Guyana times newspaper june 8 2017

Qualfon Guyana opens new multimillionP17 dollar office

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3235

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Thursday, June 8, 2017

PRICE

GGDMA decries Govt’s burdensome taxes …tells Opposition Leader of hardships facing mining sector Page 11

“Grey Boy” trial

DPP, Magistrate in legal tug of war … Latchman refuses to be bullied

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Govt denies all Permanent Secretaries are Afro- P3 Guyanese Uitvlugt bar shootout leaves 1 injured P7 …licensed firearm stolen

White Night campaign

Page 9

Culturally Alive!

Greater enforcement needed ‒ Road Safety Council P12

Millers owe Wakenaam rice farmers millions P9 TIGI urges Govt to publish draft oil contracts P3

…seeks clarification on Petroleum Act

Caricom Youth Ambassadors converged at the Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown on Tuesday evening to participate in a cultural night. Young people showcased cultural items that related to their country or island and exchanged gifts

Super salaries for ex-GDF officers more burden on Govt expenditure

…financial analyst dubs this development “ludicrous”

Page 7

1 month in jail for abuser …another fined $25,000 for kicking girlfriend P8

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THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, June 8 – a night retraction at 04:30h and a day retraction at 14:30h-16:00h and Friday, June 9 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, June 8 – 15:50h-17:20h and Friday, June 9 – 16:35h-18:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Thundery showers can be expected throughout the day, while lightly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening. Temperatures should range between 24 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 03:32h and 15:57h reaching maximum heights of 2.57 metres and 2.49 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 09:32h and 21:43h reaching minimum heights of 0.69 metre and 0.76 metre respectively.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS H

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17 Bonus Ball

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DAILY MILLIONS 02 03 21 25 26 LUCKY 3 5 0 2 Afternoon Draw

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01 02 06 07 15 16 19 DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

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THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

TIGI urges Govt to publish draft oil contracts … seeks clarification on Petroleum Act

I

n the name of accountability and transparency, Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI) is calling on the Government to publish the contract drafts and make the negotiations accountable to Parliament that it has with all oil companies, including US-oil giant ExxonMobil.

TIGI said in a statement on Wednesday that if the Government decides to move in this direction, then Guyanese of the Diaspora, whose knowledge is vast in this area, will be able to make contributions to the process and thus protect the country’s interest.

The body highlighted that there has been growing calls for disclosure of the contract with ExxonMobil and its partners, but each time this comes up, there is a refrain from the Government.

One reason used is that full disclosure would not be to the national benefit or the national interest. But TIGI said there are multiple reasons why these contracts should be made public.

The organisation cited a few examples including an article by the Natural Resource Charter, which states that the authorities should make available data and reports on licences, geological surveys, cadastres and reserves, as well

TIGI Head, Dr Troy Thomas

as economic, environmental and social impact assessments. Critically, authorities should also publish contracts and make them readily available online.

TIGI also made reference to a statement made by the founder of Transparency International, Peter Eigen, who was quoted in the UK Guardian as saying that although companies have the right to secrecy when contracting with each other, different rules have to apply when a Government is party to a contract and that confidentiality clauses are often overprotective and must be subject to scrutiny.

The organisation said that it is not convinced with the argument that national security serves as another reason for the non-disclo-

sure of the contract. “First of all, it is near impossible to undervalue the amount of the oil potential that has already been disclosed to the public, by the international press and in investment circles,” the statement said.

The Government’s willingness to ignore the mountain of evidence against contract secrecy and the potential ills associated with a developing oil industry is baffling, TIGI said.

Meanwhile, the organisation said corruption is not the only problem Guyana has to worry about when dealing with oil companies, but it must bear in mind that the country is relatively small and is negotiating with a titan like Exxon.

In looking at the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act, TIGI said that there might be a serious obstacle to disclosure embedded in governing law, because Chapter 65:10 seems to provide a built-in secrecy clause.

It states that no information furnished, or information in a report submitted, pursuant to this Act by a licensee shall be disclosed to any person who is not a Minister, a public officer or an employee of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission except with the consent of the licensee. Any person, who discloses information in contravention of

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman

that requirement, could be liable to a fine of $75,000 and imprisonment for three years.

“This clause was inserted in 1997 and its application would mean that (a) all the information released to the public is what the oil companies now talking to GoG want released. We are not clear on whether this applies to the contract and hereby specifically ask this of the GOG.” The organisation pointed out that it is concerned about the very existence of this confidentiality clause and would want to know whether the nation can expect to see it removed in the revised act which is due shortly.

Govt denies hiring all Afro-Guyanese Permanent Secretaries

M

inister of State Joseph Harmon has denied claims that the coalition Government deliberately appointment mostly AfroGuyanese as Permanent Secretaries in the various Ministries.

Economist and former Alliance For Change (AFC) Executive Member, Sase Singh, in a letter to the editor that was published in a local newspaper on Wednesday, took a swing at Government for creating a “situation of ethnic bias.”

Singh noted that the facts cannot be “washed away” when the evidence is there within the public

system, that is, 16 of the 17 Permanent Secretaries within the system are AfroGuyanese.

However, Minister Harmon, who has responsibility of Permanent Secretaries and their dep-

lish because when he said there is only one person of a different race in that group, he needs to re-check it. You

uties within the public system, refuted that the situation was a deliberate one. In fact, Harmon, in response to Singh, told Guyana Times on Wednesday that the former AFC Executive got his facts wrong.

“These are appointments that are made by a Government and Mr Sase Singh should check the facts before he goes to pub-

don’t just go by name and then determine that… If you check, you will find that the information is incorrect,” he said.

The Minister of State went on to point out too that all the current Permanent Secretaries were already there when the coalition took office just over two years.

TURN TO PAGE 10

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THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Justice deferred T

he year opened with President David Granger breaking 25 years of tradition and rejecting the list of six nominees for the vacant chairmanship of GECOM. That tradition had been established in 1992 to usher in the first “free and fair” elections in 24 years, to specifically enlarge the pool of qualified nominees by including non-judges.

The new criteria were encompassed in a revised Art 161 (2) of the Constitution, stipulating the nominee: “shall be a judge or a person who has held office as judge or a person who has the qualifications to be a judge, or any other fit and proper person.” The facts surrounding the President’s rejection of the Opposition’s list are so well-rehearsed that only his last position bears repeating, after he had initially insisted that only ex-Judges could be nominated. To wit that Judges are privileged over all other “fit and proper persons” but neither can be religious leaders or human rights, gender discrimination or other “activists” and all six persons must be acceptable to him.

In March, however, a citizen, Marcel Gaskin moved to the High Court to challenge the President’s judge-inflected interpretation of Art 161(2) via which he had rejected the Opposition Leader’s first list. Many citizens had felt that the Opposition Leader himself should have gone this route since fundamentally the matter rested on the interpretation of a constitutional article and this was the function of the Judicial branch of Government under the separation of powers doctrine. Acting Chief Justice Roxane George was supposed to deliver a ruling on Monday, June 5.

On Friday, June 2, however, the President rejected the second list, which had included an ex-judge and an individual qualified to be a judge. The Opposition Leader warned if the President went ahead and unilaterally appointed a GECOM Chairman, the consequences would be dangerous. The President then fixed a meeting with the Opposition Leader for June 12 to presumably offer more “clarification” on his decision. Citizens, on the other hand, looked to the court to perform its constitutional duty and bring closure to this unprecedented delay in filling a constitutional office, so when the two leaders in the Executive branch of Government meet, they would have the court’s authoritative ruling on the criteria for selecting a GECOM Chair.

On Monday, June 5, the Chief Justice (ag) announced she was “deferring” judgement for June 16, because she wanted to give time to the Attorney General, on behalf of the President, to examine written submissions and answer her questions. This newspaper is very disappointed in this action and views it as possible reluctance to address what she may believe is a “non-justiciable” issue/“political question” which is best left to the Executive branch. According to Black’s Law Dictionary, courts will refuse to take cognisance, or to decide “Political Questions”, which , on account of their purely political character or because their determination , would involve an encroachment upon the executive or legislative powers.

But in this instance, it is the President who is encroaching on the bailiwick of the Judiciary, with his idiosyncratic interpretation of the constitutional stipulation against that of the individuals who actually crafted it with the assistance of President Jimmy Carter – Presidents Desmond Hoyte and Cheddi Jagan. President Granger actually said that President Hoyte erred when he submitted on two occasions his (Granger’s) name to be the GECOM Chair, since he was neither a judge nor qualified to be a judge. Since he had then accepted the submission of his name, it can only be assumed that his interpretation from January of this year was a consequence of his changed circumstance.

Even at this late juncture, we hope the Chief Justice (ag) will rise to the occasion as her predecessors, such as Justice JOF Haynes did, to ensure the Constitution cannot be used for expedience but on the principles of securing the sovereignty of the people via the powers conferred by the latter on the Judiciary.

Two photographers were left a little surprised when some friendly field mice decided to gate crash their photo shoot. Annah Ross, from Sussex, had travelled to Dorset with her sister, Jacqueline, to the remote field that is home to harvest mice that are breed and released into the wild. The amateur photographers wanted to capture the mice in the natural habitat but half way through the shoot noticed Annah was noticed one cheeky mouse had climbed on her camera lens (The Telegraph)

Enable aspirations of social cohesion Dear Editor, No doubt I am one of many whose concerns and fears have been heightened by our President finding unacceptable the second list of nominees put forward by our Opposition Leader from which our President could choose our next Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This adds to concerns and fears about the difference but related matter of how, with the greatest of respect, our President appears to have ignored for over a year the recommendation of the then Judicial Service Commission (JSC), to all appearances seeming to wait out the retirement of the then Chief Justice and Chancellor to create a JSC apparently of his own liking.

For my position to be clear let me first join in extending congratulations to them, our fellow citizens who have taken the oath to serve us at their high levels “without fear or favour, affection or ill will”, most unnatural for us humans; especially so for us Guyanese.

Our prayers must be with them. But this is not only an issue of the individuals who have been appointed Judges, Chief Justice, Chancellor – but is no less a question of procedure and process, procedures and processes which seek to keep and enhance the faith and trust of our different and differing people in eventually attaining our aspiration of great social cohesion. The most important ones constrain the highest person in our land, our President.

Our Opposition Leader has shared with us his great reluctance when as our President he received the recommendation from the JSC to appoint then Attorney Bovell-Drakes as a Judge, someone who had been known to be from his youth a leading person in the People’s National Congress (PNC) and its organs. Could a Justice Drakes get beyond the reality and perception of being biased in favour of the PNC? Former President Jagdeo resisted his appointment but in time acceded to the advice that he should conform with the provisions of our Constitution which allowed him to return the name to the JSC with his written concerns about Mr Drakes for their reconsideration. When the JSC (much the same one seemingly spurned by our current President) returned the name of Mr Drakes, President Jagdeo conformed and appointed Justice Drakes. It is such acts of conformity and faith, often contrary to our better judgement, which build trust and encourage and enable greater social cohesion.

In these matters (as in other nations) our practices and law, both in letter and in spirit, arise out of resolving frightful experiences – more so in our Guyana where we, fragments from six different peoples, have been working at accommodating our different sentiments, experiences and expectations. Our accommodations to our insecurities in the appointments of the Chairman of GECOM and of Judges are now under

great strain.

Perhaps I am extra sensitive and anxious about these accommodations because besides being crucial to the continued convergence of our peoples, I feel them as part of me.

I started my political career participating in a protest calling on then Chairman of GECOM, Justice Harry Bollers (the father of my workmate colleague and friend, and a friend of my most important benefactor) to resign and go.

I stayed a part of the various manoeuvrings and meanderings which led to the procedure by which Mr Collins became Chairman GECOM and which procedure served us well with little or no differences nor questions until now. The strength of this Carter formula lies in what our President and our Opposition Leader implicitly say to us, the electorate, in the list(s) presented by the Opposition Leader and the acceptance of someone or the total rejection by the President. Arrangements in politics can hardly be perfect. Our electorate should be pondering why our President could not find that he could live with some one of the 12 named persons as GECOM Chairman.

When the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won the elections of 1997, there were two charges on which the “slow fire and more fire” disturbances were predicated – that the PPP/C had won by rigging, and whether rigged or not our system was unfair because the PPP/C would al-

ways win. This was the background to the Caribbean Community (Caricom) putting to us, the PPP/C, what became known as the Herdmanston Accord: that the parties would amend our Constitution to ameliorate the insecurity of the minority, by avoiding the perception that rule by majority could become dictatorship by the majority. Amongst other things, we would continue to observe the Carter formula, the Opposition Leader would be granted veto rights over the appointments of the Chief Justice and the Chancellor, and the President would appoint as Judges such persons as are recommended to him by the JSC. Elections were to be held after a given menu of amendments would have been enacted, hence the early elections of 2001. It may not be too early for Caricom to provide some wise counselling. For a number of reasons not many of us were with President Janet Jagan that fateful night when she accepted the Herdmanston Accord. Acceding to the Herdmanston Accord took two years off our term after the 1997 elections. It was difficult to accept but we put people and country first.

We of the PPP/C have been making contributions which are not trivial, to our aspirations for greater social cohesion and keeping our nation together.

Sincerely, Samuel A A Hinds Former Prime Minister and former President

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Undermining parliamentary State paper on GuySuCo – misguided? representation Dear Editor, I am dismayed and perturbed at the Speaker of the National Assembly's ruling which undermines Parliamentary representation. His ruling has prevented the Economic Service's Committee of the National Assembly from visiting and carrying out consultations with residents within the sugar belt of Regions Three, Four, Five and Six. This fresh approach certainly differs from the past where traditionally committees of the National Assembly were afforded

the freedom to carry out their mandate without interference, permission or directive from any of the Speakers.

My dismay hinges on the fact that it was only recently that the Natural Resources Committee visited a number of communities and agencies involved in various forms of production in our country such as Isseneru, Guyana Gold Fields, Kwakwani, Aroaima, Linden, Barama, Skeldon, Hope Canal, Iwokarama and Exxon Mobile Oil Rig. The purpose of which was to

Traffic laws in Guyana are too lax

Dear Editor, Research is showing that each year, 1.3 million people die in road accidents worldwide. This makes road deaths the fifth-largest cause of death. Annually, deaths per 100,000 range from, in Trinidad, 14 people: in the USA, 11: in Barbados, 7: in Guyana, 17. More people die in Guyana from road accidents than in any other country in the Caribbean and about three times as many people are killed in Guyana in road accidents than those who are similarly killed in the developed world.

That we must do something with our errant drivers in Guyana is an understatement.

The authorities must send a clear signal that the carnage must stop. Between accidents and migration, we are losing our best and brightest minds and our most productive workforce. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), death by accidents is now killing more people than malaria and AIDS. The traffic laws in Guyana are too lax. The Police are too easily bribed. The public transportation arena is too politicised. It is reported that

a lot of the minibuses and taxis are owned by politicians and senior Police Officers, so the traffic laws cannot be sufficient enforced, for fear of administrative or political reprisals.

Like the Government’s war on illegal drugs, or its war on corruption, there needs to be a similar war on traffic violators. However, until the political or administrative enforcement catches up with the vehicular carnage that is unfolding on our streets, the public will have to begin taking matters into their hands.

If you are travelling in a vehicle and the driver is speeding, or behaving dangerously, then speak out. Solicit others in the vehicle to speak out with you. If the driver continues, then take pictures of the driver or the vehicle and number plate and then share the pictures and stories on social media. The passengers on public transportation need to begin to name and shame the errant drivers. You either speak out or you will die. Don’t become another statistic. Speak out and live.

Sincerely, Pastor WP Jeffrey

secure opinion as to whether the Government's policy that was presented in Parliament was consistent with the expectations of the citizens, workers and management of the specific corporations.

The actions of the Speaker in blocking the Economic Service Committee from visiting and consulting publicly with those communities within the sugar belt, surely undermines and obstructs the mandate and responsibility entrusted upon that committee by the very

electorate they seek to consult with and who are now being denied such an opportunity by way of an undemocratic and insensitive move by none other than the person whose responsibility it is to be parliamentary upstanding and impartial at all times.

Regards, Odinga Lumumba Member of Parliament Vice Chairman and former Chairman Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources

Blinded by racial lens and political fixation

Dear Editor, The other day the media kindly published a letter from me in which I underscored the need for a review of the criteria and system used to identify national honourees.

In the letter, in addition to suggesting that the total annual numbers should be reduced, I also identified some factors that might be considered and some that need not be, because there are other means available to take care of them. There was no iota of racial or political consideration, overtly nor implicitly, in any of my critique or suggestions.

I was, therefore, flabbergasted to see that practically all the “commentators” imported and assigned their own

racial/political biases into my letter; they used their standard cowardly pseudonyms to hide their own disgusting and dangerous fixation. Of course, they were liberal in their ‘personal attacks’ on me, which do not bother me in the least, but which unfortunately serve as additional fuel for the dangerous societal fires that are already engulfing this sadly depressing territory called Guyana.

When, oh when, my dear compatriots, will we break out of our obsession with race and politics so that we can start realising the true potential of our ‘dear land of Guyana’ for the benefit of all Guyanese?

Sincerely, Nowrang Persaud

Dear Editor, The recently tabled State Paper on the future of the sugar industry in the National Assembly clearly demonstrates the Government’s ill-founded destiny for the industry. Sugar output, according to the paper, will be reduced to 147,000 t/annum produced by amalgamated cultivations and three factories (Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt) with focus on direct consumption, value-added sugars and electricity production.

Editor, in this contribution, I will examine whether Government’s proposals as outlined in the State Paper to efficiently produce quantities of direct consumption, value added sugars and electricity using three factories is possible, taking into account the present configuration of the three estates given the Government’s abhorrence in maintaining this important state industry.

In terms of direct consumption, value added sugars, of the three estates identified only Blairmont, at this time, is capable of producing such quality of sugar. That estate as currently configured can produce about 37,000t of this type of sugar. Uitvlugt’s factory is only capable of producing bagged sugar which is only suitable for the local market.

Whereas Albion can only produce raw bulk sugar at this time.

In terms of electricity production, none of the factories are currently capable of exporting power to the national grid.

With these present-day realities and no commitment to invest and upgrade the factories, the ‘minatau-

rised GuySuCo’ with Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt have limited capabilities and can practically deliver only 37,000t direct consumption, value added sugars and zero kilowatts of electricity to the national grid at best.

It, therefore, means some enhancement would be required but for whatever reason was not alluded to in the paper.

The Honourable Agriculture Minister asserts in his paper that 25,000t of value added, direct consumption sugar will go towards the local market and 50-60,000t to the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and Regional markets. This follows that 75-85,000t or 5158 per cent of the newly proposed production must be direct consumption value added grade sugars.

With a market of 75-85,000t and production capacity of 37,000t, there is an obvious deficit. Where will the remainder 38-48,000t come from? GuySuCo’s myopic IMC and its platoon of executive continue to misguide the Government at the expense of taxpayers.

Clearly, the Administration is out at sea when it comes to sugar.

Estates which are capable of production, direct consumption, value added sugars and supplying electricity to the national grid are being closed and sold off – Enmore and Skeldon respectively. Rather than harnessing capacity for a secured future the political hierarchy is shooting in the dark and putting at grave risk the lives of thousands of ordinary people.

Sincerely, Sookram Persaud

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Foundation

Tips for tackling timed tests and Maths anxiety

Supporting children through times of change

10 waysto help children cope

with tough transitions in school —whether you’re their teacher or their parent

By Elena Aguilar

S

tudents routinely experience unexpected changes, like learning that a favourite teacher will leave their school, or that a classmate will move away, or that the band programme they’d hoped to join the following year will no longer be funded.

Transitions are always hard for children – they crave and need consistency and routine, and so the end of the school year can be challenging anyway. But if big changes (or even medium-sized ones) are on the horizon, it can be even harder on children.

This year, my son’s school has been rocked by a rapid series of challenges. As a parent, I’ve had to do a lot to process my own emotions – anger, sadness, and worry – and mindfully share with him what I’m feeling. It’s important to be honest with children (I’ve expressed my sadness and frustration with my son) as well as to be hopeful.

Whether you’re a teacher supporting your students or a parent supporting your child, here are 10 ways to make unwelcome change easier for children: Invite them to talk about their feelings. Listen to whatever they say—to their anger and sadness and confusion. Validate their feelings and let them know that whatever they’re experiencing is OK. Help them see the elements of stability in their life and school. Name all the teachers and adults who aren’t leaving, the classmates who will stay.

Assure children that the foundations of their community and learning experience will be strong. Even if a beloved staff member or principal is leaving, don’t fall into catastrophising with your students or children. Help them see that their experience in school is more than one person, programme, or other element.

Make sure they don’t take the change personally.

Children tend to blame themselves when things go wrong. Make sure to emphasize that they did nothing to make anyone leave, to drive someone away, as children tend to think whether a teacher

or staff member leaves to work at another school, quits the profession, or is perhaps released from the position.

Direct children to see what they are in control of.

Unwelcome change makes people feel like they don’t have control over their lives. Ask your students or children, “What are you free to choose right now?” and they’ll be reminded of their own power.

Guide children to focus on a positive future and what might be possible a year from now. Help them imagine making new friends, forming strong connections with other adults, and finding joy, community, and fulfilment at school. If there’s anything they can do to make these things happen (such as making new friends) guide them to do those things.

Allot a brief time for worry. Especially if you have a child who worries all the time, suggest a 15-minute time during the day when they allow themselves to worry. When they start worrying at other times, remind them that it isn’t their designated worry time.

Ask children: What really matters here? Help them see the big picture, gain perspective, and keep the change in proportion.

Help them connect with their own resilience, coping mechanisms, and energy. They have dealt with change and challenge before. Help them access those resources and remind them that they will get through this latest challenge.

Help them see their own resources for making changes that they desire.

Help them think about how to be proactive about creating the kind of school and experience they want, even in the face of unwelcome change. As a teacher, I often had to support students with the above strategies as changes rippled through our school every year. My students, of course, responded differently. Some wore their emotions on their sleeve whereas others were harder to read. Take the time to explore how students are experiencing change when it strikes. In the end, change is all we can count on, so it’s always useful to help children refine their coping skills. (edutopia.org)

By Youki Terada

R

ecently we posted a brief research finding from Stanford Maths professor Jo Boaler: “Timed Maths tests can discourage students, leading to Maths anxiety and a long-term fear of the subject.”

That terse conclusion, from a 2014 article in Teaching Children Mathsematics, provoked a torrent of passionate comments as educators and former students weighed in on the merits of timed testing.

The debate split the audience in half. One side argued that timed testing was valuable because there are real deadlines in life and careers— and real consequences to missing them. Others felt that timed testing causes a kind of paralysis in children, throwing a wrench into students’ cognitive machinery and hindering deeper learning. What’s the point of timed testing, the latter group argued, if the results are as much a measure of fear as aptitude?

But timed tests aren’t likely to go away anytime soon.

Children take as many as 20 standardized tests each year, and timed testing follows students through college entrance exams and into their careers. Some certifications for teachers, electricians, and medical laboratory technicians even require timed tests, our readers noted. “Maybe slowly getting used to timed tests,” mused Brenda Anderjaska, “won’t make the big tests seem so looming.”

It adds up to a prickly set of questions for teachers. How do you strike the right balance between preparing students for tests and deadlines, and ensuring that they have the time—and the skills—to solve challenging Maths problems?

And if timed tests are required, as they are in most schools, how do you bring them into your classroom without inducing a debilitating fear of Maths?

Anxiety starts early (and lasts a long time) For many, taking Maths as a child was a dreadful experience.

“Timed tests were the horror of my primary schooling,” Rawini Ngaamo recalled. “All I learned from them is that I was stupid and slow. I still hate Maths even now because of the way it was taught.” Dozens of people

agreed, recalling their own personal experiences or sharing those of their students or children.

The effects appear to be long-lasting, haunting some of the commenters for decades: “As a 57-year-old, I can still recall the anxiety of timed tests,” said Debbie Denmead Cassady, before suggesting that teachers “forget them” in the future. And the post brought back vivid, unpleasant memories of elementary school for Adina Thuransky: “In second grade, our teacher timed us on Maths facts (times tables)... it freaked me out so much I can still remember how much anxiety I felt!”

These readers are clearly not alone. Nearly 50 percent of first- and second-grade students experience Maths anxiety, and forcing young kids to take timed tests when they’re naot ready can backfire, as Tonya Blanchette shared: “This happened to my son early on and he became very stressed and anxious at only 6 years old, claiming he hated Maths. It breaks your heart.”

Timed Maths tests can discourage students, leading to Maths anxiety and a long-term fear of the subject. timed Tests and the fundamentals Despite all the back-andforth, almost all teachers acknowledged the need to drive students toward deeper learning. You don’t build safe bridges or send rockets into space with multiplication tables alone. But many teachers also felt that timed tests are an important step on the road to Mathsematical fluency, improving speed and laying a foundation for complex problem solving. Timed tests don’t undermine mastery, these teachers argued—they support it.“When students get to more complex Maths problems, they get bogged down by having to actually think to calculate basic Maths facts,” said Beth Kappauff, summarizing a position taken by dozens of educators in the discussion. “A kid who has to consider the answer to ‘3 × 4’ will struggle in algebra and beyond. They need Maths facts to free up time and attention for deep thinking about harder concepts.”The upshot is that kids may not like timed Maths tests, and some adults may carry scars from them—but building speed and fluency matters. To many teachers, not preparing students for that eventuality of timed testing felt too much like “setting the kids up for failure.” (edutopia.org)

7 Super salaries for ex-GDF Uitvlugt bar shootout officers placing burden leaves 1 injured NEWS

THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

on Govt expenditure

…financial analyst dubs this development “ludicrous”

By Samuel Sukhnandan

T

he hiring of more ex-Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Officers as consultants is creating a severe encumbrance on Central Government’s annual expenditure and the annual Public Service wage bill, says overseas-based Guyanese financial analyst Sasenarine Singh.

In citing the most recent financial bulletin, Singh pointed out that Central Government’s expenditure year-to-date totalled $29 billion, compared to $18.6 billion spent during the same period in 2016.

While recognising that this massive increase was driven by many factors, Singh stressed that the most outstanding reason was the expansion in employment cost by 16.2 per cent.

“This is clearly because of, but more importantly, the expansion in the Public Service driven by these high-cost advisers of mainly ex-GDF officers,” the financial expert opined.

According to Singh, the expansion of employment cost is a huge problem, since each of the ex-GDF officers who are now employed with Government cost the State $10-12 million each annually.

Reports are there are about 20 to 25 such persons currently employed by the current Administration, who altogether could cost the State somewhere between $200 and $300 million each year.

“This is an unfair burden to ask the people to carry.

You do not have $300 million to pay 1700 GuySuCo workers at Wales their severance pay, but you have that to pay 25 ex-GDF officers fat-cat salaries. People who are already getting a

Financial analyst Sasenarine Singh

President of Guyana, David Granger

full pension and on top of that they are getting huge wages,” he stressed.

Singh, who once served as an executive of the Alliance For Change (AFC) told Guyana Times that while many of these ex-army officials might be good at military services, he strongly believes that a majority of them are being placed into positions that do not reconcile with their skillset.

“So, you are putting in some cases, square pegs in round holes and this can have a demotivating effect on the Public Service.

People will realise that they can’t climb the ladder within the Public Service because of specialism. Because they don’t have the green card (ex-GDF officer),” he added.

Important too is the fact that young professionals are being put out of the system, because there is less room for them to expand.

“Because all of these exGDF officers are being parachuted, whether fit or unfit, into all these key roles,” Singh emphasised.

He argued, “You can’t tell me that the GDF is the most competent organisation in Guyana. If you read the Auditor General

(AG) reports you would see they failed on many scores, at practising proper public procurement and they are not necessarily the best spenders of money.”

Singh said many of the AG reports have pointed to cases where the GDF has failed to follow the procurement policies and public procurement laws in Guyana.

“So, what are their criteria for being superior human being than the rest of the society? There is none.

It is just naked favouritism being exercised by the Granger Administration and nepotism,” he added.

According to the Finance Ministry’s March 2017 monthly report, expansion in employment cost resulted from new recruitment as well as the annualisation of 2016’s salary increases, while growth in other goods and services was attributed to the early passage of Budget 2017.

On the other hand, expansion in transfer payments was accredited to a rise in subsidies and contributions to international organisations, catering for early subscription payments to organisations as well as increased pension payments.

… licensed firearm stolen

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ullets began to rain inside of the Colombian Gold Night Club at Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara, at about 01:00h on Wednesday, after four young men robbed and stabbed two businessmen and made good their escape with a licensed firearm belonging to one of the businessmen.

Police said a 47-year-old technician was stabbed to his left hand and thigh and relieved of cash and his cellular phone, along with his licensed firearm. They added that one of the suspects may

Bottle fragments at the scene

ing him with a bottle which broke and stabbed him with same. The victim then whipped out his firearm and discharged several rounds at

A bullet at the scene

have been shot during the ordeal and they are making every effort to apprehend them.

Police investigations revealed that the victim was in the company of a friend outside of the bar imbibing when the suspects suddenly pounced and demanded cash, at the same time strik-

the bandits, who managed to disarm and relieve him of his weapon and valuables before escaping.

Club owner, Varsha “Shorty” Dhanpaul, said the four men entered her business place while the two businessmen were sharing a drink. She added that

they ordered three beers and some cigarettes and left.

“Four boys come into the club and they asked for three beers with $500 and the waitress tell them that three beers is not for $500 that they can get two. The girl gave them the two beers and then they come back and said that they want a $100 cigarette and she gave them two cigarettes. Then they asked where is “Shorty” and she said that they can’t wake the boss lady and then they say go wake she up and they go outside and then they push open the door and they start fire shots at the two men,” she related.

Dhanpaul said that after the quartet opened fire on the two men, the waitress ran for cover. The bullets hit both men in their legs and shoulder and they were subsequently stabbed with a broken bottle.

TURN TO PAGE 12

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

IN THE COURTS

1 month in jail for abuser … another fined $25,000 for kicking girlfriend

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man accused of maliciously injuring his girlfriend was on Wednesday jailed for one month by Magistrate Fabayo Azore.

Joel Forde, 34, of Lot 99 Eccles Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD), admitted to the charge when it was read to him at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The charge against him stated that on June 5 at Lot 63 First Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Shenese Maynard.

The court heard that the defendant and the Virtual Complainant (VC) have been in a relationship for the past eight years.

However, he is in the habit of assaulting her and as such she moved out and went to her mother’s house.

The Prosecution stated that on June 5 at about

Sheik Hassan

11:00h, Forde visited that house and started to act disorderly when he was asked to leave.

He then proceeded to attack and wound the VC after he noticed that she received a text message from another male.

The accused’s account of what transpired differed greatly from that of the VC.

He told Magistrate Azore that he and the VC were talking when he visited her mother’s home. However, he said that she received a text message, which prompted him to leave. He added that she would not allow him to leave and a scuffle ensued which cause her to be struck to her mouth.

He pleaded for leniency, stating that he ended the relationship with the VC. Magistrate Azore told the defendant that since he is in the habit of such behaviour, she would have to give him a much stronger sentence than a mere fine, and as such, she sent him to prison for one month.

Meanwhile, a Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara man who also assaulted his girlfriend was taken before Magistrate Azore to answer to an assault charge.

Sheik Hassan, 24, ad-

mitted that one June 6, 2017, at Hadfield Street, Georgetown unlawfully assaulted Dolly Arjune.

The prosecution told the court that on the day in question at around 16:10h, Hassan visited the Virtual Complainant’s (VC) place of work at Silvies where he kicked her once to the body.

The matter was reported and he was arrested and charged with the offence.

However, the defendant told the Magistrate that he visited the woman at her place of work as he had not seen her for three weeks, but she proceeded to embarrass him.

He told the court that he was sorry for what he did and will not repeat his actions. When asked whether she would like to continue a relationship with the defendant, the VC said no.

As such, he was fined $25,000.

Deeply flawed…

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…economic arguments here’s an interesting colloquy going on between former PPP Minister Henry Jeffrey (for 16 years – Labour, Housing, Human Services and Social Security, Minister of Health and Labour, Education, Foreign Trade) and former President Donald Ramotar.

The latter acceded to that office after Jeffrey parted company rather acrimoniously with the PPP Government – but previously he’d been the General Secretary of the PPP, before.

Ramotar took serious umbrage at what he saw as Jeffrey’s belittling of the PPP’s success in the economic arena – such as he, Ramotar has boasted of in a letter to the press. Jeffrey was basically asserting what some folks believe is true: after Hoyte signed onto the IMF’s “conditionalities” and launched the Economic Recovery Project (ERP), the ground was set for the PPP’s success.

Between 1989 and 1992, after all, the GDP grew at a clip of six per cent+ annually!

It would appear Ramotar was pretty peeved about Jeffrey being more than a tad simplistic in pushing that line – especially since he was on the inside for most of the PPP’s terms and would’ve had access to the facts.

Right off the bat, one can’t deny the PPP’s success by claiming it was the due to the IMF policies – and not apply the same yardstick to the Hoyte years! What’s sauce for the goose and all that…

Secondly, and more germanely, the rise in GDP during the Hoyte’s years wasn’t due to any radical economic innovation – save the IMF-demanded removal of PNC stranglehold controls over the economy. Does the PNC get points for ceasing to stifle the economy??

Then how about panning them for those policies that killed the economy in the first place. In reality, what happened between 1989 and 1994 was the industries that had been stifled by the PNC, basically bounced back to the Production Possibility Frontier that was already inherent in the factors of production. For instance, sugar and rice started to do better because of market forces playing a bigger role in wages and prices respectively.

The role of Bharrat Jagdeo in getting the US$2.1 billion debt the PNC had placed on the necks of Guyana and all Guyanese written off wasn’t just through magic – it required a firm hand on steering the economic ship SS Guyana. Is it because of Jeffrey’s well ventilated run-ins with Jagdeo he wouldn’t acknowledge that?

Your Eyewitness was a bit taken back by Dr Jeffrey’s seemingly churlish dismissal of the robust performance of the economy under the PPP’s watch.

But he realises just as “all politics is local”, all analyses are ultimately personal. It’s left to all Guyanese to “pick sense from nonsense”, between the verbal volleys! …monument base If your Eyewitness didn’t know better, he’d be excused for thinking somebody’s out to ensure the “Indian Arrival Monument” never gets placed on its pedestal. What a comedy of errors it is, as the (sordid) facts slowly trickle out! Firstly, the monument itself – funded and crafted by India – has been sitting in a Government for over a year and a half!! What was the Government – or more the Ministry of Culture – specifically doing about the base since then??

Well according to revelations from the past two budget debates – “absolutely nothing!” is the answer.

When questioned the Minister of Culture’s answer that nothing was budgeted, even though a plan had been left by the departed PPP Government.

Only when earlier this year most of the Indian groups in Guyana got together to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the abolition of indentureship – focusing world attention on Guyana – that the Government rushed to save face for its 11 per cent “Indian” representatives.

The monument? Too late, has been the cry!! …legal direction Why is the DPP forcing a Magistrate to reverse her decision on a matter that is totally within her bailiwick??! Is it pressure being placed on the DPP herself and transmitted downwards??

Shed a tear for our beleaguered judicial system.

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Grey Boy” trial

DPP, Magistrate in legal tug of war … Latchman refuses to be bullied

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DPP Shalimar Ali-Hack

Magistrate Judy Latchman

irector of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack sent another letter on Wednesday to Magistrate Judy Latchman ordering her to commit Regan “Grey Boy” Rodriguez to stand trial in the High Court for the murder; however, Latchman refuses to be bullied and stood her ground.

It was chaos at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts as Magistrate Latchman refused to commit Rodriguez to stand trial in the High Court for the alleged murder of Courtney

Crum-Ewing.

Through Special Prosecutor Nigel Hughes, the DPP first made the request to have Latchman commit Rodrigues to stand trial in the High Court.

However, the Magistrate stood her ground and informed Hughes that her court will not bow since she had already discharged the case.

However, another letter was sent directly to Latchman which cited provisions set out in the Criminal Law Procedure Act Section 72 (2) ii (a) and

allows the DPP to order that the accused be committed for the murder.

The letter in part read “I am of the opinion that a prima facie case has been made out against the accused and as such I order that you remit your decision and commit him to stand trial for the murder of Courtney Crum-Ewing”.

Latchman first informed the accused that she will be following the law and will reopen the case.

Following this disclosure from Latchman, it was chaos as Rodriguez began to wail yelling “two times, I was freed, I have to go back again!”

It took Police Officers a number of minutes to restrain the accused as he on numerous occasions attempted to leave the courtroom stating “I can’t take that!”

There was not a dry eye in the courtroom as the family members of Rodrigues along with many others, inclusive of former Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford, who were at court for their cases, broke down in tears at what was unfolding.

Rodriquez continued to yell “the Police put a gun in my house and no one is investigating them, God knows I didn’t do it, is my life them want!”

However, when asked

by Latchman whether he would like to call any witnesses, Rodriguez said only one man can save him and that is God. State Attorney for the matter, Nigel Hughes did not make additional submissions. Latchman adjourned the court for a few minutes; however, upon her return, she stated firmly that the court has found that no prima facie against the accused and maintained her previous decision.

The Magistrate added that she did not find sufficient evidence for the defendant to be committed to stand trial, and as such, she discharged the matter.

On Monday last, Rodriguez was set free for the second time for the murder of Courtney Crum-Ewing when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Rodrigues broke down in tears in the packed court-

Regan Rodrigues, called “Grey Boy”

room after hearing the decision by the Magistrate.

He was charged for the killing of Courtney Crum-Ewing, who was slain on March 10, 2015, at Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

In her ruling Latchman stated that she considered all of the facts presented to her, however none of them proved that Rodriguez pulled the trigger to kill Crum-Ewing. Crum-Ewing was gunned down as he was at the time urging residents of Diamond to cast

Dead: Courtney Crum-Ewing

their ballots in the May 2015 General Election.

Months after, Rodrigues was arrested and charged with the murder but was freed in September 2016.

However, in April 2017, he was rearrested after the DPP ordered that the case be reopened.

At the time of that arrest on Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown Rodriquez was on bail from a three-year sentence as he was jailed for escaping from Police custody, however, he successfully appealed that sentence.

EBD man Millers owe Wakenaam rice farmers millions slapped M with causing death charge

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20-year-old man appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore on Wednesday, charged with causing the death of his girlfriend by driving dangerously.

Kenroy London of Lot 74 Caneville Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) denied the charge.

It is alleged that on May 24, 2017, at Supply Public Road, EBD, he drove motorcycle CH 9730 in a manner dangerous to the public thereby causing the death of Kesha Anthony.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne objected to bail being granted to the accused on the grounds that he is not the owner of a valid licence and also disclosed to the court that neither passengers of the vehicle were wearing safety helmets on the day of the incident.

However, he was granted bail in the sum of $250,000 as the case file for the matter is still incomplete. He is to return to court on June 23.

onths after selling tonnes of paddy to several millers, farmers on the Essequibo island of Wakenaam, in Region Three (EssequiboIslands-West Demerara) are entering the current crop with uncertainty as they are owed millions of dollars in outstanding payments.

Guyana Times interviewed persons within the industry who related that the payments have not been forthcoming despite pleas by farmers.

An insider disclosed that some “50 per cent” of the farmers who planted for the last crop were not paid by millers who bought significant amounts of paddy.

“There were some cash payments in Leguan but Wakenaam farmers have yet to be paid,” Guyana Times was told on Wednesday.

More alarmingly, it was pointed out that the 42-day period in which the farmers were supposed to be paid their outstanding monies has expired. Despite this, some farmers went into their reserves and undertook preparations for the current crop while others remain cautious of entering rice cultivation with depleted earnings and inclement weather conditions.

According to the Rice Factories (Amendment) Act of 2009, the manufacturer, being the miller is required to pay the paddy producers

half the amount within two weeks after receiving the paddy while the remaining payment must be disbursed within 42 days of the parities signing the agreement. “…Fifty per cent of the total amount of $......will be paid to the producer within two weeks from the date of receipt of the paddy and the remaining amount will be paid within forty-two days of the signing of this agreement,” the section of the law stipulates.

Another noted challenge was the cost to transport farming materials to and from Wakenaam.

In this vein, stakeholders highlighted the reduced visits with operatives attached to sub-agencies of the Agriculture Ministry, including representatives from the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRBD) and the National Agricultural Research & Extension Institute (NAREI).

“Cost of production is higher than other areas and there is no rice extension officer available to give technical advice,” this publication was further told.

It was also alleged that the last time a GRBD representative visited the island was around four months ago.

Wakenaam rice farmer Takur Persaud told this newspaper that at present, they are receiving $1800

to $2000 per bag of paddy.

He lamented the inability of famers to return to the next crop. He also explained that he sold to three millers (names provided) and has not been paid in almost three months.

“We not getting paid, we an know how we will go back. We an get pay over 2-3months. We want the money to go back and plough,” Persaud pointed out.

Meanwhile, farmers are now able to access fertiliser and repay the GRDB at the end of each crop through a credit system following repeated calls for assistance.

However, Persaud related that while some farmers will get the fertlisers easier, many have opted against preparing their lands for cultivations due to their outstanding payments.

“If you nah mek up de the land, how you gan use de fertliser,” the farmer questioned.

“Urea is $4000 a bag and 15:15 fertliser is about $6500,” he further pointed out.

He then explained that one miller had paid them $2000 per bag for a previous crop but they are not sure what they will gain from the crop for which they are owed. He claimed that while he sold some 300 bags, the farmers were not given vouchers, so they aren’t sure how much they will get.

He related that if the current situation continues, he is unsure if he can still continue in the rice industry. “People leff they land, they can’t make it,” stated Persaud.

Ever since the end of

the PetroCaribe (rice for oil) deal with neighbouring Venezuela in 2015, rice farmers have seen reduced earnings for their paddy.

This situation is coupled with the declining rice markets.

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017

News

Wakenaam farmers still battling red palm mite

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espite repeated efforts to curb its impact, the red palm mite continues to affect coconut farms in the Essequibo Islands.

Guyana Times was told that the pest, officially known as Raoiella indica Hirst has resurfaced on the island of Wakenaam.

Red palm mite causes leaves of plants to wither before falling off and the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) had distributed chemicals to coco-

A dried palm that was affected by tthe red mite pest

nut farmers to treat their plants late last year. The pests have, however, returned causing farmers to worry over possible losses.

Farmer Ramkissoon

(only name given) told this publication that red palm mite was still plaguing his coconut farms. He said that the mites have been attacking particularly coconut

nurseries. Ramkissoon expressed concern for the 600 plants he has in his coconut nursery, which could all be wiped out by the pest.

In December 2015, Government had allocated $49 million for the procurement of chemicals and additional materials to contain the pest in the affected locations.

Red mite has been plaguing local farms in various communities for a number of years. It had entered the Caribbean around 2004. The presence of the

The red palm mite pest is still affecting farmers in Wakenaam

pest was first observed in Wakenaam, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara). NAREI at one point quarantined the island and had put in place preventive measures in neighbouring Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam). However, those efforts did not stop the pest from reaching the Pomeroon and other farming communities on the Essequibo Coast.

The mites are dispersed through wind and from affected plants.

In November last year, more than 70 farmers on the East Coast Demerara (ECD), and Pomeroon, Region Two had benefited from a distribution exercise.

Somanti Rajkumar, a Pomeroon farmer, had related in November 2016 that his farm was full of mostly dried palm leaves, irregular shaped nuts and many fruit-

less trees.

He had stressed that production had been reduced from 1000 to 400 nuts annually.

However, just days after he applied the chemical, the unhealthy branches fell and greener healthy palm trees had become visible.

A small-scale coconut farmer operating in Handen-Veldt, Deodat Rambarak had related that prior to an infestation in late 2016, he had produced 3000 nuts annually. This figure had decreased, which had resulted in him falling short of his target to supply an agro-processor.

Efforts by this publication to contact NAREI on Wednesday proved unsuccessful as several calls to various numbers were forwarded to a voicemail service.

Govt denies...

FROM PAGE 3

“There is nobody that we brought into the system and put them as PSs. Many of them were PSs before in the previous Administration and we took them over… All we’ve done is move some of the PS from one Ministry to the next. So to say we have deliberately gone around looking for one race group to put them there, Mr Singh is being very factious,” he posited.

Moreover, Minister Harmon outlined that his Government is looking for a professional public service and therefore persons who have been serving in the public service for years are the ones they are promoting to the high position since they would have already gained the experience needed.

Furthermore, the Minister of State noted that from the Commission of Inquiry into the Public Sector, Government rec-

ognised the need to address certain issues such as public sector reforms. He added too that they have started training of public servants and at different levels too so as to improve the services to the public.

According to Singh’s letter, in which he supplied a list of the various PSs, this situation is an increased assault against the Guyanese people by the David Granger Administration.

He went on to cautioned in the letter that the social cohesion damage to this nation has to be repaired otherwise this breach will become unsealable – suggesting even that this might be deliberate.

Moreover, Singh took the opportunity to call out the AFC Ministers within the Administration – whom he referred to as so-called liberal democrats – for remaining mum on the situation.

thursDAY, june 8, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

11

News

GGDMA decries Govt’s burdensome taxes … tells Opposition Leader of hardships facing mining sector

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he top brass of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) decried the range of burdensome taxes implemented by the coalition Government.

The Association’s executives raised their concerns during a meeting with a team of Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs), led by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday.

The three-hour meeting, which was held at the GGDMA’s office at North Road, Bourda, Georgetown, saw the discussion of a number of important national issues affecting Guyanese; especially miners and those operating in the mining industry.

In particular, the executives of the Association highlighted a number of critical challenges which the small-, medium- and even the larger-scale miners are currently facing.

Among the challenges identified were the spike in taxes across the board implemented by the Government; in particular, the Tributors Tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) on heavy-duty mining equipment, the two per cent Withholding Tax, breach of promises in respect of the grant of duty-free concessions on mining equipment, vehicles and fuel and the atro-

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo along with his parliamentarian colleagues and the executives of GGDMA at Wednesday’s meeting

cious state of the roads in the mining areas and other related issues.

After listening to the plight of the GGDMA executives, the Leader of the Opposition pledged his and his party’s continuous support in respect of the matters raised. He further endeavours to highlight their concerns in the National Assembly and at every other available forum.

Jagdeo was accompanied

by Opposition parliamentarians: Anil Nandlall, Irfaan Ali, Juan Edghill and Odinga Lumumba.

Following the presentation of the 2017 National

Budget back in December, and its subsequent passage in the National Assembly two weeks later, the GGDMA has complained bitterly about the range of new tax measures, accusing Government of ignoring the plight of small- and medium-scale miners. The Association has been the lobbying body of the mining industry for over 30 years.

Of recent, stakeholders in the gold and diamond mining industry said they have “felt blindsided” and have been “surprised by the sudden, rushed and high-handed implementation of several new policy de-

cisions” of the coalition in relation to the mining sector.

In fact, in one of its missives earlier this year, the GGDMA bluntly questioned the “real motive of the [Government of Guyana] GoG in abandoning the long standing tradition of consultation with the industry and now resorting to an authoritarian style.” Taking a stance on the matter, the Association asserted that it was ready to take the necessary action to protect the livelihoods of all legitimate Guyanese and other miners who have invested time, money and energy in the sector.

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

White Night campaign

Decomposing body

Greater enforcement needed Miner died from malaria – PME – Road Safety Council

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he Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) is calling on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to step up their enforcement efforts to combat the careless use of the roadways. This call comes on the heels of the re-launch of the White Night campaign.

GNRSC Coordinator Ramona Doorgen said that

Georgetown. Therefore, we are working with the Traffic Department on hyping the campaign to the level we expect it to be,” she added.

The White Night campaign was relaunched on Friday last at Vreeden-Hoop, West Coast Demerara. It seeks to encourage all road users to abstain from driving while unThe car on the motorcycle after the Versailles accident

though all the bitter complaints, the Government refuses to adequately address the issue,” she added.

Persaud also called for harsher penalties for errant drivers, noting that they were not only a hazard to themselves but other drivers and citizens as well.

The car involved in the La Grange accident

while they have relaunched the White Night campaign, greater enforcement was needed to ensure that drivers adhere to all traffic laws.

“The Road Safety Council is calling for more rigorous enforcement by the Guyana Police Force and is saying that there should be a widespread call for greater enforcement…the Road Safety Council knows and any research would show you that enforcement is the main key to the reduction of crashes on our roadways,” Doorgen argues.

She added that there should be calls by society for the Police Commissioner and the GPF to do more than they are doing because to have multiple road deaths in one day was unacceptable.

“We at the Road Safety Council are working with the Police Force to try to reduce deaths by trying to hype the White Night campaign and because of the glitch, we did not have a major campaign as expected in

der the influence of alcohol, or to designate a driver if an occasion calls for drinking, or to stay away from drinking if they have to drive.

However, drivers are saying that driving under the influence or speeding was not the only factor to consider when addressing the issue of road safety.

“The roads in Guyana are deplorable. We have come to accept things of inferior quality in Guyana. What is sad and often enough, enraging, is the fact that we have such high incidence of road fatalities. What angers me more are the errant drivers, lax rule of law concerning the same, and no clear demarcations and maintenance of our roadways,” driver Cassandra Persaud said.

“It’s just this morning (Tuesday) while driving I fell into a hole in the middle of the road covered with water! What is worse is that the heavy downpour widens the already gargantuan potholes. In addition, even

Guyana National Road Safety Council Coordinator Ramona Doorgen

It is just mid-week and three persons have already lost their lives owing to vehicular accidents. Michael Totaram, 46; Wilbert Sydney, 28; and Wesley Patoir, 20, were all victims of vehicular accidents between June 4 and 7.

On Tuesday around 23:00h, a young driver, Joshua Balkissoon, jumped the traffic light at Ogle and slammed into another car.

The young man was reportedly speeding when he failed to adhere to the red light and suffered a broken leg and several lacerations about his body, while the

Uitvlugt bar shootout...

FROM PAGE 7

The businesswoman is also criticising the response from ranks at the Leonora Police Station, adding that they arrived at the scene some 45 minutes after, although they are just a few villages away.

“We called the Police and the Police took their own time to come… we make about seven phone calls before they could have come.

One man that get shoot had to drive to the Leonora Police Station and then the Police told him that he needs to go to the hospital and not the station and when he get to the hospital then they will come,” Dhanpaul said.

She added that this is

The club at which the shooting occurred

not the first instance where the Police have ignored complaints coming from the club. “If the neigbours call and say that the music is affecting them then in no time

the Police does be reaching telling we to close down,” the woman alleged.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.

other driver had minor injuries.

On Sunday and Monday, there were three accidents reported in West Demerara, all as a result of speeding.

A car slammed into a median at La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD) while another collided with a motorcycle at Versailles, WBD, and a lorry hit two cars at Crane, West Coast Demerara.

As a result of these accidents, drivers are encouraging the GPF and GNRSC to have both White Night and White Day campaigns to educate the driving population, especially younger drivers, on the need for caution while using the roadways.

The campaign will run from June to December, in all Police divisions.

A

Dead: Kevin Dawson

post-mortem examination (PME) revealed that 35-yearold Kevin Dawson, whose partially decomposed body was found in his Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara home on Monday, died as a result of malaria and typhoid.

According to C Division (East Coast Demerara) Commander Calvin Brutus, the post-mortem confirmed the Police’s initial suspicion that the man may have died as a result of natural causes. He added that the man’s wife, 28-year-old Cindy Dawson, who was found in an unconscious state, remains a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital and related to the Police that she does not remember the incident.

The woman was only

Cindy Dawson

able to relate that she went home from work and found her husband’s lifeless body on the bed. She immediately fainted and has no recollection of anything until she woke up in the Hospital on Monday.

The couple were discovered at their Lot 7 GEC Housing Scheme, Cummings Lodge home around 18:00h.

On Monday after Cindy failed to turn up for work at the Turkeyen Nursery School, one of her colleagues ventured to the couple’s house to investigate. Upon arriving, she was greeted by a stench emanating from the couple’s home. An alarm was raised and the door was forced open. Kevin Dawson’s body was discovered partially decomposed in their bedroom, while his wife was found unconscious in the

2nd suspect in 2015 murder of Mocha mechanic nabbed

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fter two years on the run, the second suspect in connection with the gunning down of Terrence Lanferman at his Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara (EDB) home in June 2015 has been nabbed by the Police.

Lanferman, 23, of Lot 127 Nelson Street, Mocha Arcadia, was shot twice to his neck and chest by two men who turned up at his home on a motorcycle.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Guyana Times that the second suspect was arrested on Friday last and was interrogated. Based on incriminating evidence against the suspect, the Police successfully applied to the High Court for an extension of the detention period.

The Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) related that the suspect is expected to be charged by the end of the week.

The murder stemmed from an argument between the now dead man and his cousin, but the suspects decided to take matters into their own hands.

On June 2, 2015, the victim was in the lower flat of the house when a lone gunman

Murder suspect, Kenkassie Lynch

Murdered: Terrence Lanferman

showed up and as Lanferman opened the door, discharged two rounds fatally hitting him.

An aunt of the dead man had told Guyana Times that she was watching television when she heard the sound of two gunshots. She immediately rushed to the lower flat of the house, and as she pushed open the door, she saw Lanferman lying in a pool of blood.

She raised an alarm and with the assistance of residents, the injured man was taken to the Diamond hospi-

tal where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The suspect who was reportedly dressed in black was seen leaving the yard; he then jumped onto a waiting motorcycle and fled the scene.

The victim was known to the Police and it was believed that he knew the gunman.

After months of information gathering, the Police arrested and charged Kenkassie Lynch, 21, with the murder in April 2016. Now after two years, his accomplice has been arrested and will face the murder charge.

NEWS

13

THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt morally obligated to hold referendum on sugar industry – Chand T he Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) says it is the moral responsibility of Government to hold a referendum to determine whether the sugar industry should be downsized or not, as it has the potential to affect thousands of people employed within the industry.

In justifying reasons for this call, President of GAWU, Komal Chand, told Guyana Times on Wednesday that several promises with regards to the industry were made by the David Granger-led Administration.

“We are justifying our position for a referendum against the backdrop of the support for the sugar industry in the election campaign by all the political parties, including the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) that now holds Government,” he asserted.

Chand also made reference to a number of speeches made by the President and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, where the electorate was told during the last political campaign that “sugar is too big to fail” and that “there is no quick fix, but we are not going to

dissolve the sugar industry.”

The GAWU head reminded that many of the current Government Ministers who were in the last political campaign, made a lot of promises to the people with regards to sugar. However, these same people are now supporting the miniaturising of the industry, which will render about 10,000 workers redundant and could affect thousands of households.

“We are saying that since it is an election issue, you use the electorate in the campaign to assure them that sugar is too big to fail and you are now making a roundabout turn, it is now only morally right, that you go to a referendum and hear what the people have to say,” he added.

Chand, who is also a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) made reference to a number of cases where efforts are being made to prevent consultations and public debates on the future of the sugar industry from happening.

He again made reference to recent decisions made by Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland to deny the Parliamentary Committee

something he believes is of national importance and ought to be debated by MPs from both sides.

“The information contained in that white paper has significant effects on the country, the people and particularly the workers in the industry…,” he remarked.

The GAWU official also argued that the white paper presents vague information and does not go into specificity of how this matter is going to be dealt with. According to him, the Government spokesperson claimed that the

President of GAWU, Komal Chand

on Economic Services to conduct public forums on the future of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the sugar industry.

Chand reiterated that it was a majority decision by the Committee to have these public forums to get an understanding of what people within the industry feel about the decision to downsize.

On another score, the GAWU President told Guyana Times certain procedures have not been put in place by the Government to have the policy debated in the National Assembly;

A

“He died eventually in the theatre.

But there wasn’t any blood and I know that if I did not give, I probably would have felt bad.” plete stranger who was moments earlier involved in vehicular accident. Henry, who is attached to the paediatric department of the medical institution, said he was at the time doing an admission when he saw the man whom he learnt was in a critical condition. Doctors were conducting Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and the

Dr Loinel Henry and Dr Nyron Sugrim donating blood at the New Amsterdam Hospital

Cuba trained doctor went to render assistance.

The young doctor also has an “O” negative blood type, which allows him to offer such assistance in any emergency situation. He said he was “a bit scared” as he had never before given blood. He said he however did not give much thought to it, since he realised that the patient was in a critical state.

“He died eventually in the theatre. But there wasn’t any blood and I know that if I did not give, I probably would have felt bad,” the doctor said.

Asked about his feelings having gone the extra mile, Henry said he “felt good”, as he serves in a profession that allows him to be compassion-

ate to others.

Meanwhile, Dr Nyron Sugrim said he was handling the case when the patient arrived. He said he was trying to console the man, telling him that “everything would be fine.”

He said, however, the man’s condition worsened and with his rapid loss of blood and the inadequate supply at the blood bank, he also made a decision to give his blood.

“His family members weren’t around… So realising the man was O positive and I am O positive… right away myself and Dr Henry was there and we decided to donate,” he said. (Alexis Rodney)

it could have a negative effect on the local economy.

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

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

Chinese investors express interest in mining sector

Minister within the Natural Resources Ministry, Simona Broomes and Acting Commissioner of GGMC, Newell Dennison pose with the delegation of Chinese businessmen

Doctors donate blood to patient A

lthough the patient did not survive, two doctors at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital are being hailed “heroes of the night” for going out of their way to at least provide a 43-year-old accident victim with a fighting chance at life by voluntarily donating their blood.

The two young doctors; Loinel Henry and Nyron Sugrim, made themselves readily available on Monday evening and donated one unit of blood each to a com-

Administration has not configured the roll out of this new policy fully.

Over the past month GAWU has been holding several protest action across the country, along the sugar belt and has managed to get the support of not only sugar workers, but persons in the various communities, as well as shopkeepers, pensioners and concerned citizens. Former Presidential Advisor and economist, Ramon Gaskin has warned the Government to be careful how they go about implementing this new policy, because, he emphasised

delegation of Chinese businessmen is confident after a successful scouting mission in investing in Guyana’s natural resources sector.

The delegation met with Minister within the Natural Resources Ministry Simona Broomes and a team from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), including Acting Commissioner Newell Dennison in GGMC’s boardroom on Wednesday.

The Chinese investors have expressed interest primarily in gold and diamond mining. They are also interested in bauxite mining, lithium and other lesser known minerals.

Head of the delegation, Simei Liu, speaking through translator Jeffery Jin, noted that China has the market for Guyana’s “rich” natural resources. “A lot of Chinese

want to come here to help Guyana, to invest here, whatever they can get the benefit from Guyana through the investment,” Jin translated for Liu. Wednesday’s meeting, the Government Information Agency reported, stems from a meeting between Minister Broomes and Chinese investors during a conference in China last September.

“We had some lengthy meetings and discussions about Guyana,” Minister Broomes explained.

Since then, investors have sent teams to scout investment opportunities in Guyana. Liu explained that the results of fact-finding explorations have been favourable. Lui pointed out that investor’s confidence has increased after meeting with current Chinese investors locally. Guyana currently has Chinese investors in its

restaurants, hardware, clothing, construction, forestry and mining sectors.

Minister Broomes said the delegations have also expressed interest in developing Guyana’s renewable energy and infrastructure. Liu pointed out that it would be a “good opportunity” for Guyana to benefit from the technical skills in these areas from the Chinese.

Additionally, the influx of other international investors to Guyana was another positive indicator to potential investors, Lui explained. The delegation believes that these investment opportunities can also lead to strengthened relations between Guyana and China. Guyana established diplomatic relations with China on June 27, 1972, the first English-speaking country in the Caribbean country to do so.

Surinam Airways to re-introduce Guyana/Orlando flights

A

s the summer approaches, Surinam Airways recently announced the reintroduction of its seasonal service between Guyana and Orlando, Florida in the US, to facilitate vacationers.

The announcement declaration which was made on Tuesday, is set to commence on July 1, lasting until September 29.

Spanning this peri-

od, Surinam Airways specially offers a weekly service on Saturdays; departing the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) for Sanford International in Orlando, Florida.

The airline’s General Manager for North America, Henk Fitz-Jim, in making this pronouncement, declared that 2017 marks the third year that the airline is providing seasonal service between

Orlando and Guyana in response to the needs of the Guyanese-American community in Central Florida, especially during the holiday season.

The manager assured that the re-implementation of the service will not affect the three weekly flights currently being offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; between Miami, Florida and Guyana.

14

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017

Regional

Jamaican Police to demolish 7 dead after gun battle rages for hours in Mexican prison tomb inside house … in search of missing mom and child

Police set up a work tent near the house in Negril. Twenty-fouryear-old Chantel Dyer and her three-year-old daughter Orlandi Miller, are both believed murdered and buried in a house in Westmoreland

T

he Jamaican Police were scheduled on Wednesday morning to demolish a tomb constructed inside a house where the remains of a missing mother and her daughter, who are feared murdered, are

believed to be buried. “The scene will be processed tomorrow (today) and the tomb demolished,” a Police source told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday.

The Police have identified the missing woman as

24-year-old Chantel Dyer and her daughter, Orlandi Miller, three, of Pee Wee Lane, West End in Negril. The Observer was informed that the Police received a report Monday evening that the mother and daughter have not been seen since late April.

The woman and her child reportedly lived at the house where the concrete tomb is constructed. Residents strongly believe the mother and child have been murdered and buried inside the tomb situated in a rear room of the house. On Tuesday, curious residents thronged the street near the house which Police encircled with yellow crime scene tape. The police who went to process the scene yesterday are said to require additional tools to demolish the tomb. (Jamaica Observer)

A

gun battle that raged for hours inside a prison inside northern Mexico has left seven dead and 13 injured, authorities reported on Wednesday.

Continuous automatic gunfire was heard late Tuesday at the prison in Ciudad Victoria, the capital of the border state of Tamaulipas.

The gunfire continued into Wednesday morning at the prison, which has been one of Mexico’s most troubled lockups.

The state security spokesman’s office said Wednesday that seven people died and 13 were injured in the shootouts. Authorities said earlier that the dead included three Police Officers; it was unclear whether the rest of the dead were inmates.

Inmates at the state prison somehow managed to obtain guns and began fighting authorities.

Policemen take part in a Police operation to regain control of a prison in Ciudad Victoria

The prison has been the scene of shootings, smuggled guns, riots and escapes.

Ciudad Victoria has long been dominated by the hyper-violent Zetas drug cartel.

A fight between prisoners at the same facility left three inmates dead in March. That clash followed a riot and mass escape through a tunnel that inmates built in a

prison patio.

Most of the prisoners have since been recaptured.

Inmates have frequently had access to guns in the prison.

During the March escape, at least one prisoner had a gun that he used to kill a passing motorist in a carjacking.

Police later found two assault rifles buried in a planter in the prison. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

Hugo Chávez’s brother Tyre maker Pirelli LIAT hit by suspends production industrial action becomes Governor in Venezuela of Barinas state

A

rgenis Chávez, brother of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, has been sworn in as governor of Barinas. The previous state governor, Zenaida Gallardo, stepped down citing medical reasons.

She had only been in the post since January when she took over from another of Hugo Chávez’s brothers, Adán. Both Argenis Chávez and Gallardo rose to the post through a rule which says that in case the governor steps down, the interior minister takes over.

Chávez had been named interior minister of Barinas only days before being

sworn in as governor. He is taking over as governor at a time when Barinas has been rocked by violent anti-government protests. Official buildings have been attacked and shops looted by Venezuelans angry at the country’s spiralling inflation and shortages of food and medicine.

Chávez is expected to be in power at least until December, when long-delayed gubernatorial elections are due to be held.

However, opposition activists say they fear the elections, originally due to be held in December 2016, could be postponed again.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

T

yre manufacturer Pirelli says it is suspending its production in Venezuela indefinitely as it cannot get the necessary raw materials. Pirelli is the latest foreign company to suspend its operations in Venezuela amidst a severe economic crisis.

The firm said it would cease production at its Guacara plant in Carabobo state from 16 June after 26 years in business in Venezuela. It comes a month after General Motors said it was leaving Venezuela.

In a statement, Pirelli of Venezuela said it would do everything possible to continue supplying the country with tyres. The Venezuela

division of the Italian-based tyre maker had halted production once before for two weeks last January, but this time it said the suspension was indefinite.

Earlier this week, Colgate-Palmolive announced it would no longer produce dishwashing liquid and detergent in Venezuela, also due to a lack of raw materials.

Also this week, United Airlines said it was suspending its Houston to Caracas route due to a lack of demand from 1 July.

The government blames the crisis on an “economic war” being waged against it by “US imperialists and the Venezuelan oligarchy”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

P

ilots at the cashstrapped regional airline LIAT have taken industrial action.

The company issued an advisory on Wdnesday morning in which it notified the travelling public of industrial action by the members of the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA).

“In the ongoing negotiations for higher wages, which includes the operation of the ATR aircraft, the pilots have taken action to refuse to fly the ATR 72 aircraft until an agreement is reached,” the airline said.

“As a consequence of this action we have not been able to operate flights scheduled with ATR 72 aircraft at this time,” the company added.

The company said these actions have already resulted in a number of delays to services and cancellations.

“LIAT apologises for these disruptions to our passengers and their plans and wishes to reiterate its commitment to work with LIALPA to resolve any issues,” Chief Executive Officer Julie Riefer-Jones said. LIAT and LIALPA have been at odds for several months now over the issue of an increase to pilots to fly the ATR 72 aircraft.

LIALPA had threatened to stage sit-ins and picketing at various airports late last month but industrial action was averted when Attorney General of Antigua and Barbuda Steadroy Benjmain intervened. (Barbados Today)

UNC heads to Privy Council Brazil Judges to cast votes which could topple President

P

resident Anthony Carmona is now free to swear in two new High Court Judges after the Court of Appeal struck out an injunction blocking the appointments originally scheduled for Tuesday.

Delivering a unanimous oral decision at the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain on Tuesday, Appellate Judges Allan Mendonca, Nolan Bereaux and Peter Rajkumar dismissed the injunction which was granted

by High Court Judge Frank Seepersad to attorneys representing former Agriculture Minister Devant Maharaj, following a late night court sitting almost 12 hours earlier.

In removing the injunction, the appeal panel also dismissed Maharaj’s substantive case in which he was claiming the Judicial and

Legal Service Commission (JLSC) was not properly constituted to make the appointments and advise Carmona to swear in the new judges.

Maharaj was contending that at the time of the decision, the JLSC only had four members instead of the five as required under the Constitution. The appeal panel disagreed. The Appeal Court heard arguments for over four hours and gave its decision shortly before 17:00h. Seepersad, who heard the case via video conference in Tobago, began hearing arguments between 19:40h and 23:45h on Monday and gave his 22page written judgment by 02:00h on Tuesday.

The controversial issue about who is responsible for the appointment of judges was addressed in Seepersad’s ruling. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

B

Protesters in Sao Paulo have been demanding that the President be removed from office

razil’s Superior Electoral Court has resumed its deliberations on a case which could topple the country’s President, Michel Temer. The court, tasked with overseeing the electoral process, is looking at whether the 2014 elections were won using illegal campaign do-

nations.

These were the elections that Dilma Rousseff won, with Temer as her running mate.

Rousseff has since been impeached and replaced by Temer. She was accused of illegally moving funds between Government budgets.

As a result, Temer took over as Brazil’s President in August 2016.

However, this case – which was paused in April – could render the entire result from 2014 invalid, meaning he too could be removed from office.

Seven Judges are overseeing the case and there are four scheduled sessions: Tuesday evening, Wednesday evening and two further sessions today.

If the judges rule that the election campaign was indeed illegally financed, then the elections could be annulled and Temer will be out of a job.

It seems the only thing that is certain is that there is unlikely to be much more clarity by the end of the week.

The case comes at an especially difficult time for Brazilian politics, which has been in a state of crisis for a while now. Since March 2014, the country’s largest-ever corruption investigation, known as Operation Car Wash, has implicated some of Brazil’s biggest names. A third of the Cabinet are under investigation for corruption. (Excerpt from BBC News)

thursDAY, june 8, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

15

Around the World

Iran attacks: ‘IS’ hits Parliament and Khomeini mausoleum

T

win attacks on the Iranian parliament and Ayatollah Khomeini’s mausoleum in the capital, Tehran, have killed at least 12 people and injured many more. After hours of intermittent gunfire, officials said both incidents were over and the attackers were dead.

The Islamic State (IS) group has said it carried out the attacks, which would be a first in Iran. Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards accused Saudi Arabia and the US of being behind the attacks.

“This terrorist action, coming one week after the meeting of the president of the United States with the leader of the one of the region’s reactionary governments (Saudi Arabia)... shows they are involved in this savage action,” it said in a statement.

The US state department condemned the attack, saying “the depravity of terrorism has no place in a peaceful civilised world”. President Hassan Rouhani said Iran’s message

People were evacuated from the Parliament building

was that “terrorism is a global problem”, and he called for “regional and international co-operation and unity”.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the attacks would have “no effect” on the country. In a statement, IS warned of further at-

tacks against Iran’s Shia Muslim majority.

Gunmen armed with Kalashnikovs entered the parliament on Wednesday morning. Images from the scene showed a major security operation as forces surrounded the building. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

France creates new counterterrorism task force, Notre Dame attacker identified

F

rance created a new counter-terrorism task force on Wednesday, bringing together all the intelligence services, to coordinate the response to attacks, a day after an Algerian student assaulted Police Officers outside Notre Dame cathedral.

Newly elected President Emmanuel Macron, portrayed by rivals as weak on security during the presidential campaign, ordered the task force to be set up last month to steer France’s multiple security agencies from his Elysee Palace offices.

The performance of France’s intelligence services has come under close scrutiny since the November 2015 attacks on Paris, when militant gunmen and suicide bombers struck entertainment venues across the capital, killing 130 people.

In total, more than 230 people have been killed in a wave of attacks in France either claimed by or inspired

by Islamic State over the past two-and-a-half years.

In Tuesday’s attack, a 40-year-old Algerian student armed with a hammer and kitchen knives shouted “this is for Syria” as he struck at and wounded a policeman, before being shot by police officers.

A source close to the investigation named the assailant as Algerian-born Farid Ikken, a PhD student of communications registered since 2014 at a university in the eastern city of Metz. The source said that a video in which Ikken pledged allegiance to Islamic State had been found in his flat in Cergy-Pontoise, northwest of Paris, during a police raid on Tuesday evening, after the attack. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Trump offers help to Cocaine suitcase: ‘Drug mule’ resolve Gulf crisis arrested in Shanghai

U

S President Donald Trump has expressed Washington’s readiness to participate in efforts to solve the Gulf crisis. This came in a phone conversation with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani, on Wednesday.

During the conversation, Trump highlighted the necessity of maintaining the stability of the Arabian Gulf and emphasised the importance of all countries in the region working together to prevent the financing of terrorist organisations and stop the promotion of extremist ideology.

The President offered to help the parties resolve their differences, including through a meeting at the White House if necessary.

Trump reiterated that a united Gulf Cooperation Council

and a strong United StatesGulf Cooperation Council partnership are critical to defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability.

On Tuesday, Trump spoke with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and emphasised the need for unity among Gulf countries, the White House said. “The president underscored that a united Gulf Cooperation Council is critical to defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability.” The White house said in a statement.

Trump’s phone call is his first known contact with Qatar’s emir since a diplomatic crisis broke out in the Gulf earlier this week. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and other Arab nations cut off relations with Qatar after accusing it of supporting terrorism. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

C

ustoms officials in Shanghai have arrested a woman attempting to smuggle two suitcases into China that were almost entirely made of cocaine. Airport authorities X-rayed the luggage of a woman flying from an unnamed South American country.

The scan showed her luggage was darker in colour than normal, and also that it was unusually heavy even when it was empty.

Testing revealed the luggage was made of more than 10kg (22lb) of cocaine.

The incident took place in February but has only now been reported by the police.

Drug traffickers have long been dreaming up ways to transport cocaine – making an entire leg cast out of the drug, or dissolving it into wine, as one Chinese couple was caught doing just last month.

The usual ways would be to somehow hiding the drugs within the luggage or on your body. But constructing suitcases out of hardened cocaine and parading it in plain sight in front of security stands out as a first.

Chinese law dictates that anyone convicted of trafficking more than 50g of cocaine will be executed

When the woman was asked to empty her luggage, there was nothing suspicious at first glance – merely an empty suitcase. What tipped the officers off though was that it was significantly heavier than any empty luggage ought to be.

There have been similar cases in Europe where smugglers used glue and moulds to compress cocaine into a hard substance. Cocaine is a relatively rare drug in China, and the woman is expected to pay a heavy price for her attempt to bring it into the country. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Burmese military Curfew in central plane vanishes over India after Andaman Sea farmers die in

Oldest Homo sapiens bones ever found shake foundations clashes with Police of the human story

H

opes are fading for the 120 people on board a Burmese military plane which has gone missing over the Andaman Sea. The army said the plane was flying between the southern city of Myeik and Yangon (Rangoon). Search and rescue efforts are under way.

“Communication was lost suddenly at about 1:35 pm [07:05 GMT] when it reached about 20 miles west of Dawei

A town,” the army said in a statement. There were 106 military personnel and family members and 14 crew on board.

The plane, a Y8 transporter made in China, was half an hour into the short journey.

Latest reports suggest that debris has been spotted in the sea by some of the military planes or ships dispatched to the area.(Excerpt from

BBC News)

curfew has been imposed in a district of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh following a day of violence in which five farmers died. The farmers died in Mandsaur after shots were fired during their protest to demand loan waivers and better prices for their produce.

Protesters accused the Police of opening fire, but officials blamed some “anti-social elements” for the deaths. State Home Minister Bhupendra Singh said an inquiry had been ordered.

Farmers have been pro-

testing for days to put pressure on the Government and other parts of the state have also witnessed similar rallies. Experts say traders are not offering good prices to farmers because of oversupply caused by a bumper harvest.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said he was “deeply pained by the turn of events”. Chouhan also announced that the state government would give compensation to the families of the victims, and pay medical expenses for the injured.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

F

ossils recovered from an old mine on a desolate mountain in Morocco have rocked one of the most enduring foundations of the human story: that Homo sapiens arose in a cradle of humankind in East Africa 200,000 years ago.

Archaeologists unearthed the bones of at least five people at Jebel Irhoud, a former barite mine 100km West of Marrakesh, in excavations that lasted years.

They knew the remains were old, but were stunned when dating tests revealed that a tooth and stone tools

found with the bones were about 300,000 years old.

“My reaction was a big ‘wow’,” said Jean-Jacques Hublin, a senior scientist on the team at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. “I was expecting them to be old, but not that old.”

Hublin said the extreme age of the bones makes them the oldest known specimens of modern humans and poses a major challenge to the idea that the earliest members of our species evolved in a “Garden of Eden” in East Africa one hundred thousand years later. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

16

THURSday, june 8, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

“We all want to

never be forgotten.”

“Pictures are a moment captured in time.”

I

mmortality – photographer Michael Fernandes is ever in pursuit of it. His perceptive eyes ever roam, pinpointing the essence of a moment for his camera lenses to frame, to capture, to immortalise, to preserve for prosperity.

At age 10, young Michael first felt the power and emotion an image can contain when he fell in love with “the girl with the tiger eyes”, the iconic 1984 National Geographic cover image taken by Steve McCurry – his biggest influence. When he saw that photography of the green-eyed Afghan girl, he said, he knew photography was for him. And as soon as he was able to afford it, he bought his first camera, which he says he will never sell for any amount of money and will keep for his first child should he have one so that they could take pictures together. Fernandes, who now resides in Timehri, East Bank Demerara, but was raised in Georgetown, Guyana and Toronto, Canada, still has the first cheque he ever received for selling a photograph.

“I love photography very much,” the intensely private 31-year-old stated simply. “…I have a day job and most of my weekends are taken up doing photo shoots, so people say ‘you work seven days a week’, but it never feels like work to me.

When you love something you do, it never feels like work – if it means I don’t eat, sleep…I always

Business News

Newly-released Caribbean renewable energy index highlights opportunities for investors

P

an American Finance on Tuesday released the first edition of the Caribbean Basin Renewable Energy Investment Index, measuring the investment potential in renewable energy for then countries in the region: Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.

According to the index, renewable energy investment activity in the Caribbean Basin reached a record-high

in 2015 despite a sharp decline in oil and gas prices. The total installed energy generation capacity in the Caribbean Basin for the countries presented currently amounts to approximately 27GW and renewable energies (including hydro) represent over 30 per cent of the total installed capacity.

“The interest in renewable energy-specific investments in the Caribbean and Latin America has grown considerably in the past few years,” said Ben Moody, president

and CEO of Pan American Finance.

“The investments made in 2015 demonstrate that countries in the Caribbean Basin are favoring a transition towards cleaner energy; we have identified some attractive areas of opportunities in the region, led

by Panama and Guatemala, but also including potential future opportunities in Cuba, which has only recently started to turn to foreign investors to boost renewable energy investment.” (Caribbean News Now)

Market statistics Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board

Cur

Buying

Calculated at 94% purity, JUNE 7, 2017

Selling

USD

$1291.00

GBP

$265.80

$269.17

Gross

$252,113

CAN

$153.19

$154.97

$205.98

$208.44

Net

$234,465

USD

$ 230.93

$233.89

EURO

Indicators as on JUNE 7, 2017 Indicators

US$ per barrel

Crude Oil

$48.06

Price

USD

Rough Rice

$246.62/ton

London Sugar

$413.90/ton

Live Spot Gold

Change %

-4.29 Change %

+1.49 0.24 USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1286.40

$1287.40

Low/High

$1282.40

$1295.00

Change

-0.40

-0.03%

Business Concept – Accounting It is a systematic process of identifying, recording, measuring, classifying, verifying, summarising, interpreting and communicating financial information. It reveals profit or loss for a given period, and the value and nature of a firm’s assets, liabilities and owners’ equity.

Accounting provides information on the resources available to a firm, the means employed to finance those resources, and the results achieved through their use. (Business Dictionary)

see the mistake I made,” he said candidly. “You wouldn’t tell a professional chef how to cook...”

The second lesson was to admit your mistakes.

He also advised, “Don’t’ be afraid to ask questions.”

“My favourite thing is to work with new clients… I want for as many people as possible to see my images.” “If I have one picture published

by National Geographic, I could die a happy man tomorrow,” he said reverently when asked his definition of success. “We all want to never be forgotten. That’s why we have kids.” Contact: iam@michaelfernandes.com

Leveraging psychology & neuroscience in business & marketing – Part 2

By Rosh Khan

Cambio Rates Bank of Guyana

make it a priority.”

“Yes, money is important, but do what you love [whatever it is]… Love what you do and it does not become a job.”

“Original ideas, a lot of thought are put into my pictures. I like to push myself to try to get the most different something I can get…I don’t follow the norm.” And he prides himself on taking shots that require minimal editing.

“It moves like the tide – sometimes it’s up, sometimes it’s down, but that’s business” was the young entrepreneur’s poetic description of commercial photography. For those looking to become business owners, Fernandes noted, self-belief was of paramount importance. “Believing in yourself covers many aspects, but if you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else is going to believe,” he stressed, as he recounted that to learn the photography business, he spent a year working as a photography assistant with a Guyanese Toronto-based photographer, Alvaro Gouveia, who to this day remains his mentor. “I never touched a camera.”

After eight years of being a professional photographer, whose clientele includes international customers, Fernandes related that the most important lesson he has learnt along the way is learn from your mistakes. “I have had some clients tell me what they want (against his better judgement) and when the photos come out, I

L

ast month, we talked about the importance of persuasion architecture, the sales funnel, and the conversion pathway. This week, we dive further into the topic of consumer psychology.

An important point to note is that a conversion doesn’t necessarily mean a sale. It could be an action taken that signals interest or displays some degree of buyer intent. For simplicity, we call these micro-conversions. Some examples include: reading a blog post, downloading an ebook, giving an email address, or clicking on the link in an email newsletter or Facebook ad. The onus is on us as entrepreneurs to ensure we are strategically tracking the entire customer journey and optimising the conversion pathway accordingly.

To increase your number of micro-conversions, we should be reminded of one of the oldest adages in consumer psychology: “If you want someone to do something, make it as simple as possible.” In fact, taking concepts from diverse fields such as evolutionary biology and web

design, the Principle of Least Effort claims that animals, people, and even well-designed machines, will naturally choose the path of least resistance.

This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs and marketers.

For example, one can use directional cues (such as line of sight) to persuade attention one way or the other. They are used to point your viewers or visitors in the direction of specific elements (such as a call to ac1ion).

Neuromarketing conducted an eye-tracking study which found that our brains process visual cues incredibly quickly, especially in comparison to text.

This is why we often read over typos, processing the entire word as an image versus reading each letter individually.

This is supported by the discovery of the Triune brain, in the 1960s, by neuroscientist Paul D MacLean who identified that there are three main parts to the brain: 1. The Human (new) — responsible for language, learning, conscious thoughts and our personalities.

2. The Mammalian (middle) — deals with our moods, emotions and hormones.

3. The Reptilian (old) — in charge of our most basic survival functions, such as eating, breathing and fight-or-flight reactions.

According to research by Christophe Morin, the “old” brain is responsible for driving buying decisions and it tends to be initially engaged by imagery more than text. This is why branding and choice of images matter. As cited by AdEspresso, 94 per cent of first impressions over the Internet are related to design.

Your Implementation GrowthWorkTM: Think about all the micro-conversions you need to put in place before a prospect is ‘ready’ to purchase and outline what design elements you’ll need to implement to gain their attention in the first place. Ask yourself, “What story am I telling through my images, layout, and overall placement?”

Dr Rosh Khan is an international business and marketing consultant and the CEO of FranklinCovey Guyana, the Masterclass Institute, and SocialRank Media – Guyana’s leading digital marketing agency.

news

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thursDAY, june 8, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Qualfon Guyana opens new multimillion-dollar office

International Day of

Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes being assisted by Qualfon President Christina Morris as she cuts the ribbon to officially open the new building

E

The new Qualfon office

xisting in Guyana for almost 12 years, Qualfon Guyana has been lauded for breaking ground as the largest Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) in the country. On Wednesday the company opened a second building at its New Providence, East Coast Demerara campus.

Some US$9 million was pumped into the construction and furnishing of a spanking new building on the New Providence campus of Qualfon Guyana. The BPO company has, since its establishment here, poured in over $25 million in Guyana’s economy and has been able to employ some 2000 persons. Following the completion of the expansion, it is expected that another 4000 persons will be added to the payroll.

Business Minister Dominic Gaskins said the company has been making significant strides in Guyana over its 12year operation.

“Qualfon has been good for Guyana and will continue to be good for Guyana. This is the company that knows its business; this is the company that is very in-tuned with the local

environment and population as well”.

Public Telecommunication Minister Cathy Hughes said Government remains committed to such services as provided by Qualfon in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector and promised that doors for the expansion of ICT remain open.

She said with this improved infrastructure in place, she hopes that companies like Qualfon will find it easier to expand locations in other areas including Linden, Berbice and Essequibo.

Examining the company’s trajectory since its establishment in 2005, she said it is clear that it will continue growing and diversifying, even after its third building is completed.

Speaking also at the opening ceremony was Kirk Laughlin, founder and Managing Director of Nearshore Americas, who spoke of the Business Processing Outsourcing, which is provided by Qualfon.

The new Qualfon building is the second part of a three phase expansion project at the Providence campus.

Combined, the overall project will cost some US$30 million.

Mercy Hospital opens senior citizen’s home

T

First Lady Sandra Granger cuts the ribbon, flanked by the Hospital’s executives

he St Joseph Mercy Hospital on Tuesday opened the doors of the newly-built Resident Care Facility at Pere Street, Kitty, Georgetown, for senior citizens, in a continued manifestation of its tradition of serving the elderly in society.

First Lady Sandra Granger, in addressing the gathering at the opening ceremony hosted at the modern facility, applauded the efforts of the organisation in recognising the needs of senior citizens to live in comfort, while praising the superior standard of the home as an indication of the physical and psychological well-being of upcom-

ing occupants.

“I know that much thought and deliberation has gone into the development of this residence and I am privileged to be among you today as it is officially opened,” were the words of the First Lady.

Chairman of the hospital’s Board, Carlton Joao in presenting a synopsis of the facility’s history, held that the organisation has received much-needed support pending completion of the facility. He proudly declared that the home was ready and very much willing to provide much-needed service to the elderly in the country.

T

(HINDUS for SELFLESS SERVICE) E-mail: hssguyana@gmail.com

he language of yoga is universal.

That is the message of Robert Sturman, an artist from Santa Monica, California, who has travelled across the United States to capture the tranquillity and beauty of yoga. Back in 2013, Sturman travelled to Kenya to document the work of the Africa Yoga Project, a non-profit organisation that teaches and employs more than 70 local yoga teachers and conducts up to 300 free yoga classes for more than 5000 people weekly in orphanages, prisons and other locales throughout the country.

The following are some of the questions that were posed to Sturman about his time in Africa, how it has changed his view of the practice, by a New York Times reporter, Karen Borrow.

Q. Why did you decide to focus on Africa for this project?

A. As an artist, I am more interested in humanity than anything else. Yoga is a beautiful, poetic expression of the body. I wanted to go to Africa to celebrate human beings aspiring to reach their full potential. Often, we see images coming from Africa that point toward the suffering, but I wanted to create a body of work

that pointed toward something inspiring and positive.

Q. What drew you to the Africa Yoga Project?

A. I found the Africa Yoga Project online, and I was inspired to create visual poetry with what they are doing in Africa. Their generosity deeply interests me. For example, they have a sign language interpreter at many of their classes because there are a few deaf people in their yoga community. That was one of many things that touched me about their work.

Q. Are there differences in the practice of yoga in Kenya and the United States?

A. In Kenya, people walk out of yoga class feeling great, just like they do in New York.

The one difference I loved, however, was that the children who took the classes always broke out into a spontaneous song or dance right in the middle of class. Then they would go back to the yoga postures.

Q. Speaking about the children in the photos, several of your most striking pho-

tos were taken in orphanages. How do these children benefit from yoga?

A. Through the practice of yoga, the children are given the opportunity to express themselves, be creative and open up physically and mentally. It was most apparent to me that by the time their hour-long class is over, they feel loved.

Q. You also visited yoga classes in women’s prisons in Kenya. What was that experience like?

A. Visiting the Kenyan prison brought me unexpected joy. The inmates, some of whom are HIV-positive, told me that yoga has become a rare source of happiness in their daily lives.

Q. What did you take away from your trip to Africa?

A. After a yoga class, I looked at the people in the class and I saw the hope in their eyes that they could become a part of something positive. The students leave the class empowered to be leaders in their communities. It was awesome to witness their enthusiasm and to have the opportunity as an artist to show them that part of themselves.

You see, yoga is not just for one particular race, religion, status, or country – NO it is for the entire world at large. Over this four-day period, we have brought to you different countries and their standpoint on yoga. From its roots, to China, to Africa and even the United States of America. We see clearly how influential yoga is to these peoples’ lives. In the words of Robert Sturman, the language of Yoga is Universal.

Join us tomorrow as we begin to look at the benefits of yoga, both physically and mentally.

HSS INVITES YOU TO OUR THIRD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA CELEBRATIONS. IT WILL BE HELD AT THE GUYANA NATIONAL STADIUM, PROVIDENCE, EAST BANK DEMERARA, JUNE 25 FROM 4PM TO 5:30PM. LET US MAKE THOUGHTS BECOME A REALITY. LET US BE FIT. “TRANSENDING BOUNDARIES, EMPOWERING THE BODY, MIND AND SOUL”

18

guyanatimesgy.com

thursDAY, june 8, 2017

ARCHIE

Use your experience, knowledge and intellect to (March 21- negotiate on your own beApril 19) half. An unexpected proposal will bring in extra cash. Book some vacation time with a loved one.

ARIES

Avoid an emotional dispute TAURUS by facing any troublesome sit(April 20- uations before they have time May 20) to escalate. Common sense and a willingness to compromise will help you tame any trouble that’s brewing.

dilbert

Business ventures are GEMINI (May 21- best handled without emoJune 20) tion. You must have a clear view of what’s happening if you want to emerge with the highest return. Look for opportunities.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

Don’t bottle up your feelings. If you let a situation fester, you will end up overreacting or doing something that is costly or uncalled for. Don’t get angry if you want to succeed.

Offer to do your part, but don’t let anyone talk you into taking on his or her responsibilities. Getting trapped in someone else’s melodrama will lead to conflicts and deception.

Emotional problems will VIRGO (Aug. 23- surface if you are disenchantSept. 22) ed about the way a partnership or collaborative project is turning out. Be honest, diplomatic and ready to suggest impartial solutions.

A short trip or a meetLIBRA ing that addresses questions (Sept. 23Oct. 23) you’ve been laboring over will help you make a tricky decision. Plan your action and make your move.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Test your stamina. Take SCORPIO on a physical challenge and (Oct. 24do what you can to strengthNov. 22) en your physique and enhance your appearance. A healthy attitude will be noticed and complimented.

A friend or co-worker will SAGITTARIUS disappoint you. Don’t let some(Nov. 23- one’s actions or words mislead Dec. 21) you. Keep personal information a secret if you want to avoid being manipulated. Relationship problems will result from dishonest communication.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Emotional issues regardCAPRICORN ing a contract or personal fi(Dec. 22- nancial matter will surface.

Jan. 19) Walk away from a joint venture if it doesn’t feel right.

You will do better on your own.

Showing your intelliAQUARIUS gence and clearly and emo(Jan. 20tionally expressing what you Feb. 19) want to see happen will win you favors and support. Be yourself.

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Emotional discussions will PISCES leave you feeling uncertain.

(Feb. 20March 20) Don’t make a move until you are sure that the information and instructions you have been given are reliable.

thursDAY, june 8, 2017

19

Cristiano Ronaldo retains Walsh urges Windies to ‘do status as world’s highest- what it takes’ to qualify for World Cup? paid athlete

W

F

or the second time in as many years, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the world’s highest-paid athlete

by Forbes.

Cristiano Ronaldo has retained his place at the top of the Forbes list of highest-paid athletes after earning $93million up to June 1, 2017.

The Real Madrid superstar - who lifted his second successive Champions League trophy in Cardiff on Saturday - raked in $58m in salary and winnings, with endorsements of $35m keeping him top of the list.

Basketball icon LeBron James is Ronaldo’s nearest challenger with total earnings of $86.2m, the Cleveland Cavaliers point guard’s income seeing him claim £20m more in endorsements than the Portugal international.

Ronaldo’s great rival Lionel Messi completed the top three but the Barcelona forward - who slips down a place from second - was $13m below on $80m for the 12-month period.

The top three are streets ahead of the rest, though, Roger Federer sitting in fourth with earnings of $62m - of which $58m came from sponsorship.

James is joined by fellow NBA stars Kevin Durant,

Cristiano Ronaldo

Stephen Curry and James Harden in the top 10, while Rory McIlroy breaks into that group for the first time.

McIlroy’s fellow golfer Tiger Woods - who topped the list in 2013 - remains in the top 20 just ahead of Neymar despite only earning $104,000 in salary over

French Open 2017

Murray into W orld number one Andy Murray shrugged off a sluggish start to reach his fifth French Open semi-final with a 2-6 6-1 7-6(0) 6-1 defeat of Japan’s Kei Nishikori on Wednesday.

Briton Murray dropped serve twice in the opening set as the gremlins that have dogged his season briefly returned, but he was generally in charge after that against the eighth seed.

Nishikori, who beat Murray in the quarter-finals of last year’s U.S. Open, could not sustain his early form and although he courageously forced a third-set tiebreak he lost that 7-0.

Murray, runner-up last year to Novak Djokovic, recovered an early break of serve in the fourth set and

the 12 months, his $37m in endorsements seeing him finish 17th.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams is the only female athlete on the list after earning $27m, a figure that sees her finish just outside the top 50. (Sportsmax)

est Indies fast bowling great Courtney Walsh has urged the region to do what it takes to qualify for the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England, h a v i n g missed out on the ongoing ICC C h a m p i o n s Trophy.

The Windies, winners of the tournament in 2004, failed to make the cut after falling outside of the world’s top eight ranked teams by the September 30, 2015 deadline. The failure to make t h e tournament was the first time since its inception year in 1998 that the team will not be a part of a premier event.

Things could get worse for the region, however, as they continue to lag outside of the top eight ahead of the cutoff date of the Cricket World Cup and face the prospect of having to go through a play-off with non-associate teams to make the tournament. West Indies are currently ninth in the ICC ODI rankings, nine rating points behind eighth place Pakistan. They have until September 30 this year - the cut-off for the top eight spots f o r t h e World Cup to be sealed. Within that time, West Indies will have the opportunity to gain ground with

Courtney Walsh

ODI assignments lined up against India, Afghanistan and England. Walsh, while lamenting the team’s absence from the Champions Trophy has encouraged it to get its act together.

“They’ve got to pick up the pieces and try to get into the World Cup in 2019.

World cricket likes to see West Indies around but they’ve still got to do what it takes,” Walsh said.

“Well, it would have been good for them to be here. Obviously, from a West Indian point of view, it would have been good to see the West Indies to show their skills in a world tournament.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case”. (Sportsmax)

semi-finals after taming Nishikori

reeled off the last six games to set up a repeat of last year’s semi-final when he produced a dazzling display to beat Stan Wawrinka.

The 30-year-old Murray arrived at Roland Garros with genuine concerns over his form after a mediocre claycourt swing, but with coach Ivan Lendl watching over his shoulder he has rediscovered the winning mentality just in time.

He might need another level, however, against Swiss former champion Wawrinka, who annihilated Marin Cilic 6-3 6-3 6-1.

“I came in playing garbage,” Murray said. “You know, I’m the odd one out in the semis, but hopefully I can keep it up.

“I didn’t feel like I played great tennis today. But it’s a huge step in the right direc-

Andy Murray

tion for me. Anyone can win matches when they are playing well. It’s winning when you’re not playing your best that is more impressive.”

In windy conditions Murray double-faulted to lose serve in the third game and Nishikori pinged a forehand winner past him to move 5-2 ahead before serving out the set.

Serving at 1-1, deuce in the second set Murray was bizarrely given a time violation warning by umpire Carlos Ramos after he had let an errant ball toss land -- prompting an exchange of views between the pair.

Coincidence or not, after that incident Murray was far more aggressive and began to take over.

“I was frustrated about it, but I don’t know how much impact that had on

the match,” Murray said.

“It’s not like I played a great point the next point. “But I broke the following game.

Kei played a poor game to break. I didn’t do anything special, but that was a critical period of the match, because he started way better than me.

“From then on I started to do a bit better.”

Murray quickly levelled the match but after twice breaking in the third set, at 2-2 and 5-5, he handed the advantage straight back and needed a tiebreak to forge ahead.

The body language of Nishikori, who has never reached the last four of the French, hardly looked promising after that and Murray marched on to his 21st grand slam semi-final. (Reuters)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursDAY, june 8, 2017

Champions Trophy, Group B…

Pakistan trip up South Africa to revive campaign P

akistan showed what they are capable after a poor display against India, giving themselves hope of reaching the last four.

Pakistan responded to their hammering by big rivals India with a 19-run Duckworth-Lewis method victory over South Africa at Edgbaston to get up and running in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Former South Africa coach Mickey Arthur was critical of his Pakistan side after a poor performance in a heavy defeat to Virat Kohli’s men in their first

of the game, restricting the Proteas to 219-8 off their 50 overs and reaching 119-3 in reply when rain prevented any further play.

Hasan Ali took 3-24, while Imad Wasim and Junaid Khan claimed two wickets apiece as only David Miller (75 not out) made a contribution of note with the bat for a South Africa side which beat Sri Lanka in their first Group B match.

Morne Morkel (3-18) gave South Africa hope, but debutant Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam made 31 apiece to help Pakistan get ahead of the required rate

Hasan Ali dismissed JP Duminy and Wayne Parnell off successive balls © Getty Images

game of the tournament.

Arthur’s words must still have been ringing in their ears, as they were much improved against their coach’s country of birth in all facets

A

ndre De Grasse isn’t interested in taking over from Usain Bolt as the world’s best sprinter when the eight-time Olympic champion retires later this year.

He’s ready now. “I’m trying to win this year. I feel like I have a great chance and that’s what I want to do,” De Grasse told The

when the heavens opened, to ensure they join their opponents and India on two points.

Pakistan face Sri Lanka in their final group game

in Cardiff on Monday, with top-ranked ODI side South Africa up against India at The Oval a day earlier.

Mohammad Amir and Junaid generated pace and swing to make life difficult for the South Africa openers after AB de Villiers had won

to Mohammad Hafeez as Pakistan put the pressure on with some tight bowling and a far better fielding display.

There was a huge moment for Pakistan when De Villiers hit Imad straight to Hafeez for his first one-day

at slip by Babar and removed Wayne Parnell’s off stump from the next ball, but they were unable to see the back of the big-hitting Miller.

The left hander used his feet superbly to strike Hafeez for two of his three sixes and successfully reviewed a leg before decision after Amir struck him on the toe with a rapid yorker.

Chris Morris (28) had a life when he was cleaned up by Junaid but the quick overstepped, while Kagiso Rabada (26) also offered some support for Miller.

Zaman went out with a positive approach in his first ODI, striking six boundaries in a 23-ball knock, despite being hit on the helmet

by Rabada, and Babar kept Pakistan ticking along in a far more assured batting display.

Amla held on at slip when Morkel drew an edge from Zaman and the big paceman also sent Azhar Ali on his way two balls later, but Pakistan were not to be denied victory after the rain arrived in Birmingham.

(Sportsmax)

SCOREBOARD

South Africa’s top order crumbled around Pakistan’s discipline © Getty Images

the toss, but it was Imad who got the breakthrough by trapping Hashim Amla (16) in front.

Quinton De Kock (33) fell in the same fashion

international golden duck before Hasan removed Faf du Plessis.

South Africa were in the mire on 118-6 after Hasan had JP Duminy well caught

South Africa innings (50 overs maximum) Q de Kock† lbw b Mohammad Hafeez 33 H Amla lbw b Imad Wasim 16 F du Plessis b Hasan Ali 26 AB de Villiers* c Mohammad Hafeez b Imad Wasim 0 D Miller not out 75 JP Duminy c Babar Azam b Hasan Ali 8 0 W Parnell b Hasan Ali C Morris c Hasan Ali b Junaid Khan 28 K Rabada c Hasan Ali b Junaid Khan 26 0 M Morkel not out Extras (lb 1, w 5, nb 1) 7 Total (8 wickets; 50 overs) 219 Did not bat: Imran Tahir Fall of wickets: 1-40 (Amla, 8.2 ov), 2-60 (de Kock, 13.6 ov), 3-61 (de Villiers, 14.4 ov), 4-90 (du Plessis, 22.2 ov), 5-118 (Duminy, 28.5 ov), 6-118 (Parnell, 28.6 ov), 7-165 (Morris, 42.3 ov), 8-213 (Rabada, 48.6 ov) Bowling: Mohammad Amir 10-

0-50-0 (3w), Junaid Khan 9-053-2 (1nb, 1w), Imad Wasim 8-0-20-2, Mohammad Hafeez 10-0-51-1, Hasan Ali 8-1-24-3, Shadab Khan 5-0-20-0 Pakistan innings (target: 220 runs from 50 overs) Azhar Ali c Imran Tahir b Morkel 9 Fakhar Zaman c Amla b Morkel 31 Babar Azam not out 31 Mohammad Hafeez c Imran Tahir b Morkel 26 Shoaib Malik not out 16 Extras (lb 2, w 3, nb 1) 6 Total (3 wickets; 27 overs) 119 Did not bat: Sarfraz Ahmed*†, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan Fall of wickets: 1-40 (Fakhar Zaman, 7.2 ov), 2-41 (Azhar Ali, 7.4 ov), 3-93 (Mohammad Hafeez, 23.2 ov) Bowling: Rabada 7-1-36-0 (1nb), Parnell 4-0-25-0, M Morkel 7-1-18-3 (1w), Morris 5-1-22-0 (1w), Imran Tahir 4-0-16-0 (1w)

Andre De Grasse and Usain Bolt in the 200m semi-final at the Rio Olympics 2016

Associated Press ahead of Thursday’s Golden Gala Pietro Mennea meet, where the Canadian will run the 200 metres.

Bolt won’t be running in Rome, but De Grasse is looking forward to racing the Jamaican great at the world championships in London in August.

“I feel like I have a

great chance in both events — 100 or 200,” De Grasse said. “If I can execute my race and I’m in top shape I feel like I can do that.” The 22-year-old De Grasse took silver behind Bolt in the 200 at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and bronze behind Bolt and Justin Gatlin in the 100. Having also anchored Canada to a bronze

medal in the 4x100 relay in Rio, De Grasse became the first Canadian sprinter to win three medals in a single Olympics.

De Grasse pushed Bolt so hard in the semifinals of the 200 in Rio that Bolt acknowledged it was draining and prevented him from improving his world record a night later. So what would it

take to beat Bolt in the 100 in August?

“No idea. It’s anybody’s game. You can’t name a time,” De Grasse said. “It’s always about weather and conditions and those types of things. But it’s going to obviously take a well-executed race. I have to be at the top of my game and if I can do that I can do something spe-

cial.”

De Grasse is working on improving his starts, which also happens to be the only area that Bolt struggles in.

“If I can have a great start and try to hold the lead that would be great,” De Grasse said. “My top-end speed is good. It’s all about finding the right factors to go out there and win.” (Sportsmax)

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WANTED Contract cars to work with Taxi Service in Alexander Village. Tel: 618-3712/ 225-4993

sports

21

GCB/Hand-In-Hand Inter-County 3-day U-19

Demerara seeking to solidify dominance

BY Delvon McEwan

D

emerara moved a step closer to retaining the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Hand-InHand Insurance Under-19 three-day Inter-County title with a commanding win over Essequibo in the first round, which ended inside two days.

The champions have two more matches remaining against the National Under-17 select squad starting on Friday at Everest Cricket Club Ground followed by the last-round clash against arch-rival Berbice which will determine their fate.

However, retaining the title seems to be in their favour judging from performances by other teams in the first round of the tournament. They secured victory by an innings and 106 runs, compliments of an excellent team performance, including outstanding batting and bowling by key players.

Spearheaded by spinners Keshram Seyhodan and Richie Looknauth as well as medium-pace bowler Renaldo Ali-Mohamed, the hosts were able to execute the basics with the ball and were able to dismiss their opponents for paltry totals in both innings of the first round. They have managed to test the mentality of the opposition batsmen as well as their patience, defence and other attributes.

This started in the 50over segment and has since been transferred to the longer version as only one batsman managed a significant score to date against the reigning champions. In fact, no team has scored 200 or more runs against the accurate and penetrative Demerara bowlers. It is no surprise because their bowlers are very experienced at this level, with most of them already exposed to cricket at the regional Under-19 level.

Their batting is as strong as their bowling, featuring two West Indies U-19 players – skipper Bhaskar Yadram and Joshua Persaud – and the experi-

enced Raymond Perez and Ali-Mohamed.

Even with the likes of talented young players like Kevin Sinclair, Javed Karim, Steve Deonarine, Adrian Sukwah and Sylus Tyndall, it is almost inconceivable that their archrival

would be boosted with some imported players; however, their fortunes remain the same with them faring worse so far.

Hopefully, they gain momentum to make life difficult for the Berbicians when the second-round clash com-

Samaroo, Emmanuel Seecharran, Karan Arjpaul, Keith Simpson, Deon Sinclair, Sylus Tyndall, Raymond Vankenic, Steve Deonarine; Michael Newland (Manager) and Adrian Amsterdam (Coach).

Demerara: Bhaskar

The second round of action in the GCB/Hand-In-Hand Insurance three-day inter-county U-19 tournament commences Friday and Demerara will be aiming to secure the title

Berbice could triumph against them.

Although Berbice defeated the U-17s, it would be a very difficult task for them to get past Demerara when the two teams meet. The team from the east stand the best chance of creating an upset, but they are lacking in many aspects of their game.

Their batting has not lived up to expectations, while their bowling department, which is led by Tyndall, is not as effective.

However, on a good day with his pace, agility, and ability to take wickets, along with support from the other bowlers, Tyndall could be of concern to his opponents’ batsmen. Providing Berbice improve on certain facets of their game in the second round, the tournament will be in for an interesting finish.

Essequibo and the U-17s also have their role to play to ensure that it is a competitive tournament for all the teams and not just some.

It was projected that Essequibo’s performance

mences.

Meanwhile, with several of their top players expected to make a return today, the U-17s are expected to be a tougher team in this match.

Unfortunately, they are playing against the champions. Nevertheless, they have to execute to their best in pursuit of a positive outcome.

Presently, Demerara are favoured to win the title and unless the other teams improve their game, there will be a tussle for second and not the crown.

The teams are as follows: Essequibo: Mark Williams, Sachin Persaud, Kurt Lovell, Adrian Campbell, Mark Ramsammy, Joshua Jones, Quintin Sampson, Beesham Moses, Leslie Allen, Sheldon Charles, Mahindra Persaud, Chanderpaul Mohabir, Kellin Davis, Joel Fortune, Azeem Habib; Loaknauth Persaud (Manager) and Andy Ramnarine (Coach).

Berbice: Adrian Sukwah, Kevin Sinclair, Sasenarine Sukhoo, Veramootoo Senwasane, Javid Karim, Matthew Hardyal, Daniel

Yadram (Captain); Ronaldo Ali Mohamed (Vice Captain); Joshua Persaud; Raymond Perez; Navendra Persaud; Ramnarine Chature; Richie Looknauth; Keshram Seyhodan; Stephon Wilson; Sagar Hatharamani; Dwayne Dick; Kishna Singh; Garvin Bodwah; Dambuka Nqgando; Darshan Persaud; Mark Jeffers; Kennard Moonsammy; Mark Ramsammy; Himanauth Dindyal; and Omar Hussine (Manager), Rayon King (Coach) and Dhanpaul (Assistant Coach).

Guyana Under-17: Alex Alvin Algoo, Sachin Stefan Singh, Orlando Jailall, Junior Alvin Sinclair, Kevlon Alston Anderson, Kevin Imran Christian, Robin Williams, Lance Rusell Roberts, Alphius Malcolm Bookie, Rajendra Singh, Nigel Deodat, Ashmead Romanno Nedd, Pradesh Ballkishun, Kelvin Umrao, Mark Gary Rankin, Gevon Shemar Schultz, Reyaz Khan, Qumar Tychicus Torrington; Nazeer Mohamed (Manager) and Orin Bailey (Coach).

CONCACAF has lost a remarkable leader ‒ Montagliani on Burrell’s death

T

he Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) mourns the loss of its Council Senior Vice President, Captain Horace Burrell, who passed away on Tuesday, June 6, 2017.

Captain Burrell’s commitment and vision for the sport contributed to create a strong legacy for the game within the region. With his passion and spirit, he was a tireless supporter of his

Former JFF President Horace Burrell

country’s football development.

“It is with deep sorrow that I learned of the passing of Captain Horace Burrell.

CONCACAF has lost a remarkable leader and servant of the game whom we hold in our highest respect,” said CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani.

“Captain Burrell made an unprecedented contribution towards advancing the sport in Jamaica and across our region. His dedication and love for the game are a true

inspiration for all the football family.”

Captain Burrell served as President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) between 1994 and 2003, and from 2007 until his transition today. He also served as a member of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and a Vice President of the Jamaica Olympic Association.

We offer our deepest condolences to the JFF, the family and friends of Captain Burrell. (Sportsmax)

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursdAY, june 8, 2017

“This is one step in achieving your destiny” ‒ Forde …as GFF appreciates victorious Junior Jaguars

GFF President Wayne Forde

BY Akeem Greene

T

he national under-15 team created a new chapter in Guyana’s football history by winning for the first time an overseas tournament – in this case, the Soualiga Invitational held in St Maarten from June 1-4.

There the team played with a clean sheet in six matches and it was mid-fielder Jermaine Garrett who struck the fatal blow in their 1-0 win over the host on Sunday.

In recognition of the phenomenal feat, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) held an appreciation ceremony on Wednesday at their secretariat in Campbellville, where President Wayne Forde un-

derscored the importance of them not losing sight on the ultimate goal.

“This is one step in achieving your destiny if you are prepared to put the necessary work in and remain humble and focused at the task at hand”.

The GFF boss went on to say “at this moment you are not stars, you are on the journey to become a star and if anyone tries to fill your head with the fact that you have arrived, that you are a big superstar in Guyana’s football, that is going to set you back”.

“Exactly who you were before you got to St Maarten and won the tournament that is who you need to be going forward, you need to be disciplined, humble, obedient, work under the guid-

ance of Coach and TD [Technical Director] and work as hard as possible and that is when you are going to realise your true potential which may not exist in Guyana since it might be somewhere in Europe and coming back to served Guyana”.

Director of Sport Christopher Jones posited that “to who much is given, much is expected” and the Government is extremely pleased with the performance of the team and hopes they remain humble since it is a long road ahead”.

Likewise, Technical Director Ian Greenwood felt

it was a fantastic achievement of the group given the fact that they played with a clean sheet and team work to underscore the “one

T

The young cricketers pose for a photo at the conclusion of one of the sessions

and Foster expressed confidence that it would be renewed for 2018 as the RHTY&SC, M.S intends to develop a fruitful relationship with the insurance company. Under the programme, DMLAS is standing the cost of a monthly stipend to the coach and providing balls and coaching equipment for the coaching seasons.

The long-serving Secretary/CEO stated that the main objectives of the programme are to make sure that every youth in the

their respective ATCs this Saturday.

Meanwhile, Marketing Manager of Scotiabank, Jennifer Cipriani, said that they are proud of the achievements of the group and noted that “it is hard getting to the top and it is even harder staying at the top”. Cipriani also assured that the Bank will continue to invest more along the lines of football.

Courts Guyana Inc Marketing Manager, Pernell Cummings, is hopeful that more members of under-15 teams develop from their Pee-Wee tournament held annually. More so, he emphasised that “dis-

Scotiabank’s Marketing Manager Jennifer Cipriani holds the winning trophy alongside their awardees Christopher Jones (left) and Technical Director Ian Greenwood

RHTY&SC Cricket Development Programme off to rousing start

he Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society (DMLAS) sponsored Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, M.S (RHTY&SC, M.S) Cricket Development Programme bowled off recently at the Area ‘H’ Ground to a rousing start.

Senior Club Coach Delbert Hicks with assistance from Vice-President Mark Papannah successfully supervised over 60 youths in a three-hour session of physical exercise, fielding and pitch practice.

Club Secretary/CEO, Hilbert Foster, hailed the launching of the RHTY&SC/DMLAS Cricket Development Programme as a major step in making sure that the club maintains its status as one of Guyana’s leading cricket clubs.

The RHTY&SC, M.S has won the Guyana Cricket Club-of-the-Year Award five times – 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2016 and has also won three national championships among 53 major titles since its formation in 1990 by three-times Commonwealth Youth Service Awardee, the St. Francis Community Developers.

The DMLAS programme runs up to the end of 2017

team: one dream principal”.

Greenwood further highlighted the impact the Scotiabank Academy Training Centres (ATCs) have made in developing these players, due to their exposure to professional coaching on a regular basis.

The Technical Director told the players that the hard work has now begun since the major aim is to reproduce a similar or even better performance when they play in the CONCACAF under-15 tournament from August 13-19 in Florida.

In this regard, the players will be returning to

club fulfils his/her potential in cricket, to get them to understand their status as sports ambassadors and role models, to instil the virtue of personal discipline, to promote the importance of physical discipline, to promote the importance of physical fitness and to educate them on topics of importance to them.

The programme includes three days of pitch practice, along with fitness workouts, practice matches on selected weekends and classroom lectures to be conducted by se-

nior club executives.

The topics to be covered include Drug Abuse, Personal Hygiene, Importance of Education, History of Cricket, Laws of Cricket, Structure of West Indies Cricket, Suicide and Depression among others.

The RHTY&SC/DMLAS Programme would only involve members of the club, while the Annual Cricket Academy, which is to be held from July 11-21, would be opened to youths across Berbice.

cipline and team work are a big part of success and without those two you won’t achieve”.

In addition, GINSENG Brand Coordinator, Sean Abel noted that the achievement is welcomed since “we have played a vital role in the development of football” and the players “continue with the momentum going into the future and keep us all proud”.

Affeez Khan, Marketing Consultant at NAMILCO also made presentations and extended congratulations towards the team.

The highest goal scorer Omari Glasgow along with fellow scorers Orvile Hinds, Ronaldo Rodrigues, Tyrell Khan, Ken Slavador, Troni Semple and Jermaine Garrett were given Scotiabank vouchers.

Wayne Da Silva (player of the tournament) and Joshua Braithwaite (outstanding leadership) received tablets compliments of Courts Guyana Inc; Shawn Adonis (goal keeper of the tournament) and Marcus Wilson (most improved player) both received haversacks filled with school supplies from NAMILCO. All members of the team were given vouchers from ANSA McAL and special caps from Impressions. They

and Director of Sport

were also given National Sports Commission Awards of Achievement.

The SOUALIGA Tournament features other territories such as Anguilla, Barbados, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, St Thomas and Tortola.

The squad that attended read: Goalkeepers: Shawn Adonis (Golden Grove FC), Oswin Fredericks (Buxton United); Defenders: Joshua Braithwaite (Fruta Conquerors), Wayne Da Silva (Saints Sports Club), Jermaine Padmore (Georgetown FC), Kevin Reddy (Potaro Strikers), Marcus Wilson (Eastville FC); Okifi Patoir (Rosignol United), Orville Daniels (Paiwomak Warriors ), Tyrel Khan (Soesdyke Falcons), Jermaine Garrett (Fruta Conquerors ), Ravon Bayley (Order and Discipline); Forwards: Omari Glasgow (BV United), Ken Salvador (Saints Sports Club), Troni Semple (Buxton United), Ronaldo Rodrigues (Atkinson Brothers).

Technical staff: Ian Greenwood (Technical Director), Bryan Joseph (Head Coach), Challous McKinnon (Assistant Coach), Eon DeVeira (Goalkeeper Coach), Charlene Henry ( Physio) and Rohanna Carryl (Operations).

guyanatimesgy.com

thursDAY, june 8, 2017

23

RAN 15s South Zone final…

Trinidad will be no

pushover – Gonsalves

‒ Green Machine calling on local support for Saturday’s mega clash

By Akeem Greene

G

uyana’s national rugby team, Green Machine, will meet arch rivals Trinidad and Tobago yet again in the Rugby Americas North (RAN) 15s South Zone Final on Saturday at the National Park.

When these two sides met last year at Hasely Crawford Stadium in the Port of Spain, Trinidad,

Green Machine battled to a 23-18 win to secure the championship; however, Captain Ryan Gonsalves warned against complacency after being pushed by Barbados in their 34-26 victory; Trinidad defeated the Bajans 36-16.

“Preparation has been going good, we are trying to get our strategies and attack in order since Trinidad is no pusher; we just want to be fully prepared from them on

Saturday and hopefully the weather holds up and we get a full use of the ground”.

He added, “Our backline affected us against Barbados but we will have Claudius Butts back and we will be taking the game to them [Trinidad and Tobago], we have a mixture of young and experience guys; Trinidad will come with a big pack and will be mobile and try to burn them out”.

Playing at home should

hold an advantage and the captain is urging local fans to come out in their numbers.

“Regardless of weather, Rugby is played so we just want Guyana to come out and support us because we have been doing so well over the years and this is a tough game and we will need every little support to get over the line”.

Likwise, newcomer Ahmed Isaacs who scored a try in the victory over

I

t was eventful Tuesday evening when the inaugural Xtreme Cleaners/ GT Beer ‘Gold Rush’ Futsal Championship continued at the National Gymnasium as

dominance continued in the second stanza, as Delon Williams made it 3-1.

Eusi Phillips kept Sparta’s hopes alive of securing a come from behind

Action between Back Circle (green) and North Ruimveldt on Tuesday evening

Tucville demolished Sparta Boss 4-2 to leave Sparta clinging on a short leash in an attempt to stay in contention of a knock-out spot.

Tucville came from behind in the seventh minute with Jahaal Greaves being the man making the conversion after Gregory Richardson put Sparta ahead in the first minute.

Raphael Edwards then gave Tucville the lead two minutes later and their

result, reducing the deficit in the 16th minute but the result was sealed in the 20th minute when Jermaine Junior netted.

Similarly, Back Circle got back to winning ways, dismantling North Ruimveldt 5-0. Jamal Adams bagged a brace in the seventh and 15th minute, while Selwyn Williams, Jermaine Beckles and Curtez Kellman netted in the eighth, 18th and 20th minute respectively.

Point Standings Group-A Team

GP W L

D

GF

GA

GD

Pts.

Sophia

2

1

0

1

5

2

+3

4

Tucville

2

1

0

1

5

3

+2

4

Sparta

2

0

1

1

3

5

-2

1

Agricola

2

0

1

1

2

5

-3

1

Team

GP W L

D

GF

GA

GD

Pts.

Albouystown

2

2

0

0

5

1

+4

6

Back Circle

2

1

1

0

6

3

+3

3

Tigerbay

2

0

1

1

0

2

-2

1

North Ruimveldt

2

0

1

1

0

5

-5

1

Team

GP W L

D

GF

GA

GD

Pts.

Bent Street

2

1

0

1

8

5

+3

4

Future Stars

2

1

0

1

4

2

+2

4

Broad Street

2

1

1

0

4

5

-1

3

Plaisance

2

0

2

0

6

10

-4

0

Group-B

Group-C

Likewise, Broad Street kept their hopes alive of qualifying for the knockout round, edging Plaisance 4-3.

Daniel Favourite bagged a brace in the third and 10th minute for the winner.

He was supported by Darren Benjamin and Jimmy Gravesande who scored in the fifth and 20th minute respectively. For the loser, Dwayne Ali netted in the second and 18th minute, while Vincent Thomas scored in the 14th minute.

Also, Future Stars and Bent Street battled to a 2-2 draw. Daniel Wilson registered a double in the second and fifth minute for Future

Barbados shared similar sentiments. “We have been training hard, our coach has given us all the tools to do well, and we just the need the crowd support, that is going to be 16th man and could help tip us over the line”.

Isaacs, an overseas-based native that plays for the

Lindenwood University, felt it was an awesome experience in playing his first game for Guyana, adding that he was buoyed with confidence given his teammates are extremely talented players.

Saturday’s fixture is expected to begin at 15:00h and the visitors are expected to arrive on Friday morning.

GCB donates brush

Xtreme Clean/GT Beer ‘Gold Rush’ Futsal…

‒ Back Circle keep hopes alive

Getting it right! The national players practicing their line-outs during a practice session on Tuesday afternoon (Akeem Greene Photo)

while Albouystown will oppose North Ruimveldt at 19:00hrs.

In the third fixture, Agricola will engage Tucville at 20:00hrs, whilst Back Circle will oppose Tigerbay from 20:30hrs. At 21:00hrs, Bent Street will lock horns with Broad Street, while Sparta Boss will faceoff with Sophia at 21:30hrs in a must win fixture.

Upon the conclusion of the group stage, the top two finishers in each pool and the best two third place finishers will advance to the quarterfinal round.

The other playing dates are 13th, 15th and 17th.

cutter to Christianburg Community Centre

GCB Treasurer Anand Kalladeen presents Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland with a brush cutter in the presence of other GCB representatives

T Bent Street's Okini Fraser trips over the ball while Ralph Paris looks to gain possession

Stars, while Ralph Parris and Jamal Cozier scored in the third and seventh minute each.

Sophia sent a stern warning to the field, crushing Agricola 4-1. Omallo Williams netted a double in the second and third minute, while Dwayne Lowe and Desmond Cottam scored in the seventh and 14th minute apiece.

For the loser, Domini Garnett netted in the eighth minute. Albouystown sealed their berth to the quarterfinal round, downing arch-rival Tigerbay 2-0. Melvorn Ross and Devon Dooker scored in the 13th and 20th minute respectively.

The final night of group matches will staged this evening at the same venue where , Future Stars will oppose Plaisance in the opening fixture at 19:00hrs

Winner of the tournament will pocket $500,000 and the championship trophy. On the other hand, the runners-up will receive $200,000 and the respective accolade.

The third and fourth place finisher will pocket $100,000 and the $50,000 respectively and the corresponding accolade. On the individual side, $50,000 will be awarded to the Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Entry to the venue will cost $500 during the group round, whilst each night, patrons will have the chance to win a pennyweight of gold and other cash prizes.

Other sponsors of the event include Fas Grafix and Jefford’s Distribution and Sales; Giftland Distribution Store and FARMSUP Mining Investments Inc.

he lawns of the Christianburg Community Centre Ground are expected to be maintained in the near future and onwards after the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) in its latest development drive on Wednesday donated a Honda brush cutter to Linden the Mayor Carwyn Holland.

GCB Treasurer Anand Kalladeen presented the equipment to Holland at a simple handing-over event.

The brush cutter is intended to support the Linden Town Council’s initiative to resuscitate the Christianburg Community Centre Ground.

The club, which was formerly a cricket club, continues to place heavy emphasis on cricket, as it seeks to target the sporting and recreational needs of youths in the community.

The Linden Town Council has recognised the need for development works to be carried out on the Christianburg CC Ground, and has taken a number of measures to address this critical issue. As a result of the interest demonstrated by the Council, the GCB

has made this valuable donation, which is expected to be used in the preparation works on the Christianburg Ground and to assist with its upkeep.

The enhancement of the Christianburg CC is likely to promote the hosting of more quality matches in Linden, and, as a consequence, will be of great benefit to players of the Christianburg CC, as well as those from the surrounding communities.

It is not the first contribution by the GCB so that a cricket club in the Upper Demerara area could benefit. Bayroc has also been a recipient of a brush cutter and from all reports and observations, the tool has noticeably served as an invaluable asset to the Bayroc members.

Kalladeen, who is also the President of the East Demerara Cricket Association, along with GCB Territorial Development Officer (TDO) Colin Stuart, is scheduled to visit Linden to assess their current cricket structure so that further assistance can be given to the mining town.

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Pg 22

“This is one step in achieving your destiny” ‒ Forde …as GFF appreciates victorious Junior Jaguars

RAN 15s South Zone final…

Trinidad will be no pushover – Gonsalves

Pg 23

‒ Green Machine calling on local support for Saturday’s mega clash Practice makes perfect! Some of the players engaged in one of the many rigorous practice drills at the National Park

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