Guyana Times International 20-SEP-19

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ISSUE NO. 468

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

…foreign powers call on Guyana Govt to “set elections date immediately”

Page 3

Protesters take to streets in NY and Georgetown

Jagdeo says “disappointed” with February 2020 timeline …but has “great faith in GECOM Chair to deliver credible polls”

See stories inside

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 3

Jagdeo says “disappointed” with February 2020 timeline …but has “great faith in GECOM Chair to deliver credible polls”

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pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday expressed disappointment with the proposed February 2020 elections timeline decided on by the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

However, he noted that the People's Progressive Party (PPP) will work towards ensuring elections are held no later than February 2020.

According to Jagdeo, he is disappointed in the fact that the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission has indicated this timeline to the President when she had only last week said that they are working towards a timeline before the end of the year.

"We're extremely disappointed with this date but happy that the excuse (that he is waiting for GECOM to advise him before naming a date for

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo greeting protesters during the march on Thursday in Georgetown

elections) taken away from the President," Jagdeo said.

Nevertheless, the Opposition Leader contended that while the party does not agree with her timeline, it still has faith and confidence in the GECOM Chair's ability to deliver credible elections.

“I have great faith in the fairness and impartiality in the chair of GECOM. I don’t think she will do anything to rig the elections”.

Jagdeo said he empathises with the GECOM Chair, whom he said is under severe pressure because she has to work with an Elections Commission that is unreliable as well as with commissioners on the government's side who constantly tries to delay the holding of the elections.

“She has to rely on a Secretariat that is unreliable at best …We hope the date is in February itself,” Jagdeo added.

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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EDITORIAL

Developing a LCP for Oil and Gas

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ver since Exxon struck oil back in 2015, apart from the revenues that would be negotiated with the international oil companies (IOCs) to exploit the resources of our country, and would flow into the national coffers, it was expected that the local populace would also benefit from participating directly in the ancillary activities consequent to the production of oil and gas. This latter expectation was covered under the rubric of “local content”.

It is however very disappointing that, four years after the discovery by ExxonMobil and just months before “first oil”, the Government of Guyana still does not have a local content policy in place, even though we have just been presented with a third draft that has elicited great consternation in sections of the business community. Designing an LCP for us in Guyana should not be rocket science, since examples abound from across the globe from countries that were, or are, similarly situated as we are. We can learn from their mistakes and benefit from their successes.

According, in the hope that our readers may have an informed appreciation of the ongoing local debate, we shall refer to one study that was undertaken for Tanzanian policy makers for their incipient oil industry: “The degree of local content in the production of a commodity can be defined by the share of local inputs (labour, capital, intermediate products) that are used in its production, and the share of local ownership of the production companies. The aim of a local content policy is to increase the degree of local content in the various value chains – beyond what it would be in the absence of such policies. This typically involves increasing the share of nationals working in the extractive sector, and increasing the participation of local companies in the supply chains.

“Based on a survey of LCP experiences in 48 countries, (one named study) provides a summary of the main factors for consideration in efforts to stimulate local economies. First, they find that it is important to maintain consistency between LCPs and other economic development policies. LCPs are embedded in a range of other policies, and all these policies must pull in the same direction if they are to be effective. Policies to improve education, health services, and infrastructure may well be an important part of attracting petroleum companies’ additional onshore upstream and downstream investments.

“In order to qualify nationals for the jobs in the value chain, skills development must be a cornerstone of LCPs. Shortages of qualified employees are a key obstacle for generating local content in almost all natural resources-producing countries. The more advanced the requirements are, the more dire the skills gap usually is. Education and skills enhancement at all levels are crucial in most countries’ LCPs. Knowledge transfer between companies is also important, and cluster development and regional trade have been used to promote such spillovers. Research suggests that clusters may be important for innovation and technology transfer.

Many LCPs build on this, and use geographical and sectoral clusters to accelerate the development of local companies.”

The following observation is most pertinent to Guyana: “Finally, it is important to keep the administration of the LCPs simple and transparent, and have built-in mechanisms to prevent corruption. The costs of complying with complex requirements may be high, and may in turn make it harder to detect corruption – especially if transparency is low. The political economy in countries where rent seeking and corruption play a large role should always be considered when deciding whether to engage in LCP development. It is important to incorporate measures that take into account the fact that, in natural resource extraction, corruption and rent seeking are highly prevalent.

Local content requirements are easily adapted to the needs of rent seekers, and can also make it easier to conceal corrupt practices. Moreover, LCPs can be used strategically by multinational corporations, which in turn facilitate patronage problems in resource rich countries and exacerbate the resource curse.”

A Guyana Amazon Warriors fan (left) paints her face in the colours of the National Flag during one of the recent matches (CPL Photo)

Survey finds substance abuse prevalent among Guyana’s youths

One of the drug awareness sessions hosted by NANA in Sophia in collaboration with Social Life Issues, Guyana Police Force – Narcotics Branch and the Education Ministry – Health Promotions Unit

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he National AntiNarcotics Agency (NANA) conducted a National Drug Prevalence Survey among secondary school students in Guyana, which concluded that 40 per cent of teenagers are unaware of the risks associated with drug use.

Although the survey was conducted six years ago, NANA said in a statement to the media on Monday that substance abuse is on the increase, especially with the sale of ecstasy in schools across the various administrative regions.

“In addition to the use of ecstasy, it was discovered that the use of alcohol among young children is a very prevalent occurrence despite laws governing the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of 18 years old,” NANA explained.

To curb this situation, the agency said it has been collaborating with key stakeholders to spread awareness to the youths about the impact that substance abuse and early initiation into substance use can have on their bodies and lives.

According to NANA, since its establishment and launching in 2017, the agen-

cy has been advancing initiatives set forth in the National Drug Strategy Master Plan 2016-2020 which outlines the need for drug prevention programmes targeting youths in schools and communities.

NANA has also been collaborating with the Guyana Police Force – Narcotics Branch, Customs AntiNarcotics Agency (CANU), the Ministry of Education’s Health Promotions Unit and NGO partners such as Social Life Issues to engage young people at various youth camps across Georgetown, including the Sophia community.

In addition, the agency said it has also taken its message of a “drug-free and healthy lifestyle” to young people of the Malteenoes and Demerara Cricket Clubs.

The narcotics agency noted that it is cognisant of the fact that a key factor in reducing the demand for drugs within the society is to target young people and to equip them with the tools and skills needed.

As such, the agency said it is keen on focusing on the promotion of sports and other extra-curricular activities to positively engage our youths and

to promote healthy communities.

A recent survey conducted in various parts of the country by the Public Health Ministry had discovered that new substances are being abused by youths at a rapid pace.

Project Director at the Drug Demand Reduction Services arm of the Ministry, Sylvia Cort told the media last month that from an exercise in Essequibo Coast, lots of reports were forwarded that more young people are misusing substances, while at the same time pointing out that there are some new substances that are on the market.

In fact, she said there are reports of persons even “sniffing” gasoline. “We know they are misusing prescription drugs…they are misusing solvents; some young people are even sniffing gasoline. So there is an upsurge. There is also an upsurge in them using ecstasy and there is a new one on the market, Malay I think is one.”

This new drug, she noted, is a “night club” substance which is generally added to drinks.

Cort said it disturbs a person’s thought process, meaning that a drugged person will be unconscious of their actions.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 5

Foreign powers say Guyana Govt in breach of Constitution

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he United Kingdom, United States and the European Union, in a joint statement on Thursday, said that the Guyana government has breached the constitution by not calling general and regional elections before September 18 following the passage of the no-confidence motion and subsequent court rulings.

“We deeply regret that, by surpassing September 18, the Government is currently in breach of the Constitution following its failure to adhere to the decisions of the Caribbean Court of

Justice (CCJ) on 18 June and its subsequent orders,” the diplomats said in a joint statement.

Following is the full statement: The United States of America Ambassador to Guyana, H.E. Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch, United Kingdom High Commissioner to Guyana, H.E. Greg Quinn and the European Union Ambassador to Guyana, H.E. Ambassador Fernando Ponz Cantó joint statement on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) proposed elections time-

frame.

“The United States, United Kingdom and the European Union thank the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for devising a proposed elections timeframe for conducting General and Regional Elections.

However, we deeply regret that, by surpassing September 18, the Government is currently in breach of the Constitution following its failure to adhere to the decisions of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on 18 June and its subsequent orders.

This situation comes at great cost to the people of Guyana. The prevailing political uncertainty undermines Guyanese institutions, compromises economic opportunities and delays development across all areas including infrastructure, education, health, and social services. It also hinders our ability to support Guyana’s development needs.

We therefore call upon the President to set an elections date immediately in full compliance with Guyana’s constitution.”

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WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Granger should call elections and face

the consequences Dear Editor, As we very slowly but surely approach this much anticipated and unique general and regional election, something is strikingly odd.

Where is the APNU/ AFC? We are in election mode and the contemporary PPP Administration is very up-to-date with information. There are interviews and press conferences very regularly on TV. They are also releasing these interviews moments after airing on YouTube and on other popular social medial platforms. I am not the biggest fan of social media, but it is the way of the world now especially for young people. It is a very important tool to get your message out to the

masses effectively, cheaply and efficiently.

At the time of penning this letter there was an interview “Discussion on issues of concern to young people with Ifraan Ali” – September 8, 2019, which was posted on their YouTube channel mere hours ago. There are also poster boards and outreaches around the country with information on the PPP’s manifesto. We know exactly what is going on with the Opposition quite amply.

Just for the heck of it, I decided to concentrate objectively on the Government for a change to get a better insight and perspective of their program and agenda for the country in order to be fair minded, so I thought I would spend some time

and search around for information. No luck finding anything recent there at all! The last uploaded video on their channel on YouTube; “Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence, visits the new building site of the Port Kaituma Hospital” was published on April 15, 2017 – more than two years ago! I don’t have a Facebook account so I really can’t say what is there, but I am sure nothing of recent significance because these platforms reflect each other in some way or another and information is usually posted simultaneously by subscribers.

Even GECOM and other public offices which the government has involvement in are very obscure. This is not trans-

parent or democratic at all, because the citizens have a right to know what is going on in the government at some level.

So, what is the reason for this disappearance? Your guess is as good as mine. There is a stark difference however, between now and when the parties campaigned in 2015. I firmly believe that Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo answered it correctly when he said that they are terrified of the mere word “election” they become ghastly pale and silent when that word is uttered within hearing distance.

Mr Granger seems to be long gone somewhere, so ill-at-ease spokesman Joseph Harmon pokes his head out uncomfortably from behind a podium for a few moments now and then, mutters something and retracts back just as quickly into

Officials of Guyana Govt continue to act as if they are running a ‘cake shop’ Dear Editor, Guyana’s oil discoveries have set insider trading alarm bells ringing at all the major stock exchanges in the past week.

On September 8, a report by online magazine Petroleum Economist attributed new discoveries to Government of Guyana official, Owen Verwey. “There have been some big discoveries and by next Friday, we will be announcing another one… We are one of the hottest destinations for the oil and gas industry right now and that is set to con-

tinue,” this statement was made during an address at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Offshore Europe Conference and Exhibition in Aberdeen, Scotland.

The price of Tullow Oil and ExxonMobil stock rose significantly after the statement. On September 14, Verwey hosted a press conference where he tried to distance himself from his words by saying, “when comments are made, only the Department of Energy information is relevant when it comes to the

oil and gas industry”.

Thirty-six hours later ExxonMobil and Tullow announced major new discoveries.

It is clear Mr Verwey had inside information, not in itself illegal; however, Verwey is not an ‘insider’— who is defined as someone with either access to valuable non-public information about a corporation or ownership of stock equalling more than 10% of a firm’s equity. The questions that will be asked by the Securities and Exchange Commission are: Who told Verwey?

When was he told?

Why was he informed?

Who else is in this information loop? Which Government officials hold stock in the oil companies? When did they buy?

The information of new oil discoveries must come from the oil companies, in this case, ExxonMobil and/ or Tullow; the big question is the amount of lead time between informing Government of Guyana officials and making of public announcements. A week is an eternity on a stock continued on page 7

Guyana’s oil discoveries Dear Editor, Guyana’s oil discoveries have set insider trading alarm bells ringing at all the major stock exchanges in the past week.

On September 8, a report by online magazine Petroleum Economist attributed new discoveries to Government of Guyana official, Owen Verwey. “There have been some big discoveries and by next Friday, we will be announcing another one… We are one of the hottest destinations for the oil and gas industry right now and that is set to continue,” this statement was made during an address at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Offshore Europe Conference and Exhibition in Aberdeen, Scotland.

The price of Tullow Oil and ExxonMobil

stock rose significantly after the statement. On September 14, Verwey hosted a press conference where he tried to distance himself from his words by saying, “when comments are made, only the Department of Energy information is relevant when it comes to the oil and gas industry”.

Thirty-six hours later ExxonMobil and Tullow announced major new discoveries.

It is clear Mr Verwey had inside information, not in itself illegal; however, Verwey is not an ‘insider’— who is defined as someone with either access to valuable non-public information about a corporation or ownership of stock equalling more than 10% of a firm’s equity. The questions that will be asked by the Securities and Exchange

Commission are: Who told Verwey? When was he told? Why was he informed? Who else is in this information loop?

Which Government officials hold stock in the oil companies? When did they buy?

The information of new oil discoveries must come from the oil companies, in this case, ExxonMobil and/ or Tullow; the big question is the amount of lead time between informing Government of Guyana officials and making of public announcements Earlier this year I posited that “Dr Jan Mangal ascribes knowledge of oil reserves to former President Donald Ramotar and Minister of Natural Resources at a time (April 2015) that would land ExxonMobil in hot water with the

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for failure to report an event that would have major impact on the price of the company’s publicly traded stock (XOM) on the New York Stock Exchange”.

The same applies in this instance, and we do have Mr Verwey’s statement at an oil conference as evidence of pre-announcement knowledge.

Editor, Officials of the Government of Guyana continue to act as if they are running a ‘cake shop’ and Guyanese are suffering from gross incompetence or deliberate mismanagement. The Local Content Policy deficiencies are costing Guyanese the opportunity to compete on a levelled playing field in their own country.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

the shadows. A shameful and cowardly bunch of people, resorting now to low racially motivated “whisper campaigns” and other obstructive behavior designed to stall the election process.

Mr Jagdeo and his team is always trying to point out most kindly and respectfully to them that this “old fashioned” analog style of rigging elections that was effective in the old Burnamite/ PNC days – cannot work in these modern digital times where people are more educated and infor-

mation is available at a moment-by-moment basis by almost everyone now.

If Mr Granger has an iota of residual decency hidden somewhere, he would bite the bullet and call elections, get it over with quickly and face the inevitable consequences.

It is the only decent thing left for him to do…because he and his “fossil” administration are only days away now from being totally non-existent.

Sincerely, Shane Lindie

Stiffer penalties needed in Guyana for sex offenders Dear Editor, It breaks my heart to know that paedophilia, trafficking and other child sex offences have become a scourge and industry in Guyana and around the world. In Guyana, we have seen many instances where mothers are prostituting their own underage children, where fathers are sexually molesting their own daughters, and in some cases, even their own sons.

I recall a case, in the Vreed-en-Hoop area, where a Corporal from the Guyana Defence Force, molested his twoyear-old stepson. Some stepfathers are also known to take advantage of their stepchildren. Girls are being threatened that if they “tell anyone, they will be killed along with their mother”. There are even many uncles who are involved in paedophile activities with their nieces and nephews. Children are being sold every day on the dark web around the world to some of the most prominent people in society.

Victims of this kind of abuse usually undergo a series of psychological damage and destruction as they age. Poor self-esteem, eating disorders, intense fear, horror, helplessness and depression are just some of the many issues our youths are bombarded with. Higher incidences of suicidal attempts, dysfunctional relationships, violence and self-destructive behaviours are becoming even more apparent in these victims.

It is evident that we are in a drastic situation when it comes to paedophilia and child sex abuse, and, therefore, we need drastic action.

I am, therefore, supporting chemical castration for good – that is not reversible. If we don’t have the facilities for chemi-

cal castration, then we do surgical castration, where there will be no pain or chopping of the organ.

Chemical castration is a method used to suppress sexual urges. It is already available to some sex offenders, both in prisons and communities worldwide, except Guyana as far as I know. Countries such as Poland, Australia, India, Indonesia and a host of other countries have already implemented this system. A May 2016 issue of The New York Times, reported that a number of US States already use chemical castration, as part of a range of measures to reduce reoffending. In June 2019, Will Stewart of The Mirror reported that officials in Ukraine approved the law for the use of chemical castration on convicted paedophiles and rapists.

Unlike Indonesia, where chemical castration is a non-optional punishment, Guyana should impose it as an alternative to life imprisonment or the death penalty. The opportunity of going through counselling and guidance may be given to paedophiles and rapists, with the understanding that they will be castrated.

It has been found by many countries that have already implemented this system that imprisonment and behavioural therapy are not particularly effective, as offenders usually repeat their crimes when released into society. Chemical castration is championed as an effective tool for achieving this. Therefore, I plead with our Government to implement this system so that we can save our youths. Help us save our children.

Sincerely, Roshan Khan

news 7

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

IMF projects oil will contribute 40% of Guyana's GDP by 2024

The IMF team during one of its consultations in Guyana this year

By Jarryl Bryan

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he International Monetary Fund (IMF), having concluded its Article IV consultations in Guyana, has come up with projections that oil will dominate Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by as much as 40 per cent.

This is contained in the Fund’s concluding statement, which estimates that this shift in GDP share and financial contribution will occur by 2024. This is also the time when Guyana is expected to really start earning its share of oil revenues, once cost oil has been accounted for.

“The oil sector is projected to grow rapidly,

accounting for around 40 per cent of GDP by 2024 and supporting additional fiscal spending annually of 6.5 per cent of non-oil GDP on average over the medium term, which will help meet critical social and infrastructure needs”.

“Public debt and the external current account deficit are projected to decline steadily following the onset of oil production,” the IMF said, adding that for this year, the current account deficit is expected to reach 22.7 per cent of GDP owing to higher oil sector-related imports.

According to the Fund, these imports will mostly be financed by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in

Officials of Guyana... market, where fortunes are made and lost in hours. Insider information can be used to enrich a person via insider trading very easily; in fact, it can easily be a way to ensure the pliancy of officials instead of actual bribes. Have we unearthed a new type of kickback scheme?

Earlier this year I posited that “Dr Jan Mangal ascribes knowledge of oil reserves to former President Donald Ramotar and Minister of Natural Resources at a time (April 2015) that would land ExxonMobil in hot water with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for failure to report an event that would have major impact on the price of the company’s publicly traded stock (XOM) on the New York Stock Exchange”. The same applies in this instance, and we do have Mr Verwey’s statement at an oil conference as evidence of pre-announce-

From page 6

ment knowledge.

Editor, Officials of the Government of Guyana continue to act as if they are running a ‘cake shop’ and Guyanese are suffering from gross incompetence or deliberate mismanagement. The Local Content Policy deficiencies are costing Guyanese the opportunity to compete on a levelled playing field in their own country.

Mr Carl Greenidge recently suggested that our country should make sovereign wealth investments in ExxonMobil stock; it would be a travesty if officials of the Granger administration, their friends and/or family were already so invested and are now working inimical to Guyana’s interest in favour of their own. Nothing less than a full investigation into the ‘Verwey’ pronouncement is acceptable.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

the oil sector. However, it was optimistic of Guyana’s overall economic outlook around the time of the commencement of oil production, pegged for early next year.

“Real GDP grew by 4.1 per cent, led by construction and services sectors, up from 2.1 per cent in 2017. Inflation remained low at 1.6 per cent at end-2018. The external current account deficit rose to 17.5 per cent of GDP, from 6.8 per cent in 2017, due to weaker exports and higher imports related to oil production”.

“Public finances improved in 2018 as the central government deficit came in at 3.5 per cent of GDP, lower than the budgeted 5.4 per cent of GDP. Economic growth is projected at 4.4 per cent in 2019, extending the broad-based expansion across all major sectors,” the Fund added.

As of the middle of

this year, no single sector had more than a 15 per cent share of the GDP. According to the Finance Ministry’s 2019 mid-year report, the highest individual bite of the GDP came from the wholesale and retail trade, which had a 13.4 per cent share of the GDP. Combined, agriculture, fishing and forestry has just a 15.6 per cent share of the GDP, with major sectors like sugar, rice and forestry having just 0.9 per cent, 3.5 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively.

Sugar and GDP Back in 2016, before the closure of the sugar estates by the coalition Government and the redundancy of thousands of workers, sugar had a 1.5 per cent share of the GDP and agriculture, fishing and forestry combined had 17.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, the midyear report also showed that critical sectors like

gold and manufacturing had 9.4 per cent and 6.5 per cent respectively. For a single sector to have 40 per cent is therefore a significant portion of the GDP. Exxon Mobil, which announced its 14th oil find only on Monday (the very day as Tullow announced its 2nd), has pegged oil production at 120,000 barrels of oil per day utilising the Liza Destiny FPSO. Furthermore, Liza Phase 2 is expected to start up by mid-2022, after Exxon made a final investment decision after getting regulatory approval earlier this year. It had been reported that the project would use the Liza Unity FPSO to produce up to 220,000 barrels per day.

The Liza Destiny, Guyana’s first oil production vessel, arrived in Guyana’s waters at the end of last month after travelling nearly 11,000 nautical miles for

42 days from the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore.

The vessel is a significant component of the Liza Phase 1 development, which involves four undersea drill centres with 17 production wells. Besides its production capacity of 120,000 barrels of oil per day, it also has an overall storage volume of 1.6 million barrels. During normal operations, there will be at least 80 persons living and working on-board the vessel.

Before its departure from the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore, the Liza Destiny was commissioned by First Lady Sandra Granger.

The Liza Destiny FPSO was converted from oil tanker, “Tina”, a 1999 Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC). The conversion included upgrading of the hull and integration of 14 topside processing modules, totalling 16 thousand metric tonnes.

8 news

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Jagdeo lashes out at Coalition Gov’t for ‘gross incompetence’ in looming oil and gas sector

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pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is of the belief that Guyana has become a laughing stock on the international stage owing to the gross incompetence the coa-

of the Department of Energy, Dr Mark Bynoe, during an interview with the New Yorkbased Bloomberg.

The August 13, 2019 article titled “The World’s Newest

Director of the Department of Energy, Dr Mark Bynoe

lition Government and top officials continue to portray.

He was at the time speaking about statements made by Head

Petrostate Isn’t Ready for a Tsunami of Cash” states: “When Mark Bynoe, the director of Guyana’s Department of Energy, was a boy,

he used to play cricket barefoot with friends in his village outside Georgetown. At the end of the day, his feet “would be shiny at the bottom,” he remembers. “We knew oil was around.”

Statements like this, Jagdeo pointed out, highlights the incompetence of the governing coalition.

“This is the person who heads our Department of Energy, giving an interview to Bloomberg which is the premier business and economic news [agency] and is read around the world. When the Head of our Energy Department makes such a statement, you recognise how sad our situation is about the state of affairs in our country.

“I can imagine how people around the world, when they read this, how they think of Guyana – how disparaging their views may be about our country.

It is the same incompetence and comical actions on the part of the Government that causes so little respect for

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

Guyana and our people,” the Opposition Leader stated.

He went on to say that this was the same sort of incompetence that took the country into the negotiation of contracts with United States oil giant ExxonMobil and British-based Tullow Oil, which saw Guyana being short-changed.

“So, this is the tragedy of Guyana today – having an incompetent government in place that squanders all of the opportunities for the future of all Guyanese and we’ve become the laughing stock of the international community when key Government officials – imagine the person that is in charge of our total Energy Department and policy makes a statement like this. His foot bottom was ‘shiny’ so he knew we had oil,” Jagdeo posited.

The Opposition Leader, who is also a former President, said that this sort of incompetence “pains” him, especially since Guyana once had a reputation as a pioneering country.

“We had a growing reputation for leading the world, almost, on green policy-making and pioneering the sale of forest carbon around the world. That was our reputation; people used to quote what we’re doing in Guyana prior to the oil and gas find. And today to be reduced to a laughing stock because of the incompetence of the Government … it pains me,” he lamented.

Jagdeo has always

been critical of the coalition Government’s failure to negotiate a better deal with Exxon and more recently, his criticism was directed at the contract with Tullow, which will see the company paying zero royalties. This is despite the contract with the British company being signed after oil had already been discovered in commercial quantities offshore Guyana, Jagdeo contended.

But Tullow has defended recovering the one per cent royalty it pays to Guyana through cost oil, saying it is consistent with international frontier exploration standards.

In an interview with Guyana Times International last month, the British oil company’s Head of Media Relations, George Cazenove reminded that back in 2012, Tullow and its partners spent and lost over US$100 million on a failed exploration well in Guyana.

“What I can say is that our licence is entirely in line with licences around the world in frontier exploration areas. Don’t forget that the Jethro well had a one-in-four chance of success at our risk. And we know what it’s like to lose money in exploration – we and our partners spent US$185 million in Guyana in 2012 on the Jaguar well and, as per our licence, got nothing back,” Cazenove had said.

Experts have argued for some time that the Guyana Government has not done enough

to include ring-fencing provisions within the oil contracts it signed with operators. Ring-fencing terms ensure that liabilities (losses) associated with a company’s asset, in this case a previous well, cannot be transferred and the costs recouped from another well.

Tullow’s one per cent royalty, itself, has been criticised in recent times for the very amount. It falls short of the two per cent ExxonMobil has to pay to Guyana. When compared to oil producers around the world, however, the rate falls even shorter.

While some oil producers did start with low royalty rates similar to Guyana’s, their respective governments had the foresight to include provisions in their contracts for a sliding scale that would ensure the royalty rate went up as oil production increased.

On August 12, the British oil company announced that it discovered oil in commercial quantities at the Jethro-1 exploration well in the Orinduik Block. This is the first discovery in the Orinduik Block, which is located in close proximity to the Stabroek Block – where ExxonMobil has already made 13 lucrative oil discoveries since 2015.

The US oil giant is gearing up for oil production in the first quarter of next year, producing up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day from the Liza Phase 1 development.

NEWS 9

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Poll date: President Granger tells foreign diplomats to allow Govt to resolve issue

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n response to the strongly worded statement by the foreign powers on Thursday that the Guyana government is in breach of the country’s Constitution, President David Granger has maintained that this is not the case and called on the diplomats to allow the government to resolve the political issues.

Following his address at the Luncheon hosted by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown, Granger said that it is the mandate of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to advise him on when the commission would be able to hold the elections.

He explained that he will be in more breach of the constitution if he allows the Executive to intervene in the work of the Commission. “The Constitution is very

President David Granger in conversation with Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan at the GMSA Luncheon on Thursday

clear on the functions of the Commission…I cannot set a date for elections unless I re-

ceive advice that the Commission is ready,” he said in response to the concerns expressed

UG bomb threats: Trial to commence on Oct. 8

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heneza Jafferally, called Diane, of Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, who was charged for causing chaos at the University of Guyana after making several bomb threats, is expected to appear at the Sparendam Magistrate’s Court on October 8 for the commencement of her trial.

Jafferally, a student at the University of Guyana (UG), was charged in February, for allegedly making bomb threats that interrupted classes on the campus.

Particulars of the charge alleged that on February 5, 2019 at Cummings Lodge, Jafferally sent, by means of a public telecommunication device system, for the purpose of causing needless anxiety to the staff and students of UG, a message which she knew to be false.

During her first court appearance, the defendant had pleaded not guilty to the charge. Attorney-at-Law Latchmie Rahamat will be representing the defendant during the trial, which will be heard

by Magistrate Rushell Liverpool.

It was reported that on the day in question, a number of threats were sent to several online news outlets which were

Sheneza Jafferally

promptly reported to the Police.

Nevertheless, UG was on lock-down owing to the bomb scare. As a result, the gates to the tertiary institution were briefly locked, but were reopened once the Police and other officials gave the green light.

In the threat message, the alleged sender ‘Jack Ryan’ stated “I have placed 20 bombs across the University of Guyana campus which are hidden from plain sight. Attached to this bomb is a timer which can be remotely activated/ deactivated”.

The sender also uploaded an image of the alleged handmade ex-

plosive devices. He also stated that the timer was set for eight hours before detonation.

“The bombs will be activated at exactly 15:00h unless my demands are met,” ‘Ryan’ continued. In a subsequent message, he related that students must leave the campus after which he would make his demands.

However, the Police had conducted a thorough investigation after no explosives were found on campus, which led to the defendant being arrested at her workplace after phone records allegedly linked her to the threats.

by diplomats.

The President said that he intends to meet with his ‘Cabinet’ immediately to discuss the latest political developments and would only act once he is advised accordingly.

The United Kingdom, United States and the

European Union, in a joint statement on Thursday, said that the Guyana government has breached the constitution by not calling general and regional elections before September 18 following the passage of the no-confidence motion and subsequent

court rulings.

“We deeply regret that, by surpassing September 18, the Government is currently in breach of the Constitution following its failure to adhere to the decisions of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on 18 June and its subsequent orders,” they said in a joint statement.

The Chairperson of GECOM Justice Claudette Singh has indicated to President Granger that the entity will be ready for elections by the end of February 2020.

President Granger will now have to announce a date for elections and dissolve parliament.

Elections were constitutionally due since March 21, 2019 - following the passage of the no-confidence motion against the government on December 21, 2018.

Leading People’s Progressive Party (PPP) supporters on Thursday disrupted the President during his address at the GMSA luncheon calling him out for disregarding the constitutional provisions.

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WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Double oil discoveries offshore Guyana ...total of 16 oil finds to date

By Jarryl Bryan

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il companies ExxonMobil and Tullow have made their 14th and 2nd oil finds respectively offshore Guyana, bringing the tally of wells that have struck oil to 16 and increasing the prospects that Guyana is sitting on more than six billion barrels of oil.

In the case of Exxon, it announced on Monday that it encountered 108 feet of oil reservoir in its Tripletail well, boosting its estimated recoverable barrels of oil. The announcement was made by way of a press release early Monday morning. According to the press release, the Noble Tom Madden drillship made the well in 6572 feet of water.

The Tripletail-1 well, according to Exxon, is located in the Turbot area just three miles from the previous discovery. The company noted that after work is finished at Tripletail, the drill-

“This discovery helps to further inform the development of the Turbot area. Together with our partners, ExxonMobil is (seeking) to identify projects that can be developed efficiently and in a cost-effective way.

Meanwhile, Exxon’s country manager, Rod Henson noted that more evaluations were necessary before their resource numbers are updated.

At the same time, Henson was upbeat about the discovery in Tripletail.

“This is more good news for Guyana. We would have to do some more research work before we update any resource numbers. (But) this is good news for Guyana. We’re very pleased to be working here. Before you drill the first well, you never know.

You have to drill, which is indicated by a couple of the unsuccessful wells,” Henson said on the sidelines of an event on Monday.

Previously, Exxon had made its 13th oil discovery at the Yellowtail

The Stena Forth drilled Tullow’s well

ship will next drill the Uaru-1 well.

The release also featured comments from Senior Vice President of exploration at Exxon, Mike Cousins.

According to the Vice President, with this discovery Exxon would be working along with its partners on the further development of the area.

well in April of this year. Monday’s announcement means that there is now well in excess of six billion oil equivalent barrels of oil in Stabroek.

Tullow

On the same day that ExxonMobil announced an oil find, Tullow also re-

The Noble Tom Madden drilled Exxon’s Tripletail well

vealed that it has made its second oil find in just a matter of weeks; this time the British company is celebrating the discovery of 14 metres of oil reservoirs.

According to the oil company in a statement, the well was drilled by the Stena Forth drillship. The company revealed that evaluations of the logging and sampling data confirmed that the well had 14 metres of net oil potential.

According to Tullow, it will now evaluate data from this and its recent discovery in Jethro well, as well as wait for the results from its Carapa well to determine the way forward.

The Carapa well, which is on the Kanuku licence, will be drilled later in the month.

In the release, Tullow’s Exploration Director, Angus McCoss noted that the discovery increased the potential in the Orinduik Block. He also alluded to the block having multibillion-barrel potential.

The fact that two oil finds were announced on the same day was a prevailing topic at a seminar on Monday for capacity building in the oil sector.

At the event, Department of Energy Head, Dr Mark Bynoe noted the importance of Tullow’s and Exxon’s dis-

coveries.

The energy czar also assured that his department is working to build its capacity. Dr Bynoe warned, however, that there was still a long road ahead before actual production begins in the most recent finds.

“The average rate from discovery to appraisal to development to production is between four to five years. So again, it’s important that we temper expectations. Because it’s not as soon as you discover, you move to production.

“These wells will now have to be appraised, in terms of their commerciality, expected projected resource flow, then developed, before you move into production… we now have to do further tests to determine potential; barrel equivalency before we make that projection,” Dr Bynoe added.

Tullow Guyana BV is the operator of the Orinduik Block, with a 60 per cent stake. Total E&P Guyana BV holds 25 per cent with the remaining 15 per cent being held by Eco (Atlantic) Guyana Inc. It was announced in July that Qatar’s State oil company is looking to enter into Guyana’s oil market with a farm-in deal through Total that could see them obtaining stakes in both the Orinduik and Kanuku Blocks.

King uncertain of returning to City Hall as Town Clerk

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ays after the High Court reversed the dismissal of Former Town Clerk Royston King, paving the way for him to be reinstated at the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC), he is yet to make a decision as to whether he will return to the post.

King made this revelation during an appearance on local radio programme “Hot seat” hosted by broadcaster Stan Gouveia on Tuesday. When asked directly if he will be returning as Town Clerk, King firmly asserted that this decision is yet to be made since he is leaning on the guidance of his lawyers.

“As far as my returning to the Council is concerned, I am guided by the advice of my lawyers. So, I haven’t made that decision as yet, I’m being guided by the advice of my lawyers.”

He said But even as he expressed uncertainty towards same, King reminded that his contributions to the city’s development when he held the previous post, was done out of “passion and great initiative”.

“I must say though that I believe that I’ve made contribution and restoration and in some aspects of the city of Georgetown. And I must say that I did that with passion and I did that with

Former Town Clerk Royston King

great initiative and with strength and with wisdom, and I believe in part that, that is responsible for what transpired during the period in which I was sent off on administrative leave”, the former town clerk noted.

Furthermore, in pointing out the functions of the Local Government Commission – that is to protect public officials from political excesses – King

made it clear that he holds no animosity for the LGC or its officials, despite its decision to fire him back in January of 2018.

“There is no bad blood between me and the members of the Local Government Commission, the Commission has its work to do and the Commission had certain responsibilities, rights and power which they

must exercise…the Local Government Commission was set up to protect public officials, Local Government officials from political excesses not to facilitate such excesses, not to enhance such excesses” he pointed out.

Last Friday High Court Judge, Justice Simone Ramlall in handing down her ruling, found that the former Town Clerk was unlawfully dismissed. She also ruled that the CoI in its entirety was unlawfully established hence all of its decisions and findings are null, void and of no effect.

This includes King’s dismissal, which was based on the findings and recommendations of the probe.

According to the Judge, the Commission is only permitted under the Local Government Commission Act to delegate its powers within the Local Government system and not investigative bodies outside such as the CoI that was set up to look into the operations of City Hall.

This ruling comes after the 2018 CoI conducted by ret’d Justice Cecil Kennard found King guilty of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and misappropriation of funds. He had also stated that King performed the duties of treasurer and other officers of the Council, which were not his designated duties.

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

news 11

PPP promises free tertiary education if elected

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s the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) rolls out aspects of its manifesto for the upcoming elections, Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali continues to highlight specific sectors – this time drawing focus on the education sector.

He pointed out that the policies in the education sector under the PPP Administration would be geared towards improved access, quality, affordability and preparing Guyanese students at the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Tertiary levels so as to ensure that they secure better-paying jobs in line with the requirement of the economy.

“Consistent with these stated objectives, we would pursue several initiatives,” Ali asserted.

Prominent among these, he added, would be the delivery of free education at the University of Guyana (UG) and enhanced access through the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

Previously, it was explained that fee university education would not be available from day one of a PPP Government but within two or three years as they work out the details of this policy initiative. The party had also announced plans to give out 20,000 online scholarships, which will help with private education, especially in courses that are not offered by UG. Adding to this, Ali outlined that a PPP Government will also peruse plans to have all outstanding loans written off. He noted that the party’s manifesto will detail policies to support these initiatives.

“In addition, we recognise the role of the Private Sector in education, as such, we will be announcing measures that will see generous tax concessions given to private providers from nursery to tertiary levels including technical vocation,” he stated.

The PPP Presidential Candidate went on to say that in order to address issues of affordability, quality and access, the party’s manifesto will detail a number of measures in this regard.

These include the restoration of the “Because We Care Grant”; attention to nutrition through various initiatives such as hot meal programmes; providing required textbooks to school children; ensuring all

school children have access to school uniforms, and improving educational facilities.

Moreover, the PPP Administration will also establish special incentives for teachers and enhanced training and skill development opportunities; expand the use of ICT in education and thus ensure all Guyanese children and teachers have access to the infrastructure that will enable the use of ICT; enhance the focus on technical education and establish an online University.

Additionally, Ali said they will also be reforming and strengthening the monitoring systems for school management at public and private levels.

“These among other measures would ensure the delivery of quality education to our nation,” the Presidential Candidate stated.

Ali has already started talking about policies his party will undertake in major sectors such as economic development, security, mining and forestry

among others.

Last month, PPP’s General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed that the party’s elections manifesto is being rolled out in three phases.

The first version of the manifesto will be in the form of posters circulating, containing some of the policies the party plans to institute immediately upon taking office. The second phase will be a more popular version of the manifesto, while the final version will be a detailed technical document.

The manifesto, Jagdeo had said, will be launched closer to elections and will give people more insight into the party’s vision and policies for the future of the country and its people.

Already, the PPP has published on its social media accounts several of these posters, outlining the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on key areas such as electricity, water and healthcare, as well as the reversal and/or reduction of taxes among other things.

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WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

APNU/AFC fundraiser hit by massive protest in New York

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fundraiser organised by A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government in New York (NY) was completely overshadowed by more than one hundred protesters picketing the meeting, demanding elections and constitutional compliance.

Held at the Richi Rich Palace on Atlantic Avenue in Richmond Hill, NY on Sunday, the fundraiser featured Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan representing the AFC, together with Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine representing APNU, and a small group in attendance.

The Minister and

Scenes from the protest

entourage arrived to be greeted by the large crowd of protesters behind NYPD barricades at the door of the restaurant, holding placards that read, “Ramjattan you sold AFC to the PNC”, “Ramjattan must go” and “(Ramjattan) a disgrace to Guyanese.”

Officers from the NYPD were also present, although they left the protesters alone and merely watched from a distance.

There were even placards aimed at Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson, retired Justice Claudette Singh. One such placard read, “GECOM Chairman stand by your integrity!”

The Minister and company quickly en-

tered the building without engaging the protesters. Other guests arrived, but a few of the would-be attendees turned back upon spotting the large crowd of protesters awaiting them.

When someone attending the fundraiser did engage protesters, that ‘engagement’ took the form of an unidentified woman showing the crowd her middle finger before entering the Richi Rich Palace.

According to one protester who was interviewed by a member of the local media fraternity on the ground, the fact that Ramjattan hurriedly bypassed hundreds of the Guyanese diaspora picketing his Government just to speak to a few in the

luxurious establishment spoke volumes.

“He (Ramjattan) cannot engage us because he has nothing to tell us. You look at the crowd outside? There are about 10, 15 people inside. There are hundreds of us outside.

That alone tells you that the diaspora rejects the AFC and the Government,” the protester said.

“They cannot engage us. What is he going to tell us? They are illegal occupiers. When the AFC was formed, they claimed to bring fairness. They’ve joined with the PNC to bully the PPP and the Guyanese people, so there’s nothing he can tell us. He can’t talk about development, housing, finance, anything. All he can talk about is free Buju Banton tickets.”

The Minister’s failure to engage the crowd of protesters when he arrived did not sit well with the other protesters. According to one of them, Richi Rich might have in fact done itself a disservice by hosting the APNU/AFC fundraiser, since the American public would have seen the protest action against a cabinet the protesters contend is illegal.

“He (Ramjattan) has ten people inside, including the staff. The Minister came out, saw hundreds of Guyanese protesting and calling for elections now, and he going to 10 people inside including the staff of Richi Rich.

This business has destroyed itself by hosting Ramjattan here today, with 10 people inside

and hundreds of people outside calling for free and fair elections now.

What are they doing?

Why are they dragging their foot? What is the Attorney General (Basil Williams) doing?” the passionate protester stressed.

Delays Article 106 (6) of the Constitution of Guyana states: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”

Meanwhile, Article 106 (7) goes on to say: “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”

A no-confidence motion was passed against the Government since December 21 of last year. However, elections have not been held and there has been no resignation. Instead, the Government went through several levels of court litigation, unsuccessfully arguing that the no-confidence motion was not validly passed.

At the level of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), that final court of arbitration had thrown out

the Government’s case and had handed down judgement saying that when the no-confidence motion was passed on December 21, 2019, Article 106 of the Constitution had immediately been activated.

In addition, the court had noted that the provisions of the article were clear.

Instead of immediately starting serious preparations to hold elections in the shortest possible time, however, GECOM proceeded to carry out house-to-house registration based on the orders of unilaterally appointed former Chairman Justice (retired) James Patterson.

A court case challenging this process and seeking to have GECOM comply with the constitution was in fact filed.

While that process was ultimately stopped by his successor, the decision to merge the new data from houseto-house registration with the national register of registrants and to prioritize the printing of identification cards, instead of seeking to have elections held as soon as possible, has been criticized

by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) nominated GECOM commissioners as part of the Government’s delaying tactics.

Since then, the Commission, complete with Justice Singh and the six commissioners, have met with the two main political parties. At those meetings, assurances were given that GECOM would seek to hold elections this year.

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

news 13

Scenes from the protests in Georgetown

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WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Crown Heights Lions Club of New York contributes to First Lady’s ‘Shoes that Grow’ initiative House in Georgetown.

Caribbean Airlines, Head of Corporate Communications, Ms.

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In this MotP photo: The First Lady (second from right), is flanked by, from left to right: Mr. Inniss; Ms. Ligoure and Ms. Stephanie Greene

irst Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, on Tuesday, received over 200 pairs of shoes, from the Crown Heights Lions Club of New York, USA and other donors, who were eager to contribute to her ‘Shoes that Grow’ initiative.

Caribbean

Airlines shipped the shoes to Guyana from the USA free of cost as part of their efforts to support the initiative.

“Now that I have received this, I can now start distributing them to our children and I know that the children love them and appreci-

ate them because I understand that this is a style that is very popular with the kids,” the First Lady was quoted as saying by the Ministry of the Presidency, during the simple handing over ceremony held in the Baridi Benab at Sate

Dionne Ligoure; Sales Executive, GuyanaSuriname, Mr. Dion Inniss and Ticket

Office Supervisor, Ms. Stephanie Greene also attended the presentation ceremony.

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WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Autopsy finds US-based Guyanese chef was strangled

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n autopsy has confirmed that the US-based Guyanese man who was discovered dead in his Kitty, Georgetown

apartment on Sunday morning was strangled.

This newspaper understands that the autopsy was performed yesterday on Andre

Gordon’s body by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh who gave his cause of death as strangulation.

The nude body of

Dead US Based Chef, Andre Gordon

Gordon, 52, was discovered on the kitchen floor of his Station Street, Kitty, Georgetown apartment.

Based on reports received, the man, who was scheduled to return to the United States on Monday, was last seen

alive on Friday evening.

However, relatives became worried after calls to his mobile phone went unanswered between Friday evening and Sunday morning.

They nevertheless, contacted a friend and requested that he check

on Gordon. As he arrived at the man’s Lot 51 Station Street, Kitty apartment, he recognised that the doors were open. He called out several times for the man but there were no answers.

It was at this time that he decided to enter the house where he saw the man lying on the kitchen flood in a nude state. An alarm was raised and the police were summoned. While the detectives stated that no marks of violence were found on the man’s body, bloodstains were reportedly seen on his neck.

Persons in the area contended that the now dead man entertained lots of people at his apartment including a group of young ladies.

Police are now treating the matter as a murder.

Drunken cop slams Police boat into private vessels; probe launched

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n investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding a police constable being allowed to operate a service boat while reportedly being under the influence of alcohol.

INews understands that on Sunday after-

the river exercise was in preparation for a trip that was scheduled to occur on Monday.

INews was told that an officer at Central Police Station, who is also in charge of issuing fuel, claimed that the actions of the constable were questionable when

noon the constable was steering the boat along the Canje River, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), when he crashed into two private vessels, causing them to become submerged.

According to information reaching INews,

he went requesting fuel for Monday’s trip.

The officer subsequently reported his suspicions. INews was informed that following the incident, a breathalyser test was conducted on the rank and he was found to be over the legal limit.

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Bosai strike ends: Agreement reached for 7% wage increase

Some of the workers who were on strike on Wednesday at Bosai, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice)

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day after employees attached to bauxite mining company, Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) downed tools over disagreements stemming from a proposed wage increase, the company and the workers’ union has agreed to a seven per cent across the board increase for two years.

Over 60 employees, mainly operators attached to the East Montgomery Mines location, downed tools on Wednesday, as they joined others at the north gate of the company in peaceful protest over the previously proposed six and 6.5 per cent increase.

According to the disgruntled employees, based on the offer, employees would have been paid a six per cent increase if they agree to this amount for one year, or a 6.5 per cent increase if they agree to it for a period of two years.

This, the employees had contended, was totally unacceptable. They noted that they were seeking an increase of eight or nine per cent.

However, this publication understands that the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) Union met with the company on Thursday where an agreement was reached. This was confirmed by Bosai senior Personnel Officer Truedel Marks who said that a full resumption of staff is expected back soon.

“We have reached agreement. The strike has ended; we expect full resumption tomorrow (Friday) at 7.

We have decided to pay 7 percent across the board.

There was some increase in their shift allowance, shift premiums and sick leave benefits,” Marks told this publication on Thursday. She added that the company and the Union were also expected to sign an agreement at the Labour Department.

It is understood that a majority of the workers have agreed to the decision, however several employees told this publication that the decision was not an easy one. According to an employee, they were informed by the company that if an eight percent increase was granted then the company would have to retrench all of its casual workers and apprentices to accommodate the nine per cent being sought.

Meanwhile, Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) Divisional Chairman Whitney Graham said the majority of the workers and the Union would have agreed to the decision.

“We agree with it and before the end of the month the workers would be paid. For the most part the majority of the workers agreed and the Union agreed with it”, he stated.

However, some of the employees told this newspaper that they are in disagreement.

Back in 2016, the employees had also protested an across-the-board increase of 4.5 percent which was at the negotiations stage, as they aimed for a nine per cent increase.

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WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

EPA boss says unfettered access to oil rigs necessary for oversight of sector The need for regulators to be able to make unexpected visits to operations of oil and gas operators was emphasised

by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director, Dr Vincent Adams.

Adams made this pronouncement on Monday during a seminar for capacity building in the oil sector. He acknowledged that they do not have the requisite local standards in place yet to really monitor operators.

However, Adams noted that what they have done is adopt international standards for environmental protection. One such standard is unfettered

EPA Director, Dr Vincent Adams

access to oil rigs and other vessels, which Adams noted is important for oversight of the sector.

“There should be no prevention or stiff arming of Government employees

or people who provide oversight and go on that rig, at any time. Of course, it’s our responsibility when we go, not to interfere or interrupt the work. But we should not be prevented from visiting the site at any time, including unannounced visits”.

While this is the optimal situation, Guyana’s model Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) included a seven-day notice before regulators could visit operations. This PSA model is currently under review.

According to the EPA Director, it is important to guard against complacency in these types of environments.

In fact, Adams noted that on site, Government representatives are even more effective when it comes to monitoring oil companies, their environment, health and safety practices and compliance with the law.

“Environment, health and safety is something (intangible). That’s why we take it for granted. We tend to get complacent. We measure it by, oh nothing has happened over the past year. So we go, we celebrate. A million hours have passed without any incident. Every day you come to work, tell yourself something could happen”.

“In my experience, we have always found that our members on site found 90 per cent of the precursors. A lot of time, we only realise that there is an issue or we judge our system when something happens. We should be judging our systems based on the things we find before something happens. When something happens, it’s too late”.

Adams further noted that the National Oil Spill Plan is still being developed in a multiagency collaboration led by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). The oil spill prevention strategy has been in development for some time.

Previously, Government had promised it would be completed by mid-year.

The Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel that recently arrived in Guyana’s waters

Guyana’s last taste of an environmental disaster was a cyanide spill in 1995. In gold mining, cyanide is used as an extracting agent for the ore. In the case of Guyana’s cyanide spill, the highly poisonous material spilled out of a reservoir into the Essequibo River.

Since Exxon announced its oil find in the Liza-1 well in 2015, a pertinent question has been the capacity of the relevant agencies to protect the environment in case of an oil spill. It is a topic that has regularly been raised at public lectures.

Previously, President David Granger commissioned Guyana’s first oil spill response operation service at the Gaico Wharf at Nismes, West Bank Demerara— Gaico Oil Spill Response Operation Services. The service was set

up as a pre-emptive measure against probable spillage once production commences in the future.

A study by the EPA had found that while an oil spill was possible, factors such as the location of ExxonMobil affiliates’ operations, combined with the region’s water temperature, would minimise the effects.

On the side of the Government, it is understood that efforts have been underway to train and build capacity in the Natural Resources Ministry.

When it comes to the oil spill contingency plan, a workshop was organised in March of this year to work on the draft. CDC Head Colonel Kester Craig was recently quoted saying that the long overdue plan was almost complete.

“Big Head” to face trial in US for drug conspiracy charge in April

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wner of the Hotel Tower and suspected drug kingpin, Shervington Lovell aka “Big Head”, who pleaded not guilty to a conspiracy to violate US maritime drug enforcement law charge, is set to go to trial on April 14, 2020, according to an order made by US District Judge Paul G. Gardephe.

The last courtroom status conference for the case, in which Lovell is charged along with his co-accused David Cardona-Cardona, Argemiro Zapata-Castro and Steven Antonius, was held on August 19, 2019 before Justice Gardephe.

However, it was during the conference the order was made.

Lovell, along with his co-accused was ordered to submit a joint letter

by September, 3, concerning the status of the discoveries issues they discussed at the previ-

ous hearing in August.

Hence, Justice Gardephe, ordered the government to produce the defendant’s translations of transcripts of all the audio and video recordings the government intends to introduce at trial by February 14, 2020. Nevertheless, another conference is expected to be held on September 23, 2019.

A letter by the United of States Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman dated on April 1, 2019, had indicated that the accused persons may be in plea bargaining negotiations with authorities, however Lovell was not listed as one of the persons in the negotiation.

There is evidence that Omar Torres and Godofredo LeandroGonzalez, pleaded guilty and are set to be sentenced on December 4, 2019.

Nonetheless, the status of the case of the oth-

Shervington Lovell

er accused is unclear; Luis Rafael Febres Monasterio, Murvin Reigoud Maikel, Moses Roopwah, NeredioJulian Sucre, JeanClaude Okongo Landji,

Jibril Adamu, and Youssouf Fofana.

It was reported that Lovell who had been under the radar of CANU and international investigators for a lengthy pe-

riod was arrested along with two others.

According to reports, Lovell allegedly conspired with others to ship more than 1300 pounds of cocaine

to The Netherlands in a drug trafficking operation that involved laundered money from South Africa and other countries.

US agents have said that the cocaine was found aboard a “stateless” vessel in international waters back in July. According to US agents in their indictment, the Guyanese hotel owner met with other suspected drug traffickers back in Guyana in June to plan the shipment. He also met with other drug traffickers in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where he owns a house.

A vessel, property of Lovell, was intercepted which is suspected to be used by the businessman to ship the illicit drugs from Jamaica to St Maarten.

The hotelier has been under the radar of local Police since 2010 when he was being investigated for a series of executions. However, charges were never brought against him for those allegations.

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Fatal stabbing of sibling

Mother says sons were main breadwinners for home A 69-year-old mother is lost for words following an incident that took place at her Enterprise, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home which resulted in one of her sons fatally stabbing another during a drinking spree on Monday evening.

Dassie Samroo of Lot 471

sons on the same day; 47-yearold Satnarine Jattan, also called “Dalim”, is dead and the other will soon be incarcerated for the heinous crime.

Speaking with Guyana Times International on Tuesday at her home, in tears, she stated that her now dead son and the suspect were her

Satnarine Jattan

Charlotte Street, Enterprise, ECD is yet to come to grips with reality as she has lost two

support system since they made sure that she was financially taken care of.

She is now left to fend for herself, since she is also a widow. Her third son, who left moments before the fatal stabbing on Monday evening, is yet to be heard from.

However, when asked to recount what took place between her sons on the fateful night, she replied, “I don’t know what happened between them two, I can’t say because me deh at the back and one deh in the hammock here and one sitting on the chair”.

Samaroo recalled that about 15:00h on Monday, the now dead man and his younger brother were imbibing at home after completing two weeks of work.

According to Samaroo, she went to check on her sons after hearing loud talking and as such, warned them about arguing with each other. They, nevertheless, assured her that they were having a peaceful conversation.

However, the woman went back to her hammock, after which the place went quiet.

This, she added, prompted her to make another check. It was at that time she saw the now dead man holding onto his abdomen with blood gushing out – he later collapsed.

The visibly shaken woman described both sons as “gentle” and “hardworking”. At the loss of her two sons, Samaroo is now left to depend solely on her monthly pension to maintain herself.

Mother of the two brothers: 69-year-old Dassie Samaroo

Meanwhile, Police reports indicate that Jattan and the suspect, who is his younger brother, were consuming alcohol together at the residence when an argument ensued.

After being warned by their mother, the men suddenly stopped talking. The mother became suspicious and, as such, ventured outside to check

on them. However, the woman stumbled upon Jattan’s body, which was on the floor near their bathroom door.

The dead man’s body is presently at the Lyken Funeral home, whilst the suspect is in Police custody assisting with investigations. He has since admitted to the Police to killing his older brother.

news 23

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Suspected bandit shot dead in confrontation with Cops

The scene of the protest on Wednesday

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haos erupted in Leopold Street, Georgetown on Wednesday after a suspected bandit was shot and killed by Police in the wee hours of the morning while hunting for two robbery suspects.

Dead is 35-year-old Orin Odinga Williams, a father of one of Leopold Street, Werk-en-Rust. He was killed about 01:45h on Wednesday in Norton Street, Wortmanville by ranks of the Stabroek Police Outpost, who had responded to a report of an alleged robbery in the area.

According to a statement from the Police, four persons were held at gunpoint at the corners of Hadfield and High Streets by three men and

ty of Norton and Bishop Streets, Wortmanville,

jured man was taken to Georgetown Public

The dead man’s grieving widow, Cassandra Williams

the Police said one of the suspects dismounted his bicycle and drew

Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he was pronounced dead on ar-

The items which police said were found in the dead man’s possession

robbed them of four cell phones, an undisclosed amount of cash, and personal documents.

The victims reported the matter and in response, the Police proceeded in the direction in which the suspects fled. While in the vicini-

a firearm from his waist before discharging two rounds in the direction of the ranks.

The statement added that the ranks “took evasive action” and returned fire from their service weapon, wounding one of the suspects. The in-

rival. The other suspects made good their escape, the Police said.

A .38 revolver with its serial number filed out, along with one live round and two spent shells, a quantity of cannabis, three cellular phones, one yellow metal

chain, G$10, 900 and one backpack were recovered from the scene.

The Police said that two of the cell phones recovered have since been identified by two of the victims as their properties.

Later that morning, at approximately 09:00h, residents of Leopold Street, including fami-

ly members of the now dead man, took to the streets in protest his killing and called for justice.

They blocked the corners of Leopold and Breda, and Durban and Breda streets with burning tyres and other debris on the roadways.

Thick black smoke from the burning tyres could be seen from lengthy distances away.

Williams’ family is accusing the Police of allegedly lying about the circumstances surrounding the shooting and instead claimed that the ranks robbed the now dead man.

Speaking with the media, Omesha Murphy, the victim’s sister, related at the scene of the protest that her brother was shot and then robbed by Police.

“They got to bring back the gold and the money that them tek, everything we got to get back because we got we lawyer, we got we lawyer and we need them things back! He wife got to get them back! We need justice,” the woman cried out.

Another relative declared that “We have to get justice for he, he nev-

Orin Odinga Williams

er do no crime, nothing he never do. Them kill he! Plus them rob he!

We got to get everything back! Everything we got to get back, all the gold jewellery, and everything that them thief!”

Meanwhile, a Leopold Street resident told Guyana Times International that she had just spoken to Williams prior to his killing.

According to the woman, Williams had indicated to her that he was making his way home to his wife, Cassandra Williams.

24 news

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

US Envoy plugs need for businesses

to hire more women

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n a world where men have dominated statistics for senior positions in most

The Ambassador shared these remarks during the third annual Women’s Leadership and

notion when you bring women into the political and economic life of a country, the GDP (Gross

A section of the audience (US Embassy photo)

sectors, United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch has urged companies to hire more women, since they are linked to producing higher profits.

Business Conference, organised by WeLead Caribbean—a Guyanesebased non-profit organisation.

“There is so much data which supports the

Domestic Product) goes up and poverty rates go down. It’s proven that companies with more women in higher management positions achieve higher profits.

Guyana Amazon Warriors assist 14-Y-O to fight cancer

It’s simple really, hire women and you will succeed,” she beckoned.

Lynch indicated that in many scenarios, women are faced with obstacles which hinder their growth. As a result of sexism, men are given importance or credit for the work of women.

“There are still barriers and obstacles for women to achieve their full potential. Talented women everywhere are working 24 hours a day and still get discouraged that they cannot seem to get ahead. Every day, sexism is still with us. We’ve all felt it. The meetings where your ideas are ignored and a man says the same thing and he gets the credit. The banks that won’t extend credit to you because you’re a woman,” the Ambassador related.

Throughout the session, motivational speeches were delivered by women across Guyana.

Managing Director of Ansa McAL, Beverley Harper, shared some of the advantages of including women in a business environment.

“Organisations that develop and advance women will benefit for a number of reasons, specifically, they will access a large part of the available talent pool as well as employ individuals who reflect a substantial

United States (US) Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah Ann Lynch (US Embassy photo)

part of their consumer base,” Harper highlighted.

She underlined the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace, but there are other factors which prevent women from owning their own enterprises entirely. These are related to religion, culture and social trends. In other cases, their own timidity hinders the achievement of their true potential.

“We, as women, have to experience varying degrees of sexual harassment once we enter the workplace…Social and traditional constraints restrict women’s participation in business.

Sometimes, religion hinders women from owning their own businesses and in some countries, women may be required to have a male partner to make the deals and be the face of the business”.

Meanwhile, First Lady Sandra Granger acknowledged that many women are creating their own businesses using their fashion, manufacturing, art and culinary skills. However, domestic violence continues to play a part in societal ills.

The business conference also saw contributions from American singer Beyonce’s publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure.

Minibus driver slapped with 7 charges, remanded to prison

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T

GAW Media Officer, John Ramsingh hands over the donation on behalf of the team to the Nahoe family in St Kitts

he Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) cricket team has assisted 14-year-old Shaniece Nahoe, who has been diagnosed with a cancerous facial tumour, in her battle for survival.

While preparing for their clash against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (SKNP) in Basseterre in this year’s Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the Warriors learnt of the Washington Archibald High School student’s situation and immediately pooled financial resources to hand over to the family.

Nahoe, who was born in Guyana, is currently in Jamaica at the University of the West Indies Hospital with her

mother, Shelly Jailall, while her father and two younger siblings remain in St Kitts praying for her speedy recovery.

The form two student is far from full recovery having just recently undergone her first chemotherapy session. The next session is set for the end of September and once the tumour begins to shrink, radiation treatment will begin.

Upon receiving the donation, Nahoe’s father, who was born in Guyana, thanked the Guyana Amazon Warriors for their support and wished the team well in their quest for a maiden CPL title.

minibus driver made his first court appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after he was slapped with seven charges.

Tavid Ahmad appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty and denied the charges.

The first charge detailed that on September 13, 2019 at Camp Street, Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously assaulted Police Constable Jafar Blackman, who was acting in the execution of his duties.

The second charge stated that on the same day, and location, the 30-year-old man resisted arrest from Police Constable Jafar Blackman. Additionally, he was charged for unlawfully and maliciously damaging one Police shirt belonging to the Guyana Police Force (GPF). Another charge stated that on the same day and location, he made use of threatening language towards Police Constable Blackman.

Tavid Ahmad

It was further alleged that under the circumstances, he behaved disorderly in public hearing.

Following his appearance before Magistrate McGusty, Ahmad was taken before Magistrate Clive Nurse where he faced two additionally charges.

Those charges stated that on September 13, 2019 he drove minibus BVV 3428 in a manner dangerous to the public and was under the influence of alcohol.

Police Prosecutor

Seon Blackman informed the court that the rank was performing duties on Camp Street, Georgetown when he observed the Ahmad obstructing traffic.

The court heard that the officer proceeded to the defendant and instructed him to drive to the Brickdam Police Station, when the defendant came out his bus and dealt the officer a cuff to his face and said, “I am not afraid of no Police”.

The defendant then held on to the rank’s uniform, which resulted in the shirt being damaged, as he began to threaten him.

Ahmad was arrested and taken to the Brickdam Police Station.

The Prosecutor further objected to bail being granted on the grounds of the prevalence of the offence and the fact that the officer was executing his duties.

The Magistrate remanded the defendant to prison. The case will continue on September 25.

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘Happy to be home’ …Guyanese family returns from hurricane-ravaged Bahamas

The Grimmond family at the CJIA on Sunday evening

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Guyanese family on Sunday evening returned home from the devastated Bahamas, following the category five hurricane, Dorian.

The five-member family arrived on Sunday evening at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) about 21:30h and was received by Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Karen Cummings; Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams and Director of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig.

Thirty-five-year-old Orin Grimmond and his wife, 35-year-old Sholme Grimmond, arrived with their three children seven-year-old Seraphine, two-yearold Angeline and two-month-old Kemuel.

The family will be staying five nights at the Marriott Hotel before they travel to Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) to meet their family members.

The trip will be sponsored by Trans Guyana Airways.

Welcoming home the family, Hastings-Williams said, “We are happy that they (the family) have arrived safely to their home. We welcome them and here we are at Marriott Hotel. We are very grateful for what Marriott is doing: they will be accommodating them for at least five days free and this encourages us as a Government to see that we can partner with the private sector, business persons (and) nongovernmental organization.”

Orin Grimmond was quoted in sections of the media describing his experience as “horrifying”.

Meanwhile, the CDC Director explained that 25 other Guyanese have signalled their intent to return soon.

“We are now looking at (or) working out arrangements for the remainder of persons to travel when they would like to return to Guyana … once we get the flight arrangements in place and all the travel documents in place they will be accommodated to return to Guyana,” he explained.

On the other hand, Minister Cummings told the media that the Government has pledged some US$200,000 towards assistance for The Bahamas.

It was also noted that the Citizenship Ministry will be replacing documents such as lost or damaged birth certificates to help affected Guyanese in The Bahamas to travel.

On September 1, Dorian, a Category Five hurricane ripped through the small Caribbean archipelago with winds near 240 kilometres per hour (150 miles per hour), the US National Hurricane Center said.

A BBC report stated that Dorian was the most powerful storm to hit The Bahamas.

Bahamians are now facing severe health threats as they are trying to cope with the lack of access to toilets, clean water, and medication.

The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) has set up an account for persons who would like to make contributions towards assisting persons in The Bahamas.

Persons desirous of contributing financial donations are asked to make those contributions to the account named GBTI Hurricane Relief Fund-Bahamas # 011802963011.

NEWS 29

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22 , 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Local… …larwah The cluelessness of this PNC-led Government knows no bounds when it comes to economic decision-making that would redound to Guyana’s development. Or is it really cluelessness? On the contract Trotman “negotiated” with those IOCs, we all know he can give Basil Williams a run for his money for cluelessness. But, even then, can we really believe that, after he’d gone to Tanzania to learn how they were dealing with their new petroleum find and saw they negotiated a 15% royalty from the IOCs, he could boast about a 2% rate for us??

As old people would say, “something na regulah” here. But let’s put that aside for a while and move on.

After all, Trotman was put out to pasture in “Natural Resources”, where he’s hassling woodcutters about how loud they’re supposed to be yelling, “Timber!!”

Fast forward to the present, where we have an environmentalist (Bynoe) in charge of the Energy Agency and an energy maven (Adams) in charge of Environment, and you begin to have an inkling what’s afoot in the biggest thing to’ve hit Guyana since the Dutch cleared all those mangrove swamps to literally create “Guyana”: OIL! Now, if nothing else our history – starting with those same Dutchmen – should’ve taught us, it is that when it comes to “exploiting” our resources, everyone’s looking out for number one. And we ain’t even number 100!! The word “underdevelopment” – in which outsiders pretty much take out riches back to their country to “add value” and leave us holding wood – was pretty much invented here in the West Indies. We were oars of the “resource” to be exploited! With Independence, the thrust was to get more of that “value” into our coffers and into the pockets of ordinary folks. The small man was to become the real man!!

Burnham, supported by Jagan, nationalised our resources: sugar, bauxite and the “commanding heights of the economy”. But we know that failed miserably, and the country ended up debt-ridden, and we, the people, even more poverty stricken than ever. Nationalisation wasn’t the way to reach the “good life”. And we arrive at the present model of “exploiting” natural resources like oil in poor countries like Guyana.

The big multinational does the groundwork and exploration, and if there’s a “find”, the host country has two ways of benefiting. One is from the “production contract” that extracts bonuses, royalty and profit sharing, and wherein we know we lost out big time. The second is from “local content” – which is basically to have our local companies and citizens get a piece of the action in ancillary and downstream areas to the primary production.

And this is where we are now getting “local larwah!!” …equity But it’s not too late to stop us from being raped for another century. Apart from Exxon, no IOC can say Guyana was a “frontier” country, where the risks of sinking hundreds of millions under the sea and coming up dry were very high. Surely, Tullow can’t say that…especially since their production agreement came AFTER the Exxon contract. The whole area had been comprehensively “derisked”.

This is one contract that must be renegotiated.

Even Trotman couldn’t defend the 1% bonus, and confessed he’d been “instructed” to sign the contract.

There must be an investigation to discover who ordered the signing; and after jailing him, we must get back to the negotiating table.

But the whole area of “local content” avenue to get a piece of the action is still open to us. We now have the third draft of such a policy issued by Bynoe, and you can immediately see that he’s clueless, since he accepted terms that even a novice energy man would’ve thrown up.

The good people of Guyana have to insist they don’t want more larwah!! …PM candidate Look who accompanied caretaker President Granger to the meeting with the Carter Center. Yup!!

The same individual making all sorts of authoritative policy statements: Dawn Hastings-Williams.

She at least may bring votes to the table!!

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feature 33

“Teaching for me means breaking barriers, lifting standards and defying the odds” – Rashlie Joseph

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eachers have the uncanny ability to impact our lives and the lessons they teach us remain with us forever.

They paint our minds and encourage us to think outside of the proverbial box.

They cheer us on from the sidelines. Our achievements are theirs and our burdens become theirs.

They act as mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends. They go above and beyond the call of their duties to ensure that we are the best versions of ourselves. They encourage us to break the barriers and hold ourselves to higher standards. Teachers are truly an inspiration and the lessons in the classrooms remain etched in our minds forever.

The fact that they work even when they are at home and on vacation makes teachers even more specials and in order for one to become a teacher, they must love the profession.

N o t h i n g speaks for a profession like being in it for almost two decades and making countless sacrifices. For 18 years now, Rashlie Joseph has been sacrificing, inspiring and nurturing the thousands of students who passed through his classes.

The 36-yearold is a social studies teacher at the North Ruimveldt Multilateral School in Georgetown. Rashlie has always had a passion for teaching mainly because of the teachers in his life.

He saw them as an inspiration and wanted to give back and make an impact as they did in his life.

“My passion for developed teaching during my senior years at secondary school. I was extremely fond of children and the many ways I can contribute to life and happiness.

Added to that I was always thinking about how I can correct the errors I’ve seen and faced during my school life. I wanted to treat children better than I was treated and carry on the legacy of greatness I experienced having dealt with some teachers who were very good to me,” he noted.

“I somewhat started practising to be a teacher through the roles and duties that were given to me as a head prefect for the Grade Seven students at the time and with my fun, down to earth personality, I felt confident that I had the basic qualities and attribute to fit the profession, create excitement and enjoy a successful career.”

In his earlier days, Rashlie grew up with his grandmother, whom he described as his first teacher. She encouraged him to follow his dreams and always ensured that he had the resources to accomplish all he set out for.

He attended the Tucville Primary School and after he sat the Common Entrance exams, he gained a place at the East Ruimveldt Secondary School.

However, at that time, his grandmother was leaving the country for a short

time so he moved to Linden where he attended the Christianburg Secondary School. When his grandmother returned home, he moved back to Georgetown and completed his secondary education at the school he now teaches at.

When he wrote the Caribbean Examinations Council exams, he immediately knew that teaching was the path he wanted to take. He would have applied to the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) and got rejected four times but on his fifth try, he was successful.

Additionally, Rashlie completed a certificate in Early Childhood Education at the University of Guyana’s Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) in addition to receiving education in the arts at the Burrowes School of Arts. be“After ing turned down three times in my attempt to attend the teachers training college (CPCE), I decided in the meantime to complete a diploma for Teachers and Trainers from Cambridge University.

I made a fifth attempt to enter CPCE and was successful.

There, I completed that which is now called the Associate Degree in Education Programme, with my major in social studies.

“As it relates to the subject area I now teach, it was my experiences in those classroom sessions that had a massive influence. I was allowed to express myself and be involved in several debates and public speaking competitions and be as vocal as I can.”

In the classroom, Rashlie is quite the charismatic teacher. He not only brings the books but his experiences and personality as well. He speaks to his students in a language they understand, which sets him apart from the rest of the teachers.

When asked to pick out one memory that still stands out to him, the search was long and hard. In the past 18 years, he has been making countless memories so to pinpoint one is indeed a tough task. But he searched and came up with one.

“I would recall my first opportunity to prepare students for CSEC examinations. I had to exercise bravery and confidence, given that this was not an exam to play with, one which rates the school and prepares students for their lifelong career paths. I was nervous, scared but determined to get it right. My class excelled and ranked among the top performers for that year. With such results, my self-esteem took flight and I believed in myself a bit more,” he recalled.

The road to where he is now has been long and challenging, but that did not deter him. Rashlie advises anyone who is contemplating joining the teaching profession to be prepared to exercise compassion, show love and care, and fight for justice when necessary, all in support of our children.

“Being a teacher, for me, means quite a lot. It means creating a new and better world with one heart, mind and soul at a time. It means moulding a generation to become greater than the previous. It means creating a happy environment away from home for our children and in many cases a happy home away from a home where life is filled with misery, pain, abuse, and depression. Teaching, for me, also means breaking barriers, lifting standards and defying the odds when negativity presents itself. Whether in the form of people, misconceptions, biases, lack of support or setbacks.”

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WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

2019 Diwali Parade & Cultural Show – an eagerly anticipated event in New York

By Lakshmee Singh

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eepavali or Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, will be again celebrated in a very spectacular and jubilant manner in Queens New York on October 19th, 2019 starting at 5:30 PM sharp when thousands of celebrants will participate in this annual Diwali Motorcade/ Parade event that will wind its way through Liberty Avenue, the heart of the IndoCaribbean community of Richmond Hill, Queens. The Diwali Motorcade/Parade event has become over the years, a much anticipated cultural celebration during the fall season.

Customarily the motorcade/parade will conclude with a grand cultural extravaganza at 7:30 PM at the Arya Spiritual Center Ground on 133rd Street featuring a spectacular display of local young talents. There will be many impressive and extravagantly decorated floats, aglow with myriads of lights and colors, that glints on a sea of beaming faces invoking an atmosphere of exotic beauty and spiritual joy. Exquisitely attired young beauties will grace the floats with their presence as Mother Lakshmi as they mesmerize the crowd with their angelic dispositions. The dream of five women who were the original founders of the event -Dolly Singh, Daveena Ramgolam, Lolita Singh, Kumarie Dindiyal and Sachee Beer – will continue to reverberate a very dramatic and sensational manner.

Presented by the Divya Jyoti Association in collaboration with the Arya Spiritual Center, the celebration will kick-off at 5:30 PM from the Arya Spiritual Center grounds at 104-20 133rd St with the Diwali Motorcade/Parade and veer left on Liberty passing the Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir to 123rd Street, then turn right to 103 Avenue, and then finally return to Arya Spiritual Grounds on 133 Street where the floats will be judged. The floats in the motorcade will be judged on a predetermined set of criteria related to creativity, originality and attractiveness. Prior to

t h e g r a n d D i w a l i Motorcade at 3pm hundreds will gather to participate in a sacred Lakshmi Puja and Hawan officiated by Pandit Vyaas Sukul.

The festival of lights is observed by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and others in South Asia. The five-day festival is centered on the new moon and is observed by lighting diyas — simple oil lamps — to signify the victory of good over evil in the individual. Diwali celebrations span a five-day peri-

od, each day being assigned a special significance as ordained by Hindu doctrine. The first day of Diwali, known as “Dhantrayodashi,” is a day during which one gives thanks for all spiritual and material wealth in one’s life.

Richmond Hill resident Meera Singh said the annual Diwali event always reminds her of her native Trinidad, where she was born, raised and spent many years celebrating this festival of lights.

“I grew up into the religion,” said Singh, who spent the holiday in Richmond Hill for the first time.

“In Trinidad at this time of year, we have a big celebration for the festival of lights, and I wanted to see if it was as big here as it is there.”

“Every year people come out and decorate in honor of the Goddess Lakshmi. We only have two major holidays in the Hindu religion.

We’re looking to make Diwali a major community event, and it has been growing. We’re very excited about it,” said Lakshmee Singh, one of the members of Divya Jyoti Association.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

FEATURE 35

“All educators are unique in their own way”

Rezwan Amid Persaud

By Lakhram Bhagirat

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eaching requires the patience to deal with multiple personalities. Teaching requires the ability to see a classroom of students as individuals as opposed to a collective.

Teaching is the art of simplifying the most difficult thing so that your students can grasp the concept.

A teacher is judged by the achievements of their students bec a u s e it is believed that a teacher has the ability to work miracles. Quite often, teachers go above and beyond what is required of them to get the job done.

They sacrifice their personal lives so that they can give your child an extra minute to grasp the concept.

Teachers neglect their own health so that your child can become the best version of themselves.

While teachers are appreciated by society, they are often undervalued.

They are neglected by a system that is conditioned to judge them by how much of the curriculum they complete in a term. A system that not only expects them to teach a variety of topics within a school term but also drowns them in paperwork on a daily basis.

The saying “not all superheroes wears capes” certainly applies to all teachers. One such teacher is young Rezwan Amid Persaud.

Though fairly new in the teaching profession, Rezwan has been making an impact in the lives of those he encoun-

ters. The 25-year-old is a teacher at the CV Nunes Primary School on the Essequibo Coast.

“I never once thought I would have joined the teaching profession since my patience was limited.

It took me five years before I considered the teaching profession.

My aunt noticed I had much love for children and she encouraged me to join the profession.

“In 2015, I applied for at the Cyril Potter College of Education and was accepted at Turkeyen campus. Since I was an Esseqibian, I was accommodated at the dormitory. The life

there was a bit challenging but I’ve made it with the help of the almighty father and support from my grandma and friends.”

When he graduated from CPCE in 2017,

Rezwan returned to the Essequibo Coast where he began his career as a trained teacher. Now he is more himself in front of the classroom as anywhere else. He understands the struggles some of his students

have and he is on the path to making them overcome their fears and get over those struggles.

Rezwan sees himself as an inspiration to those students because, like many of them, he too had his fair share of struggles while he was a child. He grew up with his grandmother, away from his parents, which itself was a challenge.

However, his grandmother never allowed him to feel the absence of his parents and for that, he is grateful. She encouraged him to aim big and conquer. She ensured that he had the tools necessary for a quality education so that he could become the independent person he is now.

Although teaching was not his first career option, Rezwan cannot see himself doing anything else at this point. The idea of serving as a role model and nurturing the minds of Guyana’s future generation has consumed him. He has made it his task to be the best teacher that his students will ever have, not because he wants to be the best, rather, because he wants them to be the best.

Like many teachers, Rezwan too gets tired at times but never had he thought of giving up because of the immense responsibility he has. During the short years he has been teaching, Rezwan has made memories that can fuel him for a lifetime but he knows there’s more ahead.

“I’m no different from other educators, we are all unique in our own little way. The memories are great. I live in the moment and as a teacher, one of my best memory was when the National Grade Six Assessment results were announced earlier this year. When I heard that my pupil, Venisha Lall, topped the country and that Pradesh Dwarka placed second and Gevasha Harpaul, third in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), I was beyond happy. The hard work had indeed paid off and that is quite fulfilling as a teacher.”

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WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

From Best Nursery School teacher to Education Officer - Linden’s La Shanna Anderson tells her story

By Utamu Belle

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ith 22 years in the education profession, 40-year-old Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) Educator, La Shanna Anderson has had an exciting and fulfilling career. Anderson who now serves as Education Officer (1) with responsibility for Sub- Region 2 (areas along the Berbice River) currently supervises 19 schools in the Sub Region.

The Sunday Times Magazine recently caught up with the Educator at the Department of Education in her hometown of Linden, where she shared her experience in the profession spanning over 20 years.

Anderson recalled that she commenced her exciting journey in the Education profession as a classroom Teacher on November 16, 1997, at the Half Mile Nursery School in Linden, Region 10.

Thereafter she attended the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), graduating as the ‘Best Graduating Student’ for the Linden Centre in the year 2000. She also copped the National prize for the ‘Best Nursery Teacher’.

She then propelled from being a classroom Teacher to Senior Assistant Mistress, then to Graduate Senior Assistant Mistress at the school.

Then on September 1, 2009, she was promoted to Graduate Head Teacher of the West Watooka Nursery School in Linden.

She later joined the Regional Education Department in September of 2013 where she pursued the Ministry of Education’s Cadet Officer Programme and was later successfully appointed Education Officer (1) on June 1, 2017. Anderson noted that her passion for teaching has always been a motivating factor.

“I always had a passion for teaching, ever since I was young. I would teach the plants and I would just teach,” Anderson humorously related.

“I can recall one day one of my mom’s friends came to visit and I was teaching the wall, and so she told her, ‘You know she would make a good teacher!’ And so she saw that in me. So I guess it’s just something inside of me to just want to teach.

So here I am today- an educator,” she continued with a light chuckle.

Outside of her regular job at the Education Department, she is also a Lecturer at the University of Guyana where she has been attached since 2008.

There, she lectures in the faculty of Education, working along with students pursuing Early Childhood Education as well as General Education and Administration. She also teaches Education Research, Introduction to Curriculum Theory and Evaluation. Anderson is also a certified Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) Assessor for Early Childhood practitioners.

She related that earlier on in her teaching career she benefited from good mentorship as she attested her success to all those whom she has learned so much from. One such person, she recalled is a former Head Teacher Brenda Lymerick.

She recalled that when she first started teaching at the Nursery level she was just out of high school

and untrained, but she garnered much knowledge with the help of those already in the profession.

She recalled an enlightening experience when she first started at the nursery school.

“I can recall when I first saw all of the ‘manipulative blocks’ and bricks and so on, I packed them up and I said well, ‘I got to clean up’ and I was about to put them away because I thought ‘I had to clean up’. But then Teacher Brenda said, ‘No, that is how children learn, by manipulating’. And so, from then I started understanding that children learn differently from adults and so on and I grew to love Early Childhood. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. It’s fascinating”, she explained.

Anderson continued that she has had many experiences with students at the Nursery level, including those who are considered slow learners.

She also recalled working at a Nursery school which had a stigma attached to students going over to Primary School since they were perceived to be slow learners. She noted that she and other teachers were able to positively impact and change the perception by instituting an extra hour work programme for the students who were lagging.

“We taught them Phonics, we did lots of Numeracy with them and from there we saw growth. When we took those students on the transition visit to Primary School, all of the teachers were fascinated that they were able to read and write”, she mused.

As such, she stated her belief that every child can learn regardless of their background or status. She encourages parents and educators to not give up on such students.

“You just have to provide the right attitude, the necessary resources, give the necessary support and they will learn”, she advised.

Anderson’s passion for community development also leads along the path of community work. She noted, however, that with her increasingly busy schedule these days she is unable to do some of these things any longer.

Zeroing in on the Policies of the Education Ministry as it relates to education delivery she noted that the mandatory Cadet Officer programme which was reintroduced in recent years been a great means for

appointing Education Officers based on their training. Having been a part of the programme she acknowledged that it provides an excellent opportunity to explore Education Districts and a good learning experience.

On the occasion of Education Month 2019, Anderson extends greetings to all Educators across the country as she encouraged all to continue to put their best foot forward to ensure the development of education in Guyana.

“If you want to excel, you have to develop the right attitude. It has to be your habit to excel.

Education is dynamic. You have to have a passion for education and once you’re passionate about it you’re going to go that extra mile to ensure that those children under your charge excel. You’re going to do whatever it takes and everything in your power. Even if it means that you have to go out of pocket to ensure that they get clothes to come to school or provide a meal for them. Because sometimes those are some of the difficulties that parents have, that cause them not to be able to send their children to school”, she urged.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 37

Truck driver in Agricola fatal accident granted G$500,000 bail

D

anion Welcome, the driver of the truck in the horrific accident at Agricola Public Road, Greater Georgetown that claimed the life of seven-year-old Ciara Benjamin back in June, was on Wednesday charged and appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The 39-year-old man appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and pleaded not guilty to the charge which detailed that on June 1, 2019, at Agricola Public Road, Georgetown, he drove motor lorry GWW 962 in a manner dangerous to the public causing the death of Ciara Benjamin.

Defence Counsel James Bond, in a bail application, requested that his client to be released

ceeding at a fast rate of speed along the Agricola Public Road. The prosecution is claiming that Welcome lost control of his vehicle and collided with the child, who was standing at the median, which resulted in the child’s death.

The matter was reported; however, after a lengthy investigation, a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) who advised that Welcome be charged.

The court further heard that the DPP’s advice that Welcome’s driver’s licence should be suspended.

The Chief Magistrate, after listening to the facts, released Welcome on G$500,000 bail.

Welcome was instructed to lodge his passport with the court

Ciara Benjamin

on reasonable bail. He assured the court that once his client’s bail is granted, he will ensure that Welcome adheres to any conditions attached.

In addition, the lawyer informed the court that his client is unable to work since the ordeal, owing to the injuries he received by the hands of Agricola residents, who beat him mercilessly.

Bond went on to tell the court that his client has to seek medical attention abroad for his injuries, after being advised by a local doctor.

Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield told the court that on the day in question, about 16:10h, Welcome, who was driving motor lorry GWW 962, was pro-

and report every Friday to the officer in charge at the Ruimveldt Police Station until the hearing and determination of the case. The Magistrate further suspended his driver’s licence until the hearing and determination of the matter.

Nevertheless, Welcome is slated to make his next court appearance on September 23.

Based on reports received, the child was attempting to cross the road with her aunt, who was on her cellular phone, in the vicinity of the Independence Arch at Agricola.

During that time, a truck bearing registration number GWW 962 was heading to Georgetown when the

Danion Welcome

driver allegedly swerved to avoid hitting another vehicle and the child was struck.

Hundreds of people flocked the roadway in the aftermath of the tragic incident. With the truck lodged in the middle of the roadway, Police officers made efforts to clear the streets to allow for the child’s body to be removed.

About one hour later, a forklift and crane were used to lift the vehicle and remove the child’s remains. Her body was completely severed in two. However, before Police arrived, residents of Agricola mercilessly beat Welcome. His truck was later set on fire by the residents.

38 NEWS

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Georgetown City Hall urgently needs other revenue streams – treasurer

O

fficials of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) were on Monday given the opportunity to share constraints faced in their daily operations, where City Treasurer John Douglas highlighted the financial strain of depending solely on rates and taxes to garner revenue.

cial burdens.

As he emphasised the importance of financial stability, the City Treasurer insisted that the Council is involved in activities which bear no financial benefits to the Council. On the other hand, they are heavily dependent on rates and taxes to subsidise their operational costs. For this, the mu-

for what is required. You look at solid waste. We pick up the waste, it costs us hundreds of millions per year. We don’t get no revenue stream from solid waste,” Douglas said.

Other highlighted areas where the Council does not benefit include waterfront activities and increased security presence.

“The population in the city is growing. Street vending is growing. Hence, the need for more security…We don’t get no earning from those vehicles traversing the city. You have boats, ships using our waterfront. We don’t generate any revenue from any such activities.”

Defined responsibilities

City Hall

A Trinidad-based delegation along with representatives of the Communities Ministry were involved in talks to develop the operational procedures of the Council.

For some time, the Council has been battling with finan-

nicipality needs to implement other revenue streams.

“We need to be more diverse in our revenue streams.

We’re too dependent on rates and tax which has shown over the years that rates and tax cannot carry this organisation

Douglas also called for defined responsibilities between Central and Local Governments, so as to determine where money should be allocated. Presently, the Council utilises a majority of its earnings to pay staffers and to pay for solid waste collection.

“We need clearly defined roles and responsibilities, especially between what’s required of the local organ and the central organ. Both Local Government and Central Government deals with roads.

Are we then identifying which ones are to be dealt with by the Central Government and which ones by the Local Government organs?” Douglas

City Treasurer John Douglas

questioned.

While the M&CC is solely dependent on their rates generation, there have been constant issues with defaulting taxpayers.

In May, it was announced that some G$8.4 billion, excluding interest rates, was owed by taxpayers within the perimeter of Georgetown and as such, a committee was established to retrieve these monies.

Douglas had told media operatives that after a final computation, numbers showed that the G$8.4 billion was owed from both residential and commercial taxpayers combined. Some records show

that persons had not been paying taxes for as long as 28 years.

“One of the approaches we have decided to do is to carry out a rate recovery drive. It will be made up of six to seven individuals who would go about to a certain area and we’re looking to start off with Lacytown.

We’re trying to target all areas that are closest to Council first and then we would go out,” the City Treasurer stated.

It was identified that while that there is a difference in rates for commercial and residential taxpayers, some commercial enterprises have been paying the residential fee, which is significantly lower.

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 39

Race relations body expresses concern over present political climate in Guyana

T

he Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has expressed concerns over the current political impasse regarding the hosting of General and Regional Elections, and is urging players to adhere to the Constitution of Guyana.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Commission pointed out that since the December 21, 2018 passage the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against the coalition Government, it has been aware of the ensuing political impasse and how Guyanese have seemingly become more divided along political lines.

“The ERC, not unaware of [these challenges], urges the relevant authorities to work assiduously to have elections within the shortest possible time in keeping with the Constitution and the rule of law,” the missive stated.

According to the ERC, it has a constitutional and national responsibility to promote cooperation, arbitration, conciliation, mediation and like forms of dispute resolution between all bodies concerned in order to secure ethnic harmony and peace.

The ERC added that its integral role encompasses intervention to mitigate social tension derived from political impasse, which, if unresolved, will impact negatively on ethnic harmony and peace.

The Commission outlined that despite rulings at various levels of the judicial system, the current political impasse seems no closer to being resolved and, evident

President David Granger (center) flanked by the 10 new ERC members

from some public utterances and through social media, tensions have unfortunately been exacerbated from all sides.

Moreover, the ERC posited that it respects the independence of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as safeguarded in the Constitution. On this note, the Commission is urging persons to display patience as GECOM executes its mandate to arrive at a date for elections.

At the same, however, the ERC recognised that in the interim, the social fabric of the society will undoubtedly be severely tested more so, along political lines.

“Guided by the history of the political climate that engulfs our electoral process and period, the Commission reiterates the need for a collective effort of all to place Guyana first and to ensure that hate speech, racial and other forms of

incitement have no place in our public discourse.

Despite our right to disagree, disagreement is not a reason for hostility and division,” the statement detailed.

Nevertheless, the Commission appeals to citizens to remain calm and resolute. It is also calling on Guyanese to embrace peaceful, harmonious and good relations in this testing period.

The ERC has its genesis in the Herdmanston Accord, which was signed on January 17, 1998 by the then President, Mrs Janet Jagan of the People’s Progressive Party Civic, and Hugh Desmond Hoyte, then Leader of the Opposition.

948 people murdered in Jamaica so far this year – PM A total of 948 persons have been murdered across Jamaica since the start of the year, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has told the Parliament.

In addition, he says there have been 908 shootings.

Holness did not give any comparative figures for the corresponding period last year, but cited the tallies as he sought to make a case for a three-month extension of the State of Public Emergency in the parishes of Clarendon and St Catherine.

The measure was declared on September 5, initially for 14 days.

In the meantime, Holness said since the start of the year, three police divisions have each recorded 100 or more killings.

The St Andrew South Police Division leads the way with 107 murders, followed by St James and Clarendon, which have each recorded 100.

Holness said, in the week after the SOE was declared in Clarendon, there were four murders, that’s 11 fewer than the 15 reported the week before the enhanced security measure was imposed.

In 2018 there were 1,287 murders in Jamaica, down by almost 22 per cent from the 1,641 murders in 2017. (JAMAICA GLEANER)

Prime Minister Andrew Holness

40

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

41

42 NEWS

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

IMF highlights Guyana’s inadequate foreign reserves A Justice… s a rule of thumb, economists recommend that Governments keep enough foreign reserves to be able to cover three months of imports. In Guyana’s case, however, our reserves are enough to cover little over a month’s worth of imports.

This was a finding of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during its recent article IV consultations in Guyana where it consulted with various stakeholders and analysed data to come up with economic projections and data on Guyana.

The report pointed out that gross reserve coverage declined to 2.1 months of imports, mainly owing to higher imports. According to the IMF, the balance of weaker exports and higher imports because of oil-related investments was such that the external current account deficit rose to 17.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

According to the report, Guyana has projected 2019 official reserves of US$643 million—

with this figure projected to rise to US$857.8 million by 2020. In terms of 2018, the figure was US$528.4 million.

However, there was good news when it came to public finance.

According to the IMF, this improved in 2018, with the central government deficit being recorded as 3.5 per cent of GDP, lower than the budgeted 5.4 per cent of GDP. Moving forward, the Fund recommended certain measures be taken to safeguard Guyana’s foreign reserves. It noted the role that maintaining exchange rate flexibility, which is a monetary policy determined by supply and demand, could play in this regard.

The Fund also alluded to providing technical assistance.

“Exchange rate flexibility could play a greater role as part of the monetary policy framework for managing large and potentially volatile foreign inflows from oil production,” the IMF said in its report.

“Over the medium-term, de-

veloping the necessary infrastructure, supported by IMF Technical Assistance, for a suitable monetary policy framework with increased exchange rate flexibility would facilitate economic expansion and adjustment to oil price shocks while maintaining price stability and safeguarding foreign reserves”.

It was recorded last year that Guyana’s net foreign reserves, held by the central bank in foreign currency notes, had fallen to its lowest point since 2008, a recent report from the bank has highlighted.

In March of 2018, the foreign reserves stood at US$498.5M. In contrast, the reserves in 2012 stood at US$825M. A perusal of the Bank of Guyana’s statistical abstract shows that from the lows of US$298.8 million ten years ago, Guyana’s foreign reserves were built up to 2012’s sum and then it started dropping— going to continued on page 43

E

…and the constitution very Sunday, the man who so much craves to be Prime Minister again – even though he complained bitterly he was gypped by Granger of his promised powers and his party has selected Ramjattan – gets a chance to brownnose his way into the PNC’s good graces. There’s his weekly Chronic column he has to justify the outrage de jour of the PNC!!

This Sunday, it was the constitutional crisis that’ll be precipitated on Sept 18 since the PNC-led government will become illegal since elections should’ve been held by that day. “Not so!!” cried Nagamootoo stoutly and promised, “The sky will not fall”! But he knew better and this was revealed by his Freudian use of the phrase, “the sky will not fall.”

Even though he entered law school in his dotage, Nagamootoo did scrape through and is aware of the Latin legal phrase, “F?at j?stitia ruat cælum”. This means, “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”

Nagamootoo, the erstwhile Christian substituted “sky” for “heavens”. So, the imperative for justice was definitely preying on Nagamootoo’s mind: that no matter what happens, justice must be realized.

And that’s the whole point about what’s going on now, isn’t it? If the constitution is the highest law of the land and it’s through the application of the law by the Courts that Justice is served, how can there be justice for Guyanese when the PNC govt Nagamootoo’s shilling for, is traducing the constitution?? And, as his words reveal he knows this, but then goes on to try to square the circle.

Let’s quote the mendicant’s argument fully since he often complains his words are being ‘twisted’: “They (the PPP) had petitioned the CCJ, Guyana’s highest court, to name September 18 as the deadline for elections. But the CCJ declined jurisdiction to do so, and refused to set any time-frame within which these elections could be held. The CCJ ruled that it was for the constitutional players – the Parliament, Elections Commission, President and Opposition Leader – who could best do this in fulfillment of the requirements of Guyana’s Constitution and through a consultative process.”

But that’s not so, isn’t it?? If Nagamootoo was Pinocchio, his nose would’ve been two feet long!! The Court ruled that elections should’ve been by March 21, but since the PNC resorted to the Courts, the clock went on “pause” and resumed on June 18, when the CCJ threw out the PNC’s ridiculous NCM’s claims.

To wit, that elections were constitutionally due three months from June 18, and this needed no “gloss” nor explanation.

Excepting for the Nagamootoo. All that Lawwah must’ve made him bassidy!!

And he still ain’t gonna be the PM candidate!! …and fostering divisions The Government-controlled Chronic is playing a dangerous game…made even scarier ‘cause it’s a game crafted to provoke racial and political tensions in the country at a time when, historically, tensions rise and nerves are frayed. What they’ve been doing is rehashing particular acts of violence that were committed during one or the other “troubles” precipitated by the PNC as it launched its “mo fyaah; slow fyaah” strategy to oust the PPP from office.

This week, they selected the killing of Donna McKinnon. They were forced to concede this occurred when PNC protesters were rampaging along Regent and Robb Streets lighting fires as they went. Even though a coroner’s inquest that couldn’t identify killer the market vendor, the Chronic headline the story “Gunned down outside Freedom House”. Regurgitating discredited claims made at the time by Mark Benschop, “correlation” was made into “causation” to once again pin the act on the PPP. The ERC should investigate this kind of “reporting” during another crisis precipitated by the PNC. …and race Barbados and Suriname reimposed a visa requirement for Haitians – and Bahamas never waived theirs. Yet when Guyanese raise concerns of their unchecked influx here, Felix and his comrades play the race card.

What’s race gotta do with it??

NEWS 43

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Boy, 16, found guilty of rape of 6-yr-old child and performed the act. The young child later complained to her family about what had occurred and a report was made to the Police.

At Wednesday’s court hearing, a victim impact statement was presented to the court and revealed the trauma which the incident had caused the victim,

Referee…

T

…for elections? he Carter Center made an invaluable contribution to Guyana and Guyanese back in 1992 when after two years of “behind the scene” and “on the scene” work, they were able to shepherd through the first “free and fair” elections in 28 years. Fast forward another twenty eight years and we’re once again in need of some help to facilitate another such elections. This weekend, the Carter Center’s back cause clearly, we haven’t been able to get our act (electorally) in all that time.

There’s hope in some local quarters that the Center will once again be able to perform its legerdemain on this go-around, even though its team leader says they’re only here to “observe” our preparations. Back in 1990, when elections were due after the PNC’s massive 1985 rigging, Opposition parties had done yeoman work to lobby the Carter Center to offer their elections monitoring services. But if the truth be told, it wasn’t so much “legerdemain” than a shift in US foreign policy towards Guyana that really made the Carter Center’s intervention effective.

We don’t have to rehearse the US’ objection to Jagan on ideological grounds in the 1960s that resulted in them orchestrating the PNC of Burnham’s taking of power. The PPP was seen as affecting the US strategic interest in controlling its “backyard”. It was the fall of the USSR in 1989 that made the US administration take a second look at the question of the PNC’s legitimacy vis a vis the PPP. Their Marxist slant was now seen as irrelevant to global politics.

When lumpen elements organised by Hamilton Green stormed elections headquarters as the election results showed the PPP ahead, it took a call from the White House to President Hoyte to have him call in the troops to make them stand down.

The point your Eyewitness wants to make is if the Carter Center will become a broker for free and fair elections once again, it will be the call of the present US administration of Donald Trump.

The question, once again, is what is the US strategic interest at this time in Guyana and which party – the PPP or the PNC – do they see as best protecting that interest to cause them to engage into the process. Economic interest occasioned by ExxonMobil’s massive oil strikes are, of course, at the top of any list. But there is also our proximity and facility to Venezuela, where Maduro has been stymying the US administration’s call for a democratic regime change after they seized assets of US firms, including ExxonMobil’s. …for cheaper consumer goods?

Well, the Trini conglomerate Ansa McAL has opened up what they call a “Massy Mega” in Guyana.

They’ll be selling groceries and consumer goods at close to wholesale prices – imitating Costco and BJ’s in the US. Winston Jordan bigged up the opening as a massive infusion of Foreign Domestic Investment (FDI) into the Guyanese economy.

He took time out to “throw shade” at the Opposition Leader for calling out some foreign businessmen but wasn’t possessed of the testicular fortitude to call the name of the man who used to be his boss in the same Ministry he now heads. But your Eyewitness has a couple of questions for Jordan.

Does he really think that opening bigger stores to sell imported consumer merchandise to Guyanese is really “developing” Guyana?? Who’ll be buying these consumer goods when his Government has actually reduced the cash circulating in the economy by tossing thousands into the streets and taxing the remaining working stiffs to such G$90Billions out of their pockets?? …in CPL slugfest Your Eyewitness is still breathless at more than 485 runs being scored at Warner Park in St Kitts the other night by the Tallawahs and the Patriots.

He swears the referee got whiplash from following the ball over the stands!!

A

fter being found guilty of rape at just 16 years old, Trevlon Frank now awaits his sentencing whilst on remand for the crime.

This comes after a 12-member jury on Wednesday returned a unanimous guilty verdict against the teen, who was accused of raping a six-year-old back in 2016.

Frank initially pleaded not guilty to the indictment when it was

read by Justice Simone Ramlall at the trial commencement earlier this week. The indictment stated that between November 16 and 30, 2016, in Demerara, he engaged in sexual penetration with a child under the age of 16 years old.

Short facts presented state that the teen, who was 13 years old at the time, saw the victim in his yard and walked up to her. Frank then proceeded to undress the

who is now nine years of age.

The state’s case was presented by State Prosecutors Sarah Martin and Teriq Mohamed.

Frank is expected to make his next court appearance on October 3, 2019 to facilitate a probation report for sentencing.

IMF highlights...

US$751.2 million in 2013 and US$652.2 million in 2014.

The slide continued with the foreign reserves being recorded at US$594.7 million at the end of 2015, before picking up in January of 2016 and being recorded at US$621.1 million.

While the year 2016 saw the reserves fluctuate, it never strayed below the US$500 million mark until the end of the year.

In 2017, the reserves

from page 42

plunged well into the US$500 million range.

By November of last year, the reserves were recorded at US$562 million and as of March 2018, for the first time since 2008, the net foreign reserves fell below the US$500 million benchmark.

As of this year, the Ministry of Finance’s mid-year report had found that total reserves at the Bank of Guyana were G$75.3 billion.

44 news

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyanese bakers trained to adopt global trends

T

he Milling of (NAMILCO) nership with

A section of the gathering

National Company Guyana in parta leading

German baking company recently hosted a baking seminar to help local bakers improve in marketing their goods.

The seminar, which was hosted last week, saw over 130 local baking businesses participating. Held under the

theme “A bright future in baking”, the event is expected to prepare local bakers to capitalise on niche markets.

With assistance from leading German baking company, DeutscheBack, representatives from the various bakeries were trained to adopt global trends.

In his remarks, NAMILCO Managing Director Roopnarine Sukhai shared some advice that could aid in the improvement of the bakers’ business standards.

Some of the tips included having a strong front, that is, improving the appeal of the business; improving

“Economic activities will increase and you stand to benefit, however, some of these investors may be looking at the baking and catering industry so that your livelihood would also be threatened, you have to try and protect your market, but to do so, you will need to reengineer your business. It will need complete change in the way that you carry on your trade … we are aware of larger bakeries that are looking to enter Guyana, we should all be on guard and be

NAMILCO Managing Director Roopnarine Sukhai

packaging, spreading the name of the business far and wide, widening product range, acquiring international certification, observing good manufacturing practices, and practising guidelines outlined in the Food Safety Act. The Director further urged the businesses to be conscious of the fact that many investors are presently eyeing the baking and catering industry.

able to find the niche in the market in order to remain in business,” Sukhai cautioned.

Presenters at the event also included DeutscheBack’s Regional Sales Manager, the Private Sector Commission’s Captain Gerald Gouveia, NAMILCO’s Regional Sales Manager, and DeutscheBack Research and Development’s Tania Monsivais.

WEEK ENDING September 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

45

46 NEWS

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

New EU, Mexican ambassadors sworn-in

P

Ambassador of the European Union to Guyana, HE. Fernando Ponz Cantó presents his Letter of Credence to President David Granger (DPI photo)

resident David Granger on Wednesday received letters of credence from the new Ambassadors of the European Union (EU) and Mexico to Guyana. During the ceremony, the Head of State committed to building upon the longstanding relationship with both countries.

The accreditation ceremony was held at the Ministry of the Presidency.

The Department of Public Information reported that the President said that Guyana has benefitted substantially from the EU’s development cooperation programme, especially in the agricultural, education, housing, and public health sec-

tors, as well as in its efforts to combat climate change.

“Guyana and the EU have collaborated within the ambit of the successive Lomé Conventions and the current African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States: ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement. These arrangements establish a platform on which to construct a new generation of partnership for their mutual benefit. These agreements will assist in the realisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals to which Guyana is unequivocally committed,” he is quoted by DPI as saying.

The European Union Ambassador

Ambassador of the United Mexican States to Guyana,HE José Omar Hurtado Conteras presents his Letter of Credence to President David Granger. Also in photograph are:Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Dr. Karen Cummings and Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Audrey Waddell

to Guyana, Fernando Cantó said that the EU is proud to have been a reliable partner and supporter of Guyana’s development initiatives for more than 40 years. Of particular note, he emphasised the EU’s extensive contribution to helping Guyana maintain and rehabilitate its sea defences which become more and more relevant each day as we witness the harsh effects of climate change.

Ambassador Cantó, the DPI report added, said that the EU looks forward to supporting Guyana’s efforts in other areas, such as security, and implementing the Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) in the years ahead.

This is also part of the joint efforts to address the challenge of developing natural and extractive resources while preserving the environment and fostering sustainable and inclusive development.

Diplomatic relations were established between Guyana and the EU in 1975 and are premised on the common principles of equality, mutual respect, the rule of law and tolerance.

Guyana and Mexico also established diplomatic relations 46 years ago and have collaborated in the fields of agriculture, disaster management, education, oil and gas and trade. Mexico is also a valued market for Guyana’s rice. It has provided valuable technical support in disaster management, extended scholarships to build Guyana’s human resource capacity, and commenced cooperation in the oil and gas sector.

President Granger said Guyana looks forward to Mexico’s support in building a more robust agriculture sector and learning from the country’s experience in disaster management.

Mexican Ambassador to Guyana, H E José Contreras said that his country will be seeking to strengthen relations in the areas of education. Both countries have aggressive agreements in scientific and technical cooperation, and therefore, “we can make the most of in sectors such as education. For example, I think a big opportunity is teaching Spanish here in Guyana,” the Ambassador noted.

NEWS 47

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Referee…

T

…for elections? he Carter Center made an invaluable contribution to Guyana and Guyanese back in 1992 when after two years of “behind the scene” and “on the scene” work, they were able to shepherd through the first “free and fair” elections in 28 years. Fast forward another twenty eight years and we’re once again in need of some help to facilitate another such elections. This weekend, the Carter Center’s back cause clearly, we haven’t been able to get our act (electorally) in all that time.

There’s hope in some local quarters that the Center will once again be able to perform its legerdemain on this go-around, even though its team leader says they’re only here to “observe” our preparations. Back in 1990, when elections were due after the PNC’s massive 1985 rigging, Opposition parties had done yeoman work to lobby the Carter Center to offer their elections monitoring services. But if the truth be told, it wasn’t so much “legerdemain” than a shift in US foreign policy towards Guyana that really made the Carter Center’s intervention effective.

We don’t have to rehearse the US’ objection to Jagan on ideological grounds in the 1960s that resulted in them orchestrating the PNC of Burnham’s taking of power. The PPP was seen as affecting the US strategic interest in controlling its “backyard”. It was the fall of the USSR in 1989 that made the US administration take a second look at the question of the PNC’s legitimacy vis a vis the PPP. Their Marxist slant was now seen as irrelevant to global politics.

When lumpen elements organised by Hamilton Green stormed elections headquarters as the election results showed the PPP ahead, it took a call from the White House to President Hoyte to have him call in the troops to make them stand down.

The point your Eyewitness wants to make is if the Carter Center will become a broker for free and fair elections once again, it will be the call of the present US administration of Donald Trump.

The question, once again, is what is the US strategic interest at this time in Guyana and which party – the PPP or the PNC – do they see as best protecting that interest to cause them to engage into the process. Economic interest occasioned by ExxonMobil’s massive oil strikes are, of course, at the top of any list. But there is also our proximity and facility to Venezuela, where Maduro has been stymying the US administration’s call for a democratic regime change after they seized assets of US firms, including ExxonMobil’s. …for cheaper consumer goods?

Well, the Trini conglomerate Ansa McAL has opened up what they call a “Massy Mega” in Guyana.

They’ll be selling groceries and consumer goods at close to wholesale prices – imitating Costco and BJ’s in the US. Winston Jordan bigged up the opening as a massive infusion of Foreign Domestic Investment (FDI) into the Guyanese economy.

He took time out to “throw shade” at the Opposition Leader for calling out some foreign businessmen but wasn’t possessed of the testicular fortitude to call the name of the man who used to be his boss in the same Ministry he now heads.

But your Eyewitness has a couple of questions for Jordan. Does he really think that opening bigger stores to sell imported consumer merchandise to Guyanese is really “developing” Guyana??

Who’ll be buying these consumer goods when his Government has actually reduced the cash circulating in the economy by tossing thousands into the streets and taxing the remaining working stiffs to such G$90Billions out of their pockets??

…in CPL slugfest Your Eyewitness is still breathless at more than 485 runs being scored at Warner Park in St Kitts the other night by the Tallawahs and the Patriots.

He swears the referee got whiplash from following the ball over the stands!!

Guyana commissions 3rd Sexual Offences Court

T

he Social P r o t e c t i o n Ministry in collaboration with the British High Commission of Guyana and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) on Monday commissioned the third Sexual Offences Court, this time in Essequibo, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

The structure was built in Suddie at the tune of G$17.4 million, with funding from the British High Commission and UNICEF. The two other Sexual Offences Courts are located in Georgetown, Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) and Berbice High Court, Esplanade Road, New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The Department of Public Information (DPI) reported that under the leadership of Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, victims or survivors of sexual violence in the “Cinderella” county have been given a haven to testify without fear of secondary trauma.

According to Justice Cummings-Edwards, the justice system was virtually failing victims of sexual violence, who were before exposed to a hostile system.

“What you are about to see here in the Sexual Offences Court and the special measures room, will tell you that we have come a long way in ensuring that victims are able to give their evidence in such a comfortable and dignified way to ensure that justice is done,” she told the gathering of judges, lawyers and prosecutors.

Meanwhile, Social Protection Minister Amna Ally lauded the project as Guyana has managed to establish three specialised courts within the three counties to address sexual offences.

She said the scourge of sexual violence in Guyana and the need for robust interventions for specialised infrastructural requirements in courts for victims of sexual violence were things that could no longer be overlooked by the judicial system.

“The idea of a specialised court is to reestablish trust in the system, to show that the system can adapt, and victims can rely on trained individuals who understand the particulars of sexual

Social Protection Minister Amna Ally cuts the ribbon to commission the facility with Deputy British High Commissioner to Guyana, Ray Davidson and UNICEF Country Representative Sylvie Fouet [DPI image]

violence… We must be able to tell victims ‘you are heard’, and it’s our job to adapt the system to their complex reality, rather than they being forced to adapt to the system itself,” Ally posited.

Deputy British High Commissioner to Guyana, Ray Davidson said institutions such as the Sexual Offences Court will make a difference.

The specialised court has a main courtroom

that will house the defence counsel, prosecutors and jurors. It has a closed-circuit system linked up to the special measures room that will allow victims to give evidence without having to face the perpetrators.

48 Bollywood

S

hyam Ramsay of the Ramsay Brothers passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday. He was 67. The filmmaker was undergoing treatment at Criticare Hospital in Andheri.

Amit Ramsay confirmed news of his uncle’s demise. “With profound grief and sorrow, we inform you about the sad demise of Shyam Ramsay. He was suffering from pneumonia and passed away around 5 this morning,” Amit told indianexpress.com.

Shyam Ramsay and his six brothers, together known as Ramsay Brothers in the Hindi film industry, started a mini cottage industry of small-budget horror films with scripts which wasted no time on non-essentials: the humans were just an excuse for the parade of colourful, crass oth-

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

erworldly creatures.

Shyam helmed movies like Andhera (1975), Saboot (1980), Purana Mandir (1984), Purani Haveli (1989), Dhund: The Fog (2003), Koi Hai (2017) among others.

Shyam and Tulsi Ramsay pioneered the horror genre on Indian television too, giving us the first horror series – The Zee Horror S h o w which ran from 1993 to 2001.

Shyam is survived by daughters Sasha and Namrata. His

brother Tulsi Ramsay passed away in December last year. (Indian Express)

Made in China trailer:

T

he first trailer of Rajkummar Rao and Mouni Roy starrer Made in China is out. And by the looks of it, the movie promises an entertaining ride with the talented star cast of the film.

The film’s plot revolves around Raghu (played by Rajkummar Rao) who wants to become an entrepreneur.

And his rise to becoming a bigshot businessman is what we will finally get to see on the silver screen.

Rajkummar Rao seems to be in his element as usual, where-

as Paresh Rawal plays his mentor of sorts in the movie. He is also accompanied by the likes of Gajraj Rao, Sumeet Vyas and Boman Irani in this journey.

The official synopsis of the movie reads, “What happens when you’re down and out, middle-aged and life gives you another chance to get it right? You go to

with Himesh but did not have the chance to hear the song.

“Let’s wait to see how she (Ranu) performs in the coming days,” said the singer of evergreen hits like “Tujhe Dekha” and “Mera Dil Bhi Kitna Pagal Hai”.

In the time of technology, he said, nonsingers have become performers along with those who can sing really well.

“The change in technology has transformed the musical scene a crowded place,” Sanu

China and bring back the ultimate Jugaad! Dinesh Vijan Presents in association with Jio Studios Made in China – Raghu’s unusual, comical, and entrepreneurial journey from a Nepali handicraft dealer to a millionaire, directed by Mikhil Musale.”

Made in China marks Musale’s debut in Bollywood. Musale is a well-known Gujarati filmmaker. Made in China has been produced by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films.

Made in China will release this Diwali. (Indian Express)

V

eteran singer Kumar Sanu said he is ready to sing a duet with social media sensation Ranu Mandol if he gets a proper offer.

Ranu has been catapulted to fame after a video of her singing a Lata Mangeshkar track in a railway station of West Bengal had gone viral last month.

She has already recorded a duet with Himesh Reshammiya.

“We are happy if a new singer comes. If she (Ranu) does a good job, she will be recognised. I will definitely sing with her if there is a proper offer,” Sanu told PTI at the launch of his Durga Pujo album on Monday.

The 61-year-old singer said he has heard that Ranu has sung a duet

said on Monday.

But he also added that any change is good if it is for the better.

About his Durga Puja album Kheyali Din, an ensemble of six songs, he said, the numbers will bring back the flavour of the ’90s. (Indian Express)

N

ushrat Bharucha says she joined movies as acting is her passion, but she is not delusional about how showbiz works and rather than playing a victim she will forge ahead on the path that she has created for herself.

The actor, who broke out with Pyaar Ka Punchnama, believes the success of Kartik Aaryan, her co-star of four movies, will always be viewed differently than hers.

Nushrat says Kartik emerged as the star of the 2011 film thanks to the popularity of his monologue.

“We live in a patriarchal world but I am not going to play a victim. I’m making my own world and in my world, I know that Kartik will be playing a hero at 50 and I will be getting roles of a mother. That’s how the industry functions.

“His trajectory will always be more glorified and would seem larger than mine. Just being aware of where I am makes things easy for me. I’m happy with my journey,” Nushrat told PTI. The actor, whose latest release is Dream Girl, said she no longer analyses what is going to work at the box office and goes by her instinct.

“Cinema is my passion. The reason I’m in movies is because I love acting. When I did Pyaar Ka Pnchnama, honestly there were no other films being offered because I don’t fit in the conventional bracket of a Bollywood heroine.

“No other female actor was willing to do it and I also almost said no. But then I did it and I saw what a good script and film can do for everybody in the team.

That realisation set my sensibilities slightly different from the commercial track. Even if I am playing a bad girl in the movie (people hated me in PKP), the purpose is solved.”

Post the success of Pyaar Ka Punchnama, Nushrat went on to star in Luv Ranjan’s second film Akaash Vani, opposite Kartik, but it didn’t work at the box office.

She was back playing the problematic girlfriend in Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 (2015) and followed it up with Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. Both the films featured her in grey roles and worked well.

“I don’t analyse now. If I like a script, I will do the film. All I can do is work hard. The success or failure of a film is not in anybody’s control,” she added.

It is easy to get stereotyped in Bollywood, but Nushrat believes she has created a space for herself, which she considers a strength and not a weakness.

“I never thought about getting pigeonholed. As an actor, my job is to perform and hope that filmmakers will see my acting and cast me for my strengths.

“But what I did do is that I created an identity and I decided it is something which is my space. It is my pie and I will not let somebody else take a piece of it. I have no qualms about it. I am a simple person and that reflects on the screen. I am not competing for another spot. I am just doing my job,” she said.

(Indian Express)

HOLLYWOOD 49

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

H

F

ilmmaker Todd Phillips has made it clear that there are no plans to develop a sequel to Joaquin Phoenix-starrer Joker as they intended it to be a standalone story.

His comments come days after he teased the possibility of the sequel, saying he is ready to do “anything Joaquin wants to do”.

Now, in an interview to IGN, Phillips said,

“We have no plans for a sequel. The quote was, ‘I will do anything Joaquin wants to do.’ And I would.

But the movie’s not set up to (have) a sequel. We always pitched it as one movie, and that’s it.”

Joker features Phoenix in the role of iconic DC Comics villain The Joker.

The standalone film is being touted as an origin story as well as character study of the Clown

Prince of Crime.

It premiered at the festival on August 31 where it received an eight-minute-long standing ovation from the audience. It was also screened at the recently concluded Toronto International Film Festival.

The movie, which also features Robert De Niro and Zazie Beetz, will release in India on October 4. (Indian Express)

“The next day we played a sold out show in St. Paul where so many of you brought birthday signs and sang me Happy Birthday on stage. I can’t thank you all enough for the outpouring of love and birthday wishes over the past couple of days. Means the world to have you all in my life.

I’m endlessly grateful.

Here’s to 27!” he added.

Nick also shared a video where he was seen thanking his fans and followers for the numerous wishes. The singer also said he was overwhelmed with the gesture.

Earlier Nick’s wife and global icon Priyanka Chopra had also shared a clip on Instagram wishing her partner a happy birthday. (Indian Express)

ollywood star Salma Hayek is excited to work with Game of Thrones heartthrob Kit Harington in Marvel’s The Eternals.

The veteran actor took to Instagram to share her ‘fangirl’ moment with Harington on Tuesday.

“I still can’t believe that I’m working with #jonsnow! Kit you’re the best! #theeternals #gameofthrones #kitharington,” Hayek captioned the picture.

Harington was sporting a shorter crop, bidding his Jon Snow days goodbye.

The announcement of Harington, who played fan favourite Jon Snow in the HBO series, was made at the D23 Expo last month.

He joined fellow GOT star Richard Madden, who is also a part of the starstudded cast.

The Eternals also boasts of Hollywood stars like Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Don Lee, Barry Keoghan, and Gemma Chan.

Critically-acclaimed filmmaker Chloe Zhao is attached to direct the

movie from a script by Matthew and Ryan Firpo.

The film is slated for a November 6, 2020 release. (Indian Express)

A

merican singing sensation Nick Jonas, who recently turned 27, shared a note on Instagram, thanking his family and fans for their wishes and love.

Nick shared a long note on Instagram which read, “I’ve been lucky enough to celebrate my 27th birthday over the past couple of days with family, friends, and fans in Chicago and St. Paul.

My beautiful wife surprised me with a touch football game with some of my closest friends and family on the one and only Soldier Field in Chicago (!!!) followed by a few hours of Topgolf, and then a party where pizza, tequila, cake, and cigars were involved.”

F

ilmmaker James Gunn is keeping the details of his next The Suicide Squad close to his heart despite intense pressure from fans.

Gunn, who has also penned the script, is directing the film.

The 53-year-old director said he is currently concentrating on making the film as the “greatest movie”, without compromises.

“Some characters will get out.

Some already have (although some reported on, including from reputable sources, have been very wrong). But, in all honesty, I don’t know if we’ll officially release character info for a long while to come.

“Right now I’m simply focused

on making the greatest movie I can, not promoting it or sharing info about it. And working on Suicide Squad – a property I’ve loved for many, many years – is truly a dream come true,” Gunn tweeted in a reply to a fan fishing for the cast’s character details on Sunday.

The director’s comments came a day after he unveiled the full cast of the DC project.

The Suicide Squad is being branded as a re-launch of the 2016 original movie.

Directed by David Ayer and featuring the likes of Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Viola Davis, was panned by critics but went on to become a blockbuster. (Indian Express)

W

ill Smith and Dame Helen Mirren will read a bedtime story during a one-night fundraising event to help fight global homelessness.

Smith and Mirren will each tell their story from different locations during the World’s Big Sleep Out on December

7. The campaign will encourage people in 50 cities globally to sleep outside for a night in hopes of raising $50 million for the charity.

Smith’s reading will take place in Times Square in New York City. Mirren will appear in Trafalgar Square in London.

Each location is expected to feature live performances. The sleep out will also be held in other major cities including Chicago, Amsterdam, Madrid and Los Angeles.

All the proceeds raised will go toward registered charities helping homeless and displaced people. (Indian Express)

50 SPORT

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

The economic impact of CPL on Guyana

By Jemima Holmes

S

ince its inception in 2013, the “Biggest Party in Sport” – the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has proven to be more than just cricket and a great party. From laying a platform to propel Caribbean players, especially Guyanese, to a higher level, to creating a forum for younger players to showcase their skills, the Hero CPL is impactful in many more areas than just the gentleman’s game.

In fact, the CPL has created a formidable platform for host countries to bring in revenue that would otherwise not have been made. With the inclusion of tourists, sold-out venues, staffing, media coverage and exposure, the CPL has been racking up millions, as it relates to the economic impact on Guyana. With three games in four days left to be played in Guyana, the question that is being asked: is whether CPL will surpass its economic impact of past years?

In 2017, CPL had a US$95,122,465 impact on the Caribbean region, as it operated in six host nations. The mammoth figure had been an 84 per cent increase since its 2014 season. When the microscope was focused on Guyana, an economic impact of US$14 million or 2.8 billion Guyana dollars was realised. The figure usually includes organiser spend, visitor spend and media value.

While the numbers seemed surreal in 2017, the following CPL season had greater things in store for the Land of Many Waters. In 2018, CPL for the first time had surpassed $100 million, recording a total of US$127,355,010.

However, Guyana had seen a US$25,515,816 economic impact, which was an 80 per cent increase on the figure registered in 2017.

Zeroing in on organiser spend, Hero CPL had an expenditure of US$1.29 million in Guyana, over the seven games played.

This figure boasted a significant increase as compared to the organiser spend for 2017 when CPL expended US$978,000.

While the figure seemed to amaze many, it was highly likely that Guyana would see a vast increase, given the fact that the National Stadium, Providence had, for the first time, taken on the hosting of the first two playoff games for 2018. To make the situation better, the country’s local franchise, the Guyana Amazon Warriors had qualified in the top two, paving the way

The fans at the National Stadium, Providence contribute greatly to Guyana’s earnings

for yet another massive crowd at Providence. In addition, 468 jobs were created and 7654 hotel rooms were booked for the 2018 CPL season.

As it appears, CPL is only getting better and better in Guyana. Not only does the Guyana Amazon Warriors remain one of the most consistent teams in the tournament, but one other factor that always remains consistent is the fan support in Guyana. In fact, this was one of the main reasons why CPL chose Guyana as the play-off hosts in 2018 and owing to the fact that fans turned up in their numbers and supported last year, CPL had no trouble in deciding the hosts of the 2019 double-header play-offs.

Looking at 2019, the Warriors have played their part in ensuring that Guyana’s economic impact soars once again. The Warriors have already won their first

three games at home in front of a ‘packed to capacity’ Providence Stadium. To this end, fans are left wanting more of the Warriors’ brilliance, and with the GAW vs Trinbago Knight Riders match on October 4 closely approaching sold-out status (The grass mound and orange stand, are already sold out), there is no doubt that the Warriors have already made their contributions.

When it comes to tourists, Guyana’s two airports, the Cheddi Jagan International and the EF Correia International, are expecting an influx of tourists as they not only come to watch cricket at one of the most electric venues in the Caribbean, but enjoy all the sights and events that Guyana has to offer. With the Tourism Authority working hard, this is one sector that will boom when the teams circle back to Guyana.

As mentioned before, Guyana has already secured the play-off double-header, which will go down at Providence on Sunday, October 6. With an enticing ‘2 for one’ offer, this additional event will also positively influence Guyana’s economic impact once again. After all, with the Trinbago Knight Riders and Amazon Warriors already tipped to settle in the top four once again, fans from all across the Caribbean will be eager to watch the top four clash.

In addition to all the larger sectors that directly influence the economic impact on Guyana, the small businesses are also known to benefit from the tourists and ‘party atmosphere’ that the CPL brings.

While Guyana may not see another 80 per cent increase in CPL’s impact, one thing that is for sure is that the Land of Many Waters will be one of the front runners as compared to Caribbean counterparts.

SPORT 51

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

GBTI GCC strike gold twice in Trinidad

T

A snippet of the Under-20 action

The Guyanese team inclusive of manager and coach

he GBTI GCC girls hockey team are back from a successful stint in Trinidad & Tobago over the weekend where they secured double gold in the girls’ Under-16 and Under -21 divisions.

The GCC girls took a bit of time in their first Under-16 match against the Magnolias to get accustomed to the fast surface at the Woodbrook Youth Facility; they managed to emerge with a 5-1 victory. That goal would be the only one conceded in the entire Under-16 competition by all-star goalkeeper Jessica Mittelholzer, and her fellow Guyanese teammates. The GBTI GCC girls then followed that victory with a 5-0 win over Checkers, 6-0 over Sepos and 5-0 over Bishops.

The Under-16 final would see a repeat of the very first Under-16 match contested by the GCC girls as they took on Magnolias, who had finished second in the pool. GCC managed to best their earlier effort by outclassing Magnolias by 6-0 to lift the Under-16 trophy. Striker Abosaide Cadogan was on fire for GCC, scoring four of their goals while Madison Fernandes added one field goal and Kirsten Gomes scored a penalty corner.

The Under-16 side was strengthened by 16-year-old Makeda Harding for the Under-21 competition.

Once again, GCC topped the pool round and this time faced Paragon in the Under- 21 final. This match was more challenging for the Guyanese girls as Paragon played a more physical game and were able to deny space to the GCC strikers.

After a 0-0 halftime score, striker Sarah

Klautky raced up the right side of the court to unleash a shot which was blocked by the Paragon goalkeeper. Top goalscorer in the Under-21 competition, Abosaide Cadogan, however, was first onto the rebound and managed to slide her reverse shot into the net for the opener.

Cadogan would return six minutes later to score her second of the match and push the game beyond Paragon. This time, Sarah Klautky received a pass from midfielder Madison Fernandes on the left, drew the last defender and goalkeeper before guiding a perfect pass across the scoring circle to the speedy Cadogan on the right, who slammed her shot into the open net.

The 2-0 victory saw the GBTI GCC girls walk away with both trophies in the girls’ category.

Cadogan received the leading goal scorer award f o r t h e

Under-21 competition.

The tournament organisers announced a six-player all-star team at the end of the competition which comprised four of the GBTI girls. Striker and GBTI Under-16 captain Klautky, striker Cadogan, midfielder Madison Fernandes and goalkeeper Mittelholzer.

The full GBTI GCC team: Abosaide Cadogan, Haley Carpenter, Sarah Klautky, Madison Fernandes, Makeda Harding, Kirsten Gomes, Madison Singh and Jessica Mittelholzer, along with Coach Philip Fernandes and Manager Dominique DeGroot.

POINTS TABLE TEAM

MATCHES

WON

LOST

POINTS

NET RUN RATE

5

5

0

10

1.950

5

4

1

8

0.970

7

3

4

6

-0.207

4

1

3

2

-0.691

3

1

2

2

-0.777

6

1

5

2

-1.560

GUYANA AMAZON WARRIORS

TRINBAGO KNIGH RIDERS

ST KITTS & NEVIS PATRIOTS

ST LUCIA ZOUKS

BARBADOS TRIDENTS

JAMAICA TALLAWAHS

52 SPORT

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Top fights on card

By Timothy Jaikarran

I

t all goes down on Saturday, September 28 at D’Urban Park in Georgetown, when Next Gen Global Marketing and Hits & Jams Entertainment present “Not In My House” – an event featuring more than 50 rounds of top quality boxing, which is scheduled to commence at 18:30h.

The main event of the night will see Dexter Marques battling Jose Antonio Jimenez from Colombia, who has 21 fights to his name. According to Marques, he is grateful that he has received an opportunity to showcase his talent. He relayed that he would be aiming to redeem himself on the 28th as there will be a lot of war. He noted that a few years ago he lost his fight to a Colombian and this time around, things will be different as he aims to demolish Jimenez.

The fight card for the night will see:

– Bout #1 (Catchweight – 6 rounds) Kwesi Jones v Edmond Declou

– Bout #2 (Junior Welterweight – 4 rounds) Joel Williamson v Keeve Allicock – Bout #3 (Middleweight – 4 rounds) Patrick Boston v Bryan Cuvero (USA) – Bout #4 (Welterweight – 4 rounds) Anson Green v Raymond Wilburg (USA) – Bout #5 (Light Heavyweight – 6 rounds) James Moore v James Walcott – Bout #6 (Flyweight – 10 rounds) Dexter Marques v Jose Antonio Jimenez (Colombia) Added to the card will be a female contest of Pearline Lochan taking on Sharon Warde. Further, Patrick Boston will battle Duel Augustin.

There will also be an after-party powered by Boom FM and HJ Entertainment Guyana Carnival. Complimentary tickets are available at Hits & Jams Entertainment’s main office, New Trend Auto, and sponsors that will be announced shortly.

sport 53

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Dan Christian to join Barbados Tridents for 2019 Hero CPL T

he Barbados Tridents have announced that Dan Christian will be joining the franchise for the remainder of the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League.

Christian will be replacing Asif Ali, who is now no longer available because of domestic commitments in Pakistan.

Christian brings a huge amount of experience to the Tridents squad, having played 293 T20 matches in his career, spanning play in the T20 Blast in England, in

D

uring Match 14 of the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League both Evin Lewis of the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Ali Khan of Trinbago Knight Riders were charged by the on-field umpires with breaching Article 2.2.4 of the Code of Conduct Inappropriate & deliberate physical contact between players in the course of play.

The incident occurred following

the Indian Premier League, the Pakistan Super League, and in the Australian Big Bash.

He also previously appeared at the Hero CPL for the Trinbago Knight Riders in 2017, when they won the title.

An all-rounder, Christian has played 19 ODIs and 16 T20 Internationals for Australia; has scored two T20 hundreds in his career; has two five-wicket hauls, and has claimed four wickets in an innings six times.

the third ball of the Super Over being bowled by Ali Khan.

According to CPL, both players pleaded guilty to the charge and accepted the following sanctions imposed

by Match Referee, Simon Taufel, which are in keeping with the sanctioning guidelines provided for such breaches, at Article 7.3 of the Code: Evin Lewis - 100% of his match fee Ali Khan - 75% of his match fee

Evin Lewis

Ali Khan

T

Dan Christian appeared for the TKR in 2017

he St Lucia Zouks have announced that Colin Ingram will be joining them for the remainder of the 2019 Hero Caribbean P r e m i e r L e a g u e (CPL) season.

Ingram will be replacing Sri Lankan Thisara Perera who has been recalled for a Sri Lanka Cricket training camp.

Ingram has played at the Hero CPL before, joining the championship winning Trinbago Knight Riders for the latter stages of the 2018 season. He has also played in the Australian Big Bash, the Indian Premier League and for Glamorgan in the T20 Blast in the UK. Ingram has played for South Africa 40 times and has appeared in 250 T20 matches in various tournaments around the world.

With four hundreds, 38 fifties and over 6000 runs in T20 he brings a huge amount of experience to the Zouks squad as they look to make the knockout stages of the Hero CPL for the first time since 2016.

54 SPORT

G

uyana Amazon Warriors took advantage of Trinbago Knight Riders’ dramatic Super Over defeat to St Kitts & Nevis Patriots to move two points clear at the top of the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) table with an 81run victory at Jamaica Tallawahs.

Contributions throughout the order – led by skipper Shoaib Malik’s unbeaten 67 – powered the Warriors to a franchise record 218/6 from their 20 overs, surpassing their previous best of 212 made all the way back in 2014.

The Warriors’ spin-heavy attack then made short work of the Tallawahs’ top order and, despite the returning Andre Russell briefly threatening to do something extraordinary once again as he blasted 40 in 19 balls, the table-toppers eased to their fifth straight win.

Imran Tahir made a key double-strike in the Power Play, removing Chris Gayle and Chadwick Walton. Chris Green removed Javelle Glen, and Qais Ahmad got George Worker with a full-toss.

With eight overs gone, four wickets down and just

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

51 on the board, the game looked up. But when Dre Russ walks to the middle all things are possible. After two balls he was 10 not out and after his first two overs at the crease the score had leapt from 51/4 to 89/4, with Russell on 29 from just nine balls faced.

Three of those nine had been sent over the boundary and two more to it.

Glenn Phillips, having seen the rest of the top order obliterated, was a willing ally and brought up the 50 partnership - and Tallawahs 100 - with a slap over cover for six as Keemo Paul struggled with his radar and front foot, sending down a pair of no-balls to offer free-hit opportunities to two batsmen who hardly needed encouragement.

The partnership had reached 60 in 30 balls when Odean Smith came on and ended Russell’s fun and Imran Tahir made a key double-strike in the Power Play (CPL photo)

settled Warrior nerves. There was, in truth, little special about the delivery, but Russell failed to get the elevation he wanted on a flat-bat to cover and Malik held a stinging catch.

With Russell gone, the game went away quickly. Paul, having gone for 33 in his first two overs, took three wickets in his third. First and most significantly he had Phillips caught behind for 40 to end any realistic hopes the Tallawahs had of getting close, before Dwayne Smith sliced one to deep point and Ramaal Lewis, surprised by extra bounce, give Nicholas Pooran another catch behind the stumps.

Zahir Khan then ran himself out for nought before some wild running and occasionally successful swiping from Jade Dernbach and Oshane Thomas took the score to 137 before Qais finished things off.

While the Warriors bowling was impressive, this was a victory earned with the bat. The Warriors always had an aggressor at the crease as they cruised past 200 in a well-constructed innings built on solid partnerships for the second, third and fourth wickets.

After Chandrapaul Hemraj was dismissed by Dernbach’s first ball of the night in the second over, Shimron Hetmyer took up the initial attack while Brandon King played the support role.

Hetmyer swatted the fourth ball he faced over midwicket for a Hero Maximum and then crashed four fours from Dernbach’s second over. Thomas’ second over was also targeted, two more fours and a magnificent six hit in-to-out over extra cover.

When Hetmyer fell six short of a half-century, bowled by a bail-trimmer from Dwayne Smith, King took over.

Having been 9 not out from 15 balls at one stage, King raced to his half-century in just 18 further deliveries. Zahir Khan and Dwayne Smith were both struck for back-to-back Hero Maximums, with King hitting four fours and six sixes in all before holing out to long-on in Lewis’ first over for 59.

Exit King, enter Shoaib. Warriors captain Malik had, like King earlier, been prepared to play second fiddle while a team-mate was flying. Shoaib had just 12 from 11 balls when King was dismissed, but flayed Thomas over point for six in the next over before putting Lewis on to the roof.

Now, though, the Warriors had two players cutting loose, Pooran hitting perhaps the two most attractive sixes of the night with a one-leg pull off Thomas and a glorious straight drive off Dernbach.

Russell got him for 20 from 11, top-edging a short ball to keeper Glenn Phillips, but Malik continued to find the boundary and was joined by Sherfane Rutherford who hit Dernbach for back-to-back sixes before skying one to square-leg to give the bowler a measure of revenge.

Malik went through to his 50 from 31 balls, though, steering the Warriors to their biggest ever score and consolidating top spot in the Hero CPL table. (CPL)

WEEK ENDING september 22, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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