. The film which also features Jacqueline Fernandez and Anupam Kher is all set to hit the screens on 29th September. (Indian Express)

Karisma Kapoor goes on dinner date with Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan

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e cannot thank K a r i s m a Kapoor enough for sharing the latest clicks of the other Kapoors and Khans. On Tuesday, Karisma had a dinner date with sister Kareena Kapoor and her hubby Saif Ali Khan and thus shared selfies with the duo. Karisma’s last night clicks just cannot be missed.

In the photos, we see the beautiful Kapoor sisters dressed in black. We

wonder if the two were again twinning like the recent times we saw the two together. And Saif wore white. In the selfie with Saif, Karisma wrote, “#dinnerdairies #famjam”, while her click with Kareena was captioned, “#sisters #family time Kx2.”

It was just yesterday, when a picture of Kareena and Saif’s little baby Taimur Ali Khan chilling on his balcony went viral. And today we

are happy to see these clicks of this Pataudi couple.

Both Kareena and Saif are busy with ‘Chef’ and ‘Veere Di Wedding’, respectively. But for both, family comes first, and these clicks are proof.

Kareena’s ‘Veere Di Wedding’ also stars Sonam Kapoor and Swara Bhaskar in pivotal roles. Helmed

by Shashanka Ghosh, it is being produced by Sonam’s sister Rhea and Ekta Kapoor.

Saif Ali Khan’s next film ‘Chef’, which is the official remake of the 2014 Jon Favreau directorial of the same name, is directed by Raja Krishna Menon and produced by Bhushan Kumar. The film is slated to release on October 6. (Indian Express)

Sunny Leone unveils first poster of her new film ‘Tera Intezaar’

S

unny Leone unveiled the first poster of her next film Tera Intezaar along with Arbaaz Khan in New Delhi on Tuesday. After the event, the actor returned to Mumbai.

But unlike her many airport looks, what made this one special was her daughter Nisha Kaur Weber warmly wrapped in daddy Daniel Weber’s arms. The paparazzi was in for a treat as Sunny walked out of the Mumbai airport with her lovely family.

After adoption, this is the first time that Sunny was captured in the same frame as her daughter and husband. It was a lovely sight to see the Raees actor having a motherly concern for her nearly two-year-old daughter. As she walked ahead of Daniel, she turned frequently to check if her munchkin was fine or not. Daniel too like a doting fa-

ther protected his little angel from the glare of the camera lens.

The sultry siren of the tinsel town and her husband Daniel left everyone pleasantly surprised as they adopted 21-months-old Nisha who hails from Latur, Maharashtra. Since then, the new parents have been in awe of their daughter’s every move. Sunny even shared pictures of Nisha drawing cards on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

Sunny who was last seen shaking a leg with Emraan Hashmi in the racy number Piya More will next be seen in Tera Intezaar that has been helmed by Raajeev Walia and produced by Aman Mehta and Bijal Mehta. The actor has been promoting the movie with Arbaaz Khan.

The film releases on November 24.

(Indian Express)

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ctor Darsheel Safary, of ‘Taare Zameen Par’ fame, was last seen on the big screen in the 2012 film ‘Midnight’s Children’.

Now 20-years-old, he says it wasn’t a conscious decision to take a break from films.

The former child actor is set to return to the big screen with ‘Quickie’, to be helmed by Pradip Atluri. Asked if he quit films five years ago to focus on studies, Darsheel told IANS over phone from Mumbai, “It wasn’t a conscious decision to stay away from films.

We were figuring out. I told dad that I wanted to study in a college and have fun too, so I took a break.”

The fan of global cinema didn’t completely break ties with the medium. “I did short films and wrote some scripts. I still have incomplete scripts.

I don’t know when I will complete them. Then I

participated in college festivals. That was another high. I did commercial theatre (‘Can I Help You?’) a while ago,” said the HR College student.

Any plans of going behind the camera? “I haven’t decided. Acting and dancing come naturally to me. I’ve been doing all that since I was 9.

So I’ve kept acting on top of my list. I had a blast directing and writing.

I’ve watched so many films and I am trying to understand the technical aspect of filmmaking.

But I will think about it after I make a place in the industry,” said the ‘Bumm Bumm Bole’ actor.

Also, updating on the progress of ‘Quickie’, Darsheel said, “That is shaping up beautifully. We announced it in February. There is no release date as of now.

They (the film’s makers) are taking their time to make it top notch for the

audience. When I heard the story, I thought a 17 or 18-year-old must have written it. When I found out it was a 40-year-old man, I was like ‘Are you kidding me?'”

He is surprised by the way the makers got a teen’s life so accurate in the film. “Relationship, dating, clubbing, pressure from parents… will be shown so well,” he said. He will be sharing screen space with Palak, daughter of ‘Kasautii Zindagii Kay’ fame actor Shweta Tiwari.

“It’s (acting) in her (Palak’s) genes. She can easily pick up lines, her memorisation power is great… I was just happy about the fact that she can pull it off so well,” said Darsheel.

Apart from the film, he is also thrilled about becoming the face of the festival, ‘The Harry Potter Film Series’, which will begin from Sunday.

“The main aim of the festival is to spread awareness about the franchise among the masses. A large population in India does not watch English films,” he said. So, the Hindi dubbed version would reach out to a wider audience who would probably root for its Indian adaptation, he feels. (Indian Express)

‘Tumhari Sulu’ motion poster: Vidya Balan proves every homemaker is a superhero

V

idya Balan is known for portraying roles which are normal yet there is something unique about them. ‘Tumhari Sulu’, Vidya’s next project is also on similar lines. The makers of the film shared the first motion poster in which Vidya can be seen donning the look of a homemaker, who also seems to be a superhero. It seems as if the actor is trying to put across the message that a woman who is a housewife is nothing less than a superhero as she has the capability to do anything and everything.

What we also notice about the poster is the pressure cooker. Now, this pressure cooker is yet another metaphor used to support Vidya’s character in ‘Tumhari Sulu’. It symbolises two basic things – how a woman can handle all sort of pressures and second, how it’s a weapon that has the power to guide the entire family. Imagine, what

if one day we don’t eat food? It seems that Vidya is yet again bringing a story which we have been witnessing but have often ignored.

In ‘Tumhari Sulu’, the actor is, reportedly, playing a radio jockey. If you remember, Vidya has donned the character of a RJ back in ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai,’ in which she starred opposite Sanjay Dutt. There were reports that she will be playing a night radio jockey, perhaps that’s the reason why the film is titled ‘Tumhari Sulu’. However, not much has been revealed yet about Vidya’s role.

Apart from Vidya, the film stars Manav Kaul, who will be playing Vidya’s husband. The film introduces Mumbai’s famous RJ Malishka, and Neha Dhupia would be playing Vidya’s boss. The film is directed by Suresh Triveni. (Indian Express)

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Hollywood 49

Patty Jenkins will return to direct ‘Wonder Woman 2’

S

tand-up comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani, whose roots go back to Pakistan, along with American actress Heather Graham and actors Blake Jenner and Taran Killam will be honoured at the San Diego International Film Festival. The festival will take place from October 4 to October 8.

The awards will be presented on October 5 at the Variety Night of the Stars Tribute at the Pendry Hotel in San Diego, reports variety. com.

Graham will receive the Virtuoso Award, which is given to an actor who has “enriched our culture through exceptional accomplishments in the film industry”. Graham broke into Hollywood starring in Gus van Sant’s ‘Drugstore Cowboy’ and has appeared in ‘Boogie Nights’, ‘Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me’ and “The Hangover”.

She will next star in ‘Law and Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders’.

Nanjiani will receive the Auteur Award, given

to an actor whose artistic influence “results in a significant impact on a film”. He is co-writer, executive producer and star of ‘The Big Sick’.

He also stars in ‘Silicon Valley.’

Jenner wrote and starred in the film ‘Juvenile’ and appeared in ‘Everybody Wants Some’ and ‘The Edge of Seventeen’. Jenner will be presented with the Rising Star Award.

Killam will be honoured with the Visionary Filmmaker tribute. He makes his big screen direction debut with ‘Killing Gunther’. Killam appeared on ‘Saturday Night Live’ for six seasons and has also appeared on Broadway, reports variety.com.

They join the previously announced Patrick Stewart, who will receive the Gregory Peck Award for Excellence in Cinema. (Indian express)

P

atty Jenkins would be returning to direct the sequel of 'Wonder Woman'. She would, reportedly, receive the writing and directing fees in a huge 7 digit number which makes her the highest paid female director of all time. Gal Gadot will reprise the role for Justice League later this year.

After giving DC its most successful film ‘Wonder Woman’ this year, Patty Jenkins is officially set to return as director for its sequel.

The director has closed a deal with Warner Bros to

helm, co-write and produce the follow-up to the Gal Gadot starrer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Jenkins will reportedly receive directing and writing fees in the high seven figures (somewhere in the USD 7 million to USD 9 million range). This whopping amount makes her the highest paid female director of all time.

The first part of ‘Wonder Woman’, which was a huge worldwide hit, was also helmed by Patty Jenkins. The film grossed over $103 million in its very first week.

The total domestic collection went up to $402 million while the international collection of the film went past $800 million. Being the very first woman super hero film, Gal Gadot starrer ‘Wonder Woman’ has received a thunderous response from all over the world. The sequel was confirmed last month at San Diego ComicCon and a December 13, 2019, release date was also announced for the same. Gadot has also been tapped to return for the sequel.

Meanwhile, Jenkins is also busy developing her new TNT TV series with Chris Pine which is supposed to be an autobiography of Faunal Hodel. Gal Gadot, who also appeared as Wonder Woman in ‘Batman vs Superman’ will reprise the role in upcoming DCEU film ‘Justice League’ which is slated to be released on November 16 this year.

(Indian express)

Leonardo DiCaprio wants to play Stan Lee in a biopic Idris Elba would be a perfect James

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arvel Comics icon Stan Lee says actor Leonardo DiCaprio is fascinated by his life and would love to portray him onscreen. During a panel at this year’s HasCon event last week, Lee said DiCaprio is a huge fan of Marvel and is keen about playing him in a film about his life, reports aceshowbiz.com.

It was revealed that Lee and DiCaprio were actually neighbours, which ended up with the comics creator visit-

ing the actor’s house. “He has all the walls covered with big Marvel posters and everything. He’s got very good taste,” Lee said. “He’s a neighbour of mine and we were talking one day some months ago, and he said, ‘Boy it’d be fun to do your story on the screen’. So I said, ‘Well, I’ll audition you.’

Gotta make sure the guy can do it,” he added. A Stan Lee biopic is not announced yet.

Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio is all set to portray the leading art-

ist and intellectual from the Italian Renaissance Leonardo da Vinci in an upcoming biopic. The film marks DiCaprio’s ninth project in which he plays a real life character. In his last film The Revenant, DiCaprio portrayed frontiersman Hugh Glass, the role which won him the best actor Oscar for the first time.

DiCaprio also may play the Joker in a standalone film on the character. Warner Bros is reportedly planning to cast the Oscar-winning actor as the Joker in the studio’s recently announced origin tale. However, no official offer has been made yet. The film is also expected to have DiCaprio’s long-time collaborator and director Martin Scorsese on board as an executive producer.

(Indian express)

Rachel McAdams curious about ‘Mean Girls’ musical

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ctor Rachel McAdams has said she is excited about the much-anticipated Mean Girls musical.

The 38-year-old actor, who played Queen B Regina George in the 2004 film, said she cannot wait to see how Tina Fey has transformed the popular teen comedy into its Broadway version, reported People magazine.

“I really hope I get an invitation, yeah. I

would love to see it. I’m so, so curious about it,” McAdams said. The musical, which has long been in works, will open on Broadway on April 8 next year at the August Wilson Theatre.

Mean Girls till date remains one of the most popular chick flicks that’s often on a moviegoers must watch list.

The film shared the story of four girls, Cady Heron, Regina George, Gretchen Wieners and

Karen Smith, who were infamously called the plastics. Being home schooled all her life, Cady Heron had never really got a chance to experience High School.

Hence, when she newly moves to a High School in the US, after a brief interaction at the canteen with Regina George, Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith, the girls develop an interest in her. Tension and cold war begins in Cady

Bond: George Clooney

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ilmmaker George Clooney says actor Idris Elba, who was earlier being eyed as the new James Bond, would have been a perfect choice to play the popular British spy.

Actor Daniel Craig will return as James Bond in the upcoming 25th film in the popular franchise. “I think Idris Elba should be the next James Bond,” Clooney told variety.com.

“I think it’s insane that you wouldn’t. He’s elegant and handsome and masculine. He would be a perfect James Bond and it would be a great step forward,” he added.

On the personal front, Clooney welcomed twins — Alexander and Ella — three months ago with wife and human rights lawyer Amal.

Asked whether parenthood has changed

him, Clooney said: “Well, it’s a funny thing. In general when you talk to somebody who is in the film industry, we can impart some unique experiences. Me talking about being a parent, everyone I know goes through it.

And they are all the exact same experiences.”

He added, “It’s (being) up all night at weird hours. It’s changing diapers. It’s being shocked at what you see inside a diaper for the amount they take in and the amount they put out;

you go, ‘How is that possible?'”

Idris Elba meanwhile will be seen in ‘The Mountain Between Us’ alongside Kate Winslet.

Winslet portrays a soonto-be married journalist named Alex Martin in the film, while Elba plays a surgeon named Ben Bass. In the film, Winslet and Elba’s characters who after surviving a plane crash are stranded in High Uintas Wilderness, injured and in harsh weather conditions. (Indian express) Heron’s friendship with her girlfriends when she develops a crush on Aaron Samuels, Regina’s former boyfriend.

Meanwhile, Janis, former best friend of Regina, secretly befriends Cady to expose the evil Regina whom she calls a ‘life-ruiner’.

Meanwhile, Cady who had spent most of her life in the jungles of Africa, hilariously juxtaposes how things work in the human world, High School world, the jungle world and the girl world.

(Indian express)

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Griffith seeing positive signs ahead of regional season

- more opportunities in pipeline for youth players

By Akeem Greene

R

eigning threetime champions Guyana Jaguars will open their title defence of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Professional Cricket League (PCL) 4-Day Tournament against Jamaica Scorpions at the National Stadium, Providence on October 26.

In the quest for a fourth successive title, the champions have begun preparations early with their ongoing three-day franchise league and regular sessions with their contracted and academy players.

With preparations in full swing, Assistant Coach and Manager of the Guyana Jaguars, Rayon Griffith is enthused about the signs he has seen from the players.

“Plans have been going well for us. Since the competition finished [last year], we started training two weeks after until this day. The guys

The Guyana Jagauars are reigning threetime champions and will soon begin the hunt for a fourth successive title

were lacking cricket given the weather we have had over the last couple of months, but I am very happy they are back playing cricket now,” he told this newspaper on Wednesday at the Everest Cricket Club.

Last season, the Jaguars only suffered two defeats and to some, it could be considered a

breakthrough season for the youths. Keemo Paul, Romario Shepherd, Clinton Pestano, Bhaskar Yadram, Sherfene Rutherford, and Chandrapaul Hemraj all were given opportunities and responded with commendable performances.

More so, with the core of the squad possibly set

to miss the early rounds owing to West Indies senior team and A-team duty and to some extent, West Indies Under -19 preparation camps, it opens the door for others to make their mark.

“Those youths have always been talented and they were given that opportunity, and they represented themselves

well and the country. A lot of guys will be missing the first two rounds, so a lot of youngsters will be given an opportunity,” the former FirstClass player disclosed.

He added, “With the setup we have in Guyana, the door is open for these guys, we want to nourish them and maintain their presence in the regional programme.”

The litmus test for these players will be the current seven-franchise three-day league. While there are varying views on the level of cricket being produced, Griffith felt it essentially presents an opportunity for them to be actively involved in cricket. “We can talk about the quality of the league. It might not be high as you want it, but it is still good enough. They are playing and they will learn because the environment has been created for them,” the Coach contended.

One new player in the squad is Jamaican all-rounder and former

West Indies Under-19 Captain Ramaal Lewis, who has just one FirstClass match under his belt.

“I have known him [Ramaal Lewis] for the past couple of years. I think he has a good head in knowing cricket and is a good all-rounder.

We are lacking of that off-spinning all-rounder, so he can bring something to the table,” the 38-year-old stated.

At the draft held in July, Jaguars retained Leon Johnson, Tagnarine Chanderpaul, Anthony Bramble, Raymon Reifer, Keemo Paul, Romario Shepherd, Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie, and Keon Joseph.

Rajendra Chandrika, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Ramaal Lewis, and Tevin Imlach were then selected. These players would be joined by Cricket West Indies-contracted players Devindra Bishoo, Vishaul Singh and Shimron Hetemyer.

Only Assad Fudadin opted out for a contract to join the Scorpions.

Holder laments missed opportunity ... but buoyant ahead of England meeting

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ELFAST, Ireland (CMC) — West Indies Captain Jason Holder has rued the washed out OneDay International against Ireland, which robbed the Caribbean side of valuable match practice ahead of the upcoming five-match series against England.

A wet outfield caused by heavy overnight rain had initially delayed the toss yesterday at the Civil Service Cricket Club, but the rains eventually returned before a scheduled 1:30 pm (8:30 am Eastern Caribbean time) inspection, forcing officials to call off the contest.

“I don't think it was close to playable. The outfield was pretty saturated,” Holder said in reference to the ground.

“The umpires always had a concern about how wet it was, and they felt it would have been a lot of slipping and sliding

and didn't want to take the risk. I couldn't really disagree with them too much, but hopefully we can go into England with some confidence.”

The fixture was an important one for Ireland who were only recently granted Test status by the International Cricket Council.

Much of their recent competition has come against former fellow associate nations and the fixture against West Indies was an opportunity to put their skills against a full ICC member side.

Holder said he was aware of the importance of the fixture to the Irish and hoped the two teams could meet again soon.

“It's really disappointing. I've heard a lot of people say the Irish Cricket Board put a lot of money into this game and it's really unfortunate that we

weren't able to put on a show for them, but hopefully in the future we can be back here and spread some joy to the Irish people.”

West Indies have had no limited-overs practice as they prepare to face England in the first ODI at Old Trafford starting next Tuesday.

They fly out on Thursday to prepare for the one-off Twenty20 International against England at Chester-leStreet on Saturday, and Holder said his squad were looking forward to the next phase of the tour.

“We move on to England now. It's a quick turnover — we came in yesterday (Tuesday) and we're flying out tomorrow over to Durham,” he said.

“We start the T20 series there — it's only a one-off T20 and then we're into the fivematch ODI series.”

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 17, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana’s female hockey team setting high standards for Pan Am indoor tournament Getting it right!

Aliyah Gordon practising one of the plays on Tuesday evening at the Sports Hall

Part of the women’s team practicing short corners, Aliyah Gordon (far left) looks on

By Michelangelo Jacobus

T

he Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) is set to host the Pan American Indoor Hockey tournament for the first time in the country’s history on October 14 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH). With the tournament just five weeks away, the national women’s team are undergoing intense training in a bid to medal at the Pan American Indoor Championships.

Guyana Times International Sport spoke to Coach Dwayne Scott at a training session, and he expressed pleasure with the way his charges were preparing for the tournament.

“We have been together for six months.

I’m happy with the progress that we’ve had so far and I’m really encouraged with the improvement I’m seeing in the players, the commitment, and the skill level that they’re demonstrating, they are where I expect them to be at this stage,” Scott revealed.

While Guyanese hockey players are accustomed to playing on the wooden surface of the CASH, which is typically slow and makes play challenging, the GHB, in an effort to be up to international standards and to give the home team every possible advantage that can be afforded, imported a removable plastic-tile surface on which the tournament will be played.

The male and female teams are now training on the surface and for the first time in their competitive histories, will be playing on the same surface that they would have been practising on.

According to Scott, the transition from the regular playing surface

to the plastic-tile surface has been a challenge, which the female hockey team have been able to get over with remarkable ease.

He pointed out, “It has been a challenge because the Gymnasium is a bit slow and they’ve also had some bad techniques they’ve incorporated into their game to deal with the Gymnasium surface.

The Sports Hall is now way faster, way smoother, it requires total indoor technique and total indoor skill, and we have been working as hard as we can to see how best we can bring that into our game, thus far we’ve had some level of success. I’m happy with the success that we’ve had so far.”

The female hockey team will be buoyed by outstanding players such as Aliyah Gordon, Gabriella Xavier and Trisha Woodroffe. While those players will be relied upon to perform, there are also other players who bring a combination of fitness and work ethic to the team as Scott noted that each and every player is putting their best foot forward.

The team are working on defensive strategies, counter-offensive strategies that include short corners and other tactical areas that will allow them to be competitive.

When asked about his team’s chances, Scott exuded confidence in them being able to medal: “I think we will medal, that is what we are working towards, that is what we are aiming for, I expect nothing else of them with the work that they’ve put in.”

This year the competition will be one of the biggest ever in its history which dates back to 2002. There will be eight nations contesting

the women’s competition

and seven contesting the

men’s, with each tournament seeing participation from North, Central and South America as

well as the Caribbean. ition, held in Venezuela, was larger and by just one team.

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Rashid Khan signs with Adelaide Strikers

Softball: A sport-building sentiment of playing together, says Nagamootoo …as lucrative Prime Minister’s Cup is launched

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo (centre) and the other stakeholders pose for a photo opportunity after the launch on Sunday at the Everest Cricket Club

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ollowing his impressive form in T20s this year, Afghanistan's Rashid Khan has signed with the Adelaide Strikers for the 2017-18 Big Bash League.

The 18-year old legspinner ended his first IPL earlier this year as Sunrisers Hyderabad's second-highest wicket-taker, with 17 from 14 matches.

In the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League, he claimed the tournament's first-ever hat-trick and finished with the best economy-rate of 5.82 for Guyana Amazon Warriors.

"I am very happy to have signed with the Strikers for the BBL," Rashid said. "It is a huge honour to be a part of such a great tournament and even more of an honour to be the first Afghanistan player to participate on the BBL stage. I look forward to link-

ing up with my Strikers team-mates and backroom staff."

Strikers coach Jason Gillespie said: "Rashid has set the world alight in T20 cricket with his energy, enthusiasm, and great control for a young guy. He has some great variations, can bowl stump-to-stump and can be very hard to pick. We're delighted to be able to offer him the opportunity to play for the Adelaide Strikers."

Strikers, who had finished sixth out of eight in the last season, will open their campaign this year against Sydney Thunder on December 22.

Adelaide Strikers squad: Wes Agar, Alex Carey, Jono Dean, Ben Laughlin, Jake Lehmann, Michael Neser, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Jake Weatherald, Colin Ingram, Rashid Khan (ESPNCricinfo)

n initiative which is the first of its kind — the Prime Minister’s Softball Cup — was launched on Sunday at the Everest Cricket Club on Camp Road, much to the delight of several teams who are all anxious to participate in the anticipated action-packed tournament organised by the Georgetown Softball Cricket Association Inc (GSCL Inc).

Delivering the feature address to an audience bolstered by the gracious presence of Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo expressed appreciation and honour at being patron of the tournament.

Nagamootoo described softball as a growing sport that is becoming extremely attractive. He contended: “It is not just any sport, but one which is intended to build a sentiment of playing together, sharing and competing on the basis of doing the best.”

The Prime Minister indicated that the Office of the Prime Minister would pledge G$300,000 towards the new talents that are unearthed in the tournament, which runs from October 27 to 29 at various venues across Georgetown.

Meanwhile, GSCL Inc president, Ian John, revealed that the tournament had been in planning for quite a long period.

John explained that since the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) 10/10 tournament, they noticed that they had even talent to successfully produce a tournament of this magnitude.

For this reason, he explained, overseas teams would compete against the locals, and no registration fee will be

charged for any team. Toronto Cup Masters Softball Cricket tournament 2017 winners, SVC Mafia, and New York Hustlers, along with New York President’s X1 and Try State Masters, have all confirmed their participation.

Players must be over the age of 45 in order to play in the Masters category, while the All Stars format is open to all ages.

Teams registering for the Over-45 category must submit photo identification, preferably valid passports for every member of their 15-man squad.

The Over-45 category will make the champions G$500,000 richer, while in the All Stars category, the winning team will collect G$600,000. Both categories will have a runner-up prize of G$100,000.

The man-of-the-series for the Open category will be awarded a Hero Dawn 150cc motorcycle, compliments of local distributors Rose Ramdehol Auto Sales; while, for the Over-45 category, a 50- inch flat screen television will be up for grabs.

Teams are asked to be fully uniformed in coloured clothing, given that white balls will be used. The draw will be held a week before the commencement date, and it will be streamed live to accommodate overseas teams.

The organisers further thanked the sponsors: Banks DIH under their Banks Beer, Regal Stationery and Sports, and Rose Ramdehol Auto Sales under the Hero brand.

Registration forms can be uplifted from Regal Store at 69 Seaforth Street, Campbellville, or from any Executive member of GSCL Inc. (Akeem Greene)

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