Guyana Times Saturday June 1, 2019

P13

President tours Perseverance, Prospect Housing Developments Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3941

THE BEACON OF TRUTH saturday, june 1, 2019

T&T bans all poultry meat from Guyana Page 3

PRICE

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

PPP will scrap coalition’s P13 “ceremonial” GSDS – Jagdeo

…expresses concern of duck hepatitis virus …Guyana’s Agri Minister unaware of ban

Drinking spree turns deadly: labourer found with throat slit

Page 9

Neglected health care in Black Bush Polder flooding

Power woes

P10

Inadequate generating capacity, poor configuration blamed …GPL needs more financing – CEO

2 persons displaying symptoms of leptospirosis Page 14

Mobile Money P2 scam increases Cattle farmers’ livelihood P12 stymied by MMA-ADA’s eviction

As floodwaters slowly recede in Black Bush Polder, residents of Yakusari are forced to continue their daily lives after one week of being inundated. In photo, these two men walk on a partially submerged crossing

Govt spent over $350M on outreaches Page14

US advisory on increased violent crimes in Guyana incorrect – Govt

Page 9

Norton St robbery/shoot-out

3rd dead bandit identified as Page 7 Kitty resident

…5-year-old victim to receive counselling

Oil blocks distribution

No amount of misrepresentation can contradict facts – former P5 President With elections looming

Govt now P15 promising increase in Private Sector minimum wage

2 news

saturday, JUNE 1, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Mobile Money scam increases

…GTT urges customers to stay alert, secure pin

T

he Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) reported a hike in scamming reports from customers in the Mobile Money Department.

According to GTT, as a result of the increasing reports of scams, it has taken several measures to encourage customers to stay alert of fraudsters.

Vice President of Customer Experience at GTT, Orson Ferguson in a release from the telephone company is quoted as say-

ing that since the start of 2019, the company has ventured into an intense campaign to have customers stay alert.

“Mobile Money has long pledged to make the lives of all Guyanese easy, allowing persons to make everyday payments in an innovative, safe and secure way with unrivalled convenience. We ask of all customers to be vigilant, protect yourself and stay alert as you continue to use our great service,” he added.

The company is advising its MMG customers to never share their Personal Identification Number (PIN) with anyone, as this can compromise the security of their mobile wallet.

It stated that in the event that a customer’s PIN is compromised, the company encourages the consumers to make contact with GTT’s Call Centre at 0488 to assist in resetting their PIN number or the MMG user can use the “My Wallet” option in the menu to change their

PINs. Additionally, MMG customers are also being warned to beware of persons pretending to be MMG/GTT staff, Government officials and MMG agents asking them to transfer, deposit or disclose their PIN. MMG Manager, Nicola Duggan disclosed that lately most of the scam reports surrounded that of persons pretending to be Government officials or GTT staff. “We will never ask our customers to

credit, transfer or deposit money to other numbers for any of our promotions and the Government officials have confirmed the same on their part.”

Duggan added, “We want to assure our customers that we will continue to work assiduously with law enforcement to reduce and if possible put a complete stop to these scams. But for now we will continue to educate our users to protect their money in their account by staying alert”.

news

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saturday, JUNE 1, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

T&T bans all poultry meat from Guyana

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

…expresses concern of duck hepatitis virus …Guyana’s Agri Minister unaware of ban

Saturday, June 1 – 03:00h and 14:30h-16:00h and Sunday, June 2 – 04:00h and 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, June 1 – 15:20h-16:50h and Sunday, June 2 – 06:10h-17:40h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to light rain showers can be expected throughout the day, followed by partly cloudy skies in the evening. Temperatures will range between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Muscovy ducklings

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

High Tide: 02:56h and 15:21h reaching a maximum height of 2.58 metres and 2.56 metres.

Low Tide: 08:55h and 21:10h reaching minimum heights of 0.60 metre and 0.66 metre respectively.

Guyana’s Agriculture Minister Noel Holder

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

n what is considered a surprise move, Trinidad and Tobago’s (T&T) Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Ministry issued a complete ban on all poultry emanating from Guyana after expressing concerns over duck viral hepatitis.

A memo dated May 31, 2019, and signed by the twin island republic’s Senior Veterinary Officer informed the Customs and Excise Division of the ban.

“As instructed by the Chief Veterinary Officer Animal Health SubDivision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries in accordance with the Animals (Diseases and Importation) Act Chap 67:02 please be informed that with immediate effect all and any raw and cooked poultry meat from Guyana is banned from entry into Trinidad and Tobago until further notice. Upon arrival at ports of entry, such items are therefore to be seized for destruction,” the memo stated.

T&T’s Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat confirmed the ban and revealed that Guyana advised them of the presence of duck virus hepatitis in a part of the country.

“As a precaution, the

Trinidad and Tobago’s Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat

Ministry’s Chief Veterinary Office has notified the Customs and Excise Division of an immediate ban on raw and cooked poultry originating from Guyana. While Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago do not trade with each other in poultry, the ban is precautionary and targets passengers coming into Trinidad and Tobago with raw or cooked poultry in their possession. The ban is instituted because Guyana has advised of the existence of duck virus hepatitis in a part of Guyana,” a looptt reported quoted the Minister as saying.

The report also indicated that the virus is not present in the twin-island Republic.

According to the Veterinary Manual website, “Duck viral hepatitis is an acute, highly contagious, viral disease of young ducklings characterised by a short incubation period, sudden onset, high mortality, and characteristic liver lesions. The disease is of economic importance in all duck-raising areas of the world.

Three distinct types of duck hepatitis virus (DHV) have been isolated from diseased ducklings. A natural outbreak of DHV Type I has been reported in mal-

lard ducklings; experimental DHV Type I infections have been produced in goslings, turkey poults, young pheasants, quail, and guinea fowl. In Muscovy ducks, DHV Type 1 has been reported to cause pancreatitis and encephalitis. The viruses that cause hepatitis in ducklings should not be confused with duck hepatitis B virus, a hepadnavirus infection of older ducks.”

Guyana’s Minister unaware

When contacted, Guyana’s Agriculture Minister Noel Holder indicated that he is currently out of the country and has not been appraised of the situation before he ended the call citing long distance charges being applied to his phone.

However, on May 18, 2019, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) published a notice announcing the closure of its hatchery. The notice informed that the hatchery will be closed until further

notice owing to an “unusual occurrence which would have been observed by our surveillance team.”

The issue was an increased mortality rate of ducklings being hatched at GLDA’s facility and an increase in reports of similar occurrences in various regions throughout the country.

“High mortality rates are recorded primarily in the Muscovy breed of ducklings, generally between the ages of two to three weeks, to date, we have not received reports of high mortality in adults Muscovy ducks and other breeds such as Pekin and the Kunshan.

The ducklings most affected are from the farms that toll hatch at the GLDA hatchery, therefore, as a result of this unusual occurrence, the GLDA is currently conducting an active surveillance exercise throughout all five coastal regions are monitoring the breeding flocks of the affected farmers,” the notice informed.

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saturday, JUNE 1, 2019

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, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Tobacco control Y

esterday (Friday, May 31) was observed across the world as World No Tobacco Day, and several countries took the opportunity once again to highlight the dangers of tobacco use, and what could be done by Governments and health partners to minimise the impact of tobacco use on communities.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), tobacco is responsible for around 7 million deaths per year worldwide. This includes 900,000 persons who die from diseases related to exposure to tobacco smoke. If current trends continue, tobacco use would kill 10 million people per year by 2020. Seventy per cent of these fatalities would occur in less developed and emerging nations. WHO has also explained that over 40 per cent of all tobacco-related deaths are from lung diseases like cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and tuberculosis.

Here, in Guyana, 78 per cent of all deaths are caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), some of which we all know are strongly related to tobacco use. Over 15 per cent of the adult population currently smoke; and, more worryingly, the results of a Global Youth Tobacco Survey conducted in 2015 revealed that 14.8 per cent of adolescents aged between 13 and 15 years also use tobacco.

Countries, including Guyana, must take stock of what is happening, and continue to work diligently with international health partners to increase action to protect people from exposure to tobacco use. Too many people are dying senselessly, and urgent action must be taken, as these are deaths which can be avoided.

The WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is an international public health treaty and a guiding framework for the global fight against the tobacco epidemic.

Guyana has been a party to the FCTC since 2005. The FCTC requires countries to apply a series of policies and measures aimed at reducing the global tobacco epidemic.

After a lengthy process, perhaps many months of consultations, in July 2017 Guyana took the bold step of passing the National Tobacco Act. This legislation follows several of the Articles of the WHO Convention, and mandates the adoption and implementation of a series of tobacco control policies that make it one of the most complete tobacco control laws. These include: 100 per cent smoke-free environments in all indoor public spaces, indoor work spaces, public transportation and specified outdoor spaces, to protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke; a ban on all forms of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products; health warnings featured on 60 per cent of tobacco product packaging, including images. It also includes a ban on the sale of tobacco products to and by minors; prohibition on vending machines’ sales; and a ban on the manufacture and sales of toys and candies and any other goods in the form of tobacco products.

However, having the necessary legislation in place is a good starting point, but there are many other challenges which health authorities must address if Guyana is to really reduce the number of persons dying or becoming ill due to tobacco use or exposure. These challenges relate to monitoring and compliance, and enforcement of the legislation to ensure that the population is protected from the dangers of tobacco use. Much of the success will be based on the quality of enforcement mechanisms in place. Aspects of enforcement are crucial, without which a legislation will face implementation challenges.

That said, ensuring the protection of a country’s population is not a very easy process, but many would say the payoff in the end could be very huge, as it results directly in the improved health and wellbeing of citizens. On this basis, the WHO is urging countries to fight the tobacco epidemic through full implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and enforcing effective tobacco control actions; for example, by reducing demand for tobacco through taxation and creating smokefree places etc.

Parents and community and religious leaders are also being urged to take steps to safeguard the health of their families and communities by informing them of, and protecting them from, the harms caused by tobacco.

There is also need for continuous public awareness and education campaigns about the harmful effects of tobacco use and exposure.

Bystanders look at a replica of a human skeleton smoking a cigarette during an awareness rally marking ‘World No Tobacco Day,’ on Friday in Chennai, India (VOA photo)

Venezuela crisis talks in Oslo break up without agreement T alks between government and opposition representatives aimed at resolving Venezuela’s political crisis have ended without agreement.

The talks in Norway were the first between the two sides since National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaidó declared himself interim leader in January, arguing that President Nicolás Maduro’s re-election was fraudulent. Despite the lack of progress both sides said they wanted to continue the talks. No date has been set for a next round. In a statement (in Spanish) released

by Guaidó, he listed three points he said were crucial to resolving Venezuela’s crisis: end of the “usurpation” of power by president Maduro; transition government; free elections.

The opposition argues that Maduro is not the legitimate president of Venezuela because his re-election in 2018 was “neither free nor fair”. They are calling for a transition government to take over until fresh elections can be held. They are also demanding that the electoral council, which is largely controlled by the Government, be reformed to guarantee its independence.

President Maduro said on Wednesday that he wanted “peace, dialogue, harmony, understanding”.

Venezuela is in the grip of a severe political and economic crisis

Earlier this month, he suggested bringing forward parliamentary elections, an offer dismissed as “a farce” by Guaidó, who pointed out that the National Assembly was the only body controlled by the Venezuelan opposition. Guaidó has called on Venezuelans to take to the streets in new anti-government demonstrations to increase the pressure on President Maduro. “There was no immediate agreement, so the chance that we have today is to remain in the streets,” he told Fox Business Network. He also again urged the armed forces to switch their allegiance to him. Despite the willingness expressed by both sides to continue talks under Norway’s aus-

pices, it is not clear if and when another meeting will take place. Guaidó has been recognised as interim leader by more than 50 nations, including the US and most in Latin America, but Maduro retains the loyalty of most of the military and important allies such as China and Russia.

On 30 April, Guaidó led a failed attempt to spark a military rebellion against Maduro, which the latter said was part of a USorchestrated coup against his Government. Under the Maduro Government, the economy has collapsed and shortages of food and medicines have become widespread. According to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), there are currently about 3.7 mil-

lion refugees and migrants from Venezuela worldwide.

In parts of the country, petrol has become scarce and drivers queue for days at petrol station to fill up their tanks. There are also frequent blackouts. There have also been protests by medical personnel and concerned relatives after at least six children died in less than a month at a hospital in Caracas. The children’s families say that severe shortages of medicines and equipment were to blame for their deaths. The Government blames US sanctions for the shortages and the economic collapse while the opposition says that the mismanagement and corruption of consecutive socialist Governments is behind it. (BBC)

guyanatimesgy.com

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

Whither the Mobile Psychosocial Unit? Empty promises: GrangerNagamootoo drive Dear Editor, After the initial hullabaloo, we have hardly heard anything about the Education Ministry’s Mobile Psychosocial Unit (MPU). So we ask, is this Unit only servicing students in school settings or all students wherever they may be? For example, the children of murdered victim Zali Sugrim and the perpetrator, Ryan Sugrim, attend

various schools but none so far has received counselling through the Mobile Psychosocial Unit.

In fact, as far as we are aware, children of murder, suicide and abused victims in Guyana have never been offered counselling through the MPU, even though almost all of them attend schools in various parts of the country. Since the Unit was set up, The Caribbean

Voice (TCV) has handled many cases for which children who attend schools have needed counselling but none of them has ever been counselled by the MPU. In almost every case, TCV has had to provide the counselling or reach out to various social workers and certified counsellors to do so.

So the question remains: whither the Education Ministry’s

Mobile Psychosocial Unit (MPU) and who are the trained professionals within this Unit? Surely it has not become like the Suicide Helpline, which claims to be doing great work but has refused to provide supporting stats.

Sincerely, The Caribbean Voice

Oil blocks distribution

No amount of misrepresentation can contradict facts – former President

F

or over a week now the politically tainted officials of the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) have been engaged in what is undoubtedly an attempt to divert attention from the inept management of Guyana’s oil and gas sector by APNU/AFC Coalition Government.

Matters of fact, as it relates to, primarily, two exploration agreements I signed before the 2015 General and Regional Elections, have been distorted by SARA’s embattled top two officials into material for their campaign of misinformation.

As the then President of Guyana with responsibility for Petroleum, I wish to make the following facts absolutely clear: • The applications by companies for exploration in the Kaieteur and Canje Blocks date back to 2012 and 2013, respectively.

• Both applications were processed and approved by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations around late 2013. All fees paid were fixed by law and were paid to the GGMC, not to any private accounts.

• Dates of signing and sequence of subsequent discoveries are all in the public domain and were published in the Official Gazette for the public’s information.

There was full transparency on this.

• Delays in the signing of the agreements were due to matters surrounding Venezuela's navy seizure of Anandarko contracted seismic vessel Technic Pardana in late 2013.

• At the time of application, processing, approval and signing of the Petroleum Prospecting Licenses for the Kaieteur and Canje blocks in Guyana's offshore there was NO confirmed commercial petroleum discovery in the area by ExxonMobil or any other company.

I wish to point out that the PPP/C advertisement, which was reproduced in the Kaieteur News publication on May 31, 2019, substantiates this position. For ease of reference, I quote the first point of the advertise-

ment, in part: “An Exxon oil exploration well …offshore Guyana has discovered hydrocarbons, a strong indicator of the evidence of oil.”

The advertisement, which was published on May 8, 2018 – after the agreements were signed – confirmed that no oil was found.

The GGMC, as a matter of government policy, was for many years, encouraging exploration interest in our offshore given the United States Geological Survey's estimate of Guyana's hydrocarbon potentials and also to have a presence to reassert our territorial rights over the area. This was one of the reasons for what some term generous fiscal concessions.

There were simply very few other ways to stimulate interest in exploration. Prior the confirmed oil find in 2015, our basin was considered very high risk. In fact, in 2014, Shell voluntarily gave away its rights to half of the entire Stabroek block for a mere $1.

It is a transparent political ploy that the agreements I signed before the change in government is now the subject of a SARA investigation.

Professor Thomas in the May 22, 2019 Bloomberg report stated that aside from the Stabroek, Kaieteur and Canje which Exxon has control over, Orinduik block which Tullow Oil Plc signed up to explore in 2016 will also be investigated.

However, a contradictory position was proffered by SARA’s Aubrey Retemeyer, who said only the circumstances around ONLY the two agreements I signed would be investigated.

Mr. Retemeyer made this admission in a May 29, 2019 report published by the Associated Press, where he was quoted as saying: “Our focus is on Canje and Kaieteur Blocks and how those blocks were awarded.”

How could this not be political?

Additionally, why is Professor Thomas silent on the new agreements signed by Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, under the current Administration, after the confirmed oil find, which included provisions not dis-

similar to the ones I signed, as President, when there was no confirmed oil find?

Would it not have been better for Guyana if new provisions were included in the contracts signed by Minister Trotman, since there was a confirmed oil find of an estimated three billion barrels?

Why were stronger agreements not signed? And why is this failure something that SARA is not looking into? Is it that SARA is convinced that the APNU/AFC cannot stand scrutiny?

Mr. Retemeyer was also quoted in the May 29, 2019 Associated Press report as saying: “They were handed the blocks without any public auction.” Is this not duplicitous? The agreements signed by Minister Trotman were also not subject to auction. Further, until today, there is no policy decision on whether the remaining oil blocks will be auctioned or not.

Another APNU/AFC operative, Eric Phillips, is reported to have told the Kaieteur News that he wants to ascertain why no signing bonus was negotiated. I am appalled that after four years in government that a person in such a senior position would raise such an issue which displays a total lack of understanding of the issue. We could not negotiate a signing bonus when we were signing an exploration agreement and not a production agreement?

I wish to also point out that last year, when the APNU/AFC Coalition Government came in for severe criticisms of its failures to properly manage our emerging oil and gas sector, talk of an investigation was peddled by Professor Thomas. It would seem that with similar criticisms currently dominating the news cycle, it is not unexpected that Professor Thomas’ mutterings about an investigation would return.

I wish to make it clear that I welcome any investigation that is done by an independent and impartial international firm. No Guyanese can expect a non-partisan investigation by SARA. Any unbiased, professional independent review will once

more confirm all due legal processes were followed and during the PPP/C time in office the country's best interest was served, given the realities of the day.

That said, no amount of maneuverings by the APNU/ AFC Coalition Government, and its puppets at SARA, to divert attention from its inept management of the developing oil and gas sector will be successful. Guyanese are clear that since the confirmed oil find, the Coalition Government had failed to represent their interest – from the renegotiation of the ExxonMobil contract in 2016 to the failure to complete a basic Local Content Policy, after four years in office.

Instead, Guyanese are made to contend with an Administration that, among other costly missteps, failed to disclose the receipt of an $18M signing bonus and attempted to steal those monies. Had it not been for the exposure in December 2018, those monies would have remained off of Guyana’s books – as it has for over three years.

Currently, responsibility of the oil and gas sector falls under President David Granger – having been moved from one minister to another over the past four years – and the state of affairs remains the same.

There is no clear direction to ensure that developments in the oil and gas sector are guided along a trajectory that would benefit Guyana and all Guyanese.

Finally, I note the screaming headline on page one of the May 31, 2019 edition of the Kaieteur News with a sense of recognition – it was the same trend that the PPP/C had to contend with for 23 years; misleading, unsubstantiated and sensational publications geared to promote ‘certain’ interests.

No amount of misrepresentation for political and other reasons can contradict the facts. I repeat, we in the PPP/C have nothing to fear from an independent and impartial investigation.

Former President Donald Ramotar

Dear Editor, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” Baseball legend Yogi Berra’s creative mangled quote applies perfectly to President Granger’s speech commemorating Independence Day 2019, which promised the future to “youth” and that of the leader of the AFC, Moses Nagamootoo’s recent promise to “think” about the possibility of free tertiary education if re-elected.

A politician making an empty promise is certainly not new, however, the sheer audacity of this pair boggles the mind! We have seen this before, in 2015 David Granger, then leader of the opposition, addressed youth organisations and promised “that under an APNU Administration, all graduates of the University of Guyana would be assured employment within twelve months of graduating” (Kaieteur News, 2015-0129) but once elected Granger arrogantly suggested in 2018 “You must be ashamed if you do not have work” and “Government services could not employ an unlimited number of persons” Granger and his Administration never addressed job creation policies, instead Granger suggested self-help and cook-up and plantain frying as avenues of upward mobility. Unfortunately, Moses Nagamootoo has made no statements of note either

way and his only contribution has been to diminish the prestige of the Office he holds.

Editor, I do not need to point out that jobs were not created for every University graduate, the thousands who have graduated since 2015 know all about that.

What angers me is the thought that “youths” are somehow ignorant of the facts and can be easily duped.

The PPP, led by General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo, has been working long hours crafting plans and policies for presentation to the electorate. There will be promises to tertiary students, the difference will be the meticulous and detailed plan including prudent fiscal budgetary allocation to back the promise. Jagdeo has indeed made the claim that the AFC leader has “stolen” the ideas. Jagdeo need not worry, stealing or parroting a good intention is not enough, you have to be able to plan and execute the intention into a reality and in this, the Granger Administration has proven to be woefully inept.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions and empty promises. I am now sure that it is called Granger-Nagamootoo Drive.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

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Foundation The tongue is one tough worker

With all that talking, mixing food, swallowing, tasting, and germ fighting, does your tongue ever get a rest? No. Even when you are sleeping, your tongue is busy pushing saliva into the throat to be swallowed. It’s a good thing, too, or we’d be drooling all over our pillows. Keep your tongue in tip-top shape by brushing it along with your teeth and avoiding super-hot foods. A burned tongue is no fun! (Kidshealth.

org)

W

ant to find out just how much you use your tongue?

Try eating an ice-cream cone or singing your favorite song without it. You need your tongue to chew, swallow, and sing. And don’t forget talking and tasting!

Tongue twister

Has anyone ever told you that the tongue is a muscle?

Well, that’s only partly true: The tongue is really made up of many groups of muscles. These muscles run in different directions to carry out all the tongue’s jobs.

The front part of the tongue is very flexible and can move around a lot, working with the teeth to create different types of words. This part also helps you eat by helping to move food around your mouth while you chew. Your tongue pushes the food to your back teeth so the teeth can grind it up.

The muscles in the back of your tongue help you make certain sounds, like the letters “k” and hard “g” (like in the word “go”). Try saying these letters slowly, and you’ll feel how the back of your tongue moves against the top of your mouth to create the sounds.

The back of your tongue is important for eating as well.

Once the food is all ground up and mixed with saliva (say: suh-LYE-vuh), or spit, the back muscles start to work. They move and push a small bit of food along with saliva into your esophagus (say: ih-SAH-fuh-gus), which is a food pipe that leads from your throat to your stomach.

Tongue held down tight

Have you ever wondered what keeps you from swallowing your tongue? Look in the mirror at what’s under your tongue and you’ll see your frenulum (say: FREN-yuh-lum).

This is a membrane (a thin layer of tissue) that connects your tongue to the bottom of your mouth. In fact, the whole base of your tongue is firmly anchored to the bottom of your mouth, so you could never swallow your tongue even if you tried!

Tasty tidbits

Don’t put that mirror away yet! Look at your tongue again, but this time look closely at the top of it. Notice how it’s rough and bumpy — not like the underside, which is very smooth. That’s because the top of your tongue is covered with a layer of bumps called papillae (say: puh-PILLee).

Papillae help grip food and move it around while you chew. And they contain your taste buds, so you can taste everything from apples to zucchini! People are born with about 10,000 taste buds. But as a person ages, some of his or her taste buds die. (An old person may only have 5,000 taste buds!) That’s why some foods may taste stronger to you than they do to an adult. Taste buds can detect sweet, sour, bitter, and salty flavours.

Travelling tastes

So how do you know how something tastes? Each taste

bud is made up of taste cells, which have sensitive, microscopic hairs called microvilli (say: mye-kro-VILL-eye). Those tiny hairs send messages to the brain, which interprets the signals and identifies the taste for you.

Identifying tastes is your brain’s way of telling you about what’s going into your mouth, and in some cases, keeping you safe. Have you ever taken a drink of milk that tasted funny? When the milk hit the taste buds, they sent nerve impulses to your brain: “Milk coming in – and it tastes funny!” Once your brain unscrambled the nerve impulses, it recognised the taste as a dangerous one, and you knew not to drink the milk.

Some things can make your taste bud receptors less sensitive, like cold foods or drinks. An ice pop made from your favourite juice won’t taste as sweet as plain juice. If you suck on an ice cube before you eat a food you don’t like, you won’t notice the bad taste.

What are taste buds?

D

id you ever wonder why your favourite foods taste so good? Well, you can thank your taste buds for letting you appreciate the saltiness of pretzels and the sweetness of ice cream.

Taste buds are sensory organs that are found on your tongue and allow you to experience tastes that are sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. How exactly do your taste buds work?

Well, stick out your tongue and look in the mirror.

See all those bumps? Those are called papillae (say: puhPILL-ee), and most of them contain taste buds. Taste buds have very sensitive microscopic hairs called microvilli (say: mye-kro-VILL-eye). Those tiny hairs send messages to the brain about how something tastes, so you know if it’s sweet, sour, bitter, or salty.

Friend of the tongue

Last time you had a cold and your nose felt stuffed up, did you notice that foods didn’t taste as strong as they usually do? Well, that’s because your tongue can’t take all of the credit for tasting different flavours – it has help from your nose.

Your nose helps you taste foods by smelling them before they go in your mouth and as you chew and swallow them.

Strong smells can even confuse your taste buds: Try holding an onion slice under your nose while eating an apple. What do you taste?

Your tongue also gets help from your teeth, lips, and mouth. Your teeth help your tongue grind food as the tongue mixes the food around your mouth. And without your teeth, lips, and the roof of your mouth, your tongue wouldn’t be able to form sounds to make words.

Saliva is also a friend of the tongue. A dry tongue can’t taste a thing, so saliva helps the tongue by keeping it wet.

Saliva moistens food and helps to break it down, which makes it easier for the tongue to push the food back to swallow it.

Fighting germs

If all that wasn’t enough, your tongue even helps keep you from getting sick. The back section of your tongue contains something called the lingual tonsil (say: LIN-gwul TAHN-sul). Lingual is a medical word that means having to do with the tongue, and tonsils are small masses of tissue that contain cells that help filter out harmful germs that could cause an infection in the body.

But when you have tonsillitis, it’s not your lingual tonsil that’s infected. Tonsillitis affects the palatine (say: PAL-uhtyne) tonsils, which are two balls of tissue on either side of the tongue. The lingual tonsil, the palatine tonsils, and the adenoids are part of a bigger system that fights infections throughout your body.

The average person has about 10,000 taste buds and they’re replaced every two weeks or so. But as a person ages, some of those taste cells don’t get replaced. An older person may only have 5000 working taste buds. That’s why certain foods may taste stronger to kids than they do to adults.

Smoking also can reduce the number of taste buds a person has.

But before you give taste buds all the credit for your favourite flavours, it’s important to thank your nose. Olfactory) receptors inside the uppermost part of the nose contain special cells that help you smell. They send messages to the brain.

Here’s how it works: While you’re chewing, the food releases chemicals that immediately travel up into your nose.

These chemicals trigger the olfactory receptors inside the nose. They work together with your taste buds to create the true flavour of that yummy slice of pizza by telling the brain all about it!

When you have a cold or allergies, and your nose is stuffy, you might notice that your food doesn’t seem to have much flavour. That’s because the upper part of your nose isn’t clear to receive the chemicals that trigger the olfactory receptors (that inform the brain and create the sensation of flavour).

Try holding your nose the next time you eat something.

You’ll notice that your taste buds are able to tell your brain something about what you’re eating – that it’s sweet, for instance – but you won’t be able to pick the exact flavour until you let go of your nose.

So the next time you chomp on an apple or slurp up some soup, thank your tongue – and your nose! Without them, life wouldn’t have any flavour.

Senses experiment: No flavour without saliva

Why you need saliva to taste foods. In order for food to have taste, chemicals from the food must first dissolve in saliva. Once dissolved, the chemicals can be detected by receptors on taste buds.

What you need: * A friend or two * Paper towels * Foods to taste (cookies, crackers, pretzels, or other dry food) * Drinking water for everyone What to do: * Use a clean paper towel to dry off your tongue. * Taste each food, one by one. How does it taste? * Have a drink of water. * Taste each food again, letting your saliva do its magic!

(Kidshealth.org)

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saturday, JUNE 1, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Norton St robbery/shoot-out

3rd dead bandit identified as Kitty resident …5-year-old victim to receive counselling

Dead bandit: Leslie Griffith

P

lans are apace to provide counselling to the five-year-old boy who witnessed the shoot-out between Police and three armed bandits on Thursday night.

This is according to a senior Police official close to the investigation who told Guyana Times on Friday that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will be taking the necessary steps to ensure that the traumatised child receives “proper and adequate” counselling after being subjected to such a “horrible ordeal.”

Meanwhile, Police have since identified the third bandit as Leslie Griffith, 24, of Lot 165 William Street, Kitty, Georgetown. The man was identified when

his mother turned up at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) morgue on Friday.

Griffith, along with Junior Nurse of Albouystown, and Shawn Browne Jr were all killed during a shootout with Police at a house at Norton and Victor Streets, Lodge on Thursday evening. Browne Jr is the son of the prison escapee Shawn Browne.

Browne Sn was Guyana’s most wanted criminal and was among three men killed on June 5, 2003 at a house in Prashad Nagar, Georgetown, in which three grenades were lobbed at the Police.

On Thursday, the three bandits swooped down on the residence of construction worker, Neville Lesley, moments after he had put his five-year-old son to bed.

Reports are at about 20:00h, while the man was closing the doors to his Lot 46 Norton and Victor Streets home, he saw someone scaling the fence but by the time he reacted, he was held at gunpoint. The gunman demanded gold and cash as he took the man into the house.

By that time, the two other gunmen also made their way into the man’s home, with each of them carrying a handgun.

Hearing the commotion, the five-year-old child woke up and ran downstairs. “They

Dead bandit: Shawn Browne Jr, son of Guyana’s most wanted criminal, the late Shawn Browne

tell me if I don’t keep me son quiet, they’d shoot me and meh son,” the man related.

Lesley said a relative, who recently returned from the United States, is staying at his home and the bandits had enquired about her.

However as the robbery was occurring, the Police patrol which was in the area was notified and responded.

With the bandits dis-

tracted by the Police presence, Lesley and his son managed to escape and hid in one of the bedrooms, where he removed the louvres in the window and lowered his son from the upper flat of the house.

The child was safely collected by a Police Officer, and Lesley jumped through the window to safety.

It was at this point that the shoot-out between the armed bandits and law enforcement commenced. According to information from residents in the area, two of the bandits were shot and appeared to be dead, while the third was also shot but surrendered to the Police.

The bodies of the two dead gunmen, along with the injured bandit, were taken to the GPHC but the third man subsequently died while receiving medical attention. The Police have since removed two handguns from the scene with several rounds of spent shells.

The killing of these three

Dead bandit: Junior Nurse

bandits comes on the heels of three other bandits being killed during a Police shootout in Black Bush Polder.

Those three men were identified as wanted murder suspects; 32-year-old Kelvin Shivgobin, called “Kelly” of Belvedere, Corentyne, Berbice; Ramnarine Jagmohan of Belvedere Village, who was acquitted of murder; and Sewchand Sewdat, called “One Eye Pappy”, also of Belvedere, Corentyne, Berbice.

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saturday, JUNE 1, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Killer jailed for 25 years for Sparendaam murder I

t was a dismal time in the courtroom of Justice James-Bovell Drakes on Friday after the High Court Judge handed down a 25-year prison sentence to Junior Anthony Henry called “Oswald” for the murder of 22-year-old Michael Hamilton, who was shot dead on October 7, 2013, at Sparendaam Squatting Area, East Coast Demerara.

Henry was found guilty almost two weeks ago for the murder of Hamilton, whom he shot during a heated argument over a female.

A probation report presented in court revealed that Henry’s grandmother, prior to the incident, was informed of several instances in which the deceased would threaten and “chase” the convicted man away

Jailed: Junior Henry

whenever he would visit his child’s mother’s home.

Moreover several reports to the police where futile.

Nevertheless, Henry in the said report expressed remorse for the crime com-

mitted and acknowledged that a mother has lost her son, he also begged for the court’s mercy as he is a father of two young children.

The State was represented by Sarah Martin in asso-

Magistrate Leron Daly on Friday.

The Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, resident was slapped with three armed robberies and two firearm-related charges.

The first three charges read

that on May 29, 2019, at Water Street, Georgetown, while in the company of another and armed with a gun, he robbed Sachinand Deosuraj, Zamid Baksh and Pareshram Persaud of a total of $115,000 inclusive of

ciation with Tuanna Hardy while a convicted Henry was represented by Lyndon Amsterdam and Latoya Roberts.

Justice Drakes, after handing down the aforementioned prison sentence, advised Henry to let that incident be a lesson to improve himself. He went on to say that Henry will be eligible for parole after serving 15 of the total years given.

Police reports had revealed that Hamilton was shot in the chest and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The crime had stemmed over altercations between the deceased and the convict regarding a female, who is said to be the girlfriend of the now dead man.

Bandit jailed for robbing Stabroek Market vendors

A

fter admitting to a series of charges inclusive of armed robberies and illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, 26-year-old Joshua Joseph was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by

Jailed: Joshua Joseph

two cellphones.

The other two charges stated that on the same date at Hadfield Street, Georgetown, Joseph had in his possession four live rounds of .38 calibre ammunition along with one .38 revolver without being the holder of a firearm license.

According to facts presented to the court, on May 29, the victims, who are all vendors at the Stabroek Market, were in the vicinity of the Guyana Fire Service and Social Protection Department buildings when Joseph and an accomplice approached them with the gun and demanded their valuables while gun-butting the first two Virtual Complainants in the process.

Police ranks were on patrol in the area and gave chase to the defendant and his accomplice. However, Joseph was apprehended while the other suspect made good his escape.

A search later revealed the illegal weapon in Joseph’s possession and he was later taken in custody and charged for the present offence.

As such, Magistrate Daly handed down the sentence to the defendant and he will spend the next three years in prison.

Contradicting…

W

…Ramjattan e all know the saying, “There are none so blind as those who will not see”, but its corollary, “The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know”, spells it out even clearer. No one would be able to convince your Eyewitness that the Minister of Public Security isn’t aware of the crime tsunami sweeping over our country.

He’s just showing how far some fellas would sink in advancing their own interests.

The PNC were elected in 2015 primarily because they threw mud at the PPP about “corruption”; which they’ve been unable to prove even though they did their darndest, and fielded dozens of military types in their leadership, which they assured the nation would guarantee a reduction in the crime rate.

Instead, notwithstanding Ramjattan’s protestations and his tweaking of statistics, the rate has skyrocketed northwards.

Every civil society group around has asked Ramjattan to show some leadership for the assets under his Ministry, which is tasked with keeping law and order in the country, but to no avail. The most recent was the Private Sector Commission. After his concocted statistical ploys were dissected and shown to be blatantly propagandistic exercises, Ramjattan changed his tune. He now started telling everyone that compared to crime in neighbouring countries, things weren’t so bad here!! Guess he figures that crime wafts across the border through the air, and he can’t do anything about that!!

But the US State Department just released their annual report on crime in Guyana, for the benefit of their citizens who might be visiting Guyana. They didn’t pull any punches: “Criminal activity, including murder and armed robbery, is common in Guyana. Armed robberies can occur in businesses, shopping districts, and in hotels.” Criminal activity is common in Guyana. Will Ramjattan be sending the US Embassy his statistics on crimes in neighbouring countries?

Well, the Americans were very specific, and even named neighbourhoods. “U.S. citizens should remain alert and exercise particular caution in the neighborhoods of Agricola, Tiger Bay, Albouystown, Stabroek Market, and the seawall east of Vlissengen Road, due to criminal activity; the remaining seawall, National Park, and Bourda Market have the same recommendations after dark. U.S. citizens are advised to avoid walking in Georgetown alone and after dark.”

Now, Ramjattan also knows these are high crime locales, but has he ever directed his Police to develop their intelligence-gathering network – read “snitches” – in these areas to clean them up? Maybe he should’ve been the Minister to go with Buju Banton into Tiger Bay and Abouystown -- to big-up Roger Khan?

Finally, is it coincidental that, only now that elections are in the air, two gangs of bandits were taken out by Ramjattan’s police? …PNC’s own rhetoric One surreal aspect of PNC politics after 2015 has been the direct refutation through their actions of the highsounding rhetoric they’d spouted in their years in the Opposition about morality, probity, ethics, and principles that the PPP supposedly lacked. Didn’t they realise they’d be held to the standards they’d implicitly set?? But the fish starts stinking at the top…and all of us now see the chasm between the rhetoric and reality in the actions of their leader, David Granger.

How can he have any claim to “integrity” when, with criminality erupting around him like fragmentation landmines, he’s yet to discipline, much less dismiss, a single miscreant. Take his Minister of Public Infrastructure; when will Granger even rap him on the knuckles?? The man’s been dogged by corruption every time he opens his mouth: US$9000 deposited in his personal account when he claimed MARAD advanced funds for his trip to China; now his sole-sourced contract on the DHB was paid from the latter’s Asphalt Plant account?

Are these his piggy banks? …funding $40 million and counting was spent by the PNC on concert tickets to the Buju Banton show alone. In the meantime, Mahdia, Black Bush Polder and most of the Essequibo remain flooded.

Can’t the PNC Government match their Buju spending with flood relief?

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

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saturday, JUNE 1, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

US advisory on increased violent crimes in Guyana incorrect – Govt O

ne day after the United States warned its citizens about the high crime rate in Guyana, the Government said the travel advisory is incorrect, adding that the country is a “safe place”.

In a statement on its website, the US State Department urged its citizens to exercise caution when visiting Guyana due to the evident spike in the country’s crime rate.

However, Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency (MOTP), Joseph Harmon has touted Guyana as a safe place to not only visit but invest.

“From the level of the Cabinet, I wish to assure all of our citizens, including those citizens who are abroad and are making decisions to travel to Guyana, that Guyana is a safe place.

Guyana is a safe place to live, it’s a safe place to work, it’s a safe place to invest and that’s the word I wish to give to all persons who might be thinking twice as a result of this advisory,” Harmon told reporters at the post-Cabinet press briefing on Friday.

Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon

According to the State Department, Guyana’s police network is hindered to effectively alleviate these incidents due to the lack of resources.

“Violent crimes such as armed robbery and murder is common. Local police lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents,” the notice stated.

But Harmon pointed out that the coalition Government is fully confident in the ability of local police officers to tackle crime

in this country.

The Director General at MOTP said that Government is unhappy about the US travel advisory on Guyana’s high crime rate.

“Every time an advisory comes out, people think twice about travelling to your country [and] they think twice about investing. So we cannot say we’re happy at all with advisories that speak towards the security of the State and affect the way in which people make decisions to travel to our country,” the Government spokesperson said on Friday.

The State Department further advised all travellers from the United States to be extra vigilant when visiting banks or ATMs and avoid walking or driving in the nights. Persons were also cautioned not to resist any robbery attempts they might encounter and desist from displaying signs of wealth, such as expensive watches or jewellery.

In Guyana’s Crime and Safety Report for 2018, which was created

Drinking spree turns deadly: labourer found with throat slit

T

he body of a 30-yearold labourer was discovered with his throat slit at the Kamarang Water Front, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), early on Friday morning.

Dead is Godrell Joseph of Kamarang River.

Reports are that the man was last seen with his friends on Thursday night at about 20:00h at a shop at

the Kamarang waterfront area. The group of men were said to have been imbibing for a lengthy period.

Joseph’s body was found lying on the roadway by passersby at about 06:00h on Friday. This newspaper was told that there was a wound to the right side of Joseph’s neck.

Speaking with this publication, F Division (Interior

locations) Commander, Kevin Adonis said that two men, who were identified as friends of Joseph and who were reportedly in his company on Thursday night, have been taken into custody for questioning.

Meanwhile, the post-mortem revealed that Joseph died as a result of an incised wound to his neck.

Investigations are ongoing.

by the State Department, Georgetown was assessed as “a critical-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official US Government interests”. It was indicated that the country’s

crime statistics are above the national average.

However, Harmon, who is a United States citizen himself, contended on Friday that the Police Force is now better led by a cadre of senior officers who are ensuring that operations are intelligence-led, thus resulting in successes such as the recent breakthroughs in the local criminal network.

Within the past weeks, local police have shot and killed six bandits – three in Black Bush Polder on the Corentyne and three in Georgetown during the course of armed robberies.

The US travel advisory came on the heels of a recent statement from the local Private Sector Commission (PSC) calling for more to be done to curb the spate of violent crimes across the country.

While commending the recent successes of the police in confronting violent crimes, the Commission in a statement on Wednesday underscored the importance of equipping the Force with the necessary equipment to tackle the growing challenges threatening the safety and wellbeing of citizens.

“The Commission is convinced of the need for significantly greater human and financial resources being placed at the disposal of the Police Force… The Commission believes that there is considerable room for enhancement in intelligence gathering and anal-

ysis than is currently in place,” the Commission said its missive.

According to the umbrella Private Sector body, its Governance and Security Committee met on Wednesday to address the increasing and widespread public concern over the manifestly “frightening and disturbing” incidents of violent crime across the country.

Coming out of that meeting, the Committee decided to request a joint meeting with Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan and Commissioner of Police Leslie James to discuss the matter.

“The Commission believes that there is a much greater need for public confidence and trust in the Police Force… The Commission looks forward to a strong and uncompromising standard of leadership in our security forces,” it added.

Further, the PSC went on to highlight its deep concerns over the “insufficient progress” being made with regards to the implementation of Security Sector Reforms.

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saturday, JUNE 1, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Power woes

Inadequate generating capacity, poor configuration blamed …GPL needs more financing – CEO

I

nadequate generating capacity is just one aspect that needs fixing in order to ensure reliable electricity supply across the country but in order to address these issues, the Guyana Power and Light needs major financing. This is according

to Chief Executive Officer of the utility company, Albert Gordon.

Speaking at the University of Guyana (UG) Tain Talks on Energy for Guyana, Gordon said that the company also has a transmission and distribution system that is poorly

Recently, over the past five weeks, that line was under maintenance and that resulted in hours of prolonged power loss.

“Every time that line goes down the system goes down.

In 2017 that line took down the system five times so if you don’t take good care of it that is what it does. That is why we had to do that. So until we fix those things we won’t get over that.”

More funding

GPL’s CEO Albert Gordon

configured.

“It has evolved over the years to what it is but it was not developed in a structured manner and we are trying to fix that and we have inherent weaknesses.

When I came here last year I said we need about US$150 million just to get the basics done, we have gotten US$26 million and we are targeting the heart of the problem,” the power company’s CEO said.

According to Gordon, there is only one transmission line that connects Demerara and Berbice and when that line goes down, many places would suffer extended hours of power outages until it could be fixed.

According to the CEO, the company has secured some funding to build a backup for this line but much more needs to be done.

“We need to install about 120 megawatts and we have been searching for financing for that and we have identified some sources and we are in discussions. We have identified financing and we are in discussion for a first 20 megawatts which would ease the burden on this side. In fact, we want it somewhere in the Berbice area because there is a line between Sophia and Good Hope that if that line goes

Part of GPL’s interconnected system

down, the system goes down as well because we are always pushing power to the East Coast.”

He added that currently, the system has no redundancy but instead GPL has a radial transmission system.

Gordon noted that usually, a transmission system is a network with a backup line but unfortunately, GPL does not enjoy this.

“That is not what we have. We have a hub at Sophia and lines goes to Kingston, Vreed-en-Hoop, Good Hope and all the way to Skeldon and Garden of

Eden and Golden Grove. It is a radial system, something goes down in one place, everything downstream is affected by it so we need to reconfigure that.”

For several years GPL consumers have been experiencing constant power outages and the company’s poor services have come under criticism many times, primarily by the general populace. Businesses have also been very vocal about the negative impacts that the prolonged periods of blackout have had on their operations.

Jamaican jailed for sharing nude video of woman

A

Jamaican man will now spend the next year behind bars in Guyana, after Georgetown Magistrate Leron Daly on Friday, sentenced him to one year’s imprisonment when he admitted to sharing an obscene video of a woman via social media.

Anthony Lynch was slapped with a total of three charges with the first stating that on May 29, 2019, he failed to comply with per-

mission granted to stay in Guyana from November 16, 2016, to April 30, 2019, and as such overstayed his time.

Another charge read that on January 1, 2019, at Lot 20 East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, he knowingly and without any lawful excuse, exposed an obscene video to cause public embarrassment. To this charge, the foreigner pleaded guilty.

The final charge stated that on January 7, 2019, at

Eve Leary, Georgetown, the accused, while being in lawful custody for the offence of exposing an obscene video, escaped from custody. Lynch pleaded not guilty to this charge as well as the first.

Magistrate Daly sentenced Lynch to one year’s imprisonment for the second offence while he remanded him on the other charges.

The cases were adjourned to July 19, 2019.

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saturday, JUNE 1, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Fruit flies affecting crops earmarked for international markets

O

A NAREI officer setting traps to capture the pests

ver 4000 male fruit flies were captured at Orealla, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), where there is a huge pest problem affecting vegetables and other crops.

The spread of these fruit flies has recently intensified, prompting the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) to intervene.

Over the past four weeks, Plant Protection Officers have been monitoring the situation and setting traps under a programme – Carambola Fruit Fly (CFF)

– being rolled out by NAREI in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

According to NAREI, this pest hinders Guyana’s ability to export certain fresh fruits and vegetables to North American and European markets.

Under the programme, community outreaches are being held with the aim of conducting surveys and monitoring the status of the pest and to initiate control and eradication activities, especially within the hinterland communities bordering Guyana and Brazil.

So far, the communities that benefited are Orealla/ Siparuta in Region Six; Mahdia, Bamboo Creek, Kanapang and surrounding satellite communities in Region Eight; and Lethem and surrounding communities in the North and South Rupununi in Region Nine.

NAREI, in a press release, noted that of the ar-

Some of the fruit flies captured by traps set by NAREI

eas visited, Region Eight had an alarming population of these fruit flies.

“Of the sites visited, more than 65 per cent of the traps were missing…They were replaced, and those that were found were badly damaged… A total of 157 male (fruit flies) were captured from the traps found,” said Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NAREI, Brian Sears.

Orealla was another area

of major concern. “Twentytwo traps that were set for monitoring purposes recorded an extremely high B carambolae population. Over 4000 male fruit flies were captured. Four of the traps that were missing were also replaced,” NAREI said.

Public awareness sessions were conducted within all communities to ensure residents are informed about the importance as well as the harm this pest

could have on agriculture and the economy.

Villagers were encouraged to participate and assist NAREI’s Extension staff, especially those working within the areas affected. Also, key community leaders and pilot farmers were trained to ensure the continuation and sustainability of the programme.

NAREI said this programme will continue and be complemented with a regional programme to include countries such as Brazil, Guyana and Suriname.

“This is important as control and eradication would only be possible if all the countries affected work together to implement similar and simultaneous procedures that could bring about the desired results,” NAREI noted.

Importantly, NAREI will receive a dedicated budget annually that will be supported by partners such as IICA to support similar activities.

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saturday, JUNE 1, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Cattle farmers’ livelihood stymied by MMA-ADA’s eviction …seek legal advice to file proceedings in High Court mit to conduct cattle grazing was also issued with the notice but upon visiting the agency, they were told this document was irrelevant. As such, it was mandatory for them to vacate.

“MMA just serve us a notice to remove from the land. They also give us a paper with permission to graze cattle. When we went at MMA, the paper had no value. They told us this don’t have no value anymore,” the man stated.

“I occupying that land for over 20 years…We occupy that land for so many years and we ain’t get an inch of land,” he added.

Another affected cattle rearer, Krishna Sookdeo,

years ago.

“I apply for the lease and when you go to MMA, they tell you that no, you didn’t make application and I always walk with my receipt.

They ask why we didn’t make application and we tell them that we make application.”

Many of them cried that their only means of earning a livelihood is at stake.

Generally, they would obtain milk from these animals, which are later sold to consumers using bicycles.

“This must affect our livelihoods because we depend on milk. That’s the work we’re doing for our livelihood. No other job we doing,” Persaud related.

The notice sent to the cattle farmers by the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary-Agricultural Development Authority

T

he Mahaica Mahaicony AbaryA g r i c u l t u r a l Development Authority (MMA-ADA) has evicted several cattle owners from lands in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), stymieing their livelihoods by issuing new leases to other stakeholders.

The area, located at Blairmont, covers 1360 acres and had been used by farmers to rear hundreds of cattle. These persons have been operating on the land

for the past 30 years and throughout that time, applications were filed for lease documents to be granted.

However, the farmers received a notice from the agency earlier this year, indicating that they have to vacate the lands since new leases were issued to other persons, some of whom are not even cattle farmers.

Without the lands, their daily operations are severely challenged.

Pooran Balmukund explained on Friday that a per-

Some of the affected farmers displaying their receipts of lease applications

impounded and released at a cost of some $10,000 for one.

“We can’t go nowhere. If you bring the cow at the road, they impound them and you got to pay $10,000 a head.

Where you getting $10,000 to take out cow from the pound.

You don’t make that money a week from milk.”

Legal advice

The lands at Blairmont used by farmers for rearing cattle

told this publication that they would constantly apply for leases to be granted.

However, during the next engagement, the Authority would advise them to reapply since the documents could not be found. Receipts seen by Guyana Times demonstrated that payments were made by all the farmers for lease applications, some dating back

Over the years, the farmers have developed the lands, establishing pastures and constructing fences around the property. It was explained that they have no vacant property to relocate the animals.

“Nowhere have vacant land anymore. We can’t carry all of our animals in the backyard. This is what we depend on. It’s from the backdam to the table,” Balmukund related.

Adding to that, 71-yearold Amar Nauth said if the animals are left on the roadway to graze, they would be

The farmers have sought legal advice from Attorneyat-Law Anil Nandlall, where the matter will be challenged in the High Court. He contended that the MMA-ADA was established as a support mechanism for farmers and other agricultural workers. Instead, they have ousted rice farmers and skyrocketed fees which exceeds the financial capabilities of the common man.

The attorney asserted, “The MMA-ADA is an agency set up to facilitate farmers, to assist farmers not to hang them out. All MMA has been doing over the past four years is to oust rice farmers from their land [and] raise the rates and irrigation fees beyond the financial capabilities of the

farmers. Now they are behind the cattle farmers.”

Nandlall reiterated that these farmers should have been granted leases since there is enough land to be distributed to all stakeholders.

“You have enough land to distribute to everybody.

Why are you dispossessing these people of the land that they have occupied for so many years and giving it to someone else? Regularise their occupation and issue new leases for new sets of lands for the people who want more land. I don’t understand the policy of MMA,” he positioned.

Guyana Times had reported that the farmers were issued with a letter dated January 18, 2019, from MMA ordering them to vacate the land by February 1, 2019, and according to the notice, from that date, those animal farmers would have been deemed illegal.

Along with their removal, the men were also required to demolish all structures constructed on the property. Attempts were made to reach an agreement with the entity to no avail.

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saturday, JUNE 1, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

PPP will scrap coalition’s “ceremonial” GSDS – Jagdeo

D

ays after the Green State Development Strategy: Vision 2040 was handed over to President David Granger, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo labelled the document as ceremonial and promised to have it scrapped when the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) returns to power.

According to Jagdeo, the coalition’s strategy, which was handed over to President David Granger by the United Nations Environment Programme’s Director – Latin America and the Caribbean, Leo Heileman, on Tuesday, is a flawed approach since it does not focus on Guyanese and tangible returns to them.

“I made it clear that the PPP will scrap this approach. The Green State Strategy, when they launch it in September, it would just be a good photo opportunity for the President and another speech touting the ‘Green Credentials’ of our Government. But in reality, it will mean very lit-

tle to people in Guyana in terms of jobs, better access to health and education or anything else,” he stated.

Jagdeo, who was a recipient of a Champion of the Earth Award back in 2010 while he was still President, had pioneered the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which was launched under his regime in 2009. As such, the former President on Thursday did a comparison of the two strategies.

“The fundamental thing that is different about our strategies is that one, the LCDS was an economic strategy that sought to move Guyana to perperity and our people to greater wealth and benefits, using a decarboniser, a cleaner energy and a green pathway.

In their case, it is about an environment strategy mainly that they’re hoping to superimpose on the country and, therefore, it requires funding from our sources,” he said.

Pointing to an advertisement that Government is circulating that it has deliv-

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

ered on training Guyanese for “Green jobs”, Jagdeo questioned how many such jobs were actually created “outside of planting some palms down” along the highway on the East Coast of Demerara.

The Opposition Leader went on to outline the glaring differences with the coalition’s GSDS and his party’s LCDS. He pointed out that the LCDS was indigenously developed from over 1000 engagements and with

one foreign consultant who did pro bono work on the theoretical base of the strategy. The GSDS, on the other hand, Jagdeo noted, was developed by external consultants.

Further, the Opposition Leader outlined that unlike the coalition’s strategy which will be funded not only by taxpayers’ money but revenues from the impending oil and gas as well, the LCDS identified ways of using the country’s strategic assets to make money.

“So from the forestry sector, through the sale of forest carbon, we had earned also $200 million.

We had an agreement with Norway to sell them forest carbons up to $250 million - $200 million of that is already available to us and by now we should have been on a second such arrangement that would’ve seen another $400 million or so coming to Guyana,” he explained, while adding “So [one] was [strategic], is a generator of funds and the other is a user of funds from taxpayer sources as well as oil mon-

President tours Perseverance, Prospect Housing Developments

P

resident David Granger, on Friday morning, visited the Prospect and Perseverance Housing Developments, East Bank Demerara, for the first time. There, he said that improving the quality of life for Guyanese means improving housing plans.

The visit was intended for the head of state to have a firsthand look at the construction work of several homes that the Government has built for low and middle income workers. According to the President, although many persons are interested in securing land to build their homes, a complete package -- a house that has already been built with the plot of land -- propels the idea and goal of community development across the country.

“In Guyana, we have adopted a holistic approach to housing, not just give you a house lot and forget about you like a hitand-run driver. We want to make sure that when an area is provided on which you would live, we develop that house, so that we build a community of human buildings… We want to see roads, electricity, we want to see schools eventually, we want to see sports facilities…we must not give people a piece of land and grass and gutters,” the Head of State said.

He added that the Government’s housing policy is not “haphazard”, and that there should be focus on low income earners so that they can benefit from owning their own homes sooner, rather than later.

President Granger ex-

Some of the houses built under the CH&PA programme

plained that such a move would not only ensure that community development takes place throughout the country, but also provides opportunities for employment. However, he noted that more steps must be taken to help persons obtain financial assistance in paying for these homes.

“Our working people still have a problem of getting credit. And I would like to encourage bankers to create windows, friendly windows, so that working people can borrow money on friendly terms… And I am glad that the Guyana Defence Force has a credit union, and one of the houses that I saw there (at Prospect) was financed and supported by that credit union. So we need to look at the financing side to ensure that working people could get access to finance to pay for those houses over a long period of time.”

Government had paused the distribution of lands, and had instead embarked on an initiative which forced Guyanese into buying houses.

This publication understands that not many per-

sons are comfortable with the idea of purchasing the houses, as they prefer to oversee the construction process of their own homes for various reasons.

In May it was reported that the distribution of house lots has reduced significantly since the change of Government in 2015, despite the fact that the demand has not decreased.

This is evident in the 2017 Annual Report of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) which was recently laid in the National Assembly. The report shows that a total of only 1131 house lots were allocated in that year for qualified applicants. In fact, the report states that the original target of allocations for that year was merely 1000.

This does not compare favourably with the previous year, when, according to the report, 2020 house lots were allocated in 2016 -- an improvement on its original target of 1100. This includes 625 low to moderate income house lots and 1395 middle to high-income house lots.

But both of these years’

figures pale in comparison to the number of house lots distributed in previous years under the former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Administration. In the CH&PA’s 2013 Annual Report, its programme performance assessment had indicated that 4417 house lots were allocated, just shy of the 5900 target.

Under the previous Administration, over 100,000 house lots were distributed and over 200 core houses were made available to underprivileged families, while a programme for professional groups provided 200 teachers, nurses and Policemen with fast-track access to loans for home construction.

There is also the 1000 Homes Project that was launched in June of 2013 by the CH&PA to expand the Ministry’s Turn-Key Houses’ programme, which was recommenced in 2011.

Construction began in May of 2014, and by December of 2014, one hundred Buttercup Cottages were completed. Apart from the houses themselves, this project provided employment opportunities for over 300 skilled and semi-skilled workers in the construction industry.

Now it is understood that there are approximately 25,000 applications still piled up at the CH&PA’s office.

In an interview earlier this year, the agency’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Lelon Saul, had said that at least 5000 solutions are required annually for the next five years to reduce the backlog.

ey. That’s [one of] the big differences between the two strategies.”

Another area Jagdeo highlighted was the fact that LCDS had identified specific projects to decarbonise the energy sector.

One such project, he noted, was the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, which was scrapped by the coalition. According to Jagdeo, the hydro project would have decarbonised the energy requirements by over 90 per cent - making it much easier for Guyana to become carbon-free.

“This Government, although it promised in the Paris Agreement to do a 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025, has not identified a single new project that will actually deliver this. [The GSDS] is another APNUtype promise where there is just talk with no action,” he asserted.

Among the other projects the former President noted that were crafted under the LCDS were Amerindian land titling, ITC development in hinterland commu-

nities and a grant scheme for small business. Many of these projects, Jagdeo said, are being carried out by the coalition, while others are yet to take off. “[We had] specific projects that would have delivered both on the mitigation side, which is to reduce our carbon emission, and on the adaptation side, preparing our country for climate change. In this case, there are no projects. It’s just declarative statements from the consultants… In a typical APNU-style, its lofty ideas… but when you come to the specifics for delivery, [such projects] are absent,” the Opposition Leader argued.

The coalition’s GSDS: Vision2040 is intended to be a living example of Guyana’s commitment to the planet while ensuring the sustainable growth and economic wellbeing of its population. It will guide Guyana’s national development policies for the next 20 years.

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saturday, JUNE 1, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Neglected health care in Black Bush Polder flooding

2 persons displaying symptoms of leptospirosis

Pooranwattie Mangra

By Andrew Carmichael

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72-year-old grandmother of Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, who walked through floodwaters with her eightyear-old grandchild, has displayed symptoms of leptospirosis and was referred to the Port Mourant Hospital. Another resident of the same village was also referred to the hospital with similar symptoms.

In humans, leptospirosis can cause a wide range of symptoms, including high fever, headache, chills, mus-

cle aches, vomiting, jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and rash. Many of these symptoms can be mistaken for other diseases. In addition, some infected persons may have no symptoms at all.

More than a week after massive flooding at Black Bush Polder, the community still remains under water as the floodwaters recede at an extremely slow pace. In Yakusari on Thursday, the water was higher than it was on Wednesday and residents complained that the water now has a foul smell.

Apart from the two persons who were on Wednesday advised to visit the hospital, a few other cases of high fever were reported at the Yakusari Health Centre.

Members of the health centre have been visiting homes and providing information to persons in the affected area, advising children not to play in the water and for persons not to use the pipe water to drink. However, the Health Department is monitoring the situation.

Meanwhile, both rice and cash crop farmers are being affected.

Ranny Somar has 2.5 acres under rice cultivation and was on Friday forced to purchase a new set of paddy seeds after all of the seedlings he planted did not germinate because of the prolonged period that the water was on the land.

He explained that the water is not receding at a fast pace. This is an additional expense for this crop after farmers had to deal with huge losses as a result of a paddy bug infestation during the last crop.

“The water make the rice can’t grow. We got to plant back paddy,” he said.

Meanwhile, Parsatam Doonerran, who plants sev-

eral different vegetables on his farm, said most of the crop has been destroyed.

“Everything gone down.

I get three-quarter bed cucumber and I start pumping water to save it but I can’t make it because there is no drainage.”

Doonerran said he is already experiencing difficulty sending his children to school because of the lack of finance as a result of his farm not producing. He noted that two of his three children have not attended school for the week.

“The flood, they can’t get to go to school. The teacher tell me that I should lift them. How I gon lift three children and take them to school?” he questioned.

Pooranwattie Mangra is a 72-year-old farmer who

said that she is not only being affected by the loss of her crop but her pigeon peas and pepper plants, which she depends on to make a living, have all died. The pumpkin and corrilla vines have also died, leaving the woman with no source of income.

“I have a great-grand going to school, she is 8 years old and I have to come out in this flood and carry her to school in house clothes and bathe her and get her ready right at the school and then come home back and go back for her in the afternoon.”

The woman lives about one mile away from the Yakusari Primary School, which remains under water.

Meanwhile, Councillor of the Black Bush Polder Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Bibi Sharmine Ferozadee, like many residents, is blaming the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).

“At every statutory meeting, we made several reports of the canal not being cleaned. If they would have cleaned that main canal, that wouldn’t happen.”

She noted that her farm is still under water even eight days after the NDIA started cleaning the out-

NDC Councillor Bibi Sharmine Ferozadee

fall channel at Number 43 Village which drains the Yakusari Main Drainage Canal.

“I thought the NDIA would have done better. It is over six months the grass in that canal just keep growing and growing.”

Meanwhile, as efforts continue to be made to clear the vegetation which is blocking the Yakusari Main Drainage Canal, which drains the two polders, residents say that the water is reseeding but at a very slow rate; less than one inch in a 24-hour period.

29 cases disposed of in April 2019 Govt spends $350M more on outreaches Criminal Assizes in Demerara …June session to commence with 301 cases

T

he April 2019 Criminal Assizes in Demerara came to an end last Thursday with the Gaol Delivery being done

by Justice Navindra Singh at the Supreme Court in Georgetown.

This session began on April 2, with Justices Singh, Roxane George, James Bovell-Drakes and Brassington Reynold presiding. During this session of the Assizes, a total of 259 cases were listed to be heard and a mere 29 were disposed of during the two-month period.

Of these 29 matters, only 25 were heard in the High Court, while four were nolle prosequi (not prosecuted) by the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The cases that engaged the court’s attention resulted in 10 guilty pleas, six convictions, three not guilty verdicts and four formal verdicts of not guilty.

Justice Singh heard and completed 13 murder cases and two manslaughter cases that were presented

by State Counsels Tuanna Hardy, Abigail Glbbs and Teriq Mohammed and Sarah Martin.

Of the 13 murder cases, nine of the accused pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter. Three of these accused were each sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, another two to 14 years each and the others were respectively sentenced to 15 years; 10 years; nine years; and 16 years, 8 months.

In another three murder cases, the accused were all found guilty by jury verdicts. In one of these cases, there were two accused – one of whom was sentenced to 65 years imprisonment, while his co-accused was found guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. In the other two cases, one accused was sentenced to 75 years imprisonment while the other accused is awaiting sentencing.

The other murder case saw the trial Judge upholding a no-case submission and directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.

The same was done in one of the two trials for the offence of manslaughter. In the other case, the jury returned a guilty verdict for the accused, who is awaiting sentencing.

Additionally, eight matters were presented by State Counsels Lisa Cave, Seeta Bishundial and Sarah Martin before Justice Brassington Reynolds in the Sexual Offences Court. In one of these cases, the accused was found guilty by the jury on all four counts he was indicted with and was sentenced to 29 years imprisonment. In the other three cases, the accused were acquitted by the jury; while in the two remaining trials, the trial Judge directed the juries to return formal verdicts of not guilty. Justice Reynolds upheld a no-case submission in one case while in the other, the Virtual

Complainant (VC) testified she did not wish to proceed with the evidence. Two other matters are in progress before Justice Reynolds On the other hand, Justice James Bovell-Drakes completed two murder cases presented by State Counsels Tiffini Lyken and Sarah Martin. In one case, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty for the accused who was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment; while the other accused pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and will be sentenced on June 3.

Meanwhile, the four matters nolle prosequi by the DPP were for sexual offences in which the VCs submitted written statements they did not wish to proceed with their mattens.

In Berbice, the February Criminal Assizes was in progress with Justice Reynolds first presiding, before Justice Franklin Holder took over the session, which commenced on February 3. A total 61 cases have been listed to be heard during this Assizes, which will continue on June 15.

Of this, 17 cases received the attention of the court during the past four months (February to May).

The Demerara June 2019 Criminal Assizes will commence on Tuesday, June 4, with Justice Simone MorrisRamlall, Justice Reynolds and Justice Bovell-Drakes presiding over the session.

A total of 301 cases have been listed to be heard.

G

overnment’s spokesperson, Joseph Harmon, on Friday defended a recent move by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government to secure more than $300 million in supplementary funding from the National Assembly for ministerial outreaches across the country.

At the last parliamentary sitting on May 23, 2019, Finance Minister Winston Jordan had presented Financial Paper 1 of 2019 totalling in excess of $7.9 billion. Of that amount, $800 million was approved for the Finance Ministry, part of which is for “increased activities such as ministerial outreaches”.

Asked during Friday’s post-Cabinet press briefing to justify the additional $350 million when supplementary funds are only sought in the case of urgency and/or emergency, Harmon underscored the importance of these ministerial engagements.

The Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency (MOTP) noted that Government first had these outreaches back 2016 and 2017, and it was based on feedback from the coomunities, so the Government found it necessary to continue the engagements with the public.

“It was recognised that there was a view that people needed to see their Government Ministers more.

They wanted to be in touch with them. When we came into office, we recognised that there was sort of an expecta-

tion created by the previous Administration that only if you see a Minister that you can get things done.”

According to Harmon, the coalition has since changed that paradigm and has undertaken to move Government services to the people. This, he added, was done with the creation of new towns.

“We’ve actually taken Government services to these new towns themselves. So the outreaches by the Ministers was an approach to listen to persons and hear what they have to say and whether in fact, what we’re doing is working and if in fact, they need to give us addition advice. So these were some of the rationale behind the outreaches,” he contended.

The MOTP Director General went on to say that his Government believes in inclusive governance and these public engagements are reflective of this.

“We believe that the people who govern, must listen to the people they govern. This is a way of interacting with them to bring them as part of the decision-making process.

What, in fact, we are doing is giving effect to Article 13 of the Constitution and basically changing the paradigm in which Government is in the centre and the people are on the periphery. We are now taking the Government to the people and therefore they can now feel comfortable that decisions are made in their interest right there on the ground in the community they’re living in,” Harmon stressed.

Already, Government has

held ministerial outreaches in Regions One (Barima_ Waini), Two (PomeroonSupenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara Mahaica), Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice). These outreaches comes amid criticisms that the APNU/AFC coalition is blatantly using taxpayers’ money and State resources to campaign heavily across the country.

However, the Government has been insisting that the outreaches are to better engage and address concerns of citizen, and not part of any campaigning ahead of the upcoming General and Regional Elections.

Despite this, however, one Government Minister during a hinterland outreach asking residents to vote for the coalition Government.

Citizenship Minister Winston Felix, while addressing a small gathering at Tiger Pond village, located in the Karasabai District, South Pakaraimas, Region Nine, made it clear that he was there simply to garner votes.

“You understand why it is important for us to come and convince you that you should vote for this coalition,” Minister Felix remarked.

He added: “If I wanted to go to church, I’d go to church in Georgetown. I wouldn’t come here for Sunday school.

While I wouldn’t mind worshipping with you, but I come here to ask for your vote, let’s understand that clearly. Vote coalition!”

news

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saturday, JUNE 1, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

With elections looming

Govt now promising increase in Private Sector minimum wage …amidst hundreds of broken, unfilled promises

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s the anticipation of early General and Regional Elections looms heavily over Guyana, the ruling A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition is slowly slipping into elections mode and has begun reintroducing promises it failed to fulfil after being elected to office over four years ago.

This time, that promise comes in the form of a proposed increase in the minimum wage for Private Sector employees. According to the Social Protection Ministry’s Labour Department, headed

by Minister Keith Scott, minimum wage in the Private Sector is set to receive another boost as consultations for the increase are in progress.

The current Private Sector minimum wage stands at $44,200 after it was increased from $35,000 in 2017.

The Labour Department’s consultant, Francis Carryl, said that the economy is vastly changing which makes it critical for Private Sector employees to receive

another increase.

“We’re not sure when the consultations will be completed but we are working assiduously to raise the Private Sector’s minimum wage, to bring it up to speed with the 2019 economic circumstances. We don’t want to excite anyone but all the parties including the unions, employers and the Government are interested with what has been brought to the table. As soon as the consultations are completed we will announce the increase,” Carryl said in a statement.

The Labour Department boasts about recording “notable achievements” during the first quarter of 2019 in the form of the establishment of three new offices in Regions Two, Eight and Nine. These offices, according to the Department, will provide residents with access to services on a regular basis.

Inspections

Additionally, to date, the Labour Department has investigated in excess of 500 complaints and conducted about 300 to 400 workplace

inspections. During the inspections, some persons who were caught in violation of the labour laws were sensitised and given opportunities to make corrections. On the other hand, others were placed before the court.

Sensitisation workshops and training exercises were hosted by the Department, focusing on the introduction of the Decent Work Country Programme, which Guyana signed on to at the end of 2018. Currently, the Department is continuing its collaboration with the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) for the transformation from an informal to formal economy.

Though the Department continues to boast of the strides made, the work continues to be overshadowed by sporadic outbursts from subject Minister Scott. Just last year, after salary and benefits negotiations between the Education Ministry and the Guyana Teachers’ Union failed, resulting in countrywide strikes, Scott referred to the striking educators as “selfish and uncaring”.

This prompted a number

of trade unions, organisations and civil society to call for President David Granger to tame Scott.

The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) in a statement had said “Minister Scott seems to have a penchant for crass conduct. This is not the first time the trade union community had cause to draw attention to and condemn same, the last most contentious being in December 2016 in the National Assembly during the debates on the National Budget. The tendency to say whatever comes to his mouth, regardless of the impact, and irrespective of his role as the political voice of the Government on issues pertaining to Labour, is of concern”.

The calls initially fell on deaf ears but Scott later apologised for his outburst.

When it comes to fulfilling its promises, Government seems to be lost since they were elected as the champions of change. In the coalition’s 2015 manifesto, jobs for youths and overhauling the education system were placed as priority items but

to date, the Government is yet to provide a tangible manifestation of those promises.

According to the APNU/ AFC manifesto “We (the APNU/AFC) believe that to keep the sugar industry viable, we will have to create ways to retain whatever manual labour is left and to diversify the industry…”

Shelved

However, the Government ended up spending millions in a Commission of Inquiry, shelved the report, closed four estates and placed over 7000 sugar workers on the unemployment spectrum. To date, they continue to grapple to come up with a contingency plan and provide gainful employment for the retrenched workers.

The coalition Government, in its manifesto, promised increased access to jobs for youths and improved education but that seems far from the reality of the present.

Article 27 of the Constitution says “Every citizen has the right to

free education from nursery to university as well as at non-formal places where opportunities are provided from education and training”.

Nevertheless, Guyanese, particularly youths, are forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition fees to attend the rapidly deteriorating University of Guyana since that is the only tertiary institution in Guyana. UG continues to raise its tuition fees with students not getting any tangible benefits. Washrooms and classrooms are in deplorable conditions yet students are forced to pay some $50,000 in facilities fees in addition to their increased tuition fees.

Additionally, there are no guarantees of jobs when one graduates from the University.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo borrowed the idea of supporting free tertiary education from the People’s Progressive Party. He was later called out by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo for the act.

Taxi hijacked, driver robbed at Garden of Eden

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Robbed: Kawal Raganath

Friendship, East Bank Demerara (EBD) taxi driver is still in a traumatised state after the car he used to transport two female customers was hijacked, during which a lone gunman robbed him of personal items.

Kawal Raganath, 25, the taxi driver attached to Fuse Taxi Service, located at Grove, EBD, encountered the unexpected incident last Tuesday while he was performing his daily duty of transporting customers.

Speaking to Guyana Times on Friday, Raganath

recalled that around 22:00h on Tuesday night, two females approached him and requested to be taken to Second Dam, Garden of Eden. Responding to the request, the taxi driver transported the customers to the said location; however, upon arrival, the two women hesitated to exit the vehicle.

It was at this point that a lone gunman pounced on Raganath and demanded he exit the car and hand over his personal belongings, gun-butting him in the process.

“Two female came up

and said they wanted a car to go to Garden of Eden, so I said no problem…..so as I go to drop off now, I stopped and when I stopped and waiting from them to exit the car, a tall male runup next to me car door and pulled the car door open, crank a gun and put it to my head and said “jump out the car” and he gun butted me, I came out the car,” he stated.

Raganath further related that he managed to make his way back through the entrance he used, and sought assistance from a nearby Guyana Defence

Force (GDF) base.

“I ran out of the dam and went to the GDF outpost at Garden of Eden and I told them what happened and asked them for a phone call… I called the service and they sent one of the drivers to pick me up. They took the statements and I carry them at the location, and they said if they get any information they will get back to me…..”

According to the victim, a Police report was filed at the Grove Police Station, and he is now awaiting a response as investigations

into the matter are ongoing.

Only in February of last year, Police ranks of A Division (Georgetown) managed to crack a car hijacking ring when they conducted searches in Kuru Kururu and Yarrowkabra on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

Several cars and other vehicles were impounded during this operation, while various parts belonging to other vehicles were also unearthed.

During these operation, dozens of persons were arrested and charged for being involved in the illegal activity.

Govt to set up committee to oversee sale of GuySuCo’s lands

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s Government moves towards liquidating assets of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to ensure that the downsized industry remains economically viable, a committee will be established to oversee the sale of the sugar lands.

This is according to the Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency (MOTP), Joseph Harmon.

Speaking on the divestment of GuySuCo’s assets, Harmon noted that with the valuation completed, the process has started to facilitate the sale of the sugar corporation’s lands that are no longer needed by the “new GuySuCo”.

“We’ve had to establish a State’s Land Sales Committee that will ensure there is transparency in the disposal of these assets because, in our modern history, this will be the largest transfer of assets by the State to the Private Sector,” he revealed.

According to the Government’s spokesperson, it is important to ensure that all the processes

are transparent and open so that no one can question the process and say one buyer benefited more than another.

“So that is being done right and that activity for the sale of lands that are not going to be part of the new GuySuCo, will commence very shortly,” Harmon posited.

The sale of these lands is intended to raise money to sustain the downsized sugar industry, which only has three estates operating and is still facing financial troubles.

Previously, GuySuCo had sold a portion of its lands to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) and according to President David Granger on Friday, he has instructed that the agency purchase more lands to facilitate Government’s housing drive.

“Some lands will be coming out of sugar… But when those lands become available, I’ve asked Central Housing and Planning Authority [and] the Minister of Communities [Ronald

Bulkan] to put in a bid for lands for low-income settlements,” the Head of State told residents on the East Bank of Demerara during a visit.

In May 2017, Government announced plans to close the Enmore and Rose Hall Sugar Estates, sell the Skeldon Sugar Factory, reduce the annual production of sugar, and take on the responsibility of managing the drainage and irrigation services offered by GuySuCo. Subsequently, in November of that year, GuySuCo announced plans to retrench

2500 workers by the end of that year. That number increased substantially and ended up being over 7000.

Government then established the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) under the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) to take over the divestment of GuySuCo’s assets that were earmarked for sale. The SPU recruited PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) to conduct a valuation of the assets to be privatised and divested. That process was completed and the Unit had met with some of

the bidders last October.

However, Harmon explained to reporters on Friday that because the valuation process was lengthy, they now have to re-engage persons and companies that had initially expressed interests in purchasing the factories.

“You had interests by several companies and because [the valuation] took a little while, some of those interests have waned and so we have now to re-establish contact with some of the parties who’d expressed an interest in the first place. So that is going on and that’s a very active issue right now,” the Director-General at the MOTP said.

During that meeting last year, among the areas the bidders had concerns about was the state of the equipment and factories.

But Government had secured last year a $30 billion bond, through commercial banks, both in Guyana and the region, as part of the diversification initiatives.

Just over a year after securing the bond, Government has repaid

some $132 million in interest owed on the $30 billion bond.

“The first payment came up on 24th of [May]. We have been able to make that payment, with some stress. But we did make it, we didn’t default on it. The interest is $1.6 billion. The next payment is in November.

Every six months,” Finance Minister Winston Jordan told <<<Guyana Times>>> earlier this week.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has been critical of Government’s move to secure the bond, saying that it is putting the country in further debt unnecessarily. In fact, at his weekly press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo lamented on the lack of transparency with the monies.

“No transparency, whatsoever, surrounding this large bond of $30 billion – mostly of which is available to the SPU and they’re spending it as their personal money. No transparency and now we have to pay back for it, the taxpayers of this country,” the Opposition Leader stated.

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guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, JUNE 1, 2019

Regional

Brazil snubs Venezuelan Opposition envoy as doubts rise on Guaidó

Venezuelan Opposition representative Maria Teresa Belandria, who was received as her country's official Ambassador to Brazil, smiles after a news conference in Brasilia, Brazil February 11, 2019

B

razil withdrew an invitation to the envoy for Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó to present her diplomatic credentials, she said on Friday, and the Government in Brasilia said

it would decide later whether to accept them.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro still recognises Guaidó as the legitimate President of Venezuela, his spokesman said. Guaido’s envoy, Maria Teresa

Belandria, played down the idea that the snub reflected scepticism from Bolsonaro’s Government.

Diplomatic analysts said mounting evidence that a change of government in Venezuela is not imminent may have Bolsonaro and his aides wondering if they overplayed their support for Guaidó.

Former military officers making up about a third of Brazil’s Cabinet have been wary of provoking Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, warning against moves that could tip an economic and political crisis into violence across Brazil’s northern border.

Belandria had been invited to present her credentials at the presidential palace along with ambas-

Trinidad Government inks new energy deal with Shell

Minister of National Security and Communications Stuart Young (seated at right) and De La Rey Venter, Executive Vice President of Shell’s Integrated Gas Venture business signed the agreement as witnesses. Looking on are (standing from left): Derek Hudson, Vice President and Country Chairman of Shell Trinidad and Tobago; Ben van Beurden, chief executive officer of Royal Dutch Shell; Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley; Maarten Wetselaar, Shell’s Director Integrated Gas and New Energies; and Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, Senator Franklin Khan

T

rinidad and Tobago has signed a new deal with energy company Shell that the Government says will give the twin-island republic increased revenues from the sale of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley joined Ben van Beurden, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell, at the company’s headquarters in The

Hague to witness the signing.

“This new agreement is a significant milestone for the people of Trinidad and Tobago as it features an enhanced revenue package for the sale of LNG. The energy deal is the result of months of positive and relationship-building discussions between Shell and the Government. The agreement reflects the mutual importance of the re-

lationship and the value Shell has placed on Trinidad and Tobago as a province,” a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said, although it gave no further details about the agreement.

It added that the parties have committed to continue their discussions surrounding the development of the energy sector in Trinidad and Tobago.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, Senator Franklin Khan, signed the agreement on behalf of the Government while Derek Hudson, Vice President and Country Chairman of Shell Trinidad and Tobago, signed for Shell.

Later in the day, the Prime Minister visited the Shell Technology Centre in Amsterdam where he toured the facility and received an update on the latest technology being developed and deployed across Shell, and specifically in Trinidad and Tobago, to leverage improved returns in the energy sector. (Excerpt

from Caribbean360)

drawn.

Brazilian newspapers Folha de S Paulo and O Globo reported that Bolsonaro’s Government had cancelled her invitation because ex-military aides want to pursue dialogue with Maduro, who also has an official representative in

Brasilia.

Guaidóinvoked Venezuela’s Constitution in January to assume the interim presidency, saying Maduro’s re-election was not legitimate. Brazil and most Western countries have since backed him as Head of State. (Excerpt from Reuters)

creasing to 25 per cent in subsequent months – unless Mexico does more to stop illegal migration through its territory by a June 10 deadline per Trump's demand.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Mexico won't panic over the proposed tariffs, and dispatched his top diplomat to Washington on Friday for talks seeking to head them off. But economists and those whose livelihoods depend on the deeply intertwined trade relationship worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year worry that stiff duties could have dramatic, negative consequences and potentially spark a trade war.

The threat also throws

into question the future of the USMCA trade deal between the US, Mexico and Canada, hammered out in months of contentious negotiations as a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement, one of the Trump administration's most touted achievements.

Trump's threat came the same day Mexico announced it would begin the process of ratifying the USMCA and less than two weeks after it successfully negotiated the lifting of US steel and aluminium tariffs that had been a roadblock to final approval for the trade deal. It now throws final passage of the USMCA into doubt.

egional sugar producers are making an urgent appeal for policy changes to address the large amounts of extra-regional sugar being imported into Caribbean Community (Caricom) member countries, saying the changes are needed to save thousands of jobs The appeal was made by members of the Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) at their recent 170th Board of Directors meeting in Belize. The meeting focused on the future of regional sugar supply, and the SAC noted that 18 months after changes removed market preferences for Caricom sugar in Europe, regional producers are still looking for solutions within its own

regional market. It said sugar industries across the region are investing hundreds of millions of dollars to match quality and supply to regional demand.

The SAC Board has stated that, currently, more than two-thirds of sugar consumed in Caricom comes from extra-regional sources, duty-free, displacing market opportunity for over 200,000 metric tonnes of Caricom sugar, which is forced onto the low-value global market.

The association says policy changes are required to secure the integration of the sugar market within the Caricom Single Market & Economy (CSME). It says a failure to achieve this threatens a major agricul-

tural sector of the region’s economy, hundreds of thousands of Caribbean jobs, and questions the effectiveness of the single market in meeting its stated objectives.

Caricom industries investments are set to deliver to market nearly 300,000 metric tonnes of food-grade sugar within the next 18 months, matching the region’s demand.

SAC Chairman R Karl James says the need for change is immediate and urgent.

The SAC Board is calling for further discussion, in coming months, between sugar producers and users to find a pathway to achieve this mutually beneficial outcome. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Officers, who had been called to beef up security for Thursday’s vote.

The vandalism was immediately condemned by the United Nations, US, Canada and others in the international community.

Haiti has been without a working Government for more than two months, costing the impoverished nation more than US$120 million in aid from international financial institutions aimed at helping the country prepare for the up-

coming hurricane season and shore up a rapidly deteriorating economy.

It was the country’s third attempt to ratify a new government and confirm nominated Prime Minister Jean Michel Lapin after the Lower Chamber of Deputies abruptly fired ex-Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant on March 18.

In March, the International Monetary Fund approved a zero-interest US$229 million loan

to Haiti. But the money – and an immediate US$49 million disbursement – was contingent on the country’s having a Government and a budget approved by both chambers of Parliament. The European Union, InterAmerican Development Bank and World Bank had planned to provide about US$75 million in budget support.

All of that is now up in the air. (Excerpt from MSN)

sadors from other countries next Tuesday, but the Government changed its mind. Presidential spokesman General Otavio Rego Barros said Belandria was the representative of Venezuela’s “legitimate president” and denied an invitation had been with-

Mexico growers, economists troubled by Trump tariff threats

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omato exporter Sergio Esquer Peiro spent much of Friday in hastily called meetings with other stunned growers, trying to evaluate the potential fallout of US President Donald Trump's threat to slap coercive tariffs on all imports from Mexico.

Already he and others were having to contend with a 17.56 per cent tariff on tomatoes imposed after Washington announced in March it was ending a longstanding agreement over alleged Mexican dumping of the fruit. If the new duties do take effect, Esquer is looking at another five per cent being slapped on his products – potentially in-

(Excerpt from Yahoo! News)

Regional sugar producers call for policy changes to halt duty-free sugar imports into Caricom

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Haitian senators ransack Parliament in failed effort to ratify a new Govt

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A man walks past the broken table and chair, thrown outside the Senate hall at the Haitian Parliament in Port-au-Prince, on May 30, 2019. Four Opposition senators ransacked their meeting room in Port-au-Prince on Thursday morning to prevent, for a third time, the ratification of the Prime Minister's general policy, further crippling the installation of the new government

aiti’s third attempt to ratify a new Government and Prime Minister ended in chaos Thursday, when a vote in the country’s Senate was interrupted as four Opposition senators ransacked the chamber – dragging chairs, desks and other furniture onto the lawn – and Police fired tear gas at protesters.

The act was captured on video in front of Parliament security and Haiti National Police

guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, JUNE 1, 2019

17

Around the World

North Korea executes envoy to failed US India no longer world’s fastest-growing economy summit – media; White House monitoring I

FILE PHOTO - Kim Hyok Chol, North Korea’s special representative for US affairs, leaves the Government Guesthouse in Hanoi, Vietnam, February 23, 2019.

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REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

orth Korea executed its nuclear envoy to the United States as part of a purge of officials who steered negotiations for a failed summit between

leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, a South Korean newspaper said on Friday.

Kim Hyok Chol was executed in March at Mirim Airport in Pyongyang, along with four Foreign Ministry officials after they were charged with spying for the United States, the Chosun Ilbo reported, citing an unidentified source with knowledge of the situation.

“He was accused of spying for the United States for poorly reporting on the negotiations without properly grasping US intentions,” the source was quoted as saying.

The February summit in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, the second between Kim and Trump, failed to reach a deal because of conflicts over US calls for complete denuclearisation of the Korean penin-

sula and North Korean demands for sanctions relief.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the report. Previously, some North Korean officials who were reported to have been executed or purged reappeared later with new titles.

A diplomatic source told Reuters there were signs Kim Hyok Chol and other officials were punished, but there was no evidence they were executed and they may have been sent to a labour camp for re-education.

Officials who worked with Kim Yong Chol have been out of the public eye since the summit, while seasoned diplomats who appeared to have been sidelined, including Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, were seen returning to the spotlight. (Excerpt from Reuters)

ndia’s economy has grown at its slowest pace in almost five years, according to the latest data released by the Government.

The new numbers are a cause of concern for PM Narendra Modi, who started his second term on Thursday, writes the BBC’s Sameer Hashmi.

In the past financial year - April 2018 to March 2019 the economy grew by 6.8 per cent And in the quarter between January and March, it expanded by just 5.8 per cent - falling behind China’s pace for the first time in nearly two years.

This means India is

FILE PHOTO: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meets with White House senior advisor Jared Kushner in the West Bank City of Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank June 21, 2017. Thaer

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Ghanaim/PPO/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

he US blueprint to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, still in draft form after almost two years, is seen by Palestinians, and by some Arab officials and politicians, as a plan to finish off the Palestinian cause.

The initiative, driven

by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and White House adviser, was billed by the US President as the “deal of the century”.

While its precise outlines

have yet to be revealed, Palestinian and Arab sources who have been briefed on the draft plan say Kushner has jettisoned the two-state solution - the long-standing US and international formula that envisages an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza.

After several postponements, Washington plans a first formal outing of the economic components of the plan at a “Peace for

Virginia Beach: 11 killed in Govt building shooting, Police say

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The shooting was at a building in Virginia Beach Municipal Centre

leven people were killed and six others injured in a mass shooting at a Government building in the US state of Virginia, police said. Police said the suspect, a longterm and current Virginia Beach public utilities worker, fired “indiscriminately” at employees.

The gunman, whose identity was not released, was killed when Police responded to the incident.

Reports of the shooting started shortly after 16:00 (20:00 GMT) on Friday.

Police Chief James Cervera said the gunman returned fire on Police Officers but was killed in the exchange.

A Police Officer was among the six wounded after a bullet struck his vest, Chief Cervera told reporters.

Police said they believed the gunman had acted alone, but the motive for the shooting was not immediately clear. The area around the building, which contains a range of city government buildings, was put into lockdown and employees were evacuated.

“We just heard people yelling and screaming at people to get down,” Megan Banton, an administrative assistant in the building, told local television news station WAVY. Another employee told the AP news agency she and others heard shooting, but didn’t think the gunfire was close. “I just thank god they were able to alert us in time, because if it had been 10 minutes more we would have all been outside,” Sheila Cook said.

Virginia governor Ralph Northam described the incident as a “tragic day” for the city and the state. “My heart breaks for the victims of this devastating shooting, their families, and all who loved them,” he said on Twitter. “I am on my way to Virginia Beach now and will be there within the hour.”

The FBI was at the scene helping local authorities investigate the shooting, US media reported. According to US tracking website Gun Violence Archive the incident is the 150th mass shooting incident in the US this year. (BBC News)

from BBC News)

Blantyre, Malawi’s second largest city, Mutharika warned that he would not spare anyone found abusing their positions, in an apparent response to allegations of corruption that marked his first term.

“We want a corrupt-free Malawi where our public resources continue to build roads, community technical colleges and buy drugs for the people,” he added.

Mutharika said his Government would push a law that will ensure that 60 per cent of Government procurement goes to local companies and also offer tax breaks to the private sector.

He also pledged to offer soft loans to smallholder farmers as well as continue to make the price of fertilizer and seed cheap, signalling a continuation of subsidies that boosted food production

during most of his first term.

The President’s inauguration speech has, however, been overshadowed by a declaration by his main rival, Chakwera, that he has rejected results of the May 21 election announced by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).

Making his own parallel address in Lilongwe, the administrative capital, Chakwera said he is in the process of filing fresh petitions to the High Court asking it to nullify the results.

Results had been due at the weekend but had to be delayed after a court on Saturday granted the opposition an injunction after the electoral commission received 147 complaints of irregularities, including results sheets with sections blotted out or altered with correction fluid. (Excerpt from Reuters)

said its investigation determined that fighters set up a structure in Syria to give financial support to foreign fighters wishing to return to Europe.

“This [police] operation is part of the fight against the new strategy of [IS] which, after its loss of territorial control, has urged its members to return to their places of origin,” police said in a statement (in Spanish).

The suspect - reportedly 43 years old - used a “number of security measures to hide his identity and communications on digital platforms,” police added.

Hawala is an informal

system of money transfer which uses brokers based in different countries, making it difficult for authorities to keep track of cash being moved across borders.

Under hawala, no money actually crosses international borders.

More than 41,000 people from dozens of countries around the world are estimated to have joined IS in Syria and Iraq - about a quarter of them women and children.

Approximately 850 people from the UK were among them, including 145 women and 50 children. (Excerpt from BBC

The new GDP data make it clear that India is staring at an economic slowdown.

Unlike China, India’s economic growth has been driven by domestic consumption over the past 15 years. But data released over the past few months suggest that consumer spending is slowing.

Sales of cars and SUVs have slumped to a seven-year low. Demand for bank credit has sputtered.

But experts say more needs to be done to attract private and foreign investment - and they say that it has to happen quickly. (Excerpt

Malawi President, at inauguration, pledges to root out corruption

Palestinians say US ‘deal of the century’ will finish off their state

Prosperity” workshop in June in Bahrain.

The plan faces possible delays due to political upheaval in Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must fight another election after failing to form a government.

Politically, the deal envisages an expansion of Gaza into part of northern Egypt, under Egyptian control, Palestinian officials briefed on the plan told Reuters. Palestinians would be left with a smaller share of the West Bank and some areas on the outskirts of Jerusalem and no control over their borders. Western and Arab sources confirmed the outline of the plan.

The deal as outlined so far has been dismissed by President Mahmoud Abbas’ western-backed Palestinian Authority in the Israelioccupied West Bank.

The Palestinian and Arab officials briefed on the Kushner- Trump plan said its political contours, as explained to them, look like non-starters unless there is a peace deal. (Excerpt from Reuters)

no longer the world’s fastest-growing economy. And it will be a challenge for the new Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, only the second woman to hold the post after former PM Indira Gandhi.

The immediate concern will be to help restore confidence in the economy.

One of the pressing challenges is job creation.

The biggest criticism of Modi during his first term was his Government’s failure to generate employment.

According to a Government report, unemployment touched a 45-year high between 2017 and 2018.

Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika

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alawi’s President Peter Mutharika began his second fiveyear term with a tough stance against corruption and pledged to revive the economy, following accusations of corruption and mismanagement.

Speaking at his inauguration on Friday in

Islamic State group: Spain arrests man ‘financing return of fighters’ Syrian man accused of financing the reA turn to Europe of Islamic

State (IS) group members has been arrested in Madrid, Spanish police say.

The man, who has not been named, is suspected of being part of the group’s financial structure and of sending money to fighters in Syria.

The money raised in Europe reached the jihadists through an informal transfer system known as hawala, police said.

Almost 6000 fighters from Western Europe joined IS in Syria and Iraq.

Spain’s National Police

News)

Philippines ships 69 containers of dumped rubbish back to Canada

A November 2014 photo showing customs officials at Manila port inspecting containers containing tonnes of rubbish shipped by Canada [Ban Toxics/Handout via Reuters]

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cargo ship carrying tonnes of rubbish dumped in the Philippines by Canada more than five years ago, causing a festering diplomatic row, has left the Southeast Asian country, as nations in the region increasingly reject serving as dumpsites for wealthier states.

The 69 shipping containers of rotting waste were loaded onto the M/V Bavaria at Subic

Bay port in the early hours of Friday, before embarking on a 20-day journey to Vancouver, in southwestern Canada.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had threatened to forcibly ship back the rubbish, which officials said was transported to the Philippines in 103 containers in 2013 to 2014, and falsely declared as recyclable plastic scraps.

The Philippine Government recalled its ambassador and consuls in Canada earlier this month over Ottawa’s failure to comply with a May 15 deadline to take back the waste.

The countries had sought to resolve the problem for years, with Trudeau saying in 2017 that legal issues preventing the return of the garbage had been resolved.

The return, however, was delayed by other issues despite Canadian assurances of its willingness to take back the garbage that Trudeau said was shipped to Manila in a private commercial transaction.

Canada’s Environment Minister Catherine McKenna welcomed the news of the rubbish being returned, telling reporters on Thursday: “We committed with the Philippines and we’re working closely with them.” (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

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guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, June 1, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

dilbert

Speak up but don’t exaggerate, or someone will hold you accountable. Sticking to a plan and finishing what you start will help you gain respect and support.

CANCER

Carefully map out what you want to see happen.

Use your charm to get others to help you achieve your objective. Romance is highlighted.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

SUDOKU

Look over your options and head in the direction that will bring you joy. An emotional, physical or personal change will encourage you to look and do your best.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

(June 21July 22)

Peanuts

An open mind and a practical outlook will help prevent you from making a poor decision. Choose what’s best for you, not what someone else is pushing you to do.

Keep your emotions well hidden. Use your intelligence, knowledge and experience to help you make the right choice. Socialize with people who understand what you are trying to accomplish.

Take action. It’s one thing to make promises and another to follow through. A chance to win the support you need is within reach.

Show everyone what you are capable of doing.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Spend time with people you can learn from. Intellectual interaction will give you a platform to express your thoughts and gain greater insight into ways to improve and excel.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Time spent with someone special will bring you closer together and help you develop a greater understanding of each other’s needs. A positive lifestyle change can be made.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Look at what you can do, not at the impossible. If someone tries to convince you to do something that isn’t reasonable or good for you, walk away and concentrate on self-improvement.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

solution for LAST PUBLISHED puzzle AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

A change at home or to an important relationship will improve your day. Take an active role in getting things done right and making your loved ones happy.

Romance is on the rise.

Back away from anyone who is getting into things that you don’t agree with or is applying pressure to get you to make a change you dislike. Do your own thing.

What you do for others will bring you satisfaction and help you connect with people who can assist your quest to get ahead or reach a personal goal. Love is highlighted.

saturday, june 1, 2019

19

Raptors beat Warriors in landmark NBA Finals opener

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he Toronto Raptors, with the support of an entire nation behind them, won the first NBA Finals game played outside the United States with a thrilling 118109 victory over the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors on Thursday.

Toronto were led by Cameroonian forward Pascal Siakam, who scored a playoff career-high 32 points while Golden State’s sharp-shooting duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson failed to find their usual groove in opening game of the series.

The Raptors led by 10 points at the half and Siakam, who two years ago was playing in the NBA’s development league, did his part to prevent the Warriors from closing the gap as he went a perfect 6-for-6 shooting in the third quarter.

“It just proves that if you put the work in, man, and it’s something that it’s so cliche most of the time, but that’s the story of my life,” said Siakam, whose total point were the most in an NBA Finals game by an NBA G League alumni.

“Just going out there every single night, working hard to get to this level, and knowing that I have so much to learn and I have so much room to improve and grow.”

Toronto led nearly the entire way and built a 12-point lead, their largest of the game, when Danny Green drained a three-pointer from the corner that whipped the crowd into a frenzy with seven-and-a-half minutes to play.

The Warriors, who are trying to become the first NBA team to win three consecutive titles since the Los Angeles Lakers did it in 2002, got to within eight points but the Raptors held firm and padded their lead in the closing minutes.

“Their defense was great and it wasn’t our best night, but

we just got outplayed, so simple as that,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “Move on to the next one.”

The Warriors, who played the Cleveland Cavaliers in each of the last four NBA Finals, are not too familiar with the Raptors and were largely undone by 16 turnovers and a weak transition defense that surrendered 24 fast-break points.

Toronto, came out firing in their Finals debut and were not intimidated by a talent-laden Warriors team who are playing in the NBA’s championship series for a fifth consecutive season.

Playing in front of a raucous crowd that included twotime Masters champion Bubba Watson, the Raptors used a bevy of early three-pointers to take control and while the Warriors did well to keep it close Toronto closed the half on a wild 19-8 run.

“I love it because the one thing that we must do in this series that we need to do is go for it, and that just showed our no hesitancy, confidence, and willing to just kind of go for it,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said about the early slew of three-point attempts.

For the Warriors, who were playing without injured Kevin Durant, the loss snapped a streak of 12 consecutive Game One victories and so puts them in an unfamiliar position.

But there was no sense of panic in the team and Curry said he felt good about the vibe in the Warriors locker-room in terms of everybody focusing on what they need to do differently for Game Two. “Obviously the bad is we’re down 0-1 but it’s not the end of the world,” said Curry, who went 8-for-18 from the field for a game-high 34 points.

Toronto’s forward Pascal Saikam goes up against Warriors’ Draymond Green

“New experiences for us all the way through, but we have proven our resiliency and ability to win games that we need to, and kind of answer the bell and learn from nights like tonight.”

Game Two of the best-of-seven championship series in on Sunday in Toronto. (Reuters)

Legendary Lara heaps praise We will be judged on trophies, admits Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp on Global T20 Canada

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– Players Draft set for today

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he Global T20 (GT20) Cricket League, Canada, has announced the dates of the 2019 tournament. It has been revealed that the tournament will commence on July 25 and run until August 11 in Canada. The first event of the tournament is the tournament draft, which is slated for today, June 1, 2019.

West Indies leading Test run-scorer, Brian Lara, a brand ambassador of the T20 league, has shared positive comments on the Canadian tournament.

He said: “I was in there to see the first edition of the league, and was enormously impressed with the overall quality of cricket.

“Despite the few hiccups, Cricket Canada and GT20 Team delivered an outstanding event. The hallmark of the event was local boy Saad Bin Zafar winning the Man of the Match in the all-important finals in the presence of stars like Chris Gayle and Andre Russell.

“It proves that cricketers from these countries need these kinds of endeavours to prove their talent. I hope GT2O season two will take cricket to greater heights in the North American region.”

The second season of the Global T20 will com-

GT20 Brand Ambassador Brian Lara at the 2018 presentation ceremony

prise 22 matches, including three playoff games and the finals, which will be played on Sunday August 11, 2019. The tournament consisted of six teams in 2018: Vancouver Knights, West Indies B, Winnipeg Hawks, Montreal Tigers, Edmonton Royals and Toronto Nationals.

Guyana’s very own Sherfane Rutherford scored a brilliant unbeaten 134 from 66 balls, and Australia’s Fawad Ahmed grabbed 14 wickets to set himself up for a CPL 2018 purchase in the same year.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Lendl Simmons scored the most runs in the tourna-

ment when he finished with 321 runs in eight matches.

Leading the charts was Jamaica’s Sheldon Cottrell, who finished the 2018 tournament with 16 wickets.

He was followed by Fawad Ahmed with 14, and Lasith Malinga with 13. The former West Indies Test quick Fidel Edwards was also among the wickets with 11 scalps, while promising West Indies player Obed McCoy had 11 wickets.

The marquee player for each team and the draft list will be announced shortly by Cricket Canada and the GT20 Team. (Brandon Corlette)

ürgen Klopp has said he and Mauricio Pochettino must accept the outside world will judge their managerial careers on silverware as he attempts to win the Champions League final at the third attempt in Madrid on Saturday.

The Liverpool manager shares his Tottenham counterpart’s view that it is “unfair” to measure success purely in terms of trophies won, describing as “silly” such an uncompromising assessment. Klopp has lost his past six cup finals as manager, including the 2018 and 2013 Champions League finals, and was pipped to this season’s Premier League title by a point by Manchester City. He insists Liverpool’s campaign will live with him for ever irrespective of the finale but admits history will not be so kind without victory at Wanda Metropolitano.

“I think Poch is right but that’s not important,” said the Liverpool manager, who described Roberto Firmino as fit and ready but refused to confirm whether the influential Liverpool striker would start. “The thing is, you – the outside world – it is your right to judge us by what we win and what we don’t win. Look back in 20 years and nobody will talk about our brilliant season unless another team comes close to 97 points but for me, as a person, it will stay for ever.

“That is probably what Poch is like as well but the outside world is like this and we have to accept that. But to judge a coach by what he is winning is a silly thing because we all have different circumstances. We all have different teams, different clubs. We have to fight with or against different things. The manager of the year award this year [Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder] was a really good decision. It’s a good sign that people are looking behind the scenes when making this decision, looking at the circumstances, his resources and how they played.

“Coaches, most of us, judge each other not on trophies. And not because most of us don’t win but because we know about the job. I don’t say Pep Guardiola is the best – which is what I really think – because he constantly wins the league he’s in. It’s because of the football they play and the things he’s doing.”

Klopp believes Liverpool’s run to a ninth

Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino (left) and Tottenham’s Harry Kane are both fit to play in today Champions League finale

European Cup/Champions League final was “fuelled by the experience of last year” when his team endured a calamitous defeat by Real Madrid. He admits winning 97 points in the Premier League but not the title will also spur his players in their attempts to crown Liverpool champions of Europe for a sixth time.

Klopp was asked at his pre-final press conference in Madrid whether he believed in unlucky managers, having lost his past six cup finals – three with Liverpool and three with Borussia Dortmund.

“My career so far is not unlucky,” he replied.

“My missus says it all the time: ‘When is the last game of the season?’ Because since 2012, and apart from 2017, every year my team has been in a final. I am probably the world record holder in winning semi-finals. I could write a book about that but no one would buy it. I don’t sit here and think about myself and think ‘loser’. And, if we won tomorrow, I would not sit here thinking ‘winner’. We want to win it with all we have. They can be lucky moments and in my two Champions League finals I was never on the lucky side.” (The Guardian)

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Warner declared fit as defending champions face early spin test

David Warner

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here’s a strange sort of pride that Bristolians take over their most popular yet anonymous current resident.

The city walls are of course littered with Banksy’s works but sightings of the man himself are discussed with a veil of secrecy. Many here claim to know the mysterious graffiti artist, and some to knowing him personally, but they get tight-lipped when they feel you’re probing for information. It’s a lot like how everyone around Australian cricket and the country itself dealt with the absence of their two most high-profile players over the last 12 months - except that there was no ambiguity over where they were and why they weren’t around. But while the real identity of Banksy might never be revealed to the world, the return of Steve Smith and David Warner to the Australian ranks has meant that they have regained their cus-

tomary identity at the World Cup of being a force to be reckoned with. Bristol’s other claims to fame too are equally charming and intriguing as the city itself. In addition to being the biggest manufacturers of hot air balloons to having hosted the first-ever bungee jump-off the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge in 1979, they also have their own printed currency and a unique accent - the Rs are a lot pronounced “as in car is carrr and not ca”, as you are duly informed by a security personnel at the ground. Australia’s history at World Cups, however, is only one of domination. They have landed in England as the defending champions for the fifth time. This though might be the first time since the last time the event came to these shores that they are starting their campaign not as red-hot favourites. And there are two ways of looking at the fact that their opening game is up against the lowest-ranked side in the tournament. It is a great opportunity for them to tighten any loose ends and also officially reintroduce Smith and Warner in a relatively low-key contest. But it can also seem like a tricky start, where the margin of victory will matter as much as the seemingly inevitable result itself. Bristol, for the record, is also referred to as the “Birthplace of America” considering it was from here that John Cabot had left to find North America

in the fifteenth century. And Afghanistan could well turn it into the birthplace of their own fairytale if they even come close to pushing the Australians. Surprisingly, though Bristol does have enough landmarks to celebrate the life of their most popular resident of the past, the city council hasn’t quite ceded to the requests from many to erect a statue of the legendary WG Grace.

But they did go ahead around a decade ago to construct a plush apartment complex, housing 147 flats, less than 50 feet from the boundary at the far end. So close are the back-end of the block, that they have an insurance policy, where the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club will cover for any damage caused by a cricket ball to their window panes. And the interesting dimensions of the ground - very short straight boundaries and rather large square boundaries will encourage the Australian pace barrage to go fast and short at the Afghan batsmen, not renowned for their prowess against fast bowling of the calibre of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. At the same time, it’ll also make hitting against the likes of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman that much tougher for the Aussie batsmen, who have had their fair share of troubles against the turning ball. Bristol’s hilly climes do ensure that the weather remains largely pleasant,

but there is a forecast for clouds hovering over the picturesque county ground, and it’s unlikely that rain will play any role.

David Warner has recovered from his injury scare from Thursday, much to the relief of the Aussie team management, and Justin Langer has confirmed that he will partner Aaron Finch at the top of the order.

And Australia will also unleash their paciest triumvirate among the lot available here with Adam Zampa and Maxwell manning the spinning duties.

Probable XI: David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa Like with Warner, Afghanistan too will be relieved to have their explosive opener, Mohammad Shahzad, back in the mix after he missed the second warm-up game.

The return of Hamid Hassan will bolster the pace department though it’s the spinners who will enter the game as the major threats for the Aussies.

Probable XI: Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib (c), Rashid Khan, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb-ur-Raham, Dawlat Zadra (cricbuzz)

GFF/KFC U20 Independence KO Cup – Georgetown

Beacons, GFC, Riddim Squad and GT Panthers record victories and Zian Gray (70th) scored for Pele FC. Riddim Squad edged Camptown FC 2-1, with the winners getting their goals from Oneal McKinnon (24th) and Deshaun Ellis (86th). Camptown FC got their consolation goal from Shane Jones (50th).

GT Panthers FC were in dismissive mode when they mauled a hapless Black Pearl FC 15- 1. Hat-tricks were recorded by Joshua Anthony (5’, 37’, 43’) and Vasco Cabral (24’, 65’, 72’); besides a double from Whitaker Paul (28’, 33’) and one each from Uriah King (40’), Nadir Walker (51’), Antonia Xavier (67’), Leonardo Thomas (70’) and Malcolm

Terrence.

Black Pearl FC’s consolation goal was netted by Ishmael Allicock in the 9th minute.

Action will continue on Saturday at the same venue from 11:00hrs, when Fruta Conquerors play Riddim Squad before Santos take on Beacons. The semi-finals would be contested on Sunday with GT Panthers taking on the winner of the Fruta Conquerors vs Riddim Squad clash, while the second semi will bring together GFC and the winner of the Santos versus Beacons showdown.

GMR&SC Drag Championship round 2

Executive Committee calls for early registration

Action in the Beacons FC versus Eastveldt FC match at the GFF National Training Centre at Providence

C

F

our clubs have already staked a claim for the top spot in the Georgetown leg of the Guyana Football Federation/Kentucky Fried Chicken (GFF/KFC) Under-20 Independence Cup Knockout Tournament by recording wins in the respective matches they played on Saturday last. They are: Beacons FC, Georgetown Football Club, GT Panthers, and Riddim Squad FC of Mocha.

Playing at the GFF’s National Training Centre at Providence, East Bank Demerara, Beacons were held to a 2-all draw by Eastveldt FC, who fought back from a 2-nil deficit but were later determined to have fielded an ineligible player, which resulted in them having to forfeit the match.

Representing Beacons FC, Shaquan Stephens scored in the 6th minute and Darien Dickson in the 19th. Responding for Eastveldt FC, Antwone Vasconcellos scored in the 32nd and 43rd minutes; but it was all

in vain.

Georgetown Football Club ( G F C ) displayed ominous form when they trounced Pele FC 10-2 in the second match played. Leading ‘the Bourda Blues’, Kelsey Benjamin’s helmet trick was recorded when he scored goals in the 16th, 21st, 33rd, and 49th minutes; while Dwayne Rebeiro’s double was scored in the 10th and 28th minutes.

Then one goal each was scored by Michael Richmond (40th – Own Goal Pele), Adrian Aaron (42nd), Rondel Petters (46th) and Reuben Miller (69th). Dorwin George (61st)

ompetitors for the second round of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club’s (GMR&SC’s) Drag Racing Championship, which ‘speeds off’ at the South Dakota Circuit’s Drag Strip on June 23, have been asked to get registered early.

Executive Committee member Motilall Deodass, who spoke about preparations yesterday, said it is integral that competitors get registered early.

“We saw what happened at round one earlier this year. We saw the volume of competitors that showed up, and we know that there are a lot more guys building cars since we have the full quarter (mile)”, the former Endurance Champion noted.

Deodass explained: “What we (Executive Committee of the GMR&SC) are trying to avoid is the last-minute confusion of getting cars registered and then sorting them and what’s not. We want to have things rolling as smoothly as possible.”

He said the club has already begun to put things in place to ensure an even smoother running of the event. “We have more things

that we are putting in place ahead of the second round; additional barriers to keep spectators out of the danger zone, and so many other things. We see this as a dry run for the International (drag racing) event that we have later this year (August). We want to know that we can accommodate a certain number of cars, and we want to know we can run an event smoothly. That’s why we are asking competitors to register early, get their forms in, and ensure that we don’t leave anyone out also.”

During the last round, Vickey Persaud won the 16-second class, while the 15-second class was picked up by Ramesh Persaud.

The Surinamese pair of Eric Watchman and Raymond John took the 14- and 13 -second classes respectively, while Avi Samaroo picked up the 10-second class.

The 11-second class was won by Damian Persaud, with Peter Daby taking the 10second class and Terrance Cox of Team Mohamed’s Enterprise taking the Unlimited class to ensure his team remains undefeated.

guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, june 1, 2019

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Regional Under-17 tournament set for T&T return

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T

he Regional Under-17 50Over Cricket tournament is, in 2019, set to make a second return in as many years to the twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

This host nation was crowned champion in 2017, but missed its title defence against Barbados in 2018 by 0.1 point.

In that edition, a Sachin Singhled Guyana team finished in third position.

This tournament is set to commence on July 8, and will run for 10 days, at the end of which the Guyanese players will be aiming to emerge winners of the 2019 edition.

The pool of U-17 players

in Guyana looks promising.

Having played in the three-day and one-day formats of the game during the U-19 intercounty tournaments, they can consider themselves as having had the perfect preparation for just such a tournament as this.

Among the outstanding players in the Guyana U-17 group are Matthew Nandu, Sheldon Charles, Sarwan Chaitnarine, Andre Seepersaud, Chanderpaul Ramraj, Mavindra Dindyal, Zeynul Ramsammy, Niran Bissu and Marvan Prashad. There are others just as worthy.

Three of the players who participated in the Guyana

Select U-17 team in 2018 will be making a second appearance at this level. They are: last year’s vice-captain Andre Seepersaud; fast-bowler Sheldon Charles, who was also the captain; and leg-spinner Niran Bissu. Marvan Prashad, currently a member of the Select U-17 team, was on stand-by in 2018.

During the U-19 intercounty tournament, the Select U-17 team were placed under the microscope, and a lot of questions were raised regarding the selection of players. The 14-member squad that is expected to be announced during this month may see some players who were not in

the Select U-17 team making appearance in the final 14.

Daniel Mootoo, Zachary Jodah and even Isai Thorne may make the cut for the final 14. Mootoo was the ‘player of the match’ in the U-19 intercounty final featuring Demerara against Berbice. This leftarm spinner has shown great promise, and with the wickets he snared during the one-day tournament for Demerara, he may have lined himself up for a ticket to Trinidad and Tobago next month.

Guyana U-15 pace sensation Isai Thorne is expected to travel to England this month to represent West

Indies U-16, along with Dindyal and Rampertab Ramnauth. He will be eying a good season in England, and, upon his return, would want to book a ticket for the U-17 tournament in Trinidad and Tobago.

The ‘probable’ 14-member Guyana U-17 squad reads: Matthew Nandu, Zeynul Ramsammy, Sarwan Chaitnarine, Marvan Prashad, Rampertab Ramnauth, Mavindra Dindyal, Andre Seepersaud, Sheldon Charles, Chanderpaul Ramraj, Niran Bissu, Isai Thorne, Jagdesh Dowlatram, Chetram Balgobin and Daniel Mootoo. (Brandon Corlette)

Budhu lights up opening day of nationwide softball tourney

T

he opening day of the inaugural 592 Beer/ I-Cool Water Nationwide 10-Over Softball tournament has clearly demonstrated that softball cricket is certainly not for the weak-hearted.

Two matches figuratively went “down to the wire” last Sunday at the GNIC Sports Club ground on Woolford Avenue in Georgetown. In one of the thrillers of the day, Sewchand Budhu and his Countryside team mates were left heartbroken after they failed to score the three runs needed for victory from the last ball of the match against Avengers.

Blazing the run chase, Budhu was well set on 91, and was going for a boundary to get the win when he was spectacularly taken inches away from the cover boundary, to send Team Avengers into a frenzy because Countryside had fallen three runs short to end on 112 all out from 10 overs.

Avengers had earlier scored 114 for 7 from their 10 overs, with Marvin Bobb getting 31 and Chris

Samwaru 22; while Y. Mangal had bagged 3/10 from his quota of two overs for Countryside.

Troy Forde with 3/22 and Anand Persaud with 2/20 delivered with the ball to hand Avengers maximum points heading into round two.

In the other matches, LBI All Stars made 87 for 5 (Trevor Payne 28; Rajin Singh 3/19, Tyron Mohan 2/22) to defeat Success Youths, who posted 83 for 8 (Michael Jaikaran 29; Naresh Singh 3/18, Vickey Bhudram 3/23), by 4 runs.

Speed Boat with 129 for 5 (Greg Singh 37, Lennox Mark 28, W. Sundar 25; Taleshwar Ramoutar 4/10) crushed Lowland All Stars, who made 55 all out (Vishal Surujpaul 25; Greg Singh2/12, Wazir Hussain 2/10), by 69 runs.

East Coast All Stars then made 84 for 1 (5.3) (Suraj Boodhoo 44; Arzal Pritepaul 1/18) to beat LBI All Stars, who made only 79 (Trevor Payne 28, Javid Alli 18; Khemchan Persaud 4/4, Puran John 3/4), by

9 wickets.

The action continues at the same venue on Sunday from 9:00 hrs, with the five matches to be played seeing Speed Boat versus LBI All Stars, Avengers versus Lowland All Stars, Countryside versus Success Youths, Success XI versus Lowland All Stars, and Success XI versus Success Youths.

This tournament has been organised by Demerara Softball Cricket Association representative Samuel Kingston for teams across the country in the All Stars and Over-40-Year-Old categories, and is sponsored by marketing giants ANSA McAL. The special, small supreme balls that are being used in this tournament are available only at Trophy Stall in the Bourda Market, or at the venues on match days. Teams will play in a round-robin format before the top teams advance to the semifinals.

There are lots of cash and trophies at stake.

Mars eager for Chess Olympiads 2020

By Timothy Jaikarran

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H

aving experienced the sweet taste of success at the University Games in Colombia, from which he emerged with three bronze medals earned in the Blitz, Classical and Rapids categories of the chess competition, Davion Mars has now set his focus on the 2020 Russia Olympiads.

This young and upcoming chess star thinks the recently concluded University Games in Colombia have prepared him for what he would most likely have to face in Russia; and changes in the climate and food would definitely be major factors.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, Mars said, “The first thing that really took us by surprise was the temperature, which resonated somewhere between 8 and 13 degrees. We were informed of the climate before we left, but experiencing it first hand

was an entirely different story altogether. Even though I packed cold weather clothing, I picked up a terrible headache on the first day. It stayed with me for most of the first few days, and of course it affected my mental endurance for much of the classical games.

“I’m not I’m saying this to take (anything) away from our competitors. We were up against seasoned opposition whom we all held in the highest regard.

There was International Master, Candidate Master, Fide Master, and untitled players much of whom rated over 2000.

“To paint a perspective of the strength of our opposition, our highest rated national player, FM Anthony Drayton, is only rated 2007, and is the only Guyanese to break the 2000 barrier. The majority of the competition there was either a tad below his level or towering above.”

Mars has said he would be eager to make the 2020 Olympiads, since he has missed the previous four due to one constraint or the other.

This vibrant chess player told this publication that he has followed a lot of Grandmaster tournaments and post-game analyses to get a grasp of what consciously separates them from average chess players, and to learn their insights, the fuel of their thought mechanisms, and how they manage to maintain such iron-clad composure in high-intensity and high-stress situations.

Corona Futsal Tournament…

Clashes of the experienced and the underdogs …Who will prevail?

T

he National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue will tonight be transformed into a battleground as four teams proverbially “fight to the death” to get one step closer to owning half a million dollars when the Corona Futsal Tournament heads into the semifinal round. The two clashes are expected to be monumental, as an admixture of experience and newfound talent will take to the playing field.

After two exhibition games have been staged, the first semifinal fixture, at 22:30hrs, will pit Tiger Bay against Future Stars. This clash can be considered “a battle of the underdogs”, given the nature of both teams’ ascension to the semifinal round.

Future Stars first showed their true

colours when they held the experienced Bent Street to a draw in the group stage. Thereafter, the team could not be stopped, as they defeated another experienced outfit, West Front Road, in the quarterfinal. The ominous Future Stars have, on several occasions, come from behind to take the win, and this factor should be seriously considered by their opponents, Tiger Bay. Tiger Bay, however, have a success story of their own. After winning their group stage, the boys from west of Georgetown’s Main Street dispatched the dominant Sparta Boss in a close encounter. All things considered, Tiger Bay were in full control of that game, and will no doubt show the same qualities in tonight’s game.

As such, this pairing will make for

an exhilarating semifinal encounter tonight.

The second of the two semifinal games will see defending champions Bent Street engage in a gladiators’ match with Back Circle. Bent Street are not strangers to this format of the game, and have proven time and again that they are one of the top five futsal teams in the country.

Back Circle, on the other hand, are “right up there” with Bent street.

Often led by the skill and experience of National Player Trayon Bobb, Back Circle have showcased determination and a certain “eye for perfection” in this year’s Corona tournament.

However, Bent Street have stumbled just once, when the pressure was heavily applied by Future Stars. If

Back Circle can match goals, or even take the lead against Bent Street, then that familiar application of pressure can frustrate the increasingly successful Bent Street.

The two teams that will move on to next Saturday’s final will battle for a chance to win half a million dollars.

On the other hand, second place winner will walk away with $250,000, while third and fourth place winners will pocket $125,000 and $75,000 respectively.

In addition, the tournament’s “most valuable player” will ride away with one Hero motorcycle, compliments of Rose Ramdehol Auto Sales.

The Corona tournament is being coordinated by the Petra Organisation.

(Jemima Holmes)

22

saturday, june 1, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Golden Jaguars finalise 23-man squad G uyana’s Golden Jaguars have made history in qualifying for the first time ever to participate in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Competition, and head coach of the team, Michael Johnson, has completed selection of the final 23-man squad that would comprise the Jaguars.

The 45 year-old Jamaican, who represented the Reggae Boyz as a player at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000, will now be making his debut as a Coach.

Commenting on the selection of the final 23man squad, he said: “The Technical Staff is very confident and excited about the composition of the squad, arrived at for the continuation of this historic journey.

“As you would appreciate, the selection process was not easy by any means, and we do appreciate there will be disappointment amongst some players. However, we would like to encourage players, fans, well-wishers and the media to get behind your Golden Jaguars as we all aim to prove to the people of Guyana, at home and in the diaspora, that we belong.

“Wherever you are in the

Men’s Senior Squad: GOLD CUP SQUAD

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Name Position Club Alex Murray Goalkeeper Santos FC Akel Clarke Goalkeeper SV WBC Quillan Roberts Goalkeeper Forge FC Sam Cox Defender Hampton & Richmond FC Jordan Dover Defender Pittsburg Riverhounds SC Terence Vancooten Defender Stevenage FC Kadell Daniel Defender Dover Athletic FC Ronayne Marsh-Brown Defender Whitehawk FC Matthew Briggs Defender Unattached Kevin Layne Defender Guyana Defence Force FC Liam Gorden Defender Dagenham & Redbridge FC Neil Danns Midfielder Unattached Warren Creavalle Midfielder Philadelphia Union Elliot Bonds Midfielder Dagenham & Redbridge FC Daniel Wilson Midfielder Western Tigers FC Stephen Duke-McKenna Midfielder Unattached Anthony Jeffrey Midfielder Unattached Emery Welshman Forward FC Cincinnati Keanu Marsh-Brown Forward Newport County AFC Pernell Schultz Forward Western Tigers FC Terell Ondaan Forward SC Telstar Callum Harriott Forward Unattached Sheldon Holder Forward Caledonia AIA

world, the staff and players are asking you to get behind the team and enjoy this historical moment. Your country needs you!”

Assistant Coach, Charles ‘Lily’ Pollard, a former Golden Jaguar, also commented on the final squad by saying, “It’s an exciting time for the Golden Jaguars,

and we are energized to show that we can compete at the highest level in CONCACAF. It’s going to be very tough, but we are looking forward to the challenge.”

For their part, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) are pulling out all the stops to ensure the Golden Jaguars are fully prepared

Guyana Jaguars are ecstatic after making the cut for the CONCACAF Gold Cup

for the challenges that lie ahead.

To this end, a camp will begin in Bermuda (also making their debut at the CONCACAF Gold Cup) on June 1st, and the two nations will collide in an international friendly on June 6 as they both seek to be at their sharpest for this historical sojourn.

In continuing their preparation, the Golden Jaguars will then travel to Costa

Rica, where they would be based from June 9-13. Whilst there, another international friendly would be played on June 11, this time against Caribbean powerhouse Haiti.

The Guyanese squad will then wing out of Costa Rica for their base in St. Paul Minnesota, USA ahead of the opening game of the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2019 against defending champions Unites States of America, on June 18 at the Allianz Field.

The Golden Jaguars have been drawn in Group D

of the 16-team tournament with the host nation USA, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.

Following the opening match against the USA, the Jaguars will travel to Cleveland, Ohio where they will take on Panama on June 22 at the First Energy Stadium, and then it’s on to the final group match against Caribbean Football Union rivals, neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago, on June 26 at the Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas.

Bennett aims to Hetmyer keeps feet on climb the ranks ground; eyes on World – to host father-and-child karate sessions

2nd Dan black belt Sensei Miranda Bennett Timothy Jaikarran

O

ne year has passed, and Sensei Miranda Bennett has continued to strive as she provides martial arts training as a beacon of hope to her participating students.

Her classes have grown tremendously, and are continuing to grow since there is an influx of students who are willing to learn this form of sport.

The classes are usu-

ally held at the Berea International Hall, opposite the Impeccable Banquet Hall on Brickdam, where the 2nd Dan black belt instructor holds classes from 10:00h to 11:00h on Saturdays.

Guyana Times Sport asked what the club is currently doing, and Bennett replied, “Well, we are currently practising very hard for August, as we are set to participate in a tournament in Suriname. From there we

will be turning our attention to the Kyokushin Nationals, which are scheduled to be held in September. From their I will be preparing myself for November, as I aim to qualify myself and move from 2nd Dan Black Belt to 3rd Dan Black Belt.

“Also, for Father’s Day, we will be hosting a fatherand-child training session the week before Father’s Day. We will be accepting (students) from the age of 5 and up, no age limit.”

Bennett started her martial arts career in 2002 at the age of seven under the instruction of Sensi Robert Alleyne. She went on to Banks DIH and learnt Wado with Master Winston Dumbar. In July 2012, Bennett joined Little Diamond International Martial Arts Academy, known today as the Guyana International Kyokushinkai Martial Arts Academy (GIKMAA); and under guidance of Dr Nazim Yassim, she worked her way up the ladder to earn the title of 2nd Dan Black Belt.

Some of her accomplishments are: receiving awards such as Community Spirit and Ambassador Hall of Fame Awards; being the first of two females in Guyana to receive a Kyokushin black belt, and also representing Guyana in Suriname.

She is also focused on passing the Chief Instructor level exams which are set for November, as she aims to qualify herself more and become a standout for Guyana in karate.

Cup prize

All smiles for Shimron Hetmyer at the media conference

M

uch of the spotlight is expected to fall on dashing left-hander Shimron Hetmyer when West Indies open their ICC World Cup campaign against Pakistan today. Despite only 22-year-old, Hetmyer has always set tongues wagging across the globe with his flamboyant strokeplay and positive approach in all three formats of the game. However, the former West Indies Under-19s World Cup wining skipper, says he is staying grounded amidst the bright lights of his first World Cup tournament and the weight of expectations. “I’m really looking forward to this World Cup. It’s been a lifelong dream for me and it’s really nice being here. It’s a magnificent feeling. I’m just trying not to think about it too much and not let the stage of the World Cup get to me,” he told reporters on Thursday. He averages 40 from 25 ODIs, with three of his four hundreds coming inside the last 12 months. What has amazed many about Hetmyer is not so much his prolific scoring but rather, the manner in which

he gets his runs. He packs a punch, and often trades in fours and sixes once he gets going and is a huge fan of team-mate and mentor and Chris Gayle. “I actually watched him when I was younger playing on television and that was actually one of my idols growing up and he’s still my idol right now. I just try to learn as much as I possibly can from him as he comes to the end of his career practically,” he revealed. The 39-year-old Gayle has already indicated his desire to retire from ODIs following the World Cup, bringing the curtain down on a career that has yielded 289 matches and 10,151 runs. Hetmyer said even in the twilight of his career, Gayle had remained the same character around the team. “It’s been the same Chris we’ve all come to love, a very fun person who always cracks a joke in between. He’s been a very good leader for me growing up, and being a batsman and looking up to him as one of the greatest players to play world cricket and to play for the West Indies,” Hetmyer said. (CWI)

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23

Gayle and Thomas shine as West Indies thrash Pakistan

Andre Russell celebrates the wicket or Haris Sohail

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t a ground synonymous with large totals in one-day internationals in recent years, Pakistan’s carelessness in the face of the short-ball tactic meant they crumpled to 105 all out in 21.4 overs.

Oshane Thomas was the main beneficiary with four for 27 on his tournament bow before Gayle took centre stage amid a blizzard of boundaries as the Windies

overhauled their target with 36.2 overs to spare.

There will be fears over Gayle’s fitness after he seemed to injure his lower back shortly before his dismissal having scored 50 from 34 balls. His day was made easier by Pakistan posting their second worst World Cup score after being invited to bat first, as the pace quartet of Thomas, Jason Holder, Andre Russell and Sheldon Cottrell shared all 10 wickets.

It was Russell, playing in only his third ODI since November 2015, who laid the blueprint for the rest to follow as his introduction hastened Pakistan’s demise.

A persistent knee injury since completing a 12-month doping whereabouts suspension in January 2018 has impeded Russell’s progress but he was recently named

most valuable player at the Indian Premier League.

And after Imam-ul-Haq was strangled down the legside for two off Cottrell, prompting the left-arm seamer’s now customary march and salute celebration, Russell came to the fore. A bouncer caught Fakhar Zaman by surprise and he missed an attempted pull, with the ball hitting the grille of his helmet before dislodging the bails.

Russell showed no inclination of abandoning the ploy, which left Haris Sohail routinely troubled and, perhaps anticipating another lifter, the batsman could only get an edge behind when one was angled across him. Russell’s fiery spell ended with figures of 3-1-4-2 but Pakistan were given barely any respite following his surprise withdrawal from the attack.

The in-form Babar Azam was dropped at backward point on 12 but could add only another ten runs before he edged a rising, wider delivery from Thomas to Hope, who took a brilliant catch diving to his right.

Hope had his fourth

Hackett, Benjamin and Norville to train with Brazil’s Madureira Sports Club

F

ollowing an historic visit to Brazil last week, wherein Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President, Wayne Forde, met with Brazilian Football Federation (Confederação Brasileira de Futebol – CBF) President, Rogerio Caboclo, the GFF has declared itself proud to announce that Ryan Hackett of Fruta Conquerors, Kelsey Benjamin of the Georgetown Football Club, and Sese Norville of Milerock FC in Linden will spend one month at Brazilian second-division side Madureira Esporte Clube, where they will undergo pre-season training.

The trio, who have been part of the senior national team, the Golden Jaguars, will be exposed to another level of training over a four-week period, with the possibility of landing a pro-contract based on their performances during the period of exposure.

These three players had participated in the historic Brazil Train-and-Play Camp last August, when the senior national team had spent two weeks in Brazil, and they had played against the said club in a practice match.

In hailing this historic venture, President Forde said this is the first of many such initiatives. He added that the goal of the GFF, which has also presented to CBF President Rogerio Caboclo an MoU aimed at holistic development of the sport on and off the field of play, is to ensure that as many as forty (40) players between the ages of 18 and 22 gain exposure in Brazil over the coming months and years.

“Ideally, we would prefer to have the players enter into the Brazilian Football system much younger; but unfortunately, language challenges, immigration laws and parental consideration are yet to be fully explored,” Forde explained.

Forde also said: “The GFF is very pleased that our work to develop a partnership with our Brazilian neighbours has started to bear fruit. This is a wonderful opportunity for the players ahead of our preparations for the Olympic Under-23 Qualifying

Competition in July. I would like to join the rest of Guyana in congratulating these players, and wish them every success whilst in Brazil.”

President Forde, in also offering congratulations to the management of the respective clubs: Milerock FC, Georgetown Football Club and Fruta Conquerors, thanked them for the work they have put into moulding these players; which he opined indicates that these young Guyanese would likely feature in a friendly match Madureira Esporte Clube would play against the Qatar national team on June 9th.

Qatar has been invited, along with Japan, to play in the world’s oldest continental tournament: Copa America, the 46th edition of which will be played in six stadiums across five cities in Brazil. The stadiums are Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Sao Paulo.

The opening of Copa America is set for the Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo, while the final will be held at the Maracaná Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Madureira Esporte Clube was founded on August 8, 1914 as Fidalgo Madureira Atlético Clube; and competed in the Federação Metropolitana de Futebol (Metropolitan Football Federation) state championship in 1939, winning the amateur competition and the Torneio Início, which is disputed by professional players.

Madureira Esporte Clube was founded on October 12, 1971, after Madureira Atlético Clube, Madureira Tênis Clube, and Imperial Basquete Clube fused. The foundation date, again, was determined to be August 8, 1914.

Madureira beat Americano 1–0 on March 29, 2006 in winning the Taça Rio for the first time, and qualifying to play the Campeonato Estadual do Rio de Janeiro final against Botafogo. In the final, played on April 2, 2006 and on April 9, 2006, the club was defeated in both legs, finishing as the competition’s runners-up.

catch of the morning when Sarfraz Ahmed gloved down the leg-side off Holder - the not out decision overturned on review - and Pakistan quickly subsided after their captain’s dismissal.

They added only another 30 runs for their final five wickets, largely thanks to some lusty blows from Wahab Riaz, one of only four Pakistan batsmen to reach double figures before being cleaned up by Thomas for 18 off 11 balls.

In response, Gayle made a rusty start but warmed to his task with back-to-back sixes off Hasan Ali, which took the opener past AB de Villiers’ record for the most sixes hit in the tournament’s history. Mohammad Amir, who was passed fit after missing the England series, ensured there would be

no abject surrender from Pakistan as he snared both Shai Hope and Darren Bravo.

Gayle was a long way from his fluent best but still brought up a 33ball half-century, falling off the next delivery to Amir - as the left-arme r f o u n d form by returning figures of three for 26. Nicholas Pooran took up the baton and finished with 34 from 19 balls as the 1975 and 1979 champions started their tournament in ideal fashion, while Pakistan, winners in 1992, succumbed to their 11th successive ODI defeat. (The

Guardian)

Fakar Zaman makes the walk back to the pavilion after his dismissal

NAMILCO to continue 50th anniversary celebrations in Essequibo

The winning New Amsterdam Secondary School at the Berbice leg. NAMILCO’s Afeeze Khan (right) presenting a trophy to Tamesh Mohabir

A

‘Day of Sports’ had been successfully held on Sunday last (Independence Day) at the Albion Sports Complex on the Corentyne Coast in East Berbice to commemorate the National Milling Company’s (NAMILCO’s) 50th anniversary; and celebrations in this regard will continue in Essequibo with another ‘Day of Sports’ event.

This Essequibo event will be hosted at the spectacular Imam Bacchus Ground in Affiance on the Essequibo Coast on Sunday June 30, and great cash prizes will be up for grabs in the undermentioned events.

A 20-Over cricket match, to be played from 9:30am to 12:30pm. The winning team will receive $50,000 in cash, besides a trophy and medals; while the runner-up team would receive a trophy and medals.

A football match, which commences from 1pm and would last until 2:30 pm. Two top teams selected by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) are slated to collide for supremacy in this contest. A total cash prize of $50,000, besides a trophy and medals, will be presented to the winning team; while a trophy and medals will be

earned by the runner-up team.

All children present at the Imam Bacchus Ground during the Day of Sports would receive free exercise books.

The Berbice leg of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations has been deemed a total success. Schools from ‘the ancient county’ even benefited from the historic event. New Amsterdam Multilateral Secondary School (NAMS) have been winners of the events staged in the secondary schools’ category, while the Mc Gowan Primary School of Manchester-Liverpool area on the Corentyne were winners of the events staged in the primary schools’ category.

NAMILCO continue to make great leaps in the world of sports. They have come on board with cycling, hosting a racing event during the Linden Town Week earlier in May. They branded the outfits of the Fruta Conquerors, and sponsored the National U-17 Intra-Association Football Tournament. In addition to sponsorships of sporting event of recent times, NAMILCO have donated $500,000 worth of exercise books to Guyana’s leading sport club, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC).

saturday, june 1, 2019

Sports is no longer our game, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our business

guyanatimesgy.com

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Gayle and Thomas shine as West Indies thrash Pakistan NAMILCO to continue 50th anniversary celebrations in Essequibo Page 23

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