Guyana Times International

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You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com week ending November 3, 2013

Guyana achieves record rice production ISSUE NO. 166

See story on page 13

Guyanese, get on board, vote for Roshana!

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Guyana, Suriname parliaments to cooperate Speakers of the Suriname and Guyana Parliaments Dr Jennifer Geerlings-Simons (centre) and Raphael Trotman, along with other officials from both countries, including Prime Minister Samuel Hinds (to Dr Geerlings-Simons’ left); Sherlock Isaacs; Gail Teixeira and Indra Chandrapal pose for a picture following a luncheon at the New Thriving Restaurant (Carl Croker photo)

Guyana's Miss Universe 2013 candidate Katherina Roshana

(Miss Universe official website photo)

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NEWS

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Caribbean Airlines subsidy –iswill return once there level playing field, drove out U. S. carriers says ambassador U nited States Ambassador to Guyana, D Brent Hardt said several U.S. airlines have expressed interest in the Guyana market, but they are concerned about the subsidy being granted to at least one regional carrier and the small size of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

Ambassador Hardt made the disclosure during an exclusive interview with Guyana Times International earlier this week.

“There has been a concern that Caribbean Airlines fuel is being subsidised, making it harder for American carriers to compete in Guyana,” he explained. His comments come approximately five months after North American carrier Delta Airlines abandoned Guyana’s market.

In May, Delta Airlines wrapped up operations in the country to concentrate on other business deals. The inability to full their planes to the built capacity and drug trafficking at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport

A Delta aircraft in Guyana prior to the airline's exit in May

(CJIA) were among other concerns expressed by Delta.

But Ambassador Hardt said although Delta Airlines has left Guyana’s market on the basis of profitability, he maintained that other American carriers have vested interest, but are demanding a level playing field.

“I understand that some would be interested if the CJIA had a longer airport because that would allow them to bring in different types of planes that require a longer runway.”

However, regarding the subsidy to CAL,

the Trinidad and Tobago government back in September announced that it was removing government-subsidised fuel effective on October 1 from the airline.

In his budget presentation in the parliament on September 8, Finance Minister Larry Howai said the debt-ridden state airline must move towards the adoption of a financially-sound business model for positioning the airline in targeted segments of the global tourism market. The fuel subsidy for CAL was estimated to be TT$300 million.

Direct flight ban

Meanwhile, clearing up what he said were misconceptions surrounding the U.S. Department of Transportation’s recent move to deny Caribbean Airlines (CAL) and Fly Jamaica permission to have direct flights between Guyana and the U.S., Ambassador Hardt said the two carriers made their applications under the Seventh Freedom Right, which is different from the open skies agreement, Washington and Georgetown signed earlier this year.

The U.S. ambassador posited that permission is rarely granted under

Seventh Freedom Right; however, the United States Department of Transportation made its decision following consultations in the U.S. with affiliates in the aviation industry who objected to the application.

On the other hand, the opened skies agreement which was signed between Guyana and the U.S. in March has liberalised aviation relationship between the two countries that permits unrestricted air services by their airlines. This replaces the 1946 agreement between the governments of the United Kingdom and the U.S. that had been in effect since 1966 when Guyana gained Independence.

According to the U.S. ambassador, the objection was also made on the basis that the U.S. can still tap into the local market with increased tourism and trade.

Currently, Caribbean Airlines, Fly Jamaica and Surinam Airways are the only air carriers offering international flights out of Guyana.

Only recently, acting Tourism, Industry

and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali urged all businesses to petition the United States Department of Transportation to allow Fly Jamaica to operate direct flights between Guyana and New York.

In a statement, Minister Ali reiterated the need for all stakeholders, including the business community, to rally in support of the new airline.

He said the decision by the U.S. will only increase the operational cost of the airline, which will undoubtedly affect ticket prices.

“The government has been working hard to build and maintain capacity in the air transport sector and we acknowledge that Fly Jamaica’s operations in Guyana will aid in significantly boosting the capacity in the local air transportation sector; we know too that a significant percent of the Guyanese diaspora live in or near New York, and this decision has also left Guyanese without a direct flight option to New York.”

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INTERNATIONAL To contact: Guyana Times International

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

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

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

EDITORIAL

Historic moment: Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony unveils the original FIFA World Cup trophy at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Wednesday. The solid gold trophy was on a one-day visit to Guyana as part of a nine-month, 89-country tour across the globe, before it heads back to the host country for the 2014 FIFA World Cup - Brazil.

No education crisis IDRF will continue to

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et again, Guyana has dominated the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examinations (CSEC) awards. This year (2013) Guyana won five of the eight awards including: most outstanding overall student, most outstanding student in humanities, most outstanding student in sciences, most outstanding student in business studies and most outstanding student in technical vocational.

It should also be noted that within the last decade, Guyana has been consistently winning CSEC awards because of the excellent performances recorded by students. In 2012, the country won four of the eight regional awards.

This achievement is quite commendable and we wish to take this opportunity to applaud the efforts of all those who had a role to play in the successes of our students, including the Education Ministry, parents and the students themselves who have made tremendous sacrifices by putting in many hours of hard work.

When our students perform well in any field, whether it is in academic, sport or the performing arts, it is the entire country that gets the recognition.

It is hoped that these students will continue to keep the Guyana flag flying high as they seek to further their studies in various fields.

For most of them, this is just one of the first milestones in life, as they will go on to become professionals in their own fields. They have certainly made themselves, their families, their communities and their country proud.

Moreover, we hope that this quality of excellence will serve as benchmarks so that all students of Guyana can aspire to excel academically. The success stories of the various top students were published widely in the local press and we were told about how many of them were able to overcome various adversities and triumph in the end. These experiences will certainly help to motivate students all over the country, that no matter what challenges they face, they can overcome them.

More importantly, these results prove that the various interventions and investments being made by government to raise the level of performances of our students are paying off. Recently, Education Minister Priya Manickchand had cause to respond strongly to suggestions made by Opposition Leader David Granger that there is a crisis facing the local education sector. Granger had called for a commission of inquiry to examine the problems facing the education sector and make recommendations.

While the ministry should not dismiss the concerns raised by Granger, we do not believe that the problems facing the sector could justifiably be described as a ‘crisis’. As far as we are aware, the ministry had accepted that all is not well in the education sector and there is room for improvement in various fields.

It could be recalled that from the very onset of the announcement of the 2013 CSEC results, the ministry had said that it was dissatisfied with students’ performances in key subject areas such as mathematics and English. In fact, most of us would know that countries throughout the world are indeed struggling with mathematics and these include developed countries as well.

Not that we are justifying the poor results of students in these subject areas, but it would be unfair to conveniently ignore the steps the ministry has taken to address these deficiencies. For example, the ministry has introduced continuous professional development courses in English and mathematics for teachers; it has offered incentives for teachers who graduate from these courses and has also offered additional training for teachers in low-performing schools. Further, the ministry has prepared and presented a range of television programmes for students in maths and English.

While we must accept that there are certain challenges facing the education sector, it is necessary that we give credit whenever it is due. That being said, perhaps the opposition may want to consider seriously engaging the government and other key stakeholders on important national issues such as education. For too long, we have been focusing on the ‘problem’ and making unnecessary criticisms, rather than working towards finding a solution.

support Guyana – chairman

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aving already contributed significantly to Guyana, the Canada-based International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF) will continue its support for projects in the South-American country, IDRF’s chairman Winston Kassim has assured.

Speaking at IDRF’s annual fundraising gala in Toronto on Saturday, Kassim told the over-sold crowd of 500 supporters, that there is still a great need for better health services and access to education in Guyana. He said this need will be addressed through IDRF’s strong and longstanding partnerships with a number of non-profit groups in Guyana, particularly the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) and the Doobay Medical Centre.

A native of Guyana and Order of Canada recipient, Kassim visited a number of IDRF-sponsored projects in Guyana during September of 2012 and early 2013 and was impressed with how much was being done to support needy people across the country.

“I was proud to see how the generosity of our Canadian donors was being put to such good use by our partner organizations in Guyana,” he told Guyana Times International.

“These positive results encouraged our board to continue and expand our charitable work in Guyana.”

Health and education support

After his visit, Kassim announced a Cdn$25,000 commitment to Guyana Help the Kids (GHTK), a Canadian partner charity led by Dr. Narendra Singh, Chief of Pediatrics at Humber River Hospital.

The donation will help to establish a pediatric residency programme for Guyanese physicians---the first of such an initiative in the country.

GHTK also established and supplied the first public pediatric-care facility in the capital Georgetown, New Amsterdam and Linden with plans to expand to the West Demerara and Suddie hospitals.

Kassim, who is also a VicePresident with Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) in Toronto, indicated that his volunteer efforts have been supported with generous donations from the Bank.

With support from IDRF, the CIOG provides assistance in the education sector whereby children---who have difficulty attending school due to the lack of transportation for long distances---are picked up and dropped off each day.

The partnership with the Doobay Medical Centre resulted in the establishment of the Doobay Renal Centre in 2012, the first pro-poor dialysis facility in Guyana that offers subsidised dialysis services to the poor and less fortunate.

Saving lives

Leader of the clinic Dr. Budhendra Doobay, who also attended the gala, briefly reported on the clinic’s work and its achievements. He praised the work of IDRF, saying that it is through such support that the lives of people are being saved.

The mission of his clinic, he explained is to provide subsidized dialysis services to the poor, and help advance visibility on the need for domestic renal services in Guyana.

Dr. Doobay noted that hemodialysis currently costs approximately US$200 per session.

This cost is highly prohibitive to 95 percent of the known patients in Guyana.

But with assistance of IDRF, the Doobay Medical Centre has been able to provide world standard dialysis service at a countrywide affordable cost of US$50.00 (Gy$9000.00) per session to all local patients. This cost is further subsidised for the less fortunate.

Dr. Fuad Shahin, founder of IDRF and Hon. Reza Moridi, Minster of Research & Innovation were among those who gathered at the gala along with other dignitaries and prominent community leaders. Haroon Siddiqui of the Toronto Star newspaper gave the evening’s keynote speech on the topic ‘Challenges

to Contemporary culturism’.

About IDRF

Multi-

Founded in 1984, IDRF is a Canada-based charitable organisation that provides humanitarian aid and sustainable development assistance around the world to the poor and disadvantaged, and to those who have been displaced by natural disasters and conflict. IDRF supports the provision of basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, hygiene kits, trauma counseling, clean water and medical assistance to people affected by floods, cyclones, famines and earthquakes in Japan, Pakistan, Haiti, Myanmar, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, and East Africa.

Additionally, it has opened clinics, built homes, created clean water facilities, provided job skills, helped erect waste management facilities, and much more for hundreds of needy communities from Africa to Asia.

While most of the organisation’s work takes place in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America, IDRF provides development assistance in Canada to First Nations people and new immigrant communities.

Over the past five years, IDRF provided direct assistance to some 580,000 people in 34 countries globally. When indirect beneficiaries are included (e.g. those who subsequently benefit from an initiative in addition to the initial target audience), the number of beneficiaries expands to more than two million people. In fiscal 2012 alone, IDRF implemented 59 projects in 17 countries that helped over 120,000 needy people.

IDRF’s annual gala is one of the organisation’s main fundraising event, and this year it raised nearly Cdn$150,000 dollars in donations and pledges. People wishing to support the work of IDRF in Guyana and elsewhere, can make a donation online at www.idrf.com.

Donations can be directed to specific IDRF projects in various countries.

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Chinese company to develop GRA parking lot - Sattaur says company demonstrating corporate social responsibility

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ai Shan Lin has partnered with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to develop a portion of the railway embankment immediately east of Camp Street, into a parking facility for use

by GRA’s staff and customers.

GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur said such a partnership initiative is worthy of emulation as it augurs well for development, the tax body reported on Tuesday.

Sattaur said, given the nightmarish plight GRA faces to find parking for staff and customers at its headquarters on Camp Street, Bai Shan Lin has seized the opportunity to demonstrate its corporate social responsibility by constructing a parking area on the portion of the reserve granted to the GRA for such use by the government.

“The work is being carried out by equipment owned by the company.

As such, no government funds are being disbursed as the facility is not built on transported

St Maarten govt knocks blog report on Guyana’s consular service - says Guyana’s reputation tarnished by false blogging

T GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur

land but rather government reserve,” Sattaur said. He said the gesture is also one in recognition of the government of Guyana’s benevolence to the company in allowing it to engage in many economic ventures that have mutual benefit to country, particularly in economically depressed Region 10.

Similar initiative

Sattaur said the initiative is similar to what obtained many years ago when former Stabroek News editor and owner David De Caires decided to beautify Camp Street, Georgetown as a place continued on page 6

he government of St Maarten has flayed a blog report in that country which made numerous damning allegations about the consular services being provided by Guyana to its citizens living on the island.

In a statement, the St Maarten government said it had taken note of a press release from the government of Guyana expressing concern over allegations in a news blog discrediting both the consul general to Barbados, Michael Brotherson, and the interim director of the Department of Foreign Relations for St Maarten.

According to St Maarten’s government, in the absence of a consular representative, Brotherson was given full authorisation by the Guyana Foreign Affairs Ministry to conduct consular duties, representing the interest of the Guyanese residents on St Maarten.

“All necessary protocols with regard to ac-

creditation were followed including due process by both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana and the Directorate of Foreign Relations of Country St Maarten,” the St Maarten statement said.

The island’s government regrets that Guyana’s “name is being tarnished by irresponsible blogging. The consular activities by Mr Brotherson were executed in total conformity with the applicable procedures on the basis of a request by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana. As a country, St Maarten is obliged to treat consular officials of other countries with courtesies and protection afforded to all such personnel on the basis of the Vienna Convention.”

Due process followed According to the St Maarten government, the falsehoods contained in the story on the blog site, could have seriously jeopardised the relationship between Guyana and St Maarten, based

Consul General to Barbados, Michael Brotherson

on articles of the Vienna Convention on consular relations.

The government of Guyana has also stated that it will issue a letter of warning to the blogger and legal action could result if no heed is taken.

Noting that a breach of the Vienna Convention is a serious issue, the government of St Maarten said it will not accept any individual or group compromising the name of St Maarten for personal reasons.

“The government of St Maarten again stresses that due diligence was followed in the matter related to consular activities of Guyana on St Maarten.”

The local Foreign Affairs Ministry has issued a statement that all consular fees, as fixed by itself, were processed in accordance with the financial regulations of the government, with the required government receipts issued.

“The government of St Maarten is concerned with these incidents of false “news” stories, baseless allegations, and unfounded damaging reports, which circulate on this so-called news blog.

While the government of St Maarten is all for ensuring and respecting the freedom of the press and appreciates the role the media plays in informing the public, the media, too, has to operate within the framework of professional and ethical journalism and respect for the rights of others.”

6 news Chinese company to Guyanese journalist new develop GRA... head of regional media body S week ending november 3, 2013 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

from page 5

t Kitts and Nevisbased Guyanese journalist Clive Bacchus is the new president of the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM).

Bacchus was elected at the seventh biennial general assembly of the organisation in Portof-Spain, Trinidad on October 26, the association said in a release. He will be supported by First Vice President Peter Richards of Trinidad and Tobago, and Second Vice President Dr Canute James of Jamaica.

Former President Wesley Gibbings will serve as general secretary, and the assistant general secretary is Martina Johnson of Antigua and Barbuda.

The new floor members are Onel Sanford-Belle of St Lucia and Jabari Fraser of Trinidad and Tobago.

Meanwhile, a leading Caribbean economist said “a robust regional media organisation is vital to the development of the Caribbean region”.

Zhivargo Laing congratulated the new executive of the ACM, adding

The new executive of the ACM pose for a photo following the election

that “it is the fourth estate that strengthens democracy by informing and educating the public about local, regional, and international developments”.

Laing, the former Bahamian finance minister, congratulated Bacchus, a respected veteran journalist and general manager of WINN FM, on his election as president of the ACM.

Protecting freedom of expression

The ACM, through

the efforts of its outgoing president, has played a leadership role, along with other media organisations, in protecting freedom of expression and information, Laing informed.

“Unfortunately, many of us take these freedoms for granted and some of us in leadership trample on them.

But there is no question, we need an enlightened and informed media to hold stakeholders in the public, private, and nongovernment sectors ac-

countable,” Laing stated.

The media is a partner in development and greater engagement with editors and reporters is important “to open unfettered lines of communication on all issues affecting the Caribbean”, he believes.

The economist and entrepreneur showered further congratulations on the first vice president, second vice president, and assistant general secretary on their election.

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of interest and national heritage.

“This company wants to be known as having a caring and good corporate image. It does not only want to be seen as receiving from the state benefits in terms of millions of dollars in concessions in forestry equipment, but in honouring it’s social and moral obligation to the community and country that it serves,” the commissioner general said.

He further stated that the organisation welcomes similar economic or social ventures that result in rendering some form of benefit to the citizens of this country through a state agency.

“The GRA does not consider such demonstrations of social legitimacy by businesses a conflict of interest, as the organisation maintains a professional relationship with all the businesses it contracts to undertake various works.

Economic relationship

“From time to time, we contract out services worth large sums to different businesses and these persons are still obligated to pay their taxes, except they are ex-

empt or a concession has been granted,” Sattaur said. He said the GRA will soon enter into an economic relationship that would result in payment being made over a period of time for such facilities to be rented for a number of years at a nominal fee.

This is in order to meet the high demand for parking that the business community has placed on the agency at its new location.

Sattaur noted that the organisation’s headquarters currently house 841 staff, of which approximately 235 require parking.

Additionally, at the very least, there are 996 taxpayers who frequent the office on a daily basis, of which it is presumed that approximately 300 have vehicles.

This means that over 500 persons would require parking on a daily basis. These persons currently compete with schools and other businesses in the area for the available sidewalk.

The parking facility should be considered a positive venture that would benefit both internal and external stakeholders.

It’s a mad world…

atiricus is a confused man. It is because of that his brow is permanently creased and his hair is grey…but not with years. When he became a newspaper hack, he didn’t think life would get this complicated. He’d be sent out by his editor to listen or find out what the story was about, come back and write it up. And then retire nightly to the back street dive with the boys and bend his elbow over a few.

Simple, yes?

Well, actually, no. Here it was he’d been sent to write the story of two men – Mook Lall and his best friend Tiny Yatin, who’d bought the biggest store in Guyana.

The biggest and in the best location in Guyana. Satiricus had been taught that there were three things that determined the price of a building – location, location, location. And with the location, name, fame and size of the big store, everybody said the piece to Mook and Tiny was a steal.

But Satiricus didn’t want to use words like “steal” in case people get the wrong idea. He wrote Mook and Tiny get the store “cheap, cheap, cheap”. The two of them used to buy fish in Guyana and then ship the fish to New York. People say they used to put a white powder in the fish belly to preserve the fish. But Satiricus didn’t write that. His editor told him that was hearsay.

What wasn’t hearsay was that Mook and Tiny pay for the store with sacks of US$20 bills. Maybe people paid with those small bills for fish in New York? What Satiricus did write was that Mook and Tiny run the nice, big, fancy store like a fish market and in next to no time, the store not only smell fishy, but look fishy. People said was because Mook and Tiny doing fishy business.

They didn’t really need for the store to sell anything. The store was really a laundry to wash money. Satiricus didn’t write that because he look around and didn’t see any washing machines. How you will run a laundry to wash money if you don’t have washing machine? Satiricus just write the store losing money every year since Mook and Tiny buy it.

And that the people who work there punishing real bad. So Satiricus was very confused when his editor tell him he couldn’t write anymore about the big store and how Mook and Tiny cause poor people sufferation.

What a mad, mad world.

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Evening fire ravages bonds at Eccles Industrial Site

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t was an emotional scene at Eccles, East Bank Demerara Wednesday evening as fire ravaged Comfort Sleep and Payless bonds at their Industrial Site location.

The inferno started around 18:35h. Scores of persons flocked the scene as firefighters earnestly tried to prevent the blaze from spreading to other nearby buildings.

In tears, Comfort Sleep Manager Deodat Narine told media operatives that he had just closed off operations at the factory, when he received a call from the security guard on duty that the bond was on fire.

The bond, which was used to store chemicals used to make foam and other raw materials, was situated in close proximity of the factory.

Narine told media operatives that the fire started at the neighbouring Payless bond.

According to him, Comfort Sleep and Payless sub-let the Eccles compound. He posited that the fire has caused tremendous loss, noting that millions of dollars in materials were

consumed in the blaze.

However, he said that none of the 35 workers attached to Comfort Sleep will lose their jobs.

“Nobody will be out of a job; everybody will remain having a job at Comfort Sleep.” Narine expressed gratitude to the Guyana Fire Services for preventing the fire from spreading to the neighbouring factory.

Loud explosions

Meanwhile, the security guard who was on duty at the Comfort Sleep factory in the neighbouring compound, said he heard a loud explosion at 18:35h. “I heard a big explosion, when I watch, I see a big ball of fire come out from that building there (Payless Bond) and it drop on the ground,” the guard who wished to remain anonymous recalled.

Subsequently, he said, the back of the building was engulfed in fire, before spreading to the Comfort Sleep bond, in which it fed on the chemicals, fuelling the fury of the raging inferno. He told this newspaper that the fire comes one day after Payless continued on page 13

Guyana, Suriname parliaments to cooperate - TIP, piracy among issues discussed at meeting

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uman trafficking and piracy were among issues discussed by a delegation of Surinamese politicians headed by their House Speaker when they met members of the foreign relations committee of Guyana last Friday.

Shortly after stepping out of a meeting with members of the Guyana Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations, Speaker Raphael Trotman and parliamentarians, Surinamese Speaker Dr Jennifer GeerlingsSimons told Guyana Times International that meetings attended have proved to be fruitful.

She explained that issues common to both countries were placed on the table, such as human trafficking and piracy. Just last month, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Surinamese National Army renewed their commitment to combat trans-border crimes through joint operations in the Corentyne River.

The modality of this joint venture is yet to be finalised; however, it is anticipated that the GDF Coast Guard and the Surinamese Navy will begin operations within the next six months in the Corentyne River. Together, they will clamp down on piracy, human and drug trafficking, and firearm smuggling, in addition to illegal fishing.

But besides tackling issues, Dr

Speaker of the Surinamese Parliament, Dr Jennifer Geerlings-Simons and Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman

Geerlings-Simons said the meetings have thus far focused on positive cooperation in the area of agriculture and the establishment of a Guyana-Suriname Association.

She expressed satisfaction in being in Guyana, reiterating that the visit has proven to be a success.

In comments to the media, her local counterpart echoed similar sentiments, noting that parties are seeking to establish firm associations to share common issues and development.

Dr Geerlings-Simons is accompanied by a team of 11 officers.

Her three-day visit came in response to an invitation by Speaker Trotman. He is hoping to establish a Guyana-Suriname Association to enhance relations between the nations’ parliaments and peoples.

Dr Geerlings-Simons and her delegation have made courtesy calls on the president, prime minister, ministers of government, the leader of the opposition, and the leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC). They also met with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Committee and members of the Parliamentary Management Committee.

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George Washington University Hospital team on Guyana outreach

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The need for scholarships

Members of the George Washington University Hospital medical team on arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. Third from right, on the lower level, is Dr Joseph Benjamin, a Guyanaborn urologist who has returned for the first time since his migration to the U.S. as a boy

nder a strategic partnership with the Health Ministry, a specialist team from the George Washington University Hospital is currently in Guyana on a seven-day medical outreach. The 21-member team, which consists of urologists, anaesthesiologists, general surgeons and nurses, arrived in Guyana last Saturday.

The team includes urologist Joseph Benjamin, a Guyana-born doctor who left this country when he was a child.

This is his first trip back

to his homeland.

The team, which has brought its own medical supplies and surgical instruments, has been conducting complex surgeries in their respective specialisations at the Georgetown Public Hospital and the West Demerara Regional Hospital. Approximately 20 surgeries of the most complicated cases in urology, and approximately 40 general surgeries were scheduled.

In addition, the team will hold several medical and nursing lectures accredited by the Guyana

Medical Council. These sessions aim to share new concepts and best practices within the respective professions.

The medical team is accompanied by a video production crew that has been working on productions about Guyana’s health sector.

Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran invited the team to Guyana during a visit to Washington DC in September 2012 for the 28th Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Regional Sanitary Conference. The minister’s invitation was

part of the ministry’s ongoing initiative to forge new strategic partnerships with the international community to boost Guyana’s health services. Under the minister’s stewardship, similar outreaches have been done with Calgary University, among others.

The university hospital team, which visited in January to conduct a preliminary assessment of Guyana’s health facilities, is financing its air travel cost, while the ministry is providing funding for housing, ground transportation and meals.

PYARG awards over 700 youths at 15th graduation ceremony

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he President’s Youth Award: Republic of Guyana (PYARG) held its 15th award presentation at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) where 715 youths were awarded: 547 in the bronze category, 148 silver and 30 gold.

In 1998, Guyana adopted and launched the programme which is modelled after the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which was introduced in Great Britain in 1956.

The Most Outstanding Participant award in the Gold Category was given to Teekaram Singh and Zimeena Rasheed from the Anna Regina Secondary School, Region Two. Special awards were also given to Micah Henry, Region One; Yougraj Rajhunauth, Region Two; Deuel Lewis, in Region Four; Mark Cameron and Shane Persaud, Georgetown; and Symyon Sears from Smythfield, Region Six. The female most outstanding participants in the Bronze category include Athalia Wells, Mabaruma, Region One; Annalisa Alfred, Region Two; Lucius Hector, Parika Salem, Region Three; Natalie James, Georgetown; Nickesha Benjamin, Fort Wellington, Region Five; and Lydia Cameron, Silvertown, Region 10.

Region Six copped the Outstanding Region Award while Patentia captured the Outstanding Unit Award. Special recognition was given to those volunteers who

The PYARG 2013 gold awardees with Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony and the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Alfred King

served for over five years. These include Alicia Roache, Geru Gordon, Courdel Glasgow and Adel Lilly.

Meanwhile, Lester Rosine and Herald Alves were recognised for serving the PYARG for over 10 years. This year’s graduation was even more special because the PYARG is also celebrating its 15th anniversary, and this batch of graduates is also the largest, Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony said.

Brain power

The minister expressed his satisfaction with the fact that two of the gold awardees are also CSEC top performers in Guyana and one in the Caribbean. He stressed that this is a good example of the brain power the PYARG has. He also encouraged them to become roving ambassadors for the organisation.

He emphasised that the organisation has been at the forefront of teaching youths about Guyana.

The minister explained that through the programme, the participants have been able to see many parts of Guyana including the Pakaraima Mountain range, Kaieteur Falls and the hinterland regions; while many adults have not been able to see these marvels.

He added that the expeditions the youths go on give them a chance to better appreciate Guyana and simultaneously help them to become better citizens.

The success of the PYARG has been recognised in Guyana and the Caribbean where it is esteemed as a ‘best practice’. This type of programme does not only occur in Guyana, in this regard, the umbrella continued on page 11

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By Anu Dev

ast week I wrote about the importance of writing the CAPE exams because not enough students write CAPE in Guyana. And it’s really not that surprising because CAPE isn’t as well publicised as CSEC is here. I know I’d never heard of CAPE until fifth form, I was still walking around talking about A-levels.

And in general, we don’t make such a big deal about CAPE results. We bring out the marching band, the confetti and the red carpet for our CSEC top students, but our CAPE top students are given a much more lukewarm hurrah.

Like this year, it felt like our CAPE results were announced as a by-product, or side issue to the CSEC results. But as someone who has done both, I can say that by the time you reach university, the things that you did at CSEC really don’t matter as much as what you battled through at CAPE. We need to encourage more kids to stay in school and do CAPE and one of the ways we can motivate students is to offer them the chance of national scholarships at the CAPE level.

The Guyana Scholar used to be awarded after A-levels, because they knew that sixth form exams were the ones that really mattered.

And our national scholarships should be focused on the STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Math) areas. Those are the areas that we need to have skilled professionals in to develop our country.

If there are more national scholarship options available at the CAPE level, maybe we won’t have students writing 70 subjects at CSEC in the hope of topping the Caribbean to get that scholarship.

I’ve written before about the importance of our streaming system and how important it is to stick to your stream instead of mixing and matching to make up 70 subjects in the hope of getting that Caribbean scholarship. We should be offering scholarships in specific fields of study so that kids would have some sort of motivation to be the best in their chosen area of study.

And of course, more national scholarships could hold the answer to our brain drain problem. In Trinidad, The Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados, all of their scholarship students are expected to return to their country to serve for a particular number of years.

And I don’t think that that’s unfair. It makes sense; your country is paying for your education, of course you have to give back something to your people.

It’s a win-win for both our country and our students. We could send our top students abroad to get the highest quality education and then have them return home to develop our country.

And hopefully we can get to a point where the development is so significant that our scholars will stay not just because they’re obligated to, but because they genuinely want to stay for the reason that they could have great opportunities right at home.

Let’s bring back the Guyana Scholar and let’s offer more national scholarships to our students. We have so much potential in our young minds; let’s give them the opportunity to flourish.

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

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Pensioners get a timely boost

Dear Editor, Just recently I was educating a few of my unemployed friends on the assistance that the government is willing to offer pensioners. Though it took some time for the government to follow through with this initiative, it is highly appreciated by many. Scores of pensioners will now be relieved of the burden of paying electricity bills.

Registered pensioners with active Guyana Power and Light (GPL) accounts will now benefit from a subsidy of Gy$20,000 per person.

The initiative is expected to guarantee authenticity.

Presently, the focus is primarily on pension-

ers who completed the preliminary GPL verification process during the period July 22 to August 13. These individuals will have their accounts credited respectively.

Other batches of pensioners can also expect to benefit from this offer in due time.

Though it is not an overwhelming offer, it still shows that the government has the well-being of the senior citizens of the nation at heart.

Several people belittled the offer, but are actually in dire need of such charitable assistance.

These individuals need to be less self-conceited and show gratitude instead.

One of the main rea-

sons for unemployment in Guyana is because people are rarely ever satisfied with what is available to them.

Remuneration packages, stringent work hours and responsibilities are often considered as unnecessarily challenging and inadequate.

I strongly recommend that those individuals who are jobless take the extra step to alleviate themselves. Like many other individuals who are gainfully employed, they themselves also possess the competency and capacity to be a part of the working world.

Sincerely, Maurice Harmon

Tenth ‘Essequibo Nite’ gave glimpse into region’s potential development

Local pottery on display at the 9th Essequibo Nite

Dear Editor, Essequibo is a place to behold and be proud of. Essequibo’s roadway, particularly the frequently plied highway, maybe as a result of lighter traffic, is indeed in excellent condition. In some sections, it is a bit dark, but the roads are primarily free from pot holes and rough spots.

However, there are a few meandering sections of the road where drivers need to proceed with caution. It would be very interesting to examine accident types and frequency on the coast. This is where I see development in a very important context.

Guyana can have all of the relevant ameni-

ties in place, but without proper maintenance and monitoring, we will not continue to move forward. A few bridges are in need of sprucing up or maybe even replacement with new ones.

Essequibo must now lead the way where coconut oil production is concerned. The potential is huge and I urge the relevant authorities to ensure that adequate investments are made. This industry can be expected to offer employment opportunities, both locally and internationally.

The 10th ‘Essequibo Nite’ was indicative of unity, hard work and great hope. In fact, the participants displayed a wide array of skills,

talents and scope. The scene at the Anna Regina Community Centre was nothing short of a second GuyExpo.

The government should unquestionably come to light with what is taking place in Essequibo. Guyana has a lot to offer and it is events like these that can distinguish us from other countries in this part of the world.

I applaud the Essequibians for their recent and ongoing success.

The government must also continue to provide the people with the necessities that they need to continue in their everforwarding vein.

Sincerely, Kishore Mathura

Companies breaching labour laws should be addressed immediately Dear Editor, Lately, there have been many discussions pertaining to the addressing of companies guilty of breaching labour laws. It is now necessary that action be taken against those companies who fail to implement the minimum wage law.

Many employees have made complaints as it relates to this matter and it is time for the Labour Ministry to address this issue accordingly, in order to ensure

compliance. Employers who fail to comply with the law should be brought to light and made an example of.

A large security firm has been suspected of not adhering to the minimum wage law and is expected to undergo scrutiny by the relevant authorities. The Labour Ministry stated that they have given employers adequate time to adapt to the new labour law and will now prosecute any employer who failed to im-

plement the minimum wage law.

There are many instances where untrained and unskilled individuals are underpaid. The minimum wage law is expected to offer some amount of justice to these individuals and so it is necessary for the ministry to represent these individuals by addressing complaints and further prosecuting employers who fail to adhere.

Sincerely, Florence Harmon

A Hindu temple on a New York campus Dear Editor, Kindly consider publishing this letter about the cultural achievements of our foreign students. I live in Miami, Florida.

For the last three years, a group of mostly female Hindu students of IndoCaribbean descent have gotten together and formed a Hindu club and the first ever ‘mandir’ (temple) on a campus in New York City, amongst the city universities.

The students are mainly from Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, with a small percentage from India, America and Europe. The Hindu club gave a kind of parallel academic growth and academic empowerment in which most Indian graduates do not have including studies in Hindu philosophy, history and issues they face around the world to uphold that ‘dharma’. The club also attracts many non-Hindus out of curiosity and fascination with the culture.

The founding sisters include Nisha Ramracha, Melanie Balmick, Hardai Banjoo, Evelisse Viamonte, Linda Willis, Tina Marie and Roshelle Ramtahal. They are currently trying to have Hindu studies and have Hindi become a part of the school curriculum, since all graduates are required to have a foreign language and diversity courses for graduation.

However, while the school met all their needs, the ladies were surprised that most of their opposition in forming the club and mandir came from the Hindu students from India. The students from India, many of whom

A mandir in Corentyne, Berbice

belong to an Indian cultural club on campus, never entertained the idea of having a mandir on campus in an environment that has all places of worship for the other faiths.

These Indians either displayed a high degree of ignorance, jealousy or a lack of nationalism. In fact, the school placed the mandir right next to the campus mosque and one Hindu from India asked them to move the mandir, citing that the Caribbean Hindus should have respect for Islamic beliefs in absolutely no idol worship.

The mandir was built next to the mosque anyway and continues to open its doors to those who want to learn about ‘Sanatan Dharma’. These IndoCaribbean sisters were credited by some top officials visiting from India in establishing the first mandir in a city university that now seems to be proliferating to other campuses.

Dhanyavaad (thank you), Vassan Ramracha

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Latin American gaming rep holds talks with local body

H

ome Affairs Minister Clement Rohee on Tuesday met with Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) Latin American Development Representative Georges Didier, during which the two officials discussed ways in which the local gaming body could be strengthened.

According to a release from the Gaming Authority of Guyana, Didier was on a one-day visit to Guyana.

Apart from meeting with Rohee, he also held meetings with the directors of the Gaming Authority of Guyana and other representatives for presentation and discussions on gaming and its development locally.

The gaming authority welcomed Didier to Guyana and viewed his visit as one of a productive engagement for the capacity-building and institutional strengthening of the local industry.

“The GLI representatives brought an international perspective on the gaming industry that

Crying wolf…

I

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee (right) in discussion with Georges Didier and Kalima Ali

can allow for technical and innovative improvements locally,” the gaming authority said.

Didier has been the Latin American development representative since 2011 and is based in Lima, Peru. He is in charge to work with regulators in assisting in the development of projects, establishing technical standards and trainings.

The GLI is an internationally

accredited agency and is responsible for the testing of electronic gaming equipment, certification, inspection, consulting, forensics, research and development of the gaming industry.

The office of the Gaming Authority of Guyana is located at 56 Main and New Market streets, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown.

The authority’s Chief Executive Officer is Kalima Ali.

…in education

n the story of “the boy who cried wolf”, the little alarmist misused warnings about the “big bad wolf” to such an extent that when the “big bad wolf” did actually appear, the kid was left up the creek without the proverbial paddle! Not to mention, most likely his limbs. Some in the opposition are in danger of suffering from the same fate from their sensationalised and provocative cries about “apartheid” in education.

The swami who’s principal of the school over the river, Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) – the one that’s the first Guyanese private school to win a regional award from the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) – picked up the issue in our letters pages. But we think he’s too kind. Maybe that comes with “swamihood” and all that.

First of all, to talk about “apartheid” in Guyana’s education system is to really make a mockery of the dehumanisation that the non-white populations of South Africa had to undergo under apartheid in that country.

Do David Granger and Dr David Hinds really believe that there are schools in this country that people of one race cannot enter? What kind of inflammatory nonsense is this? All of the premier schools in this country, for instance, are in Georgetown. How do they draw their student population? Through the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), thank you, which is open to every child in this country between the ages of 10 and 12. We have universal primary school education.

How can you have “apartheid” in a system that’s open to all and sundry? One argument can be that not all primary schools are equal. Kinda like the old “separate and equal” situation that existed in the U.S. before “Oliver Brown vs Board of Education” (a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional).

But the irony is that all the well-equipped primary schools – with facilities and trained teachers – are in Georgetown, which has the highest percentage of the constituents who Granger and Hinds are complaining of suffering from “apartheid”.

These schools also come under the direct supervision of the highly-qualified staff of the Ministry of Education – unlike the rural schools that have the regional education department. When the complete results of any of the examinations are disaggregated – be it NGSA, Caribbean Secondary Education (CSEC) or Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), the overwhelming number of highly successful students are from the Georgetown schools.

What’s gotten Granger and Hinds upset is the few high flyers who have recently emerged from the rural areas. These are merely the exceptions that prove the rule: to wit, that while there is no “apartheid” in Guyana, there is certainly severe impediments in the path of rural students in their drive for success in education. …in employment The seemingly endless saga of the MuckrakerKN’s hatchet man court case drags on. The one about Freddie Kissoon calling former President Bharrat Jagdeo an “ideological racist”. But things perked up a bit a couple of days ago. Seems Kissoon is now more concerned about being on the streets, pounding the pavement for a job, and all that.

Imagine this fella thinks he should still be teaching at the University of Guyana (UG). Yet he tried to convince the court he didn’t know UG’s retirement age was 60!! We aren’t sure if this is “contempt of court”…but Kissoon’s definitely contemptuous of the court.

We know he wrote on countless occasions about that “age of retirement” business. But maybe since he confessed by the time he was let go he was “over 60”, his memory’s giving out. His friend Mark Benschop did reveal he was “approaching 70”.

But surely the other confession couldn’t be a memory lapse. The one where he was forced to admit under cross that he collected and spent three months’ salary that he hadn’t worked for. But won’t admit that was in lieu of “notice” of termination. Maybe he thought UG was a house of charity? …on Financial Action Task Force (FATF) The opposition’s having some problems convincing the Western diplomats they couldn’t pass the amended Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) legislation. They can say the government hasn’t informed them now!

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Justice System Modernisation project – IDB official lauds its success completed O

fficials attending the exit workshop for the Modernisation of the Justice Administration System (MJAS) project on Monday reported that the project was successful and urged that the modernisation thrust be continued.

The MJAS was approved in 2006 and implementation began in 2007 through a US$25 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who addressed the participants at the workshop at Duke Lodge, pointed to the achievements made under the project.

He noted the amended and new laws and legislation, training for personnel within the sector, preparation for voice recognition recordings in the courts, updating and digitalising of the law reports and the laws of Guyana, legal awareness campaign and increased access to justice for Guyanese.

He specifically observed that the voice recognition system recordings will be first implemented in the Commercial Court, the Court of Appeal and the Constitutional and

From left to right: Legal Affairs Ministry Permanent Secretary Indira Ananjit, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Carl Singh, junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill and IDB Country Economist Mark Wenner

Administrative Law Court. Minister Nandlall pointed out that the systems are being procured and would replace the manual recording system which would enhance the integrity of these court records.

Minister Nandlall also registered his disappointment that members of the legal profession have not taken advantage of the printing of the law reports.

IDB Country Economist Mark Wenner said the organisation is proud of the achievements of the project, which he described as successful. Wenner observed that the goal of

the programme was to enhance the investment climate and rights enforcement in Guyana through improved public sector governance.

To achieve this goal, the IDB sought, through the project, to help the government of Guyana strengthen the accountability and administrative efficiency of service delivery in the justice sector, enhance linkages and coordination among justice sector institutions and improve access to justice.

The operation had a policy-based component supported by a US$15 million loan and an investment and technical

component backed by a US$10 million investment loan. The policybased component supported the adoption of a series of policy reforms, including legislative and administrative actions that are necessary to improve the accountability, efficiency and accessibility of Guyana’s justice system.

Reform programme

The investment component helped implement the policy reform programme and support initial capacity-building activities in justice sector institutions. Guided by the Justice Sector Reform Strategy, the programme was pre-

pared on the basis of an extensive consultation exercise involving all the institutions in the justice sector, as well as other stakeholders, including civil society and the private sector.

Wenner endorsed the reforms made which he commended. “Implementing judicial reform is extremely complex, it is tough and daunting because it involves many different governmental institutions, and touches upon a very arcane and complex subject matter, as well as one of the greatest sensitivity to the general populace,” Wenner said.

He observed while there is much remaining to be done, he is positive that the government of Guyana would do what is necessary for the citizens of Guyana.

Project Coordinator Justice Claudette Singh pointed out that important issues in the project were addressed.

Those include the severe case backlog, the refurbishing of courts, increase number of judicial officers and their training, publication of law reports and their indices which are also online, the establishment of a director of public prosecution office in Berbice and the computerisation of sev-

eral connected systems, among other aspects.

Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill observed that improving criminal justice was one of the aims of the project, along with the strengthening of the Legal Affairs Ministry. Additionally, the improvement of the laws of Guyana and the strengthening of linkages among justice institutions was another target, all of which were achieved.

Executive’s commitment

Minister Edghill also pledged the ministry’s and the executive’s commitment towards supporting the modernisation of the justice sector, to ensure that Guyanese have justice.

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Carl Singh said the programme touched several sectors of the judiciary, pointing out that the lynch-pin was the expectation of revised rules of the High Court.

“Revised rules or no revised rules, the performance of the judges in the Supreme Court is inadequate and criticism in that regard is wholly justified… but there has been improvement and that must be recognised,” the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported the acting chancellor as saying.

PYARG awards over 700 youths at 15th graduation... from page 8

organisation, the Duke of Edinburg award is working on ensuring that all the participating countries are licensed to offer such programmes. This will see the organisation being rebranded and changes made.

Permanent field camp

While much has been achieved in the last 15 years, Minister Anthony projected that in the next five years, more youths should be recruited by the PYARG, more units and regional offices established, and a permanent field camp can also be set up. With regards to the latter, the minister explained that space for the camp site is available at the ministry’s property in Kuru Kuru.

Minister Anthony lauded the PYARG for its efforts towards addressing social issues through the use of ‘edutainment’.

In recognising the value of that tool, each unit was encouraged to carry out similar activities in their villages.

The graduates were told of the opportunities that await them at the schools that were instituted by the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry. These include the schools of music, drama, art and dance.

The minister emphasised that these schools have valuable merits.

While encouraging the bronze and silver graduates to move towards achieving the gold award, Minister Anthony urged them to aid in the preservation of historical relics in their respective villages. He emphasised that while some may see this as not being important, in the years to come, they will prove their worth to Guyana’s heritage. The minister also commended the parents for their support. He also called on village and religious leaders and the business community to support the programme.

Since the start of the programme, about 17,000 youths, aged 14-25, were given the opportunity

to be involved in activities ranging from skills training, community ser-

vice, physical recreation, and adventure journeys and exploration. These

activities serve to enrich their lives while at the same time be of benefit

to their communities, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

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Miss Universe 2013

Guyanese, get on board, vote for Roshana!

Rockstone Fish Festival attracts large crowd – organisers …official says area to be developed into eco-tourism spot

D

A

s the Miss Universe Pageant 2013 heats up, fans of Miss Guyana Universe Katherina Roshana can vote for the beauty up to one hundred ‘Roshanatimes’ per day at the official People’s Choice Awards website http://missuniverse.com/members/contestants/year:2013.

Fans can follow these simple steps: look for Miss Guyana Katherina Roshana and click on the “VOTE FOR ME” tab, a small pop up screen will appear. Follow the instructions as required.

First , enter your email address and select Guyana from the drop down box, then click on the scale and rank Miss Guyana with a 10 (pink tiny tab, all the way at the right side), next enter the security code provided, check the box

“I certify I am at least 16 years or older” then Click “VOTE”.

After this process is completed, a next pop up screen will appear to VOTE AGAIN. Persons can vote up to 100 times per day. Remember to vote every day.

The reigning Miss India Guyana Katherina Roshana was crowned Miss Guyana Universe 2013 before a packed-tocapacity Pegasus poolside just before midnight on Sunday, October 6.

The 23-year-old, sponsored by NEW GPC INC under its Limacol brand, is representing Guyana at the Miss Universe Pageant slated for November 9 in Moscow, Russia.

Roshana, who is a graduate from a New York University, hopes to become a doctor in oriental medicine.

espite the inclement weather, the eighth Rockstone Fish Festival was deemed a success as thousands of participants from all across the country flocked the event which was held on Sunday at Rockstone, the small fishing community 18 miles from Linden, Region 10.

This year’s event saw new and improved activities such as camping, bird-watching, a fish clay modelling competition and tours of the Essequibo. Other activities included fish catching and deboning, cooking and watermelon eating competitions.

Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Senior Administrative Officer Kemie Williams stated that the event has been successful over the years, and since its initiation in 2006, the Tourism Ministry and the tourism authority have been associated with it.

Rockstone Tourism Association President Lynette Benn expressed satisfaction with the support the event has received from the members of the association and community, the Tourism Ministry and other stakeholders. Benn said despite some challenges, there were improvements in this year’s event in terms of participation in the different competitions and other activities. She added that the association will be looking to develop the riverfront into an eco-tour destina-

A participant in the fish festival holds up part of his catch

tion, by installing proper seating and benabs, having more boats on site, and including more activities in order to make next year’s event bigger and better.

Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon said the event has always been one to look forward to, along with the annual Linden Town Week, and pointed out that the regional administration was satisfied with the support in terms of participation the event has been receiving over the years.

He encouraged continuous support from the business community and other stakeholders, such as government in order to ensure

that communities like Rockstone demonstrate their uniqueness.

Rockstone is quite exceptional in that it has excellent fishing grounds, a rich population of birds, and is home to giant otters, howler monkeys, labbas, iguanas, bush hogs and black caimans. Solomon added that the level of support seen from the different stakeholders provides a good opportunity for Rockstone to highlight its unique natural assets, and encourage economic activities.

“The event has evolved from just an opportunity to catch fish and has now emerged to an opportunity to relax, sightsee and … socialise, allowing for a more familyoriented event,” he said.

Prizes were given out for the largest Lukanani, Arapaima and Arawana fish caught, and the largest fish overall, among others. There were also cultural performances in the form of dances and songs from the Linden cultural group and local artistes including Brandon Harding, Dianna Chapman, and Genesis.

The Rockstone Fish Festival is a signature event on GTA’s annual calendar of activities, and is aimed at promoting communitybased tourism, generating income and economic opportunities for the community, while showcasing the rich culture of the people.

Consumer education important, says GCA president …as the organisation makes a comeback

G

u y a n a Consumers Association President Pat Dyal said the organisation will be moving soon to re-introduce its weekly columns in one of the four daily newspapers.

This column, which focuses on consumer concerns, was published in the Sunday Stabroek for almost 30 years and was managed by the now retired consumer advocate Eileen Cox, founder and former president of the association. According to Dyal, the association is looking to have a variety of persons write these weekly columns, which could also come from the officials of the organisation.

Consumer education, he said, is very important and is one of the main objectives of the association. The column focuses on consumer education.

Dyal told Guyana Times International that while little has been publicised about the organisation of late, its work has never stopped.

He explained that the

Eileen Cox, founder and former president of GCA

association has been doing a lot of work to make representation for consumers countrywide.

He said the association was also looking to do more broadcasts on the radio and television.

Dyal noted that the association continued to actively engage with state and other agencies to raise consumer concerns in an effort to have them addressed.

Consumer advocate

The association shares a very close relationship with the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC).

Dyal said this was es-

pecially so, since the association can only make representation for consumers, but the CCAC is the legal body that can take action against errant businesses.

Many cases which are usually reported to the association are taken to the CCAC, which usually deals with the matters in their entirety, which could lead to legal action.

Meanwhile, as the association advocates for the rights and wellbeing of consumers, Dyal said it remained supportive of the restoration of the annual subsidy to the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL). The association has raised this issue on many occasions, noting that the cost of electricity is too expensive. Dyal said once the power company is allowed the opportunity to upgrade its facilities, costs would be reduced and systems would become more efficient.

The GCA was formed 70 years ago and is a member of Consumers International.

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Evening fire ravages Guyana achieves bonds at Eccles... record rice production from page 7

cleared the now burnt bond of all of its belongings. According to him, the stocks where moved to a newly-constructed bond, a short distance away.

Payless

A supervisor attached to the Payless Store bond, who was on the scene approximately one hour after the fire started, told Guyana Times International that he was working just around the corner where the store’s new bond is now located when he caught sight of the blaze.

“We were working at the new bond at the time of the fire. When we discovered it had like smoke in the air, we watch, we see red and we come around, but the place was already on fire,” the supervisor said, adding: “It was at the back of the building… so when we come around to gain access to the building, we could not… it was already consumed with fire.”

Denial

He stated that items were still in the building that was on fire at the time.“We have stuff in the bond… its normal

things that we would sell in the store. The value of losses I can’t say,” he said.

In an invited comment while his charges were battling the blaze, Deputy Fire Chief Winston McGregor said the Comfort Sleep bond was already destroyed, and firefighters were doing all they could to save what was left of the Payless building.

Former Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Manzoor Nadir, who lives two corners away from the incident, visited the scene of the fire to comfort owners of the two businesses. “ “Comfort Sleep is a business I know almost all my life because the owner and I grew up in James Street, Albouystown, so Denis Charan, the owner of Comfort Sleep, we go back a long way; it has been wtwo decades of hard work that he has put in to building this business,” Nadir said.

He recalled that Charan had for many years expressed concerns about storing the chemicals used to make the foam away from the factory.

– 514,000 tonnes recorded to date with 7% of cultivated land yet to be harvested

G

uyana’s rice farmers have produced a record output, surpassing the 500,000 tonnes that were targeted for the entire 2013, and based on the current outlook, last year’s production record may be exceeded by 100,000 tonnes, Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy disclosed on Tuesday.

“On Monday, the 21st October, for the first time in our history, we reached a goal which many persons in this country said would be impossible, and those who believe it was possible, thought that it would not happen till 2020.

On the 21st October, 2013, Guyana surpassed 500,000 tonnes of rice in our production,” the minister announced.

He added: “At the present time, we are approaching 522,000 tonnes. I used that number because last year’s production was 422,000 tonnes…for us to break that record, with more than 100,000 tonnes is an astounding story, one

Rice farmers inspecting paddy in a field that was cultivated using the six-point practice

that all of Guyana should be very proud of.”

At present, the current rice production is 514,000 tonnes, but there is about six to seven percent of the cultivated land yet to be harvested.

Expectations are now high that the country can reach the 600,000 tonne mark, the agriculture minister said.

“Indeed, I would say to everyone that should we be able to find the markets, not the market

that would take our rice, because we have enough people who want our rice, but the markets that would pay us the price we want for our rice, then we can reach 600,000 tonnes within the next year or maximum two years,” the minister declared.

Meanwhile, the minister noted that this massive achievement by the farmers came not as a result of increased acreage, but as a result of higher yields, revealing that “we

consistently now surpass five tonnes per hectare,” and are aiming to achieve six tonnes per hectare.

The Agriculture Ministry is working towards that, “because if we can do that, that is another 100,000 tonnes without adding more land, and that would mean that our cost of production would go right down and allow us to compete with other countries on the world market,” the minister said.

Guyana had two successive years (2011 and 2012) of production of more than 400,000 tonnes of rice. The 412,000 tonnes set for 2012 was surpassed by 10,000 tonnes. A total of 334,000 tonnes were exported, while in 2011, the production was 402,000 tonnes.

New rice varieties and management strategies such as the six-point practice have been credited for higher yields of rice, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

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ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING BILL…

U.S., U.K. diplomats up pressure on APNU K ey diplomats in Guyana on Tuesday met with officials of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) as they continue to pressure the main opposition coalition to move forward with the government and pass the anti-money laundering bill.

The meeting comes on the heels of the United States and the United Kingdom expressing concern about the status of the legislation during an exclusive interview with this newspaper on Monday.

The APNU said the meeting was held at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Hadfield Street, Georgetown.

“The main concern of the diplomats was the status of the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill,” the coalition said in its statement.

The APNU added that it used the opportunity to restate its concerns about the shortcomings of the current legislation and the fact that the work of the select committee was

brought to an abrupt end without the benefit of significant input from the partnership and other interested parties.

“APNU assured the Western diplomats that the partnership is desirous of an antimoney laundering and countering the financing of terrorism legislation that is not flawed; that restructures and strengthens the capacity of the Financial Intelligence Unit and addresses all of the deficits of the current legislation.”

Blacklisting

Present at the meeting were U.S. Ambassador D Brent Hardt, British High Commissioner Andrew Ayre, Canadian High Commissioner Dr Nicole Giles, and European Union representative Derek Lambe.

APNU was represented by its chairman and opposition leader, retired Brigadier David Granger; Dr Rupert Roopnaraine; Basil Williams; Carl Greenidge; Joseph Harmon; and Ronald Bulkan.

During their in-

British High Commissioner Andrew Ayre,

terview with Guyana Times International on Monday, the U.S. and U.K. envoys warned that the effects of being blacklisted can be damaging if Guyana does not pass the bill.

The diplomats also said in the interview that APNU should put forward its proposal when the House convenes. It is anticipated that the bill will soon be read in the House for a third time before it is debated.

Accusing the APNU of employing delaying tactics ahead of the November 18 deadline set by the Caribbean

U.S. Ambassador D Brent Hardt

Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) concluded the work of the parliamentary special select committee in the absence of the opposition last week.

However, Ambassador Hardt believes that the opposition can still make its case.

“If the main opposition has amendments or ideas it thinks can make the legislation stronger, to make sure that it meets all of CFATF’s standards, they should put those on the table and debate them and move the legislation forward.”

In noting another delay the bill may face if passed in the National Assembly, the ambassador said, “I don’t know what that process is from approval to assent - I mean the local government bills - that process has taken three months, so I am not sure if this could move more quickly or not.”

He added that the U.S. is a strong supporter of countries that are instituting systems to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism. On the local scene, the U.S. embassy has been engaging the government, the opposition, the private sector, and other stakeholders on the issue of compromise. Based on extensive discussions, the U.S. ambassador opined, all are in favour of ensuring that Guyana has strong and effective anti-money laundering legislation.

Difficulties

Meanwhile, Ayre said already British investors are worried about some substantial investments in the pipeline for Guyana.

Guyanese banks will face sanctions if the an-

ti-money laundering and financing of terrorism bill is not passed.

He noted that with regards to the Bank of England, that institution is putting systems in place to cushion the impact that will likely follow if Guyana is blacklisted owing to its non-compliance with the CFATF requirements.

“The Bank of England is concerned about Guyana’s move towards potential blacklisting. It is in touch with my high commission in order to carry out continuous planning if blacklisting formally happens,” the British diplomat said.

Ayre said the process of sending remittances from the U.K. to Guyana will become difficult, as a result of increased scrutiny if the country is blacklisted.

“In terms of U.K. business investors, of course, they are worried about some substantial investments which are in the pipeline, so they don’t want Guyana to be, in any way, blacklisted, because it will increase the cost of doing business here.”

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Procurement contracts awarded for new forensic lab equipment

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The state-of-the-art forensic laboratory

he new forensic laboratory, which will improve the Guyana Police Force’s investigative capacity, is at an advanced stage of completion, with photographic and forensic equipment being procured for investigators.

In a statement, the Home Affairs Ministry said using the National Competitive Bidding ( NCB) process, the International Pharmaceutical Agency ( Guy) Limited of Lot 22 B Camp Street, Georgetown was awarded the contract to supply and deliver items to the Forensic

Laboratory as follows: Lot 1 – Small Apparatus and Glassware (150 items) in the sum of Gy$39,616,509.

These items include beakers, test tubes, pipettes, and storage containers and Lot 2 – Consumables and Chemicals (248 items) in the sum of Gy$10,174,812. These items include chemicals, including reagents and acids. These items are needed to perform daily analysis, testing, and sampling, the ministry said.

Additionally, Pressy Enterprise of Cowan continued on page 20

WWF mounts major scientific expedition in Guyana

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multinational team of scientists is now in Guyana under the auspices of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF Guianas), to collect vital and potentially significant data on the biodiversity of the South Rupununi, a unique and diverse ecosystem within Southern Guyana.

In a release, WWF said Rupununi is one of the last great wilderness areas on Earth and home to over 1400 species of vertebrates, including many highly endangered globally.

The Southern Rupununi Biodiversity Assessment Team (BAT) comprises Guyanese and international scientists who have expertise in the detection and identification of plants, birds, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, insects and fish, along with water quality and community resource uses. The high bio-diversity of the Rupununi results from the mixing of Amazonian and Guiana Shield fauna, high habitat diversity, and marked seasonal flooding.

The South Rupununi Savannah is home to over 5000 indigenous people, primarily Wapishianas as distinct from the Machusis, their neighbours to the north, and location of cattle ranches for the last 150 years. Until recently, the region has been protected by its relative isolation. However, that is changing rapidly, mainly due to improved overland access from Georgetown, a bridge across the

WWF Country Manager, Dr Patrick Williams

Takutu River, which links Guyana to Brazil, and increasing interest in the region for gold mining, petroleum extraction, and largescale agriculture.

These developments are perceived to be already threatening the spectacular wildlife and natural habitats of the Rupununi, as well as traditional ways of life of the communities. Despite its reported high diversity and unique species composition, biological data from the southern part of the Rupununi are lacking. As the pressure to rapidly develop the region increases, WWF Country Manager, Dr Patrick Williams said it is essential to have a good baseline of species and habitat data of the Southern Rupununi in order to make sound management and conservation decisions.

The expedition will collect data on different aspects (flora, fauna, water quality and resources use) groups in order to establish a baseline of data that can be used by all stakeholders, government agencies (the Guyana Forestry Commission, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Environment Protection Agency, the Protected Areas Commission, among others), the University of Guyana, non-governmental organisations, local communities and businesses to make informed decisions about sustainable management of the Rupununi area.

The principal aim of the BAT is to gather new biological and natural resource use data to help inform the country’s biodiversity conservation and management decision-making.

Major outputs from the project will include biodiversity data, a published scientific report covering all taxonomic groups listed, scientific publications in peerreviewed scientific journals, as well as presentations to the local communities in the South Rupununi and to stakeholders in Georgetown. This project will provide important training for Guyanese biologists and parataxonomists, as it will provide the opportunity to work with international experts to learn new field techniques and offer an opportunity for future collaboration on publications.

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More jobs created as Guyanese businessman opens Gy$1B hardware store - owner says Guyanese can expect low prices and high quality

Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali and the new store’s owner Rajendra Maye, surrounded by a number of employees at the opening of the new store

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s Guyana continues to see a boom in its construction industry, a hardware company out of Trinidad, R Maye Inc, owned by Guyanese Rajendra Maye, has made a timely investment here to add to the supply of related materials.

R Maye Guyana Incorporated, at Lot 477 Plantation Site, Providence, East Bank Demerara, was officially opened on Saturday evening. In attendance were the employees of the new hardware store, President Donald Ramotar and

Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali. Giving the feature address, President Ramotar acknowledged the timely establishment of the business, noting that it will contribute significantly to Guyana’s housing and construction sectors.

“Our housing programme is moving apace; our construction industry is now contributing significantly to the economy of Guyana… this investment is coming at a time when you have so many other investments coming through and at the same time, offering a product

that will be very competitive,” he said.

Almost 100 jobs created

He noted that the new hardware store presents competition not only in price but in terms of the stock of products needed on the local market. He also acknowledged the attendant benefit of job creation, as close to 100 persons are now employed there.

“Maye gives a service to many people who are in construction, because he is giving a service of quality and at the same time, competitive price, while making a contribu-

The newly-built hardware store at Plantation Site, Providence, EBD

tion to the economy of our country and to the development of all the things that we have,” Ramotar said.

During the opening ceremony, the owner of the entity said the investment, which costs Gy$1 billion, stemmed from a conversation involving himself, President Ramotar and Minister Ali a few years ago in Trinidad.

“I’m going to give the people the best price I could. It is the cheapest, the quality is the best.

The reason why they would get it through me

is because I manufacture about 50 percent of my products that I sell, like everything for roofing, from windows to PVC pipes,” Maye outlined.

While he assured the Guyanese public of the best prices on the local market, he explained that they will not be as fortunate as their Trinidadian counterparts, because there is a vast difference in the cost of energy, which makes costs higher in Guyana.

He said the manufacturing aspect of his company is also expected to be opened in Guyana, but

the lack of affordable energy is currently a hindrance.

“Energy is cheaper in Trinidad, so that’s the reason why the manufacture aspect wouldn’t be such a benefit as in Trinidad. It is a cost factor, because everything relies on energy so once energy is expensive, the price will go up,” he explained.

He added that with the realisation of hydro power here, Guyana will be able to benefit from cheaper energy and all the economic benefits that stem from it.

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Govt fires back at APNU over environmental management - says EPA making strides in preventing pollution

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he Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has chided the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) for its “double standards” on certain issues while endorsing a green economy.

The ministry’s comments come in wake of APNU’s criticism of government’s management of environmental issues as it called for the administration to develop a comprehensive strategy. Last Friday, Opposition Leader and

APNU Chairman David Granger, during the coalition’s weekly press conference, said such a strategy was needed to protect the population from hazards, to preserve the environment from further degradation, and to create a sustainable ‘green’ economy in the shortest possible time.

On Sunday, in an eight-page press statement, the ministry criticised APNU’s stance on the creation of enabling factors for an environmentally friendly and

sustainable Guyana. The ministry accused APNU of rejecting the government’s proposal for environmental tax for all plastic receptacles and its non-support for major low-carbon development projects such as the Amaila Falls Hydropower project.

According to a feasibility study, the hydropower project would have replaced more than 95 percent of the fossil fuels used for the generation of electricity.

“The internationally recognised and sup-

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud

ported Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) provides visionary framework that will allow Guyana to build a model ‘green economy’.

Much investments and work have commenced with the participation of all stakeholders on making this a reality,” the ministry pointed out.

On the local scene, the ministry said it had crafted its strategic plan with backing from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Pollution

In the area of pollution, the ministry said currently the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was not playing an active role in the area of enforcement in keeping with its act of 1996 as a result of the extensive period for matters to achieve closure in the courts. But to cushion the impact, the agency is in the process of finalising Environmental Protection (Enforcement

and Compliance) Regulations. In preparing for these regulations at an institutional level, the EPA established a new division in June 2013 to deal with enforcement and compliance.

“The issues related to hazardous wastes and air quality pollution have also been recognised, and back in 2011, the EPA established a Hazardous Wastes/Materials and Air Quality Management Unit. Since then, the EPA secured an air quality field meter to measure and monitor particulate matter, and which has been deployed to resolve a number of complaints.”

The ministry alluded to the Hack Rice Mill, Cane Grove case which has been successfully resolved. “The numerous recommendations which were made by the EPA and implemented by the rice mill were scientifically tested with the acquisition of the particulate matter meter. Results from the air quality monitoring, which was conducted from February 20, 2012 to March 18, 2012, revealed that particulate matter concentrations were below the World Health Organisation guidelines…”

The work of the environmental agency continues with investigation and monitoring of several other operations. The agency has moved to establish an air quality monitoring protocol for

Linden, with implementation to occur shortly.

“EPA is well aware of the constraints of having only one meter for monitoring air quality, and intends to acquire two other field instruments in 2014 to further support its investigation and monitoring operations.”

Two years into its operation, with a staff complement of three officers, the unit is still in the incipient stages of administering the hazardous wastes regulations. The environmental guidelines have been completed for the proper storage, transportation and occupational handling of biomedical waste. Additionally, the agency has conducted a series of consultations with stakeholders from private and government entities on the effective management of hazardous wastes.

Turning its attention to water pollution, the body is in the process of establishing a Water Quality Unit.

In recognition and support of the steps taken by the agency, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission has stepped in, actively conducting water quality and turbidity tests, as part of its monitoring and enforcement exercises in various mining districts.

Earlier this month, the ministry signed on to a new international pact to control mercury emissions.

Procurement contracts awarded for new forensic...

from page 17

and Parade streets, Kingston, Georgetown, was awarded the contract in the sum of Gy$15,024,000 for the procurement of photographic and forensic equipment for the police force.

Back in September, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee had announced that a team from Barbados has been contracted to install the equipment to facilitate the smooth running of the forensic laboratory.

Rohee explained then that the imported equipment had to be calibrated on arrival in Guyana before being installed.

“The security features have been already installed and by the third week in October,

all the installation will be completed with respect to equipment, which will see the facility being in full operation,” he said. The Home Affairs Ministry has already hired staff.

The contract for the Gy$840 million Police Forensic Lab falls under the Citizens’ Security Programme (CSP), initiated by the government and the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB). This programme has three components: institutional modernisation of the Home Affairs Ministry; the Community Action Component (CAC); and the modernisation of the police force, which includes the strengthening of forensic capability.

News

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Lall, Yassin owe further Gy$156.7M plus interest in rates, taxes

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he Kaieteur News has again been exposed for carrying a misleading article – the most recent one published in its edition on Sunday regarding Property Holdings Inc (PHI), which is headed by Executive Director of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington.

The article, which appeared on page seven, claimed that the PHI owes the Mayor and City Council for rates and taxes on six properties. It noted that a request to waive interest was sent to the M&CC through the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry.

What is glaringly and deliberately missing from the article is the fact that

the indebtedness of PHI is a direct result of the failure Mohan Lall, aka Glenn Lall, and Tony Yassin to pay rates and taxes.

Lall and Yassin owe M&CC Gy$156.7 million, plus interest of Gy$91.1 million, for rates and taxes on the six properties. In 2004, PHI filed legal action to recover the properties, but the trial is yet to start. The most valuable properties of PHI are a garage property, an electrical property, a property at New Amsterdam, Berbice and another at Lima, Essequibo Coast.

These four properties are some of the most valuable remaining assets of PHI. But shareholders are upset, as Lall and Yassin have not paid a single cent to PHI since

Winston Brassington

2000. Comments by the respective parties on the matter are muted given a court order.

PHI, which has over 1500 shareholders, was created in 1999. Each shareholder received shares in PHI at no cost.

PHI shareholders are former employees and members of the public. The annual general meeting of PHI for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, which was held

Lallbachan “Lalloo” Christopher Ram

on October 23 at Regency Suites on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, was adjourned for a poll vote.

Meanwhile, a number of persons have been hauled before the court for non-payment of rates and taxes to the M&CC amounting to millions of dollars. Among them is Mohan Lall, aka Glenn Lall, who was represented by attorney and lead-

Mohan Lall, aka Glenn Lall

er of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan.

Lall and his wife, Bhena, are accused of owing the M&CC more than Gy$5.6 million in taxes for a property at 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, according to court documents seen by this newspaper. In a Kaieteur News report on October 11, Lall admitted to owing rates and taxes,

but claimed that he had an understanding with the M&CC that the millions of dollars he and his wife owe would be off-set via services provided by his muckraking newspaper.

Also being sued is Lallbachan “Lalloo” Christopher Ram who has three matters. Ram reportedly owes more than Gy$11 million in taxes for properties on Waterloo Street, North Cummingsburg.

In a press release issued on October 11, Ram admitted to owing taxes and claimed that discussions on the matter go back to the 1990s when agreement was reached to have balances due for services rendered to the M&CC offset the millions of dollars he owes in rates and taxes.

UG Berbice campus launches social work degree programme

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erbice residents now have the opportunity to obtain a degree in social work without being burdened by the financial and other costs of travelling to the University of Guyana Turkeyen campus to attend classes.

This follows the launching of the programme at the Tain campus in Berbice last week. The move to offer the degree programme at the University of Guyana’s Berbice Campus (UGBC) has been lauded by students, many of whom were unable to pursue the degree after completing the diploma in social work.

Some students have waited for as many as six years for the opportunity to further their studies.

Higher education

Speaking at the launch of the programme last Tuesday, Human Services and Social Security Minister Jenifer Webster noted

Students of the UG Berbice Campus at the launching of the programme

that the government remained committed to ensure persons continue to have the opportunity to lift their standard of living. “I know President Donald Ramotar is committed towards providing the requisite support to ensure that we improve the quality of higher education deliv-

ered in this institution.”

She said social work was critical to Guyana’s development. However, she warned that there was need for the social work programme to be accepted in other Caribbean countries and to have Caribbean students enrol in the programme. She said when

the students obtained their degrees, it would not be the end of their training.

Noting that sexual abuse, human trafficking and gender violence make headlines daily, the minister called on the Faculty of Social Sciences to consider the issue of suicide in

Region Six. UG Sociology Department head Dionne Frank noted that offering the degree programme in Berbice is part of the department’s plans to reposition social work education and training in Guyana as tools to enhance economic development.

The diploma programme was introduced at the university in 1971 and 18 years later, the bachelor’s degree programme was added.

“This is attributed to the fact that we say a growing number of graduants expressing a desire to continue their studies.”

The diploma programme was a part of the UGBC course offerings from the inception. From an initial intake of 10, the social work class has been growing steadily since and this year’s freshman class has 75 students.

“Those students from Berbice who were privileged to attend the Turkeyen campus constantly kept remind-

ing us of the constraints that they face in attending that campus.

Today, the university is excited to be responding to the needs of the growing number of graduates of the diploma programme in Region Five and Six who waited to have their legitimate expectation for opportunities for higher education in their field met,” the departmental head said.

Postgraduate programme

Frank added that the postgraduate programme will be offered at the UGBC next year.

Also speaking at the launch was UG Vice Chancellor Professor Jacob Opadeyi, who said two other programmes are soon to be introduced at the Tain campus. Noting that the social work degree is the third degree programme being offered at the UGBC, he said shortly a degree in biology will be offered, while a degree in banking will come on stream soon after.

Govt banking on APNU to amend procurement act – insists that it must retain oversight role

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overnment has confirmed that it will be moving soon to table an amendment to the Procurement Act to allow the administration to retain its “no objection” power over contracts. And it is banking on the main opposition party A Partnership for National Unity to get

this done, asserting that it sees no need why the coalition would not support the amendment.

The move will certainly irk the opposition that has been clamouring for the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) to be set up according to the act, removing government’s oversight.

Effective commission Government’s chief spokesman, Dr Roger Luncheon made this disclosure on Wednesday during his post-Cabinet press briefing, stating that it will be done to the benefit of all stakeholders involved.

He said there was no reason to believe and to expect

that APNU’s support for Cabinet’s role in the procurement process would not be forthcoming.

“It is in that context that we intend to soon table an appropriately-worded amendment to the procurement act.

We undertook to identify government’s nominees for parliamentary

consideration to sit on the public procurement commission subsequent to the enactment of the amendment,” he said.

The government’s spokesman said while there was no indication as to when the administration hoped to move ahead with the amendment for the procure-

ment act, it could be very soon.

The Alliance For Change (AFC) has been calling on government to comply with constitutional requirements which stipulate that there should be a PPC. The party, in its quest to secure an effective continued on page 23

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Linden-Lethem Road will increase agriculture production, says President Ramotar -As National Toshaos Council meeting successfully concludes

Desperation steppin in fuh de Mook

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President Donald Ramotar (centre, first row, standing); Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai (left of president); and Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran (right) with Amerindian leaders at the close of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) meeting on Friday

ith plans in the making to upgrade the Linden/Lethem Road into an all weather thoroughfare, President Donald Ramotar told toshaos to anticipate heightened agriculture production in areas in proximity.

The president was at the time delivering his final remarks as the fiveday, National Toshaos Council (NTC) meeting concluded at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown on Friday, with a spirit of high optimism.

“I’m sure a road like that will stimulate agriculture production in your own areas because

you will have bigger markets to sell to, and many of the products you can produce in the interior communities,” President Ramotar said.

Market access has often been one of the main challenges for farmers in the hinterland and remote areas, largely because of the absence of the right infrastructure.

Such is the case with Kimbia in Region 10, where 20,000 pounds of red beans are sitting.

“Even though many of the products you can produce in the interior communities, it is still cheaper to import them from abroad because of the lack of infrastructure,” President Ramotar said.

The availability of

vast arable lands in the Rupununi region where the Linden-Lethem Road passes was the target of a Hinterland Rice and Beans Project for the indigenous communities of the Rupununi savannahs.

That project which started three years ago saw for the first time the harvesting of 82 acres of paddy at Moco-Moco, Region Nine.

Guyana and neighbouring Brazil have been collaborating on the Linden-Lethem Road Project at the behest of former Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, who had commissioned the bridge across the Takutu River in 2009.

The establishment of

a Guyana/Brazil Joint Commission comprising representatives of both countries facilitated meetings on a regular basis.

A deepwater harbour in Guyana that would allow larger categories of goods to be transported and thereby boost trade relations with Brazil, has also been included in proposals submitted.

In December 2012, Guyana’s Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and her Brazilian counterpart Antonio Patriota signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bring into being a working group on infrastructural projects. The group held its first meeting in February this year.

ld people seh a man who sinkin in water and can’t swim gon clutch on to straw to save he life.

In a case like that is both he and de straw gon go down, no matter how many straw he hold on to. That is whah de old people call desperation, and desperation does mek people do just about any ting. Is like when a man losin he woman, he does want to beat she and bun down she house. Some a dem does even want to commit suicide.

That is how people does behave in real life when dem goin down. Not de kinda goin down whah dem boys, who seh dem is boys but dem is not boys, although dem does dress like boys, does do wid one another. That is a different kinda goin down. If yuh tink is lie, ask de headitor how he get dem big space in he front teeth and why Mook Lall keep he as a soup drinker and a puppet so long. Is de goin down whah does keep all a dem boys goin so long.

One a dem boys who does send out de Mook photos seh de Mook gettin desperate. Desperate people does do desperate tings. Desperation mek de Mook put a free centre page advertisement fuh people who he don’t like but who he tryin to be like. More people now buyin pipe at Ruimveldt. Mook Lall and he headitor want pipe too.

But dem lookin fuh pipe wid water and that kind don’t come from factory.

De Mook gettin so desperate that he walkin wid he head turn back lookin fuh see if de police comin. De Mook went and buy suitcase, but not to go anywhere.

He can’t land foot pun a certain country. De suitcase is fuh hide money whah suppose to pay he rates and taxes and pay shareholders who he robbin fuh donkey years.

Plus backtrack people who de Mook rob and cause to get send back callin like mad to get back dem money. Is more desperation steppin in fuh de Mook.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! When a man desperate is one ting. But when he desperate and stupiddy like de Mook, yuh know yuh got plenty problem.

National Youth Policy being developed

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he Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry with support from the Commonwealth Youth Programme Caribbean Centre and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Guyana have undertaken the task of revising a National Youth Policy for Guyana.

As previous newspaper articles would have mentioned, the consultant advising the process is aiming to complete the policy by year-end. The policy will be supplemented with a strategic implementation plan, inclusive of a monitoring and evaluation framework that identifies clear activities, actions, goals and timelines.

The consultant is being assisted by two broad base national committees: a National Stakeholders Committee (NSC) and a National Youth Steering Committee (NYSC).

The NSC is comprised of various stakeholders, formed with the purpose to oversee and advise

the formulation, technical input and implementation of the policy. On the other side, the NYSC provides support to the consultant and facilitate youth participation and inclusion throughout the process, but more so, to engage and inform the young population.

The members were selected from across Guyana and comprise a diverse background of skills and professional areas, including, but not limited to, the following areas: (one) youth work; (two) private sector and (three) national development planning.

Regional consultations

Before commencing regional consultations, the members of the NYSC and youth officers attended a participatory learning and assessment training, to understand the various methods and materials used to collect data. One of the most interactive and enlightening session was drafting in groups, a vision and mission statement; it was inspiring!

with several Caribbean countries in developing national youth policies, including Anguilla, Dominica and Barbados.

More recently, he chaired the National Committee charged with formulating a youth policy for Barbados. This policy was approved by the Parliament in May. He has professional qualification in planning and social development.

Guiding document

A section of the gathering at a recent consultation held at the Regency Suites Hotel, Hadfield Street, Georgetown

Currently, the National Youth Steering Committee is in the process of completing the data collection, having travelled around Guyana for the past four weeks, conducting focus group sessions, consultations and administration of questionnaires. In addition to data already gathered, the consultant will also use a white paper that was done in 2011 on the National Youth Policy, and be guided by research and good prac-

tice from reports published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), CARICOM and UNICEF on young people in Guyana and the Caribbean, as well as global youth policy.

Consultant of the youth policy Dereck Alleyne of Barbados began his long career in youth work in Guyana, as a resident of the Commonwealth Diploma Programme in Youth Work. He has worked

The big question though, is what is a National Youth Policy?

Many say it is a signal of the government’s commitment to the young population, and a practical framework for national youth development, that is, providing a conducive environment and opportunities for the country’s young people to grow and reach their full potential.

In other words, a document developed to guide priority intervention by the state and other key stakeholders to youth development, participation and involve-

ment in productive national life.

The youth policy is sometimes referred to as a “cross-sectoral policy”, that is, coordination of the policy in different sectors, as well as an “integrated policy” where the government’s actions and measures in these different areas must be coordinated into one comprehensive strategy. A youth policy is different from public policies, in that, it touches upon many public policy areas. Hence, it is essential that the different government agencies and departments be involved in the drafting and implementation process.

The policy defines who is a young person, often times premised on age, ability, status and behaviour. It is not determined biologically but as youth policies’ manuals explain, the concept of youth is socially constructed, and differs with time and the socioeconomic development of a society.

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GOVT’s ONE STOP SHOP…

Youths snapping up house lots APNU will not approve flawed ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING BILL…

– another 1600 allotted at Farm, East Bank Demerara

sidise the scheme by almost 45 percent.”

BY SABATINI DANIELS

H

ousing Minister Irfaan Ali said there has been a significant shift in the average age of landowners in Guyana due to the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s (CH&PA) one stop shops.

Speaking at the seventh One Stop Shop for the year at the Guyana National Stadium on Wednesday, where in excess of 1600 house lots were distributed to Farm Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara.

The minister stated that years ago persons in their 50s and 60s retired without owning their own homes, or lands, describing the one stop shops as a “life transformational activity”.

Average landowner

“I am very happy to say today that the situation has changed to such the extent that the average landowner or homeowner is well below 35 years old, you have persons who are 23, 24 and 25 who already own their own home and land… this is a tremendous accomplishment.”

He stated that the previous investment policy did not target home and land ownership as important elements of social transformation, noting that this is the reason government has spent a tremendous amount of time and resources in ensuring the social sector was reno-

Agreement of sale

Housing Minister Irfaan Ali

vated.

“We have shown our commitment and, or effectiveness in delivering housing and living solutions for families and people all across this country.”

Moving to Farm Housing Scheme, Ali disclosed that government will invest in excess Gy$1.6 billion for infrastructural works and electricity in the area which will create 1695 new house lots that will benefit almost 7000 persons directly.

This means that for every person living in a household, government will be investing on their behalf Gy$220,000.

“There are a lot of people who say when government sell this land, they are making a big surplus, that is not the case, the total revenue that will be derived from the sales of all these lots would be Gy$838 million as against an investment of Gy$1.6 billion… the government will sub-

Ali also reminded persons that there is a clause in the agreement of sale which states that, if any person is discovered to have misrepresented any information on his/her application, monies paid will be forfeited and no house lot will be granted. President Donald Ramotar noted that government has also halted the taxes it receives from banks so that Guyanese can enjoy cheaper mortgage rates.

He said there are many issues in society which can affect all the measures the government has put in place to benefit homes owners, noting that the administration will need everyone’s support.

Subsequently, he made reference to the passage of the money laundering bill as one of these issues which needs to be tackled.

“This bill is to bring our legislation at the same level as the rest of the Caribbean legislation to fight against money laundering and drug trafficking… to close all the loopholes where people are getting illicit funds.”

He stated that failure to pass the bill will result in many banks having serious problems in doing business in Guyana and will have a “snowballing” effect on the economy as a whole.

from page 21

Govt banking on APNU to ... commission, has decided to withhold its support for amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act until such time that the commission is established. On Wednesday, the AFC maintained that it was absolutely convinced that, owing to the absence of the procurement commission for the past decade, money laundering has reigned supreme in “our financial landscape.” The party said launderers have had a field day, and they continue to make hay while the sun shines.

Strict legislation

The AFC added that while anti-money laundering measures are needed, passing the bill without having the procurement commission in place would be akin to locking the barn door while the fattest pig was

still out in the yard.

“In direct and indirect ways, the absence of the PPC has resulted in why so much substandard infrastructure work has been done regionally and nationally, why public servants and workers generally cannot have better wages and salaries, and why a sultanate of extremely rich persons has been created.”

The party alluded to a speech in the National Assembly of the Ninth Parliament by President Donald Ramotar, then a member of parliament, who had said the delay in appointing the commission was due to the People’s National Congress/Reform’s insistence on unanimity.

Not a priority “Now that Mr Ramotar has become president, it is his government that is blocking the setting up of the commission and has

even gone further to say that the appointment of the Public Procurement Commission is not a priority,” the AFC contended. “It is for this reason that the AFC sees support for even a more perfected AML [anti-money laundering] Bill as depending on the setting up and running of the PPC. “So whilst this approach may see some businessmen shedding a tear or two in explaining their transactions, our workers and the poor for over 10 years now have been crying blood in a riotously corrupt procurement landscape.

“The AFC will maintain its position that Guyanese are entitled to and must have both the Public Procurement Commission and anti-money laundering legislation. One is not enough.”

money laundering bill – Granger

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Partnership for National Unity (APNU) leader David Granger has declared that the coalition will not approve a flawed Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill.

Speaking at the coalition’s weekly press conference on Friday, at its headquarters on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, Granger said the bill is being thoroughly scrutinised for errors.

“We have had an Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act for four years… they’ve been trying to push through… we have only been working on it for four months, we made it clear, we want to see a bill which has teeth.”

Granger noted that APNU will not give the

Opposition Leader David Granger

Guyanese something that will not work.

APNU, he said is close to finalising the amendments to the bill, and has been gathering information from stakeholders.

“We have gotten a much wider range of evidence; we have been able to look at the recommendations of the Caribbean Financial Action Task

Force (CFATF) and we felt that if the government allowed the process to work, we can get a properly amended act in a reasonable time.”

Granger said the opposition will pass a proper bill.

The amended bill was read in the National Assembly for the first time on April 22, and subsequently on May 7 when the opposition voted for it to be sent to a special select committee.

On May 27, Guyana missed the CFATF’s deadline and if blacklisted by Financial Action Task Force (FATF) countries as a result of its failure to meet the new November 18 deadline, financial transactions involving Guyanese companies will be intensely scrutinised, creating significant delays in the financial and banking systems.

Guyana captures five regional CXC awards

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uyana has again dominated the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations and will pick up five of the eight awards, which will be presented to top students at this year’s examinations.

The announcement was made by Guyana’s Education Minister Priya Manickchand during a special press conference last Thursday.

Manickchand expressed satisfaction with the performance of the students, noting that it was a proud moment for Guyana.

“I am extremely pleased to congratulate these students on their momentous achievements…To the teachers and parents who would have worked incredibly hard to ensure that these children perform at the highest level, I thank you,” the minister said.

Topping the list of awardees is Yogetta Persaud of Anna Regina Secondary School who will be presented with an award for Overall Outstanding Achievement.

Rafeena Mohammed from the Saraswatie Vidya Niketan School copped the award for Most Outstanding in Humanities, Cecil Cox of Queen’s College for Most Outstanding in Sciences, Sasha Woodroffe of

Guyana’s Education Minister Priya Manickchand

Queen’s College for Most Outstanding in Business Studies, and Zimeena Rasheed of Anna Regina Secondary School for Most Outstanding in Technical Vocational.

Goal to win all awards

The other three awards for Most Outstanding Candidate in Visual Arts–TwoDimensional Work; Most Outstanding Candidate in Visual Arts–ThreeDimensional Work, and Most Outstanding Candidate in Short Story Writing were won by students outside of Guyana.

Manickchand said Guyana will be working to win all eight awards sometime in the future.

The minister said the achievements of the students are a reflection of the investments government continue to make in the education sector.

“The government remains committed to the development of the education provided to our

students which means that as a country we will be producing more students of high quality who will be well equipped with the essential skills that will forge a development strategy from which all Guyanese will benefit,” she added.

Meanwhile, in addressing whether students should be restricted to writing fewer subjects, Manickchand said the education ministry does not encourage students to write large numbers of subjects.

According to her, the policy states that a student would have to show remarkable competency before they are allowed to write more than eight to 10 subjects. She also emphasised that these students would also be required to pass the Grade Nine exams before they can sign up for the CSEC exams.

She said, “The fact that we have students writing 20 means we have the capacity to write 20.” Manickchand stated that the ministry will not dictate how many subjects one student can write, if they are willing and able to, then those persons would be allowed to write the exams.

Within the last decade, Guyana has been consistently winning awards from CXC based on the excellent performance of students.

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2000 more solar panels being Guyana experiencing paradigm shift in education procured for hinterland – Hinds – attorney general urges students to strive for excellence, remain focused

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Attorney General Anil Nandlall with top students, including Yogeeta Persaud (right) and Zimeena Rasheed (second left)

paradigm shift is taking place in Guyana which has seen significant and historic improvements in the quality of education being delivered at the nursery, primary and secondary levels, and government will not lose sight of its aim to develop the socio-economic condition of its people.

This is the position of Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, who recently delivered the feature address at the 35th Graduation and Prize Giving Ceremony of the Anna Regina Multilateral School last Friday afternoon.

Nandlall said government was extremely proud of the gains made in the education sector as it continues to plug more than one-third of its budgetary allocation to improve access to education and the overall social development of all Guyanese, especially youth and children.

“Indeed, in the year 2013, the education sector received the largest singular budgetary allocation,” he explained.

The minister reported that he was extremely proud that the country’s students continue to create history in the sector by outperforming their regional counterparts at examinations and competitions, which in itself, is testimony to the amount of attention and commitment that exists as far as improving the quality of education delivered to the nation’s youth is concerned.

He said the accomplishments at the last Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate

(CSEC) examinations were neither ordinary nor coincidental as he underscored the importance of understanding the journey that education has travelled to be where it is today.

Significant change

The attorney general recalled a period when chalk was not even available in the schools and when more than half of the students writing the then Common Entrance Examinations could not find placements at secondary schools to continue their studies and were allegedly systematically failed.

He said the country’s education sector was in a bad state and because of poor planning and misuse of resources; many accomplishments could not have been achieved before the ruling administration took office.

“Unless we reflect on the times past to understand where we were and where we are now, we will never be able to appreciate our accomplishments,” he emphasised.

Minister Nandlall said gone are the days when only an elite few were the beneficiaries of a quality education because of issues of affordability, status and urbanisation. He pointed out that government has worked hard to ensure that even the poorest of Guyana’s poor is entitled to and can access a modern education.

“We are celebrating the success of that paradigm shift today,” he stated.

In congratulating Region Two for its exceptional showing at the recent CSEC examinations, Nandlall

said there must be no room for complacency and time wasting as the business of education delivery must reach new heights.

Positive reflection

He said that the Anna Regina Multilateral School reflects the paradigm shift that has taken place in the education system, considering the constant gains that it has made as far as inculcating well rounded systems into society.

“This school has moved from a mere vocational and technical school to a supreme centre of excellence for not only Guyana, but the Caribbean, considering this year’s historic achievements,” the minister said passionately.

He said the school must now address the other concerns and challenges that may be impeding its growth and development to achieve sustainable results and an even higher calibre of students who will ensure that Guyana’s flag remains high.

The minister recognised the extra-ordinary efforts of a remarkable complement of teachers who would have contributed significantly to the students’ success. He congratulated the parents whose sacrifices, financial support and guidance made this success possible.

Nandlall said that all Guyana is proud of the academic achievements of Yogeeta Persaud and Zimeena Rasheed who copped awards for the Best Overall CSEC Student in the Caribbean and Best Technical Vocational CSEC Student respectively.

P

rime Minister Samuel Hinds has announced plans to acquire an additional 2000 solar panels for the ongoing Hinterland Electrification Programme, under which homes and schools in the hinterland are being supplied with electricity.

The announcement came after numerous testimonies by toshaos last week about the government fulfilling its promise to deliver solar panels to the various Amerindian villages, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

“We are looking to get it (solar panels) either from a programme of assistance or maybe in next year’s budget. So we have that in mind,” Prime Minister Hinds said during the just-concluded toshaos conference held at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) in Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

During day three of the meeting, some toshaos who had not yet received their panels made inquiries of the prime minister at a highly-interactive session attended by President Donald Ramotar and other Cabinet members.

The distribution process was one of several that suffered a major setback after the opposition cut funding for the country’s Low Carbon

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds

Development Strategy (LCDS) that specifically targeted Amerindian community development.

The action had discouraged and disappointed many of the Amerindian village leaders and villagers themselves who were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the panels, intending to capitalise on the availability of electricity, especially during the evening hours.

The first phase of the project saw 11,000 65-watt photovoltaic solar home systems being made available to residents, and about 184 villages began receiving about 12 to 15 kilowatt hours of electricity.

H i n t e r l a n d Electrification Unit The Hinterland Electrification Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister has been the executing agency and has

facilitated training in assembling, installing, and maintaining the systems. Residents from 184 villages were trained.

The prime minister also announced that a technical representative from the Office of the Prime Minister will be visiting Isseneru to follow up on a request for a generator.

In villages, like Himacabra and Kabakaburi in Region One and St Cuthbert’s Mission in Region Four, the solar panels can be considered a success story. Solar panels distribution and installation have been successfully completed for all households at Himacabra, Toshao Joan Williams told her fellow leaders while presenting an update on progress in her community.

With electricity fast becoming a reality in the hinterland areas, the government is now aggressively focusing on the establishment of computer hubs to pilot the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project in the Amerindian villages. Waramadong, Region Seven is one of 50 hinterland locations that have been earmarked for the launch of the initiative, and unlike the coastland where computers are delivered to individual homes; the hubs will provide a central location where villagers will meet for computer training.

Sai Baba organisation serves needy in Guyana T

he Sri Sathya Sai Baba Organisation worldwide recently celebrated Avatar Declaration Day with a global service project “Serve the Planet”.

According to a release, this year the objective was to feed the poor, and devotees from around the world participated in this beautiful tribute to the beloved swami.

“It was on this day in the year 1940, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, in His infinite love and compassion, declared to the world that He is the avatar who has come for the redemption of mankind. By holding onto His feet and practising His teachings, we will reach the summum bonum of life,” the organisation said.

Members and dev-

Members of the Sai Organisation of Guyana serving the needy in Georgetown

otees of The Sai Organisation of Guyana also participated in this global service project, and in following one of the basic teachings of the swami, they served needy brothers and sisters all over Guyana with the feeling of it is not “I” or “Us”, but really the Swami (God) in us serving the Swami (God) in fellow brothers and

sisters.

“We express our gratitude to Bhagawan (God) for allowing us the opportunity to participate in this wonderful project ‘Serve the Planet’ and serve the Swami (God) within man. Sai Baba emphasises that giving food to the hungry is among the most noble and sacred of charitable actions.

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Former clerk slams current Parliament Region 10 chairman discusses

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– says ‘working together’ critical

ormer Clerk of the National Assembly Frank Narain said he is unhappy with the sickening state of affairs in Parliament today, asserting that the continuous gridlock has only served to stall development at the national level.

He said too that from his travels since retirement, the Guyana Parliament needs a new complex that will enable it to be more effective in serving its constituencies.

There have been constant criticisms of the work of the current Parliament, with government and opposition colliding on almost every issue.

Noting that he is saddened by the way things are happening, Narain said it only leads to having less being done, which in general hampers development.

Narain, who served as clerk for 51 years, noted that he has never experienced a similar situation during his tenure, pointing out that what is happening now warrants special attention.

He said from discussions with the current

believes that there are many important issues which are being stalled at Parliament. Narain said if these issues could be addressed, it would bring greater development for the country.

ew complex

Former Clerk of the National Assembly, Frank Narain

Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, he was made to understand some of the challenges he (Isaacs) is facing.

Working together

Narain said things are likely to remain the same in Parliament if members do not get down to working together.

The former clerk believes that while the new dispensation is good to some extent and has created greater accountability, it is not necessarily helping to fasttrack government’s work the way it ought to. He

Meanwhile, Narain said after serving Parliament for so many years and having had to opportunity to travel and understand how other Parliament operates, he said there is a need for a new complex. This, he explained is necessary in order for each parliamentarian to execute his/her mandate more effectively and to enable them to better serve their constituencies.

Narain joined the Colonial Secretary Office of British Guiana in 1951. He served as a clerk, and on May 25, 1966, one day before the country gained independence, his appointment as deputy clerk was announced. That appointment became effective in September of 1966.

Shortly thereafter, he was appointed Clerk of the National Assembly, until his retirement in 2002.

economic development with residents - stakeholders to decide on China’s proposed investment in the region

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egion 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon met with various agriculture stakeholders from across the region on Monday as a follow-up to a previous meeting held two weeks ago, aimed at advancing economic development in the region.

The series of engagements was born out of Solomon’s and Linden InterimManagement Committee (IMC) Chairman Orrin Gordon’s recent trip to China. Monday’s meeting sought to provide yet another platform for stakeholders involved in farming and other forms of agriculture, to make suggestions and recommendations on advancements in this regard.

Solomon indicated that there are currently expressions of interest which were put forward by the Chinese government for agriculture production and development within Region 10, and recommendations surrounding these expressions of interest were welcomed at Monday’s meeting. These recom-

Council (RDC) will be seeking to address the issue and have it settled within three months.

Frustration

Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon

mendations, he noted, will next week be presented to a wider-cross section of stakeholders to decide whether the proposed investments

by China should be welcomed.

The regional chairman further explained that the issue of land ownership by farmers in Linden and other areas across Region 10 was also discussed, since most farmers are not in possession of titles for the lands they utilise, while he noted that the Regional Democratic

Farmers, he noted, vented their frustration over this issue, while he said the recommendation was made to encourage organised farming, along with marketing cooperatives, which will perform the duty of ensuring that all farmers operate under a more organised scenario.

Another recommendation which was made, Solomon disclosed, was for the Chinese government to simply be provided with the land to conduct farming. All these recommendations, among others are expected to be presented and assessed at another stakeholder consultation to be held at the Egbert Benjamin Centre and Conference Hall. They are expected to also influence how the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) will perform its duty in terms of advancing agriculture, Solomon said.

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Govt plugs Gy$16M into development of cruise tourism – stakeholders hail move, but warn of hurdles

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takeholders have lauded the move by government to develop the cruise tourism industry here, with an initial US$80,000 contract for a feasibility study on the sector.

Acting Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali said cruise tourism will aid in the diversification of Guyana’s tourism industry, but the establishment of an institutional framework is pivotal to a viable and competitive industry. He added that the feasibility study will determine the legislative arrangements required.

The underlying benefits to be derived from cruise tourism must not

The National Geographic during its visit to Guyana last month

go unnoticed, he said, explaining that it brings an influx of tourists.

“Cruise tourism also brings with it, a large level of spending in local market, because cruise liners do not spend a long time, so they have a very intense period through which tourists interact with the local economy.”

Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) President Kit Nascimento said the feasibility study was a welcome initiative, noting that the entity stands ready to represent the private sector during the consultative process. “…we look forward to playing a positive and active role.”

Enormous benefits

Like Minister Ali, Nascimento strongly believes that cruise tourism has enormous benefits for a country with a small economy like Guyana.

He said, however, that Guyana was not yet ready for cruise tourism.

He pointed to the state of the three main rivers in Guyana, singling out the Demerara River.

It is no secret that the Demerara and Essequibo rivers require serious dredging, an issue that has been on the table since the 1990s.

In the 1980s, the Demerara River was dredged to a respectable 22.5 feet to facilitate ships hauling bauxite. But with poor maintenance, the 12mile channel has shrunk to a mere 13 feet, hindering the shipping industry.

Earlier this month, the Donald Ramotar administration said major emphasis would be placed on dredging the Demerara River.

Customs and immigration

Customs and immigration was another area of concern of the THAG president. While Nascimento has no doubts about the Immigration Department’s ability to manage the influx of travellers the industry would bring, he said critical systems must be put in place. “…you have a large number of people being cleared through customs and immigration in a great hurry, in a very small space of time,” he

opined.

Alluding to the garbage situation, which must be resolved before Guyana is ready to host cruise ships, Nascimento said: “You don’t want tourists flowing into Georgetown as it looks today, and it’s not merely cleaning up the garbage, it goes a great deal further than that.”

“It’s keeping the streets clean, removing all of the houses in and around Georgetown, which are collapsing, we can do a great deal, to preserve some of the older architecture sites in Georgetown that would be very attractive to cruise ship tourists,” he explained.

Both the government and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council have been bashed for the deplorable state of the capital city. Citizens were also urged to be responsible in their actions and not litter.

Market analysis

“I would imagine that the consultant would be devoting some time to a sort of a market analysis, to assess the demand here and the capacity to deliver the product, should the ships come in,” Nascimento said.

Meanwhile, tourists are showing increasing interest in yachting in the Essequibo River, since the yachting rally last month.

Over the past six weeks, more than 30 yachts have visited Guyana.

A foreign investor has already indicated his interest in establishing a marina and boatyard, a vital component of the yachting industry.

The cruise ship tourism is one of the fastest growing segments in the travel industry.

However, Guyana has hosted few cruise ships.

Last month, the National Geographic cruise ship visited Guyana for the first time, carrying 110 international passengers, and a crew also numbering 110. The luxurious French vessel ‘Le Levant’, ‘Saga Pearl 2’, and the ‘Vistamar’ were among ships to dock at Guyana’s shores.

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From slum to thriving scheme: Mahdia on the rise

BY SVETLANA MARSHALL

M

ahdia, Region Eight, is on the “verge of transformation”, Regional Executive Officer Ronald Harsaywack told this publication. According to him, the landscape is gradually changing from a slum to a scheme with modern towering edifices.

Mahdia, situated in the Potaro-Siparuni region, which is famous for its gold-mining ac-

tivities, is inhabited by three primary groups: the Patamonas, coastlanders and immigrants from the Caribbean and neighbouring Brazil.

The gold rush is having a trickle-down effect, but on a positive note. According to Harsaywack, the commercial sector is on the rise, with a wide crosssection of commercial services being offered, from supplying groceries to mechanical services, to hospitality and Information

Communication Technology (ICT) services.

Mining activities

“Due to the influx of people and mining activities, there is a spin-off effect, even in the transportation [sector], with increasing numbers of taxis and minibuses.”

In the area of infrastructure, the regional executive officer said the commercial and residential sectors are now changing from wooden to concrete structures, ranging from flat con-

crete buildings to threestorey buildings.

“The Mahdia you know three, four years ago, is not the Mahdia we have today. Without a doubt, I can say, there are improved facilities and services,” he posited.

Faced with problems

But like many other communities within the country, Mahdia is faced with several problems.

“Well, of course, those things come with their negative impacts, like in any other region. We are forced to deal with the

Region Eight REO Ronald Harsaywack

issue of security, issue of environmental soundness and social ills that we have to deal with.”

In the area of security, he explained that due to the sparse and mountainous settlements, ranks of the Guyana Police Force operating within the sub-district cannot effectively execute their duties, noting that often times they cannot carry out frequent patrols.

“If the police are at one location and something happens or they receive intelligence for them to get to a different location within a timeframe”, the terrain makes that difficult.

No official report

According to Harsaywack, with a porous security system and increasing movement of people, illicit drugs and even guns and ammunition are reportedly trafficked easily.

Prostitution, child labour, robberies and murders are also areas of concern, he said. “We had two cases where we Two of the modern facilities being erected in the heart of Mahdia

continued on page 35

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Indian singers thrill Diwali Utsav audience D

espite heavy downpours, the show at the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabah’s Diwali Utsav attracted thousands who were well-entertained by Indian singers, Gunjam Singh and Jeffrey Iqbal when the event was hosted on Saturday evening at the Guyana International

Sport Minster, Dr Frank Anthony scampering for cover.

The rain started with a drizzle, followed by heavy downpours.

Soon after the heavens closed, most of the audience would have left, but those who stayed witness a breathtaking performance from Iqbal.

Bollywood singer Jeffrey Iqbal entertains patrons at the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s Diwali Utsav Saturday evening at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown

Gunjam Singh serenading fans at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown on Saturday

Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

The rain interrupted proceedings just as Singh was performing her last song for the evening. This saw attendees including President Donald Ramotar, former president Bharrat Jagdeo and Culture, Youth and

The show started with local talents, Sookrane Boodhoo, Mona and Rekha Singh, who evidently put the patrons in the right mood, as some were seen dancing and cheering as the singers belted out their renditions. As normal, they performed to the satisfaction of the audience

and were backed up by talented musicians from Mumbai and Guyana.

There were also some breathtaking performances by the Sabah’s Dharmic Nritya Sangh dancers. In colourful costumes, they delivered as expected. The dances were well choreographed with the young ladies moving gracefully on stage during their presentations.

After about an hour of local acts, Gunjam Singh was introduced to the audience, and received a resounding welcome.

Known for her versatility, the renowned singer serenaded her fans to the

fullest.

Engaging

She started off with the less saucy hits but increased the tempo, causing everyone to clap and cheer. As she performed, she sought the services of young dancers from the audience to join her on stage, but they were too shy, and decided to dance to the tunes on the ground, and did so to perfection.

Among the tunes she sang were “Bindiya Chamke Gi”, “Noorie”, “Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar”, Aaj Phir Jeene Ke”, and also some of her original songs, including

“Kinna Sohna”, “Kawan”, “Nachle” and “Naiyon Dil Lagda”.

She also sang a few requested selections, including “Bonita Oh My Darling” and others.

Singh then turned up the heat with some of the more saucy renditions which definitely added some spice to the evening as even the president and his colleagues were tapping their feet and clapping lustily after every song performed by Singh.

Decked in a pair of jeans and a pink and black long sleeve jersey, Iqbal made his appearance on stage to the de-

light of those who remained after the rain.

With his melodious and spirited voice, he engaged the audience to the maximum.

He dished out some of his tunes including “Dil Ki Zarurat”, “Nayee Zameen”, “Tu Mere Dil”, “Rabaru” and others.

The U.S.-born singer performed to perfection and received overwhelming support from his fans who screamed and chanted his name as he performed.

His performance was complemented with the dancers of the Dharmic Nritya Sangh. Singh and Iqbal also performed several duets together, which sent the crowd into frenzy. Their coming together was definitely a bonus for the patrons who braved the weather to be a part of the action.

Despite the rains, the night ended on a high note with some excellent performances by the two international artistes as well as the local talents.

The Sa Re Ga Ma Pa singer will be at the Diwali Motorcades in Berbice, where he is expected to visit the site of the shelter being built for the less-fortunate children.

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Guyanese designer launches “Muujiza wa Amani” collection

- Donna Ramsammy James’ work has been making an impact in Italy and London er, Donna Ramsammy James stepped onto the runway to loud cheers.

Immediately after the private viewing, the designer told media operative that the designs presented had been in the making for a year.

This collection, she added, is her 15th and she will soon concentrate on the 16th edition, which is expected to be held at the Herdmanston Lodge, Peter Rose and Lamaha streets, Georgetown in November 2014. She recalled that for the past 15 years, the private viewing was done at her residence, but she be-

R

lieves that it has outgrown the space; hence, a decision was taken to shift the venue.

Ramsammy James recollected that when she started a few years ago, a handful of people were invited, but now, her clientele has expanded tremendously. The designer also revealed that her work is creating an impact in Italy, London and other countries.

One important fact to note is that outfits are made to order and cannot be purchased at any store. Prices range from $Gy15,000 to Gy$35,000 a piece.

Three models as they display pieces of Donna Ramsammy James’ collection, “Muujiza wa Amani” at the private viewing on Sunday evening

e n o w n e d Guyanese designer Donna Ramsammy James on Sunday evening launched her 2014 collection called “Muujiza wa Amani” at an event held on the lawn of her D’Urban Street home.

The audience was treated to a 45-minute presentation, which featured more than 150 pieces for men and women. The atmosphere was

right, with the appropriate music for the various designs. The models did a fantastic job during the presentation, captivating the hearts of those present as they took to the runway.

The name “Muujiza wa Amani’ means “Magic of peace” and the designs were carefully put together using various fabrics such as linen and cotton.

The eye-catching co-

lours of the presentation were breathtaking – shades of green, orange, yellow, and blue complemented with black, white, grey, and brown.

The collection is about “peace” and the environment. Each design was worn with matching costume jewellery and handbag where appropriate.

Ensembles

The evening started with the models appear-

ing in ensembles made of brown cotton with masks covering their faces. As they stood in a line, they unmasked themselves to the members of the audience.

The little children were also a part of the historic event and they reiterated that getting rid of garbage is a way of keeping our surroundings clean.

At the end of the fabulous display, the design-

Two models display Ramsammy James’ designs

Aspiring lawyer wins Miss NGSS title

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ifteen-year-old Hahdiel Jedidah Harry outshone her eight rivals to cop the title of Miss North Georgetown Secondary School (NGSS) on Saturday evening. The pageant was held in the school’s auditorium.

The aspiring lawyer, who hails from Lethem, Central Rupununi, also won the prizes for Best Introduction, Best Talent, Best Evening Gown and Best Stage Appearance. Her platform for the pageant was eradication of sexual abuse among children.

Coming in as first runner-up was Cindy Ann Khan, who aspires to be a Justice of Peace while Yonella Burkett, who wants to become an accountant, copped the second runner-up spot, followed by Johnali Stewart, another aspiring lawyer in third place. Zhoria Wilburg, who would like to become a midwife, secured the fourth runner-up position.

Wilburg also copped

the prize for Miss Congeniality while the Most Disciplined Award went to Jehoshebeth Ferdinand. The teenager with the Best Smile throughout the competition was delegate number four, Cindy Khan.

All the delegates were also awarded with hampers from Ricks and Sari, while those who did not make it into the top five would have received a monetary prize from the North Georgetown Secondary School Alumni Association.

Ecstatic

Immediately after the crowning, the newly-crowned queen explained that she was ecstatic to have won the crown and will represent it to the fullest. She promised to implement programmes that will boost the school’s morale and more so, its identity.

Harry added that it has not been an easy road to pageant night, but must acknowledge her parents and siblings, teachers and more so her colleagues for believ-

Miss Hahdiel Jedidah Harry moments after being crowned Miss NGSS 2013

ing in her. According to the 15-year-old, it was a wonderful experience and she would encourage any teenager to get involved in pageantry, claiming that it can be a learning experience, one that they will live with for the rest of their lives.

However, from the

beginning of the contest, the newly-crowned queen was on the leader’s board, full of confidence and charm, and topping it off with a unique smile.

During her introduction, she displayed confidence and intelligence and was well received by

the audience.

As the competition continued, the queen performed a dramatic dance piece to support her platform titled: “The Eradication of Sexual Abuse Among Children”.

Dressed in a shimmering gold and white outfit, she executed the dance routine to perfection.

She also went ahead as the favourite to win the title after the highly-anticipated intelligence segment, which saw each delegate being questioned on their platform. While some of the delegates were left fumbling for words to answer the questions posed to them, Harry was in high spirits as the crowd was 100 percent behind her.

Stiffer penalties

She was asked, “If crowned Miss NGSS, how would you use your influence to help eradicate sexual abuse among children?”

With eloquence combined with poise and charm, Harry responded: “since education is the

best preventative tool against sexual abuse, education for the general public about their children’s ownership of their body, how to be bold and say no if felt violated… also lobbying for stricter penalties against sexual predators”.

The crowd went berserk after she answered the question. The delegates then displayed their evening gown and Harry’s was designed

by Neilson Nurse. This was followed by the announcement of the special prizes and the final five. In the question and answer segment, each delegate was asked a question by the panel of judges, including Miss Guyana Jamzone 2013, Alicia Bess, Michelle Plater, Clive Prowell and others. As usual, there were some disgruntled patrons who were not too pleased with the decision. The activity was organised by the NGSS Alumni Association and the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA).

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New gpc inc making strides in the medical world

Manufacturing of bird flu medication

I

Samantha Roopnarine (left) and Sariyaana Kumar-Singh (right) working on the production of Flumavir

n April 2009, U.S. media broke the news of the flu pandemic that was spreading across the globe. The flu pandem-

ic, which was wreaking havoc across the globe and fuelling pandemonium with air travel, was identified by the World

Health Organisation as the H1N1 virus, more commonly called bird or swine flu.

The U.S. Centre for

Disease Control estimated the number people who perished worldwide from the 2009 H1N1 virus infection to be approximately 575,400.

A disproportionate number of deaths occurred in Southeast Asia and Africa, where access to prevention and treatment resources were more likely limited.

Locally, Guyanese attentively followed the news of this deadly virus, worried that the virus may hit the Caribbean and worse, Guyana. As the country looked on anxiously, one company remained resolute and steadfast.

In keeping with its tradition of being a standard bearer of providing quality

pharmaceuticals to the nation, NEW GPC INC, in collaboration with the Health Ministry, poured resources into

manufacturing Flumavir (Oseltamivir Phosphate 75mg) which would combat the H1N1 virus, should an outbreak occur.

Guyana, at that time, was the only country in the Caribbean to have its own stock of this medication and was therefore the best prepared for such an eventuality. The ability for the NEW GPC to be prepared in times of national need is once again demonstrated, as the company continues to be a pioneer in the pharmaceutical industry. The NEW GPC continues to be a trendsetter in the private sector; it also continues to contribute to the development of Guyana.

Defying traditional gender roles W

hile much applause greets women who have defied traditional gender roles, it is not so readily offered when men do likewise.

Sahadeo Harrack, also known as Vishnu, is a young man who braved the negative slurs of his community and followed his heart, to become a leading cake decorator today.

Vishnu, an only child, grew up with his mother in Corriverton, Berbice.

Although he felt disheartened to have dropped out of secondary school at an early age because of financial constraints, Vishnu did not allow this to hold him back from achieving his goals.

He seized the opportunity to improve his reading, writing, and English skills at Roadside Baptist centre, always longing for the opportunity to be trained in cake decoration but unable to afford the high cost.

Then in 2002, his prayer was answered when Roadside Baptist implemented a project for vulnerable youths.

Gender equity and equal opportunity have always been promoted by Roadside Baptist Church Skills Training Centre since its inception. It has encouraged equality among all those who attend its programmes, which has resulted in an exemplary group of men like Vishnu defying social norms and taking up unexpected roles with valour.

Through the sponsorship of the UN Drug Control Program, the project was free of cost for all its beneficiaries. The management of Roadside made it even better by conducting the training in Corriverton instead of the centre at No. 68 Village, Berbice. That arrangement reduced the cost of travelling, ensuring a maximum number of those targeted would benefit from the programme.

Vishnu was the first to enrol.

Initially, as he expected, many of his female colleagues poked fun at him. The very few who were in the cake decoration business in Corriverton were all older women.

His colleagues thought that a young man like Vishnu had to be “different” to have chosen such a field in which, traditionally, only females were involved - after all, they were only displaying what they were taught by society.

Despite the taunts and discouragement, the support Vishnu received from a few close mentors strengthened his

Vishnu Harrack

Shakir Hoosein

Kishen Paramanad

conviction to pursue his dream.

Eventually, he became the “pet” among the group of trainees. His quiet and helpful disposition; skills and creativity, later captured the admiration of those who worked along with him.

Soon after the cake decorating programme concluded, another opportunity arose at Roadside Baptist – training in floral designing. Vishnu once again jumped at the opportunity.

Again, the training was done at no cost to the beneficiaries, as all training materials were provided, and the trainer paid by Roadside through the donor agency.

Today Vishnu, whose mother died a few years ago, is one the most sought after specialists for both cake decorating and floral design, especially for weddings, anniversaries and birthday parties. He does it all– cakes, bridal bouquets, groom’s lapels, wedding tables and more.

Through friends and social media, his clientele includes persons from Suriname, Linden and West Berbice.

Vishnu never allows negativity from others to daunt his spirit.

He has since trained a few others who help him when he has a lot of orders to fulfil. At the moment he is ably supported, in what has become his business, by two nieces who are both orphans. Vishnu’s advice to young men is to, “discover your passion, follow your heart and do not let the negatives of

society deter you.” He is proud of his achievement and continues to strive to improve himself.

And he has inspired other young men like himself to follow his example; like Shakir Hoosein and Kishen Pramanand.

Roadside Baptist is currently conducting income-generating skills training for youths, in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Services through the Board of Industrial Training; like Vishnu, Shakir and Kishen are seizing this opportunity for self-development.

They are also battling with the socially constructed norms expected of men. Unlike during Vishnu’s training period, the support the two have been receiving from the youth arm of peer educators at Roadside has helped then immensely to cope with the emotional and psychological pressure of taking a path less treaded by men in Guyana.

Shakir and Kishen are also preparing to be caterers and cake decorators.

In a class of 19, the two male youths are excelling. The first day of training presented challenges for the two, but, with the support from Rebekah Timram, one of the team leaders of the young peer educators, they were prepared to take on the day with courage.

To show how pervasive social stigma and negative peer pressure still is, it was noted than another male teenager had enrolled for training but never

showed up for the class because he was being called embarrassing names by his friends.

This certainly shows that going against certain expectations of society takes much courage and determination, and Vishnu, Shakir and Kishen have proven it can be done.

Today, after about eight weeks of training, Shakir and Kishen are outstanding in their performances and popularity among their colleagues.

They are the only two young men in a class of 17 females.

With their new skills and excellent performances at the 2013 CSEC examination, Roadside is positive that these two determined young men would make a significant contribution to building their communities.

Shakir and Kishen also continue to broaden their knowledge, and are presently pursuing training in information technology at Roadside Baptist centre.

The Board of Directors and staff of Roadside commend Vishnu, Shakir and Kishen for daring to challenge society, and thank all who have contributed in helping Roadside to continue to strive for the prevention of gender based violence through education and training.

Visit Roadside Baptist Skills Training Centre on Facebook for more information. (Information by the Roadside Baptist Church Skills Training Centre)

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G

uyanese women have years ago been instrumental in developing classical music locally. Through these passionate women, who have become cultural icons, the Guyana Music Teachers’ Association was founded.

Although there were males who played a significant part in the association, the women were the backbone of the association, and built it to what it is today. One such person is the late Lynette Dolphin. She was a musician and an academic teacher who worked with the government for 60 years. She was the first secretary of the association and its president for many years.

Dolphin was also the organiser of the Schools’ Music Festival in 1942, and one of the organisers of the Competitive Music Festivals from 1952.

As a chairman of the Department of Culture for more than 25 years, she had a strong influence on the progress of music in the country. She compiled six books of songs for use in schools: “One Hundred Folk Songs of Guyana” the most notable one. The musician had served since 1965 as the local representative of the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music, London. She was awarded the Order of Roraima in 1986.

Music Composer Valerie Rodway

Guyana delegations to Carifesta in 1992 and 1995. Lowe was awarded the Golden Arrow of Achievement in 1996.

Of note too is Marilyn Dewar who continues to be an avid member of the association. She has always played a vital role as secretary of the association.

Dewar is responsible for the month-

Marilyn Dewar continues to play a vital role in music in Guyana

Another notable woman, Mildred Lowe, still a passionate musician who migrated to the U.S., graduated from Caldwell College in New Jersey and has taught music since 1971. Her contribution to the association had been in the form of conducting workshops in theory, voice and piano. She also was involved in several events, both national and international, and led the

ly meetings and the various activities which the association hosts from time to time. She has her own music school and, in addition, is the organist and choir director of Christ Church, and the accompanist of the Woodside Choir.

The association’s founding president, Eleanor Kerry, was also active in music in Guyana. Over a span of almost 50 years she remained involved

in all the activities of the association.

When, in 1959, she was awarded the M.B.E. (Member of the Order of the British Empire) all the musicians of Guyana rejoiced with her. Sadly, she passed away in 1997.

Valerie Rodway (1919-1970) was another noteworthy teacher and composer who contributed largely to music in Guyana. She is best known for her national songs, “O Beautiful Guyana,” “Kanaïma,” “Hymn for Guyana’s Children,” “Arise, Guyana” and “Guyana the Free”. She also put to music the famed Guyanese independence poem by Martin Carter, “Let Freedom Awaken.” She was awarded the Cacique Crown of Honour, and the Guyana Folk Festival Committee bestowed upon her a Wordsworth McAndrew Award for her unselfish service to the development of Guyanese culture.

The Guyana Music Teachers’ Association was formed out of a need to ensure that music teachers in this country had access to the most up-to-date information regarding music teaching.

At the inaugural meeting held on April 7, 1948, at the 186 Waterloo Street, Georgetown home of the late Lynette Dolphin, the-then elected president Eleanor Kerry, spoke about the need for a Music Teachers’ Association and the benefits to be gained from the existence of such an organisation.

From that meeting, the aims of the association were to enlarge and improve the knowledge of music of its members and to stimulate their interest in every branch of musical development; to promote discussion on matters of interest to music teachers, and to make united representation in any matter affecting the teaching of music in this country; to keep abreast of current musical events and modern methods of teaching; and to undertake any other activity for the betterment of the association.

Its objective was to gain access to the most up-to-date and relevant information regarding the teaching of music, instrumental and vocal, for individuals and for schools, especially as it related to the world-wide examinations of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, which had been established in British Guiana since 1925, and the Trinity College of Music, a similar examining institution. As well as teachers with experience of examinations, there were others with no experience in the correct interpretation of the examination syllabus.

Besides the sharing of knowledge among its members, the association provided a forum where visiting musicians could present workshops, discussions and performances to the local

teachers and their senior pupils. In addition, there were illustrated lectures by qualified local musicians, as well as gramophone concerts and film shows.

With the introduction of the annual ‘Members’ Night’ every member was required to contribute an item to the programme, thus ensuring that every teacher was featured as a performer at least once in each year. These meetings revealed some hidden talent and provided a great deal of enjoyment to the members.

The late president of the Guyana Music Teachers' Association and musician Lynette Dolphin

In December, 1950, the association was registered as a Specially Authorised Society under the Friendly Societies Ordinance. After independence in 1966, the registration was amended to The Guyana Music Teachers’ Association. The association not only promoted and sponsored local concerts but also collaborated with embassies and high commissions in bringing celebrated international performers to Guyana. Many of these performers generously held workshops for local musicians.

Today, the association continues to play a fundamental part in promoting classical music in Guyana. Recently, at the National Cultural Centre, the association hosted “Musicians on Stage”, featuring a series of mesmerising melodies and beautifully choreographed dance pieces. The programme included violin, piano, guitar, steel pan and drumming pieces. There was also choral and vocal singing, along with choral poetry.

There are other women who have and still promote and preserve classical music in Guyana, to whom we are grateful for their efforts in keeping Guyana’s classical musical heritage alive. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

From slum to thriving scheme: Mahdia...

from page 31

found under age children working in the backdam.”

Asked about human trafficking, Harsaywack said while there have been informal reports that TIP exists within the mining community, there has never been an official report.

“When you walk on the road, you hear people

talk about people being trafficked, but we have never had a documented case, so there is nothing on record that says persons have been trafficked to Mahdia.”

Meanwhile, in the electricity sector, much is left to be desired. Since the commencement of the year, residents have been plagued with power

outages for extensive periods caused by a plethora of problems.

It was only earlier this month that the community started receiving 18 hours of electricity.

Initially, it was supplied with 12 hours of power after the power company, Mahdia Power and Light (MPL) started experiencing financial dif-

ficulties.

In a quest to clear the air of any misconception, Harsaywack explained that a 650-kilovolt-amperes (kVA) generator set and a 355-kVA generator are the main source of electricity in the mining community.

However, during the peak period, only 30 percent of the electricity

generated is utilised.

“The load is not there, so we produce electricity, but the people are not there to take off the electricity because of that, the revenues are not enough.”

Through the Office of the Prime Minister, a smaller generator set is being sourced to eliminate the problem, the

regional officer posited, noting that the situation would likely get better in 2014.

“So with that smaller gen set, we will be using less fuel… hopefully, we should have a balance with revenues coming in and inputs in terms of fuel and operation cost,” an optimistic Harsaywack said.

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This week's Crossword

J k es

Boat name

I wanted a boat very badly, so even though my wife forbade me, I bought one anyways.

When I came home, my wife was really mad!

So I told her she could name the boat; she named it “FOR SALE”.

Forgetting

Overheard: Two old people having a conversation: “I can’t stand it anymore I never can remember what I just said!”

“Oh really? When did this problem start?”

“What problem?”

Helicopter pilot

A helicopter pilot running out of gas found himself in the middle of the forest. Spotting a group of hikers, he quickly made a sign saying “Where am I?” The pilot put the sign to the window so they could see it.

Conversing for a few minutes, the hikers soon made their own sign and flashed it at the helicopter pilot.

Their sign said, “You’re in a helicopter.”

Cleaning dishes

I hired a new maid last year but she wasn’t doing a great job. I called her into the study and told that I was sorry but I was going to have to let her go. I tipped her an extra $20 and thanked her for her services.

As she was leaving she threw a $10 bill to our dog, Lucy.

I asked her, “What was that for?”

She replied, “Can’t forget my helper! Lucy has a great tongue, and always helped me do the dishes!!!”

Cockroach killer

This week's Puzzle

I was standing in line at the local Wal-Mart store, in the gardening centre the other day. So this guy in front of me is holding a bottle of insecticide and asks the salesman, “I have lots of cockroaches, is this good for them?”

“No,” says the salesman. “It’ll kill them!”

Opportunity

A lawyer was walking down the street when he saw two cars crashing into each other. Rushing over he said, “I saw everything, I can take either side!”

Nobel prize

A man is driving down the road, when he passes a farmer standing in the middle of a huge field.

He pulls the car over and watches the farmer doing absolutely nothing.

The man walks over to the farmer and asks him, “Excuse me sir, but what are you doing?”

The farmer replies, “I’m trying to win a Nobel Prize.”

“How?” asks the man, puzzled.

“Well I heard they give the prize to people who are outstanding in their field.”

Inexperienced hunters

Two inexperienced hunters went hunting in the woods. Before long they got lost. “Don’t worry,” said the first hunter, “I heard that when you’re lost you shoot three times in the air and someone should hear you.”

They fired three shots in the air and waited a half hour. They tried again another three and nothing happened. Finally they decided they will try it once more.

“This better work,” said the second hunter nervously. “These are our last arrows!”

The village idiot

see solution on page 46

John was riding his brand new bike down the street when he knocked over an old lady.

“You clumsy idiotic boy!” fumed the lady as she struggled to her feet. “Don’t you know how to ride a bike?”

“Of course I do,” replied John. “I just don’t know how to use the horn!”

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Celebrating the ‘Festival of Lights’ in NY R

esorts World Casino to host ‘Diwali Utsav’ this weekend in New York On Saturday November 2nd, 2013, Resorts World Casino New York City, in association with Angels Caribbean Entertainment Group of Companies Inc. will host a Diwali celebration in the casino’s Central Park Event Space.

Diwali, also known as the "Festival of Lights”, is the most widely celebrated festival amongst Asian/Caribbean Indians. The festival celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.

Diwali symbolises new beginnings, a renewed commitment to past values such as family, love, knowledge, righteousness, happiness and wealth.

“Resorts World Casino New York City embraces true multiculturalism and we are thrilled to be hosting a cultural event that is cel-

ebrated by so many people around the city and around the world,” said Kerri Lyon, Spokesperson for Resorts World Casino New York City. “As an entertainment capital,

we look forward to an exciting event for the greater Tri-State community and encourage everyone to join us and participate in the many Diwali festivities at the casino.”

There will be a wide array of performers including: The Angels Caribbean Band, Rangeela Dance Troupe, Natya Tilakam Dance Academy, Shelly Ramnanan Dance Troupe, Arvin & Sahil Batra, Wendy Kamal Dance Troupe, Geeta Bisram, Pally Dass, Raja and many more.

At the event there will be: traditional and contemporary live music and dances, Indo-Caribbean fashion display, taste of India and the Caribbean authentic vegetarian cuisine, spiritual & holistic fair, traditional Henna paintings, Indian art displays and a kids’ corner.

The festivities kick off at 7:00 pm.

Natural Resources Ministry, U.S. embassy partner to screen documentary on “Trash”

T

he Natural Resources and Environment Ministry’s “Pick it up Guyana Campaign” collaborated with the U.S. embassy to facilitate the viewing of an environmental documentary “Trashed” last Friday.

The documentary, screened at the Threatre Guild, Kingston, Georgetown, focuses on garbage and the messy issue of global waste, and identified sustainable measures and approaches that can easily be utilised to avert dangers of improper solid waste management.

U.S. Ambassador to Guyana D Brent Hardt advocated for Guyanese to work collectively to address the garbage situation plaguing Georgetown and by extension the rest of Guyana.

“There needs to be less finger-pointing and more collaborative action. Guyana’s leaders must come together around the table and chart a path to solve the country’s solid waste problems,” he said.

If Guyana is to truly develop into an eco-tourism destination and to be recognised worldwide for its environmental leadership, Ambassador Hardt said the country cannot go on ignoring the degradation of Georgetown’s environment.

“Only by coming together and working together in a spirit of national unity can the government, private sector, community organisations and the people of Guyana meet this challenge.”

Earlier in the year, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) passed a resolution to restore the capital city as a matter of emergency.

The technical, solid waste, public awareness and resource mobilisation committees were es-

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud delivering brief remarks at the screening of the environmental documentary

tablished; however, their works are yet to bear fruit.

“It is time to move beyond talk and begin to identity concrete actions to solve these problems. This is a challenge of political leadership and will, of institutional strengthening, and civic education,” the U.S. ambassador posited.

Environment Minister Robert Persaud expressed the hope that the film would be a motivating factor that would aid in the reduction of solid waste pollution, which has been crippling the tourism potential of the garden city.

He encouraged the students to be agents of change, noting that they too can make a valuable contribution by leading the way in the national effort.

“Trashed” is a groundbreaking environmental documentary, which paints a vivid picture of the global problem of waste disposal.

The film was first shown to a small group of students in June on World Environment Day. In recent times, the embassy has been working with the environment and education ministries to share the lessons behind the sobering film with students, communities, families and leaders in Berbice. The next stop is said to be Linden.

A section of the gathering at the screening

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J

asoda Ramlagan is a beauty with a cause. Hailing from Land of Plenty, Essequibo, Jasoda is proud that through pageantry she can fulfill her role as a humanitarian. The Lions Club of Essequibo Coast recently held their fundraising event: ‘Fun Fair and Sari Pageant’ at the Anna Regina Centre Ground in which Jasoda was happy to have participated for the second time. In the sari pageant segment she was awarded first runner-up. Although she did not win the crown, Jasoda was pleased to be part of the fundraising event, which will benefit the less fortunate. The 17-yearold always had a passion for pageantry and was an avid participant in pageants at her Cotton Field Secondary school in Essequibo. The aspiring lawyer recently graduated from high school and has her eyes set on furthering her studies at the University o f Guyana.

Star of the week

Health Feature

Having a healthy Halloween effect

By Tisha Boston

C

o st um es… co o k ies…candy… the fundamental elements of Halloween celebrations.

Today, Halloween is celebrated mainly by children trick or treating and candy is the main type of treat distributed on Halloween.

Almost every child in the United States has candy on Halloween.

Moreover, kids are not the only ones indulging in candy during this occasion, but many adults who prefer chocolate candy, have their share in it too.

Many ‘funsized’ candy bars pack about 60 to 100 calories; therefore, eating several of these a day over a long time can cause weight gain. So how can one avoid being haunted by candy’s side effects after Halloween’s trick or treating? Here are a few suggestions: • Avoid eating home-

made candy treats made by strangers. Safety and sanitation comes first.

Factory-wrapped candy is not only safer, but one can also track his or her calorie intake.

• Eat only healthy treats i.e. low-calorie candy.

• Use this Halloween

a day. One ‘fun-sized’ candy bar would suffice.

• Get the Halloween candy out of the house after a week or two. Take them to work or school or any large gathering, where it can be further shared among many people. This way they finish faster and you do not

weekend’s party games as an opportunity to engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity and continue to engage in as much physical activity as possible as long as there is still candy in the house.

• Eat one small treat

have to consume them all yourself.

• Cut back on sugar from other sources such as drinks, cookies, and cakes. Eating candy in addition to everything else that is sweet, can lead to weight gain or derail weight loss.

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fashion

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Andrew Harris launches

'Spring Summer 2014' collection T

his season, the team at the Andrew Harris Collection has diversified the brand into relevant product areas, in keeping with the aim of becoming a lifestyle brand. The label is inspired by music and elements of everyday living, and embodies effortless luxury.

By showing a sense of versatility in each look, Harris’ recent collection, ‘Spring Summer 2014’, sets itself apart. The signature fusion of the contemporary facets of the Caribbean and European aesthetic offers men a decisive interpretation of style.

The collection caters specifically for the metropolitan man who does not try too hard and is not afraid to mix and match, while having a laid back but noticeable presence. In doing this, Harris has stayed true to his original focus, which embraces innovative designs of classic shapes, attained by traditional techniques and infinite attention to detail.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Harris stated: “With the support of Caribbean Export, I was giving the opportunity to debut my ‘Spring Summer 2014’ collection at Dominicana Moda, which is known as the largest fashion event in Latin America. I was extremely grateful for the opportunity and I know and I can't stop saying thanks to Caribbean Export Development Agency for choosing me among the seven Caribbean designers who showcased at the event. The response was overwhelming. National and visiting guests both loved the collection. After my initial showing, the organizer came backstage and informed me to get my collection ready as I was on the show line-up for the next day, so I showcased twice, which was an honour for me. I thank Socrates McKinney and his team.”

Check out Andrew Harris "The Official Page" on Facebook for more information and photos. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

Designer Andrew Harris modelling one of his newest pieces at a recent fashion event in Dominica

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T

he National Gallery is pleased to present the Guyana Women Artists’ Association’s (GWAA) celebration of its 25th annual exhibition at Castellani House, Vlissengen Road.

Recent and retrospective works by 12 current members of the association, joined by a young guest artist, present a range of styles and images: from atmospheric views of Guyana’s interior landscapes and interpretations of Caribbean scenes and memories, to textile art featuring collage with social commentary, batik, hand painting and printing, macro photography, pen and ink and graphite drawings, and tableaus of dried flowers, leaves and grasses.

Formed in September 1987, the GWAA held its first landmark exhibition, celebrating “Sixty Years of Women Artists in Guyana”, in April 1988, with three leading artists given special tribute and focus - the painter and teacher, and first GWAA president, Marjorie Broodhagen, pioneering ceramist and painter Stephanie Correia, and painter and ceramist Leila Locke.

In the intervening

years the annual events have included three exhibitions abroad, and more recently participation in other cultural events and observances, such as International Women’s Day, Carifesta X (Guyana) and XI (Surinam) and InterGuianas Cultural Festivals.

In the current exhibition, O’Donna Allsopp,

"Part of Creation"

by Anna Correia

founding member of the association and participant of the first exhibition, is joined by younger artists, many of whom are full-time artists or artist/teachers, such as Jennifer Gibson and LoriAnn Jacobs; others pursuing full-time careers in public administration, such as Sharon Jordan, Beverly Reynolds and Myrna Bernard, while

"Harvest Home" by Beverly Reynolds

some, like Reynolds and Gibson, are expatriates from the Caribbean or elsewhere who join the organization and contribute to its changing profile and renewed vibrancy.

Notable too are recent graduates in art – Jacobs from the University of Guyana; Dominique Hunter and Aiesha Scottland, Best Graduating Students of 2007 and 2010 respectively, from Burrowes School of Art. The association therefore continues to form a focus for the energies and aspirations of

women artists wishing to lead a creative life and to further contribute to the cultural life of Guyana.

The exhibition was opened to the public October 25 and continues until November 16.

Gallery hours are 10:00 hours to 17:00 hours Monday to Friday and 14:00 hours to 18:00 hours on Saturday; the gallery is closed on Sundays and holidays.

The public is cordially invited to visit this exhibition. Admission is free.

(Photos and press release

by Castellani House)

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“When Chocolate Melts” John Legend and Beres - a Guyanese play depicting aspects of gender-based violence

Chris Gopaul

Mahadeo Shivraj

Nazimul Hussein

h e n Chocolate Melts” will be held on November 9-10 at the National Cultural Centre commencing at 19:00h on both evenings. The theatrical presentation is promoted by the Indian Arrival Committee (IAC).

The play, which is written and directed by Neaz Subhan, examines some thematic areas with regards to family, while emphasising the challenges faced when confronted with aspects of domestic abuse and its related effects.

It juxtaposes one’s responsibility to the fami-

ly, while grappling with the trauma he/she experiences from such abuse, while bringing to the fore the vulnerability of children who become trapped in these scenarios.

Other aspects of how such situations should be dealt with given the pressures of culture, stigma and law enforcement are also examined.

Given the many unfortunate incidents of gender-based violence in Guyana, the IAC believes that this play presents an important and effective medium not only to reinforce messages, but to empower with the desire to engineer be-

havioural change. The IAC does not condone gender-based violence in any form and has always made its position known publicly.

The eleven cast members are Chris Gopaul, Nirmala Narine, Mahadeo Shivraj, Nazimul Hussein, Tonya Singh, Sonia Yarde, Simone Persaud, Keisha Narine, Romel Edmundson, Shonna Chowtie and Shawn Budhna.

This is not the first play the IAC would have produced that examines aspects of domestic violence. In 2009, it staged Vijay Tendulkar’s “Kanyadaan”.

“W

Hammond to perform in Guyana - Concert slated for January at the Guyana National Stadium

A

merican song writer, singer and actor, John Legend will headline an evening of music titled “Night of Love” slated for the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara on January 4, 2014.

He will share the stage with Jamaican artiste Beres Hammond, who is known for his reggae vibes, but more particularly, his romantic lover’s rock and soulful voice.

While his career began in the 1970s, he reached his greatest success in the 1990s.

John Roger Stephens, better known by his stage name John Legend, was born on December 28, 1978. He is an American singersongwriter and actor. He has won nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, Legend received the special Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens’ career gained

John Legend

Beres Hammond

momentum through a series of successful collaborations with several established artists.

Stephens added his voice to those of other artistes, assisting them in producing chart-topping hits.

He lent his voice to Magnetic Man’s “Getting Nowhere”; Kanye West’s “All of the Lights”; Slum Village’s “Selfish”; and Dilated Peoples’ “This Way”.

Other artistes included Jay-Z’s “Encore” and he sang backing vocals on Alicia Keys’ 2003 song “You Don’t Know My Name”; the Kanye West remix of Britney Spears’ “Me against the Music”; and Fort Minor’s

“High Road”. Stephens played piano on Lauryn Hill’s “Everything Is Everything”.

Legend’s recent performance was on June 1, when he performed at Gucci’s global concert event in London with their campaign, “Chime For Change”, an event aimed at raising awareness of women’s issues in terms of education, health and justice.

At a press conference before his performance, Legend identified himself as a feminist saying, “All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights, the world will be a better place.

Act Now weekly rates are at their lowest

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feature

week ending november 3, 2013 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

E

ver since the start of Dutch colonization of Guyana, the early colonists observed that many parts of the sea coast experienced cyclical periods of erosion as well as flooding during high tides.

century, flooding of lowlying lands during high tides became a matter of concern. Also, during the periods when there was an accumulation of silt which built up the coastal plain, drainage canals were silted up and water

Regiment was badly flooded at times, and the residents of the surrounding areas felt that the War Office in London should provide funds to build permanent sea defences.

The War Office, on

Modern koker along the Berbice River to control drainage and irrigation in the area

From a Dutch Heritage. The Camp Street, Georgetown koker that once formed part of an irrigation system for Plantation Thomas. It was reconstructed in 1938 of reinforced concrete, traditional roof and wheel, and worm door lifting gear (Heritage Guyana, Oct 2011)

However, since settlements were located mainly on river banks, and not along the coast, the problems of erosion and flooding were not taken seriously.

But as settlements extended along the coast in the late eighteenth

accumulated during the rainy season was difficult to remove.

Georgetown, in the early nineteenth century, began to feel the effects of erosion and flooding. The Eve Leary area which housed the barracks of the West India

the other hand, insisted that it had been providing grants for sea defence works over the years to the benefit of that part of the town.

As such, it stated in 1849 that the town council should take on the responsibility of sea de-

fence, and threatened to remove the Regiment if the barracks continued to experience flooding.

But this threat was never enforced even though flooding periodically occurred.

Eventually in 1855 the Combined Court voted a sum of $135,000 to erect sea defences for Georgetown.

In the meantime, a few proprietors of estates used their own resources to build earthen embankments as sea defences to protect their lands from floods during high tides.

After a while, the government realised that sea defence should not be left to the estate owners, and an effort was started by the Government to build a strong sea wall in Georgetown from Camp Street to Kitty. This wall was completed in 1882.

The director of public works was given the authority to monitor the sea defences throughout the country. He could or-

Preserving our heritage through pictures

der any proprietor to use his own funds to build sea walls (or sea dams), but he could also recommend the spending of government funds to assist the estates. Loans were also made available to proprietors to erect sea defence.

To allow for easy drainage, and also to obtain irrigation water from the inland areas, each coastal plantation was established in a rectangular pattern.

The front faced the river or the sea while the back had the wet savannah or a creek as its boundary.

Parallel canals on the two sides ran from the back lands to the sea or river and emptied through kokers (or sluices). Smaller canals (or trenches) cut across the breadth of the plantation to connect to the main parallel canals, and the flow of water through them was also controlled by smaller kokers.

Before 1838, all of these waterways were dug by the slaves using shovels as their tools. After this period, paid African labour and Indian indentured workers carried out the excavation works.

For every square mile of land which was used for sugar-cane cultiva-

tion, about 49 miles of drainage and 16 miles of irrigation trenches were dug. In the process of digging canals and trenches on the sugar plantations, over 100 million tons of earth was excavated.

The estates were drained by gravity during low tides. Those which faced the sea experienced serious drainage problems during the cyclical build-up of silt along the coast. During these periods, which lasted about seven years, the kokers (sluices) were blocked by accumulation of silt, and drainage had to be done by pumping which was very expensive.

With regard to irrigation, from the early nineteenth century, sugar estates were able to obtain water during periods of low rainfall from a natural conservancy on their southern boundary.

The idea of a permanent conservancy was developed by Dr. Michael McTurk, a member of the Georgetown Town Council; based on his plan, an Ordinance was passed in 1828 to build an earthen dam to trap water in the East Demerara conservancy.

(From ‘Building the sea defence and drainage system’, Guyana.org)

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Coconut Plantation, British Guiana (Nd)

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Guyana's rainforest among havens for more than 400 newly discovered Amazon species

F

our years of scientific expeditions have found previously unknown animals and plants in the world's largest tropical rainforests.

A purring monkey, a vegetarian piranha and a flame-patterned lizard are among more than 400 new species of animals and plants that have been discovered in the past four years in the rainforests of the South America.

Discovered through hundreds of scientific expeditions from 2010 to 2013, the total reaches 441 species – all new to science – that include 258 plants, 84 fish, 58 amphibians, 22 reptiles, 18 birds and one mammal. This tally does not include discoveries of insects and other invertebrates.

"The more scientists look, the more they find," said Damian Fleming, head of programmes for Brazil and the Amazon at WWF-UK, which compiled the list. "With an average of two new species identified every week for the past four years, it's clear that the extraordinary Amazon remains one of the most important centres of global biodiversity."

miles shared by Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It is rich in biodiversity, containing one in 10 of the species known on earth in 1.4 billion acres of dense forest and 4,100 miles of winding rivers.

A recent study found that almost 400 billion

The 'thimble frog' found in Guyana (Photo by Philippe Kok-WWF)

'Warpainted lizard' discovered in the part of the Amazon that extends into Guyana (Photo by Philippe Kok-WWF)

be lost just as they have been discovered, scientists warned. The thumbnail-sized "thimble frog" has been given a Latin name Allobates amissibilis, meaning "that may be lost", because it thrives in an area of Guyana that could soon be opened up

The 'purring' monkey discovered in the Colombian Amazon (Photo by Thomas Defler-WWF)

Among the new species discovered is a "purring" Caquetá titi monkey (Callicebus caquetensis) of the Colombian Amazon, whose babies have an endearing trait: "All of the babies purr like cats," said scientist Thomas Defler, who helped discover the species. "When they feel very content they purr towards each other, and the ones we raised would purr to us."

A "war painted lizard" Gonatodes timidus was discovered in the part of the Amazon that extends into Guyana.

Despite its extraordinary colouring, this lizard is very shy and has a tendency to avoid being seen by humans.

Some species may

deforestation is currently taking place at a rate of three football pitches of a minute, WWF says.

In the past eight years, Brazil has slowed the pace of forest clearance by 80 per cent, but roughly 6,000 sq km is still converted to farmland each year.

The Amazon contains 90-140bn metric tonnes

to tourism. The frog was discovered near Turu Falls, a waterfall at the foot of the Iwokrama Mountains.

Other species are under threat from development. The strictly herbivorous "vegetarian piranha" Tometes camunani, inhabits rocky rapids in the

Brazilian Amazon where its main source of food, Podostemaceae aquatic herbs, is found. However, dam projects and mining activity in Pará state are threatening the health and flow of its river habitat.

Many of the recently discovered plants and animals have very restricted ranges and are thought to be endemic to small parts of the Amazon. For example, a new fish species Apistogramma cinilabra that has adapted to low-oxygen water is unique to one small lake in the Loreto region of Peru and found nowhere else in the world – making it and other species even more vulnerable.

"The richness of the Amazon's forests and freshwater habitats continues to amaze the world," added Fleming.

"But these same habitats are also under growing threat. The discovery of these new species reaffirms the importance of stepping-up commitments to conserve and sustainably manage the unique biodiversity and also the goods and services provided by the rain-

'Vegetarian' piranha found in the Brazillian Amazon (Photo by Tommaso Giarrizzo-WWF)

forests to the people and businesses of the region."

The Amazon ecosystem is the world's largest tropical rainforest and river system, covering 6.7 million square

trees belonging to 16,000 different species grow in the Amazon.

Deforestation, intensive farming, climate change, natural resources extraction and hydropower are among the chief threats to the forest and freshwater ecosystems.

About one-fifth of the Amazon rainforest has already been lost, and

of carbon, the release of which through deforestation and land conversion – if not controlled – could accelerate global warming significantly.

Go to www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/23/ purring-monkey-vegetarian-piranha-amazonspecies for more information and photos. (The Guardian)

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he lead lady in the Irrfan-starrer 'The Lunchbox', Nimrat Kaur has always been passionate about cooking. Her secret to prepare a perfect dish is dedication as well as experimentation.

So when she joined

writer Jeeti Gandhi to talk about the concept of 'Urban Equilibrium Food' at hotel Taj in Chandigarh, she looked ecstatic. Holding Jeeti's book titled 'Served with Love', she emphasised on healthy cooking in style.

"While doing the movie I realised alot of things," she said.

Aimed at providing solution to parents for tackling their kids’ eating habits, the book talks about innovative recipes that ensure the food you cook at home is as nutritious as it is delicious. Jeeti Gandhi said, "As I raised two boys while moving across the globe with my husband, I realised that banning junk food completely will not do. Rather, it will increase its appeal.

So all this inspired me to develop the recipes.

My book will explain the nutritive role of various foods besides talking about interesting ways of making food.” (TOI)

B

ollywood baddie Gulshan Grover is excited that he will get a chance to meet and greet his 'friend' Prince Charles in New Delhi on November 6.

The actor had last met Britain's 64-year-old heir apparently back in 2009 at St James' Palace in London, according to TNN reports. The photo featured was from the 2009 meeting.

At that meeting, the two discussed possible Bollywood-related events for social causes. Prince Charles, who will be in

the country with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, is scheduled to visit Mumbai, Kochi, Dehradun and Pune as well.

S

iddharth Malhotra is hoping to leave his 'Student Of The Year' image behind him with Mohit Suri's next and the director is all set to give the clean cut actor a grungy makeover.

‘Villain’, a romantic thriller starring Siddharth and Shraddha Kapoor, which goes into production next week, will see him play an "angst-ridden street brawler".

A source told TOI, "Siddharth will be two-films old when ‘Villain’ releases and Suri wants people to sit up and take notice of his new look as he plays a tough, young, angst-ridden man who survives on the streets."

Siddharth was asked to keep all of October aside for training and look tests and in addition to daily gym workouts, he has been sweating it out at shadow boxing classes.

When contacted, Mohit Suri said, "I am not the kind of director who wants

an actor to suddenly hit the gym and get six pack abs. Siddharth is already a super fit guy. But I wanted him to carry the body language of a natural street brawler. He is working on a lot of things to bring out a whole new aggressive side to himself. The look will be not about fitness, but a new attitude.'' (TOI)

Priyanka sees ‘Big B’ as her superhero

A

ctress Priyanka Chopra will be seen with on-screen superhero ‘Krrish’, played by Hrithik Roshan, in her forthcoming film "Krrish 3". But off screen she considers megastar Amitabh Bachchan to be her superhero, according to IANS. "For me, Bachchan will be my superhero for the way he has handled

his career. Today, where he is, the victory that he has achieved, whatever he has contributed to the entertainment field and his energy level are outstanding," Priyanka told reporters.

Directed by Rakesh Roshan, "Krrish 3" also features Kangana Ranaut and Vivek Oberoi among others. It is slated for a November 1 release. (TOI)

Aditya Roy Kapur reveals his past

A

ditya Roy Kapur recently opened up about his life, growing up and being Bollywood's latest heartthrob on ‘GeNext’.

Sharing the screen with the likes of Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Akshay Kumar, this young lad did not only get noticed, but also got an opportunity to prep for his massive solo break. ‘Aashiqui 2’ may not have been his debut movie, but it certainly catapulted his career in Bollywood.

Crossing over a 100 crore, this blockbuster is what he holds closest to his heart.

‘Aashiqui 2’ did get the world talking about this hunk, but his role as

Ranbir Kapoor's friend in ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ proved that he is here to stay. It's natural for a star to bask in the fanfare, but this romantic chap is a shy guy and doesn't know how to react to his fans! He claims to get tonguetied around an audience appreciating his work.

True to his characters in his movies, the actor has lived up to his cool rowdy image in reality as well. Being infatuated with two girls in his early teenage days, this 'Aashiq' has also stalked their every move! From failing in exams to innovatively bunking school and being suspended from college; the star reveals it all! (TOI)

A

ctress director Hema Malini has always maintained a strong bond with culture and arts.

Wednesday saw the release of her maiden album, ‘Soundaryalahiri’, according to TNN. Set to tune by Ashit Desai, it has verses chanted by her, Shankar Mahadevan, Suresh Wadkar and Desai.

"I've always been fascinated with

Among his other engagements while in Mumbai, he is expected to interact with some Bollywood personalities at a gala dinner. (TOI)

the sacred verses of this text written by Adi Shankaracharya. Since I'm a dancer, we're familiar with the Sanskrit texts, as we automatically learn them during rehearsals. This album is my offering to the divine mother Tripurasundari," says Hema, who has been thinking about this idea for the last two years.

The album will have an introduction by Amitabh Bachchan, and, Hema says, her new offering can be used for meditation as well.

She says her family and many spiritual leaders, too, have been appreciative about her album. "When Sri Ravishankar and Giri Maharaj got to know of this, they said that it is a privilege for someone to chant ‘Soundaryalahiri’," she adds.

As for whether she plans to come out with more devotional albums, she says, "I've nothing planned. As of now, I just want people to listen to this one."

Soundaryalahari is available on ‘Times Music’ across all major music and retail stores. Digital downloads also available on music websites. (TOI)

Ranbir to attend Children's Film Festival opening

A

ctor Ranbir Kapoor will open the 18th International Children's Film Festival India, which will commence November 14 in Hyderabad, according to PTI reports.

Ranbir's participation will be a great source of encouragement for the week-long event, said Shravan Kumar, the festival director and the CEO of Children's Film Society.

Out of 900 films received from over 70 countries, the festival will showcase the best 200 children's films sourced from more than 45 countries.

"This year we have received films from 20 countries that were not represented in the 17th ICFFI. These countries are Austria, Chile, Cuba, Lebanon, Ethiopia Ghana, Jordan, Malaysia, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, Tunisia, Slovenia, Senegal and Scotland among others. The 18th Golden Elephant will see over 1.5 lakh child delegates from across the nation," Kumar said.

The 18th Golden Elephant, a collaborative effort between CFSI (an autonomous organisation of the I&B

Ministry), the Andhra Pradesh government and I&B ministry, aims to promote the ethos of healthy and wholesome entertainment for children.

There will be a special workshop on the rights of child actors in the festival.

"More emphasis should be given on 'child rights' and rights of children working in media should be adequately safeguarded. It's important to see that a child actor doesn't lose his precious time or days at school just because he is shooting," Gupte said. (TOI)

Hollywood week ending november 3, 2013

| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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‘B

asic Instinct’ star, Sharon Stone, was presented with an honour by Nobel Prize winners for her work with HIV and AIDS sufferers. The actress is in Warsaw, Poland this week for the 13th World Summit of Nobel Peace laureates and she was handed the Peace Summit Award Wednesday.

Stone, 55, has been involved with ‘The Foundation For AIDS Research’ since 1995, previously as their campaign chairman and now as global fundraising chairman.

A committee of Nobel Peace laureates decides on the winner of the Peace Summit Award each year, picking a figure from the world of culture and en-

49

tertainment who has raised awareness of global issues.

Previous celebrities to receive the honour include Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel and Bono. (Hindustan Times)

hanning Tatum is producing a reality TV show about a burlesque club.

The 'Magic Mike' hunk will let the cameras roll inside his ‘Saints and Sinners’ establishment - which he set up with business partner Keith Kurtz in 2012 - in New Orleans, Louisiana, for a new documentary series.

U.S. cable channel A&E has picked up a pilot episode for the potential onehour series, which will focus on the entertainers who perform at the club, and Channing, 33, will produce the show through his ‘33&Out Productions’ firm along with ‘Original Media’.

Earlier this year, the actor made his first move into TV production by backing a new sitcom starring his close friend Nick Zano, who has had roles in hit shows such as '90210' and '2 Broke

Girls'.

It's been a busy year for Channing, whose wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum gave birth to their first child - daughter, Everly - in June. (TOI)

Michael Weatherly welcomes baby boy

T

he ‘Eat, Pray and Love’ star was spotted in the West Village on October 28 afternoon with her husband, Danny Moder, after the two had just finished brunch with friends nearby at the Little Owl, reported the New York Post.

Roberts was also one of the many celebs in the crowd for the opening night of the Mike Nichols directed ‘Betrayal’, starring Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz.

Roberts next co-stars Meryl Streep, Ewan McGregor, Juliette Lewis and Dermot Mulroney in a film adaptation of Tracy Letts' Broadway drama ‘August: Osage County’, which will be released on Christmas day. (TOI)

H

ollywood actor Michael Weatherly and wife Bojana Jankovic recently welcomed their first son together.

The couple have named their son, who was born Tuesday, Liam Weatherly. The 45-year-old actor took to microblogging website Twitter to share the news, reports people.com.

"Beautiful Bojana gave birth to 10 lb Liam today, the most important day of the week," Weatherly tweeted.

Weatherly and Jankovic tied the knot in September 2009. They are already parents to daughter Olivia, who is 18 months old.

Weatherly is also dad to son August, 17, from his previous marriage to actress Amelia Heinle. (TOI)

A

ctress Marcia Wallace, the voice of scoffing schoolteacher Edna Krabappel on hit TV series 'The Simpsons', has died at the age of 70.

Wallace, who earlier played the quick-witted receptionist on 'The Bob Newhart Show', died following a long battle with an unspecified illness at her home in Los Angeles, surrounded by her family, reported TMZ online.

Wallace won an Emmy Award for her voice work as Ms Krabappel in the 1992 'Simpsons' episode "Bart the Lover". After the elementary school teacher gives Bart a month of detention, he gets his revenge by responding to her newspaper singles ad.

That was her 10th of 177 episodes on the series.

On 'Newhart', which aired on CBS from 1972 to 1978, Wallace played Carol Kester, the wise-cracking, independent receptionist in a Chicago high rise that housed the offices of psychologist Bob Hartley (Newhart) and orthodontist Jerry Robinson (Peter Bonerz).

She was in 139 of the show's 142 ep-

isodes.

In addition to her well-known role on 'The Simpsons' and 'The Bob Newhart Show' throughout the 1970's, she also featured on other shows such as 'Bewitched', 'The Brady Bunch', 'Murder She Wrote' and 'Full House'.

(TOI)

Dax Shepard's inexpensive wedding

‘P

arenthood' actor Dax Shepard has revealed that he spent only US$142 on his wedding to actress Kristen Bell.

The 38-year-old actor and Bell, who tied the knot on October 17, ditched the

Hollywood trend of lavish affairs, reported Ace Showbiz.

"We went to the Beverly Hills courthouse, and all in, with fuel to get there, US$142 out the door. I don't yet have a ring," Shepard said.

The actor also said that after the ceremony, the couple joked that they just had the "world's worst" and cheapest wedding.

"Friends of ours came to the courthouse, and it was just Kristen and I at this lonely courthouse, so they brought us this cake afterwards. 'The World's Worst Wedding' (written on it)," he said. (TOI)

J

amie Dornan of the ‘Once Upon A Time’ series fame is finally set to be Charlie Hunnam's replacement as the new ‘Christian

Grey’ in the film adaptation of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’. The 31-year-old actor was cast promptly into the role as the studio was interested in starting production on the scheduled date of November 1, 2013, Contactmusic cited the Hollywood Reporter as saying.

It was earlier reported that the Irish actor was leading amongst the four contenders drafted by the director, Sam Taylor-Johnson for the role of billionaire Christian Grey.

Dornan will be seen opposite costar Dakota Johnson who plays the role of Anastasia Steele for the director, author E.L. James and producers Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti.

Dornan, interestingly, is also an ex-Calvin Klein underwear model.

(Hindustan Times)

Downey Jr most valuable movie star in Hollywood

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ctor Robert Downey Jr has been named Hollywood's most valuable movie star for the second consecutive year by an online magazine. The magazine, ‘Vulture’, compiled the list based on combined domestic and overseas box office totals, studio value, likeability, Oscars, critics' scores, Twitter mentions and tabloid value, reported Ace Showbiz.

"It will take a superhuman effort for anyone to top him," Vulture wrote on its site as they unveiled the power list on October 22.

The 48-year-old actor has beaten the likes of ‘The Great Gatsby’ actor Leonardo DiCaprio, while the third spot goes to ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ and ‘The Hunger Games’ actress

Jennifer Lawrence.

Ending up at No 4 and No 5 respectively are bankable Hollywood celebs Sandra Bullock and Brad Pitt.

Actors Will Smith, Christian Bale, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks and Johnny Depp rounded up the top ten.

(Hindustan Times)

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week ending november 3, 2013 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

NY and Miami teams looking forward to Guyana Softball Cup III

By Avenash Ramzan

T

he Guyana Softball Cup III is just under a week away and already the foreign teams are expressing their delight to be part of the annual competition hosted by the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA).

Defending champions of the Open category, New York Softball Cricket League All Stars have made their intentions known early, as they are determined to retain the title, as well as add the Masters trophy to their collection when the competition is hosted on November 8-10.

President of the New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL) and manager of the NYSCL All Stars, Eric Ferrier, said they are looking forward to playing in this year’s competition and reaping the kind of success they enjoyed in 2012.

“For many of us here in the United States the opportunity to visit Guyana to play cricket is truly a nostalgic occasion. This sentiment is underscored by the fact

that NY Softball Cricket League will once again be sending two teams- New York All-Stars and the Legend Over-45 team- to our motherland to participate and compete in the Guyana Softball III. We therefore wish to thank the Guyana Softball Floodlight Association for affording us this opportunity by inviting us to participate,” Ferrier said in a statement to the GFSCA recently.

“As defending champions of the premiere competition, we wish to signal that it is our intention to successfully defend the cup, as well as add the Over-45 [Masters] trophy to our collection.

However, while it is our expressed desire to win both competitions, our principal mission is to entertain the cricket-loving fans of Guyana, “New York Style.” Parallel to entertaining the cricket loving fans we anxiously look forward to bonding with our brothers and sisters in the land of our birth.”

Ferrier said the GFSCA and Guyanese on the whole have always been welcoming to the NYSCL and they are ex-

ed.

Eric Ferrier

pecting no different this time around.

“Given our past experience as guest of the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association, the New York Softball Cricket League anxiously looks forward to enjoy the hospitality and camaraderie of our Guyanese brothers and sisters, notwithstanding our plan to win both competitions.

However, at the same time we sincerely wish the other teams the best of luck. Finally, we wish to congratulate the organisers of the competition for organising this wonderful tournament and express our thanks for being invited to participate,” Ferrier conclud-

Meanwhile, Softball Cricket International Miami (SCI Miami), another foreign team invited to this year’s competition, said they would be using the tournament to honour a few outstanding players. President of SCI Miami, Ranji Singh, highlighted the team’s intention during the stay here for the tournament.

“Softball Cricket International would like to honour some old pioneers in softball cricket, meaning great players, at this year’s tournament. I have a few in mind; we will be bringing some awards for this,” Singh said.

He added, “As always, this tournament is top priority on my cricket list, ever since I moved to the states, my dream was to one day see such a tournament like this held in Guyana, and it has happened. We look forward to coming to Guyana and having a good time, and most of all, we rather the tournament be in Guyana than anywhere else, so we can support our local economy.”

Chairman and Coordinator of the

Guyana Softball Cup, Ricky Deonarine, said the GFSCA is happy to witness the enthusiasm shown by the foreign teams. He noted that the GFSCA will work overtime to ensure the time spent in Guyana by the overseas teams is an enjoyable one.

Format

Preliminary action in the competition will take place on November 8-9 with the grand finals of the two categories- the Open 20/20 and the Masters 20/20- set for November 10 at the GCC ground, Bourda.

During the two days of preliminary action, which will comprise 36 games, the venues will be the GCC, Police, Sport Ministry, Demerara Cricket Club, YMCA and Education Ministry grounds.

In the Open 20/20 competition, the teams will battle for a first prize of Gy$800,000 and a massive trophy, with the runner-up team carting off Gy$200,000 and a trophy.

The Man-of-theMatch in the final will be the recipient of a trophy, while the player of the tournament will re-

ceive a gold bracelet, compliments of Steve’s Jewellery.

In the Masters 20/20 segment, of which Savage XI of Guyana are the defending champions, the participating teams will vie for the coveted prize of Gy$600,000 and a trophy, with the losing finalist having to settle for Gy$150,000 and a trophy.

Like the Open category, the Man-of-the-Match in the championship game and the player of the tournament will receive a trophy and a gold bracelet respectively.

On November 10, prior to the two category finals, there will be three female exhibition games, featuring four of the leading teams on the distaff side.

The two semi-finals will be followed by a grand final, with the winner pocketing Gy$50,000 and the loser Gy$25,000.

The MVP will collect Gy$5,000 and a trophy.

While admission to the venue for the first two days is free, a fee of Gy$500 will be charged per patron on the final day, with the first ball set to be bowled at 10:00 hours.

OCA team to tour Guyana, T&T next month

By Ravendra Madholall

T

he Ontario Cricket Association (OCA) will be sending a team to Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago mid-next month for several limited over matches as part of its High Performance Programme.

According to president of the association, Mike Kendall, it is the continuous efforts to improve the performance of the association’s players and young prospects on the tour which is labelled as the “Goodwill Tour”.

“The board [is] investing heavily in the future of these deserving players, who are the flag bearers of the future of cricket in Canada and this tour will allow the players to play against the best players coming out of Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago over the next three weeks,” Kendall related during a press conference in Toronto recently.

OCA is the oldest cricketing body in the North American hemisphere that was established in the late 1870s and formally registered in 1977. Currently, there

Royston Crandon

is a 10-member league operating from North Bay, Sudbury and from Windsor to Ottawa, including many in the Greater Toronto area.

Cricket is part of Canada’s heritage and OCA has played an extremely important role in nurturing that heritage, proudly carrying on that tradition for some time.

“We will continue to make Ontario and Canada proud of our heritage by making a sincere and positive contribution to the game of cricket; the Board of Directors of the OCA are also very thankful to a number of sponsors who

are supporting our boys in making this tour possible and we are especially delighted and appreciative of the major sponsorship from the Scotia Bank in particular as it carries with it, enormous importance for cricket in Ontario as well as Canada,” Kendall commented.

He further stated that the experience and exposure in the two traditionally-rich cricketing countries will boost the youngsters’ confidence to play the game on a regular basis and with greater inspiration.

“We strongly feel that the invaluable experience gained by our players by playing against some of the greatest Club teams in these countries, that have produced many past and present legends of WI Cricket, will go a long way towards raising their own level of performance; we have no doubt that by the end of this tour, players will gain tremendous insight into the game, make unprecedented stride towards reaching their full potential and will be full of confidence,” the OCA boss revealed. continued on page 51

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week ending november 3, 2013 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Jeffrey makes stunning comeback after a month’s break - Rides away with Digicel Breast Cancer Awareness trophy

H

e was out of competition for close to a month, but that was not deterrence as Raynauth Jeffrey reminded his adversaries of how fierce a competitor he is on the country’s roadways.

With a strategic move, the East Coast Demerara riding sensation powered to victory in the Senior category of the second annual Digicel Breast Cancer Awareness 78mile road race from Linden to Georgetown on Sunday, easily carting off Gy$250,000 and the Digicel trophy in the process.

The race attracted 70 starters and the Senior and Junior riders started at David Rose Avenue in Linden, with Jeffrey being the pacesetter in the early stages. As the race progressed however, the lead changed hands with the possibility of an exciting finish imminent.

When the riders entered Georgetown, they were required to complete two laps around the outer circuit of the

National Park and the first pack to arrive included Jeffrey, the inform Alanzo Greaves, Albert Philander and seasoned campaigner Godfrey Pollydore.

A chasing pack connected with the leaders at the bell to signal the final lap, and just when it seemed that a heated sprint finish was in the making, Jeffrey, riding under Team Coco (Guyana), made the decisive move.

Cognisant of the amount of sprinters in the pack, Jeffrey pulled away from peloton as the race turned at Camp Street and Carifesta Avenue, just outside the YMCA building, and never relinquished the lead, powering to victory all alone. It was much to the amazement of the spectators who had gathered to witness the highly anticipated finish.

When race officials stopped the clock on Carifesta Avenue, Jeffrey had timed three hours, three minutes, 05.31 seconds (03h: 03m:

All alone! Raynauth Jeffrey is unchallenged as he approaches the finish line

05.31s). It was yet another convincing victory for the talented rider, who has gained the unofficial title of “beast of the roadway”, as he captured the biggest cash prize in the history of local cycling.

“I know there were a lot of sprinters in the pack, so I know I had to make a move early. I did and it paid off,” Jeffrey said afterwards.

He added, “I was out [of competitive racing] for a while, but after yesterday [Saturday] race at the National Park, I know I would do well to-

day [Sunday]. I wasn’t feeling well yesterday [Saturday] and still finished third so I was very confident that I was in top shape for this race.”

Pollydore finished a distant second after a close sprint with Greaves, who occupied third spot, while Linden’s Orville Hinds, Geron Williams and Albert Philander rounded off the top six finishers in that order.

Jeffrey’s Team Coco mates, Michael Anthony and Junior Niles, capped an excellent day for the

four-man unit, winning the Junior and Veteran races respectively.

Anthony copped Gy$60,000 ahead of Hamzah Eastman and Alonzo Ambrose in second and third respectively, while Niles carted off the Gy$50,000 first prize, leaving Ian Jackson to settle for second and Ralph Williams, third.

Linden’s Hazina Barrett was the leading female rider, beating Naomi Singh to the line for the Gy$50,000 first prize. The Veteran and Female riders started outside the Splashmin’s Fun Park on the Soesdyke/Linden highway.

At the presentation ceremony which followed, Chief Executive Officer of Digicel (Guyana), Gregory Dean, expressed his company’s commitment to the fight against breast cancer, adding that Digicel will continue to sponsor the race and work to make it better every year.

The race, which

was a collaborative effort of Digicel (Guyana), the Guyana Cycling Federation and the Roraima Bikers Club, was designed to heighten awareness of breast cancer, a disease that has been plaguing women across the globe. It was held in October to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Apart from handsomely rewarding the top riders on Sunday, Digicel (Guyana) also distributed branded jerseys, water bottles and bags to spectators who turned out to witness the race.

Additionally, the company also delivered on its promise to match the sum donated by cyclists as a contribution to the Guyana Cancer Society.

The cyclists were able to raise Gy$35,000 and Digicel matched that amount.

Staff members of the Digicel were also able to raise Gy$80,000, which will be given to the Guyana Cancer Society to aid in the fight against breast cancer.

Guyana’s Cleveland Forde takes first leg of SA 10k

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sing his trade mark sprint at the finish, Cleveland Forde took the first leg of the 2013 South American 10k championships that concluded in the National Park in Guyana on Sunday afternoon.

With the moniker “Little Kenyan”, Forde out-sprinted Grenada’s Sherwin Paul to win the event in 32 minutes, 36 seconds to take the top prize of US$1,000.

Paul clocked 32 minutes, 49 seconds for second while Kelvin “Skello” Johnson was third in 33 minutes, 23 seconds. Cleveland “Fish” Thomas was fourth with a time of 34 minutes, one second while Dennis Horatio rounded out the top five with a time of 34 minutes, 21seconds.

“It was a good race; it was challenging and I can say that I underestimate it. I thought

Cleveland Forde crosses the finish to win the South American 10k

Kelvin (Johnson) would have pushed the pace but after he did not, the Grenadian took and was going well I just had to run smart.

“I did what I would normally do in other races just wait until the end and did my thing…think I’m going to go to the next leg and try and be a bit more prepared for that,” Forde told Guyanese me-

dia after the event.

On the distaff side, drama unfolded in the women’s race as favourite Euleen JossiahTanner, dropped out, allowing Grenada’s Kenisha Pascal to win the event in a time of 42 minutes, 28 seconds with Alika Morgan taking the second spot in 42 minutes, 35 seconds.

Three-time Carifta gold medalist Jevina Straker was third in 43 minutes, 18 seconds while Andrea Foster came in fourth in 44 minutes, two seconds. Ilsida Tomere was fifth in 44 minutes, 32 seconds.

Meanwhile JossiahTanner stated that her reason for dropping out was due to a coach giving an athlete drinks on the course.

Linden’s Cassie Kirton won the female junior category, clocking 47 minutes, two seconds to take the event while

OCA team to tour Guyana...

The team will have a number of players from the two countries: Royston Crandon, Trevon Garraway, Garvin Singh, among others.

Meanwhile, manager of the touring squad Bisham Mohammed stated that the team is excited to make the inaugural trip and this will benefit the players

tremendously.

He also mentioned that players were selected based on their performances in the annual competition.

The team will participate in two T20s against Everest and DCC while they play 40-over games against GCC and Albion and two 40-over matches in Trinidad and Tobago.

from page 50

The touring team reads: Adnan Suleman, Rajiv Bhatia, Aiyub Ahmadzai, Dheeraj Kumar, Nabiullah Nawabi, Muhammad Akber Hussain, Mustafa Popalzai, Sarabjot Singh, Azhad Amidon, Ajmal Chughai, Allan DeSouza, Neeraj Bharadwaj and Priyam Thaker.

Bisham Mohammed (manager).

Shauntelle Hinds was second in 51 minutes, 15 seconds.

Euodia Forte was third in 59 minutes, 48 seconds.

The boys’ junior event saw Carl Mackenzie taking top honors with a time of 37 minutes, 43

seconds to finish ahead of Kevin Nicolas (39 minutes, one second); Leon Benjamin was third in 40 minutes, 34 seconds.

The women’s Masters was won by Alisha Fortune, who clocked 51m, 29s ahead of Cyrleen Phillips who

took second with a time of 52m, 32s. Carla Benjamin was third in 53m, 57s.

Eon Archibald took the men’s Master 4055 in 40m, 29s while Llewellyn Gardner won the men’s Masters in a time of 41m, 46s.

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Windies Women defeat England to win Tri Series title

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pener Stafanie Taylor stroked a typically accomplished half-century to fire West Indies to an eight-wicket victory over England in the final of the Women’s T20 International Tri-nation Series last Saturday.

The classy righthander finished on 51 not out as West Indies, chasing a meagre 116 for victory, reached their target with 19 balls to spare under lights at Kensington Oval on Saturday.

Taylor faced 47 balls and struck five fours, sharing an unbroken 78-run, third wicket stand off 64 balls with aggressive stroke-maker Deandra Dottin, who hammered 46 from 35 balls with four fours and a six.

Their dominance, after the Windies slid to 41 for two in the seventh over, shut England out of the game and there was little doubt about the result thereafter.

Earlier, the Windies

West Indies Women celebrate their victory with the Tri Series trophy (WICB photo)

bowlers stifled England’s top order, and the tourists could only muster 115 for five off their 20 overs, after winning the toss and opting for first knock in good conditions.

Captain Charlotte Edwards (10) and Danielle Wyatt (12) put on 22 off 24 balls for the first wicket, but once Wyatt skied a simple catch to wicketkeeper Merissa Aguilleira off Shanel Daley off the final

ball of the fourth, the inning went into decline.

Edwards was run out off the first delivery of the next over sneaking a suicide sin gle and two balls later, Lydia Greenway was taken at back ward square by Dottin off Taylor’s off- spin.

Tammy Beaumont looked to counter-attack but got as far as 13 from 22 balls before she holed out in the deep off leg-spinner Shaquana

Quintyne, and suddenly England had lost four wickets for 17 runs in the space of 34 balls.

Natalie Sciver and Sarah Taylor then added a-run-a-ball 50 for the fifth wicket to steady the innings. Sciver stroked 36 from 33 deliveries with one four and a six – a swat over mid-wicket off the last ball of the innings – while Taylor played the anchor role with 28 from 32 balls.

Stafanie Taylor was superb with one for eight off her four overs while leg-spinner Shaquana Quintyne and left-armer Shanel Daley both picked up one for 21 from their four overs.

In reply, openers Taylor and Kyshona Knight started positively, adding 24 off 21 balls before Knight played a loose stroke and was taken at cover point by Greenway off Jenny

Gunn in the fourth over.

Aguilleira lasted just seven balls and made only four before picking out Gunn at mid on off left- arm spinner Holly Colvin. However, whatever hopes England had of making further inroads into the Windies innings were quickly dashed by Taylor and Dottin who took command of the game.

Taylor’s only blemish was when she was dropped at cover by Gunn diving to her right but she overcame that hiccup to post her halfcentury off 46 balls.

Dottin, meanwhile, struck the ball with tremendous power, clearing long-on with seamer Natalie Sciver in the 12th over before finishing the contest with a full- blooded straight hit off left-arm seamer Natasha Farrant.

Fittingly, Taylor was named Player-of-theMatch, while Dottin won the Player-of-the-Series honour. (WICB)

Windies to start WT20 against India

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UBAI, UAE - The West Indies will open its title defence against India in the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014. The ICC on Sunday announced the match schedules and ticket sales plans for the tournament, which will be staged from March 16 to April 6, 2014.

The West Indies’ men will defend the title they won last year in Colombo while Australia’s women will aim to complete a hat-trick of titles after having won the previous

two finals in Barbados and Colombo.

As many as 60 tournament matches (35 men’s and 25 women’s) will be played across Chittagong, Dhaka and Sylhet in the 22-day tournament. As in the past, the women’s semifinals and final will be held on the same day as the men’s semi-finals and final, and at the same venue.

The format for the men’s event in next year’s tournament has been changed following an increase in teams from 12 to 16.

West Indies celebrating their World T20 triumph last year

As the teams’ seeding are based on the Reliance ICC T20I Team

Rankings as on October 8, 2012, the top eight sides following the conclusion of the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 will play directly in the Super 10 stage, while Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, which finished outside the top eight, will participate in the first round that will be held from March 1621.

The first round of the men’s event will include eight sides that will be divided into two groups of four teams each, with the table-toppers progressing to the Super 10 stage.

In the first round, Group A will feature host Bangladesh alongside three teams that will qualify from the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier UAE 2013, to be staged from November 15-30.

Group B will include Zimbabwe, which will be joined by another three teams from the upcoming qualifiers. As such,

the two groups will be finalised on November 30.

Group 1 – Sri Lanka, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Group B Qualifier 1 (Q1B) Group 2 – West Indies, India, Pakistan, Australia, Group A Qualifier 1 (Q1A) Reigning champions West Indies will launch its title defence against India in an evening match on Sunday March 23. Earlier on the same day, Pakistan will lock horns with Australia, which is looking for the only global title that has eluded it to date.

If Bangladesh reaches the Super 10 stage, it will play all its matches in Dhaka, facing the West Indies on March 25, India on March 28, Pakistan on March 30 and Australia on April 1.

The prize money for the men’s event will be US$3 million, with the winner receiving US$1.1 million and the losing finalist collecting US$550,000.

The ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2014 has been increased from eight to 10 teams after a recent ICC Board decision.

The first round matches of the women’s event will take place in Sylhet from March 23 to April 2, with the top two sides from each Group progressing to the semifinals.

The 10 sides have been divided into two Groups: Group A – Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Ireland Group B – England, West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh Defending champion Australia will kick- off its campaign on March 23 when it will take on New Zealand.

This game will be followed by the match between South Africa and Pakistan, which, along with Sri Lanka, qualified for the Bangladesh event after having reached the final of the qualifying tournament held in Dublin in August.

Host Bangladesh will make its maiden appearance on the world stage on March 26 when it will play last year’s semifinalist, West Indies.

2009 champion England will start its campaign on March 24 against the West Indies.

The prize money for the women’s event will be US$180,000, with the winner collecting US$65,000 and the continued on page 53

Sport

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‘Flex Night Berbice’ thrills audience

Miss Flex Night 2012 Best Legs title holder, Nadina Taharally, of Interline Fitness Gym wowed the audience during a guest appearance (File photo)

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he second annual Flex Night Berbice event, staged last Saturday evening at the Corentyne Comprehensive School in Port Mourant, was a thriller for the large and appreciative audience in attendance.

Organised by Flex Night Berbice coordinator, Raheem Ali, in collaboration with Flex Night Incorporated, the event attracted patrons from West Demerara, Georgetown, West

Coast Berbice, New Amsterdam, Central and Upper Corentyne.

As expected, the Flex Night Berbice marked the on-stage debut for a number of male and female bodybuilders.

A release from Flex Night Incorporated stated, “Regardless of their placings (and some of the new bodybuilders did very well) these bodybuilders would have learnt valuable lessons which they will use as they climb the compe-

Windies to start...

from page 52

losing finalist getting US$25,000.

“The ICC World Twenty20 is the pinnacle of Twenty20 International cricket as it brings together the world’s best cricketers in a short and sharp nation versus nation tournament,” said ICC General Manager Commercial, Campbell Jamieson, who at tended the fixtures and ticket sales launch ceremony in Dhaka on Sunday.

“The successes of the previous editions in South Africa, England, the West Indies and Sri Lanka have proven the popularity of this tour-

nament, and it is exciting that this event will now be staged in a country like Bangladesh which has a very proud cricketing tradition.

“Bangladesh hosted the ICC Champions Trophy in 1998 (then known as the ICC KnockOut) and most recently the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, along with India and Sri Lanka.

Following the legacies of these two successful events, as well as the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2004, I’m confident that Bangladesh will once again produce a world-class tournament.” (WICB)

tition ladder to participate in the upcoming Flex Night International 2013, and in 2014 in the Berbice Flexouts, and GABBFF Novices and Seniors events.”

The event attracted male and female bodybuilders from the Berbice gyms: Fitness Zone, House of Pain Gym, Power Flex Gym, Skeldon Community Centre Gym and Windero Gym. The most outstanding performances came from Windero Gym, whose athletes won the overall Mr. Flex Night Berbice (Teon Sancho); Miss Flex Night Berbice (Candacy Lynch) and Miss Flex Night Berbice Bikini (Janica Sandy).

There were two guest appearances; the first by Miss Flex Night 2012 Best Legs title holder, NadinaTaharally, of Interline Fitness Gym and the second by Eybo Orford of Buddy’s Gym. There was also a miniexpo by two distributors of bodybuilding supplements- Gizmos and Gadgets which promoted their Fitness Factory and also sponsored the overall Mr. Flex Night Berbice trophy- and Poonai’s Pharmacy.

The release further stated, “During the intermission, bodybuilders took the opportunity to flock these distributors to learn more about the products available. Flex Night Incorporated is now concluding preparations for the publication of its second issue of the Flex Night Magazine and the second Flex Night International scheduled for Sunday December 8 at the National Cultural Centre.”

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GT&T National Indoor Hockey championship…

GCC claim treble; Hikers Recruits take second division title

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he GCC male first division team retained their crown as GT&T National Indoor Hockey champions in a scintillating final against the Hikers with a penalty shootout at the end of regulation time to separate the two teams.

GCC Spartans upstaged their senior counterparts and defending champions GCC Tigers by 1-0 to secure the ladies’ trophy; GCC Vets cruised to a 7-1 victory over the Hickers. In the other category, Hikers Recruits managed to easily retain their second division title with a dominating 10-3 performance against Old Fort.

Hikers’ captain and menacing striker Robert France carved his way through a packed GCC defence to blast home the match’s first goal six minutes into the men’s first division final. The ensuing celebration was shortlived however, as GCC’s dynamic duo of Kevin Spencer and Orland Semple answered in quick succession with a goal each before Stephen Xavier added one of his own to give GCC a 3-1 half-time lead.

Hikers overlapping right back Shane

The Men’s and Women’s first division champions pose with their trophies

Samuels was the first to make his presence felt in the second half as he let go a terrific strike high into the GCC net two minutes after the resumption, Spencer restored confidence in the GCC side by notching his second of the night, two minutes later.

Former national captain Devin Munroe and France with his second of the night brought the crowd to its feet as they managed a goal apiece on the 28th and 29th minute to draw the scores even at 4-4.

Just as the momen-

tum seemed to swing in the Hikers favour however, Spencer completed his hat-trick off a superb deceptive pass from Semple to nudge GCC ahead in the closing minutes. The Hikers then made a risky tactical move that paid off as they pulled their goalkeeper from the game and replaced him with an extra field player.

The ramped up pressure produced a shot on goal for the Hikers which was parried by Hing in the GCC nets, but Captain France was onto the rebound with lightning speed to drive his

shot home for the final goal of the match, which evened the score at 5-5.

The nervous supporters had to endure the suspense of a penalty shootout to determine the 2013 GT&T champs. Raphael DeGroot with a diving finish and then Orland Semple both managed to find the back of the net in the shootout, while eventual competition MVP Eric Hing managed to do just enough to force Munroe and France of the Hikers to send their shots wide, giving GCC the victory.

The Women’s fi-

nal saw an evenly contested battle which saw an experienced Tigers piling on the pressure on the Spartans who had endured a tougher semi-final earlier in the day. While strikers Kerensa Fernandes and Sonia Jardine produced some exciting hockey in the Spartans goal area, Briawna Gordon making her debut in goal, produced an outstanding performance to keep them scoreless.

Right backs Tricia Woodroffe for the Tigers and Gabriella Xavier for the Spartans both

were key influences on the match and launched many dangerous attacks for their teams, but it was young Aliyah Gordon who would steal the show four minutes from fulltime.

Receiving a Samantha Fernandes pass from the right, Gordon exhibited sublime trickery to deceive the Tigers defense and goalkeeper Natalie Hing to slide home the match’s only goal and secure the victory for Spartans.

GT&T Public Relations Officers, Allyson Parker and Nadia DeAbreu, were on hand to present the trophies and medals to the winning teams and individual awardees. Following his clean sheet in the finals penalty shootout, GCC goalkeeper Eric Hing received the MVP for the men’s first division competition.

Finals goal scorer Aliyah Gordon received the accolade for the Women’s competition while veteran top scorer Philip Fernandes and dynamic midfielder Jamarj Assanah were selected for the Veterans and Men’s second division competitions respectively.

guyanatimeSinternational.com

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

week ending november 3, 2013

Historic moment!

FIFA World Cup trophy lands in Guyana

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tanding 36 centimetres tall and weighing six kilogrammes, the original 18-carat gold FIFA World Cup trophy arrived in Guyana on Wednesday, creating a frenzy among those privileged to get up close and personal with the iconic sculpture of football.

Onboard a specially chartered aircraft, the sparkling trophy, football’s most coveted prize, landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport precisely at 09:00h after a 20-minute flight from Suriname, one of its 22 stops on the Caribbean tour.

As CJIA staffers, local journalists and curious on-lookers waited patiently to get a glimpse of the most sought-after football accolade, an aged and bald gentleman, donning a pair of white gloves, emerged from the aircraft carrying the Italian Silvio Gaszzaniga’s designed gold trophy, carefully concealed in a black suitcase.

Immediately after, a press conference was convened in the Arrival Lounge of the airport, following which the solid gold trophy was unveiled

by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony to rapturous applause.

es over the past few days tells me a lot. This is a special day because it’s in Guyana- a developing nation in the world of football,” the 41-year-old Yorke said.

He added, “But on a serious note, I’m sure that with the trophy being in this country it will encourage young people to continue to progress in the world of football and bring people together because football is such a global sport. As a Brand Ambassador, I’m very privileged by the fact that I was given the opportunity to represent not just my country Trinidad but the whole of the Caribbean.”

Longest tour

His Excellency, President Donald Ramotar holds aloft the original FIFA World Cup trophy following the conclusion of a gala ceremony at Banks DIH Limited's Sports Club at Thirst Park on Wednesday evening.

The trophy, which has the names of the World Cup winners inscribed on the base, remained in a display case throughout the day. It is understood that touching the trophy is a right only bestowed on the Head of States of any given country and the World Cup winners.

Caribbean connection

The trophy is on its penultimate leg of the Caribbean tour, which ended Thursday in

Trinidad and Tobago.

Former Trinidad and Tobago, Manchester United and Aston Villa forward, Dwight Eversley Yorke, in his capacity as a FIFA Brand Ambassador, said: “It’s a privilege to be here in Guyana as a Brand Ambassador of FIFA. Of course our major sponsor in Coca Cola making this possible.

“Touring around the Caribbean and seeing the looks on people’s fac-

This is the third time that the original FIFA World Cup trophy is going on tour around the world.

Following tours in 2006 and 2010, the 2013/2014 tour will visit 89 countries during its 267-day duration.

The tour began its journey in Rio de Janeiro on September 12, 2013. Departing from the famous Christ the Redeemer statue, the FIFA World Cup Trophy will travel around the world for nine months before returning to the country that will host the 2014 FIFA World Cup, neighbouring Brazil.

GCC honours patron for 25 years of service

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eorgetown Cricket Club (GCC) last Saturday evening honoured Jailall Ramnauth for his 25 years of service to the club. At a ceremony held at the club’s pavilion, Secretary Jameel Baksh presented a plaque to Ramnauth.

Baksh thanked him for his service while Ramnauth, in an invited comment, said that he is happy the club recognises his contribution and thanked the members.

Secretary of GCC Jameel Baksh (left) presents the accolade to Jailall Ramnauth

Mekdeci to represent Guyana at U.S. Squash Open tournament

– embraced as a Sports and Tourism Ambassador for Guyana

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali hands a sample of the Map of Guyana to Benjamin Mekdeci

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uyana will be proudly represented by America-born Benjamin Mekdeci at the upcoming U.S. Squash Open tournament.

The disclosure was made on Friday when Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Irfaan Ali, met with members of the Mekdeci family in his ministry’s South Road office.

According to a release from the Tourism Ministry, the minister has fully endorsed Mekdeci as a sports and tourism ambassador for Guyana.

“We are happy to say that Ben, whose mother is an American and whose dad is Guyanese, chose to represent Guyana at the U.S. Open Squash tournament, as a Guyanese. We are endorsing him as a sports ambassador,” the tourism minister explained.

According to Dr. Kelly Mekdeci, both of her children are American by birth and Benjamin objected to being registered for the tournament as an American, but chose instead to register as a Guyanese and to represent the country.

She said, “He objected and protested that he wanted to register as a Guyanese, he feels very strongly about that.”

As to the significance of this move by the young squash champion, Ali announced that all Guyana should be proud of Benjamin representing the Golden Arrowhead.

“We are delighted in relation to you representing our country and in this case it is special that Benjamin chose to be an ambassador of Guyana.

Sports in indeed a very important avenue, not only for the field but for tourism and being at that level representing Guyana and holding up the Guyana flag, will definitely bring a lot of attention to our country,” Minister Ali continued.

The Tourism Minister announced too that a ‘Sports Ambassador Programme’ will soon be launched; this will see local sportsmen and women being tasked with the role of representing Guyana as tourism brand ambassadors.

Ali said too that this will add to the country’s value in terms of marketing and promotion and will serve to further enhance Guyana’s image, internationally.

Benjamin was presented with tokens of appreciation and samples of Tourism literature to use, in an effort to spread awareness, as he embraces his new role as a tourism ambassador for Guyana.

“I am very pleased to have the opportunity of representing Guyana, this is a great honour,” Benjamin Mekdeci declared, the release stated.

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