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Tapirs in Corriverton becoming extinct

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CPL gives major boost to Guyana’s tourism sector

WEEK ENDING August 20, 2017

ISSUE NO. 359

...as City hotels report massive increase in bookings Albion reunion!

See story on page 16

Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo along with Former Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy and a group of Guyanese in Queens, New York, pose for a photo op during a village reunion.

Dr Jagdeo was in New York earlier this week where he met with and updated members of the Guyanese Diaspora on current issues and events affecting Guyanese back ‘home’.

High-level meetings with Exxon in Texas were of policy nature - Trotman Page 3

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NEWS 3

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High-level meetings with Exxon in Texas were of policy nature - Trotman R

ecent discussions between government ministers and ExxonMobil officials are of a policy nature, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman was quoted by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as saying in an interview recently.

Minister Trotman assured there is no secrecy in meeting with Exxon, who along with Hess and CNOOC Nexen will produce Guyana’s oil.

Guyana is a 50 percent partner with ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC Nexen for the development of the offshore Stabroek Block in which oil has been discovered.

On August 1011 Minister Trotman, along with Ministers of Infrastructure David

The ministers of government during a briefing at the ExxonMobil Campus in Houston, Texas, USA.

Patterson, Finance Winston Jordan, Business Dominic Gaskin and Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge and Presidential

Advisor on Petroleum Dr. Jan Mangal participated in meetings and briefings with officials of the ExxonMobil Development Company

and ExxonMobil Gas and Power Marketing Company at the ExxonMobil Campus in Houston, Texas, USA. “These meetings held

in early August were considered to be very important, very timely.

There’s nothing secretive about them,” Minister Trotman told DPI. He further explained that the government and Exxon and its partners have been in “close collaboration to bring production on stream by 2020” since the 2015 oil discovery.

The consultation between the government and the oil producers “are part of a continuing series of engagements which are held both in Guyana and in Houston on a yearly basis” Minister Trotman said, he noted that Cabinet had approved this recent visit.

At the briefings the Ministers were provided with updates on developments with the

Liza field. Phase one is scheduled to commence in 2020 and will recover approximately 500m barrels of oil at a rate of 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) while phase two is expected to recover the remaining resource in the Lisa field in 2023 and beyond.

Discussions at the meetings were more of a policy nature Minister Trotman explained. He pointed out that discussions revolved around local content development, foreign relations, maritime space and fiscal matters all of which bear relevance to the Ministers who attended the meeting.

“It was a very high level meeting,” Minister Trotman pointed out.

The Minister said that the government will do its best to meet the excontinued on page 12

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This is how it’s done

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EDITORIAL

India’s independence

I

ndia celebrated the 70th anniversary of its independence from Britain on the 15th instant. Its independence in 1947 was a remarkable event that reverberated in all of the colonies of the British Empire, including then British Guiana – on which “the sun never sat”. Independence for India confirmed that it was only a matter of “when” for the colonies to also be free.

India has since continued to play a key leadership role for the other colonies. Initially, it attempted to chart a middle path between the two competing ideologies of capitalism and communism – represented respectively by the US and the USSR. In 1955, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru organised an Asian-African conference at Bandung, Indonesia, which brought together more than half of the world’s population to declare their opposition to colonialism and neo-colonialism. Later, with the leaders of Ghana, Egypt, Yugoslavia, and Indonesia, he helped launch the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which unfortunately was seen as taking a side by NOT taking a side.

India attempted to steer a middle course, both politically and economically, by combining elements of the two dominant ideologies, but this did not lead to the levels of development needed to pull it out of the morass one hundred and fifty years of British colonialism had mired it in. India inevitably became an exemplar of the consequences of what was called “underdevelopment” in the seventies. This process can be illustrated by the history of the cotton industry of India.

In 1700, India was supplying up to 90% of the cotton fabrics in world trade. By the end of the 18th century, however, after the conquest of India, most of the manufacturing of the fabric was transferred to England, and, within two decades, Britain became the top exporter and India’s share fell to 20%.

The British banned the importation of textile looms and other machinery into India, and the latter was stuck with producing cotton and importing fabrics from England. To rub salt into the wound, the cultivation of cotton was encouraged in the US, which soon surpassed India as the top producer of this crop. Those parts of India where the cotton industry was destroyed — UP and Bihar — today still remain the most poverty-stricken parts of India.

But the underdevelopment of India was replicated in every tropical colony, where the countries were directed to produce raw materials to be manufactured – and most pertinently – “value added” in the colonial metropole. For instance, Guyana still produces cheap raw sugar that has to be exported to England to be refined into expensive white sugar, which is sold to consumers.

But India still remains a model for the former British colonies – and other underdeveloped countries.

Through all its travails, India has remained a democratic country. Today it is the largest in the world, even though may in the “First World” had predicted this was not possible in the face of the magnitude of challenges presented to the leadership. However, India has now become a beacon in another area: not the simplistic promulgation of a “middle path” consisting of a melange of the competing foreign ideologies, as in the sixties, but in starting to forge its own path based on its own ancient traditions – modified, where appropriate, by new proven advances.

This is what has been signalled by India’s new and dynamic Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and his party, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), which has comprehensively replaced the Congress Party across India. The point the former are making is that with the fall of communism and the present ruptures in capitalism, what is needed is a paradigm of development that takes into cognisance the strengths of each polity and nation. Development cannot ignore the culture of each nation: it must be autochthonous.

This is something that Guyana also needs to do. In the first two decades, it tried socialism. That failed, and in the last two decades it tried neo-liberalism, which also foundered.

Members of the Warriors squad playing cricket with the boys of the St John’s Bosco Orphanage during a visit to the institution on Tuesday

Big issues such as overseas voting should be confronted

Dear Editor, My suggestion last week that we begin to reconsider overseas voting has ignited some debate and much vitriol.

It should be noted that I am not the first commentator to raise this matter; former Speaker of the National Assembly, Attorney Ralph Ramkarran, did so about two years ago.

I have been called everything: from a madman to a PNC lackey, to the bearer of some secret plan to rig the next election. It’s yet another reflection of the state of our public discourse, which is generally bereft of reason and a willingness to confront difficult and complex ideas. And where there is some debate, it is often driven by age-old political fears and grudges. We tie ourselves up in political knots, and then debate and discuss ideas from that imprisoned state.

With all due respect to the views expressed, there are many arguments that can be made against overseas voting, but the three that seem to be popular are about the weakest. Here is a fact: 93 countries currently have overseas voting. There must be some benefits if so many countries continue to go that route. Another fact is that many Guyanese are already eligible to vote in our elections if they travel home and register.

Most of the opposition to the suggestion is grounded in the fear that overseas voting would be a source of electoral fraud. This is a legitimate fear, given the fact that it was part of the electoral rigging machinery during the period of rigged election. But Guyana and the world have moved on since that time. One can never guarantee a completely fair election anywhere in the world; there will always be suspicions and charges of fraud. But to allow that fear of fraud to dictate who should or should not vote is unacceptable.

If we follow the logic that fear of fraud should prevent us from considering overseas voting, we might as well abolish elections in Guyana and many countries around the world.

Can someone demonstrate to me how there is the possibility of more fraud in overseas voting than at home? In the height of rigged elections, there was far more rigging at home than overseas.

In Guyana, while there are still instances of electoral malpractice, these have not amounted to an overall corrupt system. We have returned to a system wherein our elections are generally free and fair. All our elections since 1992 have been certified as fair by the local and international monitoring agencies. There have, of course, been charges of malpractice by the losing contestants. This is to be expected in a country where the politics are extremely charged.

Where there have been big attempts at fraud, as occurred in 2011 and 2015, those were detected and exposed. The key here is vigilance — both at the polling places and at the centre where the votes are tallied.

I am making the point here that an electoral machinery geared to detect fraud is central to fair election, whether people are voting in Guyana or at some overseas centre. So the big fear of fraud we hear about should there be overseas voting is grounded less in reason.

The other objection to overseas voting is the fear that it would be marred by ethnic voting. Well, we have ethnic voting at home; should we then abolish elections at home? This is another area of our politics from which we must move on. We must stop complaining and crying about ethnic voting; it’s stale. People vote interests, not issues. If people vote their ethnic interests, they are merely seeing issues through ethnic lenses. If people don’t

vote along ethnic lines, they will choose some other interest – maybe gender or class, or region or generation. What makes these other interests less destructive than ethnic interests?

If we return to overseas voting, we would be granting rights to Guyanese living abroad. Since when fear of fraud and ethnic voting are disqualifications from voting at elections. If the colonials had said that they were withholding the franchise from Guyanese because of fear that we would have ethnic voting, or that there would be fraud, where would we be today as a country?

The other complaint — about denying overseas voting — is the other stale retort that if people don’t pay taxes in a country, they shouldn’t vote in that country. Guyanese overseas remittances amount to an average of over US$400 million dollars per year; approximately 20 per cent of our GDP. If that’s not akin to taxation, I don’t know what is. In fact, that amounts to much more than if they were paying taxes in Guyana.

And let’s not forget that there are many Guyanese living in Guyana who don’t pay income taxes simply because they don’t earn an income. So, should we deny them the right to vote?

I agree that when we have to confront big issues, like overseas voting, there must be extensive discussions, and our collective fears must be taken into consideration. I am also conscious that the political parties would not touch this issue unless they are convinced that it would bring electoral advantage to them. But we must begin to grow up politically, and in the process, muster the courage to look at old initiatives in new ways.

Yours truly, David Hinds

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Broadcast Bill

Granger snubs concerns raised by local, int’l stakeholders P

resident David Granger has maintained Government’s stance on the controversial Broadcast Bill and has called on those who criticise the move to see that the objective is towards the benefit of all Guyanese.

The Parliamentary Opposition recently said that it was prepared to challenge the Bill in court, however, the Head of State has called on critics, to fully understand the reasons behind Government moving in that direction.

According to him, it is Government’s objective to ensure that every Guyanese, whether they live on the coastland or the interior regions, have access to public information.

“We are prepared to listen to the comments and criticisms. But we must always bear in mind that Guyana is a thinly populated country, the population density is just about a few persons per square kilometre. Most of the media houses are concentrated on the coastland and Georgetown. There are huge areas of the country that do not have media coverage. We need to correct that,” The

Head of State said.

He stressed that there will most likely be an “information deficit” if the media remain central in the capital city and its environs and are not covering certain issues.

President Granger said a lot of thought was put into the drafting of the bill, and that government is prepared to listen to any comments and criticism. However, those criticisms must be given with a clear understanding of what government is seeking to do.

He admitted that there are some elements of the bill that have caused some concern, but he asked again that the critics be more aware of the peculiar nature of Guyana and ensure that all communities are given access to information. The President said he supports the private media as he supports the freedom of information, but noted that Government also has an obligation to ensure that all corners of the country is well informed about what is happening in the various sectors.

He said Government has begun a program of establishing broadcasting services starting from Region

President David Granger

one (Barima Waini) to Region Nine (Upper Takatu/Upper Essequibo).

“This is the way we have to go. We have to think about the function of public information,” he said continuing that it is not Government’s intention to prevent any media from fulfilling its constitutional role, but that Government has a responsibility of ensuring the security of the country.

“We have an obligation and I would like to ask the critics of the broadcast bill to

see both sides of the picture,” he said.

Government had come under fire from stakeholders, including the International Press Association, about its mode of operation regarding the bill, which was passed in the National Assembly recently. Part of the bill mandates that all television and radio stations provide one hour for the broadcast of Public Service Announcements (PSA).

Opposition Member of Parliament Anil Nandlall said recently that the PPP would challenge the matter in court, since the Bill tramples on the right to press freedom.

He said the matter would be challenged on several grounds, but particularly on ground of the licence having the same spectrum reach.

The other aspect of the legal challenge will be based on the mandatory imposition of one hour of Government service on private broadcasters’ media.

The parliamentary Opposition has maintained that the Bill in its current form is ‘unconstitutional’, and will have several implications on private broadcasters.

Broadcasters have been advised to challenge the Bill in court, because it would have far reaching repercussions that could harm their businesses.

Apart from obtaining a conservatory order, Nandlall said, those who file the court action could seek damages for breach of constitutional rights.

Private broadcast companies have since come out in criticism of the Government over the proposed bill, and have asked for deferral of its debate and passage.

The Guyana Press Association has also criticise the Government over the proposed Broadcast Amendment Bill and asked for the deferral.

Additionally, several international organisations including International Press Institute (IPI), Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), called Reporters Without Borders, also urged the President not to assent to this controversial bill without “consultations with broadcasters, in order to take into account their recommendations”.

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‘Do nothing … Govt officials must come fear nothing’! clean on ExxonMobil trip Dear Editor, A letter which appeared in another section of the media titled “Will the Auditor General investigate the deputy chief elections officer?” is the second deliberate attempt aimed at besmirching my integrity – obviously with clandestine objectives. And it brings to mind something that a former boss of mine had continuously repeated i.e. a lie repeated often enough metamorphose to become the truth. This is the only reason that I have taken the decision to respond to this piece of mischief, lest the general populace internalize the contents of the letter to conclude that I have been involved in corrupt undertakings and that, somehow, I am being shielded and protected.

The motive behind this targeted aggression is anybody’s guess and leaves great room for speculation.

The forensic investigations that are currently being conducted by the Auditor General into allegations of fraud has nothing to do with me.

Accordingly, I will not comment on this except to note that reference to this was made at the opening of the letter to create the platform to launch the mischief aimed at me.

I am not at all surprised at this letter because of reasons I need not mention here. However, I find it astounding that the author(s) of the letter would attack the Auditor General in an attempt to dare him to launch an investigation into me relative to allegations that were published in the Guyana Chronicle last year.

In so doing, the author(s) failed to recall that I had debunked those allegations via the said articles in the Guyana Chronicle. One year later – here we go again.

Specifically, the letter asked – Why was Vishnu Persaud signing contracts and documents as deputy chief election officer and public relations officer”, and “whether I was usurping the functions of the substantive PRO at the time…”

In this regard, please note the following:I have never signed any contract in my capacity of Deputy Chief Election Officer nor Public Relations Officer.

Documents prepared by me in my capacity as Deputy Chief Election Officer and Public Relations Officer for

submission to GECOM personnel above me were required to be signed by me for obvious reasons.

There was an instance in which I prepared the evaluation of quotations pertaining to Civic and Voter Education during the high activity period of preparations for the conduct of the 2015 General and Regional Elections. This is an activity that I had been doing over the years as authorized by the Commission. In so doing, and in the interest of saving time, I had copied the format from the last evaluation I had done and made the required changes accordingly. The evaluation was submitted to the CEO for approval with my designation was unintentionally stated as Public Relations Officer, as had been copied from the earlier evaluation. The CEO brought this to my attention, and I requested that he return the document to me so that I can append the rubber stamp of the Deputy Chief Election Officer, sign there-above and return it.

This was done. In retrospect, I admit that I should have printed a new page and signed thereon or at the least cancel my signature as PRO. I have never usurped, nor even encroached upon, the functions of the PRO in reference.

In view of the foregoing, I wish to state categorically that, throughout my tenure at GECOM, which commenced in November 2001, I have never conducted myself in any way, shape or form that could have brought disrepute to myself or the Commission. On the contrary, I stand grounded in my conviction that I have always carried out my responsibilities with loyalty to the organization, and with consistent efficiency to the satisfaction of my superiors.

I therefore have no reluctance or objection to avail myself to any investigation pertaining to any area of my conduct relative to official activities that were undertaken by me at GECOM. As it relates to the use of quotes, I will close with the simple one that were taught to us by all of our grandparents: - “Do nothing – fear nothing”.

This is my only and last public position on this matter.

Kind regards, Vishnu Persaud Deputy Chief Election Officer

Dear Editor, In an article which appeared in the media on August 13, it was reported that senior ministers in the APNU/AFC Government are on an official visit to the ExxonMobil Headquarters in Texas, USA — apparently to familiarize themselves with oil and gas matters as they relate to the development of oil fields off Guyana’s coast.

The ministers’ visit was treated as a state secret, as Guyanese are usually informed prior to any overseas visit of Govt. officials, and the reasons therefor. By design, however, no prior information was given to the public on this occasion.

This visit by a large contingent of Government min-

isters to the headquarters of ExxonMobil, a company with which the Government is conducting business, raises a number of troubling issues. Firstly, Guyanese would like to know who is picking up the expense tab for this costly group trip of Government officials?

Secondly, no technical professional accompanied the delegation to discuss such topics as production schedule, gas disposal, waste disposal after the crude is separated, etc; as much of this information is not incorporated in the contract agreement between the Government and ExxonMobil, which continues to be a state secret.

The APNU/AFC Government should be

transparent and inform the people as to the reasons for this visit by its most senior ministers to ExxonMobil Headquarters in the USA; the topics which were discussed, and the agreements which were made, if any.

This will assure Guyanese in no uncertain way that the Government is not “hand in glove” with ExxonMobil, a company which will soon be a large generator of much of Government’s revenues.

After all, Guyanese should be conscious of the sharing and disappearance of oil extraction revenues by large overseas companies operating in Nigeria, Angola, Sudan and elsewhere in the world.

Yours truly, Charles Sohan

Caribbean Voice applauded for social work Dear Editor, I write to applaud The Caribbean Voice (TCV) for its social welfare, activism, and educational programmes that benefit all Guyanese. Without its social programmes, Guyana would be worse off today.

TCV has done very much to educate Guyanese about social ills and combat problems affecting the population.

Among its programmes are: The Youth and Student Workshop to mostly private schools and youth groups.

This workshop is endorsed by the Ministry of Education (MoE), which also indicated that it would be made part of the Health and Family Life Education curriculum in schools. Public schools are not being serviced by this workshop, because permission is needed from the Ministry of Education, although a number of public schools have requested it.

A Teacher Training Workshop, to provide teachers with skills and the capacity to develop their own mental toughness, to be able to deal with emotional and psychological problems their students face, and to arm their students with positive self-esteem and coping skills. This, too, has been endorsed by the Ministry of Education, which has offered to collaborate and get schools’ welfare workers involved in its implementation.

A Train-the-Trainer

Workshop, which trains others to become trainers for gatekeepers and to turnkey their training to their various communities and the entities with which they are associated.

An Employee Mental Health Workshop, which helps workers at various companies to be able to deal with stress and challenges, and emotional and psychological issues.

A Community Outreach, launched in 2014 at Black Bush Polder and since taken to a number of communities, often in collaboration with other NGOs, community-based organizations and/or faith-based organizations.

TCV has media advocacy and information dissemination campaigns on combating various social ills ongoing. In addition to constant letters and articles published both in the local and diaspora media, TCV has had meetings with some of the media houses in Guyana.

TCV’s messages are able to reach Guyanese in all three counties via both radio and TV. Caribbean Voice lobbying efforts are also ongoing as it strives to achieve the following: to persuade the Government to place counsellors in all schools in Guyana; to integrate mental health care into the current physical health care system; to establish psych wards in all public hospitals throughout Guyana; to station clinical

counsellors at every hospital; to engage in widespread sensitivity training for police officers with respect to suicide and abuse – child, sexual and gender-based, as well as mental health issues in general; to raise the age of consent from 16 years to 18 years; to decriminalize attempted suicide; to widely and continually publicize and promote the suicide hotline, and to include Hindu and Muslim priests in the roster that handle calls and follow-up; to set up a support network for women who want to opt out of abusive relationships; piggy back self-esteem and coping skills in all training programmes across Guyana; move collaboration with all stakeholders from rhetoric to concrete practice; implement the Shri Lanka Hazard Reduction Model (or something similar) to tackle pesticide suicide; give teeth to the Sexual Offences Act. The Voice currently has an online petition calling for Government to establish a registry of sex offenders. The petition can be accessed at https://www. change.org/p/president-ofthe-republic-of-guyana-establish-a-registry-for-allsex-offenders.

TCV is appealing to the media to help publicize the petition, and to Guyanese to support it by logging online, signing and sharing.

Printed signatures are also being sought.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

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Pedestrian overpasses President confirms police promotions halted to be completed by for investigations November – Patterson … says Govt not seeking to trample on constitutional rights

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W

Driven piles at Peter’s Hall near the Demerara Harbour Bridge

orks on the East Bank Demerara (EBD) pedestrian overpasses at Houston, Peter’s Hall, Eccles and Diamond, East Bank Demerara continue to move apace.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that to date all the piles have been driven (into place) and works should be completed

by November.

“Some of the contractors started doing the foundations… all five will be completed by November this year.

When completed, the overpasses will (be accepted) as a normal design. For

those who may not be able to walk the stairs to get up to the bypass, the elevator will take them up, and they will go to the other side and get down. I’m excited to have that done and completed,” Minister Patterson explained.

Earlier in the year, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon had announced that a US$364,000 contract was awarded for the pedestrian overpass at Diamond and a US$1M contract for those at Houston, Peter’s Hall and at Eccles.

These efforts, the Government had announced, are geared at eliminating congestion on the EBD road which is among the busiest in the country.

UN rights experts slam US immigrant detention

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E N E V A , Switzerland (AFP) — A group of United Nations experts voiced alarm Monday at the widespread detention of immigrants and asylum seekers in the United States, and warned of "systemic problems" in the country's criminal justice system.

In a fresh report, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention voiced concern over soaring detention rates as President Donald Trump's administration cracks down on illegal immigration and works to deport legal immigrants with criminal records.

"The Working Group is of the view that the mandatory detention of immigrants, especially asylum seekers, is contrary to international human rights and refugee rights standards," the five independent experts said.

The report, based on visits to a range of US detention facilities late last year, found that non-criminal immigrants were subjected to "punitive conditions that were often

indistinguishable from those applicable to persons who had been sentenced to punishment in the criminal justice system".

The report also highlighted the difficulty for detained immigrants to access legal representation, unreasonably long incarceration -- including of children -- and the separation of family members during detention.

"Immigration detention should be the exception rather than the rule," the experts said, insisting that the current "excessive use of immigration-related detention" could not be justified by necessity.

They warned that current system "appeared to be implemented to deter individuals from continuing their immigration claims and could result in asylum seekers revoking their legitimate immigration claims."

Monday's report also examined the broader rights situation in US jails and prisons, pointing to "several areas where systemic problems in the criminal

justice system are resulting in the arbitrary deprivation of liberty."

The panel listed lengthy pre-trial detention, the lack of effective legal representation, economic and racial disparities, disproportionate sentences and the practice of treating minors in certain cases as adults.

They voiced concern that some states are increasing their use of the death penalty, especially in light of the problems they had seen in guaranteeing fair trials, arguing: "Imposing the death penalty after a trial at which the defendant was not afforded all necessary safeguards constitutes arbitrary deprivation of life".

The experts also decried the continued operation of the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, urging Washington to close the facility.

Former president Barack Obama promised to do so, but his successor Donald Trump has signalled he instead plans to ramp up use of the prison.

he directive given by President David Granger that the Police Service Commission (PSC) halts the promotion of senior Police Officers was to allow for a thorough investigation to be carried out into a number of complaints.

President Granger made it clear that his Government has no intention of trampling on the constitutional rights of the Police Commission, but wants that whatever is done presents a positive image of the Police Force.

He said his office has received a number of complaints from aggrieved senior Police Officers and has asked that those claims be investigated.

“There have been some doubts and we are investigating the complaints that have been made to us and we have asked the PSC simply to delay so that we can answer those queries”. He said as soon as those questions are answered, “we will proceed.”

According to President Granger, with the complaints, there is evidence that injustices might have been done. “We just need time to have the complaints from aggrieved police officers thoroughly investigated,” he said.

He stressed that Government is not seeking to trample on the constitutional rights of the Police Commission, but not-

ed that damage could be done by persons who are not “fit and proper “to make decisions and which can be injurious to public security. The Head of State said every effort should be made to prevent damage to the security infrastructure of the country and noted that while Government wants the constitutional commission to function, the Administration is paying attention to the situation.

Last week, a letter dispatched to the Police Service Commission (PSC), instructed the body to put a hold on a list of promotion for senior Police Officers, a move that was readily criticised by the political Opposition.

The President’s decision was made at a time when the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has been placed under the microscope during the Commission of Inquiry set up to probe allegations of a plot to assassinate him.

A leaked copy of the promotion list revealed that several senior officers who were hauled before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the assassination plot investigation were on that list. The directive had pushed the Opposition People’s Progressive Party to threaten legal action, if it was not withdrawn. The PSC had said while it was going to adhere with the President’s directive, it was also hoping on some reason for the move. At that point no justification was forthcoming.

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India pledges continued support to Guyana – during independence anniversary celebration

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Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam

s the Republic of India celebrated its 71st independence anniversary, the country has pledged its continued support towards Guyana’s development.

The promise was made on Tuesday by Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam, when dignitaries and Indian nationals converged at the Indian Culture Centre in Bel Air, Georgetown to celebrate the country’s independence anniversary.

According to the High Commissioner, who spoke on behalf of the country’s Prime

Minister, India has over the years been a major player and partner in Guyana’s development.

“During the less than three years of my tenure here, India/Guyana bilateral relations have seen all-round improvement in the political, cultural, educational, economic and educational spheres. Regardless of the political parties in power, India’s relation has been strong over the years since Guyana became independence in 1966. India has been playing a significant role as a reliable partner to Guyana by committing itself particularly towards the development

Evidence in alleged plot to assassinate President was unreliable

- Police Legal Advisor tells inquiry of its programmes,” Mahalingham said.

According to the Indian High Commissioner, India has committed to provide a US$81.5 million soft loan in its line of credit and US$9 million grant for various projects, such as the building of link roads between the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara; the upgrading of three primary hospitals and the setting up of a centre of excellence in Guyana. He said his country has already partnered with Guyana in the past in building the Cricket Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

He said trade and economic relations between the countries have deepened significantly and have also seen broaden relations particularly in the mining, forestry, education and pharmaceutical sectors.

India’s Independence Day is celebrated annually on August 15, as a national holiday, commemorating the nation’s independence from the United Kingdom.

A section of the gathering on Tuesday at the Indian Cultural Centre

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

he Police Legal Adviser (PLA) retired Justice of Appeal Claudette Singh SC told the Commission of Inquiry (CoI), into the alleged plot to assassinate President David Granger, that it is her understanding that the allegations are not treasonous and on that ground, she advised that the offence of incitement to commit murder be investigated.

Justice Singh, who has been the Police Legal Adviser since September of 2014, appeared before the CoI on Wednesday to give evidence as it relates to her role in the investigation into the allegations made against Nizam Khan by Andriff Gillard in which he claims that he was offered G$7M to assassinate the President.

While being questioned by the Commission’s attorney, James Bond, she said that she first considered the charge of treason but her knowledge and understanding of the term suggested otherwise.

“I understand the definition of treason to mean when a foreign state invade Guyanathat is the definition in the Criminal Law and also if anyone attempts to overthrow the government,” she explained.

“In terms of an attempt on the life of the Head of State, would that fall in any of the characterisation you would have stated?”

Bond asked.

“Well I was looking at the word treason but I am not of the view that treason would come. It would be treason,” the PLA explained.

Justice Singh said that she first saw the Police File on the investigation on April 12 and gave her first piece of written advice. She said that there was no evi-

Police Legal Adviser, retired Justice of Appeal Claudette Singh SC

dence to suggest that the story was fabricated by Gillard although he reported the incident some months after.

She had some difficulties with the statement on one witness, Leon Baldeo who alleges that he was offered G$50,000 by Gillard to say that he was present when the plot was revealed. He said that the offer was made on March 26. Gillard reported the matter on March 29.

“From the nature of the allegation I gathered it was just Gillard and Nizam Khan. Now therefore when Mr. Baldeo came I paid special attention to his statement because he is saying it was on the 26th (of March) and Gillard went to the Police on the 29th.

So why did Gillard not tell the Police someone else was there so that gave me some problems,” she explained.

She said that based on the file she was not of the view that the Police investigation was more aimed at discrediting Gillard’s story as opposed to exposing the entire incident. She added that she thinks the Police were looking at the investigation.

Justice Singh said that she only gave advice based on the file provided and as such, she could not pronounce on the quality of investigation rather she feels that her advice was carried out to an extent.

“My advice was I

found the evidence tenuous. I could not, on the state of the evidence, say that Gillard was lying or Mr Khan was innocent.

That was why I said the evidence was tenuous in meaning it was unreliable. I could not in all honesty advise anybody there to be prosecuted,” Justice Singh volunteered.

Justice Singh said the uncertainty about the date of the alleged conversation between Khan and Gillard coupled with the fact that he reported the alleged plot some months after posed challenges since she was unable to give conclusive advice. She added that it also challenged the investigators since they were unable to corroborate Gillard’s story with witnesses.

She further stated that the offence on which Nizam Khan was held was a bail-able one but clarified that she has no jurisdiction over since the police do not consult her on that and it is not her job to decide that.

The Police Legal Adviser said the investigation remains open, but she gave no specific instructions to the police adding that they are investigators and they know their functions and roles.

The public hearing aspect of the CoI comes to an end on Friday when the attorneys will present their closing argument.

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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Another prison raid unearths sim cards, cellphones, lighters, weapons

The contraband items seized in Wednesday’s raid on the Camp Street Prison

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rison officials carried out a raid at the Camp Street Prison in the morning hours of Wednesday, and a quantity of cannabis, three cell phones with SIM cards, four lighters, 20 improvised weapons and three razor blades were unearthed among the inmates.

This raid follows the transfer of high-profile criminals from that penal facility, after which multiple efforts were made to sanitise the facility.

Ever since the July 9 fire that effectively sacked the Camp Street Prison, several hundred prisoners have been relocated to penitentiaries across the country, but after a major incident wherein 13 inmates escaped from the Lusignan facility just 2 weeks after being rehoused there, authorities have opted to place those “real bad” prisoners at the Georgetown facility.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, has noted that before being placed at the new holding area, the prisoners were sanitised immediately prior to leaving the walled area of the Lusignan Prisons, where they were being held before their return to Camp Street.

“They don’t have cell phones. They don’t have a number of the things that they had. They were sanitised this morning before they went into the prison…so it is important that we understand that. They were sanitised at Lusignan, and then re-sanitised back at the prison [Camp Street].

So they are without all of the instruments and cell phones and other things that they had before,” the Minister had told media operatives on July 25.

Three major raids conducted respectively at Lusignan, Timehri and New Amsterdam prisons on August 4th — after it had been announced that the prisoners had been sanitized — had unearthed more than 40 improvised weapons, 20 cellphones, 3 tattoo machines, 28 packs of cigarettes, 33 lighters, and quantities of drugs.

Implicated

officer’s file with DPP

Following investigations by prison authorities at the Timehri facility, Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, had reported that an officer was at the centre of the investigation. The officer was arrested after a prisoner claimed that he had paid “big money” to a staff to allow the items to pass through the security check point.

The prohibited items found at Timehri included eight lighters, seven smoking utensils, 16 improvised weapons, eight packs of cigarettes, two dining forks, two pairs of scissors, five cell phone chargers, one bottle pepper sauce, three cellular phones, one tattoo machine, a quantity of tobacco, and 305 grams of cannabis.

Sources within the prison system and the Police Force confirmed on Wednesday that the relevant file is with the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), and they are awaiting advice. This comes nearly two weeks after the prison officer was first arrested.

During the August 4 major raid, three workers attached to a waste disposal service were arrested, and one, Akeem John, pleaded guilty and is now serving a three-year sentence for attempting to smuggle contraband inside the Lusignan Prison. A black bag with several packs of cigarettes and other prohibited items suspected to be marijuana — in black plastic bags and sealed with brown scotch tape – were found in their possession.

The two other employees – a male and a female – have both pleaded not guilty to the offence.

After the July 9 fire and prison transfer, videos of prisoners using weapons to slaughter an animal and carve its meat on a pasture at the Lusignan facility had surfaced online. Moreover, prisoners were seen posting on social media, which caught the public’s attention. In 2016, Samuels, then Deputy Director of Prisons, had categorised contraband as a “multi-million-dollar business” from within the prison system.

Guyana Govt maintains economy will get better with time

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lthough minimal growth was recorded over the past year in the local economy, Government has maintained that they did favourably well given the insurmountable challenges that they were faced with since assuming office in 2015 and things will only get better with time.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan said on Monday that growth in the economy cannot only be assessed by the per cent average but goes beyond that. He said a lot has to do with the increased activities and benefits that trickle down to the people and the advancement and investments made overall.

Another important factor to be considered is the Government’s determination to implement transformative programmes and policies that includes the restructuring of many economic sectors.

“If we can go slowly but sustainably, I think at the end of the day, we will be better off,” he stated.

Jordan said boasting about a 4.5 per cent growth rate is good, but only if all the traditional sectors continue to flourish. “It has nothing to do with the new Government coming into office. It means poor prices, poor supply.

Unsustainable polices means unsustainable economy,” he added.

The Finance Minister admitted that it is not easy managing an economy where there were thoughts of perceived stability and sustainability but only to find that “the situation is far from reality”.

However, Jordan admitted that the coalition Government inherited an economy that was growing, and recalled that the growth rate in 2012 was 4.8 per cent. In 2013, this figure climbed to 5.2 per cent largely due to rice production growth rate, and by 2014 growth plummeted to 3.8 per cent.

“By the time election came around in 2015, growth plummeted again to 3.2 per cent which was expected in an election year because people were pessimistic.

Having slowed, by 2016, growth rebounded to 3.4 per cent and as a result of this, we projected growth at 3.8 per cent for this year,” he stated.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

With the dim performance of sugar, however, Jordan told media operatives that Government has been very cautious and have since revised the growth rate to 3.1 per cent. “There isn’t anything we can do about sugar. It will take us a long time to get sugar right and when we do, it will not be like the heavy days in the 70s when we had sugar production of 355,000 tonnes etc,” he added.

Had sugar performed well continually throughout the year, and the fact that rice has done exceptionally well, the country would have surpassed the 3.8 per cent growth rate, he posited.

Declining reserve

Responding to media reports about a declining economy, the Finance Minister said the reserves are not static. Rather, they move up and down and at any time there will be a certain number.

“Reserves could be 600 today and tomorrow its 570. But by the time you ask the question next month, it gone back to 620. We can’t be fast and loose with these numbers,” he argued.

At the end of 2012, reserves at the Central Bank were US$862.2 million. Of that amount, US$160 million roughly came from the International Monetary Fund disbursements. “So even though we were not on a disbursement per say, US$160 million came from the IMF disbursements.”

In 2014, reserves plummeted to US$665.6 million but in 2015 it went to US$598.5 million. Consistent with growth performance of the economy, reserves in 2016 had gone back up to US$615.7 million.

Jordan therefore contends that the reserve figures are not only in keeping with international standards but this does not in any way affect the country’s economic performance.

“In terms of nominal numbers you can see at any point in time, the reserves will be moving upwards and downwards.

But what is key, if we want to talk about reserves, is how many months of imports can that reserve allow us? Now the benchmark is three months of import cover. Our half-year reserves are US$574 million and that is equivalent to 3.4 months of import coverage.”

The Minister also defended Government on its reportedly excessive spending and debt collection. He said that while debt is expected to continue rising, Guyana is within the international standard limit.

Opposition Member of Parliament, Irfaan Ali, recently highlighted that even with increased production in the key traditional sectors, data compiled in the recent mid-year Finance Ministry Report has clearly showed that the economy is eroding at a fast rate.

Ali pointed out that as foreign exchange tanked, imports will become relatively expensive.

“Overall, imported goods would become relatively expensive, hence stoking inflation in the process,” he contended.

Ali noted that net foreign reserve plummeted from US$633 million in June 2016 to US$574 million in mid-2017; the lowest ever recorded in over seven years.

The Opposition MP said it is also worthwhile to mention that net foreign revenue to external debt ratio had increased from 172 per cent in mid-2016. (Samuel Sukhnandan)

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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

25-yr-old man remanded for Berbice teen’s murder

Dead: Parbattie Lakhpal, also called ‘Rosanna’

By Andrew Carmichael

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he prime suspect in the Number Two Canje teenager’s murder was on Tuesday remanded when he appeared before a Berbice Magistrate, where he was arraigned for the capital offence.

The accused, 25-yearold Ryan Singh, was not required to plea to the indictable charge when it was read to him at the Sisters Magistrate’s Court, on the East Bank of Berbice by Magistrate Alex Moore.

It is alleged that on July 29, 2017, at Number Two Village, East Canje, Berbice, he murdered 16-year-old Parbattie Lakhpal, also called “Rosanna”.

The defendant, who was not represented, will have to return to court on September 26, when the prosecution is expected to report on the progress of the file. The case has been transferred to the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court.

The teenager’s lifeless body was discovered by a visitor to the home at Lot 369 North Number Two Village, Canje, lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

An autopsy performed on the body gave the teen’s cause of death as shock and hemorrhage as a result of a stab wound to the neck.

Sleepin investor denies knowledge of SOCU probe – says ‘vendetta’ afoot

Remanded: 25-year-old murder accused, Ryan Singh

The duo reportedly met over Facebook and the murder accused subsequently moved in with Lakhpal who was 15 years old at the time.

Neighbours reportedly complained to Lakhpal’s mother that Singh was abusing her daughter every time they were alone.

It had been reported that Singh and the now dead girl had frequent fights and three days before her demise, the girl’s mother demanded that he leave the home. Singh was unemployed and was not required to pay a rent. Guyana Times International understands that the 25-year-old Singh was “put out of the home” because he reportedly had not been making attempts to find a job.

Singh was arrested

by Police authorities in Nickerie, Suriname last week and subsequently handed over to local law enforcement authorities in Guyana.

Meanwhile, outside of the court, Singh told reporters that he did not commit the act and that the dead girl’s mother should go and look for the real killer.

Asked why he fled to Suriname, Singh said he was working there.

As he was being taken away, he told the mother of the dead teen, “Love you, Mums”.

Sleepin owner Clifton Bacchus

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lifton Bacchus, the owner of Sleepin and a prospective investor in the casino business, has hit back against reports that the Special Organised Crime Unit

shock the blazing and bold headlines. There was a special effort and a deliberate intent to sensationalise that story. From the article, I learnt for the first time that I, my company and a number of associates are subjects of a money laundering investigation being conducted by SOCU,” the businessman said in a statement responding to the reports.

“SOCU has never made any contact with me, to date, whatsoever. As far as I am aware, SOCU has not made contact with any person close to me in relation to the Sleepin

Kingston. Sleepin has sought the third one.

With a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) made with the previous Government being cast aside by the coalition Government, after being rejected initially by the Gaming Authority, Bacchus had reapplied for a licence.

Noting that this application is currently being processed, Bacchus asserted that additional financial information was requested and is being provided to go along with his application to the Gaming Authority.

Bacchus was ada-

The Sleepin hotel

(SOCU) has him under investigation for money laundering.

Bacchus denied he was ever approached

by SOCU. He stated that the reports, which first appeared in the State media on Tuesday, were deliberately sensationalised and suggested that someone was carrying out a vendetta against him.

“I read with absolute

International Hotel and Casino Inc.” Sleepin’s Church Street branch has been making preparations for quite some time to set up a casino. Under the law, only three casinos are allowed in each region in Guyana.

For Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Ramada Princess has one, while another has been earmarked for the Marriott Hotel at

mant that the documents he submitted to the Gaming Authority establish the source of his capital financing.

According to the businessman, his sources of finance include loans from local commercial banks and an overseas investor, which were secured by mortgages.

“These documents are all filed as of record with the Deeds and Commercial Registry Authority. Copies have been submitted to the Gaming Authority. If SOCU requires them, I will gladly supply copies to them. However, as I indicated, they have never made contact.”

“In the circumstances, it is clear to me, that some highly placed person, in Government, is executing an agenda of malice and vendetta against me with the intention of tarnishing my reputation, stigmatising my business and jeopardising my investments. I am fortified in this view because the Government’s newspaper is being used to do so.”

According to the businessman, the situation is causing irreparable damage to the perception of Guyana being open to invest-

SOCU head Sydney James

ment.

Bacchus expressed the hope that this was not an official position of a government being uninterested in job creation but interested in publicly humiliating investors.

“After all, which investor will want to invest in a country in which they will be exposed to this level of embarrassment, trauma and reputational damage?”

In the report, SOCU head Sydney James was quoted as saying that Bacchus and “a number of associates” have been under investigation since July 2016. He had also related that information for financial and other assets was sourced through court orders.

In addition, he had said that statutory agencies were approached for “pertinent” information.

This was contained in a letter he wrote in response to a letter from head of the Gaming Authority, Roysdale Forde. It was reported that in the letter, Forde had requested information on the businessman, as it was reviewing his application for a licence.

It is understood that in order to qualify for a licence, casino operators must prove that they are financially sound. The failure to provide certain documents had been used by the authority as justification for the initial refusal. Bacchus has always maintained that his enterprise is solely funded by aboveboard sources.

SOCU has faced much criticism from the political Opposition that it has not operated in an objective manner, but has rather gone after persons due to political affiliations with the previous Administration.

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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Dawn Hastings to Guyana Govt yet to address mounting head new Ministry concerns regarding broadcast bill including the environment and national security.

“So she is there to assist me in managing the responsibility. It is a question of my own judgement. I continuously have to evaluate the workload of every ministry,” he said.

The President has expressed confidence in Minister Hastings-W ilNewly designated Minister of Public Affairs, Dawn liams satisfactoriHastings-Williams ly performing duties she has been ome two months afassigned, espeter re-designating cially given her expesenior Education rience as a third-term Minister Dr Rupert Parliamentarian. He reRoopnaraine Minister of minded that the Public Public Service, President Infrastructure Ministry David Granger an- (MPI) was responsible nounced on Wednesday for telecommunication, that Minister within the a sector he later placed Communities Ministry, in the hands of Minister Dawn Hastings- Cathy Hughes.

Williams, will now serve He said he had likeas Minister of Public wise paid visits and Affairs, a new post creat- had some investigations ed within the Ministry of done at the Ministry the Presidency (MoTP). of Education, and simThe President said ilarly placed the New moving Hastings- Opportunity Corps Williams to a position (NOC) under the wings within the Ministry of of the Ministry of Social the Presidency (MoTP) Protection. is designed to continue “So there is a continrebalancing and evalu- uous process to ensure ating the work and per- that Government works formance of his adminis- well, and we needed to tration. ensure we put our best He said the MoTP, efforts where those efover the last two years, forts could have an imhas had to assume re- pact on government,” he sponsibility for various said. areas of administration,

S

T

he Broadcast (Amendment) Bill has been passed in the National Assembly, but former Attorney General Anil Nandlall is asserting that the Government is yet to deal with broadcasters’ concerns. This includes the impact the Bill, if enforced, would have on a number of rights, including property rights.

According to Nandlall, the one-hour imposition on broadcasters to carry Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) free of charge has an impact on property rights of the broadcasters. He noted that since these media outfits are in the business of selling airtime, this free one-hour imposition amounts to expropriation of their money.

“It is trite law that property includes money. So this free one-hour imposition by the State will amount to compulsory acquisition of private property without compensation and therefore, violates Article 142 of the Constitution.”

“Some media operators estimate their loss will be nearly G$1 million per month as they sell one-hour airtime for G$30,000,” he said.

He noted that there are other facets of the Bill which render it “draconian, oppressive and resultantly unconstitutional.”

“For example, the re-

New rice variety still being pursued – Rice board head

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he Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) is still pursuing the creation of a new variety of rice which is expected to bring better yields to rice farmers across the country.

Although tightlipped on the entire developmental process, GRDB General Manager Allison Peters has said the new variety is being closely monitored by scientists at the research station.

“There is a variety that the plant breeder is working on. We don’t

want to show our hand before it is ready, because, you know, seed paddy and developing a new variety takes several seasons. It’s at a stage where we are cultivating it in farmers’ fields, and we are looking at how it’s behaving in those fields; but we can’t tell you (that it will be ready by) next season, (and) we can’t tell you the season after; but it’s soon,” Peters said.

A GRDB team recently held an outreach in Region Six, where they discovered that farmers were using a Brazilian

variety of rice commonly known as ‘100 day’ to produce paddy. The farmers praised the Brazilian variety, highlighting that it requires less field maintenance, less attention, and has a shorter yielding period. Moreover, the overall results are usually better when compared with local varieties.

Ms Peters told the farmers that the Brazilian rice variety is an illegally imported brand, and it has serious implications for the local rice crop.

According to the Department of Public Information, the new variety of rice being developed locally is likely to eliminate the farmers’ need to smuggle into Guyana brands of paddy from other countries; as it promises greater yields, with less risk of paddy bug infestation and other crop diseases.

The GRDB had, earlier in the year, projected that this new variety could be expected by 2018.

Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

gime of new fees, unlike what the Prime Minister says, would cost broadcasters much more as they now have to pay, not only a fixed fee, but a fee for every zone in which they will be licenced to broadcast.”

“So, a radio station with which I am familiar now pays an annual fee of G$2.5 million to broadcast. When the Amendment comes into force, and if that radio station is licensed to broadcast to the same spectrum reach which it now enjoys, its fees will be increased to nearly G$8 million, annually, because of the zoning system which the amendment imposes.”

He stated that the Constitution should not allow such conditions to be imposed upon broadcasters, who are guaran-

teed fundamental rights and freedoms by it.

“The Constitution would regard these conditionalities as undue fetters which would make the true enjoyment of the civil liberties it guarantees, as illusory.

They will be struck down as unconstitutional. I believe that I have provided sufficient grounds for the Government to proffer some answers.”

In addition, Nandlall criticised the Prime Minister, who championed the Bill, for glossing over the more troublesome aspects of the Bill.

Part two of the Bill sets out that broadcast agencies will be mandated to broadcast public service programmes for a total of up to one hour daily. Broadcast agencies will be airing these public service pro-

grammes free of cost and as requested by the Government between 06:00h and 22:00h.

The Bill also states that the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) reserves the right to direct a broadcaster to broadcast emergency notices for any length of time. This can even be done during peak or prime advertising time. A broadcaster will have the right to file a complaint with the GNBA within 24 hours of being asked to broadcast a programme free of cost if, in the agency’s judgment, it is not considered a public service broadcast programme.

But there is a warning for broadcasters daring to oppose the legislation: the Bill states that any broadcaster the GNBA finds to have “arbitrarily refused” to broadcast a public service broadcast programme without lodging a complaint has committed an offence.

Even before its passage, broadcasters have already come out in opposition to the new proposed measures. Using its seat majority, however, the Government had forged ahead with its passage over the opposition from the other side of the House.

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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

PM Nagamootoo reaffirms support for GNBA F

irst Vice President and Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo on Wednesday, with board members of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) at the Authority’s office on Lamaha Street.

The Prime Minister welcomed the members to their new location and congratulated the organisation on their work completed so far, and also for their recommendations that were made and inputted in the Broadcast Act. The three Ps ‘Public Private Partnership’ were noted by the Prime Minister, as important in the execution of the functions and mandate of the GNBA. “You have

First Vice President and Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo with Board Members of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA)

my support full as the

Minister with responsi-

bility for broadcasting.

In your zoning activities in redefining the contours of broadcasting in Guyana”, he said.

The issue of boadcast time was discussed extensively.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo noted that the Authority recommended one minute per 60 minutes per day. He explained “the Act had stated that a certain percentage of broadcast time shall be made available for public broadcasting which was called Development Support Broadcasting”.

The Prime Minister

said that the orgnaistion should not leave it to government to create 60- minute or 10minute content, but open it to all enterprising persons, “…maybe a fund could be developed by the GNBA … for producers of Public Content, Public Information Content and they should apply to access the funds to produce programmes whether is a programme they wish to produce in a particular way, in a particular format to deal with suicide prevention, or smoking to alcohol consumption.”

Nagamootoo identified that there is a difference “between government information and government provided information and party propaganda”. He noted that “no station private or public” should be required or mandated to carry party political propaganda; the GNBA needs to assure the Guyanese people that it understands public broadcasting content is not synonymous with political party propaganda.

The Prime Minister empahsised that e broadcasting was created to satisfy the needs and necessities of the community which it serves.

Sophia woman dies after being found battered on Ogle public road

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olice say they are investigating the death of a mother of five, in her late 30's, who lived in ‘C’ Field Sophia.

This publication was informed that the woman, identified as Jasmin Edwards, was found lying on the Ogle, East Coast Demerara road in a battered but alive state on Wednesday evening.

She was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she subsequently succumbed.

This newspaper understands that the woman was in the company of friends on Wednesday and they were reportedly heading to Buxton to make preparations for an event scheduled for the following day.

“C” Division Commander, Calvin Brutus confirmed that an investigation is ongoing and the friends who were reportedly in the company of Edwards will be questioned.

High-level meetings with Exxon in ...

from page 3

pectations of its citizen who “have the right to want to know” what is happening in the industry’s development.

Meanwhile, the Ministers were also briefed on, and engaged in, discussions on the advancements of the proposed project to utilise available natural gas for energy generation by

Guyana Power and Light (GPL).

Minister Trotman said that Exxon will facilitate a workshop in September where energy experts from Texas will engage GPL officials to explore bringing the natural gas to shore at a cost that is less than the country’s current energy bill.

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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Oil resources will put Guyana on path of “high-end development” – Finance Minister

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s Guyana prepares for production of oil in 2020, there has been much debate about whether the country struck a good enough deal with US oil giant ExxonMobil and what could have been done to secure a better deal, given the enormity of the oil find in this South American country.

The question in relation to whether Guyana secured a good or bad deal was avoided by Senior Finance Minister Winston Jordan on Monday, when he was asked the question at a press conference. He said while the deal has already been made, Guyana still has a chance to experience real growth.

“We can discuss this over and over, but I believe the positive that you can take away is that we now have resources coming to Guyana that can finally put Guyana on the path to sustained highend development, where two per cent and three per cent can become things of the past.”

The Minister noted however, that it also de-

pends on how well the country uses these resources, lamenting that it is a complete waste of time to argue whether or not Guyana may have received a good or bad deal. He said that what is now important is for Guyanese to look to the future with hope for development.

Jordan stated clearly, “It is not for me to be happy or unhappy.” However, he said Cabinet has the ultimate and collective responsibility to approve documents and the ExxonMobil contract was discussed and a determination was made as to what percentage of profits Government should get.

The Minister pointed out that the coalition Government did not have full control over what kind of deal Guyana secured, because the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government were the ones who initially negotiated the con-

Improved infrastructure, hospitality training needed to boost Essequibo’s tourism

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resident of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce Deleep Singh has said that infrastructural development and training in hospitality services are needed to boost the tourism sector in Essequibo. He made these comments on the sidelines of this year’s hosting of the annual Regatta and stage show at Lake Mainstay, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

Chief among the infrastructural changes, the Chamber of Commerce President remarked, is the need for an overhaul of the Good Hope/Supenaam Ferry Stelling. He added that there is also need for infrastructural improvements to the many tourist destinations located in Essequibo. “The Essequibo Chamber of Commerce is working this year to develop the tourism sector in this region [as] there is a lot of potential for tourism,” he highlighted.

Singh, a hotel owner and businessman, further highlighted that there is need for much more training for persons living and working in the area on dealing with an influx of tourists and lo-

Essequibo Chamber of Commerce President Deleep Singh speaking at Lake Mainstay on Sunday

cals to enhance and grow the industry. “We need to train our boat operators, taxi drivers and every single one that is involved in handling tourists… because tourists need to be handled with respect,” he added, referencing the advancements in the Caribbean’s tourist sector.

Singh added that his organisation will be working with the relevant authorities on erecting road signs, improving road shoulders and removing stray animals. One of the upcoming highlights in Region Two is the development of a biodiversity park which is slated to attract hikers and birdwatchers.

tract with

ExxonMobil and accepted a one per cent royalty fee.

“With all this issue about good deal and so on, you are making an assumption that we renegotiated the contract. That contract was already in place; we inherited that contract,” Jordan affirmed.

Asked whether he thinks it was a badly negotiated deal, Jordan de-

flected from the question and was quick to point out that the then Government may have negotiated based on what was available to them then. “At the time when this deal was put together by the last Government, you have to ask what cards did we hold. Did we know anything was under there?” he further questioned.

Guyana is poised to make huge profits from the oil industry, with the country projected to produce an estimated 100,000 barrels of oil per day. Annual profits, based on an average price of US$50 per barrel, could reach some G$45 billion annually, Guyanese financial an-

alyst, Sasenarine Singh has said.

Singh said this figure was based on his assessment of the recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report on Guyana, which stated that the revenue-sharing agreement sets the Government’s share at 50 per cent of “profit oil”.

The IMF has further stated that 75 per cent of total oil revenues will initially be allocated for cost recovery, and the Government’s share will be 12.5 per cent. Singh said based on his understanding of how the oil recovery mechanism would work, this can be the status quo for approximately 10 years.

The IMF has however warned the country against any excessive borrowing or an exorbi-

tant increase in public spending ahead of the signalled start of commercial production in 2020 by ExxonMobil and its partners offshore Guyana in the Stabroek bloc.

The international body welcomed the authorities’ plans to establish a comprehensive framework for managing oil wealth, and stressed the importance of having a transparent and rules based framework in place before oil production starts.

Exxon’s oil find in Guyana has attracted international attention, with a number of seminars being held over time.

In addition, assistance is being provided by the IMF to boost Guyana’s administrative capacity to handle the expected inflow of revenue.

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Aircraft seized at another illegal airstrip in Rupununi

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lmost two weeks after an illegal airstrip was discovered at Santa Fe North Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); the Police on Sunday evening intercepted an illegal aircraft minutes after it landed.

Prior to the discovery of the aircraft, members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) have been monitoring events after a foreign aircraft was seen frequenting the Santa Fe area.

However, on Sunday evening, Police ranks went to the area and conducted a search during which over a dozen 10-gallon jars were found hidden in the bushes.

The party also observed that a long strip of land measuring one mile in length and about 50 feet in width was cleared. In addition, as the team was leaving the area, it observed an air-

The illegal plane that was found at the illegal airstrip on Sunday evening

craft circling and immediately went back to the location.

There, they saw three men running from the landed aircraft. While the men escaped, the aircraft was secured by the Police.

Sometime later, F Division (Interior locations) Commander, Ravindradat Budhram arrived at the location and a search was conducted on the aircraft.

The search unearthed

a quantity of dry ration, medical supplies, gents clothing and footwear, two hand-held radios, flashlights, cellular phones and an identification card amongst other items.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority has been notified and a team was deployed to the area to conduct further investigations. Just two weeks ago, an illegal airstrip was unearthed about five kilometres West of Santa

Fe, Rupununi, Region Nine, by members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) who were patrolling the area.

The ranks were conducting a reconnaissance mission when they stumbled upon the seeming newly built airstrip.

Following a closer inspection of the perimeter of the airstrip, several dug out trenches were found. They were covered with black plastic and dried branches.

Upon removing the plastic and branches, several items were found concealed in the holes including a chainsaw and fuel drums. In addition, a ¼ drum of aviation fuel was also found at the site.

At least 12 abandoned camps were also found in close proximity of the airstrip. These camps were reportedly used by farmers over a period of time.

In September 2016, a Joint Services patrol discovered an illegal aircraft hidden just off of the Yupukari Airstrip, Rupununi with United States registration N-767-Z. Subsequently, a team of investigators from the GDF, GPF, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority was deployed from Georgetown to the area to conduct investigations and were able to determine that the registration number was bogus.

Moreover, investigators had discovered during interviews with nearby residents that the aircraft had been sighted circling the area on numerous occasions in the past.

Additionally, a number of residents shared information they deemed as “suspicious activity”, including the presence of motorcycles or ATVs frequenting the area at

midnight.

It was reported that a leak was discovered in the fuel tank of the aircraft. This, investigators believe, may have caused the aircraft to land in Guyana.

However, it has been reported that one of the local law enforcement agencies was aware of the aircraft at least three weeks before the disclosure was made. It was reported that the security officials were monitoring the aircraft to see if anyone would return to salvage it.

Meanwhile, President David Granger has established a one-man Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to probe the discovery of the illegal aircraft and appointed retired Brigadier Edward Collins to investigate, examine, advice and report on all aspects under which the foreign aircraft had entered the country.

During the CoI, public meetings were held in several villages including Katoka, Kaicumbay, Yupukari and other villages. The CoI proved that the aircraft entered Guyana illegally.

The illegal twin-engine Cessna aircraft was subsequently flown from Yupukari to Lethem initially, before it was flown to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport where it remains to date.

(Bhisham Mohamed)

Herstelling man stabbed to death by friend – at West Berbice Bar-B-Que event

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n electrician was in the wee hours of Monday morning stabbed to death by a friend after he intervened in an argument at Number 42 Village, West Coast Berbice.

The dead man has been identified as 50-yearold Sylvan Stoll of Plot ‘B’ Herstelling, East Bank Demerara. The suspect, a 32-year-old labourer of Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara, was arrested and is being questioned.

Based on reports received, the now dead man and the suspect along with other persons travelled from Georgetown to attend a Bar-B-Que event at the Number 42 Community Centre Ground.

Whilst there, an argument erupted between the suspect and a friend and the victim intervened. The suspect, who was armed with a knife dealt Stoll one blow to the left side of his neck, causing him to collapse.

He was picked up and rushed to the Mahaicony Hospital, East Coast

Demerara where he later succumbed to his injury. It is believed that both men were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the stabbing.

This stabbing came two days after 53-yearold Mohabeer Gangadeen Kooblall of GAC Old Road, Timehri, East Bank Demerara, was mercilessly beaten with a spade at the Potaro Backdam, Region Eight during an argument with a friend.

Based on reports received, the now dead man and the suspect were imbibing with a colleague when an argument ensued between them but this quickly escalated into a scuffle. It was during this time that the suspect, a 35-year-old man, picked up a spade and dealt Kooblall several blows to his head and about his body. The victim died almost immediately.

The Police were summoned to the area thus leading to the arrest of the suspect. He is expected to be charged before the end of the week.

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CPL gives major boost to Guyana’s tourism sector ...as City hotels report massive increase in bookings

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he Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cricket tournament could be described as a gift that keeps on giving as several hotels in Guyana’s capital city; Georgetown are reporting a massive increase in bookings this week. This revelation has signaled that the local economy is slated to attain an additional boost due to the increases.

The Guyana Times International understands that both large and smaller establishments are booked for this

weekend as thousands of Guyanese witness home team, the Guyana Amazon Warriors take on their rivals in four exhilarating T20 matches.

Reliable information reaching this publication revealed that the well-known establishments like the Ramada Princess Hotel, Duke Lodge and Regency Suites Hotel are fully booked at least up to Monday, while Regency was said to not have any extra accommodation for the next 6 days. The Guyana Marriott Hotel still has rooms avail-

able but the general consensus is that, increases were recorded.

The nexus has been drawn that these increases fall in line with the Guyana leg of the CPL games which conclude this Tuesday. The six teams contesting this year’s tournament are the Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, Trinbago Knight Riders, Barbados Tridents, St Lucia Stars and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

As reported, the CPL games have added significantly to the

Guyanese economy over

the years. In 2016, some US$17 million was added to Guyana’s economy.

This net sum had been calculated by assessing the influx of tourists to the country, hotel bookings, vending during the games, and the overall spending of persons during this period.

This newspaper had also noted last year that around US$90 million was poured into the entire Caribbean region in 2016 as a result of the CPL tournaments.

United Kingdom-based research firm, SMG Insight/YouGov had carried a study on the tournament which indicated that the event generated US$102 million across all seven host venues.

St Kitts was last year’s biggest recipients with US$22.7 million (EC61.2 million) injected into its economy, while

Barbados, recorded am economic boost of nearly US$16 million (BDS$32 million). The Barbados Tourist Board’s shirt sponsorship deal with the Tridents franchise had managed to generate US$7.7 million in media value – representing a 128 per cent increase over the 2015 numbers. Trinidad and Tobago had also benefited recording some US$14 million (TT$93.6 million) from the CPL though total visitor spending had declined some 25 per cent over 2015’s figure to US$2.9 million. St Lucia, which witnessed St Lucia Zouks reaching the playoffs for the first time, saw US$10.8 million flowing into its economy with visitor spending and media value also rising significantly over last year.

Pomeroon man crushed by falling tree – which he was cutting at the time

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wenty-threeyear-old Kevin Fredricks of the Lower Pomeroon village of Wakapao in Region Two has been crushed by a huge tree he was felling at Glenhorse, Lower Pomeroon on Monday at about 11:15hrs.

Reports are that

Fredricks. sustained injuries to his shoulders, arms and lower body when the tree fell on him.

He was discovered in an injured state by his uncle, Marlon France, and was immediately rushed to the Oscar Joseph Hospital at Charity, where doctors pronounced him dead.

His body is presently at the Suddie Hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem. (Indra Nathram)

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Wales closure: Sugar workers left “in the wilderness” – as High Court still to hear severance matter

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ome four months have passed since counsel for the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Ashton Chase, SC, compiled and filed documents for the matter regarding the non-payment of severance packages to hundreds of sugar workers to be called up at the High Court. While the reasons for the delay in the commencement of

court proceedings remain unclear, GAWU General Secretary Seepaul Narine feels many of the workers who were attached to the Wales Sugar Estate are left to face life with depleted finances.

Narine told this newspaper earlier this week that the Union has yet to receive word from the courts pertaining to the delay. “We are waiting on the Judge to affix a date

for the hearing. It’s a few months now and we are disappointed that the court is taking such a long time. We have no indication as to why it’s taking so long and why the matter is not up for hearing as yet and people are there, they’re not having work.

They’re just wondering; they’re in the wilderness,” observed the GAWU General Secretary.

Over the years, GAWU

has filed a number of court actions but according to the Union representative, it is not a usual occurrence that cases take such lengthy periods of time before it’s called up for hearings, whether at the preliminary stage or for full trials.

“It is not normal for matters to take so long; we don’t know what is the reason. We would all like [the case to be heard] im-

mediately. Workers are being affected and it’s in the interest of all to get it called,” the GAWU General Secretary pointed out.

GAWU President Komal Chand had told Guyana Times International in May that many workers were at that time, depending on the outstanding payments to make investments for their future.

“It’s bothersome as the people are depending on their money to see how they could work on their future endeavours,” Chand highlighted on May 21.

While several workers had their service transferred to Uitvlugt Sugar Estate, the remaining workers were promised severance payments, some since December 2016 and others by February 2017.

However, it was at a community-level meeting between Wales residents and several Government Ministers, including Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, that Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan told the gathering that Government had no money to pay the severance to which the workers are entitled.

Some former workers informed this publication on Saturday that senior officials at the Guyana Sugar

Ashton Chase, SC

Corporation (GuySuCo) are reportedly still operating out of their offices at the Wales Estate.

However, much of the equipment, including the cane gantry has been reportedly transferred to the Uitvlugt Estate.

The Wales Estate Closure was rationalised

by Government as a cost-saving measure due to billions of dollars that was allocated to the declining sugar industry. Since then, the scaling down of other estates across the country has been announced. Many stakeholders had however called for social impact studies to be carried out to assess how communities across the sugar belt would be affected with sure closures. Some estimates have pegged a figure of some 10,000 sugar workers being directly affected by estate closures, in addition to their family members and the local economies that depend on the sugar industry.

(Samuel Sukhnandan)

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British High Commissioner pledges UK security expert support in Prison reform British High Commissioner, Gregory Quinn

71-year-old swimmer pays courtesy call on President Granger -aims to inspire elderly folks to exercise

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I

n light of recent incidents within the local prisons system, British High Commissioner Gregory Quinn on Thursday said that UK security expert, Russell Combe, has completed and handed over his preliminary findings as it relates to the Security Sector Reform Programme.

However, that report focused on reforms within the local Police Force, Quinn noted.

To this end, he added that when Combe, who is currently on leave, returns, he will turn his attention to reforms within the prison system.

According to the British envoy, while he is not sure what areas the security expert will focus on in terms of prison reforms, he believes that

work needs to be done with regards to the treatment of prisoners.

He also outlined that remand prisoners should not be held in the same facility as high profile convicts. On this note, he lauded government’s plans to set up a state of the art prison at Mazaruni, Region Seven.

Following the July 9, jailbreak and fire that flattened the Camp Street Prison, Government revealed plans to construct a new prison at Mazaruni – a project that will cost some G$2B. According to Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, this project will streamline the local prison system as well as reduce the overcrowded population.

resident David Granger, on Thursday, received a courtesy call at State House from Mr. Ashraf Ali, a US-based Guyanese, whose passion is swimming. This 71 year-old has swam across the Demerara, Berbice, Essequibo and several other rivers and lakes. His greatest feat thus far is swimming seven miles from Guyana to Suriname, using the route traversed by the Ferry, which operates between the two countries.

During the meeting, President Granger told Mr. Ali that after hearing about his accomplishments at such an age, he knew he had to meet him.

Mr. Ali, popularly referred to as ‘River Conqueror’, who hails from East-Berbice Corentyne said he is a self-taught swimmer; noting that swimming has been his hobby since childhood. Even at 71,

President David Granger and Mr. Ashraj Ali exchange a handshake during the courtesy call at State House

he said he has no plans to slow down and is currently in the stages of planning another swim out into the Atlantic from the Berbice River mouth by the end of the month.

His aim, he said, is to inspire the older generation to get involved in physical activities, which can add to their years.

“I am appealing to the elders to do a minimum of half an hour of exercise, three times per week. Swimming is the best exercise but you can do anything. I also want to motivate the younger generation to dream and know that whatever they dream, they can achieve,” he said.

Mr. Ali swam across the Berbice River in 1979, the Corentyne River, which leads from Skeldon to Nickerie, Suriname in 1998 and the Demerara River in 1999. Additionally, he swam across the Lake Mainstay twice. (MoTP)

Liberalisation of Guyana’s telecoms sector

Telecoms authority to manage new industry G

overnment continues on a mission to fully liberalise the telecommunication sector, announcing plans to set up a telecommunications authority to monitor this new industry in keeping with legislative requirements and regulations.

The Finance Ministry’s Mid-Year Report recently stated that negotiations with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) are expected to be completed by the end of the year, and thereafter the authority would be established.

The report also relayed that the requisite regulations have been published for comments.

During installation of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in June this year, Public Communications Minister (MPC) Cathy Hughes had said that the liberalisation of the sector was a top priority of that Ministry.

Hughes had said the legislation which was assented to

by President David Granger last year had a number of new requirements that the MPC was working through.

Coupled with that, she had said, negotiations were ongoing between GTT and Atlantic

Public Telecommunications Minister, Cathy Hughes

Telecommunication Network (ATN), covering two tracks at the same time.

The Telecommunications Bill was first introduced in 2011. However, it was revised in 2013 before being sent to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee in the 10th Parliament, and was near conclusion when that Parliament was prorogued in 2014 by then President Donald Ramotar.

When Government took the legislation before the National Assembly, the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/

Civic (PPP/C) had called for the Bill to be sent to a Special Select Committee for further consideration, but Minister Hughes had argued that the Bill had been long promised and was overdue.

The Mid-Year Report has stated that, as Government continues to develop capacity to catalyse the development of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, work has moved forward on the Centre of Excellence in Information Technology, which is expected

to be completed during the second half of 2017.

The implementing agency in India – the Centre for the Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) – will by December of this year procure and deliver the necessary ICT infrastructure and course materials. To ensure that efforts to develop the ICT sector are sustainable and effective, public engagement initiatives will be heightened in the second half of the year, the report disclosed. To this end, two Hackathons are slated to take place – one Hackathon will be a four-week competition and the other a 48-hour competition.

In addition, Government will be hosting an Internet Week, wherein a series of workshops will be held on topics focusing on the “back-end” aspects of ICT, and will be facilitated by industry professionals.

Between 150 and 200 persons are expected to benefit.

In order to bridge the ICT gap between the hinterland and the coastland, and ensure equitable provision of services, a project designed for ICT access and eservices for hinterland, poor and remote communities is expected to be

funded under the GuyanaNorway Agreement. The project proposal describing this US$17 million, five-year intervention was formally submitted to the GRIF Secretariat in the second quarter, and is expected to bolster the existing connectivity drive. During the first half, 42 additional government and educational institutions were connected to the eGovernment network.

To ensure that ICT penetrates all facets of the economy in the support of development, the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) is fashioning Smart Guyana. This initiative would facilitate comprehensive integration of information systems and electronic services to improve the efficacy of all levels of government.

According to the report, this would result in smart classrooms and eLibraries for distance education and eLearning; eHealth solutions to provide remote health care for hinterland regions; CCTV and Safe City solutions to improve public security; and virtual desktop infrastructure to provide for greater e-security, better access, and lower costs for Government information systems.

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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

GuySuCo projects increased revenue from land sales – but closure of Skeldon Energy Inc., other factors lower projections

By Jarryl Bryan

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he 2017 Mid-Year Report presented to the National Assembly by Finance Minister Winston Jordan has revealed that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has a metaphorically long and winding road ahead of it.

In particular, it can expect a decrease in revenue because of two principal reasons, being (1): the Skeldon Energy Inc (SEI) was inoperable during the first crop of 2017; and (2): the sugar production target was reduced because of inclement weather, strike action from sugar workers, and factory maintenance downtime.

Nevertheless, a projected shoring up of its revenues is expected to come from a boost in the sale of land.

This report notes that, at the end of the first half of 2017, GuySuCo continued to record an operating deficit of some G$6.3 billion, described in the report as “symptomatic of the corporation’s inability to adjust its operations to the changing times”.

“The G$7 billion outlay to GuySuCo by Central Government by

GuySuCo is considered one of the largest land owners in Guyana

the end of the first half (of this year) is a reflection of the corporation’s continued inability to reform its cost structure and improve its competitiveness,” the report stated.

A revised revenue forecast of G$27.1billion was provided for 2017, down from the budgeted G$28.9 billion. But it is a pyrrhic consolation, as expenditure has been forecasted to rise to G$35.7billion, putting GuySuCo’s deficit at G$8.6 billion.

“The industry continues to be plagued by many problems, including an increase in the prices of several inputs, such as fertilizers; and these have had a negative impact on the company’s ability to realise

sufficient cash to cover its operating costs”, the Report disclosed. “The sugar industry employs over 13,000 (persons), or over 75 per cent of the total employment amongst the PEs. At the half year, GuySuCo’s employment cost was an alarming 111.5 per cent of revenue,” the report noted.

Financial woes GuySuCo had, in 2016, advertised for sale several acres of land, including vacant properties at Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), where its headquarters are situated. In its tender, GuySuCo said it was looking to sell portions of its transported freehold lands situated at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown; Liliendaal; and Ogle, East Coast

Demerara (ECD).

GuySuCo had, in 2015, sold to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) some 3000 acres of cane lands between Sophia and Ogle. Government previously communicated its intention to use acres of land owned by GuySuCo for housing projects and other developments. According to reports in sections of the media, GuySuCo used part of the money it received to pay its debt to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

However, GuySuCo’s state of indebtedness is much greater. When the board of directors and the management of GuySuCo appeared before the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee

on Economic Services (PSCES) in January 2017, it was highlighted that GuySuCo was indebted to the tune of more than G$75 billion.

GuySuCo’s financial misfortunes have been exacerbated by the loss of one of its major export markets for sugar. For years, the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States had provided sugar to Europe on a quota system. In fact, more than 150,000 tonnes of sugar exported from Guyana used to go to the European Union (EU). But the EU quota management for sugar will officially end on September 30, 2017. Its loss is expected to lead to a dramatic fall in the international price for sugar, and a decrease in sugar imports from the ACP, with particular impact on Caribbean producers.

Government has been downsizing the sugar industry in a move fiercely resisted by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU).

Last year, the operations of the LBI Estate were amalgamated with those of the Enmore Estate in order to make both estates more efficient, according to GuySuCo. GAWU has noted

that thousands of persons stand to be affected by the closure of the East Demerara Estate (Enmore), which employs some 2,200 persons spread across its field, factory, security, administrative and managerial departments.

Government also plans to privatize the Skeldon Estate and close down the Rose Hall and Enmore estates, according to well-placed sources.

President David Granger has already announced that Government intends to keep functioning only the Blairmont, Uitvlugt and Albion estates.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan, in his presentation of the 2017 Budget, had indicated that the status quo obtaining in the sugar industry can neither be sustained nor maintained. According to him, as currently structured, the industry would require Government’s support to the tune of G$18.6 billion and G$21.4 billion for the years 2017 and 2018 respectively.

He had explained that, based on the CoI, it was concluded that any money injected into sugar in its current state is money wasted.

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T&T judge rules detention of Nigerian illegal, says immigration law needs amending -man had travelled via Guyana (Trinidad Guardian)

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High Court judge has called on Parliament to revise immigration laws to more clearly define the powers of Immigration officials in handling illegal immigrants and refugees.

Justice Carol Gobin made the call last Friday as she ordered the immediate release of Nigerian Henry Ekwedike, who was unlawfully detained while applying for permanent residency through his Trinidadian wife after living in Trinidad for almost a decade.

Gobin said: “The challenges posed by increased illegal immigration, human trafficking and a phenomenon which we may well anticipate of growing numbers of refugee arrivals, make it imperative, in my humble view, that those who are charged with the power and responsibility to address defects in the legislation do so sooner rather than later.”

In her 19-page judgment delivered in the Port-of-Spain High Court during the Judiciary’s annual vacation, Gobin said the Immigration Division officers acted unlawfully when they issued Ekwedike rejection and supervision orders during a routine visit to their offices to follow up on his residency application on March 29.

Ekwedike was detained on April 12 as he returned to the office without a return ticket to Nigeria, as required under the orders, and because officials were suspicious of the fact that his wife had stopped attending the meetings with him since 2015.

Gobin ruled that the orders were illegal, as they were reserved for persons who are rejected admission into T&T on first entry and not those who were engaged in a residency application process.

“It would mean that such persons who are simply trying to observe our immigration laws and to comply with the directions of authorities would have to do so on pain of summary arrest and detention,” Gobin said.

“While such power may be obviously necessary for the effective discharge of their duties at ports of entry, it would hardly be reasonably required for processing extension applications for permitted entrants.”

Carol Gobin

As part of her ruling, Gobin ordered that the State pay Ekwedike’s legal costs for bringing the habeas corpus application to challenge his detention.

Ekwedike was represented by Fareed Scoon, Navindra Ramnanan, Wesley George, Ricky Pandohee and Nathifa Lowman.

According to the evidence in his case, Ekwedike entered T&T illegally through Moruga in early 2008 and married a Trinidadian woman in June that year.

In 2009, he and his wife visited the Immigration Division’s offices to apply for residency for him through her nationality and were informed he had to leave Trinidad and re-enter through a legal port of entry to begin the process.

Ekwedike complied, went through Guyana and was granted entry at the Piarco International Airport. He submitted an application and was granted permission by the Ministry of National Security to stay and work in T&T without a work permit while it was being processed. In 2015, Ekwedike was ordered to pay a security bond as part of the process.

He sought and received several extensions and was seeking a fourth when he was issued the orders.

In their evidence in the case, immigration officers claimed they became suspicious of Ekwedike after they asked about his wife and he claimed that she had stopped attending as she had gotten a job on a cruise ship. Later checks revealed his wife had never been issued a passport.

In her judgment, Gobin did not analyse the status of Ekwedike’s marriage save and except to say that they no longer lived together but were still legally married. Since being detained, Ekwedike had been housed at the Immigration Detention Centre in Aripo. The facility has come under criticism recently over alleged over-crowding and inhumane conditions.

Jordan maintains no confirmed buyer identified for Skeldon Sugar Factory

By Samuel Sukhnandan

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inance Minister Winston Jordan has refuted claims that a buyer has been identified for the Skeldon Sugar Factory by stating that that information is simply not true.

“There is no confirmed buyer as such,” he said. “This (sale) has to be done in a very transparent process, because this Government prides itself on accountability and transparency.”

Jordan told a media conference on Monday that he has heard about a lot of unsolicited interest in the sugar factory, but he reiterated that there are no confirmed buyers as yet.

“Those people would be formally invited to submit bids after we would have put (in the public domain) our adverts for the (sale of the) Skeldon Factory. We would have to assess the things and put out a request for proposals,” the Finance Minister explained.

He said the same approach would be used for the entertainment complex of the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) recently claimed that a purchaser may have already been identified for the Skeldon Sugar Factory. GAWU

The Skeldon Sugar Factory

President Komal Chand told Guyana Times International earlier this month that he has information that a buyer has already been identified, despite there being a procedure to be followed in respect to sale of this national asset.

Chand had reminded that a Special Purpose Unit was created within the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) to handle the sale of the Skeldon factory.

During consideration of the first Financial Paper for 2017 — in early July — Government had requested the supplementary sum of G$130 million to sub-

sidise creation of this Special Purpose Unit.

The Financial Paper had detailed that the amount requested included provision for employment costs, utilities, professional and legal fees, advertisements, operating supplies, furniture and equipment.

The GAWU head had said that although this (finding a buyer) was expected, the mere request for a financial sum to create this special unit had caused him to hope that a fairer system would have been employed in disposing of the Skeldon Estate — one that would see the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) getting the best deal possible.

While admitting that the Skeldon Sugar Factory had not performed as anticipated in its initial stages of operation, the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had expressed its belief that it is an unwise decision to put the factory up for sale, as it has shown some signs of improving performance.

The Opposition has said that performance at the factory had significantly improved in 2015, and the factory had met all its targets. The decline in recent performance at the factory has been blamed on the lack of investment on the part of the coalition APNU/ AFC Government.

It was revealed in January that a close relative of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Guyana’s First Vice President, was reportedly working to bring in investors for the cashstrapped sugar industry.

Tony Joseph, Managing Director of Sunrise Holdings and son-in-law of Nagamootoo, led a team of Indian investors to dialogue with Government on potential investments in GuySuCo. The Skeldon Sugar Factory alone, located on the Estate, is worth US$200 million, and the total value of the Estate would amount to billions of Guyana dollars.

Miner killed after drunken argument – reportedly beaten with a spade

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53-year-old father of one is now dead after he was beaten with a spade at the Potaro Backdam, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), following a drunken argument. The 35-year-old suspect is in custody assisting the Police with their investigation.

According to reports, Mohabeer Gangadeen Kooblall of GAC Old Road, Timehri, East Bank Demerara, was imbibing at Potaro Backdam with his coworker when an argument ensued.

F Division (Interior locations) Commander, Senior Superintendent Ravindranauth Budhram told this publication that during the argument, the suspect picked up a spade and dealt h Kooblall several blows in his head and about his body.

The incident occurred on Saturday between 17:30h and 18:00h and Kooblall died immediately. Budhram said the Police responded

Mohabeer Gangadeen Kooblall and his mother in happier times

promptly after receiving the call and the suspect was apprehended and taken into custody.

The dead man’s mother, Ramdasie Ramlall, said her son called her at around 12:30h telling her that he needed to come home since he was in the area for over four months. She said that her son is a miner and a cook and that the dredge he was working on was closed for a few weeks

but his employer, Alvin Rambarran, allegedly refused to transport him out of the area.

“Them leff he inside to watchman (guard) this dredge and when me ask he who and he deh pon the drudge, he tell me he and a next man and me must call the boss man (since) he want come out from the bush.

He nah want stay deh no more pon the water top,” the grieving 71-year-old

said.

She related that later that evening, she received a call that her daughter took but they refused to divulge any information pertaining to the call.

“I hear that me son get murder. That is all and until now me hear nothing from the boss man and me nah hear nothing about me son life and they come and say that they want he brother to go and one of me grandson to bring back he body,” Ramlall lamented.

The grieving woman said her son has been working in the mining industry for over 20 years and has been working with the Rambarran’s for over 15 years.

Kooblall was the sole breadwinner and took care of his mother. His body is being transported to Georgetown for a post-mortem examination, while Police investigations are ongoing.

(Lakhram Baghirat)

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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Child rights advocate calls for early passage of Juvenile Justice Reform Bill

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hile Government has announced a further delay in passage of the Juvenile Justice Reform Bill, to be laid in the National Assembly, Child Rights Advocate Nicole Cole is urging Government to work expeditiously to ensure that the Bill is presented in Parliament by the new deadline.

Cole, who sits on the Rights of the Child Commission (ROCC) representing the Women and Gender Equality Commission (WGEC), expressed disappointment that the Bill has not yet been laid in Parliament when Government had earlier promised to have it presented this month.

“We have to get this important Bill passed. If the Bill remains on the shelf, where it has been for almost 10 years now,

then we will not get anywhere. Children are still being charged for wandering, and that bothers me. That is something we need to address immediately,” she urged.

The outspoken rights advocate told this newspaper that the Bill contains some “revolutionary ideas” that would assist with the overall protection of children. She also referred to the Bill seeking to address the abolishment of truancy and wandering as crimes.

“The revolutionary thing in this Bill is it will take into account the child’s mental health to evaluate before you institutionalise a child. It takes into account the rights of the child,” she asserted.

Cole said this is important — so that the child gets the required

care and attention that he/she needs. Further, she said it puts the family and/or relatives of these children to better respond to their children’s needs.

Asked whether she thinks the Police may target certain communities where they arrest children for truancy, the ROCC official told this publication that while she does not think that might be the case, she thinks children who fall in the poor and underprivileged bracket are mostly charged.

Overall, Cole said, the Bill helps to create a more modern system of dealing with juvenile justice, and will ensure that Guyana confirms with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that no one should be allowed to punish children in a cruel or harmful way.

Child rights advocate Nicole Cole

“Children who break the law should not be treated cruelly; they should not be put in prison with adults. They should be able to keep in contact with their families, and should not be sentenced to death, or life imprisonment without the possibility of release,” Cole said, while quoting the UN Convention article.

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who is responsible for the Bill, had said

that jails are not the place where young people who have committed offences should be placed. He said the Bill will make sweeping changes to existing legislation, including raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 years.

The minister has said that once the Bill is made law, magistrates and the Magistrates’ Courts will have to be trained on juvenile justice matters.

Halfway houses and a number of infrastructures to take care of juveniles will also be a priority, and social workers will have to be employed in these institutions.

Some of the measures the Bill is also expected to contain are an emphasis on alternatives to detaining delinquents. More alternative sentencing has, for some time, been advocated by rights groups and international organisations.

In 2016, a Commission of Inquiry into a deadly prison fire had recommended strong programmes for alternative community-based sentencing to be put in place, because of rampant overcrowding in the prisons and the risk of first time offenders being corrupted by hardened criminals.

The draft Bill was conceived in 2004 under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration with support and input from UNICEF. The first draft was produced in 2007 after a series of consultations and submissions by stakeholders, inclusive of the ROCC; however, progress was delayed and efforts to revive the process began in 2014. The 11part Bill makes provision for establishment of facilities to enable the rehabilitation and education of juvenile offenders.

Digicel offers allexpenses-paid package for CPL fans

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he latest Digicel p r o m o t i o n , launched on Friday, will see customers across the Caribbean vying for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip for them and their ‘crew’ to the finals of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), to be held in Trinidad and Tobago.

Customers simply need to activate a data smart bundle from now until August 31, and they could be jetting off to the finals with three of their friends, on an amazing package that includes roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodation, ground transportation to and from the finals, plus stipend.

In addition, customers in CPL countries who activate a data smart bundle automatically go into the draw to win regular season CPL match tickets.

“CPL, and cricket in general, is a big love among the Caribbean people, and we are happy to be helping them to come out and support their teams,” Head

of Sponsorship, Ben Bradley, explained.

He also noted that this is about Digicel leveraging its platforms and its latest offerings, like smart bundles, to help customers stay connected to the things they love.

Data smart bundles allow prepaid/postpaid customers to browse, stream, share and chat to their heart’s content on Digicel’s superfast 4G network, plus enjoy rollover data and talk.

In addition, to ensure maximum turnout at the games, Digicel is giving customers even more chances to win CPL match tickets – by downloading the MyDigicel app and playing one of the cool CPL games in the CPL FanZone.

Digicel’s CPL smart bundles’ promotion is available to customers in Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, The British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

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Tapirs in Corriverton becoming extinct

By Andrew Carmichael

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he bordering town of Corriverton is known for the Tapir vehicle.

The vehicles which were locally made were mostly used as a means of public transportation. Today, the signature vehicle of Corriverton is fast becoming extinct.

Passengers who once craved to travel in the wagon-typed vehicles, are now shunning them. According to some residents of that town, cars are more comfortable. “If you have a child, dey want de child sit on you lap an you still have to pay for the child,” a 29-year-old female told this publication.

She said as a result of a bad experience, she will not be going into Tapirs again.

“Tapir make me think twice about wearing a short dress or skirt…”

With the introduction of hire cars in Corriverton, Suschilla (only name given) says she is able to travel alone.

The vehicles were locally manufactured at Associated Industries Limited (AINLIM) in Georgetown during the 1970s and later on, parts were fabricated by fabricators in Corriverton.

According to one of AINLIM former assemblers, Patrick D’ Andrea, 66, who now resides in Canada, the vehicles were designed by the British for basic transportation in the 1970s.

He said AILIM stopped production because they were not allowed to import parts into the country under the Burnham Administration.

“When the first Tapir was completed, it was a happy and sad day because on test-

ing, the vehicle driver died; Terry Mark, his death was of no fault of the Tapir but his own. He applied more speed than the vehicle could handle… it toppled causing his death.”

Meanwhile, some Tapir owners explained that the vehicles were relatively cheap during the 1980s.

Owners of Tapirs in order to stay in the transportation business were forced to equip themselves with modern vehicles.

One operator, Ganesh “Bama” Bola of Crabwood Creek, who operated a Tapir for 22 years, said in recent years operators were forced to modernise those vehicles, by tinting the windows and windshield, raising the back of the vehicle and having defining music.

While passengers craved for these changes, it made their ride more strenuous as they were being forced to bend more forward to see where they were going.

The once popular Tapirs started to lose popularity around 2007, forcing some operators out of business. Others realised they had to modernise in order to stay in business.

Tapirs were only used on the Upper Corentyne and transported passengers between Number 50 Village and Molson Creek between 1981 and 2006.

When hire cars started to be introduced into the system, they slowly took over

the transportation industry in Corriverton.

Another Tapir owner, Sunil Dhanie of Crabwood Creek, said he can no longer use that vehicle to transport passengers.

According to the 40-yearold, he has been in the business since 1984. “I just using it for private since dem passengers refuse to travel in the Tapir.” He now operates a car.

In Corriverton, while a

few Tapirs still operate, today passengers can be seen saying no to Tapir operators and at the same time trying to get a car to stop for them.

Dayram “Star Black” Kawlasar, who owned three Tapirs, says adults started to refuse to travel in the Tapirs by 2007. However today he still operates two but only to transport children to and from school.

The first car to operate

as a public means of transportation was HB 6434.

According to that operator, persons started showing a preference for his car. “The passengers demand grew and other car owners followed.”

Today, Corriverton’s roads looks more like the other towns in Guyana apart from the periodic passing of a ‘Corrriverton Tapir’.

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Ashmini Ramnauth is on a mission to empower youths and families in an effort to ultimately eradicate a growing social issue, child neglect

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n an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Ashmini said her interest in addressing the issue of child neglect was prompted when she joined the Miss World Guyana pageant in 2016 as a contestant.

“I was given an opportunity to launch the project under the pageant’s linked charity called Beauty With A Purpose.

It was the Miss World Guyana pageant that helped me to secure a voice and launch the project on official grounds,” the 21-year-old recalled.

Apart from her humanitarian work, Ashmini loves pageantry. In the Miss India Guyana 2017 pageant, she was awarded the ‘First Princess’ title, copping the People’s Choice award; she was also a Miss World Guyana 2016 finalist; and the Miss World Guyana top model 2016.

Due to the platform afforded to her through her involvement in pageants, Ashmini started her project, “Let’s join

hands, tie the knot and fill the gaps”. She said it was initiated because of her “love for underprivileged children in society” and her observations on how children suffer due to neglect.

She believes that child neglect leads to other social issues, such as suicide, teenage pregnancies, unhealthy teen relationships and abuse. Via this project, which started in February 2016, the humanitarian is focused on “building strong foundations for family life and bringing society as a whole to help in the upbringing of our Guyanese children”.

Ashmini noted that the project is mainly focused on youths and families in Region 5 (Mahaica-Berbice) because she grew up in that area and is cognizant of the challenges faced by youths in that region.

“I have taken keen interest in the affairs of the children of Region 5 because of being born in that area, where I also currently reside. I am

also a regional ambassador for the region, a title that has afforded me the opportunity to help with child neglect, which is prevalent in Region 5.

Though there are organisations doing commendable work in the area of child neglect, one being CHILDLINK, I think more can be done,” she declared.

Ashmini outlined that the project’s main objectives/aims are to acquire sufficient funds to supply hot meals to children countrywide (initiating a feeding programme); assist children with shelter by constructing an orphanage with branches throughout Guyana; and to start a non-governmental organisation to address the basic interests and welfare of children.

“The project is about curbing the issue of child neglect through the school system. What we

AUGUST 20, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

do as a small group of persons is to host seminars and various workshops with schools, providing counselling sessions and various talks with the help of printed resources, such as pamphlets and brochures. I work with a particular school in doing this on a regular basis during the academic terms so as to ensure we create an effect on children who are suffering from various causes of neglect, and also involving teachers to help curb this disheartening issue,” she noted.

Since the project’s launching last year, Ashmini Ramnauth Ashmini and her team have conducted a few feeding programmes with

hopes of expansion.

Sadly, due to limited finances, challenges arose in being able to adequately provide basic necessities for children who are neglected. Nevertheless, with the support from the public, close friends and families, Ashmini ardently continues to help in whatever way she can.

“I have received accolades, apart from regional recognition, for the work I have been doing via this project.

Personally, I feel very grateful for the opportunity to address this social issue of child neglect.

This year, I received the GIVE Foundation award, continued on page 35

Establishing lasting friendships

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Corentyne robbery suspects remanded

By Andrew Carmichael

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ive of the suspects who allegedly invaded an Upper Corentyne fisherman’s home and carried away G$1.7 million in jewellery, G$100,000 in cash, and miscellaneous items were on Monday arraigned before Springlands Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh, before whom they were not required to plead to a slew of indictable charges, and were all remanded until August 24, when the prosecution would be expected to present a progress report.

The five detained suspects are: 19-year-old Styovan Bhowan of Number 70 Village, Corentyne, said to be the mastermind of the invasion; 23-year-old Rabindra Kumar of Number 73 Village, the alleged driver of the getaway car.

He was reportedly found with illegal drugs, a firearm and ammunition not far from the crime scene, and has already been placed before the court for those offences. Thirty-fouryear-old Heresh Kuman Rai, called ‘Ryan,’ a security guard and resident of Number 73 Village, Corentyne; 33-yearold Mahindra Singh, also called ‘Sunil’, an unemployed resident of Number 72 Village; and 27-year-old Khemraj Singh, a fisherman of Number 69 Village, Corentyne.

The court was told that, on August 5, 2017, at Lot 100

Sachin Ramrattan and his pregnant wife, Vidya Gopaul, had to flee their home in face of an armed bandit invasion

Number 69 Village, Upper Corentyne, seven armed men stormed the home of Sachin Ramrattan.

After ransacking the house, they took away a large quantity of jewelley and cash, a tablet and a cellular phone.

Ramrattan, his wife Vidya Gopaul, 26, and their 4-yearold son had retired to bed at 22:30 hrs on the day in question.

The pregnant woman, who was not asleep, reportedly heard a loud noise and voices, and immediately awoke her husband. Fearful, the husband jumped off their bed and switched on the lights, and the

family then realised that bandits had entered their home.

He had switched on the lights to ward off the men, while his pregnant wife bolted the bedroom door.

The men were already in the house and banging on the bedroom door when Ramrattan, his wife and son exited the home via the bedroom window and landed on the neighbour’s shed. By then some of the men had entered the room after the Ramrattan family had exited same, and they fired two shots as the family ran for safety.

Although the alleged suspects have been apprehend-

ed, the victim of this home invasion has said he does not feel safe, and is calling on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to put in place systems that would enable quicker response to persons under duress.

The fisherman said the police responded two hours after their initially being informed that a gang of heavily armed criminals was attacking and invading his home.

Ramrattan was a part of a group which met with Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan and Police ‘B’ Division Commander, Assistant Commissioner Paul Williams, on Sunday at the Number 66 Village Fisherman’s Co-op Complex.

He detailed to these functionaries that he had telephoned the New Amsterdam and Whim Police Stations in a bid to get a quicker response from the Springlands Police Station.

Also included in that group was former President of the Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce, Kumar Doodnauth, who said the chamber is very concerned about what has been happening along the Upper Corentyne.

“We, the members of the business community, are the ones who suffer the most,” he related as he appealed for quicker police response time to persons under duress.

Police Commander

Williams, however, noted that the officers had responded quickly, which was why they were able to apprehend the driver. Williams explained that on many occasions, when the police are responding to a robbery, they do not go straight to the actual site, but comb the area and position themselves at strategic places in an attempt to apprehend the perpetrators.

He noted that, at Number 72 Village, the police were able to apprehend the driver even before he was able to get back to the pre-arranged location for a rendezvous with the robbers. Minister Ramjattan had earlier said there is a shortage of vehicles in the Guyana Police Force. He said there is not enough money to purchase vehicles. However, he noted that G$111 million have been set aside to purchase vehicles for the Police Force this year.

Some of those vehicles will be sent to Berbice, while Linden and Essequibo will also be getting some. He explained that the money had been allocated since January, but bureaucracy in the tendering process had delayed purchase of the vehicles, which should arrive before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Government has also promised to supply two hundred vehicles to the local police. Those are also expected before the end of the year.

Modernised waterfront recreational Guyana exporting rice to Cuba areas in the works for Guyana

T

he Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) is in the process of undertaking environmental, social and economic impact assessments preparatory to commencing creation, restoration and modernisation of several waterfront recreational areas.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has said that after identifying and addressing those issues, the MPI would issue tenders for the projects, and work is expected to start immediately thereafter.

Some preliminary designs for the creation and restoration of modern waterfront recreational areas between Kingston in Georgetown and Ogle, ECD; Stabroek Market on the eastern coast of the Demerara River and Vreed-en-Hoop on the western coast thereof, were completed last year, Patterson disclosed.

He added that tenders for the consultancy have been evaluated by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), and will shortly be awarded.

Guyana has obtained a grant worth £53.2 million from the United Kingdom’s Caribbean Infrastructure Fund (UK CIF). It is intended to improve or create new infrastructure to drive economic growth and development.

Minister Patterson explained that the MPI was initially expected to fund this waterfront improvement project, but the UK CIF invited Government to sub-

T

The proposed Waterfront Stabroek Market Recreational Area

mit proposals for projects that would improve or create new infrastructure to drive economic growth and development, and that entity’s input would enable Government to do more in this regard.

He said there is no delay, but a process has to be followed.

“The implementation phase is to follow the guidelines of the DFID/CDB as opposed to our own funds; so it’s not really a delay, but a rescheduling of where the funds are coming from. We can do much more with the UK CIF/CDB funding; it’s larger than what we can fund internally, so that is the only delay,” the Department of Public Infrastructure has quoted Minister Patterson as saying.

British High Commissioner to Guyana, Gregg Quinn, announced

at a recent press conference that contracts for the technical design and feasibility study for this project have been awarded. The expected duration for the studies is approximately nine months.

The UK CIF funding also allows for the acquisition of a dredge; rehabilitation and/or upgrade of the Linden-to-Mabura Road; and construction of a bridge across the Kurupukari River (Kurupukari Crossing).

Minister Patterson has disclosed that the contract for the Lindento-Mabura Road is also due to be out for tender this year.

The Caribbean Development Bank will be responsible for overseeing these projects, and a team from the Bank will be in Guyana in December to formalise the agreement on the projects.

Paddy being loaded for export to Mexico

he Cuban rice market has now been made available to Guyana after a series of negotiations over the past months. As a result, the first shipment of rice to Cuba is expected to be exported during the latter part of September.

General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Allison Peters said this is just one of the new export markets which will be added to the list of Guyana’s growing export markets.

“There is also a shipment off to Cuba and we are going to start that off in the third week of September,” Peters is quoted as saying via the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Peters added that, “We have started sending paddy to Panama for this year; we started in … early July.”

The disclosure comes

after Guyana had recently commenced exports of paddy to Mexico. US$17.7 million (GY$3.8 billion) worth of paddy is to be exported to Mexico. “Well so far to Mexico more than one shipment has been sent, I think three shipments have been sent so far totalling over 35,000 tonnes and more shipments are expected to go,” she disclosed.

Peters added that another contract is expected to be signed within the next few weeks for the exportation of paddy to Panama.

She said since the country is now securing more rice markets, the product must be increased to meet these new demands.

Paddy production for the first crop of 2017 was recorded at 518,667 metric tonnes. It was projected that rice production will increase by 1.3 per cent in 2017 at the beginning of the year.

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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

there is increasing evidence that Poster presentation on large mammal conservation from a community training workshop at the Bina Hill training institute located in North Rupununi

of timber and other forest products cover over 400 million hectares, half of all tropical forests.

It seems logical that more responsible logging could improve Male jaguar (Panthera onca) using the suitability of these manthe logging roads photographed aged tropical forests for wildby camera traps life, but it is still poorly known whether large animals tolerate logging because so many logged forests are also over hunted.

A new study, led by Anand Roopsind and researchers from the University of Florida, Stanford University, and James Cook University, sheds light on the impacts of responsible tropical forest management practices on large animals. In a forest in Guyana, they quantified the impacts on wildlife from the combination of subsistence Adult puma (Puma concolor) and cub making use hunting by indigenous peoples of the logging roads for traversing the forest and reduced-impact logging.

The multiple-use forest, where the study was conducted, he large South American animals that dominate loss of these animals will affect known as the Iwokrama Forest, nature documentaries, in- the ecosystem services tropical integrates logging, tourism, and cluding jaguars and tapirs, are forests provide, including food full legal access and user rights the species most likely to be lo- for indigenous peoples and the for local indigenous communically extirpated [wiped out]. carbon storage that mitigates ties. The authors used laser-triggered camera traps to collect picWhile such species require ex- global climate change. tures of animals in logged and In recognition of these tensive areas of healthy forest habitat to survive, deforestation threats, some scientists argue unlogged forests and worked leaves them with less each year. that logged forests should be with local communities to collect In addition to suffering from loss used to complement national hunting data, which included of habitat, high hunting pres- parks and improve forest con- maps where hunting occurred, sure has resulted in their local nectivity. Tropical forests man- species, and numbers of animals extirpation in many areas. Now aged primarily for the extraction hunted. They observed very similar levels of animal diversi-

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ty and activity in the logged and unlogged forests. Pumas and jaguars, the largest carnivores, also favoured the logged areas.

Where hunting pressure was highest, fewer of these animals were photographed, but their populations were still sustained.

According to co-author, Professor Francis Putz said: “Although the study was limited to one site, it showed that populations of large animals are retained in selectively logged forest, but the importance of Iwokrama’s control of poaching should not be underestimated.”

How has Iwokrama been able to implement sustainable logging while conserving wildlife? First, it prohibits hunting, other than for subsistence purposes by indigenous people. This policy conserves wildlife while enabling indigenous people to continue their customary livelihood practices. Second, the indigenous communities that traditionally used these forests are shareholders in the timber business. Third, the forestry operations are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which has high standards for socially and environmentally responsible logging.

Dr Raquel Thomas, a director at Iwokrama, believes that “Iwokrama is meeting its mandate of contributing to the sci-

ence that will improve tropical forest management. A large component of that mandate involves working with communities who are the traditional custodians of these forests. Iwokrama can share these lessons with the global conservation community to build more sustainable models for forest utilisation and conservation of biodiversity”.

The researchers emphasized that further exploration is needed of forestry practices that maintains biodiversity, especially the populations of large animals.

Text provided by Dr Anand Roopsind, whose background is in forestry/conservation.

Roopsind recently completed his PhD at the University of Florida and hopes to have a positive influence on forest conservation in Guyana. The information featured today was done for a recent publication on Iwokrama as part of Roopsind’s studies. It highlights important findings for wildlife management in timber concessions in Guyana. Roopsind and his team found that logging isn’t the main threat to wildlife, rather the synergy that occurs when access in not controlled.

Illegal hunters use the roads and deplete wildlife populations. He also found that hunting by indigenous peoples for food didn’t have a negative impact.

Rakhi tied to the Bhagwa Dhwaj

n its effort to promote Indian culture and foster better societal relations, the Hindus for Selfless Service – Guyana (Hindu Swyamsevak Sangh - HSS) recently hosted a simple Raksha Bandhan ceremony at the Leonora Synthetic Track, West Coast Demerara.

Tying Rakhis has long been a tradition of HSS, much like anywhere else in the world - but with a difference. Traditionally, Rakhis are tied on the wrists of a brother or ‘protector’ by a sister or someone considered to be a sister, and the former swears to protect the latter. However, the Sanghachalak of HSS explained the organisation’s wider perspective.

Asst. Supt Singh (right) helps to tie a Rakhi on the National Flag of Guyana

Humanity”. The Sanghachalak illustrated it this way: “It’s as if we are all in a boat, which we all have a duty to protect. Should someone bore a hole in the boat, we would all perish.” The responsibility to protect thereAsst. Supt Singh addressing the gathering fore lies with each of us, equally.

For HSS members (Syamsevaks and Sevikas), it is Present at Raksha Bandhan ceremony was a little different. They have a duty to protect not only Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ramesh Singh. sisters, or relatives, but their community (Samaj) The Police have a similar motto to HSS: “To Serve and country as well - a duty to protect Dharma. And this leads directly back to the core of HSS’ “Service to continued on page 35

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Children bring much joy to Ashmini's life, hence her project is very close to her heart

titled ‘Beautiful Heart Award’, for the presentation of the project through my participation in the Miss India Guyana 2017 pageant. I express much gratitude to the GIVE Foundation for awarding me such recognition for the work I have been doing.

“Apart from being overjoyed and genuinely satisfied, I feel a sense of reward when I see smiles on the faces of children we have helped. Also, being able to impact the many lives of innocent children and to pave a brighter future for Guyana have added to my joy. Being a strong, young woman and a role model to youths, I want to continue to influence the younger generations to believe in themselves and to aspire to be great regardless of the

Raksha...

odds,” expressed Ashmini.

Outlining her future plans, Ashmini said she would like to have regular feeding programmes for underprivileged children; support children financially throughout their academic lives; and expand her project’s guidance and counselling sessions.

Hence, she encourages kind-hearted individuals and corporate Guyana to help in forwarding her humanitarian work.

“A special ‘thank you’ to all those who would have contributed one way or the other to this project. If you would like to contribute to my project or find out more about it, please contact me on my Facebook page, Ash Ramnauth; Instagram at ashramnauth; or email ashmimiramnauth@yahoo.com,” she stated.

from page 34

and Protect”. Asst. Supt Singh took the opportunity to advise the youths present at the event to stay on the straight and narrow, even though it is easy to be swayed into wrongdoings. While not using the term, he was advising the youths to stay on the path of Dharma.

To symbolise its duty to our nation and Dharma, the HSS’ Bhagwa Dhwaj (flag) and National Flag of Guyana were hoisted and both tied with Rakhis by the Sanghachalak, Asst.

Supt Singh and Ms. Sandy Basdeo of the New India Assurance Co. This was followed by tying of Rakhis on all present, while ShrimatiLoveena

Ji of the Nirvana H u m a n i t a r i a n Foundation sung Raksha Badhan Bhajans.

The Hindu Sywamsevak Sangh continues with its mandate to preserve Dharma, foster better social relations, instil discipline, promote culture and preserve traditions through these programmes, regular Shaka sessions and addressing issues of concern of the nation.

Raksha Badhan was celebrated on Monday, August 7 with the hope that the significance of the Rakhi extends from brothers and sisters to husbands and wives, teachers and students, neighbours and all citizens of Guyana alike.

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36 Travel & Tourism

B Victoria amazonica at Buffalo Pond (Photo

by Rick Wright)

uffalo Pond, near Karanambu Lodge on the Rupununi River, is accessed via a tiny stream.

Hundreds of Victoria amazonica cover almost the entire surface of this small, shallow oxbow lake. The air at the pond is filled with a light, sweet, fragrance of

A cool evening boat ride at Buffalo Pond (Photo by Thomas Wilusz)

Buffalo Pond is a seasonally flooded pond and nesting ground for water birds and Arapaima near Karamanbu

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

the lilies.

The pond can also be quite busy with several species of heron (capped, striated, boat-billed, black-crowned night-) and egrets (snowy, great, cocoi).

Wood storks, black-collared and great black hawks lurk in the trees at

the water's edge. A few giant river otters can also be seen popping their heads up beside distant lily pads.

Buffalo Pond offers adventures and an idyllic opportunity for birding and fishing enthusiasts to experience nature at its best.

Aerial view of the pond taken by a drone (Photo

by Andrea and Salvador)

Creek leading to the pond (Photo by

Andrea and Salvador)

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Conniving…

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…on Marriott ome folks were puzzled the Muckraker’s still tearing down the Marriott investment even though the PPP Government that built it, has been out of office for two and a half years.

Hellooooo!!! If AHI owns the hotel and NICIL owns AHI and the Government owns NICIL, doesn’t the present PNC-led Government own the Marriott?

But you see where this is heading, don’t you, dear reader?

Most recently, they’ve been harping on the US$27 million debt to Republic Bank that the Government recently started servicing. If the Government hadn’t started servicing the loan – which is like a mortgage, (to all you homeowners out there) – then Republic would’ve been able to sell off the Marriott to recoup its US$27 million.

But as you homeowners know, the property, in this case the Marriott, is worth MUCH MORE that the mortgage/loan. The Government doesn’t just have the debt – IT HAS THE PROPERTY!!! So what the Muckraker was angling for was for one of friends pick up this prime piece of real estate dirt cheap!

In their latest salvo, the Muckraker revealed as much when they griped that the contract to obtain the Marriott brand by AHI forbid the sale of the hotel to any competing brand!! And we know who wants to pick up the brand, don’t we? Think of that AFC financier who was on the FUCOP committee (Fund for United Candidate for Opposition Presidency) with the Muckraker. And who owns a hotel. Wink… wink…

But while the Government hates the PPP guts, it has its own connivers. Even right now, without the critical Entertainment Complex – the Marriott’s clearing its operational expenses. With the Exxon investment coming on stream and investors flocking to Guyana like flies to exposed honey, the Marriott’s worth at least THREE times that US$27 million right now. Quick now…if you were a foreign visitor with big bucks and forced to choose between the Marriott and all the other hotels to rest your head, which one would you choose?

So, to the consternation of the Muckraker, the Government’s looking for a PPP arrangement (Public Private Partnership NOT People’s Progressive Party!!) to complete the Entertainment Complex.

As predicted by the PPP when they went out on a limb to complete the Marriott – this will generate much more revenues than needed to service the Republic bank loan. As one director was quoted as saying, the Marriott will then become a CASH COW!! …on corruption One owner of a security firm just complained about corruption in contracts being awarded in his sector – in addition to infrastructural projects. He’s not alone – pick a sector, ANY SECTOR, scratch the surface and you’ll see rampant, corruption oozing out. What do you call appointing geriatrics to run (run down?) GuySuCo when in their BEST years, they merely pencil pushers?

Let’s not even mention procurement in pharmaceuticals or pharmaceutical warehouses!!

The PNC dominated City Council of course, has set such new lows for conniving and corruption it’ll take a most adept limbo dancer to beat them!!

The English statesman Lord Acton once famously observed that “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

What this government has done in only two and a half years is to turn Acton on his head by proving that “corruption is power and absolute corruption is absolute power”.

But then the PNC had 28 years of practice during their first stint in office, didn’t they? …on scholarships After the outcry following two sitting Ministers (with their mega-salaries) and all kinds of insiders being awarded Government scholarships, a named panel was established to screen online applicants.

But not who’ll make the final cut.

Could we at least get the names of new 500+ scholarships awardees?

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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Ignoring…

…the deadly impact of cigarettes

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our Eyewitness is witnessing a surreal situation in this day and age: not only does the Government have to actually defend banning of cigarette smoking in public places, but it also has to seek to prevent youths from being seduced into cigarette smoking via ads directed at them!! You’d think older folks, who’re already addicted to inhaling the carcinogenic effusion from cigarettes and destroying their lungs and various other organs, would at least want their offsprings spared, wouldn’t you?

You never know!

As he’s said before, your Eyewitness isn’t even going to get into the clear and present dangers of cigarette smoking. The verdict has looooong been out – smoking kills! And this isn’t one of those sins like drinking alcohol, which can be excused as “self harm”. With cigarette smoking, those in the vicinity of the smoker are forced to inhale, whether they like to or not (… unfortunately, humans need oxygen!) the statistics show they’re at even greater risk than the smoker.

If your Eyewitness had his way, he wouldn’t just ban smoking in public, but have the police charge the law breakers with an attempted crime!

Think about it. These folks KNOW cigarettes can cause death…they mightn’t know EXACTLY who around them will die…but they know that if they puff long enough, SOMEBODY’S GONNA die! What’s the difference between playing Russian Roulette — placing ONE bullet in a revolver, spinning the chamber, then shooting at somebody’s head — and ‘second hand smoke?? And with Russian Roulette, the least you’ll be charged with is exposing people to an unacceptable risk of death!

What also gets your Eyewitness is how folks

will justify anything for money. Imagine the tobacco importer having the chutzpah to raise as a justification for not banning cigarettes in public spaces and from youths is the Government would collect less taxes!!! Forget the pain and suffering of unwary citizens; forget the loss of breadwinners and families being plunged into despair; forget the strain on the public health system. So maybe the Government should start collecting taxes on cocaine use? That’ll certainly swell its coffers!

Returning to the inducement for youths to smoke, the local importer’s just replicating what its principals — who produce the cancer sticks up North — did to the Third World, starting in the 1960s. When they couldn’t any longer duck the evidence of the connection between cigarette smoking and cancer, and usage in the North started to plummet, the cigarette manufacturers used advertisements to make cigarette smoking “cool” in the Third World. And boy, did they succeed!

Today most cigarette profits come from us, piss-poor countries.

The ads to our youths is to ensure market share doesn’t drop if SOME older folks wise up! …inducement warnings Just when it’s dawning on the Guyanese people that business, being a cut-throat affair, even “respectable” big whales will do WHATEVER it takes to land an “oil catch”, we hear about FIVE Ministers jetted away to visit the Lone Star state of Texas. Now why would they want to do that??

The reason offered is they want to “learn about the oil business”.

Really?? It’s not like they went to inspect an FPSO to look first-hand at how oil sucked from under our seabed will be measured – so we can slap that MASSIVE 2% royalty on it. And not get screwed coming (the miserable royalty “renegotiated” by Trotman) and

going (revenues on oil produced). …Police protocols Pressie’s once again gone out on a limb with his “perception” of the Constitution.

He’s told the Police Service Commission not to proceed with any promotions.

Art 226 (1) of the Constitution clearly prohibits this. Williams’s advice again?

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The Magnificent Five

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atiricus was quite excited. Here it was, he’d always been hearing about the “Magnificent 7”, those seven mysterious gunmen who’d gone into the poor town to rescue the inhabitants after that dastardly robber baron had slaughtered so many folks.

They’d tried to prevent him stealing their yellow gold in the ground.

But here it was, our own Guyanese “Magnificent Five” had just ridden

into the heart of Texas to take on that nefarious robber baron Nexxon, who was threatening to steal the black gold under our seas.

“Well, you have to understand: they didn’t ACTUALLY ride into Texas,” Satiricus explained to the fellas at the Back Street Bar. “They flew first class.

But it’s the bravery that counts!”

“Suh leh me anderstaan dis,” began Bungi slowly as he chugged his beer. “Dis “Magnivicent Five” fly all de way to Texas fuh do wha?”

“Well, to let nasty Nexxon understand that we have people who will protect our interests!” said Satiricus sternly.

“Did they renegotiate the royalties,” asked Hari. “Or the profit split?”

“You don’t understand international negotiations, Hari,” said Satiricus. “Our Magnificent Five just wanted to make a point.”

“An’ wha’ da pint?”

asked Bungi, querulously.

“That even though it took SEVEN American gunslingers to save that Mexican mining town,” said Satiricus proudly, “we only needed FIVE gunslingers to go into Texas to take on the oil barons!”

“Suh if abee na get mo’ money fuh abee ile, how da help abee?”

Bungi persisted.

“It’s the SYMBOLISM, Bungi,” said Satiricus, rolling his eyes. “Our Magnificent Five flew in first class, slept in their 5-star hotel, went to their air-conditioned oil baron headquarters, and came out undaunted.”

“Well, I heard they came out noticeably heavier after their fivecourse lunch,” pointed out Hari sourly.

“That’s the point, Hari,” said Satiricus.

“Even after all that, our Magnificent Five still didn’t choose to become illegal immigrants! They returned home!”

Wuk pan dem!!

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atiricus was ecstatic as he hurried over to the Back Street Bar. This was a special time of the year – IT WAS WARRIORS’ TIME!!

The fellas’ favourite team – bar none – would be arriving this week for four games, and today was the planning session for the four days they’d be going to the ball game. This was like a campaign, like in that movie on the Dunkirk landing that ended WWII!!

“Well chaps, ‘e all come dong pan abee, yuh know,” said Bungi.

“Dem bais play all dem game outside, and yuh see how dem lose all t’ree?”

“Yep!” agreed Satiricus fervently. “But weren’t most of those fans in Florida from Guyana?”

“Not because they were wearing Warriors T-shirts mean they were REAL Guyanese,” said Hari darkly. “They’ve been living outside too long.”

“Yes!” said Bungi.

“An’ dem na gat nobaddy fuh play obeah pan de adda team.”

“Well, that’s why we’re taking you to all four games in Guyana Bungi, ole buddy!” said Satiricus enthusiastically as he ordered another round of beer. “You have to wuk pon dem right here in Guyana!”

“Yeah,” agreed Hari. “It’s clear those islanders were able to play their obeah on our boys with nobody to counter them.”

“Me guh gat fuh get me real strang stuff,” said Bungi as he looked to Satiricus. “Put dong t’ree baatle high wine.”

“OK,” said Satiricus.

“What else?”

“An bunjal two fowl cack fuh me eat,” continued Bungi, this time to Hari. “But save de four foot fuh me wuk de obeah a’ de groun’.”

“OK,” said Hari. “My wife wondered why you need so much chicken to eat.”

“Budday, tell yuh wife fuh na ques-chan wan obeah man,” answered Bungi. “She duz aks she dacta wha’ mek ‘e does put mass pan ‘e face when he aparate pan she?”

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

NICIL not “totally” bankrupt – Minister Jordan G

overnment has come to the defence of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), stating that although the entity may be performing poorly financially, it is not bankrupt per say, because there are a number of factors influencing its overall performance.

This comment was made by Finance Minister Winston Jordan after the CEO of NICIL, Horace James, stated that the entity is now owed millions of dollars by various companies and State agencies and that it was too broke to even go after all of its debtors.

“They (NICIL) are not bankrupt, bankrupt but they (NICIL) don’t control the level of resources that allowed them to recklessly invest in places like Marriott and Berbice In providing a background to NICIL, the Minister said the entity was originally established to manage Government investment and when it first started, it had a very small staff.

Jordan recalled that back in 1994, a bill was tabled in Parliament by former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament, Asgar Alli, paving the way for the establishment of the Privatisation Unit within NICIL. He claimed that the Unit was not legal but a department of the Finance Ministry. “And if you check back old estimates, you would see transfers from Ministry of Finance to the Privatisation Unit to cover its cost because privatisation should not be generating anything, if they sold something and privatised it, the net revenues should come to the Consolidated Fund.”

The Minister explained that the Unit’s financial expenses were therefore funded from the treasury but all of that changed post 1992.

“And I believe at the time when they had ran out of privatisation, some merger took place between Privatisation Unit and NICL,” he stated.

This merger took place through a Cabinet memorandum and under the Company Act, since NICIL had a legal structure and some management agreement was made between NICIL and the Privatisation Unit for which NICIL

then took over all the other assets that the Government owned.

Given the fact that the form and structure of NICIL was changed then, Jordan said NICIL is supposedly bankrupt for two broad reasons.

“One they had changed the scenario because not too many people giving you dividends these days. In fact, the only major dividends we are getting is from Guyoil and theirs is substantial and they can give anywhere between G$2 billion in any one year.”

He said those monies instead of becoming part of NICIL’s revenue, is now part of the Consolidated Fund.

“The second part is they are the guarantors of Marriott and nothing is coming in Berbice Bridge and a range of other places… Look, for example, we had to take Guyana National Industrial Company Inc (GNIC) and others to court, because nothing is coming in from the other places.”

Earlier this month, the Opposition PPP/Civic criticised Government, saying the agency’s performance is reflective of two years of mismanagement. The PPP/C said under its leadership, the Privatisation Unit of NICIL contributed tens of billions of dollars to the Treasury from dividends and privatisation receipts.

However, under the coalition Government, NICIL’s finances have been allowed to dwindle due to grave mismanagement and neglect. It was also noted that legal proceedings involving billions of dollars against the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) are not being actively pursued.

The party said given the billions of dollars NICIL contributed to the Treasury, it is still to be known, “How much has been transferred under APNU and where the audited accounts are.”

NICIL produced and laid in Parliament clean audit reports, for both NICIL and its subsidiaries, up to the time that the PPP left Government.

As such, the Party is now questioning what APNU/ AFC has done.

Under the PPP the party said, NICIL made economic contributions and investments and loss-making entities were restructured, pri-

vatised or improved and NICIL found ways to ensure that its assets were properly managed and contributing financial and economic returns.

The Opposition party said if NICIL’s investments in the Berbice Bridge, Marriott or Skeldon Energy have not performed in accordance with its feasibilities, there is a clear connection with how the APNU/ AFC policy decisions, incompetence, or action, have directly contributed to any sub-par performance.

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Ensuring early screenings for Glaucoma “I never questioned the integrity of an umpire. Their eyesight, yes.”

– Leo Durocher, baseball manager

Anu Dev

O

n Friday night, when I looked at our Warriors vs Trinidad Knight Riders game and that umpire missed that straight LBW on Munro (who went on to clobber us over the boundary again and again), I knew exactly how Leo “the lip” Durocher felt, and saw that umpire developing glaucoma? I was fuming!

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been in my

“ENT and Ophthalmology” rotation. We didn’t rotate through either of those specialties in our fourth year so there’re a lot of things that are relatively brand new to learn about.

Our ophthalmology class last week focused on glaucoma. One of the most important points that stood out from the lecture was the importance of early screening for glaucoma.

Unchecked, glaucoma can progress to irreversible blindness.

In fact, glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness worldwide. But the good news is that blindness is preventable if glaucoma is picked up

early enough.

So what is glaucoma?

Well, there are several types and are a group of diseases causing damage to the optic nerve by the effects of raised pressure in the eyes. The optic nerve is responsible for carrying visual information from our eyes to our brain to interpret. Our optic nerves aren’t capable of fixing themselves or regenerating if they’re damaged, so the damage is irreversible.

Our eyes are full of fluid that fills out their spherical shape. Normally, our body is good at balancing the production of that fluid with the removal of the fluid so

that there is equilibrium.

But if the fluid isn’t being drained properly, the fluid will build up in the eye. That fluid buildup leads to increased pressure in the eyes. That increased pressure is what damages the optic nerve and eventually leads to blindness.

And while it might seem like that pressure build-up within your eyes might be quite painful, it’s actually painless. And that’s the thing about glaucoma – the most common type, chronic open-angle glaucoma, actually doesn’t have any symptoms. There’s no warning shot before your vision deteriorates.

But as I said, glaucoma can be diagnosed before it causes blindness. You just need to go in and get your eyes checked. And if you do have glaucoma, there are medical and surgical options to manage your glaucoma and prevent a deterioration in your vision.

And glaucoma isn’t something that only happens to older people.

Anyone can get glaucoma, so everyone should get their eyes checked at some point.

Persons with risk factors for glaucoma should especially get their eyes checked. Having a family history of glaucoma puts you at a higher risk

of having glaucoma.

Diabetes also increases your risk of glaucoma and with there being such a high incidence of this disease in our country, it makes regular eye checkups even more necessary.

Persons who have had a traumatic injury to their eyes are also at a greater risk of developing glaucoma and it is recommended that they get their eyes tested yearly.

So if you haven’t had your eyes checked recently, make a plan to get them tested soon! So we’ll all be able to enjoy our cricket a lot longer – and question the eyesight of those umpires!

Summer Jobs could be very helpful

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Chickens…

…roosting in Charlottesville our Eyewitness wonders why some are surprised at what played out at Charlottesville, with white nationalists openly marching to protest the removal of the statue of General Robert E. Lee. After all, who was Robert E. but the general who led the Confederate troops to defend their “right” to own slaves. The moment you understand that fact, everything should fall into place.

Can you imagine folks insisting that Africans should’ve continued being chattel property of whites, and being willing to fight a Civil War to defend that “right”? Well, Lee was invited to join the forces fighting to free the slaves — the Union Army — but REFUSED, and the rest, as they say, is history.

But that history obviously isn’t settled, is it? If Lee and the Confederate Army were DEFEATED by the Union Army, how come statues of Lee were allowed to be erected, and so many parks and public buildings are named after him? Not to mention, the Confederate flag is flying over so many of the said institutions into the present. This is tantamount to allowing statues of Hitler being erected in Germany after WWII, and having the Swastika of the Third Reich flying over public buildings there!!

When you come to think of it, what was allowed to take place in the South was WORSE than that. In Germany, the millions of Jews that Hitler and the Nazis gassed weren’t American citizens; but the African slaves that Lee and his South wanted to keep in slavery were! But that Lee: he himself owned slaves, and the records show he was a particularly nasty sort.

Fast forward to the future, and you should also understand the depth of the racism that still resides in the hearts of so many white Americans. And it’s not only in the South; that is merely the lightning rod, because of the symbols of racism that were allowed to stand for so long. In the North, these symbols were never erected, but the racism was there – in the hearts of so many. And that is even more insidious, because it thus became structural: framed

in the everyday actions of those in power, and even those in the streets.

And it is ultimately this racism that lies at the heart of Trump’s ascension to the American presidency. This is the demographic — now dubbed the Alt-right — that made the racism respectable.

First they came for the Muslims, then they came for immigrants; but the tipoff was they only came for the non-white immigrants.

Now with Charlottesville behind them, it’s OK to come after African Americans – who were their targets all along! …roosting on the Hezekiah Doctrine Your Eyewitness is also surprised so many Guyanese are upset that Government isn’t releasing the details of the oil contract with Exxon. After all, didn’t Trotman explain that decision based on the “Hezekiah Doctrine”?? Remember that, you inattentive reader, you!? Pressed a year ago, Trotman recounted the story of King Hezekiah exposing the riches of his nation to the Syrians, after which the prophet Isaiah accosted him for exposing all his possessions, telling him that all will be lost.

Trotman let on — Wink! Wink! — that he, being a modern-day Isaiah, would’ve advised our King…sorry, President…

David, that revealing the details of the Exxon contract would’ve alerted our enemy, the Venezuelans, to “all our oil possessions”, and precipitated those Venezuelan hordes to scale our Walls of Ankoko!

But hold it! Doesn’t Venezuela already know about the size of the reserves? And the 2% royalty? And the 50% of “profits”?

What’s the secret? …roosting in garbage Town Clerk King just revealed the City can sue the contractors now that they’ve stopped collecting garbage, demanding they get paid the G$300 million they’re owned!!

Seems Cevons and Puran didn’t read the fine print of the contract! Which obviously was inspired by the Metres Contract!!

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hilst I’ve mentioned quite a bit about volunteerism, one summer activity I have yet to talk about is perhaps the most productive- a summer job.

Summer jobs provide an avenue for personal development, including but not being limited to, confidence, ability to work and communicate with others as a part of a team, better time management, and increased professionalism, all whilst allowing you to earn a little money.

Now, I understand that spending one’s free time working might not exactly be an appealing concept, and I’m not saying that you should work every summer or even all summer, but there are some unique benefits to be had from living the working experience. For students straight out of high school, looking to move on to college, summer jobs can be a great way to experience working with others outside of a school experience.

You are given responsibilities and it requires a significant amount of maturity and independence to complete these efficiently.

Time management comes in when the onus is on you to determine which tasks are most important, which can be done together to reduce time wastage, and how to complete the most within a day. Time management improves with practice, and is an extremely valuable skill in higher education, where students are expected to almost be self-reliant.

Confidence is built when you put yourself into a new environment and realize that de-

s p i t e t h e c h a l lenges you are able to overcome, and succeed. Even if your summer job is working as a cashier, every new skill mastered brings some feeling of accomplishment: even if that skill is learning how to hold your tongue with a particularly loud customer. Furthermore, part time jobs are something to add to a resume in the future. Although they might not be related to your field of study, it’s definitely better than nothing, and they show that you have had experience working in a professional environment before.

Jobs can even help you discover things about yourself that you didn’t know. Maybe you work exceedingly well under pressure, you’re inventive, or maybe you love working with numbers, but you’ve never known because you’ve never been in a situation where these things were required of you.

Finally, summer jobs can introduce you to people of all walks of life: different ages, different communities and different beliefs. It’s good to meet people and interact with them so that you can learn about new perspectives, and challenge your own ideas and stances about issues.

Having said all of this, it’s still completely okay if you’d prefer to spend the time at home with family, friends, or even a caring pet. But there’s also nothing wrong with giving it a chance. You might like it more than you expect.

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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Dosanjh’s first photo from his Richa Chadha: With Diljit next film looks fresh and promising Pahlaj Nihalani gone, A hope films will evolve

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nown to speak her mind, Bollywood actor Richa Chadha has joined the league of actors, who have hailed the central government’s decision of appointing Prasoon Joshi as the new chairman of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Talking exclusively to ANI, Richa, who was in the national capital to launch the teaser of her upcoming film Jia Aur Jia, said that there was a lot of dissatisfaction with

the Pahlaj Nihalani-led CBFC and hoped that films will now evolve and stay liberal. “I hope they change the rules not just the members. There was lot of dissatisfaction with the previous person (Nihalani).”

“So, I feel this is the right step taken in the right direction. I hope films evolve now and stay liberal because there is no point in censoring it,” she said. A host of B-Town celebrities including filmmaker Shyam Benegal,

Shoojit Sircar, Madhur Bhandarkar and Rahul Dholakia have welcomed the new CBFC chief and reckon that a filmmaker’s freedom of expression will now be protected. For the unversed, Nihalani was sacked as the CBFC chief on August 11.

A number of Bollywood celebrities including Shyam Benegal, Shoojit Sircar, Madhur Bhandarkar and Rahul Dholakia have welcomed the new CBFC chief on social media and their media interactions.

People have come up and said that the industry will now experience freedom of expression in films.

Pahlaj Nihalani was sacked as the CBFC chief on August 11 and Prasoon Joshi has been chosen to replace him.

(Indian Express)

New poster for ‘Shubh Mangal Saavdhan’ is out and everyone is excited

fter stealing hearts with his tough cop avatar in Udta Punjab, Diljit Dosanjh is all set to cast a spell on his many fans with his million-dollar smile and ace acting skills. Accompanying him in this crazy ride will be Sonakshi Sinha who had earlier shared the screen with the Punjabi superstar in the song “Move Your Lakk” in her film Noor. Also, Diljit has completed shooting for the second schedule of the as-of-yet untitled comedy film that is being produced by Vashu Bhagnani, who had earlier produced movies like, Sarabjit, FALTU and Humshakals among others.

Excited about being associated with the film, Diljit said, “It is a wonderful experience working with Chakri Ji, Vashu ji and especially Sonakshi Sinha ji. She is really charm-

ing and brings life on the set.” Adding to it, he remarked, “I have done many other comedy films. I don’t judge a film by its genre whether it’s comedy or thriller or romantic etc.. I am enjoying the film.”

Wizcraft is entering into production with the film. Divulging some details about the movie, Sonakshi earlier said, “Being India’s first stage reality film, I am equal-

Priyanka Chopra getting a gymbod for 'Quantico Season 3'

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he new poster of Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar’s Shubh Mangal Saavdhan is out and it has got us all excited. While Ayushmann aka Mudit is staring with boredom at the camera, Bhumi aka Sugandha is playing with fairy lights.

Directed by RS Prasanna, the movie explores the plight of a husband who suffers from erectile dysfunction.

And going by the trailer and the songs “Rocket Saiyyan” and “Kanha”, one can say that the film has a dominant freshness factor added to it while the makers of the film have maintained that there is a fine line between vulgar humour and slapstick comedy. Shubh Mangal Saavdhan releases on September 1.

At the trailer launch of the film, RS

Prasanna said, “The germ of this concept came when I got married. I was about to get married to my girlfriend of four years. Just a day before our wedding, suddenly my uncles, aunts and everybody who I respected and hid adult stuff from, they all started coming to me and started talking about adult stuff. I remember my uncles, aunties saying that now you will have a lot of scented candles. So, that was the germ of the idea that in India, we do talk about sex and we have lot of sex. We just don’t talk about it, that’s all.”

The trailer of this Tamil remake of Kalyana Samayal Saadham too was well received by fans and critics alike.

(Indian Express)

This throwback photo of Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan promises a sizzling chemistry in 'Tiger Zinda Hai'

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alman Khan starrer Ek Tha Tiger was released on August 15, 2012. Even now, people cannot get over the chemistry Salman shared with Katrina Kaif in the Kabir Khan directorial. The sequel of Ek Tha Tiger titled Tiger Zinda Hai will be released

this year. But before that, Katrina has given a throwback to the times when their on-screen pairing was one of the best things about Salman’s films. And mind you, this throwback picture will make you impatient for Tiger Zinda Hai release.

ly nervous and thrilled at the same time. It’s extremely crazy and an out-and-out comedy. I’m really looking forward to this laugh riot.”

If reports are to be believed then apart from Sonakshi and Diljit, the film will have guest appearances by many B-town celebs and that some portions of it were shot at the IIFA awards which were held in New York. (Indian Express)

riyanka Chopra has completed the shoot of her second Hollywood film; Isn’t It Romantic. Now, the actor is toning up for her next.

Priyanka is hitting the gym these days, which has made us wonder what is it she is prepping up for. The actor shared a picture with her two trainers – army trainer Bree Branker and Austin Cagley, who is a boot camp instructor. So, going by this, it seems the actor is prepping up for the upcoming series of Quantico.

The actor will be shooting for Quantico Season 3 in which she plays CIA officer Alex Parrish. The audience has been showering love on PeeCee for her performance in the first two seasons. She even took home a People’s Choice Award for two consecutive years.

The actor shared the picture on Katrina posted a picture from Ek Tha Tiger in which the actor is whispering something into the ears of Salman, who, like always, has his back turned towards the audience. Even in the first look of Tiger Zinda Hai, Salman did not reveal his face. But going by his recent appearances, it seems the actor has gone under major physical transformation and lost a lot of weight. He surely looks good.

The actors are shooting for the last leg of Tiger Zinda Hai in Abu Dhabi.

The film is scheduled for a Christmas release this year. After wrapping up this film, Salman would be seen sharing the screen space with Shah Rukh Khan in the latter’s film with Aanand L Rai. Recently, the two were seen in

Instagram and captioned it: “From never working out to working out with two beasts! Thank you guys for being so rad!”

After wrapping up her second Hollywood film, Isn’t It Romantic, starring Liam Hemsworth and Rebel Wilson among others, Priyanka released an EDM number in collaboration with Will Sparks.

The actor shared lyrics of the song on Instagram and said, “For everyone asking.. I wrote this song at a very precarious time in my life. The lyrics were born from a need for freedom… whatever that freedom may mean to each one of us. What I love most about this track is the spontaneity from which it was born. While I was writing, Will was mixing the track into a roar of emotions and rebelliousness. It all came together in a true creative way. Will has taken the lyrics and given them life. This song reminded me of how much I love making music. @willsparks An experiment that became reality…Just surrendering to this crazy thing called songwriting #YoungAndFree” The actor will soon announce her next Bollywood project. (Indian Express) Tubelight where SRK played a magician.

For Salman and Katrina, Tiger Zinda Hai is a much-needed hit.

Salman’s Tubelight tanked at the box office, and Katrina’s last a few films, including this year’s Jagga Jasoos did not perform well. (Indian Express)

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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘Avatar’ director James Cameron’s dreams inspire his films

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ilmmaker James Cameron has revealed that he uses his dreams as an inspiration for his movies. The 62-year-old director said he worked on some of the most successful movies of all time, including Avatar, from the ideas that struck him in his sleep, reported FemaleFirst. “The Terminator came from a dream of a kind of death figure, a chrome skeleton emerging from a fire. A lot of the root imagery I had in Avatar came from dreams I had when I was

still in college of a bioluminescent forest,” he said.

“Sometimes I’ll wake up from a nightmare and think, gosh, that was good, I can make a movie about that,” James Cameron told Metro newspaper. The Oscarwinning director is currently working on the highly-anticipated follow-ups to the 2009 fantasy film Avatar.

James Cameron claimed he has been working non-stop for nearly three years on the franchise, in spite of be-

ing repeatedly delayed.

“I start working with the cast in September but I haven’t had a day off for several months and I’ve been working at it pretty much full-time for three years. So that’s design, writing four scripts that are worthy of the kind of budgets/audience expectations that would make it worthwhile, designing an entire world, completely revamping our virtual production pipeline and building the actual facilities,” he said.

Other than Avatar, James Cameron is also well-known for his films like Titanic, True Lies and Aliens to name a few. Cameron had won three Academy Award in the category for Best Picture, Best Director and Film Editing. He had also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture and Best Director. (Indian express)

Daniel Craig confirmed as 007 in upcoming James Bond film ‘Bond 25’

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aniel Craig has officially confirmed that he will reprise the role of Agent 007 in the upcoming film Bond 25 and fans can’t keep calm. On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday, Daniel revealed the news.

Even though rumours of the actor returning to his role were previously reported, the actor had chosen to stay mum on the issue.

“Yes” said a straightfaced Daniel when Stephen asked if he will return as the secret agent. He also added that he has known the news for “a couple of months” now. “We’ve been discussing it, we’ve just been trying to figure things out,” he said, “I always wanted to, I need-

A

love I’ve been receiving, and I truly love you,” Faris said in the beginning of the pre-recorded episode. The actress often opens up on her podcast about her personal life and talked about the upsides of her relationship with Pratt being long-distance sometimes back in May. She said: “My longdistance relationship with Chris, I wouldn’t describe it as that, but we do spend a lot of time apart. But the advantage of that is it makes you so

‘My Favourite Year’ actor Joe Bologna dead at 82 ed a break. I just want to go out on a high note, and I can’t wait.” He also confirmed that this will be the last time we see Craig as James Bond.

On Tuesday, Daniel Craig told Morning Magic 106.7, “I’d hate to burst the bubble, but no decision has been made at the moment. There’s a lot of noise out there and nothing official has been confirmed and I’m not, like, holding out for more

money or doing anything like that. It’s just all very personal decisions to be made at the moment. I know they’re desperate to get going and I would in theory love to do it, but there is no decision just yet.”

Apologising for the same, he said, “I have to apologize to all the people I’ve done interviews with today, because I wanted to tell you.”

(Indian express)

Tom Cruise injured during ‘Mission Impossible 6’ shooting

ctor Tom Cruise was injured during a stunt sequence on the set of Mission: Impossible 6.

The 55-year-old star suffered the injury when heat tempted a jump between two buildings but fell short of the mark, reported TMZ. He then limped back to the edge

H

ollywood actor Anna Faris has opened up for the first time about her split from actor Chris Pratt. She spoke about it via her Unqualified podcast. The actor, 40, gave a heartfelt message at the start of her latest episode, thanking listeners for the support she received in the last week since announcing their separation, reports people.com.

“Hey dear listeners, I just want to thank you all so much for all the

appreciate the time you have together, and you really, really value that.

“And you don’t want to waste it fighting, and you know, like, all the minutiae. It’s a high price to pay, you know, but it is a benefit. A silver lining.”

Faris also commented about the “loneliness” of playing a public character in the last episode before the split. She said: “I play a character on mom, I play a character in movies, but I also play a public character.

There’s definitely a loneliness and, like, an internal element to being a performer. I feel like I have to laugh.”

Faris and Pratt announced their separation on their respective social media platforms after eight years of marriage. The former couple’s statement asked for privacy in the joint statement for their son Jack.

(Indian express)

of the building and was pulled away by crew members.

Meanwhile, director Christopher McQuarrie is returning for the sixth installment of the franchise, which will arrive in cinemas on July 27, 2018.

The film also stars Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson, Angela Bassett and Alec

Baldwin.

Tom Cruise has led the Mission: Impossible series ever since the first film released in 1996.

Mission: Impossible 6 will be the first film in the franchise that will be released in 3D. Christopher McQuarrie also directed the previous installment Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation which was critically and commercially successful. Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie have also worked in Jack Reacher film as director-actor duo.

The 2012 film was based on the character created

by Lee Child.

Supergirl star Frederick Schmidt has

enowned for his comedy style, actor-screenwriter Joe Bologna has passed away at the age of 82. He was suffering from pancreatic cancer. His wife 52 years actor writer Renee Taylor confirmed that the Emmy Awardwinning writer breathed his last at City of Hope in Duarte, California, reported Deadline.

“He had a beautiful life and a beautiful death having fully and gratefully experienced three years since being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at Cedars Sinai,” she said. Taylor also thanked the team of doctors who prolonged his life.

Bologna was born

on December 30, 1934 in Brooklyn, New York.

He attended Brown University, where he graduated as an art history major. He also went on to serve the United States Marine Corps before heading to Hollywood in the 1970s.

Bologna and Taylor wrote their first Broadway show Lovers and other Strangers, which was directed by Charles Grodin. The film adaptation (1970) of the play was nominated for an Academy Award for best screenplay. The couple continued writing together, with also starring in the acclaimed Made for Each Other (1971). Their other credits include the critical-

ly acclaimed TV series Calucci’s Department, Bedrooms as well as American Dream Machine.

They wrote and directed Love Is All There Is, where they discovered and introduced actor Angelina Jolie. In addition, they wrote an impressive list of 22 published plays including It Had To Be You. His acting credits include My Favorite Year, Transylvania 6-5000, Blame It On Rio, Woman in Red, Honor Thy Father and Big Daddy, among others.

On the small screen, Bologna featured in Married With Children spin-off Top Of The Heap with Matt LeBlanc and the’80s musical TV drama Rags To Riches with Tisha Campbell. His final work is the forthcoming comedy Tango Shalom, which he wrote and starred in alongside wife and long-time friend Lainie Kazan. Apart from Taylor, Bologna is survived by his only son, Gabriel. (Indian express)

been announced as the latest cast member of the action franchise.

McQuarrie is producing alongside Cruise, Frederick, Don Granger, J J Abrams and David Ellison and Dana Goldberg from Skydance productions. Henry Cavill, who

plays Superman in DC Cinematic Universe films, Vanessa Kirby, Sian Brooke and Angela Bassett are joining the Mission: Impossible franchise cast with this film.

Tom Cruise is also working on the Top Gun sequel which is slated to be released on July 2019.

The original Top Gun was released in 1986 and catapulted Tom Cruise into global fame. The sequel of Top Gun has been in talks ever since 2010, but things got complicated after the director of the 1986 original film Tony Scott committed suicide in 2012. (Indian Express)

R

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Sri Lanka v India: Players mature quickly under new team culture – Kohli T his Indian team has rid itself of a culture in which newcomers were picked upon and judged, according to Virat Kohli.

Though he didn't specify whether that culture was something that existed in teams before his captaincy, or the one that Anil Kumble coached (and of which Kohli was captain), the assessment has the potential to be interpreted as a dig at a previous tenure.

Though the whitewash of Sri Lanka could be seen as a continuation of a sterling run of Test successes, with Ravi Shastri having replaced Kumble as coach, a line has been drawn under that tenure and this.

Kumble left ultimately because of what he cited as an "untenable" relationship with Kohli, and after some players had complained of his "intimidating" style of manmanagement.

And whether or not Kohli was referring to those issues, he was clear that a new culture was emerging. "Culture can only be built when everyone buys into it," Kohli said. "And the

Virat Kohli: "In this team, we are more like a bunch of friends playing together rather than a senior or a junior." (Associated Press photo)

way that can happen is when you don't have any judgements, people coming in and if you don't look at them with a critical eye, watching everything they are doing and trying to pick on small things. I think that is something that we have gotten rid of totally.

"In this team, we are more like a bunch of friends playing together rather than a senior or a junior. We don't even think of the number of games an X has played or a Y has played with-

in the change room. It is all about who you see every day. You can joke around with anyone inside the group, and that I feel is something that makes me feel proud of this particular unit. The way we have embraced each other and accepted each other with our different personalities and individuality, and that is the reason why people coming in feel like they don't have to do anything different from what they know already. It gives them an opportunity to

go out there and believe in themselves and you never know. If you keep the environment like that, then people will take lesser time to go out there and become mature cricketers because they don't feel any pressure from the group itself. That I feel is something we all are proud of because we have been able to create that together."

This series, though, was more a test of the team's ruthlessness than its unity in the face of adversity. Sri Lanka provided them no contest, and the series was done and dusted in under 11 days of play. On the final day of the series, having enforced the follow-on and need-

ing nine wickets to win, Kohli found a novel way to keep the team interested. There can be no more damning observation on the plight of Sri Lanka.

"We spoke about it in the morning, treat this as day five of an away tour, probably a seriesdefining Test match where we'll have to get an opposition out within 60-70 overs, so take that attitude on the field and try to wrap up things and understand how that can be done," Kohli said. "We wouldn't have situations all the time where we'll get 600, 500 and then we'll have a chance to bat again and give a large total, sometimes we will have to enforce the follow-on and it could be series-defining.

It could be something special for the team. So try making those habits from here on, let's start being a bit more uncomfortable as a team, embrace pressure situations, look to put in that extra effort for the team.

"Also, understanding that we don't play Test matches till December now, so... The guys were willing to give it all, and we took this as an opportunity to learn as a group together. So we keep finding different situations and scenarios where we can challenge ourselves as a team first before we look at the opposition. Again today

was another opportunity for us to challenge ourselves, and I'm glad the way the guys stood up for it."

In the same breath, Kohli was asked how different it was to come out of a high-intensity series against Australia into this low-key contest where the motivation had to come entirely from within. "If you differentiate your level of motivation and intensity according to oppositions, then you're judging oppositions differently," Kohli said. "The reason we've been successful so far is because we treat a cricket game like a cricket game, which is executing the abilities that we can execute to the best of our potential, not looking at who we are playing against.

"I think that is the attitude that has kept people hungry, you know you won't see reckless cricket regardless of who we are playing. We want to consolidate every situation, we want to make sure that we're correcting things along the journey and that's the mindset we want to take forward also. You can't raise your intensity or lower your intensity according to your oppositions because that I feel is disrespecting the sport." (ESPNCricinfo) Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

WI U-19s to open 2018 World Cup campaign against hosts NZ

D

efending champions West Indies will begin their 2018 Under-19 World Cup campaign against hosts New Zealand in Tauranga on January 13, the opening day of the tournament. West Indies and New Zealand have been placed in Group A, along with South Africa and the Africa qualifier, Kenya. Tauranga will also host the tournament final, on February 3.

Sixteen teams will participate in the 2018 edition, including the five qualifiers - Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Canada, Afghanistan and Ireland. The ten Test teams [prior to Afghanistan and Ireland's elevation] and Namibia, who finished as the best Associate team in the 2016 edition, had gained automatic qualification.

Runners-up of 2016 and three-time champions India, who blanked England 5-0 in the recently-concluded series, have been slotted into Group B with Zimbabwe, Australia and Papua New Guinea. Australia will make their return to the tournament, having pulled out of the 2016 edition in Bangladesh due to security concerns.

Bangladesh, who were semi-finalists in 2016, will compete with England, Namibia and Canada in Group C. Two-

time champions Pakistan and 2016 semi-finalists Sri Lanka are in Group D with Afghanistan and Ireland.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super League, while the remaining eight teams will feature in the Plate competition.

Twenty matches, including the Super League quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final, will be televised, with the final scheduled to be played at the Bay Oval in Tauranga. Both Super League semifinals will be held at Christchurch's Hagley Oval.

The 11th edition of the Under-19 World Cup will be played across seven venues in four cities - Whangarei, Tauranga, Christchurch and Queenstown - over 22 days. This is the third time the tournament is being held in New Zealand, after 2002 and 2010.

2018 Under-19 World Cup pools Group A: West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand, Kenya Group B: India, Zimbabwe, Australia, PNG Group C: Bangladesh, England, Namibia, Canada Group D: Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Ireland (ESPNCricinfo)

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Warriors, A & C Divisions bring smiles to young children A s s i s t a n t Commissioner Clifton Hicken in collaboration with ranks of ‘A’ and ‘C’ Divisions Community Relations Offices on Wednesday enabled children from communities within the Divisions to have an opportunity of a lifetime to interface with members of the Guyana Amazon Warriors Cricket Team.

The event was held at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary, Youths between the age of 6-15 years were given the opportunity to meet and greet with members of the famous Amazon Warriors who are scheduled to perform in Guyana today (Thursday) at the National Stadium.

Right arm, Off break bowler Steven Jacobs of the Amazon Warriors told the youths that they can be anything they put their minds to it, with much hard work and dedication, while commending the Force for the opportunity to share lifelong lessons with aspiring youths .“I once aspired like you, to be someone who can contribute positive changes to society,

Several Amazon Warriors players and Senior Police Officers after the fun times at the Eve Leary Ground

but nothing good can be achieved without hard work’’.

A s s i s t a n t Commissioner Clifton Hicken alluded that in 2014 the Guyana Police Force fostered relationships with Faith-Based Organizations within the Albouystown Community with the aim of ridding the area of unwanted characters, who sought to mislead the youths within the community. He further said that the crime

rate was reduced significantly through this initiative, hence this posture was mimicked throughout the seven Divisions.

The youths were benefiting from a Vocational School and Skills Training Programme every Saturday by Police Ranks, members of Corporate Guyana and Technocrats. Members of the Youth Groups are gainfully employed in the Guyana Police

CONCACAF Championships

U-15 Jaguars beaten 3-1 by Suriname

T

he Guyana Under-15 National football team went down 3-1 to Suriname when the CONCACAF Under-15 Championship continued on Tuesday at the IMG Academy in Florida, USA. Despite scoring first Guyana was forced to constantly fight off the lurking Suriname strikers who inevitably found the nets on three occasions.

The Young Golden Jaguars went ahead in the Group F match following a volley from Orville Daniels in the 18th minute.

The Surinamese response was swift as just two minutes later, Fernando Heopel equalized after taking advantage of poor defending. Suriname took the lead in the 36th minute when Faisijo Burnett fired in the first of two goals.

In the second half Guyana was guilty of squandering several chanc-

The Guyana U-15 team

es but their South American neighbours would seal the issue as Burnett returned in the 60th minute for his final strike. Guyana’s head Coach Bryan Joseph acknowledged that his team was “passive, disorganized and were outplayed by Suriname”.

He noted that the coaching staff tried to “wake up the boys, and get them going and motivate them.”

Joseph in looking ahead to the next match against St Lucia said that his staff will be putting measures in place to prevent a repeat of Tuesday’s performance. He expressed confidence of a turnaround come Thursday.

The loss means that Guyana, on one point after drawing their first game, are now in danger of bowing out of the Championships as they will need to win their final Group match in a convincing fashion.

Force and the Guyana Fire Service where their skills such as: Joinery and Carpentry are utilized to the fullest.

Due to the overwhelming support from Parents, Community Leaders and Members of the Faith-Based Organizations, a structured curriculum of activities was developed and administered, this formed part of the annual lists of

events such as: Youth Ambassador, Spelling Bee Competitions, Youths Expo, Career Day, Commander Football and Cricket Competitions and Commander Athletics Championship to name a few, are all part of the community activities.

The Guyana Police Force and its Auxiliaries are currently enjoying a relationship with members of the public, a rela-

tionship build on trust, which was fostered through the introduction of these activities.

A s s i s t a n t Commissioner Clifton Hicken thanked members of the Amazon Warriors Cricket Team for making themselves available to interact with youths and share life experiences which will enable them to focus on academics as well as sporting discipline.

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'Let's rewrite history' Law's call to West Indies …England v West Indies, 1st Investec Test, Edgbaston

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tuart Law believes West Indies can "exploit the weaknesses" in the England side and prove their critics wrong.

While West Indies are eighth in the Test rankings and without a Test victory in England since 2000, Law feels the inexperience of the England top-order provides "an opportunity" for his bowlers.

In particular, he has noted England's difficulties in finding an opening partner for Alastair Cook - Mark Stoneman is set to become his 12th partner since the retirement of Andrew Strauss - and the lack of experience elsewhere in a top five that includes Tom Westley and Dawid Malan, who have played four Tests between them.

"With a couple of debutants or a couple of new guys to the fore in Test cricket, that's an opportunity for our bowlers,"

Law said. "You always look at any little crack you can find.

"We've some pretty experienced, pretty good bowlers up front as well.

So it's an opportunity for us to exploit those weaknesses."

Law also feels the manner in which some have dismissed his side's chances could play to their advantage.

"Our players understand there's a few comments flying around like that," Law said. "And we've instructed them to use that as motivation to go out and play your best.

"There's been a lot said about this cricket team and that is motivation for them. We're looking forward. Let's rewrite that history."

Such motivation worked well the last time these two teams played. Ahead of that series, in 2015, the ECB chairman, Colin Graves, suggested West Indies

Stuart Law

were a "mediocre" side which should be defeated relatively comfortably by England. The words were stuck to West Indies' dressingroom door and served to inspire the team to a 1-1 series result that hastened the demise of Peter Moores as England coach. Graves subsequently apologised

for his comments.

On this occasion there has been no such talk from the England camp. While some aspects of the UK media remain bullishly confident, the most damning appraisal of the West Indies' hopes as come from one of their former players. Curtly Ambrose suggested West Indies would have to "play exceptionally well to even compete against England."

If West Indies are to "exploit those weaknesses" they are likely to need Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel and Jason Holder in top form. On recent evidence Gabriel is not at his best - he delivered 20 no-balls in nine overs against Derbyshire the

other day - while Law accepts Roach does not quite have the pace that once made life so uncomfortable for the likes of Jonny Bairstow and Ricky Ponting. He does, however, have nothing but praise for Holder.

"Kemar had a bit of time out of the game with injuries and a nasty car accident," Law said. "He's had to fight his way back. He's probably not as quick as he has been but I think he's a better bowler for that.

He is still fast enough to cause problems and he is swinging the ball both ways.

"Shannon is coming along nicely. He is training the house down and just needs a bowl to get that rhythm back. He's fit to bowl. We're just

waiting on him to hit his traps - do that and it's 95mph coming at you.

"The ground was uneven in Derby. He hadn't bowled for a while and he was over-striding.

When he got it right he looked good.

"As for Jason… He's a young man but very intelligent and high quality. The captaincy is a lot of responsibility but he does it with fantastic integrity. He's a great leader. His bowling is more than very good and he can bat and score runs.

"He's doing everything to make sure he captains this side not just this series but for 10 or 15 years."

While Law does not sound totally convinced by the idea of day-night cricket in England ("it works in certain countries," he said) or the pink ball ("it's very hard to shine… and it sounds like a plastic ball off the bat"), he thinks the format is worth a try for the long-term health of the game.

"We understand the ICC are looking at ways to promote Test cricket," he said. "And if it does bring in extra people after work, or extra funding for grass roots cricket, then it's got to be here to stay." (ESPNCricinfo) George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo

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