Guyanatime 30 december 2017

Public P14 building to be renamed in Stephen Campbell’s honour Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Issue No. 3436

PPP flays Govt for poorly renegotiated oil contract

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

204 junior Police ranks promoted

P7

See stories on pages 3&12

…says Guyana had negotiating advantage in 2016

...Govt satisfied with renegotiated contract – Trotman

Deplorable access roads

Better Hope/ LBI residents decry P11 conditions ….NDC Chairman says resources limited, promises action

Gunmen rob female lab technician

Emergency monitoring Page system remains 13 activated – Harmon

P8

...as affected residents blast regional authorities for lack of drainage maintenance As residents of Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara, battle flood waters, Minister of State Joseph Harmon accompanied by NDC Chairman, Dhanraj Bipath and Civil Defence Commission Director General (ag), Major Kester Craig distributed 200 sanitation hampers to affected residents on Friday to assist in the clean-up efforts

Gunmen invade Eccles home

…escape with over $2M

Page 2

GWI seeking to increase water rates …to engage PUC Page 2

…despite 12% increase in revenue collection

Coalition Govt not practicing transformative politics – David Hinds Page 10

…being managed sadly as single-party unit

ECD road P16 expansion project to be completed in 2019

Kwakwani P14 NDC elects new leadership

2 news

saturDAY, december 30, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GWI seeking to increase water rates …to engage PUC …despite 12% increase in revenue collection

M

anaging Director of the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI), Dr. Richard Van West-Charles, has said that the utility company is preparing to engage the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to propose an increase in tariffs.

This is being done despite the company reporting a 12 per cent increase in rates collection for 2017.

GWI’s Executive Director for Commercial Services and Customer Relations, Marlon Daniels, told reporters at the utility company’s yearend press conference that revenue collection has increased from $3.4 billion in 2016 to $3.6 billion in 2017, although the books have not yet been closed.

He noted that the increase is mainly due to efforts employed by the regional officers and the improved

customer-centric approach by the GWI. “The 12 percent increase is strictly due to the efforts of the regional team, and they have surpassed last year’s collection in a very realistic way.

I would add that the effort of the website and app to increase our meter-reading efficiency and to make available to customers the billing information would seek to increase our collection in a meaningful way,” Daniels said.

GWI Managing Director Dr. Richard Van WestCharles said the company is preparing to engage the Public Utilities Commission with hopes of increasing its tariffs. However, he noted that the increase would

take into account the different groups of Guyanese.

He explained that pensioners would be dealt with separately.

“I think it is safe to say that our service has improved significantly.

The quality of water has improved significantly, hence the timing is right for us to revisit the tariff; and hence it is for you to know that we have started to engage the PUC in this manner,” he said.

Van West Charles said most utility companies across the globe get subventions from their government for the maintenance of infrastructure, but that this is not the case with GWI. He explained that Government’s subvention to the GWI is to

cover its electricity costs and for projects in the hinterland; but the maintenance of the hinterland infrastructure is GWI’s expense.

He added that it is against that backdrop that the GWI is seeking to increase its tariffs, so as to ensure the integrity of its infrastructure is maintained.

“We now have to get to the point where we know if we are going to sustain the supply and sustain the good quality we have to have the requisite resources to be able to ensure that the spares are in place, that some maintenance programme is in place to maintain that infrastructure. So we are preparing to make a submission. The Board has seen the submission, the Board has approved the submission, so we are now approaching the PUC,” Van West-Charles

added.

Back in 2013, the PUC had granted the GWI per-

mission to increase its tariff, but it was never followed through.

Gunmen invade Eccles home

…escape with over $2M

T

hree businessmen were on Friday morning attacked and robbed of over $2 million in cash and other valuables after four masked gunmen invaded their Eccles, East Bank Demerara home.

Reports are 68-year-old Peter Ten, 37-year-old Jacky Kwok, and 56-year-old Kuan Jian Yong; all of Lot 129 Lindy Avenue, Eccles, East Bank Demerara were awakened at about 04:00h by gunmen. Guyana Times was told that the bandits gained entry into the two storey building

by breaking the vent blocks in the bathroom in the lower flat. Once inside the house, the gunmen woke the sleeping men, tied their faces and demanded cash and valuables.

The businessmen were subsequently relieved of their mobile phones along with $1.5 million in cash after which the men made good their escape in a silver-grey motorcar which was parked a few houses away. Following the robbery, an alarm was raised and the Police were called. Investigations are ongoing.

3 PPP flays Govt for poorly renegotiated oil contract news

saturDAY, december 30, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Saturday, December 30 – a night retraction from 02:30h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h and Sunday, December 31 – a night retraction from 03:30h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, December 30 – 13:50h-15:20h and Sunday, December 31 – 14:40h-16:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery showers with the occurrence of scattered heavier showers can be expected throughout the day, with thundery showers returning in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging between East North Easterly and easterly and South South-westerly from 0.89 metres to 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 01:58h and 14:19h reaching maximum heights of 2.49 metres and 2.66 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 07:49h and 20:24h reaching minimum heights of 0.70 metre and 0.52 metre respectively.

SaturDAY, december 20, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS M

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FREE TICKET

FRIday, December 29, 2017

DAILY MILLIONS 09 21 23 24 26 LUCKY 3 8 3 0 Afternoon Draw

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…says Guyana had negotiating advantage in 2016

O

ne day after the contract between US oil giant ExxonMobil and the Government of Guyana was released, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has flayed the administration for the less-than-favourable terms it negotiated on the country’s behalf.

Speaking at the Parliamentary Opposition’s end-of-year press conference on Friday, Jagdeo made it clear that although Guyana was holding all the cards when it sat down to negotiate with ExxonMobil, the end product is a contract heavily favouring ExxonMobil.

According to Jagdeo, the negotiating power had shifted in Guyana’s favour by 2016 having discovered oil and as such, a much more favourable contract for the country could have been garnered. With such advantage in hand, he added that Government failed in its negotiation with the oil giant, questioning the motive of the negotiating team when it agreed to the terms of new contract.

Jagdeo stressed that the party welcomes ExxonMobil’s investment, and in fact, that party is responsible for bringing the oil company onboard.

However, the Opposition Leader added that while the oil company cannot be faulted, as its duty is to make profits, it is the GOevrnment of Guyana that had to have had proper negotiators What Guyana got out of the agreement are “peanuts,” as compared to the oil reserves.

“As a country, we were desperate to get investors to come into Guyana to explore for oil and gas. So the 1999 contract has to be seen in that light. Jump to 2016, when this contract was renegotiated. At that time, the minister knew we had 3.2 billion barrels of recoverable oil, and that the exploration offshore was yielding positive results. So it was a very different situation to now. Now, we had more cards to play with and everyone wanted to come to Guyana. We had more strength to negotiate a better contract… the negotiating power shifted to us. So, what did we get?”

“The DPI has been touting the rental moving from $400,000 to US$1M. The training bonus is now US$300,000 (per year), and the royalty has moved from 1 to 2 per cent, and that $300,000 would be spent on environmental issues. If you add all of that together and you compare these, 2 billion barrels multiplied by US$50 a barrel, you would see its peanuts. And this is what we are told is a positive negotiation.”

In return, Jagdeo pointed out that ExxonMobil received an extension; a favourable clause for the company to retain its terms and relinquish blocks, among other things.

The former President compared the contract

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

with the one that bound his Government to accept the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) monopoly, and expressed trepidation that Guyana would have to live with a contract negotiated by a possibly compromised team.

The contract

The contract was released on Thursday, after incessant public pressure. While it contains provisions for local content, there are a number of concessions. For instance, Article 15 of the contract states that Exxon is exempt from paying Corporation, Excise or Value Added Tax on its earnings from petroleum.

Article 15.4 also provides for the Government itself to pay the company’s income tax. To facilitate this, the oil company has to submit tax returns to the Government.

That’s not all. Article 32 stipulates that Government cannot modify the contract or increase any fiscal obligation the company has.

This therefore puts a cap on the taxes, royalties, duties, fees or charges outlined

in the contract. Government also has to compensate the operator if a change to existing laws causes loss of revenue for the company.

According to Article 32.3 “If at any time after the signing of this agreement there is a change in the laws of Guyana… and such a change has a materially adverse effect on the economic benefits, including those resulting from the fiscal regime provided by this agreement… the Government shall promptly take any and all affirmative actions to restore the lost or impaired economic benefits to contractor, so that contractor receives the same economic benefit under the agreement that it would have received prior to the change in law or its interpretation, application or interpretation.”

The contract goes on to say: “The foregoing obligation shall include the obligation to resolve promptly, by whatever means may be necessary, any conflict or anomaly between this agreement and any such new or amended legislation, including by way of exemption, legislation, decree and/or authoritative acts.”

But there are provisions for Exxon to fulfil its corporate social responsibility.

This includes a fund for so-

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman

cial and environment projects. Exxon has to contribute US$300,000 per year to this fund. The sums roll over, and the company together with Government will determine which projects to fund.

The contract sets aside another US$300,000 per year to ensure Guyanese personnel are trained at local or overseas universities and conferences. There are also provisions for a continuous review of local content.

In defence of the contract, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman has said that a decision was taken to make ExxonMobil a long term partner, rather than court other companies.

4

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saturDAY, december 30, 2017

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

What about the sensitisation campaign for tobacco law?

W

e reported earlier this week that the Tobacco Control Legislation in Guyana is expected to take full effect now that the grace period has expired.

It could be recalled that, amidst much concerns expressed by the private sector, in particular the tobacco industry, the coalition Government pushed through a Tobacco Control Bill in July of 2017. The remainder of 2017 -- up until December 11 -- was meant to be a grace period wherein health officials were supposed to carry out an aggressive awareness campaign to familiarise the general public about the provisions of the new law. However, it is not certain to what extent this was done; from all indications, not much was done, as the campaign was not that visible.

Whenever a new law is being introduced, especially in this case, where the provisions of the law would have such a huge impact on the population, it is the duty of the Government to carry out the necessary sensitisation campaign, so that persons would be well aware of how they would be affected. Many persons, especially those who use tobacco products, are still not fully au fait with the new law, and would certainly find themselves in trouble due to ignorance. The Government should have actively involved all stakeholders, including the media as a key partner, in an effort to ensure that citizens are fully aware of the provisions within the law.

The Tobacco Control Legislation prohibits the smoking of cigarettes and other tobacco products, such as cigars, in certain public places. There are huge fines for persons found guilty of breaking the law. For instance, persons could face a fine of up to Gy$20,000 each time after being caught committing the offence the first time. Offenders caught on the first occasion will be liable, on summary conviction, to pay a fine of Gy$10,000.

According to the new law, no person shall be permitted to smoke in any waiting area or queue in a public place, including, but not limited to, any public transport stop, bus stand or bus park. As it stands, smoking is also prohibited in any park, playground or amusement park; any stadium, arena, or any kind of sport or performance place, or any space for commercial service of food or drinks.

It is also now illegal for persons to smoke in any area within five metres of a window, door or ventilation inlet to any public place or indoor work place. Smoking is also prohibited anywhere on the premises of, or within five metres from, the outside boundary of any healthcare, educational, or child care facility. Of importance, too, is that the legislation seeks to clamp down on advertising campaigns that have been launched by tobacco companies over the years.

There are many other aspects of the legislation which citizens must be educated about. It is therefore our hope that even though the law is now supposed to be fully implemented, the authorities would continue to sensitise persons not only about the new law, but also the dangers of tobacco use and the effects it is having on communities throughout the country. For example, the Word Health Organisation (WHO) has pointed out that tobacco-related illness is one of the biggest public health threats the world faces, killing more than 7 million people a year. Health experts have agreed that action to stamp out tobacco use can help countries prevent millions of people falling ill and dying from tobacco-related diseases, combat poverty, and reduce large-scale environmental degradation.

Guyana has indeed made a positive move to implement strong tobacco control measures. Certainly, tobacco control represents a powerful tool in improving health in communities, and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

By taking robust tobacco control measures, the Government will be one step closer to safeguarding our country’s future: by protecting tobacco users and nonusers from these deadly products, generating revenues to fund health and other social services, and saving the environment from the ravages tobacco causes

A member of the Old Surrey Burstow and West Kent Hunt crashes as she jumps a fence during the annual Boxing Day hunt in Chiddingstone, Britain (Reuters/Simon Dawson)

PPP/C’s achievements are keeping Guyana afloat (Pt 1) Dear Editor, We are at the end of 2017.

It was a very difficult year for most people in Guyana.

The complaints that things are tough are coming from all classes and strata in the society. It is a year that the vast majority will remember for the difficulties and hardships which resulted from a corrupt, inept and incompetent regime.

The most outstanding is the heartless and obviously prejudicial decision to begin the process of closing down the sugar industry. Thousands of workers have lost their jobs. This is already having a big impact in the sugar communities.

That is expected to spread throughout the country in the new year.

That decision was totally

unnecessary and ill-advised.

Investing in the restructuring of sugar, bringing more revenue streams into play, would pay very handsome dividends to the country as a whole. Sugar can still make a major contribution to the economy and the welfare of our people.

The loss of income by such a large body of persons is bound to have far-reaching effects on several sectors of the economy. Purchasing power has already fallen sharply, and our earning of foreign currency will be greatly affected; all of which will impact on the whole society. It can have a negative impact on the exchange rate.

However, it is not only the sugar workers that have been damaged by this seem-

ingly uncaring regime.

Earlier, we saw that hundreds of workers in the timber industry were thrown on the breadline. Barama has downgraded its operations sharply. Moreover, the attack on the Chinese businesses has left many small timber operators in the upper reaches of the Berbice and Demerara rivers in serious trouble. Hundreds more were cast onto the breadline. We have also heard of cleaning companies laying off their workers as well, as they were being driven to bankruptcy by the regime not paying for the services.

Indeed, one of the most prevalent complaints is that the regime is not paying its bills to contractors and to suppliers. If they do, they are doing so very late. It is

causing big disruption in the operations of many businesses.

Those are the things in the public’s eye. However, hundreds more workers are being driven from their jobs because of the slowdown in business activities.

Many small businesses have had to shut shop. The larger establishments have also experienced a drag in their transactions.

Many have had to lay off workers because of the lack of sales. Others have found more creative ways to keep their workers. They have resorted to cutting the amount of days available for work.

Rotating their workforce.

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar Former President

A year of failed promises, unconstitutionalities (Pt 1) Dear Editor, The year 2017 will be remembered as a year of broken promises and some of the most egregious violations of the Constitution and the rule of law.

In the month of January, the nation was treated with a media blitz by the Attorney General signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two unknown academic entities for the establishment of a local law school in Guyana.

Even a name was assigned to this venture – “The JOF Haynes Law School”, after one of the finest legal minds produced by Guyana. The nation would recall that,

in 1995, the Cheddi Jagan Administration was granted permission by the Council of Legal Education of the West Indies (CLE) to establish a local law school.

This project, however, was abandoned the following year when the CLE, the University of Guyana, and the University of the West Indies entered into a collaborative agreement through which the top 25 graduates of the LLB programme were guaranteed entry into the Hugh Wooding Law School.

This agreement was continuously renewed under the PPP Administration.

When the Attorney General made the public announce-

ment of a local law school in January 2017, I disclosed publicly that while the PPP is not opposed to such a venture, permission must first be obtained from the CLE, and that no such permission was obtained. I also publicly questioned the academic integrity of the two institutions with which the Government had entered into this MoU. To my queries, the Attorney General boldly told the press that he had sought and obtained permission of the CLE to establish a local law school in Guyana, and that same will be up and running in 2018.

By December 2017, the Attorney General was forced

to disclose that he had never received permission from the CLE. In short, there will be no local law school in 2018.

Our poor law students were taken on a ride of deception by the Attorney General. As usual, he conjured up a conspiracy, blaming a number of persons, except himself, for this failed venture.

Blood on my carpet

We were told that, in the year 2017, a Law Reform Commission will be established. $40 million was budgeted for it in the 2016 budget of the Ministry of Legal Affairs. To date, no such Commission has been established.

Continued on page 5

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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

Population worry about crime, corruption, joblessness Dear Editor, An opinion poll conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) in early December, mid-way into the APNU/AFC term in office, found widespread dissatisfaction with the Government.

Guyanese cited a variety of challenges impacting the well-being of the nation and support for the ruling coalition. Large majorities expressed concern about crime, corruption, the economy (poverty, wages, joblessness, inflation, etc.), future (wrong) direction of the country, health care, education, race relations or racism, governance, and drugs as among serious problems worrying the nation.

In general, a large majority of people from across the political divide, supporters of all three parties, feel the Government has not done a satisfactory job in managing the affairs of the nation, and in handling the issues noted above.

They are also not pleased at how the President appointed the

Chair of GECOM, which has badly divided the nation.

The poll, which interviewed 442 individuals to represent the ethnic diversity (41% Indians, 30% Africans, 18% Mixed, 10% Amerindians, 1% others) of the population, was conducted by this writer earlier this month. The poll findings, analysed at a significance level of 95%, has a margin of error of 4%.

Based on the findings of the poll, 92% expressed a fear of crime, with many saying criminals have become emboldened and daring in staging robberies, carjacking, and carrying out violent activities.

People feel elements of the Police are involved in criminal activities, including “providing cover” for, or facilitating, criminals, making solving crime difficult.

A whopping 90% said the country is moving in the wrong direction, an indication of a lack of confidence in their future well-being.

On other issues, 83% said they are worried about corruption; 79% on the state of the economy; 69%

on unemployment (citing termination of sugar workers); and 67% on race relations, or racism.

People are also not satisfied with the Government´s (Ministry) handling of education, health care, agriculture, and combating drug trafficking; with dissatisfaction figures of 73%, 71%, 66%, and 68% respectively.

Asked if they approve of the appointment of Ret´d Judge James Patterson as GECOM Chair, 59% said no, with 30% saying yes, and 11% unsure. Some 57% feel the Government had violated the (spirit of the) Constitution in not choosing someone from the list of nominees of the Opposition Leader.

Asked if they support the closure of Rose Hall and Enmore Estates, 63% said no, with 24% saying yes, and the others offering no opinion.

Asked if they approve of the latest budget, 61% said no, with 24% saying yes, and the others not offering an opinion.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

A day of infamy

Dear Editor, December 29, 2017 will be remembered by sugar workers as one of the saddest days in the long and proud history of an industry whose manifold contribution redounded to the betterment of all Guyanese.

Today history will record as a day of infamy, as thousands of ordinary workers were sent into the army of the unemployed through the largest retrenchment exercise in our country in recent times.

For some 4,000 workers, they never imagined that their employment with the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (GuySuCo) would have come to an end in such an undignified manner. They have aggregately given centuries of service to the sugar industry, and by extension the nation. For a great lot, working in the cane fields and the sugar factories are the only job they have ever known, and it is through their hard work and efforts they managed to realize life’s goals and scored several signal achievements.

Today, as those workers leave their workplaces for the last time, looking back with fondness on their

years with GuySuCo, they do so with a heavy heart and in deep anguish. Today, as they move from gainfully employed to jobless, they are unsure what the days and weeks ahead will hold for them and their families.

Today they remain clueless as to when they would receive their severance packages, though their living expenses continue to mount.

Today entire communities are thrown into disarray as large segments of the communities’ working people are without a job, adding to the social issues and economic difficulties they face.

As the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) reflects on the situation and difficulties which now confront these workers, we are indeed dismayed that while the workers are the gravest victims, the intellectual authors committing a serious atrocity on our working people have been left unscathed and untouched; and if our information is correct, much wealthier.

Our Union reiterates that the cutting down of the sugar industry was a wrong move, and one that will leave an indelible scar

A year of failed promises... from page 4

No one has been able to account for this money.

More money has been budgeted for the establishment of this Commission in the 2018 budget.

We were promised that a slew of coroners will be appointed in the year 2017.

Not a single coroner was appointed, although the Coroners Act was amended to facilitate these appointments.

The nation was promised that the errors in the Laws of Guyana would be corrected in the year 2017.

This turned out to be another failed promise.

The year 2017 also saw the continued emasculation of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Director of Public Prosecutions office (DPP). These two organisations are constitutionally and statutorily charged with the responsibilities of investigating and detecting crimes, and the prosecution of criminal of-

fences. Armed with $100 million from the Treasury, the Attorney General hired Special Prosecutors to prosecute offenses investigated by the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), an organisation funded from the budget of the Ministry of the Presidency, and whose officers take political directions from various functionaries of the Government. These Special Prosecutors are issued with a fiat by the DPP, which says that they are retained at no cost to the state, but in fact are bankrolled to the tune of $100 million, paid from the Attorney General’s budget.

These prosecutors are all handpicked, and are closely connected to this Government. Two occupy the former law office of the Attorney General on South Road; one occupies the former law office of another minister of Government; one is the brother of a minister, and the other was on the

APNU List of Candidates for the 2015 elections. For the year 2018, the Attorney General has budgeted over $250 million to pay lawyers whom he plans to retain in that year.

The year 2017, also saw the Government hounding out of office Carvil Duncan, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, a

member of the Police Service Commission, and a member of the Judicial Service Commission. Mr. Duncan was invited to the Ministry of the Presidency, where he was offered a package to resign, with the President saying to him, “I do not want blood on my carpet”. When Mr. Duncan refused, a tribunal was established with

the design to remove him from office. The legality of this tribunal was challenged in the court. The Judge who was hearing this matter was abused, vilified and intimidated by the Attorney General in open court.

Sincerely, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, MP Attorney-at-Law

on our country while aggravating a bad economic situation; and certainly one that we will regret.

At this time, we reiterate our call for the Government to engage the dispossessed sugar workers and share with them what plans they have to make their lives whole once again.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU

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Continued

By Barbara Rowley Be crafty Set aside ribbon, scraps of colourful wrapping paper, and a few cardboard boxes from the actual holiday, and make today "Invention Art Day." Let your toddler or preschooler tape and tie ribbons and boxes together into designs and constructions of his own imagination – while you kick back and watch him play.

Start a project Pull out the birdhouse or jewellery kit your child received. Why wait? Now you won't have to find a place to store the bulky boxes these kits usually come in.

Sort through your holiday cards and reread them together. Have your child put envelopes into one pile, cards into another, and photographs into a third.

While you jot down addresses from the envelopes so you'll have them handy for next year, she can choose her favourite cards to show you.

When you're done, let her cut out images from them to store with your holiday decorations for next year's craft projects, or cut them into rectangles to use as gift tags next Christmas. Another option: With the photos of friends and family that you've received, compile a simple people-we-love book with your child, so that she can remember the faces and names of friends she may not see often.

Set aside old toys and gifts for charity As you find spots for the new items that you or your child have received, make a box for giveaways, and select some to donate to a good cause. If he's old enough, let your child help pick the organisation.

Declare a day of rest –for you and your child Eat leftovers. Look through photo albums. Snooze. Better yet, let your child

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Foundation

pull out a sleeping bag and camp out in the living room with you to watch his favourite movies back to back (while you take a nap!).

Connect with a friend If your child naps, forget about the laundry and post-holiday clean-up today, and call or email a good pal or family member you won't get to see over the holidays.

Make the spirit last Create a holiday scrapbook Collect that very special card from your child's great-grandmother, his first letter to Santa,

and his cool drawing of the North Pole, and put them in a book devoted exclusively to the holidays to take out and add to every year. You might also write down his first words on Christmas morning, his favourite holiday songs and movies, or his best present ever from Santa. Let him draw a picture of (or help you write about) some of his favourite Christmas memories, too.

Light up your child's favourite space Start a new tradition Take a drive through your neighbourhood to ooh and aah at all the beautiful lights and decorations. The truth is, with the pressure of holiday preparations behind you, you might enjoy it a lot more than if you did it before Christmas.

Record milestones Year's end is a nice time to write down facts about your child's development. Fill in her baby book with info about her height and weight and quirks.

Jot down little milestones, too, like when she first threw a ball or said a certain adorable phrase.

It's also a great time to reflect on what the year has meant to you and your family, since chances are you haven't been able to keep up that wonderful daily mother's journal that you'd planned!

Light up a room Have a candlelit dinner – or a candlelit snack – with your kids. A simple votive or two makes even leftovers more festive.

Donate duplicates Can't handle the hassle of returning or exchanging duplicate gifts? Instead of rushing from store to store on this busy day, take your children to the nearest collection box for a local charity and leave the presents there. Explain to your kids that your special delivery will go to needy people who will be grateful for your regifting.

Play, play, play Sometimes children don't know what to do with the new toys they've received, and they need some coaching or help with the directions. Construct connecting buildings with the blocks that your child may have gotten. Play Sorry! with him if he got the board game, explaining the rules. Read the first chapter of a new book to him to get him started on it.

Call your mom Thank her for everything she did for you during the holidays when you were a child. Why? Because now you actually understand exactly what you're thanking her for. (Excerpt from parenting.com)

By Larry Kim

C

reativity is like a muscle. It must be stretched, challenged, and occasionally pushed past its comfort zone.

Here are nine ways you can dramatically improve your creativity.

Learn through collaboration

Curiosity will lead you to creativity.

Andrew Ng, formerly of Google and now of Baidu, is one who doesn't believe innovation is due to unpredictable flashes of genius.

Rather, he said you can become more creative and innovative systematically.

"In my own life, I found that whenever I wasn't sure what to do next, I would go and learn a lot, read a lot, talk to experts. I don't know how the human brain works but it's almost magical: when you read enough or talk to enough experts, when you have enough inputs, new ideas start appearing."

Indeed, collaborating with and learning from others may be just what you need to give your creativity a boost.

Do something you love

Stuck for ideas? Not sure what to do? Your life needs some balance to ensure your creativity doesn't suffer.

In a letter to his son, Albert Einstein provided a great bit of fatherly insight when addressing his son's interest in playing the piano that is applicable to losing yourself in the creative process: do something that pleases you.

"That is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don't notice that the time passes," Einstein wrote. "I am sometimes so wrapped up in my

work that I forget about the noon meal."

Love and creativity are intertwined. A hobby, such as playing an instrument, running, or collecting memorabilia, can help you relax and fight stress while giving your creativity a boost.

Find inspiration from other industries

Your next idea won't come from copying what a competitor has already done. So look for innovation in different industries and niches.

Research what businesses are dominating. Why What businesses are you most loyal to? Why? How can you transfer what worked for businesses outside your industry to your own market? Maybe you can improve on these ideas.

Taking inspiration from other industries is a great way to boost your own creativity.

Unplug (or just do nothing)

As Alan Cohen once wrote, "There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither."

Sometimes your best ideas will come when you're not wracking your brain trying to come up with the next great idea.

It could be while you're sleeping. A good night of rest will help you be more productive and creative.

It could be while your mind wanders in the shower that you get a great idea.

Maybe your next innovative idea will come while you're driving, exercising, hiking, shopping, sitting on an airplane, or watching the sunset.

If your creativity is lacking, unplug. Relax. And let your brain do its magic.

(Excerpt from Inc)

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saturDAY, december 30, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

204 junior Police ranks promoted

Acting Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine

T

he most anticipated time of the year for members of the Guyana Police Force is here, and some 204 junior ranks made this year’s promotions list.

These promotions: from the ranks of corporal to sergeant, lance corporal and constable to corporal, and constable to lance corporal, have been approved by the Acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine, and will take effect from December 31, 2017.

In his New Year message to the Force on Friday, Ramnarine reminded members of the Force of their onerous calling, which he noted has been fulfilled to general satisfaction, notwithstanding the numerous demands and challenges faced, in particular by those who tarnished the image of the Force and brought it into disrepute.

“Let us resolve to improve out quality of service, as already we are making great strides forward in solving serious and other crimes, but obviously much more can and must be done to prevent these crimes,” he posited.

The acting Police Commissioner further noted that the year ahead would bring about greater demands on the Police Force, and therefore professionalism must be compatible.

“I have no doubt that with increased human and other resources, those increased expectations from our master and other key stakeholders will be met to satisfaction; and in this regard, I urge that we each make that special resolve to improve individually and collectively, i n pur-

suit of the objectives of the Force,” Ramnarine implored.

While reflecting on his tenure leading the Force as acting Commissioner, Ramnarine expressed his gratitude for the support

during the latter half of 2017.

He concluded by telling those who have been elevated to higher rank that promotion comes with greater responsibility and increased expectations.

In regard to the promotions, 31 officers were promoted from the rank of corporal to sergeant; while 43 ranks who were once lance corporals were promoted to corporals, and 22 from constables to corporals.

Additionally, 66 ranks who held the position of constables will now serve as lance corporals.

Meanwhile under Special Constabulary regular ranks, four corporals have been promoted to sergeants. Another five lance corporals and two other constables were also elevated to corporals, while 11 Special Constabulary regular ranks were promoted from constables to lance corporals.

With respect to the Special Constabulary (GUYSTAC), one person holding the rank of corporal was promoted to the post of sergeant; while two lance corporals and a constable were all promoted to corporals. Further, four cConstables were elevated to the post of lance corporal in the GUYSTAC department.

Moreover, three ranks under rural constabulary were elevated from the rank of corporal to sergeant, while nine constables were given new portfolios as corporals.

8 NEWS

saturDAY, december 30, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Mandela Avenue accident

Mechanic charged for teen’s death A

36-year-old father of three was granted $500,000 bail

by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, when he pleaded not guilty to causing the death of a 17-year-old mechanic by dangerous driving, in October.

Lennox Denobrega of Church Street, C u m m i n g s b u r g , Georgetown, is accused of driving motorcar PRR 7624 in a manner dangerous to the public and causing the death of Jhamallie Niles on October 14, 2017 on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.

This charge was indictable and the accused pleaded not guilty after an application of the

Lennox Denobrega

Administration of Justice Act (AJA) was granted by the Magistrate upon request by court Prosecutor Arvin Moore.

Denobrega’s lawyer, Charles Ramson Jr, in an application for bail told the court that his client is gainfully employed as the proprietor of a mechanic shop and has no previous brushes with the law.

Ramson Jr also told the court that on the day in question, the defendant was proceeding East on the right side of Mandela Avenue when the now deceased dashed out of a carwash. The boy reportedly ran over one lane and was struck by Denobrega as he was in the process of sprinting over to his client’s lane. Denobrega was neither speeding nor was he under the influence of alcohol, the lawyer said.

Media reports indicate that the teen had ventured onto the roadway to sell bottled water to help maintain himself and his family. His elder brother had recounted going in search of him in the company of another as the evening got late. Upon arriving on the road, they saw a crowd gathered and naturally out of curiosity went to investigate. They were not prepared for what awaited them there.

They picked up the teen’s lifeless body and rushed him to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Niles suffered a fractured skull and several broken bones.

Cocaine in gas cyclinder suspects granted bail

T

he two men who implicated each other in the more-than-65 kilograms of cocaine that were found in a gas cylinder stashed in a car at Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) were on Friday granted bail when they were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Juan Anderson, 30, and Damion William, 33, both of Parika, denied the allegation against them.

The charge read to them allege that on December 24, 2017, at Parika, they had 65.027 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

The two men were granted $300,000 bail each after their lawyers, Mark Waldron and George

Thomas, made a successful application for same.

They are both expected to attend the Leonora Magistrate Court on January 24, 2018, and are ordered to report weekly to the Leonora Police Station.

On the day of the cocaine discovery, ranks from the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU), acting on information received, swooped down on

Anderson’s house at Parika and searched same. As they came up empty-handed, the ranks decided to search his motorcar, and the drugs were found concealed in a gas cylinder.

Anderson was arrested, and he reportedly told ranks that Williams is the person who gave him the illicit substance. Williams was later arrested, and has reportedly confessed to giving Anderson the drugs.

Gunmen rob female lab technician

A

Georgetown Public Hospital laboratory technician was on Thursday afternoon attacked and robbed of her valuables by two armed bandits on Main Street, Georgetown.

The woman, 40-yearold Tamara Gibbs, of Lot 15 Lamaha Springs, Joint Service Scheme, Georgetown, was attacked at around 13:45h.

According to reports, the woman was walking South along Main Street, headed to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) to pay her bills when she was confronted by the two men as she was about to enter GPL’s compound.

One of the men pointed a gun at her and demanded that she hand over her bag to which she complied. The men then escaped on a black and grey motorcycle in the northern direction on Main Street and then West into New Market Street.

They escaped with Gibb’s handbag which contained documents, her cellphone and cash.

The matter was reported to the Police and investigations are continuing.

The Hezekiah Effect…

N

…will now doom us? ow that Raphael Trotman, the Minister of Natural Resources, has released the Exxon oil contract, Guyana will just have to hold its breath as Guyanese await the “Hezekiah Effect” to kick in.

This dreaded doomsday “Effect”, of course, was what Trotman assured us was the reason he hadn’t fessed up when he signed off on the bonus and other financial inducements from the mega-oil company, as it obtained the right to exploit the Stabroek field which has 3.2 billion barrels of oil - and counting.

You don’t remember what’s the Hezekiah Effect, dear reader? Shame on you!! Here we are, just finished celebrating the birth of the prophesied One and all that!! Are you still in a haze (daze?) after your spirituous excesses? Either way, you should punish yourself with a “time out” for your transgression! Anyhow, your (virtuous) Eyewitness will refresh your memory about Trotman’s prophesy.

Hezekiah, you see, was an early King of Judah, who scrupulously followed the Lord’s 10 Commandments.

He was so favoured that the Lord once killed off 180,000 Assyrians who were Hezekiah’s enemies. (And no! It’s not genocide when the Lord does the mass killing.)

Hezekiah even held off the dastardly Babylonians, who were the rising superpower of the day.

But, one day, Hezekiah fell ill and accepted a get-well gift from the Babylonians…and in a fit of bonhomie, “showed all of his treasures, all the silver and gold, and everything in his arsenal”!! That was it!! The prophet Isaiah said to Hezekiah, 'Hear the word of the Lord: "Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left." And lo and behold, a century or so later, Judah was conquered and the people taken into slavery into Babylon!!

All (you understand, don’t you, dear reader?) because Hezekiah showed off his wealth. And this is what Trotman, reprising the role of Hezekiah, was warning us against. That rising Empire to the west, Venezuela, has long had its eyes on our territory of Essequibo. We had held them off through deft diplomacy, and were about to inflict the coup de’ grace by taking them to the World Court.

Now the lawyers/warriors that fight battles in the World Court don’t come cheap…and Trotman/Isaiah didn’t want the dastardly Venezuelans to know we had an $18 million bonus to pay those lawyers -- never mind the discovered oil was worth BILLIONS! So, while some are crowing they forced Trotman to reveal our wealth -- they don’t care that in 100 years we’ll be dragged off to Caracas in captivity!!

By the Rivers of Babylon!! …and the gas contract The giveaways on oil pale when compared to the cavalier way in which the gas that’ll be brought up with the petroleum was treated. But as the local head of the Texas-based Exxon said, Guyana’s just a “greenhorn” in the oil business. And if you think the terms of the oil contract were bad – boy, were we fleeced on the gas! It’s clear Trotman was even more full of it than we thought!

Now, there are trillions of cubic feet of gas mixed in with our petroleum - not even mentioning fields containing solely gas. The contract however, says, we’re on our own when it comes to this gas - which could’ve taken care of all our energy needs plus selling the excess in liquified form. The gas will be separated from the oil in the FPSO, and some will be pumped back into those wells that have been determined to need “gas lifts” to bring up the oil. We can then take the excess, or Exxon just burns (“flare”) it off!!

Hence the rush to get a contractor to bring the gas ashore and utilise it!!

If you think being taken into slavery’s bad, imagine what could happen when a govt builds latrines just when it’s about to s’it!!

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

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saturDAY, december 30, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

2017: A year of job loss, poor leadership – Jagdeo T

he parliamentary Opposition, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), on Friday said 2017 was characterised by job loss and poor leadership.

According to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, the year 2017 was an unprecedented year. Zeroing in on the economy, Jagdeo said Government has missed its economic growth target. “2017 has been an interesting year, with thing happening that were unprecedented. If you look at the economy, we have missed our growth target twice in the year… even a lower than budgeted growth target was not met.

The Government in 2017 failed to unveil an economic plan for the country… a plan that was promised since 2015,” the Opposition Leader said.

He added that Guyanese are given new promises for the future but without any proper economic policy, those promises are empty.

“All we have is new promises that they will continue to work on a green state strategy for the future… which will be the economic plan for Guyana. So at this point in time, we are adrift once again. No leadership from the Government in the economic sphere. No coherent economic policy. We saw the Budget 2017 sand its draconian measures devastate the business sector and people’s lives.”

Jagdeo pointed to the job losses in the year. He gave the experiences in the sugar sector as an example. The former President

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo (centre) along with Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, and parliamentarians Priya Manickchand, Juan Edghill, Odinga Lumumba, Pauline Sukhai, Clement Rohee, and Dr Vindhya Persaud

also noted the various scandals that rocked the country during the year.

He referred to the US$18 million sitting in an unaccounted for bank account; the new Demerara Bridge crossing.

“So you can characterise it as the year of significant loss of jobs. In the sugar sector, people were devastated. Nearly 5000 sugar workers were sent home.

In almost all the other sectors people have lost jobs.

And their promise that they will create thousands of new jobs has not been kept. In fact, our country has gone backwards.”

“Thirdly, we have seen several scandals emerging. From procurement of drugs, single sourcing, to the infamous bridge contract, to the US$18 million that still remains in an account not provided for by our Constitution or our laws.”

Jagdeo did not forget the unilateral appointment of a Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman. He pointed out that this act threw away decades of practise in which the two political sides worked together to fill the post.

In summing up the year, Jagdeo said these occurrences combine to put Guyana’s democracy on a more tenuous footing than before.

Parliamentary affairs Also attending the press conference was party Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, parliamentarians Priya Manickchand, Juan Edghill, Odinga Lumumba, Pauline Sukhai, Clement Rohee, and Dr Vindhya Persaud.

Zeroing in on parliamentary affairs, Teixeira slammed the parliamentary excesses and described the National Assembly as a rubber stamp. She also questioned the haste to appoint a Chancellor of the Judiciary, querying whether this may be to secure a more amenable decision in the cases before the courts, including the case of the GECOM Chairman.

Pathetic Summing up the country’s rate of implementing its major projects and the work of certain agencies, shadow Public Infrastructure Minister Juan Edghill described the Government's performance

as “pathetic”.

He pointed out that in 2017, the country started the year with the establishment of Power Producers and Distributors Inc (PPDI) and a promise that Guyana Power and Light (GPL) would do better.

However, he noted that the fact that blackouts continued into Christmas Day tells volumes. According to Edghill, there remains no comprehensive plan for energy.

Pointing to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), he noted that despite declarations that 81 per cent has been expended, there are more works to be done.

According to Edghill, pipe dreams are being sold. He recalled the promise for a waterfront development project and the road link between the East Coast and the East Bank.

Instead, he noted that all the Ministry’s implementation projects were routine works.

10 news Coalition Govt not practising transformative politics saturDAY, december 30, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

…being managed sadly as single-party unit – David Hinds ...admits ethnic cohesion is heart of social cohesion

By Michael Younge

T

he ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government is not practising transformative politics and is being managed as a single party as opposed to a multi-party structure in which life is given to the notions of shared governance and political inclusivity.

This is the position of political analyst, Dr David Hinds, who is also an Executive Member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) party which forms part of the APNU/AFC coalition.

Dr Hinds, speaking with Guyana Times during an exclusive interview on Thursday, insisted that Government was underper-

forming in certain areas because of the inability of its politicians to properly manage coalition dynamics.

“The overall governance score sheet has also been mixed – strong foreign policy management but too many political errors of judgement in domestic affairs. I think this is due to less than sterling management of coalition dynamics. The biggest error is the overconcentration of political decision making within the Government and trying to manage the coalition as if it were a single-party administration,” he remarked.

Hinds explained that the success of the coalition will depend solely on its ability to modernise its partner by demonstrating a higher level of political maturity when making key decisions that could affect the public’s perception and by extension, the development of

the country.

Shared governance

Asked whether he believed that shared governance was still the only answer to Guyana’s political woes, he responded in the positive. That form of governance was largely touted by former President Desmond Hoyte and endorsed to an extent by former PNC/R Leader Robert Corbin when he became Guyana’s Opposition Leader in the early 2000s.

Former Presidents Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar who sat in the highest seat of power for more than two decades have also accepted from time to time that shared governance appears realistic but it could not work unless those proposing practical structures also proposed feasible initiatives for build-

Dr David Hinds

ing political trust and compromise.

Several attempts at working out a formula for shared governance since the early 1990s have failed for one reason or the other.

But Dr Hinds was adamant that it is still the most feasible answer to bridge

Guyana’s political impasse.

“But I am concerned about the capacity of our politicians to rise to the occasion. Take for example the mini-shared governance in the form of the coalition.

It has not been transformational. There is not a genuine desire on the part of the politicians to share governance – they still take a “dominant-party” mindset into the partnership, which undermines the essence of shared governance. So, you end up with a fragmented Government rather than a partnership based on mutual respect and shared purpose,” he maintained.

Dr Hinds added that “This is now my biggest fear of a PPP-PNC power sharing government. They may go into a power sharing arrangement only to undermine it. But I still think it is our best option for some sort of political stability”.

Building trust

Tackling the issue of building trust, the political scientist laid blame at the feet of both the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the PNC for failing to do all that is possible to set aside their differences and work together for the good of Guyana.

He reasoned that both parties needed to be on the same wavelength.

“The Government has not built trust with the PPP and the PPP has not built trust with the Government.

Trust is a two-way process.

You cannot build trust with your competitor if they do not want it,” he advised.

He argued that while President David Granger’s attempt at bolstering social cohesion within Guyana’s polarised society is laudable, the entire initiative has turned out to be a gimmick. “...But cohesion in a society as divided as ours calls for much more imaginative praxis than we have seen from the Government.

Government cannot bring about ethnic cohesion, which is really at the heart of social cohesion. The Government has to be a facilitator, but it must be clear what it is facilitating and how it is going to do that. In a sense the social cohesion experiment could have been and should be the foundation upon which power sharing is built. But I don’t think our leaders think about it in such deep terms”, the public commentator also remarked. continues on page 11

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saturDAY, december 30, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Deplorable access roads

Better Hope/LBI residents decry conditions ….NDC Chairman says resources limited, promises action

R

esidents of Better Hope, La Bonne Intention (LBI) and Success along the East Coast of Demerara on Monday called on the local Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and the relevant regional as well as Central Government bodies to take swift action to effect urgent repairs and upgrades to key access roads in their communities which are now in a deplorable state.

The residents claimed the roads have being neglected for years and little or no work is being done to improve the conditions of the roads.

“I am living here for about three years now and these roads have always been in this poor and deplorable condition. The NDC does try but they could do

much better… It is a sickening situation because when it rains, the roads are impassable,” a resident from Montrose related to Guyana Times when this newspaper inspected the roads in the community.

Another resident alleged that “you could swim in some of these potholes” explaining that it is a shame that the roads have been allowed to deteriorate to such a poor state.

“The school children and taxi drivers in particular are the most affected. They have to traverse the roads through the slush and mud.

They suffer the most because of the bad state of affairs,” a housewife related.

A senior citizen from Better Hope told this newspaper that she has pleaded with the local NDC to repair

Coalition Govt not...

2020 elections

Dr Hinds called on the coalition to do much more to transform Guyana’s established and seemingly entrenched political culture so that more progress could be had.

“It has attempted to alter the political culture in some areas with minimal success. Frankly, it is difficult to change an entrenched political culture in two and a half years. But I feel, there has not been as robust an attempt in that direction as was expected. Part of it has to do with the fact that the old bureaucracy is still in

the road infrastructure in the Better Hope North area. “…I am just fed up.

I feel neglected. If the NDC and RDC [Regional Democratic Council] cannot help me then I expect the Government to look into my plight,” she remarked.

from page 10

place and partly due to a lack of coherent vision on the part of the governing coalition which has not shown much inclination for transformative politics,” he stated.

Asked how important the next election which is due in 2020 is, Dr Hinds described it as “another zero-sum election”. “…It is going to be nasty. The signs are there. The parties are battle ready. The masses have been whipped into line already. I am afraid that it will leave the country more battered and scarred.

What is at stake is an oilwealthy economy which is a

politician’s dream – more resources to mismanage in the name of development. I don’t look forward to those elections with much happiness,” he opined.

Dr Hinds’ comments come on the heels of statements made by President David Granger about inclusive governance, working with the PPP, and shared governance. The President’s posture had demonstrated his lack of interest in giving PPP a seat in his coalition Government even though he said he is committed to political dialogue and cooperation and inclusivity.

When contacted, Chairman of the Better Hope/Success/LBI NDC, Zaman Shaw sympathised with the residents.

He admitted that the roads in those communities were in dire need of repair but distanced his NDC from being solely responsible for their maintenance and upkeep.

Shaw said his NDC has been doing its part and has been lobbying the RDC and Central Government to make more resources available to make the necessary interventions.

“We are not responsible for making major changes or upgrades to the road infrastructure. We are responsible for patching the roads and we have done our best

with the limited resources that we acquire from time to time,” he explained.

Shaw said he has personally written the Chairman of the RDC explaining the gravity of the situation in a bid to get more assistance.

He clarified that the region and Central Government has been cooperative in some respects.

The NDC Chairman disclosed that while his NDC received no subvention from Government in 2016, it still did its best to patch some roads. He related that $2 million worth of road upgrade material was released at the beginning of the year and was immediately used to fix some community roads.

The roads which received

attention were in the communities of Pigeon Island, LBI and Success.

A second batch of materials worth another $2 million was also received recently and will be deployed to fix deplorable access roads in a few communities. Shaw said his NDC remains committed to improving the lives of its residents and the state of the roads. He called on residents to demonstrate patience as it works to address their concerns while advising that they all need to work together to effect change.

“The second set of areas to benefit from maintenance works are Happy Acres, Better Hope North and Montrose,” he advised.

He denied that the NDC was deliberately neglecting its responsibility but advised that the inclement weather resulted in some of the work being stalled.

When Guyana Times visited the communities, the roads were almost impassible with some sporting huge potholes and cracks which pose a serious threat to pedestrians and vehicle owners. While some in areas such as Vryheid Lust, Better Hope South and parts of Success were in a good condition, the others were deplorable.

12 news “We are satisfied” with oil contract, bonus – Trotman saturDAY, december 30, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

I

n light of comments that Guyana undersold itself in regard to the petroleum agreement -- and more particularly the signing bonus -- with US oil giant ExxonMobil, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman on Friday said that Government is satisfied with the deal.

One day after Government released the 72-page contract that was signed with ExxonMobil last year, local analysts have commented that Government should have gotten more out of the contract.

In fact, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, at the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) yearend press conference on Friday, said the team representing Guyana had all the negotiating power but failed to come out with a better deal.

However, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman told reporters at the subsequent post-Cabinet briefing that, despite criticisms, Government got what it wanted from the negotiations.

“Insofar as our level of satisfaction (is concerned), we are satisfied. There is no such thing -- as a lawyer can tell you -- as a perfect contract; there is no such thing as a perfect law; each has to be improved on,” he posited.

According to the Natural Resources Minister, the team used the contract model that was prepared after negotiations with US oil company Anadarko Petroleum Corporation back in 2012.

Back in October 2013, the Venezuelan Navy forced a seismic survey vessel hired

by Anadarko, which has an exploration licence for the Roraima Block in the ultra-deep-water offshore

Exxon’s operations in Guyana’s waters

Guyana, to cease its activities. However, the company has since indicated its interest to continue operations following ExxonMobil’s initial discovery of commercial oil back in May 2015.

Old contract

Trotman said the team built on that contract, in-

stead of generating a new one.

“We had (the Anadarko contract) previewed… We took a decision not to go into a full-fledged negation in a way that negotiations normally go. Those can take upwards of a year and more, and can be very costly; and Government, for a number

NDC calls for closer partnership with Region 2 administration

C

hairpersons who were recently sworn in to serve at five Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) along the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) are calling for closer collaboration with the regional administration in 2018. Five persons from the People’s Progressive Party were sworn in on Thursday by Deputy Regional Executive Officer, Roop Kumar Persaud.

These five elected individuals will be executing their duties as NDC officers in the coming New Year.

During the swearing in ceremony held in the boardroom of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) in Anna Regina, the Councillors pledged to execute their duties with all fairness but explained they can only do so with cooperation from the regional administration.

According to Arnold Adams, a Councillor from the Pomona/Good Hope NDC, often times the NDC’s

Newly sworn in Councillors and other NDC officials

role in decision-making is undermined, explaining that numerous times essential infrastructure projects are executed and bills of quantities are not sent to the NDC. This, he said, is affecting effective monitoring.

“Often time the RDC will be executing projects within our municipality and we would have no clue as to what’s going on. Sometimes the projects are half way done and only then we are

made aware that something is happening in the community, this must stop in 2018,” another Chairperson explained.

Other Councillors from the various NDCs said that apart from subvention, there are more works that need to be done within the NDC’s where emphasis should be placed on necessary infrastructure, such as roads and bridges as well as improved drainage systems.

“We need more assistance from the regional administration. They must inform us. When we have our programmes we have to reschedule, works can be monitored if we have the bills of quantities.”

Some of the projects that are outstanding include sea defence work at Good Hope/ Pomona, the cleaning of road shoulders and the clearing of several drains within various communities.

of reasons, took a decision to have a marginal negotiation and to make some adjustments – the licensing fees, some payments for capacity-building, some payments for environmental support; and, of course, the signature bonus was factored into that,” he outlined.

Trotman said the figure for the oil bonus was arrived at given Government’s intended use of the sums of money; that is, to fund the cost of the legal proceedings when the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela is taken before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

“We took to precedent what had been spent on legal services in the past on matters of this nature in the international tribunal, and we may have added to that. But several persons and several factors were taken into account before arriving at a figure. But certainly, we used the precedent from the 2000 matter with Suriname,” the Minister stated.

With regard to the negotiation of the deal, Trotman added that despite his expertise of not only being a lawyer of 27 years standing, but also a trained negotiator and mediator from Harvard Law School, his role was minimal.

“The country in the past has relied on the technical staff of the GGMC… Mr Newell Dennison (acting Commissioner of GGMC) and his team were the prin-

cipal negotiators.

I did, of course, have a say in terms of where are we, and I would report to Cabinet from time to time. I also reported in Parliament that the Government relied on counselling and advice from Michelet & Co of Norway, which is considered one of the leading law firms in Norway and is a law firm for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), so this is no ordinary law firm. They give advice on the contract, so it was not a personal negotiation done by Raphael Trotman; it was a team that was both national and international in its nature,” he noted.

Concessions

Political analyst and Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram has highlighted that the many concessions granted to the US oil giant in the Petroleum Agreement is not favourable to Guyana.

However, in defending Government’s actions, the Natural Resources Minister posited that ExxonMobil will enjoy these benefits because it was the only company that showed the capacity, willingness and courage to explore the waters in the face of Venezuela’s claim.

Meanwhile, an expert team from the Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently carried out a study on the emerging oil sector, following a request from Government, and has found among other things that the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with ExxonMobil is generous and also highlight a series of loopholes that can abuse and limit the benefits collected

by Guyana from the operations.

However, Minister Trotman assured that Government would continue to work with both local and international experts that scrutinise and find loopholes, to correct these while collaborating on other areas, such as capacity-building.

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saturDAY, december 30, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Emergency monitoring system remains activated – Harmon ...as affected residents blast regional authorities for lack of drainage maintenance

By Lakhram Bhagirat

F

or the residents of lower Canal Number One, on the West Bank of the Demerara, the regional authorities have failed them, and they are calling for swift action to alleviate their sufferings.

Additionally, the residents are saying that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), which is responsible for the maintenance of the main canal, has not cleared it since late November, hence the reason for the current flooding in the area.

Canal Number One Polder has been flooded since December 20, with the water receding during low tide -which is mainly in the nights -- but returning to threatening levels in the mornings.

“Every night we go to bed the water draw down, but when we wake up in the morning, (there) is water everywhere. We can’t do anything because this water is killing we. The children them

Threatening water level for this Canal family

rable to the infamous 2005 Great Floods.

“The drain; them need to clean the drains. You can see the moss deh out plenty, and how long Dairy (La Parfaite Harmonie) water nah draw

munities on Friday, residents bashed the regional authorities for their plight.

This publication observed several of the residents utilising their own resources to clear the weeds from the

cent of the community’s population are farmers, and they are now left to assess their damages.

“At present, we are suffering tremendously. This actual work that is going on here is the community is selfhelp. Those two tractors that are working there are private tractors, and we have had no help from the Government.

We have been here since before Christmas trying to get some relief from the flood water,” he said.

“The water in the farmland is at least three feet high. Instead of using our vans or tractors to bring out loads from the backdam, we have to use a boat and the track; that is our current situation. There is no estimation for losses at this time, because we put a lot of money in that and it is still under water,” Ramnarine added.

He detailed that he has tangerine trees planted only about three months ago, along with a number of avocado seedlings that have already been destroyed.

“This canal supposed to be cleaned on a monthly basis. For this past December month, it has not been cleaned; and as you can see, the shrimp moss is in the wa-

Another flooded yard

cut the pineapple under the water...these people bring one one mopstick and a hamper and give you here today (Friday). All this cause because if the negligence of the Government. Them not cleaning the canal,” the angry man said.

Medical response A team from the Public Health Ministry visited the Manram Memorial Health Centre, in Canal Number One, to ensure it is equipped with the necessary drugs in the case of a possible outbreak, and to prevent flood-related illnesses.

Regional Health Officer Ravindra Dudhnauth advised that persons residing in flood-affected areas should

is being conducted via social media, television, HF radios, and mobile and landline telephones, to ensure that there is a timely and effective response to any incident with respect to the heavy rainfall.

While all of the regions have been affected by the rainfall, Minister Harmon noted that several farmlands and some 200 households in Region Three -- Essequibo Islands/West Demerara -were inundated as a result of clogged drains.

“Since the initial impact, an assessment was done, and heavy-duty equipment, machinery and so on were deployed on December 26th [2017] to the Canal.

Additionally, all efforts were

take the necessary precautionary measures to prevent flood-related illnesses. He detailed the specified methods to treat water, including boiling or adding bleach. He also advised that residents in the affected areas should avoid unnecessary contact with these flood waters.

made to ensure that the pumps and kokers remain operational, to ensure maximum release of water to prevent the situation from worsening,” he detailed.

Minister Harmon said there have been minimal reports of flooding in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), with two reports of five inches of water being accumulated in the Albouystown, South and North Ruimveldt areas, and minor flooding along the East Coast.

The greatest accumulation of water, Minister Harmon pointed out, was on empty lots in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice). However, he noted that reports have indicated that the water is receding from all areas except Bush Lot.

Residents clearing this canal after days of flood waters

could not even enjoy them Christmas because of all this water,” Oku resident Dolly Singh related.

The distressed woman explained that she has been living in the area for over 47 years and flooding has always been an issue, but this episode of flooding is compa-

out, we water can never draw out. Them ah clean, but it is not properly done. We didn't get flood for over a year now.

This time the water very high, and we can't cook or anything here,” she lamented.

When Guyana Times visited the flood-affected com-

This family was forced to stay indoors as flood waters rise

main canal in efforts to get some relief.

Good Hope resident Vijai Ramnarine said he cannot quantify the amount of losses he has incurred. The man related that he is a large-scale farmer and all of his farmlands are under water. He stated that more than 90 per

An inundated yard

ter and it grows every single day. When it grows, it starts to wrap and form a ball so the water cannot penetrate through, so it remains stagnant. If this canal was cleaned, then this situation would not have happened here,” he stated.

Another farmer, Maso (only name given), told Guyana Times that they have been under water for almost one week before the authorities thought it necessary to have visit the area and assess the situation. He noted that the Civil Defense Commission visited the area on Thursday to assess but added that they are not providing any plans on how to get the water off the land.

“When you go to cut pine you have to go with boat to

National Emergency Monitoring System

Additionally, State Minister Joseph Harmon visited the community on Friday to distribute relief supplies.

At his post-Cabinet press briefing, Harmon indicated that the National Emergency Monitoring System remains activated on a 24-hour basis, with the ten administrative regions being actively monitored.

He added that monitoring

14 news

saturDAY, december 30, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

30 budding psychologists graduate …from American University of Peace Studies

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he 2017 Convocation Ceremony of the American University of Peace Studies (AUPS) saw 30 graduates getting one step closer towards realising their careers in the field of psychology.

For the graduating class of 2017, it was years of hard work, numerous sacrifices and much commitment that brought them to this point -- where they can now embark on their new journey as qualified professionals.

This was as the University on Thursday evening presented the outgoing students with their Bachelors of Science and Diploma in Phycology certifications.

Congratulating the graduates on behalf of the University’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman was Lecturer Nadine McIntosh Ramsarran. In doing so, she relayed, “As we celebrate today, be grateful for all the support that you have received, and go out into the world a much better person, equipped with knowledge and skills, willing to share and contribute to the betterment of your communities and to our country.”

Social Protection Minister Amna Ally was present at the occasion to welcome this year’s graduating class to the noble and highly important profession.

In delivering the feature

A section of the AUPS graduating class of 2017

address, Ally pointed out the need for more mental health and social services experts in Guyana. She said to the graduates, “Your country needs you. Many of you are aware that there are numerous social ills that exist within Guyana.

However, with the intervention of psychologists, I believe that we will see a decline in many of these social ills, which will lead to the empowerment of our people.”

She emphasised that the graduates have their jobs cut out for them, but posited that with the knowledge and skills gained during their time at the American University, she remains positive that the now certified Psychology majors will go on to make significant contributions in improving the lives of at-risk

Guyanese.

Echoing similar sentiments was Doodmattie Singh, the Coordinator of Private Schools attached to the Education Ministry, who stated, “The demand for psychologists is greater now more than ever, and will continue to increase.”

Singh, in her presentation, underlined, “Too many of our children are having childhood experiences that can affect then in a negative way for life, and unless they are afford a platform where they can open up and sort with a trained and loving psychologist, those very experiences can impact (negatively) the next generation.”

Adding to that, she noted that threats such as suicide and abuse are still rampant in Guyana. With these considerations in mind, Singh called on the now

qualified professionals to get to work immediately.

The 2017 graduation ceremony concluded on a high note with remarks from this year’s Valedictorians, who were named as Jennel Williams, Krystol Chanderban and Marieo Cheong; as well as the presentation of special awards.

The American University of Peace Studies is a private, comprehensive and research-oriented territory institution, which has been providing a solid academic foundation to Guyanese pursuing a career in psychology since its establishment in 2002.

At the occasion, it was revealed that the institution is currently expanding its services to better cater the future generations of Guyanese students.

GTT takes Christmas cheer to children in Lombard Street

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ver 40 children from the Charlestown community, specifically Lombard and Broad streets, had Christmas cheer taken to them through the recent presentation of gifts donated by the staff of Guyana Telephone Telegraph (GTT).

The gift-giving initiative was organised by the company’s Social Activities

Public building to be renamed in Stephen Campbell’s honour

Committee as part of its social outreach programme.

“The staff of GTT is extremely elated that we were able to come together to bring joy to the group of children”, head of the Social Committee, Malini Gouridat, noted.

She indicated that the charitable work of the Committee would be extended in other communities into 2018.

S

Stephen Campbell

ocial Cohesion Minister with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr George Norton has announced that the building, which currently houses the Ministry of Citizenship will be renamed in honour of the Indigenous political leader, Stephen Joseph Campbell, who is the first Guyanese of Indigenous descent to become a Member of Parliament.

The Arawak (Lokono) and Portuguese descendant was born in Moruca, British Guiana on December 26, 1897. Minister Norton also said that consideration is being given to the possibility of erecting a monument in Campbell’s honour sometime in the future.

Campbell is widely regarded as a hero in Indigenous communities after having fought for their right to vote, land rights and for increased remunerations for village captains.

In 1962, amidst widespread fears that Indigenous lands would be expropriated after the departure of the British, Campbell presented a petition signed by 26 Indigenous chiefs to the then Secretary of State for the Colonies, Duncan Sandys at the British Guiana Constitutional

Conference in London to lobby for Indigenous land rights.

When no satisfactory response was received after one year, Campbell and the then leader of The United Force (TUF), Peter D’Aguiar jointly pursued the matter, resulting in a number of initiatives, including the establishment of semi-reserves, fixed boundaries, and safeguarding of the right of appeal to the Privy Council concerning Indigenous rights for at least 10 years after Independence.

In 1964, the Amerindian Association of Guyana was formed, with Campbell at the helm where he continued to tackle land rights issues affecting Indigenous peoples, which led to the establishment of the Amerindian Act. Campbell also advocated for matters including agriculture and education. He was a firm proponent of the Indigenous way of life and the preservation of Indigenous culture and languages.

Campbell’s contributions are celebrated every year on September 10, during the annual Indigenous Heritage Month observances. He died on May 12, 1966, two weeks before British Guiana obtained Independence.

Kwakwani NDC elects new leadership T

he Kwakwani Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) elected new members to head the body, following the hosting of elections on Wednesday.

Juanita Leacock has been elected as the new Chairperson, while Carl Liverpool was elected as Vice Chairman. Following the elections, Leacock said she was proud to be elected to the post and called on the rest of the elected members and the community to work together in an effort to move the community forward.

"Our functions only begins after we are sworn in, which will be at a later date set by the Minister. Today (Wednesday) marks another remarkable achievement, not only for us Councillors Carl Liverpool, Sharmella Sulker Thomas, Maleka Russell, Charles Thom, Faye Navarro Rodriguez and yours truly, but for Kwakwani at large. The task ahead of us is great, and no one-man team can accomplish this. Much is expected from us, but we ask only for one thing and that is Kwakwani team work.”

Leacock added that

New Chairperson, Juanita Leacock and new Vice Chairman Carl Liverpool

transparency and inclusiveness are high on the agen-

da for the newly elected officials as they work towards

community development.

According to the new Chairperson, development of the community is dependent on the efforts of “Councillors, community leaders, groups and all other members of our community near and far.

Transparency and inclusiveness is our aim, as we believe that the more people know, the more they understand and can appreciate and with more people involved more can be accomplished because each person has their own ideas, opinion, skill, experience and understanding.”

“We cannot promise that we will be able to please everyone, nor can we say we will be able to achieve all that you expect us to achieve or that we hope to achieve within the year 2018, but we can promise you that we will work to the best of our ability to get as much work done and complete until our time is up and pave the way for longterm development,” she added.

Merna Adrian had previously served as Chairperson while Kelvin Daly had served as Vice Chairman of the Kwakwani NDC.

news

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saturDAY, december 30, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Delays in procurement process hindering Govt to identify GWI’s efficiency – Director site for natural

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nnecessary delays in the procurement process have significantly affected the delivery of quality service to customers, according to the Managing Director of the Guyana Water Inc, Dr Richard Van West-Charles. He was at the time identifying some of the challenges the utility company faced during 2017 in the execution of their mandate.

“We have had some challenges over the year, challenges in procurement and caused significant delays in our access to pumps and spares. It caused us to spend more money than we would not have spent if we had gone through the orderly process for purchasing but we do have problems with procurement and we have to address it in 2018 because it delays the impact of our response,” he noted.

He added that because of the delays in the procurement process, the GWI metering process had to be halted due to the shortage of meters. “We know that in some instances that the meters be replaced again we had hoped that by the end of this year we would

GWI Managing Director Richard Van West-Charles

have had 20,000 meters purchased and the installation commenced but because of a delayed procurement process, we now have to wait for 2018 to purchase these meters and this is not right,” Van West-Charles noted.

He said the procurement challenges would have caused significant delays in the access to pumps and spares.

Generic criteria

Van West-Charles added that in addition to the delayed process, sometimes the contracts would be delayed at the Cabinet level as well.

“I personally do not think that the criteria is set in a way that allows small contractors to participate in a meaningful way and when you set a system with yes and no and you have one no and you are thrown out I do not think that is a fair system,” he stated.

Additionally, he said he is of the view that the process should be modified to a point system as opposed to the current yes or no system. He added that he would have already instructed the GWI’s officers to ensure that the process is a fair and inclusive one that addresses the various

criteria.

He stated that while a number of contractors are prequalified the company sees the same set of contractors over and over again with the smaller contractor being sidelined.

“We will have to ensure that they have an opportunity to participate in the process. We hope in 2018 that the evaluation committees can act a bit faster and some of the questions raised sometimes to my mind are questions that delay unnecessarily and doesn’t help the process,” the Managing Director stated.

“When you are dealing with a utility such as GWI that has existed for over 70 years, GWI should know what pumps for them, what chemicals work so by now if you don’t know that then something is wrong,” he added.

He further stated that the generic procurement system is one that needs to be looked at since the end product is not always quite ideal for the job.

The GWI boss stressed that the procurement process should be looked at to ensure suitability for the various entities it serves.

ECD road expansion project to be completed in 2019

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otorists and pedestrians using the East Coast Highway will have to wait a bit longer for works being undertaken from Better Hope to be completed as the deadline will extend beyond 2018.

Head of the Work Services Group (WSG) Geoffrey Vaughn told the local media that the East Coast Demerara Road Widening and Improvement Project will not be completed at the end of 2018.

In addressing the Ministry’s year-end press conference, Vaughn said physical work on the project commenced on August 29, 2017 and the duration of the project is two years.

According to him, the contractor is expected to complete 1.3 kilometers of the roadway up to the base level before the end of December 2017.

“Presently the contractors are working on the extension at Better Hope and they are at the stage of the sub base because foreign objects and the sub base itself have been removed and replaced and we will be moving to the other cases of the structure,” he explained.

It was also noted that relocation of Guyana Water Incorporated utilities is 30 per cent completed, while the heightening and construction of drains are ongoing, with 720 meters already completed.

The expansion of the public road at Better Hope

The WSG coordinator said it is projected that the project will be 75 percent completed before the end of 2018, but will most likely roll over to 2019 when it will be fully completed.

The contract for this project was awarded to China Railway International. The project entails a four-lane extension from Better Hope to Annandale, and two-lane upgrade from Annandale to Belfield with a total length of 16,998 kilometres of roads and 33,996 kilometres of drains to be built.

Apart from the road expansion, the residents are also going to benefit from the project, which included improved drainage since the East Coast is usually susceptible to flooding.

Initially, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government had tried to finance the road expansion project, but the

funding was not readily available; hence, the Administration decided to use local funds for preliminary works and use the funds from the Chinese to complete the works.

The preliminary works for the four-lane upgrade were completed at the end of 2014. This included the widening of the roads and installation of drainage facilities. The project was divided into seven lots which were awarded to different contractors.

Lot one was initially awarded to Falcon Transportation and Construction Services; however, the contract was terminated by the Public Works Ministry in 2012 and awarded last year to Dipcon Engineering Services, which is also tasked with works on Lot Two. The two lots, which covered from Better Hope to La Bonne

Intention (LBI), were joined into one.

Dipcon also worked on Lot Five (Triumph to Mon Repos).

Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited worked on Lot Three, covering LBI and Beterverwagting.

Preliminary works on Lot Four (Beterverwagting to Triumph) were done by Compustruct Engineering Inc. Lot Six covers Mon Repos to De Endragt and was awarded to Colin Talbot Contracting Services. This construction company also handled works on Lot Seven (De Endragt to Good Hope).

With the China Eximbank putting up most of the finances for the road expansion, Guyana had awarded the contract to China Railway First Group for some US$42.7 million. The Chinese construction company report-

gas pipelines

A

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

s Guyana now turns its attention towards capitalising on every aspect of the imminently booming oil and gas industry, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson on Thursday revealed that studies have commenced towards the implementation of its proposed natural gas project.

The Government is currently working at determining locations for the laying of pipelines to transfer this by-product from the offshore oil reservoirs to strategic locations across the country, to be utilised as an alternative source of energy.

Speaking at the Public Infrastructure Ministry’s year-end press conference, Patterson outlined plans for this initiative. He pointed out the regions in which the possibility of laying natural

edly put in the lowest bid of US$46.994 million. The PPP/C Administration had stated that it was saving some $2.8 billion by giving the contract to China Railway First Group.

Meanwhile, speaking about the East Bank-East Coast Road Linkage Project, Vaughn said it was awarded to an Indian company called RITES, with a design and preparation expected to be completed before the end of December 2018.

He said, “We have sent the draft contract to India.

They have responded to us yesterday (Wednesday) agreeing to the draft contract. So we should have that draft contract signed onto and works being executed. The cost for that would have been US$1.3 million.

India has approved a new Line of Credit of US$50 million for the East Bank Demerara – East Coast Road Link Project under the previous People’s Progressive Party Government.

A credit line was extended by India in 2004 with the construction of the Guyana National Stadium and solar traffic lights in Georgetown, some of the projects to benefit.

gas pipelines is currently being explored.

“Right now, I think we are between Regions 3 and 4. At the moment, Region 6 still has not been eliminated,” Paterson relayed.

The minister said, “The actual construction of the pipeline and procurement and those things like that have not been decided, and that’s why a location (must first be identified).”

He explained, “If you decide to go in one position, the technical challenges are different from others. So we need to have a preferred location, so that we can do the studies.”

At the moment, discussions are ongoing with ExxonMobil, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC), among other agencies, to ensure that the most feasible location is selected.

Patterson highlighted the factors which would be taken into consideration during this process. He indicated, “The determination of where we’re going to go has several aspects, not only land availability, (but also include) the distance away from residence, environmental challenges….”

Though the Guyana Government has reached out to the Inter-American Development Bank to further assess the project, the initial studies are currently being conducted by the Government of Japan. The findings are expected to be made public early next year.

The minister has stressed that this undertaking goes beyond just providing a cheaper alternative energy source to Guyanese.

Patterson added that Government is also looking to set up a Liquified Petroleum Gas Plant at the selected location as well.

This is to be used as a source of fuel for many residential, commercial and agricultural operations, including cooking, hot water systems, and heating.

16

guyanatimesgy.com

saturDAY, december 30, 2017

Regional

Jamaican-American named CNN Man killed after being pinned to a boat by a ‘Young Wonder of the Year’

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he Atlanta, Georgiabased Cable News Network (CNN) has named a Jamaican American among its five “Young Wonders of the Year.” Haile Thomas, 17, who lives in New Windsor, a town in Orange County, Upstate New York, was named by the network on its “Young Wonders: A CNN Heroes Special.”

All five “CNN Young Wonders” were also honoured during “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.” CNN has described Thomas as “a teen health activist,” stating that her “HAPPY organisation” is leading the next generation toward a healthier

Haile Thomas

future by bringing cooking lessons and nutrition education to children in underserved areas.”

The popular network said the five “extraordinary young people” are “making

a difference in their communities. “Their inspiring stories serve as reminders that you are never too young to change the world,” CNN said.

It said Thomas is an in-

OPEC nation sold crude oil at below market prices in exchange for bribes.

Ramirez, who led PDVSA for a decade, told Reuters the allegation was a “blatant lie.” Venezuelan authorities had warned earlier this month that they planned to launch a criminal investigation of the former oil czar, in an escalation of a corruption purge that has resulted in the arrest of dozens of senior

oil executives. ”(Ramirez) appears as the main intellectual author of what happened,” said Saab, inviting Ramirez to Venezuela to defend himself.

Venezuela ordered the removal of Ramirez from his post as representative to the United Nations in New York last month. “What the prosecutor says is not only false but demonstrates a deep ig-

ternational speaker, health activist, vegan food and lifestyle influencer, podcaster, the youngest Certified Integrative Health Coach in the United States, and the founder/chief executive officer of the nonprofit HAPPY (Healthy Active Positive Purposeful Youth).

Thomas, who is the daughter of Jamaicans, said on her website that she founded HAPPY when she was 12 years old to “address the need for free/affordable plant-based nutrition and culinary education in underserved/at-risk communities, as well as in schools and through annual summer camps.” (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

crane in The Bahamas

P

olice in The Bahamas have launched an investigation into the death of a young man who died after he was pinned to a boat by a crane on Thursday.

Police have not yet released the name of the victim, but said the accident occurred on the island of Exuma, while the youth was assisting in hoisting a sailboat from the waters at the Government Dock in George Town.

They said the crane that was being used snapped

from the truck it was attached to, hitting the young man and pinning him to the boat, which became submerged in the water.

“The victim was rescued from the water and taken to the local clinic where he was pronounced dead. Another male was examined at the local clinic and was later airlifted to New Providence for further medical treatment,” the police said in a brief statement without also identifying the injured man.

(Jamaica Observer)

BVI launches Venezuela probes ex-oil czar Ramirez flood-resilient communities project over alleged graft scheme

V

enezuela is investigating Rafael Ramirez, a once powerful oil minister and former head of state oil company PDVSA, in connection with an alleged $4.8 billion Vienna-based corruption scheme, the State prosecutor’s office announced on Friday.

Prosecutor Tarek Saab said Ramirez and at least four other oil executives from the South American

norance,” said Ramirez.

He added that the Vienna office of PDVSA was not in charge of selling oil but rather monitoring prices of Venezuelan crude exports.

In his announcement on Friday, Saab also reported the arrest of Nelida Izarra, a former boss at a Viennabased subsidiary of PDVSA, for alleged links to irregular purchases and sales of crude oil. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Thousands march in Lima in protest over pardon for former Peru President

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housands of Peruvians have marched through Lima to vent their outrage over a pardon for the jailed former President Alberto Fujimori, in the biggest protest since the decision was announced.

The public opprobrium was directed at Peru’s president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who granted the pardon on health grounds on Christmas Eve to lift the 25-year sentence, Fujimori, 79, had been serving for corruption and authorising death squad killings.

Public indignation threatens to push Kuczynski’s beleaguered Government into a political crisis as he reshuffles his Cabinet and seeks to forge a new alliance with the majority Opposition party led by Fujimori’s daughter Keiko.

“The President has lost all legitimacy,” said Maria Isabel Cedano, a feminist campaigner who supported Kuczynski, known as PPK, in Peru’s 2016 presidential runoff to prevent a victory for Keiko Fujimori. “He has betrayed us. He should resign and convene new elections.”

Amid the face-painted drummers, workers’ unions, students and feminist collectives wearing traditional Andean embroidered skirts, Kuczynski’s image

Demonstrators protest against the pardon of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori in Lima on Thursday

was a new addition to the rubber-faced puppet caricatures worn by actors waving bundles of banknotes in the burlesque parade usually reserved for Fujimori and other former leaders tainted with corruption.

Marchers wore headbands reading “The pardon is an insult” and carried placards saying “Justice cannot be negotiated” as they chanted “Out, out PPK.” (Excerpt from The Guardian)

T

Flooding in the BVI during Hurricane Otto

hree flood-prone communities in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) will soon benefit from a project that will help them build resilience to that particular climate change impact.

The Establishing Flood-Resilient SMART Communities through Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) Partnerships project will target the communities of Sea Cow’s Bay and East End/ Long Look on Tortola, and Great Harbour on the sister island of Jost Van Dyke.

The project is being fund-

Panama Papers leak

More than $500M recovered by tax authorities worldwide

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ore than $500 million has been recouped by tax authorities worldwide after the Panama Papers documents leak, first revealed in April 2016.

Spain alone collected $122 million after an investigation into the affairs of tax residents who had stockpiled money offshore. Among the countries represented in the Panama Papers data, a total of 15 – on three continents – have publicly commented on the amount of taxes recovered by tax authorities.

This number could keep growing with several countries still conducting audits

on the basis of the Panama Papers information.

In Canada, 123 audits are un-

ing recouped $1.2 billion in taxes this year, though it is not clear what percentage

derway and several criminal investigations are ongoing, according to the Canada Revenue Agency. South Korea also reported hav-

is directly connected to the Panama Papers.

Last July, the German federal Police agency announced it had bought the

Panama Papers data. The agency conducted raids and has so far frozen two million euros. Danish tax authorities also acquired a portion of the Panama Papers data from an unknown source and are investigating 320 companies and 500 to 600 individuals linked through the data to Denmark.

Earlier this year, the founders of the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca were arrested on money laundering charges after authorities raided the firm’s headquarters as part of investigations into Brazil’s largest-ever bribery scandal, known as Lava Jato (Car Wash). (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

ed through the Community Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (CDRRF), which is managed by the Caribbean Development Bank.

It is a collaborative effort among the government of the British Virgin Islands through the Department of Disaster Management (DDM), and several non-profit organisations, including the Adventist Development Relief Agency, Rotary Family of BVI, BVI Red Cross and the Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society.

CDRRF funded the project to the tune of US$649,500.

Work to be completed under the project will include retrofitting the Ebenezer Thomas Primary School and Valarie O Thomas Community Centre, the installation of sirens, and the procurement and installation of emergency signs and sedimentation traps for water courses.

Director of the Department of Disaster Management, Sharleen DaBreo underscored the project’s importance in helping the BVI lessen its vulnerability to climate change impacts. Like other Caribbean islands, the BVI is highly susceptible to the devastating impact of natural disasters because of the proximity of communities to coastlines and changes to natural topography. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

saturDAY, december 30, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

wants Postal Service to charge Russian tankers fuelled North Korea Trump 'much more' for Amazon shipments via transfers at sea – sources P resident Donald Trump called on the US Postal Service on Friday to charge “much more” to ship packages for Amazon, picking another fight with an online retail giant he has criticised in the past.

The President’s tweet drew fresh attention to the fragile finances of the Postal Service at a time when tens of millions of parcels have just been shipped all over the country for the holiday season.

The US Postal Service,

R

ussian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea, according to two senior Western European security sources, providing an economic lifeline to the secretive Communist state.

The sales of oil or oil products from Russia, the world’s second biggest oil exporter and a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council, breach UN sanctions, the security sources said.

The transfers in October and November indicate that smuggling from Russia to North Korea has evolved to loading cargoes at sea since Reuters reported in September that North Korean ships were sailing directly from Russia to their homeland.

“Russian vessels have made ship-to-ship transfers of petrochemicals to North Korean vessels on several occasions this year in breach of sanctions,” the first security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

The Lighthouse Winmore was seized when it returned to Yeosu in November and remains in South Korea, South Korean officials said (BBC News)

The two security sources cited naval intelligence and satellite imagery of the vessels operating out of Russian Far Eastern ports on the Pacific but declined to disclose further details to Reuters, saying it was classified.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry and the Russian Customs Service both declined to comment when asked on Wednesday if

Russian ships had supplied fuel to North Korean vessels. The owner of one ship accused of smuggling oil to North Korea denied any such activity.

North Korea relies on imported fuel to keep its struggling economy functioning.

It also requires oil for its intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear program that the United States says threatens the peace in Asia.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Bronx NYC fire 'caused by child playing'

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ew York City investigators believe the Bronx fire that killed 12 people, including four children, was caused by a child playing with a cooker.

An unattended three-yearold boy accidentally started the blaze, fire commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

As the child's mother fled with her two children, she then left the door open, allowing the fire to enter the hallway. The stairway had then "acted like a chimney" allowing the fire to spread rapidly upwards, he explained.

The fire on Thursday night was the deadliest in the city for at least 25 years, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio. Police said that among the dead were three girls, aged one, two and seven, and a boy who had not yet been identified.

Officials have not yet released the names of any of the victims. Five victims were declared dead at the scene. At least 20 people were rescued from fire escapes and another 12 were brought out of the building.

More than 170 firefighters helped bring the blaze

under control in below-freezing weather conditions.

Local media report that two children were found dead in the arms of a woman who had been seeking shelter in a bathtub.

A US Army soldier, who was home for the holidays, is being reported missing by his family. Emmanuel Mensah, 28, was staying on the third floor of the building, his father told the New York Daily News. He had visited four hospitals looking for his son. (Excerpt from BBC

News)

Kamala Mills: Fire at Mumbai complex kills 15 people

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massive late-night fire that broke out at a Mumbai complex has killed at least 15 people, officials said. The blaze erupted just after midnight at a building in the popular Kamala Mills restaurant and shopping compound. It engulfed the structure within 30 minutes, local media reported.

More people have been injured in the blaze, with several being treated in hospital.

It is not yet known what caused the fire at the 1 Above rooftop restaurant.

Local media report-

ed that an artificial ceiling made of bamboo collapsed, trapping people inside as they tried to escape.

According to the Times of India, many of the guests tried to seek shelter in the bathroom and were trapped there. The paper also cites a hospital doctor saying that all the deaths were due to suffocation.

TV and social media footage showed firefighters and rescue teams at the scene, with the top of the building consumed by flames and plumes of smoke.

Most of the casualties were women attending a

party. A 28-year-old woman who was celebrating her birthday died in the fire, her grandfather told Reuters news agency.

Police are investigating the cause of the fire and have filed preliminary charges against the restaurant's owners. Kamala Mills is a refurbished industrial compound and houses several upscale restaurants, bars, offices and hotels. It is also home to several media outlets with a number of national news channels affected by the fire, including Times Now, Mirror Now and ET Now. (Excerpt from BBC News)

which runs at a big loss, is an independent agency within the federal government and does not receive tax dollars for operating expenses, according to its website.

Package delivery has become an increasingly important part of its business as the Internet has led to a sharp decline in the amount of first-class letters. The President does not determine postal rates. They are set by the Postal Regulatory Commission, an independent government agency

with commissioners selected by the President from both political parties. That panel raised prices on packages by almost two per cent in November.

Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos, who remains the Chief Executive Officer of the retail company and is the richest person in the world, according to Bloomberg News. Bezos also owns The Washington Post, a newspaper Trump has repeatedly railed against in his criticisms of the news media. (Excerpt from Reuters)

South African court delivers Zuma impeachment blow

S

outh Africa's top court has found that Parliament failed to comply with its duties in holding President Jacob Zuma accountable over a public funding case.

The ruling said Parliament must now set out rules for impeachment proceedings, but it remains unclear whether this will lead to any impeachment.

The court was hearing a case brought by Opposition groups who wanted Parliament to be compelled to begin impeachment.

It relates to Zuma's use of state funds to upgrade his private home. Handing down the Constitutional Court ruling, Judge Chris Jafta said: "We conclude that the assembly did not hold the President to account.

"The assembly must put in place a mechanism that could be used for the removal of the President from of-

The case relates to Zuma's use of State funds to upgrade his private home

fice." But the court said it could not intervene on how Parliament determined the mechanism and that it had no power to order an impeachment. The court awarded costs against Zuma and Parliament.

The court ruling was by majority. Dissenting Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng said the ruling was a clear case of "judicial overreach".

Some $15 million (£11.1 million) in state money was spent upgrading Zuma's

home. In March 2016, the court ruled he had ignored a watchdog's findings and said he must pay some of the money back. The president has reimbursed $631,000, deemed by the Treasury to be "reasonable".

Parliament then debated the matter and he survived a no-confidence vote, but Friday's court ruling said that the procedures it followed were insufficient.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Gunman opens fire on Cairo church; shootout kills at least 9

A

gunman on a motorcycle opened fire Friday outside a church in a Cairo suburb and at a nearby store, sparking a shootout that killed at least nine people, including eight Coptic Christians, authorities said.

It was the latest attack targeting Egypt's embattled Christian minority. The gunman was also killed, along with at least one police officer, officials said. The local affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack late Friday, saying it was carried out by a "security detail" and that one of its men was "martyred" in the strike.

The claim was carried by the group's Aamaq news agency.

The attack began when the gunman tried to break through the security cordon outside the Coptic Church of Mar Mina. It was not clear how many assailants were involved. Egypt's Interior

Egyptian security members and forensic police inspect the site of a gun attack outside a church south of the capital Cairo, on December 29, 2017 (Fox61.com)

Ministry referred to only one, but the Coptic Orthodox church mentioned "gunmen."

Five people were wounded, including another police officer, Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said. The attack came amid tightened security around churches and Christian facilities ahead of the Coptic Orthodox Christian celebrations of Christmas on Jan. 7. Police have been stationed outside churches

and in nearby streets across Cairo.

President AbdelFattah el-Sissi has personally chaired meetings with his top security chiefs in recent days to discuss security during New Year's Eve and the Orthodox Christmas.

President Donald Trump spoke with Egypt's president after the attack, condemning it and reiterating "that the United States will continue to stand with Egypt in the face of terrorism." (Excerpt from

Yahoo! News)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

saturDAY, december 30, 2017

ARCHIE

Keep a low profile and avoid emotional indulgence. A money (March 21matter will leave you uncertain April 19) regarding the best way to move forward. Protect your personal documents, possessions and passwords.

ARIES

Someone will mislead you TAURUS if you show your vulnerability.

(April 20- Be direct about the way you May 20) feel and what you want to see transpire. Refuse to let anyone take advantage of you.

dilbert

Say what’s on your mind.

GEMINI It’s better to be straightfor(May 21ward about your feelings and June 20) expectations. Don’t lead anyone on or make promises you don’t plan to keep.

Uncertainty regarding your

CANCER professional future should be (June 21- looked at with optimism. A July 22) change will do you good, but

Peanuts

that doesn’t mean you should quit and start over. Parlay what you do into something better.

Take time to talk to someLEO one who needs advice or is (July 23- down and out. Your positive Aug. 22) pep talk will help and will spark a good idea.

Emotions will be difficult to VIRGO control. Don’t make assump(Aug. 23- tions; if something seems susSept. 22) picious, ask questions and get

Calvin and Hobbes

the lowdown before you make a move. Focus on personal growth, love and happiness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Don’t let temptation get the better of you. Spending money or investing in a deal that someone is pushing on you will lead to regret. Walk away from aggressive people.

Focus on your relationSCORPIO ship with others. Sharing (Oct. 24your feelings and plans will Nov. 22) spark all sorts of interesting options. Love and romance are in the stars.

You’ll be given false inforSAGITTARIUS mation. Don’t be gullible. If (Nov. 23- something sounds too good to Dec. 21) be true, take a pass. Use what you learn to your advantage if you want to find a better deal.

solution for LAST PUBLISHED Puzzle

Reject anyone using CAPRICORN high-pressure tactics or per(Dec. 22suasive means to meddle in Jan. 19) your life or affairs. Take control and stand firm about what you want and what you can do.

Your quick wit and fun-lov-

AQUARIUS ing attitude will draw atten(Jan. 20- tion. Make sure that before Feb. 19) you step into the spotlight you are ready to take the good with the bad. Avoid excessive behaviour.

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

Settle any dispute before PISCES (Feb. 20- it turns into a costly battle.

March 20) Don’t trust in what you are told. Ask questions and base your decisions only on facts.

saturDAY, december 30, 2017

19

The Ashes 2017-18, Australia…

Rain dampens England's best chance of a win – Cook carries his bat to record 244*

A

Alastair Cook leaves the field after carrying his bat for 244 (Getty Images)

day four on Friday and left Australia well-placed to save the fourth test.

The home side were morning 103 for two in their second that brought innings at the Melbourne two wickCricket Ground when rain ets for England interrupted play before tea and a sniff of a drought-breaking and the showers lingered long Ashes win gave enough for umpires to abandon the way to a bleak af- day without another ball bowled.

David Warner was 40 not out, ternoon for the tourists as rain with captain Steve Smith on 25 washed out most of and Australia still needing another 61 runs to make England bat again.

But even with the promise of reBowling: Hazlewood 30 - 5 - 95 – 3, Bird verse swing, Joe 30 - 5 - 108 – 0, Lyon 42 - 9 - 109 – 3, Root’s bowlers Cummins 29.1 - 1 - 117 – 4, Marsh 12 - 1 - 42 – 0, Smith 1 - 0 - 11 – 0 face a big task on an unresponsive Australia 2nd Innings pitch to prevent CT Bancroft b Woakes 27 Australia from batting them out DA Warner not out 40 of the game.

UT Khawaja c †Bairstow b Anderson 11 “Any time SPD Smith* not out 25 there’s a bit of Extras 0 rain and you’re Total (For 2 wickets, 43.5 Overs) 103 on top in the Yet to bat: SE Marsh, MR Marsh, TD Paine †, PJ game it’s a bit Cummins, JM Bird, JR Hazlewood, NM Lyon frustrating but Fall of wickets: 1-51 (CT Bancroft, 15.4 ov), 2-65 (UT Khawaja, 21.1 ov) we’ve got an opBowling Anderson 11-5-20-1, Broad 7-4-18-0, portunity tomorWoakes 11.5-6-24-1, Curran 11-3-26-0, Ali 3-0-15-0 row to win and Position: Australia trail by 61 runs that’s the attiwith 8 wickets remaining tude we’ve got to take into to-

SCOREBOARD

Australia 1st innings 327 England 1st innings (Overnight: 491-9) A. Cooknot out M. Stoneman c&b Lyon J. Vincelbw b Hazlewood J. Rootc Lyon b Cummins D. Malanlbw b Hazlewood J. Bairstow c Paine b Lyon M. Alic S. Marsh b Lyon C. Woakes c Paine b Cummins T. Curran c Paine b Hazlewood S. Broad c Khawaja b Cummins J. Andersonc Bancroft b Cummins Extras (b-4 lb-5 nb-3)12 Total(All out, 144.1 overs) 491 Fall of wickets: 1-35 Stoneman, 2-80 Vince, 3-218 Root, 4-246 Malan, 5-279 Bairstow, 6-307 Ali, 7-366 Woakes, 8-373 Curran, 9-473 Broad, 10-491 J Anderson

244 15 17 61 14 22 20 26 4 56 0

morrow,” England coach Trevor Bayliss told reporters.

“We’ve got to be very disciplined, there’s not a lot you can do on that type of wicket.

“If we can get rid of those two guys early on tomorrow and put some pressure on the opposition late order batters, as I said, anything’s possible.”

His counterpart Darren Lehmann said the pitch was “tough work” for a new batter. “(The pitch) is getting slower, “the coach told host broadcaster Channel Nine. “So once you’re in, you’ve got to stay in.

“Our boys are fighting really hard. A couple of good (England) balls to get the wickets and Smith and the vice- captain (Warner) went about their work.”

With little cricket played, former Australia players and media pundits directed allegations of ball-tampering at England, with commentator Shane Warne suggesting seamer James Anderson had used his thumbnail to work on the ball.

Umpires warned both teams not to “scuff” the ball during the match but no reports were made to the match referee.

“It’s a beat-up,” said Bayliss.

“As soon as I saw the headlines I raced into the umpires and that was their words.”

Australia regained the Ashes

after the third test in Perth and hold an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series but England had hope of cracking a first win after Alastair Cook’s unbeaten 244 propelled them to a first innings lead of 164.

They had resumed their on 4919 in the morning but were unable to extend their total, with tailender Anderson dismissed first ball by paceman Pat Cummins, fending a catch straight to Cameron Bancroft at short leg.

That left former captain Cook unbeaten on his overnight score, a record total among openers who have carried their bat through an innings.

Australia’s second innings began brightly on a cloudy but dry morning, with England losing a review for a caught behind decision when opener Bancroft played at a Tom Curran ball in the seventh over.

However, the tourists seamers struck twice to leave Australia wobbling at 65-2 before Warner and Smith showed patience and poise in their unbroken stand of 38.

All-rounder Chris Woakes made the early breakthrough, bowling Bancroft for 27, with Anderson having number three Usman Khawaja caught behind for 11.

Joshua & Parker reach proceeds deal for heavyweight fight

A

nthony Joshua and Joseph Parker are set to have a heavyweight unification fight in the spring after a deal was reached over how to split the proceeds.

Parker was reportedly demanding 40%, with Briton Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn offering him half of that.

But Parker's promoter has told the BBC a compromise has been reached to earn the New Zealander between 30-35%.

"We have taken a giant leap forward," said David Higgins. "The fight has never been closer to reality."

Joshua, 28, is seeking to add Parker's WBO crown to his WBA and IBF titles before a possible meeting with American WBC champion Deontay Wilder. No box-

er has held all four heavyweight belts simultaneously.

Higgins says he has received a contract from Hearn and expects to travel to the UK early in 2018 to finalise one of the biggest bouts in recent times.

A date and location are yet to be agreed, but initial discussions suggest a window of 31 March to 28 April and potential venues in London, Manchester and Cardiff.

According to Higgins, the deal includes an automatic rematch clause if 25-year-old Parker wins, but the terms of a Joshua victory are still under consideration.

A number of other areas are being negotiated, such as judges and anti-doping procedures, though Higgins

Anthony Joshua won the WBA world heavyweight title after beating Wladimir Klitschko in April

anticipates no problems.

The promoter added: "There are a few other things to be ironed out but I've been sent the contract.

It's with my lawyers and I'll send if back in the next day or so.

"I'd like to pay tribute to Anthony Joshua and Eddie.

Talk is cheap but they want

to unify the division and they've put their money where their mouth is.

"Eddie has been wonderful to deal with. There has been no ego and even though we're the smaller side he has been respectful."

Hearn said he was "very hopeful" that a deal would

soon be done but cautioned that "there is no fight until the contract is signed".

Speaking to Sky Sports, he added: "Either way, AJ's next fight will be announced in early 2018."

Earlier this month, Parker held a news conference featuring clips of Joshua being knocked down and Higgins has previously told BBC Sport that the British fighter was "hyped" and "rattled".

That prompted Joshua to say he was being "demonised", but Higgins insisted he has "delusions of grandeur and persecution".

"Some would say this is trash talk but it's not we've analysed him and he is robotic," Higgins said.

"He's not used to being analysed like this publicly and we make no apologies

for that. We are analysing his strengths and weaknesses and if he's not comfortable with that he's had a bit of a soft ride to date.

"The UK fans have been brainwashed into thinking he's an impenetrable fortress but there are many chinks in his armour.

Looking like a body builder is not the top criteria for winning a heavyweight fight.

"The bookmakers will have Joshua but when he comes into the ring it will be in his mind that he has been dropped - whereas Parker hasn't. There will be a voice in his head saying that. Look at Joseph's record. Guys who square up like Joshua suit him.

"It's going to be an explosive fight, it could well be the fight of the decade." (BBC)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

saturDAY, december 30, 2017

…Corona pulls out of GFF’s Super 16 – GFF says show will go on

By Michelangelo Jacobus

T

op Brandz through their Corona beer brand had partnered with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to hold the Super 16 year-end tournament which is currently being played in addition to bringing renowned dancehall artiste ‘Popcaan’ for the finals after-party on January 1.

However, the company hosted a press conference at their head office on Friday afternoon and revealed that they will take no further part in the tournament as they have not seen the materialization of GFF’s contribution in bringing ‘Popcaan’ to Guyana.

Speaking at the press conference, Top Brandz Representative Marvin Wray disclosed; “everything did not fall into place, some matters came up that could not have validated our presence in the organization of the event anymore. We (Top Brandz) had promised you the people of the country to bring Popcaan for the final of the event, we have done everything we possibly could to have that in place, we’ve tried to do as much as we could, but the partnership that we had, it has not materialized on some ends, we are forced now to remove ourselves from this event.”

Wray maintained that despite the termination of the company’s partnership with GFF, the sport fraternity can look forward to numerous projects by

Top Brandz in 2018 especially as they seek to launch a new brand of beer; the Hairoun beer out of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Through that brand, the company will look at the possibility of hosting various tournaments countrywide.

“We will consider football as our main source of spreading this beer; we will work closely with smaller organizations and the GFF in the future but immediately at the moment as it is, we will not be taking further part in the tournament [Super 16]. We deeply regret any issues or problems that may have arisen, it is with a sad and heavy heart because Popcaan is also a personal favourite of mine, we want to give you, the Guyanese public the best that you can get, we want to give you value for your dollar and if we believe at some time or the other things will not generate in a certain direction, we have to take a step back and give you what you deserve,” Wray continued.

“I implore of anybody out there; if you have an idea or concept that you think can benefit football or the sport fraternity, come visit us at Top Brandz and we can work something out because at the end of the day we believe that the future depends on you,” he challenged.

Initially, the agreement was that Top Brandz would facilitate 50% of the artiste’s fee and the GFF would fulfill the other 50% of the expenses to bring Popcaan to Guyana, however up to Friday Top Brandz maintained that they were ready to fulfill their obligation.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Football Federation issued a media release on the matter stating that a surprise international artiste will be present for the after-final party. (See full release on page 22).

Z

Burnham Park being considered for synthetic track C

onsultants from the Germany Company BSW Regapaul recently scouted the Burnham Park, New Amsterdam area as a possible site for a new Synthetic Track.

The team of consultants from the German-based company who was responsible for the construction of the Lenora Synthetic Track engaged stakeholders and provided a survey regarding the idea of turning the park into a Synthetic.

Assistant Director of Sports, Melissa Dow Richardson stated that the project, is set to commence in January 2018 and added that the main reason for the site visit is to determine concerns such as drainage of the venue, waterlogging and the siting of various amenities like concession stands.

Richardson hinted at a full-sized football field will be constructed on the inside of the track while some $160 Million has been set aside for the construction of the facility and apart with areas such as

The consultants from BSW Regapaul surveying the New Amsterdam Park

soil testing and more aspects of surveying to be carried out with Tenders being made public for contractors to commence work.

The facility is set to feature a 400M Synthetic track with all the necessary amenities and space to facilitate; International Track

and Field events including, Shot Put, Javelin, Discus and Hammer, Long, Triple and High Jump areas.

Consultant Patrick Heinen said, when completed, the track will be World Class and International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) certi-

Zimbabwe to reconsider focus after crushing Test defeat

fied. Meanwhile, Brian Ibrahim on of the projects engineers stated that the site at New Amsterdam should not create a challenge since a playfield already exists. The other issues of waterlogging among others will also be addressed.

Zimbabwe faded in the shadows of their historic 4-day day/night Test

imbabwe might concentrate on the limited overs formats to be more competitive in the wake of a devastating defeat by South Africa in their one-off Test at St George’s Park on Wednesday.

The bottom-ranked test nation were beaten by an innings and 120 runs inside two days in the inaugural four-day Test against their neighbours.

Coach Heath Streak afterwards said Zimbabwe’s infrequent test schedule made it near impossible to compete against top countries like South Africa.

“Maybe there is an argument for us to focus a lot more of our resources and time into short-format cricket to give us ourselves more of a realistic chance of competing at a higher level rather than hanging around near the bottom of the table,” he told reporters.

Streak said if Zimbabwe were to play more Tests, they might have to settle for games against the likes of newcomers Afghanistan and Ireland.

“I think if you get a bit of context to the Test rankings, with an incentive to get to the next level, with maybe a promotion-relegation type of thing, it’s worth looking at,” he said.

“Obviously we would like to play against the top countries but maybe we could play them at home so we can set up the conditions to favour us.”

Zimbabwe, whose Test venues in Bulawayo and Harare are notoriously slow wickets, were bowled out twice in a single day on Wednesday on a bouncy surface where their batsmen had no answer to the pace of the South African attack.

Added to that, they were playing with the pink ball for the first time in their maiden day-night Test.

“We knew it was always going to be tough,” added captain Graeme Cremer. ”When we saw how the ball moved around under the lights, we knew it was tough, especially with their attack (and) at the end of the day they were too good for us.

“I don’t think we were overwhelmed by the atmosphere. We were surprised seeing the ball move so much, and we didn’t assess the conditions.”

Zimbabwe next month head to Bangladesh for an ODI tri-series against their hosts and Sri Lanka before moving on to Dubai where they take on Afghanistan. (Reuters)

sports

saturDAY, december 30, 2017 | www.guyanatimesgy.com

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Lower Corentyne pumped ahead of play-offs

Anthony Adams

gotten full points from those encounters,” said Solomon.

Lower Corentyne finished second in the Jaguars 3-Day League, coming up a few points short behind winners and current 50 Over finalists; Essequibo. Solomon said his players will be placing heavy emphasis on the Georgetown encounter before setting their sights on retaining their title when and if they meet Essequibo in the final.

“In the three day league we brought second and we

Georgetown will be coming full strength but we are confident because we have a good all-round team with batsmen who can bowl and bowlers who can bat so when we play I’m expecting a close match.”

With Essequibo unbeaten so far in the competition, the coach said while his team boasts numerous big players capable of turning a match on its head, he’s still wary about possible threats of facing Essequibo in the finals; should they ace the

By Clifton Ross

D

efending Jaguars 50 Over Champions Lower Corentyne are ready to tackle Georgetown in the play-offs and possibly advance to the finals, as they seek to retain their title; according to Coach Leslie Solomon.

After rain forced the play-offs which were originally set for Thursday, to a new, undisclosed date; Guyana Times Sport caught up with the Coach who said his team despite being disappointed at the number of games curtailed by inclement weather, were still in a positive mindset.

“The fellows were disappointed because 2 of their 3 matches which were against weaker franchises were called off due to rain and we were sure that we could have

Kandasammy Surujnarine

Rajiv Ivan

could have possibly won if Essequibo didn’t come-frombehind. Our team is more of a one-day team because our players are good all-round players so I expect that when we play Georgetown we will have a keenly contested match.”

He continued, “We know

Georgetown assignment.

“We know Essequibo will be coming strong based on their current track record and the mode of cricket they’re playing. In the tree day we had a lead of 150 against them in one of the matches so it’s kind of a psychological boost for the guys.

Balchand Baldeo

Anthony Adams got the bulk of the wicket so once we can nullify him for a few overs, we can force a win,” admitted the Coach.

Although both of Lower Corentyne’s opponents have a string of quality players, Solomon believed that his players have what it takes to conquer the upcoming challenges and help their franchise to retain their title.

“We have players like Anthony Bramble who is in good form, Clinton Pestano was good with bat and ball and we also have in-form players like Kandasammy Surujnarine and Balchand Baldeo. In the middle, players like Rajiv Ivan, Shawn Perreira and others have been playing well so we are all looking forward to the challenges ahead as we look to retain our title,” he ended.

T&T Under-20 women desperate for friendlies – Shabazz T

rinidad and Tobago women’s Under-20 coach Jamaal Shabazz has admitted the team is desperate for friendlies ahead of the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championships, which will take place at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva next month.

The Shabazz-coached team has had some practice ahead of the January 18-28 tournament after playing two matches against the national women’s team, which ended in 2-0 defeats and another encounter against a Northern Football Association (NFA) Under-15 boys team which resulted in an identical loss.

The coach is, however, desirous of having the benefit of international opposition before the start of the eight-team competition, which serves as a qualifier for three teams to the 2018 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in France. A lack of quality opposition and budgetary restraints, however, admittedly makes that dream a hard one to fulfil.

“Right now we’re looking at any national team active in Central America or South America. It’s a little difficult to put together,” Shabazz told the T&T Newsday.

“If we get a chance to play on the moon, we will play.

The ideal would be to get somebody to come play here but it’s very difficult. In women’s football, friendly matches are a luxury,” he added.

“The budget in the Associations are very tight.

Often times, even in the days of plenty with (exTTFF Special Advisor) Jack Warner, we would have had to prioritise.”

Shabazz added that with the exception of Haiti

and Jamaica the other Caribbean teams around the region were inactive or not up to standard and that travelling considerations made Central American opponents difficult fixtures to arrange. (Sportsmax)

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

saturDAY, december 30, 2017

Persaud’s World Cup dreams in limbo …GCB official provides incorrect information for VISA application

W

indies under-19 World Cup squad left Barbados on Thursday evening enroute to England then New Zealand for the 2018 ICC Youth 50-over World Cup but one Guyanese player Joshua Persaud is still at home.

The shocking revelations as to why the talented wicketkeeper/ batsman did not leave with fellow countrymen Ashmead Nedd, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Raymond Perez and Bhaskar Yadram on Wednesday morning for Barbados where the rest of the squad assembled, was given as a negligent error on the part of an official of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).

According to a source close to the matter who wished to remain unnamed due to fears of victimization, “a GCB official was preparing all [of] the players’ documents and provided the wrong email address for Joshua. The British Embassy had sent him a mail since December 11 [2017] requesting additional information to complete his application but due to

The Windies U-19 squad minus Joshua Persaud prior to departure from the Grantley Adams International Airport

the incorrect email he was not notified and could not complete the process.”

It is understood that a similar incident occurred with another local player but that situation was quickly resolved due to awareness by the player’s relatives.

While it is still unknown whether Persaud will be able to join the team’s one-week preparation camp in the New Zealand, the source further revealed, “Cricket West Indies has taken over everything and are working to address the issue but we still don’t know when he will be able to leave here to join the squad.”

In the world cup, Windies U19, the defending champions are slated to have a series of warm-up matches early in January prior to their first match on January 13 against hosts New Zealand. The Caribbean side will then clash with South Africa four days later before their final group match against Kenya on January 20.

Roy Baijnauth Surprise international artiste T20 attracts for GFF Super 16 Finale 23 clubs W

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ecretaries, Managers and Captains of 23 Clubs recently attended the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association’s (UCCA) official launching of the Roy Baijnauth 20/20 competition.

Held at the # 73 Village Cricket Club on Thursday December 20, clubs in attendance were; # 43 Scorpions, # 48 Challengers, # 59 Youth & Sports Club, The Yakasari Caribs, # 68,, # 69 Vikings, # 64 Fighting Marines, Guns & Roses, # 72 all Stars, # 77 Sports Club, Crab Wood Creek Sports Club, # 71 Cricket Club, # 70 Cricket Club, # 70 MYO, Bomb Squad, All Family, # 70 Young Blood, # 73 young Warriors, # 72 Cut & Load, Skeldon Super Kings, Skeldon Titans, Scotsburg Cricket Club, and # 69 Red Rose.

Those present were enthusiastic about cricket being brought back to the area of Upper Corentyne as a period of dormancy took effect since 2012.

President of the UCCA, Hamant Jagdeo, said to the large gathering of Clubs, that he was satisfied with the huge outpouring of support he has received from the Clubs, thus assuring that this competition is just one of many that the UCCA will be hosting for the development of cricket in the area.

Meanwhile, Vadanand Sugrim, Secretary of the UCCA, said the association will spare no ef-

forts in ensuring that all Clubs are involved, and empowered. He said that the Competition at hand, the Roy Baijnauth 20/20 will be of a high standard, properly monitored and administered.

UCCA will provide balls and qualified Umpires for all the games in all the rounds of the competition, he said. Cash Incentives and trophies will be given to deserving teams. A monitoring committee will be set up to gather statistics, and other data to compile player profiles in the area.

Following the drawing, Assistant Secretary and Chairman of the Competitions Committee, Lakhram Lathman, announced that venues will be announced to teams in a timely manner, as well as printed copies of the 20/20 rules. The Competition is scheduled to bowl off from January 7, 2018.

The Drawing determined the following: # 72 Cut & Load vs. # 59 YSC, Scotsburg vs. # 68, Guns & Roses vs. # 70 CC, # 70 MYO vs. # 64 Fighting Marines, All Family vs.

Yakasari Caribs, Bomb Squad vs. # 72 all Star, Skeldon Super Kings vs. # 77 Sports Club, # 69 Red Rose vs. # 48 Challengers, # 70 Young Blood vs. # 43 Scorpions, # 73 Young Warriors vs. Crab Wood Creek Sports Club, Skeldon Titans vs. # 77 Cricket Club. # 69 Vikings drew bye to the next round of the competition.

ith the finals and third-place playoff of the GFF Super 16 Classic set for January 1, 2018, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) will have a surprise Jamaican artist as part of the post-match entertainment package and not Popcaan as initially announced.

This was revealed in a press release late Friday evening.

It stated; “this change was due to budgetary constraints of the GFF to honour, in a timely manner, the payment requested by the proposed artist. However, the GFF has secured an alternate world renowned artist who has committed to perform at the grand finale.”

The promotion or identification of this new artist is embargoed due to his

contractual obligations until January 1, 2018. Wayne Forde, President of the GFF said it’s unfortunate that Popcaan is unable to be present but the new artist will provide top quality entertainment as the GFF pulls the curtains down on the first yearend tournament held: “This is the first year for the GFF Super 16 Classic with each game exceeding expectations. Grove Hi-Tech FC seems to be the proverbial dark-horse.

We are disappointed that it was not possible to secure the additional funding for the January 1 finals show.

We now have 10 months to bring off a spectacular 2018 event.”

The GFF had engaged Top Brandz Distributors, under the Corona Beer brand, as a partner to pro-

GFF President, Wayne Forde

mote the entertainment for the grand finale but following the funding challenge of the initial proposed artist and GFF opting for an alternate, the company chose to withdraw its support.

The GFF is however optimistic that the part-

Linden vs Georgetown clash headlines LABA’s year-end ball L inden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) is hosting their annual end of year " Night with Stars" Basketball meets Fashion and Awards ceremony on Saturday December 30 at the McKenzie Sports Club (MSC).

In the night’s first game, Wismar take on McKenzie before the feature return clash between Linden and Georgetown for bragging rights once again.

During the night, there will be a display of fashion and the LABA’s year-end awards ceremony where among other prizes, the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year will be presented.

The night which promises to be memorable is supported by Magnum Tonic Wine and caters for all sporting fans in and out of Linden as such LABA is encouraging all desirous of attending to pick up their early bird tickets for only $1000 at Muslim Top up Shop and Sisters to Sisters Beauty.

nership with Top Brandz Distributors will bear fruit in the new year since the opportunities are present in football to have a mutually beneficial relationship.

The tournament, which will now be called the “GFF Super 16 Classic” has a first prize of two million dollars, the second prize is one million dollars, third-place prize is five hundred thousand dollars and the fourthplaced team will take away two hundred and fifty thousand dollars together with football equipment including balls and cones.

The third-place and finals are billed for the National Track and Field Stadium, Leonora.

The matches are scheduled for 18:00hrs and 21:00hrs with the show to follow immediately after the finals.

guyanatimesgy.com

saturDAY, december 30, 2017

23

Different format, same result …Windies beaten in T20 series opener

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ynamic fifties from Colin Munro and Glenn Phillips laid the base, the lower order pitched in, then a sharp New Zealand attack aided by even sharper catching, saw the hosts trounce West Indies for the sixth time on tour.

The visitors were also complicit in their own demise, leaking too many runs in the second half of New Zealand's innings, and later failing to gain any momentum in their chase of 188. In the 10th over, they were 61 for 3 - the required rate already having risen to 12. Batsmen continued to fall as the pressure mounted. The eventual margin of defeat was 47 runs, the last wicket falling in the 19th over.

Though the top order paced the innings intelligently, and the quicks were efficient in defence of a big score, it was New Zealand's fielding that truly delighted. Phillips pulled off two outstanding catches from behind the stumps, first tracking a Chris Gayle top edge back from his wicket-keeping position to complete a spectacular diving take past the thirty-yard circle. Then later, he flung himself to his right to intercept an edge off Rovman Powell's bat.

Debutant Anaru Kitchen also claimed a sharp catch at cover, the ground fielding was athletic, and Phillips completed two stumpings to boot. New Zealand were missing some key players in this XI, but their peerless fielding standards did not dip on account on their absence.

There was hope for West Indies in the first few overs of the match. Martin Guptill was trapped in front of the stumps

by Jerome Taylor in the second over, and Samuel Badree kept the scoring on a leash through the Powerplay. It was not until the eighth over that Munro truly broke free, whipping Kesrick Williams to deep square leg for four, then slamming the two subsequent deliveries for six, in the rough direction of cow corner.

Windies opener, Chris Gayle hit two fours and debutant 1became 9Seth Rance’s first victim in T20Is

With that run over, the innings had come alive.

M u n r o would go in to complete a fifty off 31 deliveries, before eventually being caught by a diving Carlos Brathwaite at long on.

The 86-run stand for the second wicket was ended, but Phillips - who had cruised to only 31 off 29 balls at the time, kicked on.

He cracked Brathwaite for a six and a four - one boundary either side of the wicket - next over, before meting out punishment even to Badree, who is perhaps the most indomitable operator in the T20 game. Badree did soon have his revenge, however.

Having been struck for two fours in the14th over, he dipped a ball past Phillips' defence, and took out the stumps.

The remainder of New Zealand's innings was comprised of brief-but-impactful contributions - Ross Taylor hitting 20 off 13 balls, and Mitchell Santner

Windies had little to celebrate after Jerome Taylor removed Martin Guptill early on

producing 23 off 11. Though the batsmen were clinical, it was Williams' awful final over that propelled New Zealand's total from competitive to commanding.

Delivering three no-balls - two for overstepping and one for bowling too many bouncers - Williams also two fours and a six to Santner, giving away 25. Having also bowled the two most-expensive overs in the innings, his figures were 1 for 52.

In response, West Indies never really had the measure of this chase. Openers Gayle and Walton fell to successive deliveries from debutant seamer Seth Rance, and though Shai Hope and Andre Fletcher attempted a recovery, they did not score quickly enough to worry the hosts. Fletcher appeared to be warming to his work when he ran down the pitch one too many times at Ish Sodhi, and had the ball slip past his blade.

The wickets tumbled quickly after that. Jason Mohammed and Shai Hope were out in the 11th over, bowled by Doug Bracewell.

Brathwaite then struck some heavy blows, before he and Powell departed in the same Tim Southee over. With five overs re-

maining, West Indies were seven down and required 87 - a near impossible requirement. Rance dismissed Badree to end the in-

nings, and collected figures of 3 for 30, which were the best in the match. (ESPN Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD New Zealand Innings (20 overs maximum) MJ Guptill lbw b Taylor C Munro c Brathwaite b Nurse GD Phillips† b Badree TC Bruce lbw b Taylor LRPL Taylor c Taylor b Brathwaite AK Kitchen b Williams MJ Santner not out DAJ Bracewell c & b Brathwaite TG Southee* not out Extras (b-1, lb-2, nb-4) 7 Total (For 7 wickets, 20 Overs) 187 Did not bat: IS Sodhi, SHA Rance Fall of wickets: 1-5 (MJ Guptill, 1.3 ov), 2-91 (C Munro, 11.3 ov), 3-118 (GD Phillips, 13.4 ov), 4-120 (TC Bruce, 14.2 ov), 5-149 (AK Kitchen, 17.1 ov), 6-153 (LRPL Taylor, 18.2 ov), 7-158 (DAJ Bracewell, 18.5 ov) Bowling Badree 4-0-22-1, Taylor 4-0-41-2, Williams 4-052-1 (nb-4), Brathwaite 4-038-2, Nurse 4-0-31-1 West Indies Innings (target:

5 53 55 2 20 12 23 0 10

188 runs from 20 overs) CAK Walton† c Kitchen b Rance 7 CH Gayle c †Phillips b Rance 12 ADS Fletcher st †Phillips b Sodhi 27 SD Hope c Munro b Bracewell 15 JN Mohammed c Taylor b Bracewell 3 R Powell c †Phillips b Southee 6 CR Brathwaite* c Bruce b Southee 21 AR Nurse not out 20 KOK Williams c †Phillips b Santner 3 JE Taylor c Bruce b Southee 20 S Badree lbw b Rance 2 Extras (lb-3, w-1) 4 Total (All out, 19 Overs) 140 Fall of wickets: 1-19 (CH Gayle, 2.4 ov), 2-19 (CAK Walton, 2.5 ov), 3-61 (ADS Fletcher, 9.2 ov), 4-66 (JN Mohammed, 10.3 ov), 5-67 (SD Hope, 10.5 ov), 6-93 (CR Brathwaite, 14.2 ov), 7-94 (R Powell, 14.4 ov), 8-103 (KOK Williams, 15.4 ov), 9-131 (JE Taylor, 17.6 ov), 10-140 (S Badree, 18.6 ov) Bowling Rance 4-0-30-3 (w-1), Southee 4-0-36-3, Bracewell 2-010-2, Kitchen 1-0-10-0, Santner 4-0-21-1, Sodhi 4-0-30-1

Guyana closer to becoming antidoping compliant – Jones

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n a recent interview, the Director of Sport Christopher Jones revealed that Guyana is on stream as it relates to anti-doping measures.

The Director pointed out that the National Sports Commission has already earmarked a representative who will be ensuring that local athletes participating in events do so without the use of illegal performance-enhanc-

ing substances.

However, it was pointed out by Jones that due to the sensitive nature of the work being carried out, the identity of the representative cannot be made public. Nevertheless, Jones maintained that the individual has been effectively conducting their duties throughout 2017. “Our representative I know, when they hosted international or regional activities here

in Guyana, that individual would have been engaged and… along with others would have conducted tests, random tests on athletes at those events that were hosted in 2017. So, as it stands with anti-doping, I can say that Guyana is where it ought to be in terms of having a representative and paying subscription fees to both the regional and international body,” Jones explained.

Director of Sport, Christopher Jones

Additionally, it was also disclosed that some athletes were caught in the act of cheating. However, Jones explained that the names of those athletes cannot be made public at the moment. “I cannot disclose that because even if there was seemingly a violation, after the due process, a pronouncement is made, so only until after a pronouncement is made on penalizing an athlete, then

that information will be made public.”

Jones said that it must be made clear that the work of the representative and his/her team entails conducting tests on random athletes, in any sporting event, at any given time to ensure that there is a level playing field. In 2018, the responsibilities of the representative and team are expected to expand.

saturDAY, december 30, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Pg 23

…Windies beaten in T20 series opener

Persaud’s World Cup dreams in limbo

…GCB official provides incorrect information for VISA application Pg 22 By all indications it seems as if Joshua Persaud will have to wait longer than planned to join the Windies Under-19 World Cup Squad in New Zealand

SPLIT! Glenn Phillips mimics Brendon McCullum as he scoops a full toss

Pg 20

Top Brandz Marvin Wray (right) and Yannic Amsterdam at the press conference on Friday

…Corona pulls out of GFF’s Super 16 – GFF says show will go on GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, News Hotliine: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Sport: sport@guyanatimesgy.com Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 SALES AND MARKETING - lezas@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.