Guyana times october 5, 2017

British P5 universities to mark abolition of Indian indentureship

…2-day conference opens Friday

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

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Issue No. 3352

PRICE

NICIL begins sale of GuySuCo estates

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Miner gunned down at P7 Port Kaituma

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DDL to invest $10B in 3 years P12

...buyers, investors wanted for Skeldon, Rose Hall, Wales, East Demerara, Enmore factories

Jagdeo visits Linden, listens to residents’ concerns Page 13 – gets warm welcome from Lindeners

Accused rapist escapes from Lusignan prison P8

GECOM chairmanship

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo visited Linden in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) on Wednesday where he, and his team, met informally with residents, many of whom raised issues and concerns affecting them, their community and the country as a whole (Carl Croker photo)

25th anniversary of the ‘dawn of a new era’

Oct 5, 1992 marks restoration of freedom, dignity and prosperity Koker attendant sleeps as river water floods GT communities

Granger to meet P7 Jagdeo soon on 3rd list

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Page 14

Student P12 arrested for slashing schoolmate with razor

2 news

thursDAY, october 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

3 homeless after Corentyne fire – as house ‘mysteriously’ goes up in flames

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hree persons are now homeless after a fire destroyed their Manchester village, Corentyne, Berbice home on Tuesday night. Some villagers are claiming that the blaze was as a result of supernatural means.

The fire occurred at about 21:00h. Villagers say what appeared to be two balls of fire were seen in the air and fell on the house. “Is like fire bun… is obeah,” one villager related.

The blaze flattened the Lot 21 School Street, Manchester Village wooden structure.

Homeless: Neho Hunt

Neho Hunte, also called “Cussum” was not at home at the time of the blaze.

According to the 29-year-old man, he was spending the night at the home of a friend and had just arrived when he was alerted of the fire. His reputed wife, Alicia, and his son had gone to his mother-in-law for the child’s first birthday.

One eyewitness, Aqilyma Simpson – who is a Hunte’s cousin – said it took about 10 minutes for the building to be reduced to ashes.

“Last night I came from church and was watching television and then we heard

The building was reduced to rubble within 10 minutes

like glass breaking and we watched out and the whole building was engulfed in flames. When we ran out nobody couldn’t do anything.

We couldn’t throw water because the whole thing was in flames and then we called the fire service and the Police and they came, but by then the building had crumbled,” she related. Reports indicate the Fire Service arrived approximately 10 minutes after the fire was initially seen but by the time they arrived, the building had already been reduced to rubble.

Meanwhile, Hunte refuted claims that there was a lighted candle in the house when the blaze started. The man said he left home to feed his pigs and never returned to

the building.

According to him, after having a bath he left for his friend’s home. He is adamant that he did not light a fire in the house. The man said he was at his friend’s home when Simpson telephoned to say the house was on fire.

When they arrived at the house, which is roughly 400 metres away, the building was already destroyed.

Hunte has been living in the house for almost two years since returning to the place of his birth in 2015. He makes a living by rearing pigs and making pointer brooms which he sells. The man is appealing to the public for assistance. He can be contacted on telephone number 660-1403.

(Andrew Carmichael)

Industry wake house murder

Police Corporal reassigned after locking up badly injured man

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he Police Corporal who ordered that the now dead, Hetram Ramchand – who was badly beaten and later succumbed after a wake house brawl – be placed in a cell with visible injuries to his head has been transferred.

C Division (East Coast Demerara) Commander, Colin Brutus told Guyana Times that the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) ordered an investigation into the reports after which recommendations were given by the Commissioner to have the on-duty Corporal reassigned out of her division.

Ramchand, who died as a result of brain haemorrhaging due to blunt force trauma to his head, was attempting to rescue a relative who was involved in a brawl at Industry, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Based on reports received, the 39-year-old of Lot 51 Crown Dam Industry, attended a wake in the village where he was part of a gathering looking at a few men gambling. After the game of cards was over, an argument ensued among the players for monies owned to each other.

The argument turned into a scuffle and Ramchand intervened. However, the mob then turned on him and dealt him a sound thrash-

Dead: Hetram Ramchand

ing for intervening. The men were subsequently put out of the wake house.

Based on reports received, an injured Ramchand was escorted to the Sparendaam Police Station by a nephew to lodge a complaint but while doing so, the sons of two popular businessmen in the community turned up and claimed that they were assaulted by Ramchand.

The two men were sent to the Georgetown Public Hospital to seek medical attention but a badly beaten Ramchand was placed in the lockups.

As such, the father of the now dead man, Pooran Ramchand, called on the Commissioner of Police to look into the matter, as he blamed the negligence of the officers for his son’s death.

news

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thursDAY, october 5, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, October 5 – a night retraction at 04:30h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h and Friday, October 6 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, October 5 – 16:00h-17:30h and Friday, October 6 – 16:35h-18:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Winds: East North-easterly between 4.02 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 04:04h and 16:21h reaching maximum heights of 2.76 metres and 2.82 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 09:56h and 22:16h reaching minimum heights of 0.44 metre and 0.36 metre respectively.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOber 4, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS D 02 11 13 15 18 22 09 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

DAILY MILLIONS 04 07 11 12 13

Afternoon Draw

7 7

8

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

06

08

15 17

...buyers, investors wanted for Skeldon, Rose Hall, Wales, East Demerara, Enmore factories

By Gary Eleazar

Light to heavy rain showers can be expected during the morning, while sunny intervals are expected to give way to light rain showers in the afternoon. Clear skies are expected in the evening, with temperatures expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

LUCKY 3 7 7 9

NICIL begins sale of GuySuCo estates

19 20 21

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

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he Special Purpose Unit (SPU) that has been set up under the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) has begun the process of selling the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) assets, including a number of estates.

Conducted under the ‘Sugar Industry Privatisation and Diversification’, the outfit is currently soliciting proposals from companies or persons either individually or as part of a joint venture or consortium “with an interest in the privatisation and/or diversification of Skeldon, Rose Hall, Wales and East Demerara ‘Enmore’ factories.”

The request for letters of interest by the SPU is identified as the first step in the process of finding and shortlisting buyers or investors.

The entity has noted too that in order to increase transparency, it is partnering with a suitably qualified international financial services firm ‘to provide technical and financial advisory support in the process leading to a successful privatisation and diversification of the sugar industry.’

At the time of announcing the creation of the Special Purpose Unit, Finance Minister Winston Jordan had indicated that some $60 million had been set aside to hire an accounting firm in order to lead the divestment process, including updated valuations of the assets.

Those looking to invest in, or purchase any of the assets have a month since the deadline for submission of letters of interest is November.

NICIL has since stressed that it is under no obligation to accept any or all of the letters received.

Included in the more than $6.3 billion supplementary request earlier this year was a sum of $130 million earmarked as a subsidy for contribution to local organisations.

According to the explanatory remarks accompanying the request, the money is “to provide for the establishment of a Special Purpose Unit to manage the reform of the sugar industry.”

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

According to the Financial Paper, the amount includes provision for employment costs, utilities, professional and legal fees, advertisements, operating supplies furniture and equipment.

“This is a Special Purpose Unit designed purely for what I indicated… the focus of this Unit is privatsiation and divestment of identified assets one of which is Skeldon Estate, that is their top priority,” Minister Jordan had told parliamentarians at the time.

The Finance Minister told the House that other identified properties will soon be transferred to the Special Purpose Unit for divestment by that outfit.

GuySuCo, he said, will identify the lands or assets to be divested after which it will be transferred to the Special Purpose Unit.

“In other words, we pulling out this whole exercise from GuySuCo so GuySuCo can continue with its operations,” according the Minister Jordan.

The Finance Minister said some $30 million has been set aside for the payment of salaries for the Unit which he expects will be headed by a Director and deputy along with support staff.

As part of the ongoing divestment of the assets belonging to the beleaguered GuySuCo, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, recently announced that Colvin Keith-London has been appointed head of that SPU. That Unit has been tasked with the divestment

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

of GuySuCo’s assets, inclusive of its lands; and according to Harmon, KeithLondon will be based at the Kingston Headquarters of NICIL. That Unit was first announced by the Agriculture Minister when, in recent months, he presented to the National Assembly a policy paper on the future of the sugar industry.

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thursday, october 5, 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

Post-truth politics?

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he death of “truth” has been long in coming, and in fact is said to typify the post-modern age in which we presently live. The “truths” that came out of the Enlightenment tradition and the scientific method have all been undermined. A good percentage, if not most, of humanity have been cast adrift in the search for some form of certainty. In America, the ascent of Donald Trump to the presidency has presented us with a new term to describe this post-truth condition which attempts to make it not too dystopian –“alternative facts”.

But this, in itself, presents a new set of problems as we know to our cost in Guyana. Here our leaders have asserted so many “facts” that they swore were the “truth”, only to have them retracted without even the slightest apology, suggests that the new “alternative facts” preclude the need for any. It would seem in this brave new world, one can assert anything that comes to one’s lips and hold it to be “truth”. The problem for the citizens is that especially politics, being essentially a matter of rhetoric seeking to persuade, would have them engage in actions based on the claims. And therein lies the rub.

For instance, will we be raking in over US$1 million per day starting in 2020 and continuing for the next 30 years, as one Minister asserted as a matter of “truth”? Some citizens might just believe him and start easing up on eking out a grubby living on their farms, since it was also promised that those monies would be invested to deliver the good life to Guyanese. If, in fact, the Minister was not speaking the “truth” that farmer’s life could possibly be ruined.

The philosopher Julian Baggini has just published a new book, “A short history of truth” and offers some advice for the perplexed post-truth, post-modern (but not postracial) Guyanese in the following excerpts. He suggests a “triage of truth” that posits three questions: “Are there any experts in this field? Which kind of expert in this area should I choose? Which particular expert is worth listening to here?

If there is genuine expertise to be had, the second stage is to ask what kind of expert is trustworthy in that domain, to the degree that the domain allows for expertise at all.

Once we have decided that there are groups of experts in a domain, the third stage of triage is to ask which particular ones to trust. The trickiest situations are where the domain admits significant differences of opinion.

Perhaps the most important principle to apply throughout the triage is the 18th Century Scottish philosopher David Hume’s maxim: “A wise man … proportions his belief to the evidence.” Trust in experts always has to be proportionate. Any economic forecast, for instance, should be seen as indicating a probability at best, an educated guest at worst.

Proportionality also means granting only as much authority as is within an expert’s field. When an eminent scientist opines on ethics, for example, she is exceeding her professional scope. We should not confuse thinking for ourselves with thinking by ourselves. Taking expert opinion seriously is not passing the buck. No one can make up your mind for you, unless you make up your mind to let them.

What Baggini says, to belabour the point, is particularly true in politics which is not known for its attention to truth to begin with. To most Guyanese who have been locked in ethnic politics for over half a century, there is a great reluctance to question the pronouncements of “the leader”. But the suggestion on proportionality should temper our urge to abandon the “triage of truth”. While we suspect there might not be any single “TRUTH”, we know for sure it is not in the possession of any single person or group.

Baggini suggests a methodology, as we say in the vernacular, to “pick sense from nonsense”.

The Tadami Line is a train route that stretches for 84 miles in Japan. "The view from the train is stunning," says National Geographic’s Your Shot photographer Teruo Araya. "The train goes over a number of bridges passing cherry blossoms in spring, greenery in summer, coloured leaves in autumn, and snow in winter"

Significant difference between being ‘brilliant’ and being ‘qualified’ Dear Editor, In recent reports in the local media regarding workers of the Georgetown Municipality again not receiving their salaries on time and not yet receiving their retroactive payouts, Guyana Labour Union’s General Secretary, Mr Carvil Duncan, was quoted as saying: “Even when the past Town Clerk, Carol Sooba, was here, we were getting paid. Though she wasn’t as brilliant as the present Town Clerk, she understood that workers have to get paid.”

I wish to correct Mr

Duncan’s understanding and use of the word ‘brilliant’ in the context in which he used it.

Clearly, Mr Duncan does not see the difference between “brilliant” and “qualified”. There is a significant difference between the meanings and uses of these words.

Academic qualifications are earned certification.

When we study and become certified, we become learned in the particular subject matter. We have to put effort into becoming educated.

Brilliance, on the oth-

er hand, is something with which you are born.

Your IQ is a measurement of your intelligence, and doesn’t change, because it is a measure of your ability to learn. This can apply to terms we chronically associate with intelligence, like math, or it can apply to your ability to learn negotiation of emotional issues. In either case, it is inherent, and it simply stems from your genetic makeup.

“Brilliant” is used as a higher level of measured intellect. We give a higher compliment when we tell

someone they are brilliant, versus when we tell them that they are educated.

It should be noted, however, that neither of the two persons to whom Mr Duncan made reference is qualified for the position of Town Clerk, as neither possesses the legal certification required for the job, and certainly none of the recent holders of that position could be described as brilliant, as Georgetown would not have been the failed city that it is.

Sincerely, Modi Sankar

‘Big Enchiladas’ at City Hall living a champagne lifestyle on a mauby budget Dear Editor, Why is it so difficult for the ‘Big Enchiladas’ at City Hall to understand that you cannot earn one dollar a day while spending two dollars?

It is just not sustainable.

It is not rocket science; if you are a private individual and you spend more than you earn, you will go bankrupt.

If you are a company and your expenditure outstrips your income, you will go insolvent before long, so how does City Hall expect to earn just about 70 million per month while just one item of its expenditure, its payroll, is over 125 million?

While companies, municipalities and governments are downsizing all over the world, while entities right here in Guyana are practising fiscal restraint, the Georgetown municipality is seemingly on a spending splurge. Is this not just irrational or duplicitous?

Why was it necessary to upgrade their Personnel Section into a large independent Human Resource Department, with huge staff upgrades, and hiring of a number of persons to senior positions, costing the City millions more per month?

Why is it necessary to have a Public Relations

Section with a large staff strength, again costing citizens millions per month whilst owing the garbage contractors who provide a much more vital service, over 3000 million dollars?

Why do the senior officials need bodyguards, chauffeurs, messengers, two and three deputies, special assistants and a retinue of other personal staffers?

But the biggest question of all is why does City Hall, after maintaining a mammoth staff strength of a thousand workers, still have to contract out most of its services albeit without adherence to established tender and procurement

procedures?

Why does the Council have to pay for overseas calls, cellular phones and services, fuel for officers’ vehicles and guards at their residences, for fancy lunches and dinners at posh restaurants, etc.

Why do they have to travel around the world, first class, with assistants in tow regularly with no visible or tangible returns to the citizenry?

The Council insists on living a champagne lifestyle on a mauby budget. It just won’t work.

Sincerely, Mark Roopan

5 British universities to mark abolition of Indian indentureship news

thursDAY, october 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

...2-day conference opens Friday

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he University of Warwick’s Yesu Persaud Centre for Caribbean Studies and the University of London will be commemorating the centenary of the abolition of Indian indentureship in a two-day International Conference on the history and culture of Indian workers from 1838 to 1917, and the contemporary reality of migration to the Americas.

Some 45 scholars and writers from all parts of the world will gather at Senate House on October 6 and 7 to present papers on a variety of subjects, including the situation of Bhojpuri women in Mauritius and Suriname; Mauritian Hindi poetry and drama; Land issues in

Professor David Dabydeen

Fiji; the statutes of colonial Natal; the Indo-Caribbean Diaspora in the USA; PostIndenture Trinidad and Tobago and Indian settlements in Guyana.

An original aspect of the

Conference will be comparative studies of Chinese migration to the Region, including to Cuba and other Spanish colonies. Two volumes of scholarship will be published from a selection of the papers given, and the Commonwealth Foundation will be funding the publication of an anthology of creative writing by descendants of Indian indentured workers, with poetry and prose from nearly 50 writers from South Africa, Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, Canada, Trinidad, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the USA and Canada.

“There are two distinctive aspects of the Conference,” says co-organiser Professor David Dabydeen.

“Firstly, the scope of the enquiry, covering practically all countries affected

by Indian indentureship.

Secondly, the majority of papers are being presented by young female scholars, many of whom will place women at the centre of the indentureship experience, whereas before they were largely omitted in historical accounts. My co-organisers, Dr Maria Kaladeen (School of Advanced Studies, London University) and Professor Tina Ramnaraine (Royal Holloway College, London University) are to be thanked abundantly for the Conference’s emphasis on women, and for the enormous effort they have put in to ensure the presence of

women scholars and writers globally.”

A highlight of the Conference will be the inaugural Gafoor Lecture in Indian Indentureship, which will be given by the doyen of Indo-Caribbean Studies, the Trinidadian scholar, Professor Brinsley Samaroo. Funded by the Gafoor Foundation, the lecture will be on Islam in the Caribbean, and will reveal how the Holy Koran was first brought to the Caribbean by enslaved Africans who were Muslims, and Islam practised in the Region by Africans before Indian arrival.

According to Dabydeen, the Universities of Warwick and London will be organis-

ing annual Gafoor Lectures for the next 15 years.

“The Gafoor Lecture and the following Gafoor Lectures will be filmed and put on the social media so that anyone anywhere can access them free of charge. The International Conference itself will be similarly filmed and made available on the Internet.

Our future plans are to organise joint scholarly events in all the countries affected by indentureship,” Professor Dabydeen said.

Britain is an appropriate place to begin this global outreach since Britain was responsible for what has been called the “new system of slavery”, Dabydeen added.

City Hall is at rock bottom The Rohingya people should be given an offer of refuge

Dear Editor, Last Monday was another sad day in the wretched lives of the poor workers of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown, and these poor workers to which I refer are the lower tier of the workforce, not the ‘big wig high fliers’.

Having not been paid on time for yet another month, and owed retroactive sums for years now, they were forced to trek down to City Hall for answers; and trek they did because most of them could not even afford

bus fare, only to witness the ‘King’ roll up chauffeur driven in his air conditioned multimillion-dollar sport utility vehicle surrounded by bodyguards like royalty.

How insensitive.

Giving them a lecture he told them that he was trying to keep bread on their tables. What a major concession, whilst he could afford to put champagne and caviar on the dining tables of his home. He even had the audacity to suggest that he may have to let some of them go if the financial situation does not improve. Can

Tribute to Rocky Mc Pherson Dear Editor, I learnt with great sadness of the passing of Rocky Mc Pherson in California, USA. To the older generation, Rocky (his household name) was one of our best known athletes. In my early athletic days, Rocky’s small stature but technique and speed earned the admiration of many. Rocky never gave up athletics and won many medals and acclaim as he continued into his later years, never giving up or accepting advancing age as an impediment. Rocky’s continuous athletic progress is a sterling example to many of us who gave up our sporting activity as we approach the preverbal middle and later age.

Last year, I made contact

with Rocky and we shared many experiences of the good old days at the GCC and the BGCC Ground at Thomas Lands. I hope that the Ministry responsible for Sports and the Athletic Association of Guyana will do something to remember this sporting giant.

I remember Rocky on and off the athletic track, always pleasant with a smile and his conversations were always optimistic and uplifting. He ran an excellent race, he has taken the inside track of the final bend and has now passed the finishing line into eternity. May his soul rest peacefully.

Respectfully, Hamilton Green, OR JP

you imagine that?

Rather that threatening the lower level of workers who do real work, should the necessary retrenchment not be ‘Last in, first out’? Should they not get rid of the nearly 200 workers that they hired or promoted in the last two years in the clerical and administrative area?

Americans use the phrase ‘Another day, another dollar’ to say that everything is ordinary, same routine. At City Hall the phrase is ‘Another day another new staff member’.

And these new employees who are mostly friends, relatives and church pals of senior functionaries of the Council are not being hired as sanitation workers, grave diggers or drainage workers, but are instead given high paying, senior and

cushy positions within the municipality, with hardly anything to do, but to deplete the Council’s treasury at an alarming rate.

City Hall is at rock bottom. They are bankrupt, nepotism and cronyism is widely reported to be the order there, gross mismanagement and financial malfeasance abounds, and the city is dirty and depressed.

Is it not time to say enough is enough?

How much longer the citizens of Georgetown will be forced to endure these types of derelictions at City Hall.

How much longer must the workers be subjected to this type of maladministration?

Can’t urgent changes be made to the administration at City Hall?

Sincerely, Nadine Jerrick

Dear Editor, Many Guyanese are perturbed by the offer of free land to victims of the recent hurricane in the Caribbean, whereas refugees who have no food, water or shelter are at the mercy of the elements.

One cannot help but wonder what is in the mind of the A Partnership for National Unity leadership when such an offer is given.

If the Government is truly in a compassionate mode, the offer should have been made to the Rohingya people who have been described by the United Nations as

the “most friendless” on the face of the earth.

The Rohingyas have been booted out of their homes in an ethnic cleansing drive. This human tragedy has finally caught the eye of the world. President Granger needs to present an offer of refuge to a people who have the greatest need so that they can call somewhere on the planet ‘home’.

President Granger needs to make a statement addressing the Rohingya dilemma urgently.

Sincerely, Devanand Bhagwan

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guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation

Part 2

A

sense of humour can brighten family life. You can blow raspberries on a baby’s belly, put on a silly hat and chase a three-year-old, or pretend to fall into a pile of leaves to amuse a first-grader.

As children grow into preteens and teens, you can share puns and jokes as their sense of what’s funny grows more sophisticated.

Laughing together is a way to connect, and a good sense of humour also can make children smarter, healthier, and better able to cope with challenges.

We tend to think of humour as part of our genetic makeup, like blue eyes or big feet. But a sense of humour actually is a learned quality that can be developed in children, not something they’re born with.

What’s so funny anyway?

Humour is what makes something funny; a sense of humour is the ability to recognize it. Someone with a well-developed sense of humour has the ability to recognise what’s funny in others and can amuse them as well.

A good sense of humour is a tool that children can rely on throughout life to help them: see things from many perspectives other than the most obvious be spontaneous grasp unconventional ideas or ways of thinking see beyond the surface of things enjoy and participate in the playful aspects

of life not take themselves too seriously Children with a welldeveloped sense of humour are happier and more optimistic, have higher self-esteem, and can handle differences (their own and others’) well. Children who can appreciate and share humour are better liked by their peers and more able to handle the adversities of childhood — from moving to a new town, to teasing, to torment by playground bullies.

And a good sense of humour doesn’t just help children emotionally or socially.

Research has shown that people who laugh more are healthier — they’re less likely to be depressed and may even have an increased resistance to illness or physical problems.

They experience less stress; have lower heart rates, pulses, and blood pressure; and have better digestion. Laughter may even help humans better endure pain, and studies have shown that it improves our immune function.

But most of all, a sense of humour is what makes life fun.

Few pleasures rival yukking it up with your children.

Different ages – different humour Children can start developing a sense of humour at a very young age. But what’s funny to a toddler won’t be funny to a teen. To help your children at each stage of development, it’s important to

know what’s likely to amuse them.

Babies Babies don’t really understand humour, but they do know when you’re smiling and happy. When you make funny noises or faces and then laugh or smile, your baby is likely to sense your joy and imitate you. He or she is also highly responsive to physical stimuli, like tickling or raspberries.

Sometime between 9 and 15 months, babies know enough about the world to understand that when mom puts a diaper on her head or quacks like a duck, she’s doing something unexpected – and that it’s funny.

Toddlers Toddlers appreciate physical humour, especially the kind with an element of surprise (like peek-a-boo or an unexpected tickle). As children develop language skills, they’ll find rhymes and nonsense words funny — and this will continue well into the preschool years.

And it’s around this time that many children start trying to make their parents laugh. Your child might deliberately point to the wrong facial feature when asked “Where’s your nose?” or put on your shoes and clomp around the house.

Preschoolers A preschooler is more likely

to find humour in a picture with something out of whack (a car with square wheels, a pig wearing sunglasses) than a joke or pun. Incongruity between pictures and sounds (a horse that says moo) is also funny for this age group. And as they become more aware of bodily functions and of what gets a parent’s goat, preschoolers often start delighting in bathroom humour.

School-age children As children move into kindergarten and beyond, basic wordplay, exaggeration, and slapstick will all be increasingly funny. They may discover the pleasure of telling simple jokes (it’s fun to be the one who knows the punchline!) and will repeat the same jokes over and over.

Older grade-schoolers have a better grasp of what words mean and are able to play with them — they like puns, riddles, and other forms of wordplay.

They’ll also start making fun of any deviation from what they perceive as “normal” forms of behaviour or dress, and grossout jokes related to bodily functions are a hit too.

But children this age are also developing more subtle understandings of humour, including the ability to use wit or sarcasm and to handle adverse situations using humour. (kidshealth.org) To be continued

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he day will come when the princess tiaras collect dust and your little ones no longer believe they can fly. It’s a bittersweet moment. You’ll miss glimpses into that world where anything is possible. But it’s a sign that your child’s brain is developing as it should.

The prefrontal cortex – the area of the brain just behind the forehead – has made the connec-

tions it needs to process more high-level thinking. So, the way a child thought the world worked is now not necessarily how it actually does work.

Take, for example, vacuum cleaners. A two-yearold might throw a tantrum because he fears that, just as the dog hair got sucked up off the carpet, he will too. But a year or two later, he might pretend he’s being chased by the vacuum “monster” — and gain confidence from knowing that it will never get him.

By age six or so, children are becoming aware that fears like being swallowed up by a vacuum are irrational – there’s no way your entire body can be sucked up that little tube! – and instead might want to take control and do the vacuuming on their own. This scenario will be repeated again and again as a child’s brain learns to tell the difference between the possible and the impossible.

This time in childhood, sometimes called “the age

of reason,” is also when children begin to form a conscience, differentiate between right and wrong, and act not just on impulse but because something is the “right” thing to do.

The age of reason explains why many second-graders are masters at sharing — they can consider the feelings of others. And it also explains why monsters that once hid under the bed have suddenly disappeared.

A child this age realises that since he or she never saw the monster, it probably does not exist.

This is also a time when your fantastical answers to their increasingly complex questions will no longer cut

it. Thunder can no longer be a bowling match in the sky and the moon definitely isn’t made of cheese. But just because your children have reached the age of reason doesn’t mean they can’t imagine a bowling match in the sky or a moon made of cheese — it just means that now they’ll be in on the joke.

And as they grow, their imaginations and creativity will translate into art, music, and creative writing, and help with critical thinking.

The critical thinking that inspires children to dig deeper for information and grasp more complex ideas is their next key skill. And it’s the tool that will turn them into decision-makers and problem-solvers who will make you proud as they mature into their teen years.

(Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

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thurSDAY, october 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GECOM chairmanship

Granger to meet Jagdeo soon on 3rd list

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

P

resident David Granger said he hopes to meet with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo sometime next week to relate his decision regarding the third list of nominees for the position of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

The Opposition Leader

submitted the third list of nominees to the President on August 25, 2017, and now some five weeks later, the President is yet to make a pronouncement.

The six nominees are Major General (rtd) Joseph Singh; Attorney Teni Housty; Attorney Sanjeev Datadin; Conservationist and businesswoman, Annette Arjune-Martins; Pastor Onesi La Fleur

and former Magistrate Krishnadatt Persaud.

When asked about the delay in the selection of a Chairman for GECOM, the President said he was awaiting the written ruling of the acting Chief Justice, Roxane George.

“The Honourable Chief Justice has published an opinion and I have been studying that opinion and

According to the Chief Justice, President Granger should provide reasons for rejecting nominees presented by Opposition Leader Jagdeo for the position of the GECOM Chairman in accordance with Article 161 (2) of the Constitution, which refers to the need for communication and negotiation. However, the President is not obligated to provide reasons.

The case was called before the Chief Justice on June 27, 2017, with submissions from a representative of the State; the plaintiff, businessman Marcel Gaskin’s attorney; Glenn Hanoman and the Guyana Bar Association representative, Attorney Teni Housty.

Gaskin, a businessman and engineer, had moved to the High Court in March of this year to challenge the constitutionality

looking at the decisions that I have to make. It was quite clear that among everything she has written, she has not interfered with the President’s right guaranteed by the Constitution to select a person fit and proper. I think that in that regard, I will continue to do what the Constitution guarantees me to do which is to select someone fit and proper,” Granger said.

of President Granger’s reasoning behind his rejection of Jagdeo’s list of six nominees.

Granger has maintained that the list of nominees must include a Judge, a retired Judge or a person qualified to be a Judge. On the other hand, Jagdeo has argued that the nominees do not have to be Judgetype as the Constitution makes provision for another group of persons under the category of “fit and proper”.

The most recent GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally, was not a Judge or qualified to be a Judge and neither were most of the past chairpersons. Granger had also accepted the nomination to serve as GECOM Chairman several years ago.

“Now that I have it (written ruling) in hand and I have read it much more carefully… I look for-

President David Granger

Miner gunned down at Port Kaituma

A

miner was on Tuesday evening found dead with several bullet wounds about his body at Oronoque Village, Port Kaituma, North West District. The identity of the man was given as “Khemraj”, age 48.

While information sur-

rounding the incident remains sketchy, F Division (Interior locations) Police Commander Rabindranauth Budhram confirmed that the Police have launched an investigation into the murder.

The body, the Guyana Times understands, was discovered by persons in the area.

No arrests have been made thus far. It was only last week that Brazilian miner, Antonio Da Silva was shot and killed after several armed men stormed his mining camp.

Recently, a number of murders have been reported in the interior locations of Guyana.

ward to have a meeting with Jagdeo. I have not set a timeline because I do not know about Jagdeo’s availability. I hope (to have the

meeting) next week if he is available,” Granger said.

Guyana is expected to have Local Government Elections next year and

the Opposition has accused the President of deliberately frustrating the selection process so that he could appoint someone in his favour.

8 NEWS “Grey Boy” in chains after being set free thursDAY, october 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

…claims society still profiling him

By Shemuel Fanfair

F

our months after being discharged for the third time for the murder of political activist, Courtney Crum-Ewing, former accused Regan “Grey Boy” Rodrigues is not fully free; as he claims society is still profiling him, noting that business places are not offering him employment.

In June, Rodrigues was finally freed from the March 2015 murder of the activist after city Magistrate Judy Latchman found that there was insufficient evidence to commit him to stand trial in the High Court.

Guyana Times caught up with the former accused who indicated that the chains of him being incarcerated are following him around, saying on Wednesday that he is suffering employment discrimination, as workplaces are unwilling to hire him.

“You know how long I looking for a wuk and can’t get a wuk. I got to be on the road on a night by dem club looking for lil taxi wuk just trying to survive,” he noted, indicating that he has been “stained”.

He added that being a taxi operator has not yielded the returns he had hoped, especially with having to purchase petrol. Rodrigues said he wants to provide for his three children the honest way and prefers not to

Regan “Grey Boy” Rodrigues hopes to be accepted by society

conduct any unlawful activities to get through in life.

He noted that one of his children is not biological, but he took in the now 17-year-old after the boy’s mother died when he was just 12.

Highlighting the many challenges that he faces, Rodrigues recalled the noted implausibility of swimming across the Demerara River in 15 minutes which investigators alleged he had done when they went looking for him.

“Fifteen minutes in salt water without goggles... that’s madness,” he stressed.

He said since coming out of prison, he discovered many of the items in his home missing, claiming that many of the items were sold to unknown per-

sons. Rodrigues further expressed that if he had the finances, he would file legal action against the Police for bringing him before the court without sufficient evidence. In the meantime though, Rodrigues hopes he could meet with President Granger to tell him of the wrongs he feel were meted out to him.

“Nobody don’t come and say hold a compensation but if I had money, I would sue the Guyana Police Force for charging a man where you ain’t have no evidence – no fingerprint at all but I will get me reward even if not from the President, from somebody because he (the President supposed to call me and say ‘Grey Boy, they put you through it, everything you spent for lawyers and being in prison – look back something’ but nobody cares,” he strongly noted.

When Magistrate Latchman made her ruling in June, she had considered all of the facts presented to her and highlighted the evidence given by Crime Scene Analyst, Delicia Brown, whose submission to the court revealed that the .32 pistol and five .32 bullets found at the accused’s home was indeed the said gun used in the execution of Crum-Ewing.

However, she had also

stated that no actual evidence was presented to the court to prove that Rodrigues pulled the trigger, thus committing the heinous act, even though 14 witness statements alleged such.

She also alluded to the facts that the oral statements given by Rodrigues during the course of the investigation did not implicate him in the killing, and as such he had no case to answer to.

Back then, Rodrigues had burst into tears as he was being led back into the lock-ups, and screamed, “Freedom! Freedom!”

Crum-Ewing was gunned down as he was urging residents of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, to cast their ballots in the May 2015 General elections. Months after, Rodrigues was arrested and charged with the murder but was freed in September 2016. The case was, however, opened by the Director of Public Prosecutions in April 2017 and the Magistrate disclosed two times after that a prima facie case could not be made out against the accused. He was recently charged for allegedly issuing death threats to CrumEwing’s mother, Donna Harcourt.

Rodrigues however remains hopeful to be fully freed from the proverbial chains and gain the acceptance of society.

Accused rapist escapes from Lusignan prison

Fugitive: Paul Goriah

Fugitive: Cobena Stephens

Fugitive: Mark Royden Durant

manhunt has been launched by the Joint Services for 35-yearold Delon Blake, an accused rapist of Kamuni Creek, West Bank Demerara, who successfully escaped from the Lusignan penitentiary in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Based on reports received, the prisoner used his bed sheet and wooden pallets to climb over the fence of the northern side of the facility in the full view of Police ranks performing duties in the tower. That area, according to Police, is well illuminated.

In light of this occurrence, the ranks that were on duty at the time have been placed under close arrest and a Detective Superintendent of Police has been delegated to investigate the matter.

The fugitive was admitted to the prison on July 24, 2017 after being remanded for the rape of a relative.

He has a ‘tear drop’ tattoo on the left side of his face, prison officials confirmed.

This comes at least three months after 13 hardcore criminals escaped from the holding area at the Lusignan penitentiary.

These had included 10 who were charged for murder and one for attempted murder while two were arraigned on armed robbery charges. Of the escaped 13, 12 of them were recaptured while one remains on the run. The one still at large is Paul Goriah who was charged for murder. He is reportedly from Timehri, East Bank Demerara.

It was reported that the men escaped from the

swampy pasture of the Lusignan Prison by digging a hole under the perimeter fence.

The hole measured about five feet in length and another five feet in depth.

While there are three layers of security at the penitentiary, the men were able to escape presumably during the downpour in the wee hours of Sunday. The first layer of security, as was reported, is the actual prison security.

Then there are the Police ranks that were overlooking the criminals, and outside the parameter are members of the Guyana Defence Force.

The 13 escapees were transferred from the Camp Street Prison after it was reduced to ashes by inmates who set the penal facility on fire. During this incident,

A

Most recent Lusignan prison escapee, Delon Blake

several persons escaped but while most of them were recaptured, Uree Varswyck called “Malcolm Gordon” was killed during a shootout with Police in Linden and two remain at large.

Bartica Massacre convict, Mark Royden Durant, also known as “Royden Williams” and “Smallie”, along with Cobena Stephens were reportedly seen in the area where the shooting occurred. Only recently, acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine told media operatives that the search for the three escapees – two from Camp Street and one from Lusignan – has intensified in Linden and other areas.

To date, the Police have not received any substantial information that may lead to the arrest of the three men, although a reward is offered.

Cranking up…

W

…the propaganda machine hen you think of it, 2020 ain’t so far away.

And from developments within the APNU/ AFC camp, where they’re getting ready for the Big Heist, they’re not taking any chances. As your ears-to-the-ground Eyewitness alerted you, there’s gonna be all sorts of reasons thrown out to justify pushing the elections into 2021.

Anyhow, on the election front, they’re all kinds of signs popping up reminiscent of 1992 – like delayed electors’ list etc…to gather the faithful and ensure they come out and get their finger black for the Party. Before 1992, of course, it didn’t matter. In the referendum on the new Constitution in 1978, for instance – maybe 15 per cent at max turned out but the PNC riggingcentre announced a 70 per cent turnout and 97 per cent majority!!

There are some delusional folks who think the present PNC-led APNU/AFC coalition’s incessant stream of political faux pas will lose them some votes! Ha!! If after the destruction and indignities the PNC heaped on their supporters’ heads by 1992, they received the same 42 per cent they’d collected in 1964, what’s gonna be different today? They’re in power and all the pork barrel the PNC couldn’t trot out in 1992 are now available.

Land for farming in traditional villages? Sure…why not? In fact, throw in scads of agricultural equipment to prepare the land! Jobs for the faithful? Sure…who cares about optics!! Scholarships…why not? Bridge across the Demerara River to West Bank? Hey! Just look at the plans! And since folks always view their lot comparatively, why not destroy sugar and rice to ensure the bar for the “good life” isn’t set too high??!!

But for all of those actions on the ground, if the message isn’t sent out to the troops, it’s all for naught.

And this is where the announcement a few months ago to subsume GINA within the Department of Public Information (DPI) – an APNU innovation – is now going full steam ahead. There’s an ad in the dailies to EXPAND the facilities of the new outfit – which will see the PM’s water boy, now totally in charge of the new unified propaganda arm.

Expect to see the Chronic shaken and stirred so that the Master’s Voice, and ONLY the Master’s Voice, is disseminated. When the “merger” was announced back in May, PM Nagamootoo, nominally in charge of Information, said the Opposition would get coverage.

Quick now, have you ever seen the State media cover, let’s say, the Opposition leader’s press conference?

That’s a portent of the new order. If you want to get the details, just read what the PNC did to freedom of information after their “Declaration of Sophia” in 1974!!

“Muzzle” isn’t the word!!

…on land One of the aforementioned boondoggles – the land issue – has confused some. And that’s because they haven’t listened to the Government’s spokespersons on the issue – as your faithful Eyewitness did. Land, you see, is a guarantor of “intergenerational wealth”.

And so the supporters must get land. Never mind Guyana has had land in coming out of its kazoos ever since Schomberg demarcated our borders back in 1841. Not much “intergenerational wealth” for us Guyanese since then!

What we do know is a helluva lot of wealth was carted off to Britain by the British, who used our labour to cultivate the said land and sell the products for a big profit. So, you’d think by now, the Government spoke persons would wise up to the truth that it’s not how big your plot of land is? It’s what you do with it!!

But not this lot. They’ve already forgotten all the land Burnham have out to the co-ops – complete with tractors, etc.

But what the heck? It’s all about the votes, no?

…the local accent Lincoln Lewis, the new feudal landlord of Kingelly Village, disputed the claim of some 150 residents to the land. He claimed these outsiders said, “Black man nah own land here”.

Shouldn’t that be, “Black man nah own lan’ ya”?

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

News

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thurSDAY, october 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

25th anniversary of the ‘dawn of a new era’

Oct 5, 1992 marks restoration of freedom, dignity and prosperity O

n this, the 25th anniversary of the ‘Dawn of a New Era’ when democracy was restored following the historic General Elections on October 5, 1992, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has reiterated its concern over the continual erosion of democracy in Guyana.

According to the PPP, the erosion began when the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition became the Government following the May 11, 2015 General and Regional Elections, and continues to “threaten freedom as a dictatorship once again rears its head”.

The PPP, in a statement, said anxieties are currently high on wheth-

er future elections are going to be railroaded because of the President’s intransigence on the appointment of a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The Party, therefore, urges all to safeguard the hard-fought freedoms that prevailed unhindered during the 23 years of the PPP/Civic Government from 1992 to 2015.

“Those 23 years of the PPP/Civic Government which October 5, 1992, precipitated, marked the most prosperous period in Guyana’s history, inundated with unprecedented social and infrastructural development positively transforming the country and vastly improving the lives of all Guyanese. Guyana became modernised; respectability

was restored internationally and freedom permeated across the nation,” the PPP stated.

It noted that “despite persistent attempts to cause division among our people, national unity prevailed; despite conspiracies with criminals and fringe elements within our society, law and order won out in the end; despite violent street protests, arson, political unrest and many forms of intimidation, stability, social progress and economic prosperity returned to this land.”

The new era of freedom and prosperity that October 5, 1992, birthed was not easily achieved, the PPP said.

“It was won by heroic, selfless and sustained sacrifices by our people led by the indomitable Founder

and Leader of the PPP, Dr Cheddi Jagan and the Party.

During those struggles, in what has been deemed the dark days of our nation, some who bravely defied the dictatorship unfortunately paid the ultimate price with their lives. The nation will forever be grateful for their heroism. Guyanese, yearning for freedom and the restoration of their dignity, overwhelmingly broke those shackles through the ballot box in 1992; the first free and fair elections in almost three decades in the nation’s history.”

The PPP said October 5 is, therefore, a historic day for Guyana and Guyanese.

“It’s a day that marked the beginning of a new democratic and prosperous era.

It is, therefore, of immense

concern that the democracy earned through blood, tears and sweat, is being trampled upon by the APNU/AFC Government.

Presently, fear prevails and many have been forced into silence as job deprivation, rampant discrimination, fabricated criminal charges and other artifices are used to suppress. Broadcasting laws, the SARA Act, oppressive tax legislation, revocation of leases, seizure of private properties, unlawful raids on private homes and business premises by SOCU, flagrant violations of the Constitution, attack on independent constitutional institutions like the Judiciary and the Service Commissions, neglect of the rice industry, closure of the sugar industry, the over-tax-

ation of the mining industry, the stagnation of the forestry sector, the stifling of commerce and trade and many other aspects of our productive, services and economic sectors – all threaten the freedoms of our people and place their very survival at stake.”

The PPP reiterates that it will not allow Guyana’s democracy to be repressed and for the country to return to dark days of dictatorial rule. The Party said it will remain vigilant to protect the gains that October 5, 1992 brought and its continued significance. “We vow to continue to struggle to restore constitutional freedoms, respect for the rule of law, economic prosperity and racial unity to this land,” the PPP added.

Granger ‘disappointed’ CoI report was leaked – says leak will not be probed

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

he report on the findings of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the alleged plot to assassinate the President was leaked to the State media approximately one month ago, and President David Granger on Wednesday said he is very disappointed about the leak. However, he said his Administration would not be launching a probe to determine the source of the leak.

“I am concerned about any unauthorised leaks and I had hoped that the members of the Cabinet would have had the opportunity to look at it critically before it came up for public discussion, so I am concerned,” he said.

“I don’t know who is responsible for that leak but the important thing is that we have been able to discern or detect some flaws in Police administration and we are

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum

working; the Ministry of the Presidency and the Ministry of Public Security, to ensure that the Police Force is more efficient,” President Granger added.

He said his Government is concerned about crime and solving it, while noting that the issues cannot be addressed if the Police Force is incompetent. He added that

Flashback: CoI Commissioner Paul Slowe handing over the report to President David Granger

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud

it is his mission to have a Police Force in which the public can place their trust, in as well as one that can bring the rate of crime down; hence ensuring a safe nation.

Additionally, Granger said the CoI report is yet to be discussed at the Cabinet level and that he is unsure whether it was sent to the Ministers. However, he did say that Cabinet would discuss the findings at the next Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

“Probing the media is a very difficult task because the media gets hold of these documents, some of the media, by all sorts of ways. I would not be probing. No, I would not be conducting a Commission of Inquiry into the media,” the President said when asked about a probe of the leak.

On March 29 last, Andriff Gillard reported to the Police that his friend and neighbour, Nizam Khan, had offered him $7 million to assassinate the President. He said the offer was made during a conversation between Khan and himself after he had approached Khan to borrow $6 million to purchase a property.

Assistant Police Commissioner David Ramnarine

Following the allegation, President Granger commissioned an inquiry to investigate how the Police had done their investigation of the allegation, and to make recommendations to address flaws and shortcomings on behalf of the Guyana Police Force.

Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe, headed the CoI. In his recommendations, Slowe suggested that disciplinary actions be taken against Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud and that he be made to resign.

It was also recommended that Persaud be investigated for perjury in relation to his statement, wherein he said he was not aware of the allegations until after 16:00h on March 29; whereas Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hicken told the CoI that he had reported the incident to Persaud at round 10:00h on that same day.

Assistant Police Commissioner David Ramnarine was acting Police Commissioner when the allegation was levelled. He told the CoI that he felt a proper investigation was not con-

ducted. The report instructs that sanctions be imposed against him for his failure to ensure that a proper investigation be conducted.

In relation to Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum, Slowe recommends that he be replaced for poor leadership; and questions were raised about his role in the successful solution of crimes under his watch.

During the CoI, Blanhum had testified that because of the nature of the allegation, a decision was taken to have the Major Crimes Unit investigate the matter; and he said he had received several reports of Gillard frustrating the investigation.

Blanhum said too that the Police Legal Adviser, retired Justice Claudette Singh SC, did not recommend that any charges be made in the matter, because the evidence was tenuous and there was simply nothing to charge

anyone with.

Blanhum had told the CoI that he was not responsible for finding out whether proper records were documented. He had explained that he functioned at the executive level of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), and there were supervisors and other ranks below him who were tasked with those responsibilities.

He had also related that he did not find it strange that the men were released less than 24 hours following commencement of the investigation.

During his testimony, the Crime Chief had clashed with Slowe several times, with the latter being visibly upset during Blanhum’s testimony.

Meanwhile, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had said he is disappointed that the report was leaked before Cabinet had the chance to examine it.

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guyanatimesgy.com

thursDAY, OCTOber 5, 2017

News

Demerara River bridge debacle

Procurement legislation violated – analyst

A

former member of the Alliance For Change (AFC) has ac-

cused Government of showing disregard for the laws of Guyana, specifically as it re-

lates to the established procurement process.

In referring to the new

Demerara River bridge project debacle, Sasenarine Singh, said this is providing a nightmare of those tasked with the oversight functions of the public Treasury.

Singh told Guyana Times on Wednesday that direct contracting of Government’s business to one’s business acquaintance, friends, and family in non-competitive deals behind closed doors in dark rooms seems to be the new fashion statement from the Government.

He contends that the process of selecting the contractor to conduct the feasibility study was furthest from being transparent and competitive and as a direct result of that unfair process; this resulted in the sub-optimal quality of output in the feasibility report.

As the spirit and principles of our Constitution compel, the organs of the State must follow the rule of law, and Singh reminded that the entire public procurement system in Guyana operates within a framework using five principles of good governance that are enshrined in the laws of Guyana, namely the procedures must be fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective.

“On all five of these benchmarks, this David Patterson fishy deal has failed. Unless there is a genuine national emergency such as the seawalls broke away, which would require urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen attention, the organs of the State must aim to make the competitive procurement of goods and services their raison d'être at

Former AFC member, Sasenarine Singh

all time,” he argued.

Unfortunately, the financial analysts and politician said if one observes the procurement actions of Minister Patterson’s team, they did not follow the procurement legislation in procuring the services of LievenseCSO Engineering Contractor.

Rather, it seems that it was made up as they went along.

From all appearance, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson appears to have taken the lead role in this saga of public waste and financial extravagance, he opined. But Singh said what is more revolting is the massive amount of misinformation and untruths that are being peddled by the Ministry of the Presidency to cover up what he described as the “Hydra of Lerna”.

“It is awful to observe how Mr Joseph Harmon (Minister of State), uses his weekly press conference to attempt to whitewash the pertinent issues on the socalled fishy deal when the

media raises them. He did no different on this fishy bridge deal,” Singh further stated.

The former AFC member criticised Harmon for his poor attempt at defending his colleague Minister.

“Harmon is no Dr Roger Luncheon and in most cases, rather than doing justice to the poor attempt at ‘hitting the ball’, he gave away the whole wicket to the bowlers in a most juvenile fashion.

At a minimum, Mr Harmon when he chooses to come to the defence of a bad procurement deal must know that open competition is the basis for efficient public procurement globally. It is the gold standard. So his defence of Mr Patterson’s team engaging in direct closed-door contracting of the bridge consultant to do the feasibility study for the design of the new proposed Demerara River bridge is most awkward and obnoxious?”

Singh did not stop there, but told Guyana Times that the Government is importing unaccountability and non-transparency into the national procurement process using taxpayer funding, which must be rejected on all fronts. “And I can prove that this stuff is not proper. All we have to do is ask ourselves, would the international donor agencies like the IDB engage in such an uncompetitive tender process in this situation?

So why does Mr Patterson think he has the right to force such a non-competitive, non-transparent financial deal down the throats of the taxpayers?”

City properties’ revaluation to be completed by year-end – Town Clerk

T

he Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is moving towards reassessing the value of properties in and around Georgetown. Town Clerk Royston King said this was one of the many measures the Council is undertaking to address its financial struggles.

This was disclosed during a press conference, which was held on Tuesday at City Hall, Regent Street. King explained that it has been over 20 years since properties in the city have been evaluated and described the situation as “unimaginable”.

According to the Department of Public Information, King pointed out that the M&CC, along with the Communities Ministry, is currently working on an evaluation plan. More importantly, Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan is in talks with a Canadian firm to undertake the project.

King noted, “he (Minister Bulkan) is talking to them about doing a reassessment of properties of the city of Georgetown and reforming the local tax regime. That is an initiative that is coming on board; we are now doing a pilot where we are providing information from certain areas to the Minister and we are hoping that the reassessment of all properties in the city will happen by the end of the year.”

King further added that the Council could no longer provide certain services “with the same money that we have been collecting 20 years ago”.

According to the Town Clerk, non-payment of rates and taxes is another reason why the Council finds itself cash-strapped.

King bluntly stated that “the reason why the Council is bankrupt is because the money is in the bank accounts of persons who are defaulting on paying their

Town Clerk Royston King

rates and we are trying to get people to pay their rates so that we can get the money to provide the kind of services that citizens expect.”

Additionally, the Council is looking to erect a number of structures on Merriman Mall that will be rented to hairdressers, nail technicians, and barbers. The revenue garnered from the rental will be utilised by the Council to carry out work, the DPI said.

news

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thursDAY, october 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Sole-sourcing

Govt on dangerous path of collision – Edghill …with procurement law barring entity-bidder negotiations

A tender for works on the Camp Street Prison was annulled

Opposition PPP/C Member of Parliament, Juan Edghill

By Jarryl Bryan

T

he several instances where the coalition Government has admitted it annulled tenders to procure goods and services and sole-sourced contractors are being classified as potential breaches of Guyana’s law.

Section 40 of Guyana’s Procurement Act states that permission from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) must be sought before sole sourcing.

But Section 41 of the Act prohibits the procuring entity, in most cases the relevant Ministry, from engag-

ing in any negotiation with any of the bidders. According to former Minister within the Finance Ministry, Juan Edghill, this is in fact what may have been happening.

“The fact that you are sole sourcing suggests that.

Because, for example, the Sussex Street bond. How did Mr Larry Singh know that the Government had need of a bond? It was never publicly advertised.”

“So when things are sole sourced, it causes speculation that there is an arrangement or some form of consideration.

And that is why we are demanding (that the) process be followed. Every sole-sourced contract is an arrangement, whether it’s ANSA McAL, Georgetown Prisons, Sussex Street Bond, whether it’s

D’Urban Park….,” Edghill posited.

Last year, the Government cancelled a tender seeking a contractor to carry out feasibility studies into the new Demerara River bridge. In the process, it abandoned bids from 22 local and foreign contractors and sole-sourced the service from a Dutch company.

Then, it recently came to light that the Government cancelled a tender for the multimillion-dollar reconstruction of the administrative blocks for the Georgetown prison. The project was being undertaken by the Public Infrastructure Ministry.

A total of 20 companies had been shortlisted from a prequalification process and were invited by

the Permanent Secretary, Geoffrey Vaughn to conduct a site visit on July 27, 2017.

They were to respond by the following day on whether or not they would be submitting a bid for the project.

The visit was the following day rescheduled by the Ministry’s Work Services Group Manager for Procurement and Contracts, Philip Bryan. The procurement manager, by way of email, a copy of which was seen by this publication, indicated that the site visit for the project was rescheduled for the following day, Friday, July 28, 2017.

On July 28, 2017, acting Permanent Secretary Vaughn wrote again to the bidders saying, “The Ministry regrets to inform you that a decision was taken by the executing agency to annul this bid.”

Vaughn then pointed to a clause which speaks to the “employer’s right to accept any bid and to reject any or all bids”.

The Ministry has since said that the process was annulled because it was not the subject Ministry. According to the Ministry, it was just providing “technical support” for the Public Security Ministry.

The controversial Sussex Street bond

In the case of the Sussex Street, Albouystown bond, the Opposition had once again approached the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), this time calling for an investigation into a contract inked between the Public Health Ministry and a known financier of the coalition Administration.

The formal request was made by Edghill, who last week wrote to PPC Chairperson Carol Corbin, indicating that the political Opposition was demanding “a definitive pronouncement specifically addressing if this award was done in a fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective manner according to our procurement laws”.

The former Government

Minister wants the Procurement Commission to investigate specifically how a contract for a bond for the storage of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies was sole-sourced from an entity that did not own and/or operate such a facility and further, “how was the company’s primary director, Larry Singh, made aware that a drug bond was needed”.

Given the argument presented by the Health Ministry in defence of the contract – Edghill is also looking to ascertain “who made the decision to sole source and under what circumstances; what was the emergency referred to by the Minister”; and how Linden Holdings Inc was engaged to ink a contract.

Bauxite workers win big against Russian employer ...call on Granger Govt to honour rule of law

GB&GWU President Leslie Gonsalves

T

he Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GWU), headed by President Leslie Gonsalves and General Secretary Lincoln Lewis, on Tuesday last prevailed against the employer-preferred National Mines Workers Union and won the Recognition Poll with a resounding 93 per cent.

Repeated efforts by the majority Russia-owned RUSAL subsidiary Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) to impose unions or workers’ committees continue to be stoutly rejected by the workers.

The election was reported as incident free, with the exception of one event where the BCGI management sought to make an unauthorised and illegal entry to the polling station.

According to the Union, this was seen as an attempt to

intimidate the workers or influence the outcome. However, management was met with strong opposition by the Trade Union Recognition Board officials, who were responsible for conducting the poll.

The poll came against the backdrop of eight years of refusal by the BCGI to treat with the vigilant GB&GWU. This Union has been crusading against the transgressing of workers’ constitutional right to Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining (Article 147), and the violation of Section 23 (1) of the Trade Union Recognition Act (1997) in the domestic and international communities.

The GB&GWU, as a result, now calls on BCGI to honour the laws of Guyana and treat with the Union according to said laws, failing to do otherwise will constitute breach of the law and continued high-handedness and disrespect shown by management for the sovereignty of Guyana and the workers of Guyana.

The GB&GWU said too it called on the David Granger Government, with authority vested by way of Recognition, to cause the BCGI to respect the will and rights of these workers. In any failure to do so, Government cannot absolve itself from taking responsibility in siding with foreign forces to undermine this nation’s integrity and sovereignty.

“It is opportune to remind the Administration that these workers not only expressed their will for the GB&GWU but also for them in May 2015

GB&GWU General Secretary Lincoln Lewis

on the commitment that their labour at this company shall be protected as enshrined in the laws and Collective Labour Agreement.”

It was noted that where A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) as Opposition and Government rightly demanded the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in Government and Opposition respect the electorate’s will in 2011 and 2015, so too must it be for the workers’ will as expressed on Tuesday.

The GB&GWU by way of a public missive has since called on Government to now move to give effect to its commitment and the rule of law.

According to the Union, workers must now see the BCGI being brought to the table to start treating with the GB&GWU. “Of immediate priority is

management adding its signature to the tripartite document to give effect to the promised taxes on all premium hours worked, ie, overtime, Saturday and Sunday work. GB&GWU and Government signed the document since last year and await BCGI’s signature so the workers can enjoy this benefit.”

The Union also identified the honouring of the Vacation Benefit and Holiday Pay as prescribed in the Collective Labour Agreement.

Simultaneously, Government must move to have full scale engagement between the management and Union, a company that it has part ownership of.

“This has been a bitter and bruising battle, workers have suffered and continue to suffer...Some have been deprived, lost their lives through avoidable industrial accidents, were fed unhealthy food, physically threatened, are working in unsafe and unhealthy environment where some have fallen ill, been arbitrarily dismissed, and families have been rent asunder under the weight of the inability of the main breadwinner to provide.

Better men and women would have buckled under such circumstances.”

The GB&GWU in partnership with the international trade union movement in 2009 launched an online campaign,

which received thousands of signatures from around the world; there have been several interventions made via letters, statements, columns, articles and editorials, by local and foreign trade unions, federations and citizens calling on the Government of Guyana to address the grievances.

It was noted that the then Opposition APNU and AFC have condemned the contemptuous treatment meted out to the bauxite workers and the disregard for the rule of law and noted “they are now in the driving seat and have the opportunity to prove how serious and committed they are to righting the wrongs.”

12 news

thurSDAY, october 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Meter reading soon to be a DDL to invest thing of the past $10B in 3 years – GWI head D H

emerara Distillers Limited (DDL) on Wednesday announced a programme of development that would see the company investing $10 billion (US$50 million), over the next three years.

Speaking on Wednesday after a tour of DDL facilities by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo said that the investments over the next three years “are in pursuance of DDL’s strategic goals to increase its export earnings [and], to diversify its income base; not only in alcohol but other things like food processing and other non-alcoholic beverages”.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo, indicating that he was happy to finally have his long overdue visit to DDL, said he was “delighted to see that our local manufacturers are hard at work ensuring that our local products reach the global markets”. He added that the expansion plans outlined

by DDL on Wednesday demonstrate the company’s continued confidence in Guyana’s economy. “As a government, we will continue to support them and all manufacturers of local content,” he stated.

Describing DDL as “one of the biggest value-added companies in Guyana

ead of Guyana Water Inc Field Services, Sunildatt Barran, during a meeting with representatives of Diehl Metering Company, said misinterpreted meter readings will soon be a thing of the past as the company seeks to roll out the use of the modernised ultrasonic meters.

According to Barran, GWI is currently testing the

no revenue, including water consumed by the customer but not billed for, leaks or unauthorised consumption.

Barran further noted that the project has been successful to date, explaining that 120 meters have been installed for testing in Better Hope, La Bonne Intention and Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara and data is being collected for analysis.

Managing Director of

ter flow rather than air or any other mineral, it is equipped with an alarm system to detect vandalism, causes no sedimentation and detects leaks.

Diehl Metering, which is the Platinum sponsor of the 2017 CWWA Conference and Exhibition slated for later this month, caught the attention of Dr Van WestCharles during last year’s edition event.

GWI, Dr Richard Van WestCharles was updated on the success of the testing phase thus far.

The Managing Director said a comparative analysis of customers’ historical data and that of the new meter, as well as of the length of time it takes to read, will show the benefits of the ultrasonic meter.

He noted that it is also expected to support the new billing system GWI will be implementing, thus allowing efficiency in the meter reading process.

According to Diehl Metering, the official manufacturers of the ultrasonic meters, among its advantages are: large measuring range, measurement of wa-

Dr Van West-Charles said he was impressed with the meter and immediately asked the company to carry out a pilot project in Guyana and the company agreed.”

So the pilot has started… this means a lot for the financial viability of the company. The evidence is there that we have to meter about 100,000 of our customers; minimum.”

The testing phase for the meters is expected to last until December 2017, after which GWI and its Board of Directors will explore the feasibility of installing the ultrasonic meters among unmetered customers and those whose meters need replacing.

An ultrasonic flow meter

DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo used the opportunity to announce the company’s current expansion plans on Wednesday

and probably Guyana’s most successful value-added company”, Minister Gaskin said “it was good to get a walkthrough and get a glimpse of their manufacturing facilities”. He wished the company well with its expansion plans and said the Government stood “ready to give support to DDL wherever possible”.

The new DDL expan-

sion programme includes some projects that have already started, some projects that are ready to go, and some projects that are in various stages of the planning process. Projects that have already started include the new warehouse for storing aging rums.

Projects that are ready to go include the new blending department and the new DSL warehouse.

practicality of the meters by means of a three-month pilot project. “Everything has been successful to date.

We’ve done both the driveby and the fixed-wireless methods of reading, so information is continuously coming in and we’re going to use that data to do our analysis.”

He indicated that the fixed-wireless method has since proven most effective, as it has the ability to read a wide range of meters at once.

This venture is expected to put GWI in a position to tackle non-revenue water (NRW) and achieve the plans outlined in its strategic plan. NRW is water that has been produced but for which the utility receives

Student arrested for New Austrian Ambassador accredited to Guyana slashing schoolmate with razor

P

olice are now investigating the circumstances surrounding an incident involving two students attached to the Institute of Business Education (IBE) on the Lusignan Public Road, East Coast Demerara, which resulted in a 15-year-old being injured and his 16-year-old attacker being taken into Police custody.

According to information received by C Division (East Coast) Commander Calvin Brutus, the incident occurred some time after 15:00h on Wednesday.

Guyana Times was told that the victim and his assailant have had several misunderstandings in the past. However, on the afternoon in question, another heated argument ensued when the two came

face to face in the vicinity of a shop in Lusignan.

This resulted in a brief scuffle between the two teens, after which the 16-year-old reportedly whipped out a “razor” and cut the 15-year-old across his chest.

Eyewitnesses who were nearby reportedly raised an alarm and the relevant authorities were contacted after the victim began to bleed profusely.

While it is not yet known how severe the student’s injuries were, the C Division Commander confirmed that the injured teen was taken to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The 16-year-old was arrested and his parents were contacted as investigations continue.

President David Granger and Ambassador Marianne Feldmann with other officials

N

ew Austrian Ambassador to Guyana, Marianne Feldmann on Wednesday presented her letter of credence to President David Granger at State House sealing her accreditation as the new envoy of the European country.

In accepting her letter, President Granger said

that Guyana and Austria have enjoyed cordial relations ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations in April 1973. He noted that the relations have been cemented by active engagement in advancement of Caricom.

“Guyana is moving towards the establishment of a green state. A green state

is one that will raise emphasis on the preservation of our biodiversity, protection of our environment and eco- educational services, promotion of renewable energy generation and adapting practical measures to ensure climate adaptation,” he said.

“Guyana looks forward to renewed cooperation in

agriculture, education, environmental protection, forest management, in investment and renewable energy generation,” he added.

Feldmann expressed her gratitude to the President for accepting her letter while renewing her country’s commitment to further collaboration with Guyana.

news

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thursDAY, october 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

– gets warm welcome from Lindeners Former President now Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo visited Linden in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) on Wednesday where he, and his team, met informally with residents, many of whom raised issues and concerns affecting them, their community and the country as a whole.

The Opposition Leader met residents informally in the streets, markets, shops, etc, during a walkabout of the mining town. He also addressed residents as a group and listened to their concerns, giving them the opportunity of having their voices heard. Accompanying the Opposition Leader were former Minister Robeson Benn and People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament, Nigel Dharamlall, among others. Below are a few scenes of Jagdeo’s visit to Linden, captured by Guyana Times photographer Carl Croker.

14 news

thursDAY, october 5, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Koker attendant sleeps as river water floods GT communities – City Council launches investigation

Sections of Alexander Village were inundated

The backdam canal at Alexander Village which residents said has not been cleaned in over five years

By Shemuel Fanfair

R

esidents of Alexander Village and Riverview, Ruimveldt, are counting their losses after their properties were flooded owing to the negligence of a koker attendant who reportedly slept and left the sluice open.

fered. This publication was told that the Riverview koker door was left open for more than two hours after the time it should have been closed.

It was explained that the door was meant to be closed at 22:00h Tuesday, but the sluice attendant reportedly slept away and was only

and if I see they lapsing, I does go and wake them,” expressed a Riverview man, whose newly-purchased $125,000 refrigerator stopped working on Wednesday morning.

Residents said the attendant and others attempted to battle the waters just after midnight, but this was too late and water kept on gushing in. The situation got worse as high tide came in around 03:00h Wednesday.

“Water was still inside the fridge; the bottom cupboard get wet, and I had to lose a day’s pay to ensure my things dem secure,” city hotel chef Trevor Spencer told this newspaper.

The Riverview shop owner who is popularly known as Ziko told Guyana Times that Wednesday’s flooding

access drains in the area.

Residents noted that poor drainage contributed to the flooding, adding that the drains were not regularly cleared.

“De water can’t run nowhere,” a man in the com-

“It’s not fair that everything you working for hard and investing in just getting damaged every time there is flooding. You cleaning, but it ain’t make no sense because it is the same thing happening all the time,” an

assess their losses. She revealed that City Hall would launch a probe into the flood situation.

“We’re going to have an emergency meeting, have an investigation and move forward. I am waiting on my engineer and the other men on the floor to tell me exactly what happened, but I can see actual damage,” she noted.

However, just before lunch, residents said they were still waiting on the assessment team, adding that they were promised disinfectant fluid to wash their premises with. One woman, a teacher from the Riverview area, however, indicated that disinfectant fluid was not enough to compensate for the losses they suffered. She further related

munity relayed.

Many students were kept away from school, and Alexander Village residents said flooding there was compounded by a backdam canal which was not cleaned for over five years.

Alexander Village resident disclosed.

Meanwhile, Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green was on site and reportedly told Riverview residents that someone from City Hall would check with them to

that her daughter’s books, toys and the family computer were all destroyed in the intense overnight flooding.

The residents are calling for the City Council to address immediately their concerns.

Workers at Riverview, Ruimveldt were clearing bush and clogged drains following the overnight flooding

The aftermath of the flooding

Guyana Times met with affected persons on Wednesday who were calling for compensation to be paid out to them over the damage to equipment and household goods they suf-

awakened when residents realised the water was rushing into their yards and homes.

“Many nights, I does wake them up because I live in here and I know the tide

was not the first such incident, recalling that several months ago issues at the koker caused flooding in the area. During the morning hours on Wednesday, workers, presumably attached to the city, were seen clearing

Food outlets facing impending closure by M&CC

F

ive food outlets in and around Georgetown are facing impending closure by the Mayor and City Council’s Meat and Hygiene Food Department.

This was disclosed on Tuesday by Acting Head of the Department, Abiola Baker, during a press conference.

Baker said none of the five businesses have the necessary documentation that would permit operation of any sort, more so

a business that deals with food. Some of the outlets being closed have been notified since 2015.

She explained that “some of them have been operating under insanitary conditions, they have been operating without their food handlers certificate and they have also been employing staff and have them operating under those circumstances and conditions as well. We have visited them several times, we served them

Acting Head of Meat and Hygiene Food Department, Abiola Baker

with violation notices to no avail, so we have had to take this decision of having them closed.”

Two of those businesses are located on Sheriff Street; one in Castello Housing Scheme; another on Dennis Street; and one on Duncan Street. It was also disclosed by Baker that the Council is preparing to close more food businesses that are not complying with the laws.

Town Clerk Royston King, speaking to the is-

sue, said that the non-compliance of the regulations and bylaws governing food establishments is something that has been ongoing for years.

According to the Department of Public Information, King stated that “we are now taking action to close them down because we have an interest in securing the public health of our local neighbourhood and all of our citizens… it is for the good of the citizens of the city.”

thursDAY, october 5, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

“A

rt is like a wife, you have to love her and her only….

You have to keep bettering yourself all the time.”

Twenty-two-year-old

Nigel Nixon Butler, an artist hailing from South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown by way of Surama, North Rupununi (where the larger part of his family is from), is a bit of a dichotomy in more ways than one.

“I’m the type of person that prefers to look at the simple things, things overlooked, figure it out, put it together; the kind that tries to help whenever I can and wouldn’t expect anything in return. Take life as it comes and just focus on what is in the moment. I would like to believe there is a set future and all I have to do is just work hard enough to get there – wherever that may be. Life is full of surprises; much like a painting, you can only see what you have if you keep applying your paints. Not every painting is

planned; much like how trying to plan life never works out [for most, it] may work well for some persons, but could not for everyone.”

Butler, who says he is

trying to be a full-time artist, but “it’s tough, because it’s hard to manage finances when you’re not sure how much work you would be getting in the week to come or to offset expenses”, first discovered his talent for art in secondary school.

“Secondary school is when you know art was just a mandatory subject you had to do and after doing and trying to do all these subjects, I found art as an escape from reality and something that people took a liking to [and] was encouraged to keep doing it, so I did and went from there,” he explained.

After secondary school, Butler attended ER Burrows School of Arts from which he graduated with a certificate in art and set about making art his career.

“Support for artists is a

rare thing,” he says, but he has learnt to “keep focusing on what you want and that’s going to keep you happy enough to keep pursuing it”. “Art is like a wife, you

have to love her and her only. You’re not always going to get the respect you want; you’re always going to have the most work to do, because only you know what you want. The thing about creativity is it never gets easy: you always have to start from scratch to create something new and innovative. You have to keep bettering yourself all the time.”

In discussing his influences and sources of inspiration, the articulate, philosophical ‘artrepreneur’ revealed that his paternal and maternal grandparents have had a profound impact on his life. “From the time I was a little child, their advice and logic of life have helped me to understand and learn so much.”

But his art is inspired by

Market statistics Cambio Rates

Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board

Bank of Guyana Cur

Buying

Calculated at 94% purity, October 4, 2017

Selling

GBP

$272.95

$276.41

CAN

$164.85

$166.76

USD

$205.98

$208.44

EURO

$ 242.09

$245.18

USD

$1274.25

Gross

$249,597

Net

$232,125

Indicators as on October 4, 2017 Indicators

US$ per barrel

Crude Oil

$56.00

Price

USD

-0.21 Change %

Rough Rice

$265.10/ton

+0.17

London Sugar

$375.70/ton

+2.79

Live Spot Gold

Business Concept – Brand

Change %

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1273.20

$1274.20

Low/High

$1270.10

$1283.00

Change

+1.4 0

+0.11%

Unique design, sign, symbol, words, or a combination of these, employed in creating an image that identifies a product and differentiates it from its competitors. Over time, this image becomes associated with a level of credibility, quality, and satisfaction in the consumer’s mind. Thus brands help harried consumers in crowded and complex marketplace, by standing for certain benefits and value. The legal name for a brand is trademark and, when it identifies or represents a firm, it is called a brand name. (Business Dictionary)

life itself. “Life, moments that translate to a feeling which moves the brush in any direction. I have no one source.

However, for this year so far, my themes have been around Indigenous elements and people.”

Butler, who uses a variety of mediums – acrylic paints, cement, wood, and pixels (to create digital art), with a focus on painting – made it clear, however, that he did not in-

neurs in this area to “keep pushing and you will get there. Be your hardest critic; that way no one else’s words could possibly do you any damage. Take your time and build a foundation; it is important to building higher achievements.”

In pinpointing the most important trait of an entrepreneur, Butler said “it all comes down to management of time, finance, and one’s self”.

He believes fair business and financial support are needed for local artists to develop, and shared his dream for the future of arts in Guyana: “I would like to

tend to stick to just the aforementioned themes.

He noted that getting started in a talent-based business was hard, but encouraged would-be entrepre-

see art going widespread, where each region could encourage their younger generation to be more creative, whether visually or musically. Places set up and headed

15

by local artists and teachers to help those interested in art become more used to the environment and other international and local artists. Let them see what is being done and not be near-sighted in that what they see around them is the only thing that’s going on; there is a lot more. But, at the same time, keep Guyana as a base of our work. Also, more art galleries are needed – and bigger ones – whose sole purpose is to showcase art, and more local persons being interested in art – viewing it, buying it, just loving it. As an artist, it brings great joy to hear or see a person’s reaction to a painting or your work in general – whatever form of art you do. It’s just fulfilling when someone likes it.”

For him success is about being able “to look back from where you stand and see all the pain, heartache, effort, time and energy you put in to make it to where you stand today”.

Contact: 674-2782

Investor’s Guide

Wall St extends run of record highs; services data upbeat

U

S stocks edged up to extend their run of record closing highs on Wednesday as data on the services sector added to signs of strength in the economy and prospects for earnings.

It was the third straight session where all three major indexes hit record closing highs, though the small-cap Russell 2000 broke its string of eight all-time high finishes, ending down 0.3 per cent.

Shares of Netflix helped lift the S&P 500, rising 2.9 per cent, after UBS raised its price target on the company. Shares of Amazon, up 0.9 per cent, gave the index its biggest boost.

Market gains were limited as a decline in oil prices weighed on energy shares, and the S&P information technology index, up about 26 per cent this year, posted its first drop in seven sessions. The S&P energy index

was down 0.1 per cent and the technology index was down 0.2 per cent.

The vast US services sector overcame hurricane-related snags to expand at its fastest pace in 12 years.

“It’s been an overall quiet market, and I think it’s waiting for the earnings season and maybe some bigger economic data,” said Paul Nolte, portfolio manager at Kingsview Asset Management in Chicago.

“We’ve seen economic data, especially manufacturing data both here in the United States as well as globally, better, so it should be a better earnings season.”

Analysts expect third-quarters earnings of S&P 500 companies rose 5.5 per cent in the third quarter from a year earlier, according to Thomson Reuters data. That would be down from double-digit growth in the first two quarters, but

many strategists are optimistic results will be better than expected.

Stocks have been hitting record highs on stronger economic data and President Donald Trump’s tax overhaul plan. On Monday, data showed a measure of US manufacturing activity surged to a near 13-1/2-year high in September.

The rest of the week is loaded with economic data, culminating in Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report for September.

Allaying fears of fresh turmoil in the Trump Administration, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson denied reports he considered resigning.

Investors had worried that another administration departure could weigh on Trump’s efforts to push through the tax reform programme, a key 2016 campaign promise. (Reuters)

16

guyanatimesgy.com

thursDAY, october 5, 2017

Regional

Puerto Rico: Trump compares Mixed reaction as Jamaican mother charged for beating daughter with machete Maria and Katrina deaths

T

P

resident Donald Trump has told Puerto Rico officials they should be “proud” they did not lose thousands of lives as in “a real catastrophe like Katrina”.

Trump also said the storm-ravaged US territory had thrown the American budget “a little out of whack”.

Before landing on the island, Trump graded his administration’s response to Hurricane Maria as an “A plus”. Puerto Rico officials have criticised the US Government’s handling of the natural disaster as too slow.

Following the visit, the White House announced it was preparing to send a US$29 billion (£22 billion) disaster aid request to Congress.

Of that, US$13 billion would be for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, Florida

President Donald Trump shook hands with his fiercest critic, the San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz

and Texas, while the other US$16 billion would be for the Government-backed flood insurance programme.

Tuesday’s five-hour presidential trip to the Puerto Rican capital San Juan came two weeks after the storm devastated the island.

“I’ve been to Puerto Rico many times and the weather is second to none but sometimes you get hit – and you got hit,” Trump told officials

at an Air National Guard base.

“Every death is a horror,” the President added, “but if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina, and you look at the tremendous – hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people that died, and you look at what happened here, with really a storm that was just totally overpowering, nobody’s ever seen anything like this.”

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Mexico plans aid for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

S

uffering itself after two major earthquakes last month, Mexico plans to send aid including water and electricity experts to Puerto Rico, a US territory reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

The gesture, announced by the Mexican government on Wednesday, follows an awkward series of exchanges between Mexico and the United States over emergency aid in recent weeks.

Mexico plans to send some 30 tons of bottled water, mosquito repellent and

specialists in power generation, transmission and distribution from the state power utility, Mexico’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) team would work to mitigate the damage and assist in restoring power supply after Maria, the ministry said.

The strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in nearly 90 years, Maria caused at least 34 deaths and inflicted widespread damage to homes and infrastructure, including wiping out power across the Caribbean island.

Mexico has had strained relations with its northern neighbour since US President Donald Trump took office in January, promising to build a wall along the US southern border to keep out illegal immigrants and drugs.

Mexico had planned to send material assistance to the United States after Hurricane Harvey, which hit Texas in late August, but later withdrew the offer after the first of the two quakes struck southern Mexico in early September.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

A year after Hurricane Matthew, Haiti more vulnerable than ever

H

aiti may have been largely spared from this year’s worst hurricanes – Harvey, Irma and Maria – but it is still picking up the pieces from disastrous Matthew last year. That hurricane, which struck a year ago to the day, killed more than 500 people and caused two billion dollars in damage in the poorest country in the Americas. And the consequences are not over. The category four hurricane was the strongest to hit Haiti in

a decade. Still, even though so many people died and so much damage was wrought, it did not change the way the country prepares for natural disasters. For instance, like many coastal areas in the south, the town of Roche-a-Bateaux was ravaged by flooding. And since Matthew the mayor has complained nothing has been done to make the town less vulnerable to flood waters.

“Studies were carried out to define what work must be

done to dredge river beds. But then nothing was ever done,”

Mayor Frisnel Chery said.

“These days all it takes is a bit of rain to flood the national highway that goes through town. If a hurricane like Matthew were to hit tomorrow it would be more serious,” said the mayor. The town of 23,000 has no money for heavy machinery like earthmoving equipment and depends on the national government. Small villages always get left out as more attention is paid to bigger towns, Chery said. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

he Jamaican teenager at the centre of a vicious beating that went viral on social media recently, is upset that her mother will face the law courts. And both Government and Opposition spokespeople say the incident points to deeper issues that must be addressed.

Doreen Dyer, 44, was arrested and charged with cruelty to a child and will appear in the St Thomas Parish Court next week over the incident in which she beat her 13-year-old daughter with a machete last year.

At the height of strong

public outrage, the girl told a talk show on Hitz 92 FM, a local radio station, that her mother was one of the best in the world and she felt bad about the developments.

Another daughter also rushed to her mother’s defence. Sheryl Jones, 21, told the media that since the video went viral, many people were wrongfully accusing her mother whom she said “don’t normally beat”.

Spokesman on youth and culture for the Opposition People’s National Party, Damion Crawford, also said that Jamaicans were pointing fingers in the wrong di-

rection.

Crawford, who visited the community where the family lives to investigate the circumstances surrounding the ordeal, contended that while the child was a victim of physical abuse, the parent was also a victim of the Jamaican culture of discipline and the inability to receive legitimate assistance with child rearing.

He called for the State to re-socialize the mother, rather than criminalise her. The Child Development Agency said the girl underwent counselling and is being cared for by relatives.

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Venezuela’s Maduro thanks Putin for support in difficult times

V

enezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Wednesday thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his political and diplomatic support in difficult times.

“I thank you for all the support, political and diplomatic, in difficult times which we are living through,” Maduro told Putin at talks in the Kremlin.

“I‘m very thankful for the agreement on grain, it has helped keep consumption in Venezuela stable,” Maduro said.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Venezuelan leader, who is visiting Moscow, that Russia would continue its economic cooperation with Venezuela, including on ma-

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia October 4, 2017

jor projects.

“We see that Venezuela is going through difficult times,” Putin told Maduro.

“We have the impression that you have, nevertheless,

been able to establish some contact with those political forces that oppose you.”

“For our part, work continues, including in the economic sphere.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

T&T Ministers take 5% pay cut

G

overnment Ministers have taken a five per cent pay cut.

The measure was instituted by Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley last year, which Finance Minister revealed to the media yesterday, following a T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce annual post-budget analysis meeting with the business sector at the Hyatt Regency Port of Spain.

In fielding questions from the media, Imbert was asked what sacrifices Government ministers were making, one day after he called on the national com-

munity in his 2018 budget presentation to share in the burden of adjustments.

“There is something that we have not publicised. The Cabinet took a five per cent pay cut last year because we were mandated by the Prime Minister to take five per cent of our salaries and give it to charity.

We have all been doing that but we did not publicised it. Perhaps we should have.”

Every month, Imbert said he gives $2,000 from his salary.

“And that is on gross.

That is not after tax….that

is before tax. I give TT$2000 a month in various charities to my constituency and all of us were mandated to do that. So we have been sacrificing for quite a while.” Imbert also warned that 2018 will be a “make or break year” for T&T. He said even though Government has brought down expenditure from TT$63 billion to TT$50 billion, “it is far more than our revenue because we earn between TT$35 to TT$37 billion in revenue,” which has resulted in a huge gap between revenue and expenditure. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

US Govt donates auxiliary vessels to JDF

T

he US Government has donated four auxiliary vessels with supplies and equipment to the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). According to the US Embassy of Jamaica, two 38-foot Defender Safe Boats and two 37-foot Justice Boston Whalers have been donated.

“These vessels will help to keep our citizens and our borders safe,” the Ministry of National Security said in a

Some of the auxiliary vessels with supplies and equipment

tweet on Wednesday.

Charge d’Affaires Eric Khant, while speaking at the official handing over ceremony, said, “border security is Jamaica’s top priority”.

“With these additional boats Jamaica will have the largest maritime presence in the Caribbean,” he added. The ceremony is currently ongoing at the Port Royal Naval Base in Kingston. (Jamaica Observer)

thursDAY, october 5, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

Turkish coup plotters Las Vegas shooter's girlfriend returns to US as Police reveal details of his planning sentenced to life in prison

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uthorities investigating the Las Vegas mass shooting, the deadliest in modern US history, are preparing to question the girlfriend of gunman Stephen Paddock, who has flown back to America after being named a “person of interest” in the criminal case.

As fresh details of the meticulous planning of the massacre were revealed by investigators, Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of Clark County told a press conference that detectives were in contact with Marilou Danley, who had been travelling in the Philippines at the time of the killings.

“The investigation with her is ongoing and we anticipate some further information from her shortly,”

US Police have said the woman, a former casino employee, was living with Paddock in Nevada

he told reporters. “Currently she is a person of interest.”

It has since been confirmed that Danley boarded a flight to the US where authorities awaited her.

Lombardo declined to comment on a report that 64-year-old Paddock had wired US$100,000 to an ac-

count in the Philippines sometime in the week before the attack.

However, a spokesman for the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed the move.

Nick Suarez told AFP news agency that the FBI, its US counterpart, had sought

help in finding Danley.

Suarez said the FBI considered Danley a “person of interest”, but not necessarily a suspect.

Paddock opened fire from the windows of his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, killing 58 people and injuring more than 500 at a country music festival. Police stormed his room and found he had killed himself.

On Tuesday, officials offered new information on Paddock and how he planned the attack. An agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said that 47 firearms had now been found in three different locations, including the hotel room, and Verde and Mesquite, Nevada. (Excerpt from

The Guardian)

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Turkish court on Wednesday handed life sentences to 34 people for plotting to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a luxury Aegean hotel during last year's failed coup.

The 34 were given four life sentences each at the trial in the southwestern city of Mugla, state-run TRT Haber television said. The group includes former brigadier general Gokhan Sahin Sonmezates, who was accused of directing the plot.

The trial began on February 20 and is one of many such processes taking place across Turkey to try those who allegedly plotted the failed bid to oust Erdogan on July 15, 2016.

Some verdicts have already been handed out in lower-profile cases but it is the first ruling involving

top plotters. The failed coup left 249 people dead, not including the putschists, and the authorities have vowed no compromise in bringing those involved to justice.

Turkey accuses Pennsylvania-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen of orchestrating the attempted coup. Gulen, a former Erdogan ally turned archfoe, strongly denies Ankara's claims.

Erdogan has said the assassination plot left him minutes from death after he fled the resort in Marmaris, where he had been holidaying with his family, and went back to Istanbul by plane.Some Erdogan supporters had called for the plotters to face the death penalty, which Turkey abolished in 2004 as part of its bid to join the European Union. (Excerpt from France24)

Catalonia moves to declare Prankster, coughing fits mar independence from Spain on Monday Theresa May’s speech to activists

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atalonia will move on Monday to declare independence from Spain following its banned referendum as the European Union nation nears a rupture that threatens the foundations of its young democracy.

Mireia Boya, a Catalan lawmaker from the pro-independence Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) party, said on Twitter that a declaration of independence would

follow a parliamentary session on Monday to evaluate the results of the October 1 vote to break away.

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said earlier he would ask the region’s parliament to declare independence following the poll, which Spain’s Government and constitutional court say was illegal and in which only a minority of Catalans voted.

“This will probably finish

once we get all the votes in from abroad at the end of the week and therefore we shall probably act over the weekend or early next week,” he told the BBC in remarks published on Wednesday.

He said the Madrid Government’s refusal to negotiate had left Catalonia “no other way” than to declare independence and he accused it of authoritarianism.

“The Spanish govern-

ment is letting political opponents be arrested, it is influencing media and blocking Internet sites. We are under observation day and night,” Puigdemont said.

“What is that other than an authoritarian state?”

Spain was only restored to democracy following the death in 1975 of military dictator Francisco Franco, under whom the Catalan language and traditions were suppressed. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Rwandan President's challenger charged with inciting insurrection

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rosecutors in Rwanda have charged Diane Rwigara, the accountant who tried to challenge the veteran Rwandan leader Paul Kagama in elections this year, with inciting insurrection and forgery.

Rwigara was detained 10 days ago and faces a lengthy jail sentence. Kagame has won international praise for the stability and economic development he has brought Rwanda since the 1994 genocide, when an estimated 800,000 people were killed, but has also been accused of running an authoritarian, one-party state.

Kagame won the election in August with more than 98 per cent of the vote, securing

a third term in office and extending his 17 years in power.

Electoral authorities barred Rwigara, 35, from standing in August, saying she had not submitted enough supporters’ signatures and that some of the names she did submit belonged to dead people.

The US-educated activist has repeatedly accused Kagame, 59, of stifling dissent and criticised his Rwandan Patriotic Front’s near total hold on power.

Rwigara’s mother, Adeline, and sister Anne have also been charged with incitement and “discrimination and sectarianism”, Faustin Nkusi, a spokesman

Diane Shima Rwigara talking to the media in Kigali in June.

Rwigara’s mother and sister have also been charged

for the government prosecutor, told Reuters. He said the cases were filed in court on Tuesday and a trial date had yet to be set.

The three women were first taken from their home

in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, on August 30 on tax evasion allegations related to the family’s tobacco company. That charge was not listed in those filed on Tuesday.

(Excerpt from The Guardian)

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British Prime Minister Theresa May

ritish Prime Minister Theresa May’s bid to reassert her dwindling authority was marred on Wednesday by a calamitous keynote speech interrupted by repeated coughing fits, a prankster and even letters of her slogan falling off the stage.

May had wanted to use the Conservative Party’s annual conference to bring her divided party together and pitch herself as the only person able to deliver Brexit and keep opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn out of power.

She started by apologising for her botched bet on a snap June election which stripped her party of its majority in parliament, then pitched a revitalised “British Dream” for which she proposed fixing broken markets and uniting the country.

But her flow was interrupted by British comedian Simon Brodkin, who handed her a P45 letter, a doc-

ument given to employees when they leave their job.

The document had been “signed” by the comedian using the name of her ambitious Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

Then May began a coughing fit and was repeatedly forced to take drinks of water, even coughing into her glass, and was proffered a lozenge from her finance minister, Philip Hammond.

While she was speaking, several letters fell off the slogans behind her on the stage. Some Twitter users seized on images of the missing letters to poke fun at the Conservatives: one said their glue was even failing to hold the party together.

The 61-year-old May won standing ovations for pressing on with the hour-long address, in which she took a more personal tone - saying she did not mind being called the “Ice Maiden” and describing her “great sadness” at not having children.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Santa Claus's tomb may have been uncovered beneath Turkish church

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urkish archaeologists have dashed the hopes of millions of children by claiming to have uncovered the likely burial place of Saint Nicholas.

Surveys have uncovered an intact temple and burial grounds below St Nicholas church in the prov-

ince of Antalya, where he is believed to have been born, archaeologists told the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet.

“We have obtained very good results but the real work starts now,” said Cemil Karabayram, the director of surveying and monuments

in Antalya. “We will reach the ground and maybe we will find the untouched body of Saint Nicholas.”

Revered for his gift-giving and aid to the poor, the 4th-century saint gave rise to the legend of Santa Claus.

In recent years, the church in Demre district

in Antalya, near his birthplace, has been restored and draws many visitors.

Demre is built on the ruins of Myra, the city where Saint Nicholas, revered by many denominations in Christianity, is believed to have lived.

It had been thought

that the remains of Saint Nicholas were transferred from Demre by sailors who smuggled them to the city of Bari in Italy, where the St Nicholas Basilica still stands.

According to that version of events, the remains of Saint Nicholas were trans-

ferred to Bari as parts of the Byzantine empire in modern-day Turkey fell to Muslim invaders around the First Crusade, 700 years after his death. Venice also competed to host his body and today contains relics belonging to the saint. (Excerpt

from The Guardian)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

thursDAY, october 5, 2017

ARCHIE

ARIES

Don’t fold under pressure.

(March 21- Being prepared and willApril 19) ing to go the distance to get

what you want will pay off.

Your experience will help you avoid making the same mistake twice.

One of your peers, colTAURUS leagues or friends will tempt (April 20- you with something you May 20) should avoid. Don’t take a risk that might affect your career, reputation or relationships with others.

dilbert

You’ll desire change and GEMINI (May 21- excitement. Look for someJune 20) thing interesting to get involved in to meet people you will find mentally stimulating. If you collaborate, good things will transpire.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

Stick close to home and do things that will add to your comfort and make you feel good about who you are and what you represent. Avoid anyone acting unpredictable or indulgent.

Share your interests with someone who is heading down the same path as you. A business trip or meeting will help you make a decision regarding your future. Don’t fold under pressure.

Investments, medical issues VIRGO and contracts need to be looked (Aug. 23at carefully.

Ask questions and Sept. 22) find out where you stand before making a commitment.

Emotional deception will be costly if it’s not dealt with quickly.

Speak from the heart and LIBRA (Sept. 23- smoothly settle any matters Oct. 23) that concern your personal or professional life. Commit to making improvements that are good for everyone involved.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Refuse to let anyone push SCORPIO or pressure you. Know what (Oct. 24you want and what you are Nov. 22) willing to do to get your way before entering negotiations.

Your home should be calm SAGITTARIUS and peaceful. Do whatever it (Nov. 23- takes to incorporate a space Dec. 21) for you to relax in and figure out how you want to move forward.

solution for LAST PUBLISHED Puzzle

Emotions will be diffiCAPRICORN cult to control. Taking a trip (Dec. 22- or dealing with foreigners Jan. 19) will result in confusion and uncertainty. Don’t question what you know or how you do things. Live life your way.

Money matters can be reAQUARIUS solved. Look at investments (Jan. 20- and make a move. Be smart Feb. 19) about your emotional, mental and physical health. Do what’s best for you.

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

Aim to stabilize your poPISCES (Feb. 20- sition, reputation and prosMarch 20) pects. Don’t get sidetracked by what others do or say.

Taking on someone else’s responsibilities will set you back.

thursDAY, OCTOber 5, 2017

19

Gibson a perfect fit – du Plessis S

outh Africa captain Faf du Plessis has hailed former West Indies coach Otis Gibson as a good fit for the Proteas despite having only recently taken over the

post.

Gibson officially got his career off to a smashing start after the Proteas crushed Bangladesh by 333 runs, with two full sessions of the fifth day to spare, in his first Test match.

Following the win du Plessis was quick to admit that the coach’s positivity and commitment to structure had already made the transition an easy one.

"He has been really good and as I said before this Test‚ it has been a seamless transition," the captain said.

"He has brought positivity and now and then a little bit of humour and we are enjoying his company," he added.

"He is very happy‚ he is enjoying this challenge and he has a few plans in place.”

The 48-year-old Gibson took charge of the team two weeks ago after arriving from England, where he had previously served as bowling coach. Fittingly it is in the area of bowling that du Plessis believes the coach will be able to make an immediate impact.

"From a bowling point of view‚ I am excited to see what he is going to bring to the side over the next two years. He adds a lot of value in that department and he also gives the other coaching staff the freedom to coach in their specific areas,” du Plessis said. (Sportsmax)

Faf du Plessis

Ottis Gibson

Premier League clubs reject TV deal proposal Fury “will not apply” for new licence to fight

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Tyson Fury was part of cousin Hughie’s entourage during his defeat by Joseph Park last month

ormer world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury says he will not reapply for a licence to fight from the British Boxing Board of Control.

The 29-year-old had his licence revoked in October 2016 after allegations of doping emerged in June.

Fury, who hinted at a comeback in March, tweeted: “After thinking long and hard about my return, I will not be applying for a BBBofC boxing licence.”

“After the way they have handled stuff, no thanks.”

His decision not to seek a new licence casts Fury’s future as a boxer into doubt again, although he has previously appeared to end his career via social media.

In October 2016 he tweeted: “I’m the greatest, and I’m also retired” before performing a u-turn three hours later.

But he has not fought since November 2015, when he shocked Wladimir Klitschko in Dusseldorf to claim the IBF, WBO and WBA world titles.

Fury pulled out of one rematch scheduled for July 2016 with an ankle injury, before withdrawing from a second that was slated for the following September by saying he was “medically unfit”.

The British Boxing Board of Control has previously said it will not reinstate Fury’s licence to fight until a UK AntiDoping hearing into a positive test he returned in February 2015 has taken place.

The testing authority said in September it is attempting to resolve Fury’s case “as quickly as possible” after being criticised by the Manchester fighter for taking too long to conclude its investigation.

Fury admitted in a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone magazine that he was taking cocaine and struggling with mental health problems.

During his absence from the ring he has been stripped of the three belts he won by outpointing Klitschko in one of the great boxing upsets of all time. (BBC Sport)

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Chelsea and Manchester City are two of the teams applying pressure for a new deal

remier League clubs have rejected an initial proposal to end the equal distribution of overseas TV money.

The six richest clubs - Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea - want their appeal reflected in their income.

And a plan - presented by the league’s executive chairman Richard Scudamore - suggested 35% of global revenue should be divided based on league position.

But at a meeting on Wednesday, no vote was taken due to a lack of support.

“Clubs agreed to adjourn to allow further discussion,” a statement read.

It had become clear during the meeting that the plan was significantly short of gaining the support of the 14

clubs needed for it to be passed.

The issue will be discussed again at the next meeting of club bosses in November.

Speaking after his appearance at the Sport Business Summit at Stamford Bridge, Swansea co-owner Steve Kaplan told BBC Sport: “Everyone came into the room with good intentions. I think they still have good intentions. I’m optimistic.”

The £3bn overseas deal for 201619 generates £39m annually for each club - and for the prev i ous 25 years there has been an equal sharing of international broadcasting income between the clubs.

But new contracts for international markets such as China and the United States for the next period between 2019 and 2022 have been booming in value, and the big six clubs want a greater share. (BBC Sport)

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursDAY, october 5, 2017

“Mohin” Persaud calls for good leadership in Berbice cricket

Heated battle predicted for Hand-in-Hand Insurance Cycle meet

…says Foster will do an excellent job

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Mohendra “Mohin” Persaud

Flashback! Winners of the 2016 edition of the Hand-in-Hand Group of Insurance Companies Cycle Race pose with their spoils and representatives of the sponsor and Hassan Mohammed. Defending champion Hamza Eastman is at the far right

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ycling fans will be in for a real treat on Saturday at the inner circuit of the National Park when the country’s top cyclists will match pedals in the 13th Annual Hand in Hand Group if Insurance Companies 11-race Cycle meet.

With the likes of Raynauth Jeffrey who is fresh off of the Tour of Tobago, Jamaul John (Team Coco) who is in top form and at the top of the Classification table along with Geron Williams, Paul DeNobrega (Team

Evolution), Alanzo Ambrose (Team Alanis) and current National Park record holder Kemuel Moses, competition is expected to be at a very high level.

The day’s event is being organized

by National Cycling coach, Hassan Mohamed and will serve as excellent preparation for the Kadir Mohamed “Gold Race” next weekend.

The first race of the day will pedal off at 9:00hrs with the juniors riding off in the BMX races before the senior

riders look to stake claims for the 35lap feature event.

While Raynauth “Obeah Man” Jeffrey will be in ‘tip top’ shape, having performed exceptionally well in the Tour of Tobago, it is by no means a walk in the park as John has been performing exceedingly well over the past couple of months while Alanzo Ambrose is right up there with him as well as the usual suspects in DeNobrega and Raul Leal always in the hunt for the top spot.

GCB/Jaguars 3-Day League

Essequibo extend lead with 2 to play E

ssequibo will begin the sixth and penultimate round of the ongoing GCB/Jaguars 3-Day League competition with a commanding lead over the other seven teams when the competition continues on Friday.

Lower Corentyne who have 60.4 points, currently trail table leaders, Essequibo who have accumulated 71.4 points, by a deficit of 11 points. In third position, West Demerara sit on 49.9 points while Georgetown remains in fourth position with 48.5, as a winless East Coast Demerara dangle in last place.

With the 6th round set to be more interesting following the departure of a number of top players who are preparing for West Indies duties or are currently with the Guyana T20 squad, Georgetown and West Berbice will face off at Bush Lot, while Upper Corentyne tackles Upper Demerara/East Bank at

Teams Essequibo Lower Corentyne West Demerara Georgetown Upper Demerara/ East Bank Upper Corentyne West Berbice East Coast Demerara

Ricardo Adams has been key to Essequibo’s success this season

Port Mourant.

Lower Corentyne will clash with West Demerara at Young Warriors, with all matches from 9:30h from Friday October 6. Meanwhile, Essequibo will

Matches

Wins

Loses

5 5 5 5 5

4 3 2 2 2

0 2 1 2 2

Outright win 48 36 24 24 24

5 5 5

1 1 0

2 4 2

12 12 0

Abandon

Drawn 3

3

3 3 6

3

6

engage East Coast of Demerara at the Lusignan,Community Centre ground from Saturday October 7 also from 9:30h.

Below are the Points standing at the end of Round 5:

Batting Bonus 4 7 7 4 3

Team Bowling Bonus 15 15 11 15 13

Fast Bowling Bonus 1.4 2.4 1.9 2.5 3.8

71.4 60.4 49.9 48.5 43.8

6 0 2

15 15 11

1.6 1.8 3.1

40.6 28.8 25.1

Total

anaging Director of the Nand Persaud Group of Companies, one of Guyana most prominent business entities has come out in support of the call for serious changes to be made in the way cricket in administered in Berbice and Guyana.

Mohendra Persaud called “Mohin” is throwing his weight behind the call for well-known sports personality and community leader, Hilbert Foster to run for the presidency of the BCB. He is also throwing his company weight and that of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (CCCC) behind the call.

In a hard hitting and candid interview with the media the famous businessman stated that, “Cricket in Berbice is at a virtual standstill; things are hay wired and lost at the moment. Cricket is a national game that runs deep within the society and various communities.”

He continued that “What is happening now is degrading, too much politics. It needs quick and urgent rehabilitation. A man like Foster with his proven track record, can stop the slid, excavate the rot and bring Berbice cricket back to where it used to be. Things need to be done differently. The world over things is done differently. The cricket needs serious upgrading to make a difference and bring persons back to the sport.”

He said that Foster reputation and achievements with the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (MS) are well known. They have Guyana’s most comprehensive Cricket Developmental and Community Enhancement Programme with teams at all levels and divisions. The club is the only one in Guyana with a female cricket programme.

Persaud, a competent hard hitting all-rounder in his hay days, is a known community activist, ardent sports personality and supporter. He still plays the game whenever time permits. He stated that I hadn’t the opportunity to go further in the game because of other commitments.”

He remembers when cricket used to be played all year around in all the nooks and crannies including the Berbice, Corentyne and Canje River areas with over 100 teams involved. “Players use to come from all parts of Guyana to be a part of Berbice cricket. Now cricket is in a sad state.”

The Company once sponsored the Port Mourant Cricket Club for a number of years, but withdrew because of some upheavals.

The Nand Persaud Group of Companies with businesses in the Caribbean and various parts of the world is one of Guyana leading business entities. It is well known for being a pacesetter and its success story in various business ventures. Its involvement in Agriculture including rice milling and its Karibee Rice brand, manufacturing, marketing, packaging, trading (import and export), telemarketing, biodiversity, production of solar panels and horse racing are some of its undertakings.

The company sponsorship goes far and wide including the Karibee Boys and Karibee Girls soft ball cricket teams, horse racing, football, basketball, soft ball cricket among numerous others.

He is willing to throw his support and the reputation of the company back into the fray as long as things change and there is accountability.

Persaud stated that “our company is a reputable one and Foster dealings with us have being above board. We are both pacesetter and leaders. I have no hesitation in throwing our support and that of the CCCC behind Foster for presidency of the BCB.”

sports

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21

Minister Norton meets with Linden stakeholders

– works proposed to commence within next 2 weeks

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urther discussions for the Linden synthetic track got underway when Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Youth, Sport and Culture, Dr George Norton and Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira met with stakeholders on Sunday. The meeting took place at the proposed site for the soon to be constructed synthetic track, the Bayroc Community Centre Ground at Wismar, Linden, Region 10.

The discussions were held with stakeholders who are also actively involved in the planning and execution phases.

It has been proposed that the works to develop the synthetic track should commence within the next two weeks. While it was noted that the project, which was initially expected to be completed by December is clearly behind time.

The Minister stressed that time cannot be wasted.

The project is expected be executed in 5 phases. The first phase consists of the design, while in the second phase the contractor will execute the technical work and phases two to five consists of the ground work. However, phases one and two are expected to be completed by the end of the

Minister George Norton engages stakeholders at the Bayroc Community Centre Ground

year, with the first phase likely to commence within the next two weeks.

“Phase 1 is when the contract comes and the contractor comes and do the design and so on, Phase 2 is when we start looking at the start of the contract,” Norton explained, as he stressed that time cannot be wasted.

“Before I came up to Linden, when I spoke with those who got the authority, they were speaking about preparation in less than a month, laying down the track in less than 3 weeks. But my

big question is, ‘why was it not done before?’” the Minister questioned.

Stakeholders who represented various sports disciplines within the community also discussed areas such as the pavilion, drainage and the amount of lanes for the synthetic track.

It was proposed for the track to commence with 2 lanes and further developed into a 4 lane track. Stakeholders are expected to meet for another meeting with the Minister shortly. Meanwhile, Figueira said he was much pleased with the visit of the Minister.

He posited that it was timely and most welcoming for it provided the opportunity for residents and stakeholders to get answers to the long anticipated concerns about the much needed synthetic track for the community. The Member of Parliament said he is thankful for the candid, straight forward and honest articulations by the Minister that was void of political rhetoric which found favor with the residents.

The stakeholders who were present were also informed of the present

position of where the track is and more over some of the plans to improve youth sports and culture in fostering social cohesion. The residents and representatives of the various sports disciplines have expressed a willingness to work in collaboration with the Minister to improve the state of sports in the community. “ The Minister has a good vibe and his enthusiastic attitude and humble disposition is intoxicating. We in the region are excited to work with the minister and everyone who wants to see social Cohesion, sports and the holistic development of our community,” Figueira said.

Several issues regarding sports facilities in the community were also discussed and stakeholders were encouraged to submit proposals for the improvement and enhancement of various facilities under the Ground Enhancement Programme.

It was further noted that allocations under the programme are presently underutilized by the Region.

Technical Officer within the Ministry of Social Cohesion, Natasha Lewis and others also formed part of the consultation.

South American Youth Games 2017, Santiago, Chile

Guyanese badminton pair HOT & COLD on opening day G uyanese Badminton players, National & Caribbean Champions 15 Year Old Priyanna Ramdhani and 16-year-old Tyrese Jeffrey suffered mixed fortunes on the opening day of competition in the ongoing South American Youth Games in Santiago, Chile.

The 17-years and under Badminton Championships playing at the Centro de Entrenamiento Olimpico started on Tuesday October 3 and will run until Saturday October 7 with 14 countries in all participating.

The tournament is being played off in the Group Playoffs, Quarterfinals, Semi-finals & Finals.

Tamim Iqbal

There are four groups where the first two winners in the group will go into the Quarter-Finals where the knock out system leading to the finals will come into effect.

In the Girls Round Robin Play off, Priyanna Ramdhani is in Group B with Chile, Suriname and Peru.

She lost her first match to the No.1 Seeded player in the Group from Chile - Micaela Flores: 21-9, 21-16.

She then defeated Suriname Erisa Bleau: 21-4, 21-8 in her second match.

She was expected to play Chile on Wednesday and if successful, she will be in the Quarter-Finals.

In the Boys Round Robin

Priyanna Ramdhani (forecourt) in action against Erisa Bleau of Suriname

Play Off, Tyrese Jeffrey is in Group A with Chile & Argentina.

He lost both matches to Alonso Medal of Chile: 214, 21-2 and then to Mateo Delmastro of Argentina: 21-12, 21-4.

The other round-robin group matches for the Guyanese players will be the

mix doubles.

Meanwhile, Guyana’s Tyrese Jefferey lost in his first math to Argentina’s Mateo Delmastro in the boys singles he now plays Chile Alonso Medel for a possible position to qualify into the round of 16.

In Table tennis, Miguel Wong and Nickolus Romain begin

their quest for honours this morning in the Chile Olympic Centre for Excellence hall where they are group in group 1 with top seeds Argentina and Uruguay, two teams advance to the quarterfinals round.

For basketball, Guyana will open their campaign against Ecuador 16:50h.

Tamim ruled out of 2nd Test B

angladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has been ruled out of the second Test against South Africa in Bloemfontein after aggravating a left thigh injury he sustained during the pre-series warmup match in Benoni. Tamim played the first Test in Potchefstroom, scoring 39 and 0 in Bangladesh’s 333-run defeat.

A scan after the first Test confirmed the scale of the injury, a grade 1 tear that usually takes four weeks to heal. With rehab, Bangladesh are hoping Tamim recovers earlier and returns to fitness in

time for the ODI series. As a result of the slim hope, he will stay back with the team in South Africa.

Soumya Sarkar is likely to replace him as opener in Bloemfontein.

Bangladesh are already without allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, who has been rested from the Test series. With Tamim now ruled out, Bangladesh will be without their two highest run-getters in the same Test match for the first time since March 2013, when both missed the Galle Test against Sri Lanka. (ESPN Cricinfo)

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursDAY, october 5, 2017

GFSCA/Guyana Softball Cup VII...

Huge influx of international teams expected

Floodlights are the defending champions of the masters competition

M

inister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Sport Dr. George Norton said the upcoming “Guyana Softball Cup 7” organized by the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA), will “Help to raise the sports profile in Guyana.”

Minister Norton, who delivered the feature address on Wednesday’s official launching of the competition at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) Pavilion, said that the initiative will “Boost Guyanese socially and mentally,” adding that “the tourism will benefit” from the competition and sports overall.

The Minister further hailed the executives of the GFSCA for properly sustaining a tournament of such magnitude over the years.

He also gave special thanks to the numerous sponsors who continue to support sports in Guyana, while expressing gratitude to the members of the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) for hosting the final for the third successive year and also for allowing schools to host their annual inter-house sports.

T

Guyana Softball Cup 7 will see a high numbers of overseas teams in the two categories; Open and Masters. Teams form; New York, Florida, Orlando and Canada have signaled their participation and continued support for the tournament in Guyana.

GFSCA President Ramchand Ragbeer during his brief remarks said that the association was working hard on making the 7th edition of the annual tournament a success and expects a smooth run over the duration of the competition while his Vice-President Jailall Deodass stated that he’s happy that the competition continues to grow from strength to strength with each edition.

The tournament will run from November 3 to 5 with the finals billed for the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) under lights.

Winners of the Open category will cart off with $800,000 while the Masters champions are set to collect $600,000 along with trophies while spectators are set to win lots of gate prizes including trips to local resorts compliments of Survival

Business Group.

Additionally, on the day of finals there will be a fourteam female cricket competition which will serve as exhibition to the Open and Masters finals.

DCC Vice-President Roger Harper, who was a part of the launching, credited the GFSCA for the work they have been doing not only in the cricket fraternity but at the DCC ground where they have played integral parts in the modification of the venue and tangible support to the club itself.

Guyana Cup 7 chairman Anil Beharry indicated that this year will supersede the success of the previous years while representatives of a few main sponsors; Ronda Johnson of Rubis Guyana, Sheldon Hazelwood of Ansa Mcal, Avinash Hardat of Clear Water, Mark DeFreitas of Survival Travel Agency and Ajay Jha of Mike’s Pharmacy all expressed joy at being a part of the venture for yet another year.

Speed Boat are the defending champions of the All-Star or Open category while Floodlights hold the title of champions in the Masters category.

Petra lights Ministry of Education Ground P

etra Organisation continues to make a meaningful impact in local football by adding lights to the Ministry of Education, Carifesta Avenue on Monday.

The initiative was made possible through a public/ private partnership between the Education Ministry and the organisation. Delivering brief remarks at the simple but important event, Minister of Education Nicolette Henry said that the commissioning of the lighting system is an important event in the history of education development.

ternity were assured by the Minister that the Ministry of Education will continue to work to give young people the best opportunity to develop in sport.

According to Co-Director of the Petra Organisation, Troy Mendonca, the installation of the lighting system represents the mandate of the organisation to use sports as a vehicle for the development of football from the under 11 to the senior level.

Mendonca explained that Petra has been using the Ministry of Education ground for the past five

an opportune time and will support the development of youths and football.

Meanwhile, President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Wayne Forde said that the Petra Organisation has been on display for the past seven years. He said that the organisation’s efforts have been complemented by work done by the GFF which has embraced a focused approach to youth development.

He said that proper facilities continue to be a major challenge for sports development in Guyana, more so

Education Minister Nicolette Henry assisting a lad to cut the ceremonial ribbon to commission the lighting system

She told those in attendance that the government of Guyana is very interested in merging sports with education and culture so as to produce young people that are holistically developed.

years for the Milo and Smalta sponsored football competitions. He said that during that time the organisation noted the importance of lights and the convenience it would offer.

football. To remedy the situation, Forde said that steps have been taken for Guyana to have its first International Football Stadium.

Last April, Forde had participated in the sod

DCC hosts ‘Latin Night’ Fundraiser

he Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) will host a fundraiser themed ‘Latin Night’ at their Lance Gibbs Queenstown, location on Friday.

The event is aimed at raising funds for the continued rehabilitation of the club to create improved facilities for members.

A ticket for the event costs $1500 which caters for dinner and a Latin rum punch. Dinner will be served from 19:00h.

DCC was established in 1912 by Portuguese businessmen of British Guiana (including M. Gonsalves, E.C. Buck and Joseph Gonsalves), who were not allowed to be members of the British-dominated Georgetown Cricket Club in its early years. DCC too restricted its membership in its early years - to Portuguese only.

Membership was open to anyone after the First World War, allowing the club to produce some its most famous players, such as West Indies greats Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs and

others.

Other past club members who played at the highest level are: Cyril Christiani, Robert Christiani, Travis Dowlin, Maurice Fernandes and Roger Harper, while current club members Christopher Barnwell and Derwin Christian have also played at the highest level.

Philbert Blair, Ernest Christiani, Harry Christiani, Trevon Griffith, Mark Harper and Colin Wiltshire are some of the club members who developed at DCC and later represented Guyana at the senior level.

The Demerara Cricket Club was (and still is) the only cricket club in Georgetown to be located in an entirely residential neighborhood.

As fate would have it, that neighborhood was a middle-class one, in which residents understood and appreciated the social value of such a facility in their midst. The fact that DCC has survived, and even prospered at times, for over a hundred years, is testimony to its integration into its social settings.

The lighting system now installed at the Ministry of Education Ground

Henry added that the event signals the partnership between sports and education and represents a new pathway towards providing improved facilities to foster the development of sports.

The persons that will use the venue will have more time to work on their skill and fitness levels since the facility can now be used for extended hours, according to the Minister.

Those in attendance, which included primarily persons in the football fra-

Mendonca said that the organisation approached the Ministry of Education to collaborate and the permission was granted to install the lights on the ground.

He said that this could not be possible without the support of sponsors Beepats and Ansa McAl and friends in the sports fraternity.

Representing Ansa McAl, Brand Manager of Smalta, Sean Abel, congratulated Petra for the work it has been doing for football and the youths of Guyana. He said that the lights come at

turning exercises along with Minister Henry and President of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Gianni Infantino at the Providence Community Centre ground where the multi-million US dollar stadium will be built.

Moreover, Forde said on Monday that he is certain that the government of Guyana will continue to have a strong focus on the development of sports which includes the provision of facilities in the years to come.

guyanatimesgy.com

thursDAY, october 5, 2017

Important that players make names for themselves – Crandon

23 Newcomer Ricardo Adams plays with a straight bat in the nets against Robin Bacchus

…as National T20 squad depart for Antigua

By Akeem Greene

H

ead Coach of the National Cricket Team Esuan Crandon is hopeful that his troops will leave an impressionable mark when they compete in the Antigua & Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) Independence Tri-nation Twenty20 Tournament from October 6 to 14.

“I have not seen who are in the other teams but I expect it to be keenly contested and it is important that we represent ourselves. It’s important [for each] player [to] go and make a name for themselves. You never know who will be in the stands watching,” Crandon

told Guyana Times Sport on the eve of today’s departure for Antigua.

Though the coach admitted there are still many unknowns in the other two participating teamsAntigua and Jamaica- the main aim is to play competitive cricket when they play their first match against the Jamaicans on Saturday at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground from 18:00h.

“It is important we play competitive cricket and be professional and don’t relax.

We need stamp our authority and win the tournament,” the former National player explained.

Over the past weeks, the squad has been undergoing rigorous fitness exercises

aimed at helping the players perform at their optimum in the expected fast-paced environments.

“The guys are doing well on their fitness, it is constantly improving. We are focusing on our technical aspect. We have had some good sessions improving our T20 approach. It is a more intense game and players need to concentrate and be focused.”

He added, “We have some players who recently played in the Caribbean Premier League which makes it a good bunch of players given that the experienced players can guide the younger ones who are new to this level.”

Based on the composition of the local squad

Snipers gearing up ahead of WIFBSC's 150th anniversary shoot

From left: Ransford Goodluck, Mahendra Persaud, Ryan Sampson, Dylan Fields and Lennox Braithwaite during Wednesday’s GNRA press conference at Crown Mining Head Office

N

ational Full-bore skipper Mahendra Persaud said he’s backing his marksmen to shine in the upcoming West Indies Full Bore Shooting Council (WIFBSC) championships/Guyana National Rifle Association (GNRA)’s 150th Anniversary which gets underway from October 8 and concludes on October 15.

According to Persaud, the upcoming shoot will feature by far the largest concentration of snipers from; Antigua, Bermuda, Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, the Falkland Islands, the United States, Britain, Ireland and Scotland, who have already, began to pour in by the numbers ahead of what is being called the biggest gathering of professional shooters for a single tournament.

Speaking on the schematics of the shoot as well as the details, Persaud explained “After the end of the grand aggregate for the three days, we are going to be taking the 60 shooters who will then shoot together in one detail at 300, 500 and 600 yards.

After lunch on that day, they will take the top 30 shooters who will move onto the 900 and 1000 yard ranges where the winner will be crowned the 150th Anniversary champion”.

Also, shooters will undergo two days of team competition at both the short (300,500 and 600 yard) and long (900 and 1000 yard) ranges to determine both long and short range country champions.

Despite a GY 14M amount needed to proper prepare for the tourney, Persaud said the team was still nevertheless focused and are aiming to put their best foot forward. Activities commence from Friday with a WIFBSC meeting, while Saturday will see shooters take part in the Milex/ Crown Mining long range shoot followed by Sunday’s WIFBSC short range trophy.

Meanwhile, the first shot is expected to be fired first by President David Granger who will officially mark the start of the tournament.

with one outright-opener in Robin Bacchus when asked who his partner is likely to be, Crandon reasoned that there are suitable options.

“With the calibre of players we have at our disposal whatever we put on the field; it will be a good balance. We have one specialist opener; we have two other guys who might partner with Robin [Bacchus]. We also have a very good middle and lower-order. Essentially, it is a good composition of players”.

Laying the foundation

Another Regional Super50 beckons and Guyana, through their franchise team, Guyana Jaguars,

will be on the hunt, aiming to add this title, which has eluded them since 2005, to their collection.

Chairman of Selectors Rayon Griffith had recently told this publication that there is a high possibility of major changes in this regard.

Crandon shared a similar sentiment, contending that impressive performances will go a long in helping these players be selected for other national limited over teams.

“This tournament also gives us the opportunity to look at some other youngsters in the team who have been on the radar to represent us in 50-over cricket.

This is a chance for them

to showcase their talent. It as a stepping-stone to show they are able to perform at this level which means we can have a really good 50over team.”

The Guyana squad selected is as follows: Robin Bacchus, Gajanand Singh, Leon Johnson (captain), Chandrapaul Hemraj, Jonathan Foo, Anthony Bramble, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Veerasammy Permaul (vice-captain), Steven Jacobs, Ronsford Beaton, Romario Shepherd, Ricardo Adams, Christopher Barnwell and Ramaal Lewis.

Head Coach Esuan Crandon, Assistant Coach/ Manager Rayon Griffith.

GOA pledges to Pan Am Hockey Championships – sport tourism to be boosted

Honorary Secretary of the Guyana Hockey Board Tricia Fiedtkou (second from left) collects the sponsorship from President of GOA KA Juman-Yassin while Garfield Wiltshire and Deion Nurse share the moment

S

port in Guyana benefits once again from the valuable input of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA). The organisation made a presentation to the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) in the form of a sponsorship cheque towards the hosting of the upcoming International Pan American Hockey Cups.

The tournament, scheduled for October 14 to 22 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, features teams representing all of the Americas and will feature simultaneous competition for both men and women. The GHB expects this event to contribute significantly to Guyana’s efforts of becoming a priority destination for sports tourism.

The GOA is no stranger to hockey and has worked together with the Guyana Hockey Board on several projects over the years.

“The Guyana Olympic Association has always been a great supporter of hockey locally and our sport has benefitted a lot from their efforts over the years.

President of the GHB, Phillip Fernandes was very excited about this development saying “When we first embarked on the Diamond Mineral Water Festival in 2004, the GOA was one of the main organisations to give us their support. We are so pleased to have them participate in this monumental event as well. That festival (Diamond Mineral Water Festival) has paved

the way for Guyana’s consideration for this major international.”

The 2017 Indoor Pan American Cups (IPAC) features competitions for both men and women and serves as the Pan American Continental Qualifier for FIH Indoor Hockey World Cups scheduled for February 2018 in Berlin, Germany. This year will be one of the largest in the tournaments’ history and the Americas are well represented. Seven women’s teams and six men’s teams from Guyana, Argentina, Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, USA and Uruguay will participate with the top team earning a coveted spot in the World Cup.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Important that players make names for themselves – Crandon Pg 23

…as National T20 squad depart for Antigua Fine-tuning! All-rounder Keemo Paul has a hit against teammate Romario Shepherd in their final practice session at the Everest Cricket Club on Wednesday (Akeem Greene Photo)

GFSCA/Guyana Softball Cup VII...

Huge influx of international teams expected Pg 22

Executives and Members of GFSCA and sponsors are exuberant following the launch of Guyana Softball Cup VII at the Demerara Cricket Club. Minister Dr George Norton is sitting at the centre

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