Guyana Times September 27

SMART healthcare initiative

Major remodelling for P Diamond Diagnostic Centre

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

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Issue No. 3699

PRICE

LGE disputed list

WHAT'S INSIDE:

51 tricked persons' names removed from AFC's Berbice list Page 3

…151 disputed names remain ……Chief Elections Officer goes missing at 11th hour

Sugar estates starved of capital – new GuySuCo Page 9 Chairman

Page 9

$80 vat included

Thieves allegedly break into Finance Ministry

WCB murder

Hunt on for P11 dead woman’s husband

Town Clerk rented UG bus park to P10 “specific” drivers – City Hall CoI hears Govt “turning blind eye” on rice sector – Region 2 P10 farmers

Linden man in leaked P14 rape video murdered – PM

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon on Wednesday led a team to the South Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) to conduct a reconnaissance of the roads and other facilities, as the region gets ready to welcome members of the Brazilian Army, who will begin the drilling of eight wells in eight villages from October 4. In photo, Minister Harmon (third from right) and members of the reconnaissance team inspect this site along the Karaudanawa trail, where works have begun for the construction of a culvert

‘Imposed’ arbitration Chairman

City Constable GTU threatens shoots another teachers’ minibus driver strike …Govt warns of legal consequences Page 7

Page 9

Over $5B P11 collected during GRA’s tax amnesty P15 Being in institutional care has negative impact on children – CCPA

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news

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thursdAY, september 27, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, September 27 – 05:00h-06:30h and Friday, September 28 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, September 27 – 05:35h-07:05h and Friday, September 28 – 06:15h-07:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Early morning light cloudy skies are expected to give way to sunny conditions that will last throughout the day, with clear skies expected in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South South-easterly to South-easterly and East South-easterly and North-easterly between 2.68 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 05:42h and 17:55h reaching maximum heights of 2.77 metres and 2.79 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:32h and 23:52h reaching minimum heights of 0.49 metre and 0.40 metre respectively.

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LGE disputed list

51 tricked persons' names removed from AFC's Berbice list …151 disputed names remain ……Chief Elections Officer goes missing at 11th hour

P

ersons whose names appeared on various voters’ lists for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) but had no knowledge of it were given the opportunity to have it corrected before the end of Wednesday, August 26, 2018.

This decision was made at the statutory meeting held at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Tuesday, when all Commissioners, including those nominated by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) were present.

However, on Wednesday when some of these persons

Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of GECOM, Keith Lowenfield

turned up to have the issue rectified at the various GECOM facilities in their communities, they were blocked from doing so.

PPP GECOM Commissioner Robeson Benn told <<<Guyana Times>>> on Wednesday that all assurances were given by GECOM Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield that once affidavits for each individual was produced, it would be corrected.

But Benn said that when these persons showed up to make the necessary changes they were told by the respective Returning Officers (RO) at the various polling stations that this could only be done if the head of a list could visit the polling station with a signed affidavit or the aggrieved person appeared in person, not one individual submitting for a group.

When this information was fed to the Opposition PPP, Benn said that attempts were made to contact Lowenfield but to no avail.

He said this was bearing in mind that the deadline was 23:59h Wednesday and beyond that, no changes could be made to any list.

“All the staff of GECOM are reportedly unreachable at this point in time while, the ROs are refusing to have persons correct the ‘fraudulent’ inclusion of their name.

We have tried to contact the

CEO for … hours, but we haven’t managed to get him,” he explained.

Further, Benn said that in some cases, persons have reported being called and threatened not to make any changes if their names appear on the list. He is of the opinion that this is allowing for a situation where persons who never wanted their names on a list or a certain list having no avenue in which their names could be withdrawn.

“For us, it’s a problem, because it goes against an agreement and secondly, it goes against the wishes of persons who have listed themselves as nominators for particular parties or groups or persons who they want to support,” he lamented.

The GECOM Commissioner said reports have surfaced in areas such as: Crabwood Creek, Corriverton, Fifty One Good Hope, Whim, Bloomfield, Number 63, Berbice; and La Grange, La Jalousie and Canal Polder, West Bank Demerara.

At Whim Village on Wednesday evening, persons who were disputing that they signed their names on the Alliance For Change (AFC) list were invited to a meeting at 22:00h with the Returning Officer.

Also invited to that meeting was AFC representatives in the area who took the signatures. They failed to show at the meeting. As

Some of the persons who turned up on Wednesday night to have their names removed from the list

such, 51 persons who turned up with their sworn affidavits to have their names removed were allowed to have their names removed from the list.

Speaking with this publication, a resident said that an AFC official went around the village asking for signatures saying that he wanted to become a Justice of Peace and needed their support.

According to the resident, that is how many persons

signed the list not knowing that it would be used for LGE purposes.

However, some 151 persons from Crabwood Creek, Corriverton and Number 63, Berbice were unable to have their names removed from both the AFC and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) lists since the ROs claimed that they received no instructions from Lowenfield.

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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

Indigenous Myths, Legends and Oral Traditions

Transgressions and LGE

A

ll systems now seem set for the upcoming November 12, Local Government Elections (LGE). On Nomination Day, September 21, 2018, the three parliamentary parties, other smaller ones, community groups and individuals contesting as independents, presented relevant documentation confirming their intention to participate.

What it means is that across the country, thousands of Guyanese will be contesting for the various seats within the municipalities and the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC). These will include first timers and some who are already in the system.

The LGE offers an opportunity for individuals and groups at the village level to serve with the expectation of implementing meaningful projects designed to improve the infrastructure – for those which they have jurisdiction over – within the communities. For those which they don’t, they have to get the responsible authorities to effect the necessary intervention for the benefit of the residents. It is also an opportunity to help raise community moral and foster social cohesion.

The candidates are drawn from within the constituencies thereby bringing authenticity of knowledge of problems and in most cases, solutions. The underlying goal is for the elected Councillors to genuinely work together for the improvement of the communities regardless of representative group or party. Very often this is easier said than done for different reasons, including partisanship and highhandedness which have seemingly plagued some, especially the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) over the years.

Currently, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is engaged in the necessary verification process and will soon reveal the final and official lists of those contesting. Nothing major is expected to change from what has already been submitted judging from the past, barring glaring cases which may not have met the nomination requirements.

Over the last few days, many allegations of electoral related transgressions were reported. In some constituencies, residents were allegedly duped into signing different backers’ forms. Persons affiliated to the Opposition made some of these revelations and a separate report alleges that a few residents were misled into signing for house lots. Such lure is hard to resist especially when it is convincingly delivered by those with a sinister motive.

The requirement is that a backer, someone who signs a prescribed form in support of a particular candidate, can only do so once.

With GECOM declaring that any repetition of names after the lists submitted first are verified, can lead to the possible disqualification of the candidate from the list presented second. That may explain the reported jostle to be the first presenter in some areas.

They were reports of representatives of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), who allegedly turned up second but were allowed in first, aided, reportedly, by some GECOM staff. From all reports, persons camped out overnight but were displaced as noted. Another report alleges that a Policeman, who tried to ensure a first-come first-serve basis, was reportedly overruled by GECOM staff in favour of APNU representatives ahead of those from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

If there is any truth to these reports, it would be demonstrative of a worrying relationship between some staff of GECOM and some who represent the largest party in the coalition Government. Still there are other allegations of forged signatures on backers’ form for some candidates of APNU, the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the United Republican Party (URP).

This newspaper carried a report that the signatures of a dead woman, six persons living overseas, eighteen who claim they did not sign a form and a man who cannot read or write, appeared on a list for an AFC’s candidate in Berbice. Again, these constitute transgression of electoral laws.

Following these revelations, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, posited the need for GECOM to strengthened penalties for such transgressions. What GEOCM would need to do immediately is to launch an impartial investigation into the alleged partisanship demonstrated by some of its staff on Nomination Day and the findings made public with the chips made to fall where they should. Similarly, if forged signatures, including that of the dead, are found following the verification process, persons responsible for those lists must be held accountable.

GECOM has an absolute responsibility to ensure that the elections and its related processes are transparent so that integrity is not compromised. In this regard, some level of confidence may have been lost since it is already on its back foot following the controversial unilateral appointment of its Chairman and the appointment of someone without experience and who scored less in the recruitment process as the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO).

In these circumstances, GECOM would be expected to spare no effort to ensure its credibility does not wane and to repair where necessary. These transgressions, if not investigated and actions instituted where necessary, would be extremely detrimental to confidence and credibility in GECOM for the General and Regional Elections constitutionally due in 2020. If nothing is done, then the challenges towards the 2020 ballot would have already been exacerbated.

Several nursery, primary and secondary school students on Wednesday participated in the Social Cohesion Ministry’s 17th annual Indigenous Myths, Legends and Oral Traditions of Guyana forum at the Umana Yana, Kingston, Georgetown. In photo, an actor performs a skit demonstrating the ‘transformation of an Arecuna girl into a piaichang (spiritual healer)’

Will minibuses become extinct?

Dear Editor, The recent news of a successful businessman with a military background entering the transportation sector via the importation of large buses to compete with the minibus operators is one which I received with mixed emotions. My family was one of the pioneers in the minibus segment and when it first started, the Tata buses were being replaced due to their low levels of upkeep and maintenance.

There was a great need and our family stepped up to the challenge of helping provide the much-needed transportation for children and workers. The buses would fill as soon as we brought them out of the shed.

The reason I have mixed emotions of the news of such a substantial investment being made is that on the one hand, customers will be able to enjoy a more spacious and professionally run operation that supposedly will no longer have the noise from the music and the unsafe acts of speeding on the roads.

The customers will appreciate this improvement, especially given the history of fatal accidents and destroyed hearing of customers.

However, this will reduce the current minibus operators’ ability to reap the full benefits of their investments. Currently, the Granger school buses have already begun to have a positive impact on the transportation sector by providing these aspects of safety, reduced noise and increased comfort. When the additional operator of these proposed large buses enters the transportation sector, the further reduction in customers will increase significantly.

Although this is a substantial improvement for the public transportation sector, there is also an opportunity for current operators via their union to make substantial improvements to their operations, thus helping them maintain a presence on the routes where the space for the larger buses prove to be disadvantageous.

It is my belief that if the union and operators agree upon implementing speed governors on the minibuses that limit how fast the buses can travel and if they also strongly enforce the order needed to prevent the unnecessary overtaking to grab customers on the road,

the safety of the transportation sector will improve substantially. It is hard to forget about the young school child that was killed due to such minibus overtaking.

As a community we are all aware that it is sometimes difficult to break old habits, but in the face of such strong upcoming competition from new larger buses that could eliminate the need for the current minibuses, it is important to quickly improve.

In addition, the implementation of noise control adherence rules that ensure the prevention of damage to passengers hearing would also improve the safety and long-term competitiveness of the minibus operators.

This could be accomplished by restricting the number of speakers allowed, controlling their power rating and requiring a specified placement. It is also worth mentioning that overloading should be curbed and eliminated to improve the comfort and safety offered to passengers.

By embracing these important changes, the current high risk of regulations being implemented that are to the detriment of minibus operations and more fa-

vourable to large bus operators would be reduced. One further proposal that could be considered is the utilisation of a uniformed workforce in the minibus sector so as to strongly establish the minibus presence as a professional and favourable contributor towards the transportation needs of the populace. A change of impression can be quite powerful and could increase the union’s bargaining power which will enable it to reduce the ability of new competitors to enter the transportation sector while also offering an opportunity to increase the profitability of the business. After all, the competition has already reached the presidential level. Unfortunately, it appears that if these considerations are not taken seriously, unfortunately it may be just a matter of time before the minibuses are made obsolete and forced out of the business while reverting the transportation sector back to the large bus model of the past which is similar to when Tata buses were dominant.

Best regards, Jamil Changlee

Govt should take a page out of Trinidad and Tobago’s book Dear Editor, While in Guyana the jobless and beleaguered sugar workers are forced to protest for their lawful entitlements and are told by the Prime Minister, through his representative, that their concerns would be raised at Cabinet, our union’s attention is drawn to the situation regarding the workers of Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Petrotrin).

While the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union dis-

agrees with reasons being advanced for the closure of the company’s refining operations and recognises that the closure will take a heavy toll on the workers, their families and their communities, we saw considered attempts by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to at least dampen the serious consequences of closure.

On September 19, 2018, the media reported that Energy Minister Franklin Khan said Petrotrin and the Oilfeld Workers Trade Union

(OWTU) were engaged in discussions regarding severance and said “…the State, Board and Government is willing to sit with the union… and possibly offer some enhancement to that package”. But in addition to a possible enhanced severance package, that country’s Social Development Minister, Cherrie Ann Crichlow-Cockburn, according to the report, shared that the Government had devised a plan which would offer the retrenched workers assis-

tance to purchase food, to access public assistance and general assistance; would see vulnerable workers benefiting from an electricity subsidy; the workers would have access to health/wellness centres; they would receive advice on financial security; the Government would assist NGOs who in turn would set up soup kitchens and temporary shelters; and tollfree call centres for workers who require information on Government assistance.

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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

GECOM needs to investigate fraud allegations

Dear Editor, Two incidents involving Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) staffers operating in the Plegt Anker/Kortberaad Local Authority (LAA) on the East Bank of Berbice involving the alleged electoral illegalities by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) was highlighted by Guyana Times as reported upon

by Member of Parliament, Adrian Animayah.

Mahesh Mahipaul from the People’s National Congress (PNC) also highlighted another case in Wakenaam on Facebook where he alleged cases of similar illegalities by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Jai Ambekar has highlighted similar incidents involving alleged

identical illegalities by the Alliance For Change (AFC).

It is imperative that the respective political parties write to the GECOM’s CEO, Keith Lowenfield on these issues and that he investigates, corrects and sanctions the wrongdoers, including his own GECOM staff members. After all, the buck stops at his desk if there is evidence to support these claims.

Plegt Anker/Kortberaad is a district on the Berbice River that is about 10-15 miles upriver from New Amsterdam. Guyana Times reported on September 22 (h t tp s: / / g u y a n a t im esgy. com/controversy-over-listalleged-biased-behaviourby-gecom-staff-reported/) and again on September 23 (https://guyanatimes-

gy.com/7-ppp-supporterssay-they-were-tricked-tosign-apnu-lge-forms/) that “7 PPP supporters were tricked into signing APNU nomination forms as supporters”. Two of these supporters – Omesh Kumar and Tulapersaud Heeman Kumar – have declared themselves and stand by this claim.

The right thing for GECOM to do is secure a sworn statement from those making the allegations and take action to delete their names from one of the lists.

From the newspaper report, these people want nothing to do with APNU and claimed they were tricked into signing the APNU nomination forms. I was advised, they thought, they were signing for social assistance. Social

assistance! How more deprave can we get that we prey on people’s poverty to advance immorality?

But what was even more concerning in this far corner of Guyana where the media does have the chance to visit often, the security guard and GECOM staff exercise are accused of exercising bias by denying the PPP the number one slot when the system was designed as first come, first serve. The PPP was first in line some 12 hours before opening hours at the GECOM office. The APNU team arrive about three hours before the opening hours and took the number two place in the line.

However, upon the opening of the office, the GECOM Officer instructed the guard to distribute the number

one tag to the APNU team and the number two tag to the PPP. In normal circumstance this would have been a simple act of discrimination and preferential treatment, but in this case, with the names Omesh Kumar and Tulapersaud Heeman Kumar among five others sitting on both lists, this incident can support the conclusion that it was just plain old electoral skullduggery to pad the APNU list when they have a shortage of supporters in the area. Why both Omesh Kumar and Heeman Kumar said publicly they want nothing to do with the APNU? This is not a small incident, and thus I will be joining a charge to internationalise these acts of electoral

skullduggery by bringing them to the attention of the Diplomatic Corp especially the US Embassy, the Carter Centre, IFES and others because these signs of fraudulent activities on the part of any party or GECOM must be snuffed out in the bud.

GECOM is the last line of defence in protecting free and fair elections and elections free from fear and irrespective which party did the act, they must be exposed.

I now call on Mahipaul and Ambekar to publish their facts on the PPP and AFC respectively so that the public can be made aware of any act of electoral skullduggery.

Sincerely, Sasenarine Singh

Utilising present minibuses to finally provide actual public transportation Dear Editor, I write to you after years of thought, discussion and research on the issue of public transportation in Guyana. And after these years of contemplating our local dilemma, I have come to one and only one solid unchangeable conclusion – that for as long as bus operators have a chance to earn more than each other on a daily basis, we will continue to face the transportation woes with which we have been plagued for the last few decades.

It is imperative that we as a people, through our elected government representatives, decide with finality to completely eliminate financial competition among bus operators. If one bus operator is paid a fixed month-

ly amount of money for his transportation services, he would no longer feel inspired to break the law so rampantly as he is presently doing when he decides to partake in: speeding; overloading; making illegal stops; blasting loud music and using touts.

For as long as bus operators are earning variable amounts of money on their own based on the number of passengers they manage and break the law to carry per day, and on their own terms and conditions, we in Guyana will not be experiencing truly “public” transportation. These buses are not only privately owned by privately run. They are their own bosses and passengers have no authority to which they may turn for redress or

issue resolution. Presently, bus operators are kicking out passengers for, politely or otherwise, protesting against loud music and speeding, and for breaking their own terms and conditions imposed on those passengers illegally and unilaterally.

In fact, the only term and condition presently imposed on passengers by the Government is the price for the transportation services provided by these privately run buses. And even that term and condition is not met when a bus operator decides to either bully passengers, especially younger ones, for more money, or to charge more at night, or to give a passenger half a seat for the price of one, or to place a passenger to sit

Govt should take a page...

We also saw the Energy Minister in a report which appeared in the August 31, of sections of the media that those workers above 55 saying “…for people over 55, pay them off, and they’ll have their full pension”.

From the Minister’s statement, he seems to say that workers beyond 55 will get both their severance and their pension.

Indeed, while we know

first-hand the serious difficulties of closure, we recognise that, from all indications, some serious attempts are being made to cushion the fall by our Caribbean counterpart. We sincerely hope all that is promised to the Petrotrin workers materialises, recognising our sad past with promises. Now for the 7000 sugar workers who have been put out onto the cold breadline, our car-

Meanwhile, PPP GECOM Commissioner Bibi Shaddick claimed that the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) Roxanne Myers had issued instructions to the ROs that the persons should bring the affidavits in person, contrary to what was discussed.

“Today (Wednesday) at La Grange, an RO was refusing to accept an affidavit from a Leader of a list and the CEO intervened, when he was contacted by her, and instructed that once the Leader or Deputy Leader of the list brings in an affidavit, they have to accept.”

She also stated that “the CEO never wrote to the RO, informing them of the procedure and it was the DCEO who is conveying the wrong message to the ROs”.

“The CEO was gone, and I tried calling him and he is not answering and I called the DCEO and she informed me that they are only collecting documents which are defective and that the persons must bring it themselves. I informed her that that was not the decision taken and that she should email all the ROs informing them of the decision. The DCEO said she will consult

From page 4

ing Government is pushing workers to the brink; forcing them on the picket line to demand their lawful entitlements; engaging in all sort of legal gymnastics to further deny them their just payments, and then rubbing salt in the wound by saying their payments are haemorrhaging the country.

It seems to us that it is the Government which is haemorrhaging the thousands of

51 tricked persons' names...

in another’s lap while still charging for a seat.

In these premises, I propose, strongly, that all bus operators be paid a fixed monthly sum for their services. I propose that passengers no longer pay operators in cash. I propose that passengers present, to the bus operators, bus passes bought at accessible locations which locations would then pass the proceeds over to a central body responsible for using those proceeds to pay the fixed monthly sums to the bus operators.

The central body will also be responsible for exercising regulatory and disciplinary control over bus operators, for determining routes and hours of work for each bus, for ensuring no routes are abandoned after certain

with the CEO and then she will send the email.”

According to Shaddick, an attorney, the DCEO was also asked to copy the PPP nominated Commissioners in the email. “This is GECOM assisted fraud,” Shaddick argued.

Only Monday, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo revealed that there were already several instances of electoral fraud for the 2018 LGE. According to Jagdeo, as many as 42 out of 80 Local Authority Areas have cases of forged signatures or persons being tricked into signing

retrenched sugar workers.

We urge our Government to take a page out of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s book and considerately treat our people in a humane manner at this difficult period in their lives.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU

From page3

backers’ lists. He has also called for tougher penalties against election fraud.

On Nomination Day, dozens of lists of names and signatures, purporting to be backers of candidates, were palpably defective because of forgeries.

These lists contained the names of deceased persons, persons who never existed and persons whose names were placed there without their knowledge and authority or through some fraudulent means.

(Samuel Sukhnandan and Andrew Carmichael)

hours of the day (or on holidays or weekends or rainy days or hot days) and for receiving complaints from the public about errant bus operators, etc.

This system would need to be either introduced in phases and/or introduced on a full scale after considerable notice has been given to bus operators that they would, from a future date, no longer be allowed to work any routes unless they do so through the central body for a fixed monthly sum. They would need time to register their vehicles and have them be approved for the job. Research would need to be done to determine the best starting amount to be paid to each bus operator to cover gas, mechanical maintenance and profit etc.

Once in place, this system would reduce speeding;

overloading; illegal stops; loud music and touting.

Police would also spend a lot less time stopping buses for doing illegal things on the road and can focus on bigger issues. Passengers would be able to get on a bus and know that their destination is not the next Police station.

Too many Guyanese are running from the transportation presently being provided and choosing to spend large of amounts of money they cannot afford to spend to buy old unreliable cars and pay for taxis.

It has to stop. Our people are suffering. If legislation is needed to make this a reality, then let’s get cracking.

Sincerely, John M Fraser, LLB

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Foundation Pt 3

By Dan Mager

“I

f you light a lantern for another, it will also brighten your own way.” —Nichiren Although most of us are born with the ability to hear, listening is a process that requires our conscious attention and active participation, beginning with honouring the preconditions for listening. The preconditions for listening consist of setting an intention to listen, making a commitment to listen, being mentally and physically ready to listen, and being willing to allow your children to complete their message. Being mindful of your thoughts and emotions helps lay the foundation for attuned active listening.

Ingredients for active listening

Active listening has several component parts, beginning with making the commitment to listen. The commitment to listen involves making yourself emotionally, as well as physically available by investing the time and energy needed to listen attentively.

This commitment is evidenced by such actions as turning toward your child and making eye contact, turning off the TV, putting down the smartphone, letting incoming calls go to voicemail, turning away from the computer, temporarily discontinuing whatever else consumes your attention, and keeping other distractions at bay.

Being consciously present –physically and emotionally. There are myriad ways to demonstrate being present: physically orienting toward and giving your children your undivided attention in a non-judgmental way, holding their hand or placing your hand gently on their shoulder or knee as they relate a painful experience, neither being overwhelmed by nor needing to shrink from their pain, and listening with your heart when your child describes their day at school or with extracurricular activities.

Quieting the mind. Part of being consciously present, quieting the mind involves the application of basic mindfulness practice to simply notice and observe your thoughts and feelings, acknowledging them without becoming attached to them or striving to avoid them. When we quiet our mind, our listening becomes sharper and clearer, deeper and more perceptive. This facilitates the ability to listen with the heart as well as the ears.

Acknowledging. Providing feedback in the form of words (verbal) and/or gestures (nonverbal) indicates an accurate reception of the messages your children send.

Encouraging. Using verbal and nonverbal cues invites your children to continue speaking.

Clarifying. Using questions to request more information reduces potential confusion.

The following communications skills are

actually basic counselling skills. However, anyone can learn and practise them to improve their ability to communicate with others, including their children.

Encouraging

In the context of active listening, encouraging has nothing to do with giving pep talks or patting your children on the back, but rather prompting them to continue talking. Encouraging takes several verbal and nonverbal forms: • Nonverbal minimal responses, such as a nod of the head or engaged facial expressions • Verbal minimal responses, such as “Uhhuh” and “I see” • Repeating back the last two or three words your child says • Brief invitations to

continue, such as “Go on” and “Tell me

more” By encouraging your children to keep talking, you indicate your continuing interest in what they have to say (and underneath that, your continuing interest in them – period). This strengthens the communication process and the connection between you.

Asking questions with intention

Asking questions in response to what your children tell you demonstrates that you are paying attention and are interested. Moreover, the strategic use of questions (and the answers they elicit) can help provide important clarification and increased understanding for both you and your children. However, be mindful not to barrage your children with or overuse questions. It’s a conversation, not an interrogation.

Use questions to: Move from the general to the specific: “Your visit to the museum was ‘good’? What in

particular was good about it?”

Gather additional information and separate essential facts and feelings from side issues: “What was it about how your friend acted that you feel sad about?”

Ask for clarification when you are unclear about what your child said: “I’m not sure I understand. Can you please tell me more about what your teacher said?”

There are three fundamental types of questions: Closed questions usually yield limited responses confined to “yes” or “no” answers and are the least helpful: “Was your day at school good or bad?”

Leading questions are implicitly directive, leaning toward a particular answer or outcome: “Did you have a good day at school?”

Open questions invite a more complete and detailed response, encourage the speaker to continue talking, and are the most helpful: “How was your day at school?”

What if questions are a type of open question that can help your children look at possibilities, including the potential results of alternative actions. “What do you think would happen if the next time you play basketball you wear sneakers instead of the hiking boots you wore today?” or “How do you think things might have been different if instead of continuing to argue with your cousin, you said, ‘Let’s just agree to disagree’?”

It’s always more helpful to ask questions that begin with how or what rather than why. How and what focus on the process related to the other person’s experience, whereas why often feels accusatory and leads to defensiveness. Posing the question “Why didn’t you clean up after yourself in the kitchen?” invites evasiveness, excuses, defensiveness, and the always popular (and for parents, exasperating) “I don’t know,” when what you’re really interested in is getting the kitchen clean. It also tends to generate antagonism.

Much more helpful questions for this situation would be “What kept you from being able to clean up after yourself in the kitchen?” or “How can we make sure this gets done?” or “What can I do to help?” These are much more likely to create connection and lead to the desired behaviour.

Active listening facilitates the experience of truly being “heard.” When you listen to another person with present-centred attention without judging him or her, it also communicates acceptance. This is among the most validating and, in turn, self-acceptance-enhancing experiences a person can have. From the standpoint of promoting self-acceptance and self-esteem in your children, attuned listening –as simple as it may seem –is one of the most beneficial things you can do with and for them. (psychologytoday.com)

By Judy Willis, MD, MEd

Nico Coloma-Cook sought to evaluate the construction of new memory, focusing especially on possible ways to improve memory through the brain’s own patterning system of “connecting the new to the known”. He wanted to know, “Are there ways of speeding up or improving one’s ability to connect the new to the known?”

Nico recognised the research support for the correlation, “between the frequency with which an individual sees the same image in their environment and the strength of the memory of this image within an individual’s brain”.

Those insights gave him a new awareness of a strategy used by one of his teachers that he will now employ independently for his own memory success. “After researching this learning strategy, I recalled what was said in class and what was used during my time in junior high when grasping new mathematical concepts.

As I learned geometry in Eighth Grade, my teacher continually used this type of learning strategy – linking a new mathematical concept to a personal experience or every life – to get across the idea of geometrical proofs. For example, my teacher would show an everyday object on the whiteboard, objects ranging from a stop sign which was a regular polygon to a playground that formed unique and almost random sides and angles.”

“I noticed that during the summer when I was stripped of a classroom setting I would continually look at shapes in my environment and just automatically use theorems to describe it. Through the images my teacher showed the class, I formed stronger neural connections between the geometrical theories and everyday objects, and due to this strategy, I am able to remember these mathematical concepts even today.”

Sam Wischnewsky delved into the research focusing on how neuroplasticity relates to learning. One of his many insights emphasised the value of more integration of subjects. “One question my understanding of neuroplasticity poses is about the design of coursework orderings in highly scheduled educational spheres like high schools and elementary schools. It appears that it would be more successful if each subject could build on the information within that sphere the learners developed during the previous year so that the neural pathways that were previously developed could be even further reinforced. This begs the question of whether having such distinct separation of courses like chemistry, biology, and physics is preferable or whether it stunts learning by not interconnecting each of these topics so that similar neural pathways are activated in a consistent manner.

On some level, the learning benefits that are revealed by neuroplasticity are reminiscent of those revealed by modern research into short-term memory that highlights how memories are retained at a higher rate if they are related to previously held memories and can be linked to something that is extant in the hippocampus.

Neuroplasticity research supports the same teaching methods, of linking memories and ideas across subjects, to promote more productive learning sessions for

students.”

Jessica Zong also investigated reading interventions for increased memory and understanding, especially for children with autism.

She described multiple studies and found support for a multisensory and cued approach.

“Visual representations in the story seem to build on the finding in many autistic children regarding their strong visual thinking. From that standpoint, the connections between pictures, words, and sounds during their reading may facilitate their understanding of the content”. She extended this concept to suggest that the use of pictures and visual cues in the classroom could provide more opportunities for children themselves to ask and answer questions in small group settings to further promote their reading success.

She further hypothesised that the multisensory approach that correlated with improvement in reading for these children could promote increased memory for other learners, including herself.

Henry McGrew investigated memory from the perspective of the impact of sleep. Among his conclusions he wrote, “Although sleep is one of the most highly debated, and least understood phenomena of human nature, its benefits cannot be negated, especially regarding memory.

Long-term memory requires anatomical changes (practice) for neurons to grow new synapses and synaptic connections. Each time a new memory is reactivated, it is etched more deeply into storage.

During sleep, there is evidence that these connections between neurons may be getting stronger through replay. The consequences resulting from sleep loss range from health issues to increased risks of error due to cognitive impairment.”

Theresa Morley-McLaughlin researched the impact of technology on learning, attention, and memory. Part of her investigations into the impact of screen time before sleep further supported the correlations Henry made between sleep and memory.

Her analysis of the research led her to propose interventions that could be beneficial to children now, even as more conclusive research studies are carried out.

“It has been said that people should not use screens directly before sleeping because the light emitted by screens results in a decrease in sleep quality. The truth of this statement, as well as the length of time one should supposedly go without using a screen before sleeping, are both contested.”

“With this in mind, further research must be considered. If additional evidence supports the claim that viewing screens before bed negatively impacts sleep quality, it would be advisable for teachers to consider assigning portions of homework that can be done without the use of a screen.

Children could then complete their electronic assignments in the afternoon and save their reading, reviewing, or handwritten assignments for the evening.

This would give children the opportunity to limit their screen exposure directly before sleeping.

Given how critical sleep is for young children and teenagers, it will be vital to follow the research and plan accordingly for their developing brains now and in the future.” (Excerpted from psychologytoday.com)

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thursdAY, september 27, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

‘Imposed’ arbitration chairman

GTU threatens another teachers’ strike

…Govt warns of legal consequences

By Davina Ramdass

T

he Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) on Wednesday did not turn up at a meeting with the Education Ministry, as the teachers’ saga continued for a fourth week, with the Union now threatening to resume strike action in seven days’ time should the matter regarding the arbitration chairman not resolved. But the Education Ministry is fighting back, promising to take legal action should teachers return to the streets.

The General Secretary of the Union, Coretta McDonald, spoke with media operatives after boycotting Wednesday’s meeting where she informed, “The Union has indicated that we are giving a seven days’ notice for us to regularise this situation, if not we will be forced to resume industrial action”.

It was explained by her that during the previous meeting between the two parties on Tuesday, the GTU executives were introduced to the chairman for the arbitration panel, much to their surprise, since according to her, the Union was just about to present their nominee for the arbi-

GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald

tration panel.

“We were told ‘I would have to interrupt this meeting (by Minister Keith Scott) but I must do it at this stage because I have to introduce to you the chairperson for the arbitration panel… it was not the meeting for us to be introduced to any person. As a matter of fact, when we would have identified the three persons I think it would have been official then to introduce to the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers’ Union our panel for the arbitration tribunal,” she said.

According to her, the members of the Union expressed their dissatisfaction with what was done during

that meeting, especially since they were not provided with any sort of background information about the person who was selected to chair the panel.

The person introduced at that meeting as the chairman was a University Professor, Leyland Lucas.

McDonald went on to say that she believes Minister Keith Scott, who functions in the Labour Department under the Social Protection Ministry is “confused” about the laws as the GTU will not fall prey to anything but voluntary arbitration.

It was reported that the Union feels as though it is being bullied by the Government into accepting the Labour Department’s choice for an arbitrator, who they feel is likely to make biased representations.

She went on to explain that the Union has not yet received a response from Government although they are patiently awaiting one.

McDonald however stood her ground as she explained the Union is not willing to accept someone to chair the arbitration panel who works with Government. “I am wondering why is this Administration, why is the Department of Labour, why is the Ministry of Education,

why are they so fearful about having somebody independent?” she questioned.

The General Secretary nonetheless pointed out that the GTU will not issue the name of its nominee for the chairman, until Minister Scott comes to the realisation that it is not his place to appoint, but nominate a chairman for the arbitration panel, since this decision mutually lies in the hands of the Education Ministry and the GTU.

Education Ministry fires back

In response to the GTU’s statement where it threatened strike action, the Education Ministry fired back a signed agreement between the two parties which stated “…there shall be no strike, stoppage of work whether of a partial

or general nature, go slow, boycott, picketing, retardation of production or any other interference with the Ministry’s operations by the Union…”. This agreement was signed back in July 1983.

The Ministry went further to say that it will ensure that appropriate consequences ensue, should teachers disregard the agreement, since their actions will be deemed “illegal”.

Unbothered

The Union hinted its unbothered approach to the Ministry’s statement as the General Secretary disclosed, “The Ministry would always issue statements of threats to teachers…they have to do what they have to do and the GTU will do what the

GTU has got to do”.

She further said that teachers will not be intimidated by the Ministry’s threats since “you can’t put threats on the table for your children”.

McDonald reminded too of the ripple effect the strike action would take should teachers return to the streets. She cautioned that should the Union be forced to resume industrial action, the numbers would be multiplied significantly as various trade unions which are tied to other unions have expressed their support in a call for better wages and working conditions.

“If you recognise what has been happening from 2015 to now, we’ve been having one May Day Rally so that should say something to you”.

8 news

thursdAY, september 27, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

“Whistle”, accomplice on bail for armed robberies

W

ell-known character Leon Duncan, called “Whistle”, who on numerous occasions was before the court of law on several charges, including murder, and who was shot recently by Police ranks following an alleged robbery, was on Wednesday granted bail for several armed robberies.

Duncan, 28, of Festival City, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown and his alleged accomplice, 20-year-old Wayne Lawrence of Bent Street, Werk-enRust, both appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore and were granted $150,000 bail each. However, they are still on remand for several other charges which are engaging the attention of the court.

The duo are accused of robbing Shezeena Hoosein of $90,000 on August 25, 2018, on Hadfield Street, Stabroek, Georgetown while being armed and us-

Accused: Leon “Whistle” Duncan

ing violence in the course of the robbery.

Information surrounding the robbery indicated that the duo were apprehended on Breda Street, Werk-en-Rust; however, Duncan was shot after he allegedly attempted to disarm one of the arresting officers.

The men allegedly attacked Hoosein,

a vendor, around 05:50h on August 25, 2018 gun-butting her to the face before taking off with her cash.

Moreover, Duncan was additionally charged for robbing Nikel Pikerson of his $98,000 gold chain on July 14, 2018 at Second Street, Alberttown.

Further, on April 15, 2018, he reportedly discharged a loaded firearm at the National Gymnasium – an incident for which he was also charged.

And finally, he was slapped with a charge of assaulting two Peace Officers on August 25, 2018, who were at the time executing duties.

Duncan’s lawyer, Keoma Griffith had told the court that his client was shot to his upper right thigh. He noted that he was not able to take care of himself. As such, he requested the granting of the defendant’s pre-trial liberty.

The duo will return to court on October 24, 2018.

Perception…

H

…and arbitral rules

ere we go again! The Government insists its ‘perception’ of the law trumps everyone else’s!!

Including those with the explicit power to interpret the law. It all started with President Granger and his insistence that only HE can interpret the constitutional requirement of “fit and proper” to fill the GECOM chair.

For daring to contradict him, the court – which the Constitution mandates to interpret its rules – in the person of Chief Justice Roxane George, has faced the full force of his anger.

Like acting CoP David Ramnarine, she wasn’t even considered for the permanent substantive judicial positions now under his consideration!! Evidently, the wages of disagreement with the big enchilada is banishment! At least, unlike the Mad Queen in Alice in Wonderland, (or Forbes Burnham, for that matter), it isn’t “Off with his head!!” We hope!

Anyhow the latest incursion into – and demonstration of – the “monopoly of interpretation syndrome”, is by one of the minnows in Granger’s Cabinet – Keith Scott. Scott, as we know after three years of this PNC-led Government, likes to play “big and bad”. The problem however, is he has absolutely no standing to play the role and ends up embarrassed after his huffing and puffing!!

As Minister of Labour – in the DEPARTMENT of Labour (an oxymoron if there ever was one!!) – in the Social Protection Ministry, he took it upon himself to interpret the labour law. It’s “follow the leader” time!! He asserted that the latter Ministry can unilaterally appoint the chair of the arbitration panel on the teachers’ wage dispute. Scott – leader of the one-man NLF party, so wants to remain in the Cabinet, it’s pathetic!!

The matter hasn’t reached the courts as yet, but veteran labour leader and long-time General Secretary of the TUC, Lincoln Lewis, immediately bitched-slapped Scott, something silly!! He pointed out the rule Scott conveniently quoted was on COMPULSORY and not VOLUNTARY arbitration, which the Goverment and the GTU are engaged in. Has Scott just woken up from a deep slumber or he forgot that in the first encounter after the GTU AGREED to arbitration, both the Government and the union NOMINATED chairs?

But we can see the insistence of the PNC-led Government to refuse behaving in a democratic manner, with not only the political Opposition but every other individual or institution that has a different opinion from its own. The GTU made the mistake of trusting the PNC to keep its word – after its members had been betrayed before on the promised “substantial” salary increase right after the elections. The only language the PNC recognises is “power in the streets”.

Teachers’ strike!! You have nothing to lose but your begging bowls!!

…and fashionistas

If you had any doubts about the philosophical import of the question “What’s the world coming to” – on reading the daily reports on President Trump’s twitter flashes!!! – then the news that Michael Kors just bought into Versace ought to kill that thought!! Now, dear reader, this is beyond infra dig!! Let’s face it – for all its loud “in your face” American hype, Michael Kors sells its stuff in…yes… malls and department stores!!

And it’s now going to have a say in one of the top names in Italian haute couture?? Say it ain’t so!! Well, MK did dole out a cool US$2.1 BILLION for most of the 80 per cent of the trail-blazing 40-year-old mecca for fashionistas. The Versace family – a brother, a sister and her daughter of the murdered founder Gianni Versace – had sold 20 per cent of the company four years ago for US$250 million to the Blackstone Investment group. But this time, it’s to a pushy American fashion company that’s looking to capitalise on the name’s “halo effect”.

Will it work? Your Eyewitness thinks Michael Kors will drown in its debt!!

…and sole sourcing

Just ahead of MPI David Patterson’s submission of his excuse for sole sourcing the $148 million feasibility study for the new DHB, the IDB warned against the practice.

They know it’s a recipe for corruption!!

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

News

9

thursdAY, september 27, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Sugar estates starved of capital – new GuySuCo Chairman

W

ith sugar production reaching its lowest in decades since the downsizing of the industry and with the closure of three estates, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is now in dire need of capital to bring the level of production to an improved mark.

This point was made by newly-appointed Chairman of GuySuCo, John Dow, who told Guyana Times in an interview on Wednesday that the aim is to improve infrastructure and purchase new equipment that will aid in increasing the industry’s performance.

“The estates have been starved of capital. There have been a lot of deterioration of the infrastructure at these estates…the dams, bridges, timber revetment…

It’s a chicken and egg situation. We need to put some money in getting the infrastructure up to scratch before you can expect these increases in production,” he explained.

Dow, an agriculture expert and a member of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) that looked into the state of the industry, said apart from that, people cannot expect three estates to produce what eight were doing. “So, obviously there is a reduction in the quantity of sugar that can be produced,” Dow explained, adding that there are other factors too.

At present, GuySuCo is working to improve the sugarcane yields to beyond 70 tonnes of cane per hectare.

He said if improvements in this area take place, then there are chances that this too can add to an overall improvement in the production by the Corporation.

“Also the replacement of equipment is important…

You have tractors that are very old and the availability time of those units… 15 years old cannot be the same as a new tractor,” he added.

Dow said a replacement programme should have been in place to ensure that a certain percentage of vehicle are replaced annually so as to guarantee efficiency.

“However, because of the unavailability of capital over the last 10 years or so, you are in a bit of a bind… So, you cannot get increases in production without spending money in getting that in-

GuySuCo Chairman John Dow

frastructure and equipment up to scratch,” he asserted.

President David Granger said recently that the Government’s vision is to revamp the Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt sugar estates.

He said the intention is to employ some 10,000 people to maximise the profitability of the local sugar industry.

In declaring that GuySuCo is important to Government, the Guyanese Head of State said the plan is to produce about 147150,000 tonnes of sugar with the 10,000 work force. This is about 7000 less workers than when the coalition Government took office in 2015.

GuySuCo has produced a dismal 34,450 tonnes of sugar for the first crop in 2018, out of a low production target of 36,105 which was set.

The figure will likely be the lowest ever first crop for the industry which has seen four of its estates taken out

of production in the last two years. Sugar production at one time in Guyana was around 300,000 tonnes.

Last year, GuySuCo fell short of the projected figure for its first crop by some 24,566 tonnes. The Corporation had set a target of 74,172 tonnes of sugar but was only able to produce 49,606 tonnes. This year’s first crop is a further decline of 15,000 tonnes.

Over the years, GuySuCo has also complained about the poor attendance figures of the harvesters for their respective estates. It has called on communities to encourage the workers to turn out to assist with the harvesting and production.

But Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) President Komal Chand has repeatedly said that the underperformance can be credited to a lack of motivation among the workers.

A few months ago, the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) under the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) secured a syndicated bond worth $30 billion to assist with the revitalisation of the cash-strapped GuySuCo. It was reported that almost $2 billion has been disbursed to GuySuCo for operational expenses of its three estates.

Only this week, Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited has made known several of its concerns with how the $30 billion bond that was loaned

to NICIL is being spent. On Tuesday, SPU Head Colvin Heath-London admitted that that the Bank had registered an official complaint

and asked that some of the matters be corrected with some level of urgency.

The $30 billion bond arrangement with the bank is

aimed at helping to finance capital works for three GuySuCo estates – Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt.

(Samuel Sukhnandan)

Thieves allegedly break into Finance Ministry

P

olice in A Division (Georgetown) are currently investigating a break-in at the Finance Ministry last weekend during which several documents and hard drives, among other items, were stolen.

Guyana Times was told that the burglary is believed to have taken place sometime on Friday evening into the wee hours of Saturday morning.

It was reported that the discovery was made later Saturday morning when employees showed up for work.

Upon realising that the documents and data-saving devices were missing, authorities at the Ministry were

informed and the Police was called in.

This newspaper understands that investigators had visited the scene and took

fingerprint samples. Police sources indicated no arrest has since been made but investigations are still ongoing nonetheless.

City Constable shoots minibus driver

A

City Constabulary officer on Wednesday shot a minibus driver to his leg during a confrontation at the new Route 42 bus park.

Reports are the Constable shot the 28-year-old driver at about 10:00h claiming that he was resisting arrest.

Speaking with Guyana Times, Chief Constable Andrew Foo said the driver was shot since he not only resisted arrest, but attacked

the Constable even after committing various traffic offences.

According to Foo, the Route 42 minibuses are required to use a specified area - which is Bugle Street - however a few ‘hot plate’ buses would park and solicit passengers while on Lombard Street, and other areas which causes traffic to build up.

Foo said this was the case on Wednesday, although he was unable to say specifically

if the driver was offloading or soliciting passengers at the time of the incident.

He noted that a scuffle ensued between the two men, which ended up in the rank discharging one round to the man’s lower leg.

The City Constable was required to report to the Police station where investigations are said to be ongoing. Meanwhile the driver of the minibus remains hospitalised.

10 news

thursdAY, september 27, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Town Clerk rented UG bus park to “specific” drivers – City Hall CoI hears … city being micromanaged by Min Bulkan – former Deputy Mayor

A

s the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) unfolds into the operations at the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillor Sherod Duncan took the stand, declaring that the Town Clerk is incapable of performing his duties which has led to much interference from the Communities Minister. stood before Duncan Justice Cecil Kennard as he made his testaments under oath, sharing some light into the activities which have been occurring at the Council under the leadership of Mayor Patricia Chase Green and the Town Clerk, Royston King.

He indicated that Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan has taken the liberty to interfere into the works at City Hall and in some cases, King was notified via letters that his decisions were not approved

by Central Government.

According to Duncan, it seems as though Bulkan “has taken up residence” at City Hall to look at all activities under a microscope.

“The city is being micromanaged by the Minister of Communities when you should have a competent Town Clerk who understands what he is doing and the Minister is writing to the Town Clerk reprimanding him. It boggles my mind,” he further added.

On one occasion, King was engaged by the Minister in relation to the dis-

Town Clerk Royston King

missal of two officers who were attached to the City Constabulary. One of the officers had provided evidence of wrongdoing against another officer. However, King dismissed both of them even after the committee was asked to address the incident.

He was later addressed by Bulkan for the way this matter was dealt with.

According to Duncan, he is under the impression the Mayor has relinquished all of her superiority into the hands of the Town Clerk and as such, he has been misusing his authorities and power. Duncan indicated that on many occasions, the Councillors were not briefed on the allocation of monies for contracts that were been awarded. An instance is the $125 million contract that was allocated towards the restoration of the Le Repentir Cemetery which was finalised after a unilateral decision.

When asked by Justice

Cecil Kennard as to what would have been the outcome of the No-Confidence Motion that was filed against the Town Clerk if it was approved, Duncan explained that early interventions would have been taken by the Local Government Commission (LGC).

“One of the consequences of the motion would’ve been the registering or displeasure in the conduct of the Town Clerk and then following that subsequently, [actions on behalf of] the Local Government Commission.”

The motion was filed earlier this year but was disallowed by the Mayor after seeking legal advice from Attorney Maxwell Edwards, who is the spouse of Councillor Noelle ChowChee.

Rented bus parks

Cecelia Richards represented the University of Guyana’s branch of the United Minibus Union (UMU), to highlight a decision that was taken by the Town Clerk to collect monies from nine specific drivers of the Route 44 (Industry) route. She testified that King was collecting a monthly rental of $3000 from each of the drivers to occupy a stretch of the roadway that spans from the Avenue of the Republic to Hinck Street.

Consequently, some 45 drivers are left to fend for themselves as the area remains occupied by the said drivers.

Prior to that, city Police Officers would arrive at the

Justice Cecil Kennard

park every day to collect $200 from each of the drivers.

When confronted, officials at City Hall denied implementing such a regulation.

Efforts were made to reach the Town Clerk, but the affected drivers were prohibited from meeting with him.

“It was hard for us to provide for our families. We just stay there all day at the back of the line,” said Richards.

The inquiry is expected to conclude on October 31, where the necessary recom-

mendations will be submitted after all evidence is presented before the Commission.

Justice Kennard sought to point out that letters in the media will not be taken in account as testimonies. Hence, persons would have to take the stand under oath to submit their evidence.

Since September 21, 2018, the Town Clerk was instructed to proceed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Govt “turning blind eye” on rice sector – Region 2 farmers

A

s many of the challenges in the rice sector continue, a set of rice farmers in the Essequibo district on Wednesday met with Anna Regina Deputy Mayor, Darshan Persaud where they accused the coalition Government of “turning a blind eye” to the industry.

They premised this belief on claims that the current Administration is not doing enough for rice, saying this would have a great impact on one of the main sources of food and foreign currency earner to the country.

The Deputy Mayor who is a member of the Oppositionled People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Town Council said the sector was given “a tremendous boost” when his party was in power.

Persaud expressed that the present Government is “playing politics” by neglecting the sugar and rice industries in this country, causing thousands of Guyanese to suffer financial loss. He said too that many of the senior members of the farmers’ groups which advocated greatly for cause of colleagues were allegedly given key positions in the present Government.

The complaints the farmers made extended to accusations that millers are taking out 24 per cent of the earn-

Anna Regina Deputy Mayor Darshan Persaud ings as dockage fees which translates to about $1200 per bag of paddy. When looking at the expenses for cultivation, many farmers say they are not in a financial position to plant the next crop.

Farmers said also that even though Regional Executive Officer Rupert Hopkinson was seen “boasting on Facebook about developments of parks and recreational facilities in the region”, there is much need for the servicing and maintenance of the regional machinery. They explained that this is vital in the maintenance of farm to market roads, trenches, dams and other key areas in the agricultural sector.

Guyana Times has been steadily reporting on the plight of rice farmers, with challenges including fluctuating paddy prices, crop infesta-

tion, flooded rice fields, poor infrastructure to cultivate and access their fields.

Region Two Vice Chairperson Nandranie Coonjah had explained earlier this year that the farmers have been complaining about the lack of maintenance of the roads leading into their farms.

They observed then that little was being done to assist them at the national level.

Coonjah told Guyana Times in January that the 35,000 acres of rice which were under cultivation in the region, had represented a decline of over 1000 acres. She had pointed out that “bad lands” spilled off which led to an intrusion of salt water from the previous crop.

Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt had noted that more than 80 per cent of the region’s 50,000 plus residents are directly or indirectly connected to the rice industry.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan in his 2018 Budget presentation noted that the rice industry was expected to record an output of 602,087 tonnes for 2017, an increase of 12.7 per cent over 2016. He credited the increase mainly to an additional 14,000 hectares planted for the 2017 spring crop and a further 74,481 hectares planted in the autumn crop.

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thursdAY, september 27, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Over $5B collected during GRA’s tax amnesty

A

s the deadline for the second and final phase of the tax amnesty granted by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) draws closer, GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia has disclosed that billions of dollars have been collected as of the end of August.

Speaking with reporters at the sideline of an event on Wednesday, the tax chief said the GRA has managed to collect over $5 billion so far and this figure may increase. He also reminded that this is the last extension that will be granted to the amnesty, while encouraging defaulters to pay.

“Persons had an opportunity to pay their outstanding taxes in the first six months and it was extended for a second time for three months, so why should we continue to extend this? There is a limit to tax amnesty. Tax amnesty should not be given on a yearly basis,” he added.

Statia noted that the GRA is waiving the interest and penalties and not the tax. While he expressed some level of satisfaction with the response from the general public, Statia said he is dissatisfied about the limited amount of persons who have come forward and voluntarily filed their returns.

“What I am dissatisfied about is not the payment of the arrears, but I am sure that there are more persons who should have come forward and voluntarily filed

GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia

their tax returns. We have not seen a great number of person doing that but those who have done so have made sizable payments.”

The GRA head also asserted that paying taxes is an investment in one country’s progress. He said many persons who have failed to pay their taxes here, pay overseas.

According to him, developed countries are now introducing programmes such as Domestic Resources Mobilisation, where once a person can mobilise their resources by paying their taxes, the countries don’t mind if the individuals invest the rest of the tax income in their countries.

“They are doing so simply because they want to reduce aid to these countries and that is why there is a drive for people to pay their taxes in their home country instead of sending all oversees.

You not paying your taxes

means you are not patriotic, because taxation is a social contract.”

Statia further argued that while people are always complaining that Government is not providing efficient public services, many of those who complain are not paying their rightful taxes.

“Where would the Government get the funding to provide those services like healthcare, pay teachers, roads and hospitals? We give little and demand much.

That is unfortunate in this country,” Statia added, explaining further the importance of taxation to the country.

GRA had announced in January that it would be providing a period of amnesty for delinquent taxpayers.

This move by the Authority was in keeping with the measures announced by Finance Minister Winston Jordan in his Budget 2018 speech last year.

Jordan had said that the period of amnesty for taxpayers, both corporate and individual, would ensure they are able to get in order, the filing of true and correct tax returns and payment of their true and correct taxes. The amnesty is applicable to taxpayers who have principal taxes outstanding; non-filers such as persons who are delinquent in the filing and payment.

The Minister said taxpayers who file and pay all principal taxes on or before June 30, 2018 will have all inter-

est and penalties waived, while those who file and pay all principal taxes between July 1, 2018 and September 30, 2018 will have 50 per

cent of interest and penalties waived.

At the end of the last amnesty which ended in June 2018, it was announced

that $3 billion was raked in, but this number has since climbed. The final amnesty ends September 30.

WCB murder

Hunt on for dead woman’s husband

By Andrew Carmichael

P

olice in Berbice have launched a manhunt for the husband of Chandrawattie Williams, also called “Geeta”, whose body was found in her home on Tuesday evening by her 13-year-old son.

Reports are Williams’ body was found at about 18:00h with suspected stab wounds in her Bath Squatting Area, West Coast Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) home.

The dead woman’s brother Dharampaul Mohan on Wednesday told Guyana Times that his 13-year-old nephew received a phone call from his father who reportedly told him to go to the house and turn on the lights.

It was then that he made the discovery.

Having found his mother’s body, the teen raised an alarm and subsequently saw his father approaching him with a cutlass in his hand.

According to Mohan, his nephew ran over to his aunt’s house to seek refuge.

According to Mohan, the father then went into hiding. “The body already swell

Dead: Chandrawattie Williams, called “Geeta”

up so we don’t know if it is a day before or two days before she died.”

Another relative told this publication that Williams’ husband on several occasions threatened to give her poison to kill her. “He tell she that so much time he beating she and she aint deading and that he gon beat she and then give she poison.”

Neighbours said that the woman endured the abusive relationship for almost 20 years.

Court records show that Ugan Kumal Williams, also called “Shahrukh Khan” has

been charged with assault of Chandrawattie Williams with the most recent charges being implemented last week. However, when the matters were called in court, his wife had declined to give evidence.

The suspect had been before the court for allegedly for burning the house they once shared.

Chandrawattie’s mother, Baijmattie Mohan, said she was always fearful that her daughter would be killed by her husband.

According to the 63-yearold woman, on many occasions her daughter would go to her home for refuge but after a few days, she would return to her husband.

Back in July, Chandrawattie spent one month with her mother after two of her fingers were fractured and one broken by her husband.

The grieving mother said on numerous occasions, she pleaded with her daughter to end the relationship.

Villagers said they last saw the suspect on Tuesday evening in the village.

Police are continuing the hunt for the suspect.

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Linden man in leaked rape City Mall attempted murder/robbery video murdered – PM Accused to know fate soon,

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post-mortem examination (PME) conducted on the body of the 41-year-old man, whose body was found at the Kitty Seawall one day after leaked videos went viral of him and another man allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl, has revealed that he was murdered and did not commit suicide as was earlier reported.

The body of Sherwin Apple, also known as “Yellow”, was found lying face down in the mud in the vicinity of Selena Resort on Tuesday morning. It was suspected that the clothes vendor, formerly of William Street, Kitty; and Silver Town, Wismar, Linden, had ingested carbon tablets after the videos went viral on Monday.

However, an autopsy conducted on Wednesday morning by State Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh on Apple gave the cause of death as asphyxiation (strangulation) with compression injuries to the neck.

The PME findings have confirmed the worst fears of Apple’s family, who have since revealed that no trace of poison was found in Apple’s system.

In an interview with Guyana Times on Wednesday, family members noted that they were doubtful that he would commit suicide and are furthermore of the belief that the circulation of the video and its backlash led to his demise.

As such, they are calling for justice.

Apple's sister, Shonette, said she spoke with her brother on Monday in relation to the viral video, noting that he did not feel good about it and had cried as he was saddened over the situation. She said it was the last time she heard from him.

Dead: Sherwin Apple

She explained that her brother had also told a friend and his uncle that he was receiving threats over the video. The woman noted that he promised to talk with them concerning this, however, he went missing on Monday evening.

“On Monday, after five (pm) was the last time that I spoke to him… He said to me, 'Sis, the video is not now, it's over a year'. At the time he used to work in the interior, and he said that (incident) happened at that time. His phone was lost, so he didn't get to delete anything out of the phone. He was saying too that it's not a young girl,” the sister related.

Shonette further stated that one of Apple's friends recalled seeing him sometime after 21:30h on Monday, shortly after he left his home after receiving repeated calls on his cellphone.

Apple's sister continued that while she does not condone what happened in the video, her brother did not deserve to be killed, but rather should have been handled by the law.

The woman added that one of the persons who put the video on social media had a “personal problem” with her brother. She is confident that whoever killed

him caught him from behind in an unexpected move, as she noted that he was a fighter.

Meanwhile, Apple's mother, Valda Daniels, told Guyana Times that she did not get to speak with her son in relation to the video, but said she spoke with him on Monday morning and he was in good spirits.

Following the discovery of the body, Daniels said the family travelled to Georgetown to identify the body and were shocked at what they saw. She added that there appeared to be marks on her son’s neck and head.

“I want justice for my son. The Police must find whoever did this. Two sons I got and the other one crying. It just breaking me heart,” the distraught woman lamented.

Daniels described Apple as very loving and called for a full investigation into his death. Daniels said she is against the sharing of such videos, noting that her son's death can be seen as a result of these actions.

“Whoever shared that video, I think the Police should hold that person… they bombard my son,” she said. Apple, a clothes vendor formerly of Silvertown, Wismar, Linden is survived by three children.

On the other hand, Police have since arrested another male suspect from Linden who also appeared in the video with the teen. It is alleged that the two engaged in sexual activity with the teen against her will. The man, who was arrested on Tuesday, remains in custody as investigations by the Child Care and Protection Agency and the Guyana Police Force continues. The teen has since denied that it was her in the video.

denies involvement

…shows Judge dry bread supplied by prison

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verdict could soon be handed down in the nine-year-old case chronicling an attempted murder and robbery at the City Mall, following State Counsel Abigail Gibbs closing the prosecution’s case on Wednesday. The matter involves co-accused Marisco George and John Caesar who are standing trial for attempting to murder businesswoman Dhanmattie Phulchand while executing a violent robbery at Reshma’s Collections at City Mall on July 4, 2009.

The defendants both addressed the court telling the Judge, Justice Sandil Kissoon and the 12-member all male jury that they were not guilty of the crime. George via an unsworn statement told jury that she was in the store’s dressing room when she heard a scream and ran out where she witnessed a man lashing Phulchand to her head. She said the man threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone. However, George said when she was later picked up by Police at the park, they asked her where the boy was, and she reportedly told them she did not know what they were talking about.

In her story to the jury, the co-accused also said she was in the Mall looking to purchase jeans and left to get friends to help her select the pair she wanted. She added that after she had seen the woman lying on the floor, she

Number one accused Marisco George

left the Mall without telling anyone as she was sacred. She said she found some friends and told them what occurred and left them and went home.

It was when she went to the park that she was picked up

by Police. She added that she was assaulted at gunpoint and told they would “beat me like a man”.

Meanwhile, an animated Caesar showed the court two pieces of dry bread, he said he got from the Lusignan Prison. However, during his address to the court, Caesar said he only knew of the crime when he was charged in the Magistrate’s Court in 2010.

He said Police had him sign a statement in relation to a missing cellphone and expressed that even though he was sorry for what happened to Phulchand, he knew nothing about it. Attorneys Damien DaSilva, Brandon

DeSantos and Prosecutor Gibbs all presented closing addresses during the Wednesday afternoon session.

It had been reported that Phulchand was attacked when George went to her store and indicated that she wanted to purchase a pair of jeans. George subsequently told the businesswoman that she would get a friend to help her select the jeans. The friend she brought, according to Phulchand, was Caesar, the number two accused, who had worked in a store at the very mall.

After trying on the jeans, George requested a bigger size. However, when Phulchand attempted to get the requested item, she was struck to her head with a heavy object. After realising that it was Ceasar who had allegedly attacked her, Phulchand began to beg but was beaten and left in an unconscious state.

The duo then relieved the woman of US$2000, a mobile phone and $100,000. After the duo left, the woman was found lying on the floor and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was hospitalised for a number of days. She was recalled to the witness box briefly on Wednesday. The case will soon conclude in the High Court as the current session of the Demerara Criminal Assizes comes to an end.

Sophia man remanded on illegal gun, ammo charges

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ne of the three men who were nabbed by Police with a gun and ammunition in their possession was on Wednesday remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Troy Lowe, 40, of Sophia, Greater Georgetown denied the charges of possession of an illegal firearm and possession of ammunition without being a licence holder.

The first charge stated that on September 24, 2018 at Queenstown, Georgetown, he had in his possession one .32 pistol without being the licensed holder of same. The other charge stated that on the said date and location, Lowe also had in his possession five live rounds of ammunition.

According to facts presented in the court, a plain-clothes rank noticed Lowe and two other men acting in a suspi-

cious manner about 16:30h in Queenstown and approached them. He conducted a search of their person, and the firearm and ammunition were found.

In court on Wednesday, the Police Prosecutor objected to bail citing the seriousness of the charge and nature of the offence. As a result, Magistrate Azore refused bail and remanded Lowe to prison. The case will continue on October 24, 2018.

news

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Being in institutional care has negative impact on children – CCPA

“R

ight now there are too many children in institutions. They become institutionalised and our mission here is to get children out of institutions,” the Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA), Ann Greene told Guyana Times during a recent interview.

She referenced the fact that being in care, according to several surveys and studies, may have a negative impact on a child’s life, as they may feel unwanted among other things.

According to her, “It’s not any place where a child should spend the rest of their childhood in…” as they may feel neglected and unimportant.

The Director noted that owing to this, the CCPA has implemented a number of initiatives to tackle the issue, which may help children to feel more confident in the end and ‘loved’.

She reminded that children in institutional care normally leave at the age of 18, when they require the most attention. “When a child turns 18 their parents don’t push them out (because) they so need guidance, they need a whole lot

CCPA Director Ann Greene

of guidance (and) these are children that will turn 18 and can leave the formal care and there is no linkages to a family.”

Greene said that being cognisant of the impact being in institutional care has on the life of children, the CCPA would exhaust every measure to ensure children are placed with adults who are capable of caring for them.

These measures, she explained, include the kinship programme where a child can be placed with the nearest kin, instead of being placed in care.

Another important initiative to note is the foster care programme where children can be placed with a capable family to take care of them until they are placed with a stable birth family or join an adoptive family.

While on this note, Greene alluded to the fact that while being in care for an extended period may have a negative impact on a child’s life, it often serves as a life saver for some, as many children were taken into the homes from the streets or even abusive homes, among other hostile circumstances.

At present, some 700 children are in formal care, Greene disclosed. This figure, she said, generally lessens at this time of the year, as persons generally become sensitised with the observance of the ongoing Child Protection Week.

This year, Child Protection Week is being held under the theme “Supporting families to prevent child abuse through education and community involvement”. A number of activities are planned for the week, which began on September 23 and will conclude on September 29.

Woman freed of domestic worker’s murder …4 others to lead defence

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s the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) continues into the execution of a domestic worker on the Corentyne, one of the five accused was set free on Monday by Magistrate Charlyn Artiga at the Whim Magistrate’s Court.

Shabikie Albert, also

gun to her head and discharged two bullets shattering her brains.

Magistrate Artiga in summing up the prosecution’s case explained that although Albert had knowledge of the plot to kill Muhammed, it did not con-

Shabikie Albert

Dead: Lilawatie Muhammed

Indira Outar

called Shabikie Thompson, of Lot 107 Rose Hall Town, was one of five persons charged with the February 7, 2017 killing of Lilawatie Muhammed, 45, a domestic worker at her Lot 198 Sixth Street, Tain Settlement, Corentyne home.

Muhammed was killed execution style when two masked persons broke into her home and demanded money under the pretext that it was a robbery. When she said she did not have money, one of them put a

stitute a crime.

She, however, ruled that a prima facie case was made against the other four accused. They will have to lead a defence and have been ordered to return to court on October 15, 2018.

The four accused are Oliver Permaul, 36, of Lot 100 Tain; his wife, Rose Hall Town businesswoman Nazeema Permaul, 42, of the same address; Andre James, also called “Andy”, 26, a tattoo artist of Lot 46 A George Street, Rose Hall

Town; and Rohan Johnson also called “Jamakie”, 38, a carpenter of Clardon, Jamaica and Lot 107 Second Street, Rose Hall Town.

It had been reported that Nazeema Permaul was the mastermind of a plot to kill Muhammed. It was also reported that Permaul allegedly paid $400,000 to have the woman executed.

Muhammed was involved in an extra-marital relationship with Permaul’s husband.

The Permauls are being represented by Attorneysat-Law Mescaline Bacchus and Rohan Jagmohan while Albert was represented by Sasha Robertson.

“Legend” slapped with wounding charge

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eil Roberts, also known as “Legend”, who reportedly wounded a Region One (Barima-Waini) man was on Wednesday released on $70,000 bail and ordered to stay away from the Virtual Complainant (VC).

Roberts, 19, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and denied that on September 20, at Quarry-top, Port Kaituma, North West District, Region One, he unlawfully and ma-

liciously wounded Dondie Bumbary with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The prosecution is contending that on September 20, 2018, the VC had gone to a shop in the area to purchase cigarettes when he saw the defendant slapping his cousin. As such, he intervened, and a scuffle ensued.

Roberts then left the scene.

According to the prosecution’s case, some five minutes later the defendant returned with a cutlass and

dealt the VC several chops about his arm. The VC was taken to the regional hospital where he was admitted. He suffered 10-centimetre lacerations to his right shoulder. Roberts was later arrested and charged.

In granting bail, Chief Magistrate McLennan instructed the defendant to stay 50 feet away from the VC. The matter was adjourned to November 6, 2018, at the Matthews Ridge Magistrate’s Court.

Miner denies ownership of illegal gun, ammo

…remanded to prison

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miner who denied that he had an illegal gun along with ammunition in his possession was on Wednesday remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Linton Trotman denied that on September 24, 2018 at Sussex Street, Georgetown, he had in his possession 12 live rounds of ammunition without being the licensed owner. Another charge stated that on the

same day and location the 24-year-old man had in his possession one 9mm pistol without being the licensed firearm holder.

In court on Wednesday, Trotman’s lawyer, in his application for bail, submitted to Magistrate Fabayo Azore that his client and several other persons were standing outside a club when someone from inside the club threw the firearm onto the ground. He said that despite this explanation, Trotman

was arrested by the Police.

However, the Police Prosecutor, in objecting to bail, told the court that Trotman had admitted to having the unlicensed firearm in his possession. In his objection, the Prosecutor cited the seriousness of the charge and nature of the offence. As a result, Magistrate Azore upheld the prosecution’s submission and remanded Trotman to prison. The matter will continue on October 24, 2018.

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News

SMART Healthcare initiative Minister should apologise for his Major remodelling for Diamond Diagnostic Centre actions – GTUC …calls on Govt to stop treating workers’ related issues in “bad faith”

GTUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis

I

n support of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) on Wednesday issued a statement to the media where it not only called for the Minister within the Social Protection Ministry’s Labour Department, Keith Scott to apologise for his actions, but made a wider call for the Government to stop treating workers and their unions “in bad faith”.

The GTUC said it “calls on the [A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change] APNU/AFC Government to cease the practice of treating with matters relating to workers and their unions in bad faith. The absence of understanding industrial relations practices and the seeming comfort to operate in a sea of ignorance bring dire consequences for the upholding of the rule of law, fostering harmonious employer/workers relations, ensuring productivity and social cohesion. These are commitments the coalition Government campaigned on”.

It even said that the Minister ought to apologise for publicly embarrassing University of Guyana lecturer, Dr Leyland Lucas who was told he would have been appointed chairman of the arbitration panel to address the issues surrounding teachers.

According to the Union, the Minister’s actions were unlawful since the trade union community knows not of the laws’ existence, “unless it was passed in the dead of night and assented to before the nation awakes”.

The Union went on to explain that the agreement signed between the Education Ministry and the GTU on September 6, 2018, when the strike was called off clearly states “A chairperson [be] agreed to by the employer and the GTU”.

The GTUC pointed out “The 1990 GTU and MoE Memorandum of Understanding stipulated that where there isn’t

agreement between the parties on an arbitration chair, the Ministry of Labour will be asked to “nominate” one.

A nomination is not tantamount to an appointment.

The difference the Minister must recognise and respect”.

“In voluntary arbitration, a chair can only be appointed after agreement between the parties. This the Minister must respect and stop interjecting himself where he has no authority. Given the tendency to recklessly act/speak and act contrite thereafter, GTUC thinks Minister Scott should publicly apologise to Dr Lucas for the international embarrassment he has inflicted on him,” the statement added.

Minister Scott, according to the Union, has overstepped his boundaries as a Minister as he misapplied Section 4 of the Labour Act, Chapter 98:01, which stipulates a ministerial role in compulsory arbitration has no bearing on the GTU and Education Ministry’s case, since the two parties have consented under the collective bargaining process to proceed to arbitration.

Incidentally, Minister Scott refused to apply the very law as was applied by People’s Progressive Party Labour Minister Nanda Gopaul, in an effort to resolve the nine-year-old grievances affecting workers at the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated, the Union further noted.

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s efforts are being taken to upgrade several primary hospitals across the country into ‘SMART Healthcare’ Facilities, the Diamond Diagnostic Centre is expected to undergo major remodelling to better improve the efficiency of the institution.

The United Kingdom, through its Department for International Development (DFID), is injecting some US$4.175 million into the retrofitting and modernising of four hospitals as part of the SMART Healthcare Facilities initiative, which will see the local institutions being designed to help reduce mortality, morbidity and economic losses from natural disasters.

In addition to the Diamond Hospital, the Leonora Cottage Hospital, the Mabaruma Regional Hospital and Lethem Regional Hospital will also benefit from the project.

On Wednesday, consultations kicked off at the East Bank Demerara healthcare facility, where medical and administrative personnel attached to the hospital as well as members of the public were briefed on the general overview of the project and some of the design plans to remodel the institution.

Principal Consultant of the SMART Healthcare Facilities project, Rawle Johnson, highlighted some of the bottlenecks they encountered at the Diamond Hospital. Among the issues was the fact that there is only one entrance/exist to the compound. He also outlined the inefficiencies of the hospital’s current internal design layout.

It was pointed out by the

Front left: PAHO/WHO Country Representative, Dr William Adu-Krow; Junior Public Health Minister, Dr Karen Cummings; and British High Commissioner (ag) Ray Davidson at Wednesday’s consultation on the SMART Healthcare facilities project held at the Diamond Hospital

design technicians that this project is posing some challenges since they are dealing with existing facilities.

Nevertheless, they revealed some of the solutions they came up to address the bottlenecks. This include the efficient distribution of the different medical departments/ services at the facilities to better utilise and optimise the space to: separate the emergency and outpatient sections; create a central reception area to hold patients so they do not have to wait outside; and set up a nursing station with a visibility of the entire area, among others.

With regards to the sustainable aspect, some of the main initiatives to be undertaken will be energy and water consumption and conservation.

This aspect of the project will be in keeping with Government’s Green State Development Strategy since it not only focuses on a safe healthcare system but also to make it environmentally sustainable, according to Junior Public Health Minister, Dr Karen Cummings.

During the opening cer-

emony of Wednesday’s consultations, Minister Cummings outlined the benefits such an initiative will bring to health care delivery within the public system, especially with the threat of natural disasters always imminent in this region.

“It is necessary that Guyana embrace the Smart Hospital initiative so as to ensure that we have health facilities that can function optimally even in the aftermath of natural disasters,” Dr Cummings noted.

Pointing out that the SMART Hospital initiative offers the improvement of existing procedures for the provision of medical care as well as opening up new opportunities for medicine, the Junior Public Health Minister noted that Guyana will not be left behind in delivery safe, sustainable and affordable healthcare services.

The SMART Healthcare Facilities project is being implemented in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) and country representative, Dr William Adu-Krow, spoke of the im-

portance of primary hospitals being outfitted with the Smart Healthcare initiative.

“It’s important and imperative for countries to adopt this SMART Hospital initiative as a national policy for risk reduction and to ensure that all new hospitals are built with a level of safety, and also retrofitted existing ones so that they will continue to function during and after severe natural hazard events,” Dr Adu-Krow stated while commending Government for its commitment for and towards the project.

Meanwhile, acting British High Commissioner to Guyana, Ray Davidson, told stakeholders gathered in the compound of the Diamond Diagnostic Centre that the consultation is being held to raise awareness and get feedbacks from health workers and those who will be directly affected by the implementation of the project.

The SMART Healthcare Facilities project is being implemented in a total of seven countries across the Caribbean region.

Investigation reveals high mercury levels in Kaituma River …aquatic species affected

F

ive months after water supply was sourced from alternative means for affected residents, an investigation into mercury contamination of the Kaituma River, North West District has confirmed the preliminary test that the mercury levels were too high for consumption.

In the final report submitted by Environmental Officer, Tamara Gilhuys, it was recommended that complaint officers ensure sample points at and near pump station are included in their routine water quality monitoring. The report further outlined that the environmental division should “lead investigations to ascertain the status of rivers or creeks within mining districts” where Guyana Water Inc pump stations are located and where contamination from mining operations poses an imminent threat to the community.

Eleven river water sam-

These samples were delivered to the laboratory on July 28, 2018

ples were submitted but only 10 were analysed due to leakage of Sample ID ‘10’ during shipment

by Kaizen Environmental Services Inc. In the analysis, it was found that at all sample points, the concentrations were within the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.

Despite the generally low readings, it was however found that in Sample 4 at 125m upstream Pump Creek, there was

0.000219 mg/L of mercury. Meanwhile, the lowest concentration of 0.000016 mg/L was found in Sample 2 which was located on the Kaituma Canal downstream section of Pump Creek. The WHO guideline is 0.006 mg/L. It was explained that mercury is easily transported to bed sediments from the water column due to its high affinity for organic ligands.

The investigation revealed a variety of organ-

isms live in or come into contact with bed sediments and therefore the sediments act as an important route of exposure to aquatic organisms which in turn has implications for human health. “Sediment mercury, therefore, is an indicator of the recreational safety and ecological health of a water source as it relates to wildlife and human health,” the reported observed.

The report stated that the drinking water standard for arsenic is 0.010 mg/L as outlined by WHO and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs).

“The USEPA MCLs reflect the level at which no adverse health effects are likely to occur within a margin of safety and are set as close as possible to health goals considering cost, benefits and the ability of public water systems to detect

and remove contaminants using suitable treatment technologies,” the section of the document noted.

With respect to cadmium, the report found that all samples were found to be below the limits.

The Port Kaituma survey also showed that the samples were within the WHO guidelines for lead which is 0.01 mg/L. The results of five samples sent for further analysis at ActLabs are expected to be available on September 30.

It was in July that GWI’s Managing Director, Dr Richard Van West-Charles told reporters that mercury levels of 0.016mg/L was shown which was higher that WHO standard of 0.006mg/L . It was on July 26, 2018, that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission dispatched a joint team that included the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the matter.

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Around the World

South African anger after girl raped in restaurant

S

South Africa is battling to curb high levels of sexual abuse

outh Africans have expressed outrage following the alleged rape of a seven-year-old girl in a restaurant toilet.

A 20-year-old man allegedly followed her into the women's restroom before snatching her and raping her in the men's section, police said.

The suspect was arrested at the scene and charged with rape and possessing drugs. He has been remanded in custody and has not yet been asked to plead.

South Africa has one of the highest incidences of rape in the world. The police recorded 40,035 rapes in the 12 months leading to March 31, an average of 110 each day, the fact-checking organisation Africa Check says.

This is a slight increase on the previous year, which saw 39,828 recorded rapes.

The girl's alleged rape is one of two cases of sexual abuse currently making headlines in South Africa.

In the second incident,

a fake doctor allegedly raped a 17-year-old girl at a hospital in Eastern Cape province hours after giving birth‚ police spokesman Captain Dineo Koena said.

"On Tuesday‚ a man came posing as a doctor. He asked her how she was doing following the birthing experience," he added. "She complained of heavy bleeding and he said he would check up on her. He then ordered her to undress and then he raped her‚" Capt Koena said. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Qatar to increase gas production amid GCC rift

Q

atar Petroleum said it is boosting its natural gas production by adding a fourth liquefied natural gas (LNG) production line to raise capacity from the North Field to 110 million tonnes a year.

The world's top supplier of LNG said on Wednesday output from the field, which is shared with Iran, will now rise from 77 million tonnes a year. "Based on the good results obtained through recent additional appraisal and testing, we have decided to add a fourth LNG mega train," said

CEO Saad Sherida al-Kaabi in a statement.

"The production increase will also contribute to Qatar's economic growth and stimulating the economy, as well as the country's overall development."

Last year, Qatar Petroleum announced it was planning to develop additional gas from the North Field and build three new LNG mega-trains.

This move comes more than a year after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt

severed diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar, accusing it of harbouring "terrorism" - an allegation Doha strongly denies.

The new project will produce about 32 million tonnes a year of LNG, 4,000 tonnes a day of ethane, 260,000 barrels a day of condensate, and 11,000 tonnes a day of LPG, in addition to about 20 tonnes per day of pure helium, Qatar Petroleum said.

This will increase Qatar's total production capacity from 4.8 million to 6.2 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Venezuela’s Maduro heads to New York, Trump says open to meeting

V

enezuelan President Nicolás Maduro headed for New York on Wednesday to attend the United Nations General Assembly and US President Donald Trump said he would be open to meeting the socialist leader of the crisis-stricken South American nation.

Venezuela’s Government had not previously said whether Maduro would attend the UN meeting.

Maduro said last week he might not attend, adding “they have me in their sights to kill me” without specifying who might target him.

The White House said no meeting was planned between the two leaders, and Venezuela’s Information Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump’s comments earlier on Wednesday suggested he could meet Maduro,

US President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

who has been publicly seeking a sit-down with Trump, his ideological foe, since last year.

He said that “all options” were available to find a solution to Venezuela’s ballooning economic and political crisis, which has fuelled an exodus to nearby Latin American countries.

The White House last year said a meeting with

Maduro would happen when Venezuela returned to democracy. A group of Latin American countries and Canada said earlier on Wednesday they had asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Maduro’s Government over allegations of crimes against humanity in its use of force to repress political opponents. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Haiti calls for funds to deal with cholera

P

resident Jovenel Moise has called on the international community to provide the funding needed to help the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country deal with the cholera epidemic.

Addressing a round table discussion at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Moise said that while significant progress had been made since the epidemic was first reported in 2010, the disease continues to claim victims in Haiti.

He said much funds are needed if the country is to eradicate the disease completely by 2022. “I am advocating to the UN General Assembly to remind the urgency of continuing international funding to defeat cholera. We will need an estimated US$390 million if we really want to end this epidemic by 2022,” he said, adding that Haiti had a plan that is already operational to erad-

Haitian President Jovenel Moise

icate cholera.

“If the resources provided are available to us, the elimination of the disease will be within our reach,’ Moise said, recalling that the US$390 million request corresponds to the United Nations multi-partner trust fund for cholera in Haiti, which was launched in December 2016 by former UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon.

But Moise told the meeting that despite the repeated calls of the former Secretary General and his successor, Antonio Guterres, only two per cent of the promises made by international donors have been met.

The fund has two main components including establishing a new strategy to develop a programme of material assistance and support to Haitians most directly affected by cholera as well as reducing the incidence of cholera, while addressing short- and long-term water, sanitation and health system improving access to care and treatment.

The cholera outbreak here is being blamed on United Nations peacekeepers deployed from Nepal. The authorities have said more than 10 000 people have died since the first case was reported in October 2010 and several hundred thousand others have been sickened by the disease.

(Nation News)

Salisbury poisoning suspect named as PM Mottley meets Trump Russian Colonel by UK media

T

he real identity of one of the men wanted by Britain for the Salisbury nerve agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter is Anatoliy Vladimirovich Chepiga, according to media reports on Wednesday which said he was a decorated Russian colonel.

Earlier this month, British prosecutors charged two Russians - Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov - with attempted murder for the Novichok poisoning of the Skripals in the southern English city in March but said they believed the suspects had been using aliases to enter Britain.

The Daily Telegraph and the BBC said Boshirov’s real name was Chepiga, citing investigative reporting by Bellingcat, a website which covers intelligence matters. Two European security sources familiar with the Skripal investigation said the details were accurate.

Russia denies any involvement in the poisoning, and the two men have said they were merely tourists who

Ruslan Boshirov, who was formally accused of attempting to murder former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, is seen on CCTV at Gatwick Airport on March 2, 2018, in an image handed out by the Metropolitan Police in London, Britain, September 5, 2018

had flown to London for fun and visited Salisbury to see its cathedral. The British Government knows both their real identities, sources close to the investigation have said.

The Telegraph reported that Chepiga, 39, had served in wars in Chechnya and Ukraine, and was made a Hero of the Russian Federation by decree of President Vladimir Putin in 2014.

The Metropolitan Police, who are investigating the poisoning, and the Foreign Office declined to comment on the report. But British defense minister Gavin Williamson appeared to confirm its veracity on Twitter.

The Russian Embassy in London was not immediately available to comment.

The Kremlin has previously said that the suspects have nothing to do with Putin. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

Prime Minister Mia Mottley with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump

P

rime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados had a brief a photo opportunity with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump prior to the Diplomatic Reception Monday at the Lotte New York Palace in New York.

On the same day, Mottley addressed the United Nations Secretary

General’s High Level Meeting on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that reflected three action areas: building momentum and political support at all levels; stepping up engagement with the private sector; and making the most of innovative solutions to finance the sustainable development goals.

(Nation News)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

thursdAY, september 27, 2018

ARCHIE

Speak up if it will help you avoid being blamed for some(March 21- thing you didn’t do. Someone April 19) will use an emotional tactic to manipulate a situation that involved you.

ARIES

Turn the way you feel TAURUS about something or someone (April 20- into an opportunity. Pay a May 20) visit or set up a meeting and voice your opinion and intentions.

dilbert

It’s good to communicate, GEMINI (May 21- but before you pass on inforJune 20) mation, make sure you have your facts right and your motives straight, or someone will be quick to correct you.

You can make a difference if you reach out and help (June 21- someone. A youngster, loved July 22) one or friend going through a difficult time will be grateful and eager to return the favour.

CANCER

Peanuts

Sit tight and wait your LEO turn. If you try to force others (July 23- to do things your way, you’ll Aug. 22) face opposition. Use your intelligence and charm to get your way.

Get involved in events VIRGO or hobbies that will broaden (Aug. 23your sense of awareness and Sept. 22) lead to interesting encounters with individuals who have something to offer you.

Calvin and Hobbes

Emotional issues will LIBRA (Sept. 23- confuse you. Consider what Oct. 23) you are missing out on and what you need to do to get back in the game. Focus on closure and forward motion.

WORD GAME TODAY’S WORD — PRETTIER (PRETTIER: PRIT-ee-er: More pleasingly attractive.)

SUDOKU

Look for new opportuniSAGITTARIUS ties. Fill out applications or (Nov. 23- set up interviews with proDec. 21) spective job agencies. Find new ways to use your skills and promote what you have to offer.

Average mark 13 words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 17 or more words in PRETTIER? The list will be published tomorrow.

YESTERDAY’S WORD — GLAMOROUS gaur glamor gloom glum goal gram groom guar gular loam logo loom lour alms

also alum amorous amour arms marl maul mogul mola molar moor mora moral mural

oral ormolu ours ramous roam room sago slag slam slog slug slum slur smog

smug soar solar solo sora sorgo soul sour sugar sumo sura

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

A change of heart may SCORPIO come as a surprise to you or (Oct. 24someone close to you. Don’t Nov. 22) let anger set in when common sense and an innovative plan will lead to a positive outcome.

The changes you make at CAPRICORN (Dec. 22- home will improve your dispoJan. 19) sition. Don’t disregard someone

solution for last published puzzle

making derogatory remarks that could hurt your reputation. Set the record straight and keep moving forward.

Handle your assets careAQUARIUS fully. Make an affordable in(Jan. 20- vestment that will help you Feb. 19) gain greater financial stability. Don’t make a snap decision based on an exaggerated sales pitch.

If you change the way you PISCES (Feb. 20- do things, new opportunities March 20) will come your way. An encounter with someone from your past will spark new ideas. Romance is on the rise.

thursdAY, september 27, 2018

19

2018 GCB/CGI Jaguars One-Day 50-Over League

Essequibo crush defending champs Georgetown T

he 2018 GCB/CGI Jaguars One-Day 50Over League continued with its penultimate round on Wednesday at four venues across the country. This round witnessed Essequibo crushing the defending champions, Georgetown to greatly enhance their chances of lifting this year’s title. In the other matches, East Bank Demerara defeated Lower Corentyne, West Berbice sank East Coast while Upper Corentyne won their match against West Demerara.

Georgetown v Essequibo With sunny weather at the GCC, Bourda venue, spectators saw an intense match in which Georgetown won the toss and inserted Essequibo to bat. Initially, it appeared that Georgetown had made the correct decision, as their bowlers made it difficult for Essequibo to score, with Essequibo eventually putting up an acceptable 152 all out in 43.4 overs, off their allotted 50 overs. Ricardo Adams top scored with 37, with Mark Williams contributing a valued 23. Bowling for Georgetown, Steven Sankar and Ramaal Lewis took 3 for 12 and 24 runs respectively, while Christopher Barnwell added to his tally of wickets by collecting 2 wickets for 31 runs.

CGI/GCB JAGUAR FRANCHISE LEAGUE 2018 ONE DAY NAMES OF TEAMS

Matches played

WINS

Upper Corentyne

4

1

3

Lower Corentyne

4

2

2

TIE & NO RESULT

POINTS WINS & BONUS

WINS & NO BONUS

TIE & NO RESULT

Total Points

0

0

4

0

4

0

0

8

0

8

West Berbice

4

3

1

0

5

4

0

9

Georgetown

4

3

1

0

5

8

0

13

East Coast Demerara

4

1

2

1

0

4

2

6

East Bank Demerara

4

1

3

0

5

0

0

5

West Demerara

4

0

3

1

0

0

2

2

Essequibo

4

4

0

0

15

4

0

19

Georgetown would have fancied their chances, having been set a meagre 153 for victory. However, Essequibo defended their score effortlessly when Ricardo Adams and Anthony Adams took 4 for 16 and 4 for 26 respectively, and choked the Georgetown batsmen to an unbelievably low score of 55 all out off 24.1 of their allotted 50 overs. Christopher Barnwell was the only Georgetown player to put up a fight, but fell for only 21 runs.

Essequibo won by 97 runs.

Man of the Match: Ricardo Adams East Bank v Lower Corentyne In the match, East Bank v Lower Corentyne, East Bank won the toss over at Everest and decided to bat.

They managed to score a brilliant 209 all out in 38.2 overs. Middle order batsman Ronaldo Alimohamed, blazed a magnificent 102, for which he was awarded the Manof-the-Match trophy. Vishaul Singh provided valuable support with 30 while Trevon Griffith made 15. The rest of the batsmen fell cheaply.

Bowling for Lower Corentyne, Veerasammy Permaul was the most destructive bowler, picking up four wickets for 29, while Raun Johnson, Nial Smith, Kassim Khan and Kelvin Umroa collected a wicket each.

In reply, Lower Corentyne folded for 77 in 19.3 overs with the highest score being 20 from opener Kevlon Anderson.

Junior Sinclair (16), Jonathon Foo (11) and Devon Clements (10) were the other batsmen

England’s Joe Marler

J

LOSS

oe Marler has dropped a bombshell by retiring from England duty less than 12 months before the World Cup. The Harlequins prop has cited spending time with his young family as a key reason, stating he is unable to give all of himself to the England cause.

The 28-year-old, who has won 59 caps, informed Eddie Jones of his intentions shortly before the England squad camp in Bristol this week before pulling out because of personal reasons and has played his last match for the national team.

“It is an incredible commitment to play rugby for England and I strongly believe that if you are unable to give yourself fully to it then it is time to step away,” he said.

“Otherwise it would not be fair on the team, or my family. Being with England you have to spend an incredible amount of time away and I could not do that anymore.”

Marler missed Jones’s first summer tour in charge of England – to Australia in 2016 – and later said he withdrew because of physical and mental exhaustion. He explained that he had been strug-

gling to focus on his game after his £20,000 fine from World Rugby for his “Gipsy Boy” comment made to the Wales prop Samson Lee. “Whenever you play for England you have to be 100 per cent and unfortunately, I’m not in that place,” he said at the time.

“I would be letting my teammates and country down if I were to tour.”

His decision to now withdraw from England duty permanently is a huge blow for Jones, c o n sidering Marler’s experience and his reliability in providing back-up to Mako Vunipola, who has established himself as the firstchoice loosehead. Marler has made 23 ap-

recording double figures. The rest of the line-up was rapidly dismissed. Gavin Singh and Trevon France collected 4 for 16 and 4 for 4 respectively.

East Bank won by 132 runs.

Man of the Match: Ronaldo Alimohamed Upper Corentyne v West Demerara Over at Port Mourant, Upper Corentyne won the toss and decided to bat scoring 180 all out in 45 overs. Eon Hooper top-scored with 41 while Alex Algoo, Trishan Ramsarran and Shawn Perreira contributed 21, 22 and 21 runs respectively. Bowling for West Demerara, Akshaya Persaud collected 4 wickets for 38 runs, while Mahendra Dhanpaul and Richie Looknauth grabbed 2 wickets each for 44 and 36

runs respectively.

West Demerara, in their reply, put up a good fight but fell tantalisingly short by seven runs as the team fell for 173 all out in 44.4 overs. Tagenarine Chanderpaul top-scored with a dazzling 84 not out while tail end batsman Malcolm Hubbard assisted with an acceptable 40. Tevin Imlach also supported with 12 runs.

Bowling for Upper Corentyne, Clinton Pestano and Demitri Cameron shared 3 wickets each for 31 and 58 runs while Jonathon Rampersaud picked up 2 for 18.

Upper Corentyne won by 7 runs.

East Coast v West Berbice At Bush Lot, West Berbice won the toss and set out to bat amassing a 200 total in their 50

overs. Javid Karim top scored with 66 while Seon Glasgow added valuable support with 45. Bowling for East Coast, Rajendra Chandrika picked up 3 for 22 and Bhaskar Yadram 2 for 41.

East Bank, in their reply, set out to bat, but crumbled for only 66 runs. Brian Sattaur (15) and Ameer Khan (14) were the only ones to gain double figures off their innings as the rest fell inexpensively. Bowling for Essequibo, Keon Joseph bowled eight brilliant overs in which he picked up three wickets for just two runs. Kevin Jawahir also bowled brilliantly as he picked up two wickets for seven runs off his four overs.

West Berbice won by 134 runs.

Man of the Match: Javid Karim Today marks the seventh and final round of this competition, and will witness Essequibo versus West Berbice at Bush Lot; East Bank will go up against West Demerara at Everest; Lower Corentyne take on Georgetown at GCC while East Coast will face Upper Corentyne at Enmore. All matches start from 09:00h.

The presentation ceremony for the 2018 GCB/CGI Jaguars One-Day 50-Over League will be held immediately on conclusion of the match at Bush Lot, West Berbice.

retires from international rugby pearances under the Australian and was part of the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in 2017.

“Now is the time to walk away and get some new blood in the team. And I am looking forward to being able to give my wife and children more of my time,” he said. “I would like to thank everyone at England for the opportunities that I have been given. I will always be grateful for the memories playing for my country has given me.”

In the short term, Jones’s loosehead options for the autumn internationals behind Vunipola are severely limited with Leicester’s Ellis Genge out with a shoulder injury.

Alec Hepburn is another while his uncapped Exeter teammate Ben Moon was called into this week’s squad to replace Marler.

Jones said: “Joe is a great player and team member, so I

am disappointed and we will miss him. But he has made his decision on personal grounds and we understand his reasoning. He’s a good guy – an honest, mature person who understands the demands of the game and the demands of family life. I have got to admire his honesty and the way he has gone about this.”

Marler has been among the more vocal senior internationals to discuss the increasing demands on modern players and in April 2017, addressing plans to trim the duration of the Six Nations to six weeks, he told the Guardian: “If we lost a rest week – I think it’s ridiculous.

If boys are playing 11 months and getting a four- or fiveweek break their bodies, and mentally… it’s not that you’re bored but it’s like: ‘Christ, this is a slog now.’”

During the Six Nations this year, he was banned for England’s first two matches against Italy and Wales and talked of knuckling down because “I’m missing out on things I really want to be part of”.

He has since had a change of heart and, like his fellow loosehead Alex Corbisiero, his England career comes to a premature end. (The Guardian)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursdAY, september 27, 2018

Persaud, Fazil, Reis star in Scotiabank’s 21st Annual Golf Tourney

R

eigning Guyana Open Golf Champion Avinash Persaud once again convincingly demonstrated his skill when he emerged first in the Championship Flight of the Scotiabank Annual Golf Tourney on Saturday, September 22.

As Scotiabank celebrates its 50th anniversary in Guyana this year (the first branch was opened in 1968), it is hosting its 21st annual tournament at the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC). This grand tournament is one of the highlights at the LGC every year!

In the A or Championship Flight, the top two were Persaud (69/2) and Kassim Khan (70/8). But the threat from LGC President Aleem Hussain (72/9), with Kevin Dinanauth (73/3), and Munaf Arjune (74/8), indicating that Persaud will have his work cut out come early November.

In the B Flight, the winners were: first – Fazil Haniff (69/15) and second – Roy Cummings (70/13).

However, positive challenges were offered from Joaan Deo (71/16); Patrick Prashad (73/10); Hilbert Shields (73/16); and Kalyan

Scotiabank Manager Nafeeza Gafoor shares a pic with A Flight winner Avinash Persaud

Tiwari (74/14).

In the C Flight, winners were: Clifford Reis (73/26) and Guillermo Escarraga (76/21). The others in the Flight were outpaced and the nearest contenders were

bunched in the 80s with Robert Hanoman (80/28); Maurice Solomon (81/23); Mark Lashley (82/24); Videsh Persaud (85/29) and Rohan Albert (86/24).

Prizes were also award-

ed for the Nearest to The Pin, the Best Gross or Gross Champion, and the Best Net or overall Net Champion.

Haniff won the Nearest to The Pin prize. Persaud was the clear winner of the Best Gross with a total of 71. For the overall Best Net, ties between Persaud and Haniff had to be resolved down to the last three holes each played. (If two players tie on their play after 18 holes, then the better score of the last nine holes determines the winner; if they are still tied, then the better score of the last six holes determine the winner; and if they are still tied, then the better score of the last three holes determines the winner.

Days prior to the tournament, in announcing his support for the event, Scotiabank Country Manager Raymond Smith had indicated that during this 50th anniversary year Scotiabank planned to introduce the next generation of ABMs called IBMs or Intelligent Banking Machines, as well as introduce additional online solutions that would enhance customers’ ability to transfer funds to third parties from the convenience of

Clifford Reis accepts his spoils from Gafoor

their laptop, tablet or smartphone.

At the prize-giving ceremony after the tournament, Scotiabank Robb St Branch Manager Nafeeza Gafoor noted that she was so pleased about the tournament and the ambience that she could see herself soon becoming one of the new members of the Golf Club! The Bank will continue to support the LGC as it continues its quest for excellence in the years ahead, she added.

As usual now, with the hype building up for the International Guyana Open of November 4 and 5, 2018, and with many golfers aim-

ing to dethrone Persaud, (now reigning for four years), the competition was keen with many golfers putting their best effort into honing their skills. Net scores in the three Flights have been getting consistently good as evidenced from this tournament.

A very encouraging, exciting and fantastic feature of the day’s activities was the launching of the Putting Contest, in which members of the public are given an opportunity to make a putt, which would be rewarded with a ticket granting certain privileges for the Guyana Open 2018.

NBS 2nd Division 40-over cricket

UG Trojans ready for intense showdown against DCC

F

UG Trojans Captain Melroy Stephenson

ollowing their defeat to DCC in the first division by the remarkable heroics of Guyana’s very own Christopher Barnwell, the University of Guyana Trojans will have to face their old foes in one of the semi-finals of the New Building Society (NBS) Second Division 40-over tourney at Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), starting at 10:30h on Saturday.

With the team returning from the second Cyril Bonar Memorial T20 Cricket Competition and placing second in the tournament that

they competed in for the first time, the student side will be ready for DCC as they have played cricket against formidable opponents in Suriname and can be counted as experienced. The Trojans secured a spot in the finals, but lost to the host side, so they are thirsty for victory.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, Coach of the University of Guyana side, Kenroy Joseph stated that DCC’s Second Division team, however, should not be taken lightly, as the Queenstown-based side will be boosted with players from the National U-19 group such as Raymond Perez, Joshua Persaud, Sachin Singh, Qumar Torrington and Ashmead Nedd, who have all been outstanding and may pose a serious threat. He also stated that even though DCC would be boosted, the University side would have a boost of their own in key players such as Captain Melroy Stephenson, Linden Austin, Lloyd George, Suresh Dhanai, Damion Vantull and Dwayne Dodson as they plan to exact revenge on the Second Division side for what occurred in the First Division.

Joseph said, “The guys are all focused on the task at hand, we know beating DCC isn’t easy, but we will accomplish it, our in-form pacer Ray Newton is currently doing treatment on his index finger

as he had picked up a sprain in the recently-concluded tour of Suriname, but I’m confident that he will be cleared for this weekend’s semi-final.”

For his part, Stephenson said that as captain of the side he was mostly pleased with the preparations, but he was trying to ensure an injury-free team so when they face the Queenstown side they would be at full capacity.

He noted, “The guys performed admirably in Suriname without the likes of a few key players, such as Damion Vantull who is a huge boost for us, in light of such I don’t see any opposition locally having the pedigree to topple us and moving forward.”

When asked about the team’s recent First Division defeat, the Captain said, “Our team consists of quite a few seasoned players. They all understood toppling DCC in a First Division match at DCC wasn’t going to be easy. We played out of our skins, they were somewhat disappointed, but just praising them for the effort that

was put into that perform a n c e was enough to motivate them and has made the entire team hungry for further success.”

Stephenson also said that it should be noted

that while other teams have star players, the Trojans try not to promote individual talent but what could be done as an entire unit together and this has led to their many successes. He declared that he was aware that DCC boasted many prominent U-19 talents, but he was prepared for them. He believes once the ball is placed in the right areas and chances that present themselves are capitalised upon, the DCC players can be limited to a paltry score and once the Trojans batsmen apply themselves, they would come out victorious.

The squad representing the student side is as follows: M Stephenson(Captain);L Austin; D George; M Persaud; E Alli; O Danram; L George; R Newton; S Dhanai; B Singh; N Bollers; G Matthews; P Persaud; D Dodson; D Heywood and D Vantull. (Timothy Jaikarran) The In-form Damion Vantull returns to the Trojans Squad

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Encore Consulting Corporation and Green Power Solution Managing Director Richard Singh (right) confirming sponsorship with GSCL Secretary Telesha Ousman

W

ith less than a month to go before the biggest softball tournament in Guyana bowls off, international companies have joined the list of sponsors.

Recently, Managing Director of Encore Consulting Corporation of South Florida, Richard Singh and Rajkumar Outar of Atlantic Southern Trade and Rica Juice, of Annandale, East Coast Demerara, inked their support for the second edi-

tion of the Prime Minister’s T20 Softball Cup, which will run from October 19 to 21 in Georgetown.

Following the success of the inaugural showpiece in 2017, the Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) Inc promised a bigger and better edition this year and judging from the support from teams and sponsors, the organisers seem to be on the right track for the biggest softball tournament ever in the history of

Atlantic Southern Trade and Rica Juice Managing Director Rajkumar Outar (right) with Telesha Ousman at the official ceremony

Guyana.

The tournament will be played in two categories again: Male Masters (Over 45 years old) and Male Open with $600,000 and $700,000 first-place prizes respectively up for grabs. Additionally, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the Open category will ride away with a Hero motorcycle while the MVP in the Masters Category will go away with a 55-inch smart television set.

Encore Consulting

Corporation and Atlantic Southern Trade have joined other core sponsors – Banks Beer, Hero and Regal Stationery and Computer Centre – to make the threeday event a resounding success.

Teams from Canada, New York and Florida are expected to bring their A game when they compete with the best local sides for supremacy. Speed Boat All Stars and Regal Masters are the defending champions.

GABA U-23 League

UG side gaining momentum

– face Kobras today

WANTED WANTED. Drivers and Security Personnel. Apply to North West Mining Investment Inc. 344 Middle and East Streets, N/Cummingsburg THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY (CARICOM) SECRETARIAT HEREWITH INVITES ALL CONSULTANTS AND SUPPLIERS OF GOODS AND SERVICES (INCLUDING THOSE VENDORS WHO PROVIDE HOUSING ACCOMMODATION) TO REGISTER AS PREFERRED SUPPLIERS. ONLINE REGISTRATION OF CONSULTANTS AND SUPPLIERS OF GOODS AND SERVICES CAN BE DONE THROUGH THE WEB PORTAL THAT IS AVAILABLE AT http://vendors.caricom.org/ FOR VENDORS WHO PROVIDE RENTAL HOUSING ACCOMMODATION, ONLINE REGISTRATION IN THE HOUSING DATABASE CAN BE DONE THROUGH THE WEB PORTAL THAT IS AVAILABLE AT http:// housing.caricom.org/ QUERIES REGARDING THE REGISTRATION PROCESS IN ANY OF THE DATABASE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO: PROGRAMME MANAGER, PROCUREMENT, CARICOM SECRETARIAT, TURKEYEN, GREATER GEORGETOWN, GUYANA. EMAIL: PROCUREMENT@CARICOM.ORG OR PROCUREMENT.GROUP2@ CARICOM.ORG

Part of the action ongoing in the GABA/Rainforest Water/Malta Supreme League

T

he Guyana Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) First Division, Second Division and Under-23 Leagues have been seeing continued action at the Burnham Hard Court on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Many fans have been privileged to watch the UG Trojans compete in the First Division and U-23 Leagues.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, UG Trojans Coach Warren Wilson stated that he was very impressed with the U-23 side as they

have played four games and won three – against the Eagles, Sonics and Guardians, while the other game was washed out due to inclement weather. With the Trojans’ next match against the Kobras scheduled for today, Wilson stated that the team would be looking to win four in a stretch and continue to climb the points table throughout the basketball season. He also stated that they would not be approaching the game against the Kobras lightly and would not underestimate them, since in any sport mo-

mentum can shift at any given time and, therefore, they would continue to play their brand of basketball.

Wilson also said that he was grateful for players such as Kadeem Peterkin, Damani Thomas, Jabari Joseph and Darroll Williams who have continued to showcase their dominance in the competition. He added that as coach he did not try to separate his players based on who was more talented but kept the team unified and working as one allowing them to play at their maximum. When asked how he felt about the

performance of the team, Wilson said, “As coach it gives me a really great feeling of pride because of the hard work myself and the assistant coach have put in to the programme is finally bearing some fruit. I also tell the team that yes we have won three games on a stretch, but we still have a long season ahead of us and we have to keep focus.”

The tournament will continue this evening at 18:30h with the Guardians vs The Eagles and the Sonics vs The Kobras at 20:30h. (Timothy Jaikarran)

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursdAY, september 27, 2018

Limacol Knockout Tournament

Riddim Squad, Police book semi-final spots T

he Georgetown Football Club (GFC) and Beacon FC went home with their heads hanging low on Tuesday evening, as their opponents trampled over them to make their way into the Limacol tournament semi-final.

The first quarter-final match on Tuesday got underway with Riddim Squad and Beacon both aiming to get one step closer to the tournament spoils.

The encounter took a long while to heat up, but was blazing within the click of a finger as Christopher Garraway netted a goal for Beacon in the 55th minute, then Wendell Joseph made a quick reply for Riddim

Minister Norton presented with autographed bat from Amazon Warriors

I

n keeping with tradition, the Minister responsible for Sport was presented with a cricket bat bearing the signatures of all the players who represented Guyana at the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2018.

Manager of the Guyana Amazon Warriors team, Omar Khan recently made the formal presentation to Dr George Norton, Minister of Social Cohesion, with responsibility for culture, youth and sport. This was done at the Minister’s office on Main and Quamina Streets, Georgetown.

Khan expressed gratitude to Minister Norton for the support given to the team throughout their CPL journey.

The Team Manager added that even though Guyana

did not win the usually anticipated tournament, the games did enable significant exposure to young, vibrant Guyanese players.

Minister Norton agreed, noting that the Guyana Amazon Warriors did play extremely well throughout the tournament, making Guyana very proud.

It was only recently announced that one of the Warriors, all-rounder, Sherfane Rutherford is the lone Guyanese cricketer recruited for the T10 Cricket League competition by the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East.

Rutherford, age 20, was reportedly drafted by the Bengal Tigers to play in the tournament which is scheduled to take place from November 23 to December 2, 2018.

Squad two minutes later. As such, both teams knew that they could no longer sit comfortable.

To the delight of the spectators, the match remained locked on one-all until the end of extra time, resulting in a penalty shootout.

Beacon were first to take their shot and connected while Riddim Squad’s first striker fumbled the goal.

Beacon managed to connect another penalty, but the hype seemed to get the better of them as they missed two consecutive shots, while

Riddim Squad placed their final four perfectly for the win.

Riddim Squad’s goal scorer Ron Liverpool noted that while they were happy for the win, there were still aspects that they needed to work on.

“Most definitely, we need to improve on the finishing as you could see that we had some clear-cut goals and we squandered them.

Tomorrow in the practice Coach definitely will work on the finishing with us,” Liverpool said.

The player went on to note that the team believed it was a privilege to have gotten this far and were focused on winning.

“It’s a privilege you know to go and represent your community and all your fans and bring home the cup. It’s just time to bring it home.”

The excitement from the first match did not wear off, as the second proved to be more thrilling. After some sharp striking upfront, Rondel Peters was the first to secure a goal for GFC in the 15th minute. However,

Police were quick on the rebound with Manasah Primo picking up one in the 16th minute. The celebration of the equaliser was short-lived owing to Marcus Wilson, who struck in the 18th minute giving the GFC a much-needed advantage.

After the first three goals went in like lightning, a great part of the match saw no goals. However, both teams displayed excellent qualities with the GFC focusing on their defence and Police coming uncomfortably close to the goal thanks to excellent striking. The law enforcement team soon got their breakthrough from Lerone Charles, who found one for the officers in the back end of the game, sending it into overtime.

The first half of overtime passed very similarly to the middle of regulation time, but the second half proved fruitful for Police as Charles and Anthio Wallace added two more to their total for a 4-2 win over the GFC. Quarter-final action will continue this evening when Pouderoyen meet Mahaica Determinators at 18:00h.

Then, at 20:00h, Santos will clash with Buxton Stars.

2018/19 Regional Super50 gets underway October 3

T

op cricketers from within the Windies setup and around the Caribbean will be on show as the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Super50 bowls off next week Thursday in Trinidad and Tobago.

The tournament itinerary, released recently by the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), stated that the tournament runs

The Windward Volcanoes celebrate their title win last season

from October 3 to 28, and will see Group A games hosted in T&T while Group B will be staged in Barbados.

Group A will feature Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, Canada, West Indies B and Guyana Jaguars while Group B consists of Barbados Pride, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Jamaica Scorpions, Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) and the United States.

Defending champs Volcanoes, who upset the Pride in last season’s finale, will commence their campaign against multiple-time champions Red Force at their home turf of Queen’s Park Oval, while Canada and Windies B will clash in a day-night contest at the Brian Lara Stadium on the opening day.

Group B action on October 4 gets underway with a clash

between the Scorpions and CCC in a 09:00h start at 3Ws Oval. Pride will then take on Hurricanes in the feature match at 14:00h at the historic Kensington Oval.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals which will be played at Kensington Oval on October 25 and 26, with the final slated for October 28.

guyanatimesgy.com

thursdAY, september 27, 2018

23

Rutherford lone Guyanese in T10 League – Gayle, Sammy, Russell among other high-profile drafts

P

ower-hitting all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford is the lone Guyanese and one of several West Indies players recently named in the players draft for the second edition T10 League, which bowls off at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, in the United Arab Emirates, from November 23 and December 2.

The Guyana Jaguars left-hander was among the rising stars responsible for the team’s success in the last regional season. He later went to Canada as part of the T20 tourney where he smoked 134 off just 66 balls to put West Indies B into the final of the tournament in Toronto against the Vancouver Knights with the likes of Andre Russell, Sheldon Cottrell, Fawad Ahmed, Chris Gayle and Tim Southee.

Rutherford then continued his form at the 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) for the Guyana Amazon Warriors. He played a number of breath-taking knocks and was a main man behind his team’s journey to the final.

The 20-year-old

Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) all-rounder will represent the Bengal Tigers along with his Warriors teammate Rayad Emrit, Icon Player Sunil Narine, E ngla nd opener Jason R o y , Afghan spin sensation Mujeeb Ur Rahman and former South African pacer Morne Morkel among others.

The second season of the T10 league also received a massive boost of star power with Chris Gayle, Rashid Khan, Andre Russell, Shahid Afridi and many more joining the rosters of the eight participating teams.

Sherfane Rutherford

The preliminary phase will be contested in two groups with Group A comprising Kerala Kings, Karachians, Pakhtoons and Rajputs and Group B featuring Punjabi Legends, Bengal Tigers, M a r a t h a Arabians, and Northern Warriors.

Kerala Kings: Eoin Morgan (Icon Player, C a p t a i n , England); S o h a i l Tanvir (Pakistan); K i e r o n Pollard (WI); Paul Stirling (Ire); Dasun Shanaka (SL); Chris Gayle (WI); Junaid Khan (Pak); Sandeep Lamichhane (Nep); Tom Curran (Eng); Fabian Allen (WI); Niroshan Dickwella (SL); Imran Nazir (Pak); Benny Howell

(Eng). Coach: Daniel Vettori Pakhtoons: Shahid Afridi (Icon Player, Pak); Mohammad Irfan (Pak); Liam Dawson (Eng); Colin Ingram (SA); David Willey (Eng); Colin Munro (NZ); Andre Fletcher (WI); Sohail Khan (Pak); Sharafuddin Ashraf (Afg); Chadwick Walton (WI); Shapoor Zadran (Afg); Gulbadin Naib (Afg); Cameron Delport (SA).

Coach: Dean Jones Maratha Arabians: Rashid Khan (Icon Player, Afg); Kamran Akmal (Pak); Alex Hales (Eng); Dwayne Bravo (WI); James Faulkner (Aus); Lasith Malinga (SL); Liam Livingstone (Eng); James Vince (Eng); Brendan Taylor (Zim); Adam Lyth (Eng); Roelof van der Merwe (Ned); Najibullah Zadran (Afg); Richard Gleeson (Eng).

Coach: Wasim Akram Bengal Tigers:

Silver medal spoils for Guyana in T&T championships

G

uyana’s senior male and female table tennis teams have proven their worth as one of the best in the Caribbean, coming up just sets short of gold medals in both the male and female team competitions.

The 60th Caribbean Table Tennis Federation (CTTF) Senior Championships in Jamaica brought together several Caribbean countries and allowed them to show off their talents in the racket-wielding sport.

Beginning their campaign earlier in the week, the male team consisting of Shemar Britton, Joel Alleyne and leader Christopher Franklin stormed through the group round to face Barbados in the semi-finals. The team achieved a mountainous feat as they rebounded from a 0-2 deficit to defeat Barbados 3-2 thus making their way into the final.

The final match pitted them against the skilled Dominican Republic team.

Unfortunately, Franklin was the first to be demolished by Emil Santos in a straight win for the Dominican 11-4, 11-7, 112. Alleyne was made to test his skills against Isaac Villa 6-11, 5-11, 4-11. Despite

also losing to Santos 6-11, 8-11, 8-11, the 20-year-old Britton showed his worth in his encounter with reigning Caribbean Men’s Singles Champion Samuel Galvez.

Galvez was one up with an 11-6 set, but Britton took the second 11-7 and later lost the third 9-11. Nevertheless, he persisted with two more sets 12-10, 11-5 for the win.

The 3-1 result meant that the Guyanese

males would walk away with the silver medal.

A similar fate was in store for the female team consisting of Chelsea Edghill, Trenace Lowe and Natalie Cummings. Their semifinal trampling of Trinidad and Tobago ended in a 3-0 victory for the Guyanese affording them the opportunity to play the Dominican Republic in the final.

Lowe began her campaign against Eva Brito with a set win of 11-8, but her op-

ponent expertly bounced back, taking three consecutive sets 5-11, 4-11, 5-11 for the win. Edghill, despite her wealth of experience, was unable to overcome Yasiris Ortiz, with the Dominican winning 4-11, 11-8, 6-11, 1113.

The toughest fight came from Cummings who made Esmerlyn Castro fight hard for her win. Cummings took the first and third sets, 11-6 and 11-8, but Castro got the better of her with three sets 6-11, 6-11, 8-11.

Following their silver medal feat, the mixed doubles pair of Franklin and Lowe returned to cop another silver in their category. The duo met Dominican Republic’s Isaac Villa and Esmerlyn Castro in an encounter which they lost 8-11, 10-12, 5-11, thus missing out on the gold.

The Guyanese contingent also racked up two more medals this time in the women’s doubles. The pairs comprising Edghill and Cummings and JodyAnn Blake and Lowe were defeated by the Dominican Republic’s Brito and Ortiz and Castro and Dhyana Rojas to settle for bronze medals.

Sunil Narine (Icon Player, WI); Jason Roy (Eng); Asif Ali (Pak); Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afg); Sam Billings (Eng); Morne Morkel (SA); Aamer Yamin (Pak); Mohammad Nabi (Afg); Kusal Perera (SL); Sherfane Rutherford (WI); Kevon Cooper (WI); Rayad Emrit (WI); Ali Khan (US).

Coach: Stephen Flemming Rajputs: Brendon McCullum (Icon Player, NZ); Chris Lynn (Aus); Rilee Rossouw (SA); Mohammad Shahzad (Afg); Mohammad Hafeez (Pak); Tymal Mills (Eng); Carlos Brathwaite (WI); Rahat Ali (Pak); Samit Patel (Eng); Qais Ahmad (Afg); Ben Dunk (Aus); Shan Masood (Pak); Peter Trego (Eng). Coach: Herschelle Gibbs Northern Warriors: Darren Sammy (Icon Player, WI); Wahab Riaz (Pak); Nicolas Pooran (WI); Andre Russell (WI); Dwayne Smith (WI); Ravi Bopara (Eng); Rovman Powell (WI); Harry Gurney (Eng); Chris Green

(Aus); Obed McCoy; Lendl Simmons (WI); Khary Pierre (WI); Kennar Lewis (WI).

Coach: Robin Singh Punjabi Legends: Shoaib Malik (Icon Player, Pak); Chris Jordan (Eng); Luke Ronchi (NZ); Liam Plunkett (Eng); Evin Lewis (WI); Mohammad Sami (Pak); Zahir Khan (Afg); Umar Akmal (Pak); Mitchell McClenaghan (NZ); Tom Moores (Eng); Anwar Ali (Pak); Jade Dernbach (Eng); Hassan Khan (Pak). Coach: Mushtaq Ahmed Karachians: Shane Watson (Icon Player); Anton Devcich (NZ); Ben Laughlin (Aus); Jofra Archer (Eng); Colin de Grandhomme (NZ); Ben Cutting (Aus); Mohammad Nawaz (Pak); Dawid Malan (Eng); Fawad Ahmed (Aus); Isuru Udana (SL); Joe Clarke (Eng); Samiullah Shenwari (Afg); Mohammad Irfan (Pak).

Coach: Tom Moody (Clifton Ross)

Ben Cutting

Shahid Afridi

thursdAY, september 27, 2018

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Limacol Knockout Tournament

Riddim Squad, Police book semi-final spots Page 22

Minister Norton presented with autographed bat from Amazon Warriors Pages 22

Sherfane Rutherford

Rutherford lone Guyanese in T10 League Pages 23

– Gayle, Sammy, Russell among other high-profile drafts

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