Guyana Times International

Ganesh shines as New York XI edge defending champs

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– Lake, Kirton give Guyana first points Page 52

You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com ISSUE NO. 348

WEEK ENDING june 4, 2017

Guyana Govt to ban public smoking Page 3

– legislation proposes G$20,000 fine for each time caught after first offence Private Sector

urges Govt to rethink closing sugar estates Flat Tire Productions brings ‘Love Bites’ to Queens, NY Page 10

Page 33

ICE officers summon backup as residents attempt to prevent arrest of Guyanese man in Queens

Page 20

Hardat Sampat (left) (New York Daily News photo)

"Love Bites" directors; veteran Flat Tire actors Alisha Persaud (left) and Radha Singh (right)

2 news

WEEK ENDING june 4, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

5 remanded over G$550M cocaine bust

– sawmill owner charged in absentia

By Kizzy Coleman

F

ive men including a race car driver and an ace rider were on Wednesday arraigned for the G$550 million cocaine bust at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo (EBE). The illegal substance was intercepted on May 12.

Twenty-year-old Nazim Gafoor along with his father, Tazim Gafoor, 45, both of Menzees Street, Windor Forest, West Coast Demerara; biker, Stephen Vieira, 33, of Lot 37 Middle and Cummings Street, Georgetown; and GRA’s Drug Enforcement Agent, Sherwayne De Abreu of Lot 262 Street 8 Section “A” Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, appeared at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.

In addition, sawmill owner, Naraine Lall who is still out of the jurisdiction was charged in absentia. The Gafoors, DeAbreu and Vieira pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them by Magistrate Roshelle Liverpool before a packed court room.

The Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) said that between March 1 and May 12, 2017 at Naraine Lall’s sawmill located at Zeelugt, EBE, the men collaborated with Hakeem Mohammed to traffic 84.9kg of cocaine.

The four men who appeared in court were represented by several attorneys.

Tazim Gafoor was represented by Attorneys Glenn Hanoman and Stanley Moore while Moore also represented the younger Gafoor; his son Nazim.

Attorneys Latchmie Rahamat and Mark Conway represented Stephen Vieira

Sherwayne De Abreu

and Sherwyne DeAbreu respectively. The attorneys all made unsuccessful petitions for bail to be granted to their clients.

Moore made an application for Nazim Gafoor to be granted bail disclosing that his client suffers from epilepsy. Two weeks after the investigation into the drug bust, Nazim had to be rushed to the St Joseph Mercy Hospital where he was hospitalised. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Tazim Gafoor has a pending court matter after he was charged for causing death by dangerous driving.

On the other hand, in applying for bail for her client, Rahamat told the Court that Vieira, upon receipt that an arrest warrant was issued for him, contacted CANU and informed them of his arrival into Guyana from Jamaica.

He was preparing for the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship and due to the on-going investigations, the

Stephen Vieira

Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club suspended his licence thus he could not participate. He was arrested moments after disembarking a Fly Jamaica Flight at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, East Bank Demerara.

Upon his arrest, he made an appearance before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan who recalled the arrest warrant. DeAbreu’s lawyer told the court that he has been working with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for the past six years while noting that he was nowhere around the cocaine when it was unearthed.

He further added that after his client was implicated in the operation, he presented himself to CANU’s headquarters and has been cooperating with its agents.

However, CANU Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford told that court that its submission is based on three

Tazim Gafoor

long months of investigation against Stephen Vieira. More importantly, she added that the State’s case is based on evidence taken from Mohamed which proved that there was collaboration among the men to export the cocaine.

Sandiford told the court that CANU is in possession of the analysis report and the statements of 15 witnesses. She however, requested an additional week to obtain statements from the investigating officers. However, following the hearing, the tearful mother of Nazim and wife of Tazim Gafoor, questioned the reason for CANU instituting charges against her son since there is no evidence.

“They came to New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop when my son and me was there. What is it that they hold my child for? A sickly child, a Caribbean motor racer? What did he do?

They never found him with any drugs or anything like that. The man that they found

Nazim Gafoor

the drugs with, where is he?”, she lamented.

On May 12, G$550 million worth of cocaine was unearthed in a shipment of dressed lumber destined for the United States. The 84.9kg of cocaine were concealed in dugout cavities with vacuum sealed plastic packets in a contingent of wood on the premises of Hakeem Mohammed who remains in custody of CANU. While the shipping documents had Vieira’s name, the Gafoors were arrested following information received due to intelligence gathering.

During the investigation, video footage was obtained from a digital device belonging to Nazim Gafoor which reportedly implicated the accused.

That recording was retrieved and sent overseas to be analysed. Meanwhile, after weeks of gathering evidence, the charges were instituted.

The men are expected to return to court of June 12, for disclosure and fixture.

EBD pensioner, daughter beaten by bandits during robbery

A

54-year-old woman and her 80-year-old mother are now traumatised after they were subjected to a brutal beating in their Grove, East Bank Demerara home on Tuesday morning at the hands of three young men pretending to be customers.

The woman, Sherry Narine, was audibly distressed during a telephone interview with this media house on Wednesday.

Narine sells shopping bags in the Stabroek Market for a living, and when she is at home, she would vend small quantities of rice, sugar, drinks and other grocery items.

Based on information gathered, the incident occurred at around 09:00h on the day in question. Narine said that three young men called at her gate to purchase a drink. She recalled that since she had no

shop in front of her home, she went into her house to bring out the item. However, the three men reportedly followed her in.

It was then that one of the perpetrators grabbed her

mother, and the other two approached her from behind and reportedly bashed her head with a heavy object.

The trio then proceeded to beat the mother and daughter, while threatening to shoot

them. Narine tearfully related that her head started to bleed profusely from the beatings, which she said continued until the men demanded that she hand over all her valuables.

The three bandits reportedly fled the scene with G$100,000 in cash and two gold rings. The woman who was more concerned about her mother than herself, immediately rushed the 80-year-old to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where they were both treated. She then reported the incident to the DiamondGrove Police Station.

She ruefully noted that since moving into Grove back in 2002, she has been robbed over six times and on all occasions, she never received justice.

Narine explained that she has given up on the media and

Police, since “no one seems to care.”

“I am afraid. I’m alone here. Nobody helps me. I took a few of my cries to other media houses and nothing. The Police don’t care. They ignore me,” she said.

When the Diamond-Grove Police Station was contacted, no information was granted.

However, Narine said that on Wednesday, she received a call from the Grove Police informing her that they apprehended a suspect based on the description that she provided of their attackers.

Narine said the officer informed her that the apprehended attacker is expected to appear at the Providence Magistrate’s Court today (Thursday) for the crime committed, as investigations continue. (Ramona Luthi)

NEWS 3

WEEK ENDING june 4, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana Govt to ban public smoking

– G$20,000 fine being proposed for each time caught after first offence

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he Guyana government has made public its long awaited Tobacco Control Bill; which inter alia, prohibits by law, the smoking of cigarettes and other tobacco products such as cigars in public places.

If found guilty, persons could face a fine of up to G$20,000 each time after being caught committing the offence a first time.

The provisions are outlined in the proposed Tobacco Control Bill 2017, which has been published in the Official Gazette.

According to the Bill, the move is aimed at preventing exposure to second hand smoking.

Offenders caught on the first occasion, according to the proposed legislation, will be liable on summary conviction of

G$10,000. Each subsequent offence will carry a penalty of G$20,000.

According to the legislation, 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.

Once brought into law, smoking will also be 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 shall also be 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 shall also be prohibited anywhere

on the premises of or within five metres from the outside boundary of any healthcare, educational or child care facility.

Advertising The proposed law will also clampdown on the advertising campaigns that have been launched by tobacco companies over the years.

The Tobacco Control Bill, as proposed by the current Administration,

prohibits all advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products and electronic delivery systems.

The legislative measures was initiated under former Public Health Minister Dr George Norton but was never tabled in the National Assembly since it was engaging the attention of a Cabinet Subcommittee.

Director of the Pan American Health

Organization (PAHO), Carissa Ettienne had also recently called on government to step up efforts in introducing the long awaited tobacco control legislation since it could be critical to reducing diseases that are the leading causes of death in Guyana.

According to information posted on the PAHO website, Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) -including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes—account for 70 percent of deaths in Guyana and one-third of these deaths are premature (in people under 70).

Etienne said that tobacco, excessive alcohol use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are the main risk factors underlying this epidemic.

The PAHO director had called for “working together with different

sectors of society and among different government ministries to reduce the burden of these diseases and save lives.”

Etienne said tobacco control is a good place to start to step up action against NCDs, since it is overall the leading risk factor for these diseases.

“We believe that tobacco taxes should be increased, tobacco packaging should feature strong warnings, and people should be protected from secondhand smoke.”

According to data released in recent years, although tobacco is acknowledged as a dangerous substance, at least 11 per cent of children in Guyana are regular smokers and at least 20 per cent of them began smoking before they were 10 years old.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

INTERNATIONAL To contact: Guyana Times International

New York Office 106-15 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica NY 11435 Email: guyanatimesnyint@gmail.com Tel no: 718-658-6804 Fax no: 718-849-2286 Preferred method of contact via EMAIL Guyana Office Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana.

Tel no: (592) 223-7230/1, 225-7761.

Fax (592) 225-8696 Email: guyanatimesint@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

A national debate on sugar

I

t is quite unfortunate that in spite of the mounting calls for the coalition Government to reconsider its decision to downscale the sugar industry via closure of sugar estates, the Administration seems unmoved and is bent on moving in a direction that will see thousands of workers and their families being severely affected.

On May 8, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder presented Government’s ‘white paper’ on the future of the sugar industry to the National Assembly. He had announced that two sugar estates would be closed and the annual production of sugar would be reduced, among a number of other measures, as part of a new policy on the sugar industry.

Cognisant of the huge impact these closures would have on their lives, scores of sugar workers have taken to the streets over the past few weeks to highlight their concerns on the matter, with the hope that the Government would stop to listen. However, so far, the powers that be have basically turned a deaf ear and are operating as if they are unconcerned. For example, the Wales workers’ contention is that they cannot be compelled to travel to the Uitvlugt Estate on the West Coast of Demerara – some 22 miles from Wales – hence they prefer a severance package. But the Administration seems to be sending a message that they (workers) do not have any other option.

The latest organisation to add its voice against the closure of the estates was the Private Sector Commission (PSC). The PSC, which represents several Private Sector bodies in Guyana, has highlighted several valid reasons why the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) should be allowed to continue current operations and has even offered to work with the Administration to explore all possible options to avert closure of the estates.

Certainly, the estates are a major source of sustenance and their closure will be felt deeply and far and wide. Workers and their families are rightly fearful that their communities would be destroyed, families broken up and there will be increased incidence of crime and other social problems. It should be mentioned that in December 2016, sugar operations ceased at the Wales Estate, leaving over 1000 workers jobless. Even though it might be too soon to measure the impact of the closure, analysts have predicted it would be severe. One can only imagine what will happen to workers and their families; and communities in general, if the Government moves ahead with other planned closures. It should be noted that the Government-initiated Commission of Inquiry (CoI) did not recommend closure of any estate, but, on the contrary, recommended divestment into private hands.

It must be mentioned too that in spite of the many calls for the Administration to develop a plan of action to have the necessary impact assessments completed and to engage industry stakeholders, nothing concrete was done in this regard. We had stated on numerous occasions before, that no informed decision can be made on the sugar industry without proper and detailed impact assessments being carried out.

Further, because of its level of importance, we suggest that the issue be brought for discussion and debate at the national level with the involvement of all stakeholders. After all, this is people’s livelihoods that would be affected and they and/or their representatives deserve to be fully engaged on what matters to them. The Government has not presented any justifiable reasons to convince the populace that closure is the most viable option.

No one can deny the huge contribution sugar has made to the economy. It could be recalled that years ago, the earnings from the sugar industry helped to prop up other sectors when they were performing badly. Of note too is that the industry remains the largest employer other than Government and is the main foreign currency earner. It is, therefore, necessary that all stakeholders – the workers’ union, parliamentary Opposition, Private Sector bodies and other civil society organisations – continue to raise their voices against the closure of the estates.

Citizens, especially sugar workers, must hold the Government accountable, as it had promised a good life for all Guyanese during the 2015 General and Regional Elections campaign. Closing sugar estates and placing workers on the breadline are certainly not a good example of wanting to create that promised ‘good life’

The oasis on the Linden/Lethem trail. (Picture: Sunset at 58 Miles, Linden/Lethem, Guyana; photo by Girendra Persaud)

Cuomo announces USD$11.5m to upgrade drinking water and wastewater systems in NY

G

overnor Andrew M. Cuomo on Thursday announced that the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors has approved more than $11.5 million in grants, interest-free loans, and low-cost loans to support vital drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects across New York.

According to the Governor’s office, this funding will provide assistance for drinking water and wastewater projects in Upstate communities.

The Board approval includes nearly $3.4 million in grants awarded under the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act. "Investments in our water infrastructure are vital to the growth and prosperity of communities across New York," Governor Cuomo said.

"These projects address the specific water infrastructure needs of each community to ensure clean, safe water, and provide meaningful savings to hardworking taxpayers, while laying the foundation for future growth," he added.

To date, $225 million in Water Infrastructure Improvement Act grants have leveraged over $1 billion in total project costs for over 120 projects in New York State.

These grants resulted in over $629 million in taxpayer savings.

Additionally, as part of the $2.5 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017, $255 million in funding for vital drinking water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades is currently available. $225 million is available through WIIA and $30 million is available under the new Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grants Program.

For more information on the Water Infrastructure Improvement

Governor Andrew Cuomo

Act and Intermunicipal grant programs, as well as an application, visit www.efc.ny.gov/ NYSWaterGrants. EFC will be accepting applications for these two grant programs until June 23, 2017 at 5:00 p.m.

Environmental Facilities Corporation President and CEO Sabrina M. Ty said, “Under Governor Cuomo, New York leads the nation in its commitment to upgrading or replacing our aging water infrastructure. EFC works with municipalities across the State to provide low-cost capital and grants for water quality projects at the lowest possible cost.”

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner and Environmental Facilities Corporation Chair Basil Seggos said, “Governor Cuomo continues to lead the nation in making record investments to update wastewater infrastructure and ensure all of New York’s communities have access to clean drinking water.

The grants and funding announced today are critical investments that will help support the state’s economy and strengthen communities statewide.”

The grants approved, along with the interest-free and

low-interest loans provided by EFC allow municipalities to finance these projects at a significantly lower rate than financing on their own.

The projects approved at the June 1 meeting include: Mid-Hudson Town of Liberty (Sullivan County) – $3.4 million, including a $2 million WIIA grant, and a $1.4 million zero interest loan to finance the costs associated with the construction of a new water storage tank; replacement of aged water mains, well pumps, and a new emergency generator to improve the system’s compliance with current standards.

Mohawk Valley Village of Frankfort (Herkimer County) – A $6.2 million low-interest loan to finance the costs associated with the planning, design and construction of collection system improvements in the Village of Frankfort.

City of Oneonta (Otsego County) – $1.8 million, including a $1.2 million WIIA grant to finance the costs of relining existing aged cast iron raw water transmission main to improve flows and structural integrity.

North Country Village of Harrisville (Lewis Country) – A $120,000 WIIA grant to replace the aged undersized Church Street 4 inch diameter water main with a new 8 inch diameter water main to improve flows and reduce leakage and breaks and meet current design standards.

New York State leads the nation with the largest annual investment in water-quality infrastructure of any state.

Since 2011, EFC has provided more than $11.5 billion in subsidized loans, grants and loan re-financings to local governments. (Excerpts taken from NY

Governor’s Office website)

NEWS 5

WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Horror at sea: Fishermen recount brutal attack at Waini River

By Shemuel Fanfair

P

iracy has plagued the high seas for a number of years with many seamen meeting a callous end as several of them have lost their lives, miles off the coastland. The latest attack by pirates was recorded at the mouth of the Waini River, some 10 miles off the Essequibo Coast into the Atlantic.

On Wednesday, Guyana Times International met with three of the terrorised West Coast Demerara fishermen who called for more Coast Guard protection on the Atlantic Coast as they recalled the harrowing ordeal. Boat Captain, Muneshwar Bissoon, and some of his crew members returned to their families late Tuesday evening but they are all shaken up by the horror, nearly two weeks after losing millions of dollars at the hands of pirates.

The fishermen gathered at the home of boat owner, “Sharma” at Hague, West Coast Demerara.

Captain Bissoon stressed that

The ill-fated boat in which the men suffered millions of dollars in losses

The men were forced to lie down and were broadsided Three of the attacked fishermen; Satesh Bisson, Captain Muneshwar Bissoon and Nazeer Mohamed

fishermen should be better protected while plying their trade.

“The Coast only running up to Waini head.

They need to come out and go to the deep sea itself. That’s what the [pirates] know because the coast guard only going

up to a point; they have to a get boat which could go in the roughness of the water,” the Captain stressed.

Their ordeal all started when a white fibre glass boat pulled up alongside theirs which carried what was described as having a “big sounding” engine. The

captain was dealt a chop to the head and lip while crew members Nazeer Mohamed and Satesh Bisson were hit to the back and about the body. turn to page 8

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

KN should apologise for creating panic Dear Editor, The nation would recall that on May 9, 2017, a Kaieteur News headline stated, “Over 200 persons blacklisted from leaving Guyana – SOCU.” This information caused great concern, restlessness among our people and was widely believed.

The article prompted my immediate action. As a citizen and a representative of the people, I wrote to the Commissioner of Police/Chief Immigration Officer to determine the veracity of the article and to make available to the public the true information of this Administration’s position and action on blacklisting. Significantly, after approximately two weeks and no reply from the Commissioner of Police/Chief Immigration Officer I wrote to Justice Charles Ramson Snr (Rt’d), Commissioner of Information requesting the names of the 200 persons blacklisted by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

The Commissioner of Police via the Public Relations Officer of the Guyana Police Force sub-

sequently issued a press release some three weeks after the fact. While we welcome the public statement from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) that debunked the misinformation that emanated from Kaieteur News stating that this is nothing but a fabrication, my question is why this press release was not issued sooner, since the publication (Kaieteur News) cited SOCU as their source.

The GPF press release suggested that SOCU have not blacklisted some 200 persons from leaving Guyana.

Therefore, the credibility of Kaieteur News is on the line. Is this public mischief? Was this designed to achieve a political agenda or is this the modus operandi of Kaieteur News to publish ‘fake news’? Kaieteur News is now pressed to clarify with the public their source of information or issue a public apology to the nation for providing misinformation and creating public panic.

We expect the Police Commissioner, a respon-

sible constitutional office to be forthright with the people of Guyana. This switch and bait strategy that was employed and has proven to be ineffective; it has now been exposed and the nation can see the true nature of this particular media house as it relates to its sensational headlines and accompanying stories.

However, the Commissioner of Police has assured that the information requested by me has been dispatched to Justice Charles Ramson Snr (Rt’d), Commissioner of Information. I await Justice Ramson’s formal reply.

More significantly, we are relieved that the constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens are not being trampled upon by this reported alleged illegal action by SOCU. We will continue to be on watch however as it relates to this matter, to ensure the rights of our people as enshrined in the Constitution of Guyana are protected.

Regards, Bishop Juan Edghill, PPP/C MP

Was a feasibility study carried out for the Leguan plantain chip factory?

Dear Editor, In an article which appeared in the news media on May 23, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Business (MoB) reportedly told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly that a plantain chips factory now under construction on the island of Leguan will become operational by June 30. The factory is expected to initially employ a manager and 30 employees, none of whom have been identified for employment or are available for training and pre-trial runs before manufacturing starts in a month’s time, as was stated.

The PAC Chairman informed a team from the MoB that farmers from Leguan have been prepar-

ing their land holdings to produce plantains for the factory to keep it humming when production starts.

Leguan is predominantly a subsistence rice-growing region with some cattle rearing undertaken here and there.

It has never produced plantains or bananas in commercial quantities, and would be unable to do so in the foreseeable future because of the high cost of crop conversion and infrastructure development, particularly field layout and adequate drainage and irrigation for plantain cultivation. Further, the island has no potable water supply, an unreliable electricity supply, a network of poor roads and a rickety stelling. Therefore,

no manufacturing facility for plantain chips can operate successfully unless the necessary infrastructure is in place as well as the reliable availability and timely supplies of raw materials at competitive prices to make the plant fully operational.

It is evident that a feasibility study was not carried out on this plantain chip factory on the island of Leguan as any economic and financial analyses would have indicated that the project was not viable and, therefore, not worthy of any investment.

Thus, another “White Elephant” has been born in the chequered development annals of the present Administration.

Yours truly, Charles Sohan

Govt should include people sovereignty issue on ‘same sex ballot’

Dear Editor, Your newspaper reported that the Government has informed the international community of its plans to put the issue of “decriminalising buggery” (to appease the gay community) to a referendum. This is a laudatory move giving the population a voice in law making. So why doesn’t the Government want to give the voters a voice in amending the Constitution or in drafting a new constitution?

Why the duplicity?

How come the Government can now afford the cost of such a referendum?

This same Government said last year and again in February that it cannot afford the cost of a referendum on the judgments of the Chief Justice and the Appeal Court on the “People Sovereignty” case. Thus, it opted to appeal the rulings.

In both rulings, the court stated the people are sovereign and any change in the Constitution must be approved by referendums and not by their representatives in Parliament.

The people are supreme over the Parliament.

This is not an unreasonable judicial ruling giving power to the people as superseding that of their elected representatives.

The PNC-AFC Government opted to appeal the CJ ruling, which the Appeal Court stayed in February. Now the Government goes to the CCJ, expending tens of millions of dollars. The costs associated with both appeals are probably much more than the cost of a referendum. If the Government truly feels the Parliament, as opposed to the people, is sovereign, put it to a vote and let the people decide

ter, I am stuck in Canada, because Fly Jamaica cancelled its flight (OJ 257) to Guyana scheduled for 26th May. Several phone calls to a toll-free number in Georgetown and to Fly Jamaica Customer Service Office in Canada, and constant on-line checks regarding the status of OJ 257 from Canada to

Guyana, have provided conflicting information as to the departure time(s) of Fly Jamaica flight.

I went to Pearson Airport twice on the advice of the FLY Jamaica personnel at toll-free 1-855-9335952. I gave Fly Jamaica personnel my phone # in Canada. As at the time of writing this letter, I have

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

GAWU desirous of win-win situation for sugar

Dear Editor, The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) refers to Mr Eric Phillips’s letter: “All voices of reason must step forward on GuySuCo”, which appeared in the May 29, 2017 issue of Stabroek News.

We must admit that we agree with Mr Phillips when he says GuySuCo and the sugar industry requires a win-win situation. In such circumstances, we see the industry/company being viable and sustainable, while at the same time the full complement of estates remain operable, and the masses who toil in the fields and factory being fairly rewarded and treated for their efforts and labours — for their motivation and productivity.

It is against such a background that our Union, and moreso the thousands of people linked to the sugar in-

dustry, cannot be supportive of the current plans being advocated.

Through those plans, thousands and thousands stand to be gravely affected and pushed closer to impoverishment, or simply become poverty-stricken. In view of the obvious hardships that would greet the people, their resistance and opposition are natural, and should not be unexpected. Any sane, rational being would react in the same manner.

Moreover, we believe this is not a situation that Mr Phillips and all right-thinking Guyanese would want for our people.

Mr Phillps also points to the Government’s support to the sugar industry. We posit, however, that the contemporary support cannot be disconnected from the support — financial and otherwise — that the industry in the past and present has and is con-

Not pleased with Fly Jamaica’s flight from Canada to Guyana Dear Editor, Against my knowledge of the reliability of the tried and tested Caribbean Airlines, and tempted by the prospect of enjoying non-stop flight, I utilised the services of Fly Jamaica on a one-week return trip to Canada. It proved to be a terrible decision!

As I am typing this let-

the issue. Incidentally, this same coalition now in government, during the 2015 campaign, said it would amend the Constitution and hold a referendum. It has now backtracked having tasted the sweetness of power – to hell with the people, they say.

The Government told the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) it would hold a referendum on same-gender sex relations. Since costs for a referendum are no longer an issue for the Government, include the judgment of whether the people are sovereign on the same referendum. If the people can vote on same-sex relations, why can’t they also vote on term limits and other related constitutional issues?

not received any call from Fly Jamaica, nor is there any information regarding how Fly Jamaica will get me back to Guyana.

I am in the process of trying to get on to a Caribbean Airlines flight, which may cost me in excess of US$1,300.

Editor, this is not the end of my interaction with

Fly Jamaica; legal action will be my next move. And I hope that other frustrated passengers of Fly Jamaica will join me in litigating for just compensation for our inconvenience and loss.

Thanking you.

Taajnauth Jadunauth

tributing to Guyana and its people. So far, there has not been any mention of those contributions in the discussions on sugar.

Nevertheless, our Union accepts that the Government cannot support the sugar industry ad infinitum. We also must once again express our concern that, despite the substantial investment into sugar over the last two (2) years, the industry seems to be floundering and there seems to be no plausible explanation for the current state of affairs.

But in recognition of the Government’s financial constraints, we have advanced to the Administration our suggestions, which we hold will see the industry returning to a viable and sustainable footing, though we note State-support would be required for a period.

Indeed, such support cannot be deemed unaffordable; and furthermore, the boost to the industry promotes a diversified and more resilient economy, which is in the interest of our people.

In our sincere view, this is a win-win situation, and we believe Mr Phillps is referring to it.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary, Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU)

news 7

WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Pensioner pinned to death CoI report into suspected cocaine vessel handed over to Govt by tractor at Canje

T

he lifeless and muddied body of a pensioner was on Tuesday afternoon found pinned under a tractor at a ranch in New Forest, East Canje, Berbice.

The dead man has been identified as 64-year-old Hackim Khan of Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice.

Based on reports received, the man’s body was discovered at about 14:30h on Tuesday by persons who were traversing the area.

While information about the unfortunate incident was not forthcoming, this publication was told the man left his home at about 08:00h to visit a friend’s farm to check on the workers. The farm, this publication understands, is located some distance from the main road.

When contacted,

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon receives the report from Brigadier (Retired) Bruce Lovell as Lieutenant Colonel Denzel Carmichael, former Assistant Police Commissioner Winston Cosbert and Christine Bailey look on

The body of 64-year-old Hackim Khan and the tractor involved in the accident

Police Commander of B Division (Berbice), Ian Amsterdam related that based on initial investigations, the man was reportedly ploughing in the rice field aback Canje when the tractor toppled and pinned him in the process.

The Commander added that the Police will continue their inves-

tigations to determine whether or not any foul play was involved but as it is presently, the matter is being treated as an accident. A post-mortem is expected to be performed on the man’s body on Friday.

Attempts to contact the dead man’s relatives proved futile.

3 Venezuelan women to be deported – after fleeing food crisis and entering Guyana illegally

Gilda Barreto, Geamary Salsedo and Jovanna Vilero, escorted by an immigration official, making their court appearance on Wednesday

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hree remorseful women who were driven from their home country of Venezuela in light of the ongoing economic crisis and came to Guyana in hopes of providing for their ailing families were on Wednesday morning charged and fined

by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for entering the country illegally.

Gilda Barreto, Geamary Salsedo and Jovanna Vilero, who entered the compound

of the Georgetown Magistrates Courts with heavy luggage in tow, were alleged to have entered the country by sea and disembarked without the consent of immigration officials during the period of April to May 2017.

Prosecutor Arvin Moore related that the women were asked by Police officials on May 27, 2017, to present their travel documents.

They were arrested and charged after failing to

produce their passports, as it was discovered that they entered the jurisdiction by unlawful means.

The trio pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to them by the Magistrate and apologised for their actions.

A sobbing Baretto related that she was only 18 years old and explained that the sole reason for coming to Guyana was to better provide for her family who was in dire need of basic necessities for survival.

A more composed Salsedo told the Magistrate everyone in the country was trying to get out as there was no food available or any means of earning a decent living presently. Vilero offered a heart-wrenching justification that she had no money to feed or clothe her children, who she wished so dearly to have a good education. It was only for this reason the weeping woman related that she was forced to leave her country after being unable to fulfil her obligations as a parent in the strained circumstances.

The women were each ordered to pay a fine of G$15,000 and escorted to the nearest port of exit after payment of the fine or serving an alternative of two weeks’ imprisonment. (Paula Gomes)

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ome two months after President David Granger established a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the discovery of a private vessel suspected to be used for narcotics trafficking purposes in Guyana’s waters, the probe has been completed and the report handed over to Government on Wednesday.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon received the document from the Commissioners of the CoI, which was set on March 31, “to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the entry into, the interception, detention and subsequent release of an unnamed private maritime vessel in the sea space of the territory of Guyana”.

The Commission was asked to report the find-

ings and recommendations to the President, who is the head of the National Security Committee.

Accepting the report from head of the Commission, Brigadier (Retired) Bruce Lovell, Minister Harmon said that the Government took the issue of national security seriously and, as such, it was committed to examining the contents contained therein.

“I trust that the Report that the Commission has presented will assist us in making some important decisions in the security architecture of this country and that it will assist us in making decisions, particularly as it relates to the fight against narcotics trafficking,” Minister Harmon noted.

Meanwhile, Brigadier Lovell, in an invited com-

ment, posited that inquiries were important, particularly in matters of national interest.

“Inquiries do what any good journalist would do and that is to answer the Five Ws and the one H; the Who, the What, the Where, the Why and the When and it also goes a bit further and seeks to recommend what should be done to prevent any further occurrence. So this inquiry has done just that.

In our recommendations, we look at a number of systematic issues – doctrine, organisation, training, leadership, personnel, facilities and, of course, policies,” he stated.

The other members of the Commission were former Assistant Commissioner of Police, Winston Cosbert and Christine Bailey.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Haitians caught up in Guyanese authorities seeking Haitian man who trafficking fiasco in Guyana 10 arrested, over 40 victims taken into abandoned his two children –protective custody …on way to guest house from airport

Haitian national Jacques Village and his two children at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Wednesday

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Haitian national on Wednesday last abandoned his two children, shortly after arriving in Guyana. Police are currently on the lookout for Jacques Village, of Morisot Province, Haiti, who was last seen on the run in Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

Guyana Times International understands that after disembarking a COPA Airlines flight at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Wednesday last, Village abandoned his two children in a minibus which was destined for Georgetown.

Reports revealed that the driver of the minibus was a family associate, Reginel Cherisma, who is also a citizen of Haiti. Cherisma, who

is currently studying at the University of Guyana, relayed to media operatives what exactly transpired.

The UG student highlighted that while en route to Georgetown, Village requested that he stop the bus, stating that he would like to urinate. The man then exited the minibus, leaving behind his two children.

Moments later, Village was seen crossing the road and heading towards a fuel station situated in the opposite direction to that of the parked automobile.

Unaware of what was happening, the driver called out for the man, who continued to proceed in the opposite direction. After realising that Village was about to leave, Cherisma con-

fronted the father of two in an attempt to convince him to return.

However, his efforts proved futile as the man insisted that he no longer wished to travel in the minibus.

The two children, ages 11 and 12, were then taken to the Providence Police Station where they were left in the care of ranks stationed at the outpost.

They were subsequently transferred to the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) in Georgetown.

Following the incident, Cherisma revealed he was at the time doing a favour for Village’s sister, who had asked him to receive her brother at the Airport. Cherisma explained that he was taking the man and his two children to a guest house at Ogle to await the arrival of his sister, who was coming from French Guiana.

Moreover, the driver was later made to understand that Village was mentally disoriented and was unable to speak English. Concerned for the welfare of his fellow Haitian national, Cherisma expressed his hopefulness of the return of the father, who took off with all of the family’s documents.

A Police investigation is currently ongoing to determine the whereabouts of the escaped Haitian man. Efforts on Monday to contact the CCPA concerning the two children were all in vain.

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n investigation is currently ongoing regarding the involvement of Haitians and other Caribbean nationals in a transatlantic human trafficking scheme. On Friday last, 10 persons were taken into Police custody, while in excess of 40 citizens of the French Caribbean State were subsequently transferred into protective custody after falling victim to the scheme.

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force have only recently unearthed the scheme which links Haiti, Suriname and French Guiana in a major human trafficking operation, using Guyana as their main transport harbour.

Based on information received, Haitians are being brought to Guyana then taken to Suriname and later French Guiana, where some of them are being abused and exploited for labour.

Following a tip-off, ranks have been zooming in on a 20-year-old medical student, who was taken into custody on Friday after the discovery of evidence linking the Haitian national to the ongoing trafficking scheme.

During their investigations, Police were directed towards information which revealed that the medical student had

been receiving large sums of money from Haiti which they believed are his payments from traffickers for his supply of individuals to be exploited.

As such, the 20-yearold was arrested by ranks from the Major Crimes Unit at his Eccles, East Bank Demerara home during which a woman and her child, also from Haiti, were found.

A further 10 individuals were detained that very evening, among them Haitians and Surinamese.

These individuals were en route to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), from where another 12 children and 15 adults were brought in through this system.

However, following the arrests on Friday, in excess of 40 individuals were abandoned the following day after arriving on a Copa Airlines flight at the CJIA. There was no one there to receive them.

Police are speculating that the persons set to collect the groups from the airport withdrew given the opened investigations and arrests made of their fellow conspirators.

Moreover, according to information received, upon arrival at the Airport on Friday, the Haitians provided information to officers regarding reservations made at the Guyana Marriott Hotel and Princess Hotel.

An investigation was then conducted regarding the reservations, only to discover that they were subsequently cancelled.

Reports revealed that the victims of this grand human trafficking scheme left their homeland in promise of a better life and favourable salary once settled in French Guiana. However, the Haitians were faced with conditions contrary to the arrangements the moment they left their home.

Essequibo Coast businessman... from page 3

During the simple ceremony, Minister Ally said the businessman has set a pace for others to emulate. She alluded to the fact that he would have transformed the landscape of the Good Hope-Pomona area with the construction of the supermarket. Ally noted that the supermarket

is a testimony to the development that is taking place in the Supenaam area.

Meanwhile, Ramdatt congratulated the businessman on behalf of the Region’s Council. He said he is very proud to learn that the opening of the supermarket provided employment for 10 persons living within the area and also for fur-

ther community development.

Additionally, Adams also commended the efforts of the businessman and pledged the support of the NDC. Persons living around the area can now purchase a variety of items since the supermarket will be selling most products that are available from leading companies.

Horror at sea: Fishermen...

They were all forced to lie face down and the finger of another crew member was severed. He was airlifted to Georgetown after spending several days at an interior hospital. The seamen told this newspaper that they are fearful of returning to sea.

“The thing got you trembly like, because them man broadside up we,” Nazeer indicated.

The men were forced to lie and were broadsided.

Meanwhile, Satesh who had a disgruntled countenance at the time we spoke to him told

this publication that he was left to ponder what would become of his family if anything serious was to happen to him.

“This gan bruk fishermen mind from going at sea again,” the father of four stated.

Captain Bissoon expressed that the elder of his two sons encouraged him to lessen his trips to sea.

“Me frighten to go back on sea although is so many years I work deh but that is the only trade I know,” expressed the Captain who has worked as a fisherman for over 20 years.

from page 5

The pirates who attacked on May 21 spoke in English and Spanish and Police have recently taken statements from the injured men who were robbed of two Yamaha engines, four 12-volt batteries, two mobile phones, three drums of fuel, some fish material and food supplies among other items.

They wandered at sea for several days before they were rescued by another vessel. A recent violent attack in the Corentyne River left a boat captain dead.

Several suspects were charged for that crime.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana’s foreign minister Taxi driver remanded for cocaine, guns, ammo possession says willing to offer assistance to Venezuela …despite border controversy

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Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

he Guyana Government has given all assurances that it will assist neighbouring Venezuela with its current internal crisis, although that country has not officially approached Guyana for help. Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge said in a statement on Monday that the two Governments routinely utilised direct diplomatic channels to communicate.

However, based on the statements made by the country’s Ambassador to Guyana, Reina Diaz, during a recent press conference in Georgetown, Greenidge said he felt the need to reach out.

“Guyana, as a matter of routine, stands ready to assist or support all Caricom States and immediate neighbours, where appropriate, when asked,” Greenidge said.

Diaz has said that the unrest in Venezuela has been caused by “radical sectors of the political Opposition” who have a clear objective to “overthrow the legitimate and constitutional” Government of Venezuela and reverse the social achievements of the Venezuelan people.

She noted that at the international level, Guyana can support the actions taken by the Venezuelan Government to resolve the situation in that country.

To determine the seriousness of the Venezuelan request for assistance, the Minister invited Diaz to the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday, May 25 where she again stated that her country could benefit from Guyana’s support at international fora. Greenidge agreed to communicate the request.

Greenidge urged dialogue among all stakeholders in Venezuela, including the Government and Opposition, and stressed that any support

Ambassador to Guyana, Reina Diaz

from Government for the people of Venezuela did not indicate automatic agreement with the Venezuelan Government’s policies and its mode of implementing those.

He reminded that Guyana was a member of the Community of Caribbean and Latin American States (CELAC) that met to try to resolve Venezuela’s deteriorating situation as well as the standoff between its Government and Opposition. Guyana had done the same with another regional body, the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

“The Government of Guyana has no desire to compound the problems of Venezuela by joining one or other of the protagonists,” he stated.

Venezuelan President Nicholás Maduro had earlier this month signed a decree to convene a new constituent assembly, which would comprise some 500 constituents — mainly working-class members who will be tasked with developing a new constitution; that is, reshaping the current legislative body as well as redefining the President’s executive powers.

The Maduro Administration claims this move is aimed at restoring in the country the peace which was disrupted by the Opposition’s “so-called peaceful” protests, occasioned by the deadlock between the President and the Opposition-controlled Parliament.

The Venezuelan Government, which has of recent come under pressure to address the growing unrest in the country, has cited Articles 347, 348 and 349 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in support of its move. The country’s Constitution, reformed in 1999, includes provisions for the Executive to convoke a Constituent

Assembly.

According to Article 347, the original constituent power rests with the Venezuelan people, and this power can be exercised by calling a National Constituent Assembly for the purpose of transforming the State, creating a new judicial order, and drawing up a new Constitution.

The subsequent Article provide various options to invoke the National Constituent Assembly: by the President, with the Council of Ministers, by a decision of two-thirds of the Members of the National Assembly, by the Municipal Council members by a vote of twothirds of its members, or by 15 per cent of the voters registered in the civil and electoral register.

According to Ambassador Diaz, the move to convene a constituent assembly allows for the people of the country to sit and debate on the country’s situation with intention to establish formulas to encourage national dialogue.

In this composite photo, the .357 Taurus Magnum revolver and six live rounds of matching ammunition; two 9mm pistols and 36 live rounds of .45 ammunition; and 11.4kg of cocaine confiscated from the Campbellville house

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taxi driver of Duncan Street, Campbellville, Georgetown who was on Independence Day busted with three guns, matching ammunition and a quantity of cocaine when Police descended on his home following a report of domestic violence, was on Tuesday morning remanded to prison by City Magistrate Annette Singh.

Trevor Rodriguez, 32, was charged with having in his possession 11.363 kilos of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking; one 9mm pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol and a .357 Taurus Magnum revolver along with

matching rounds in his possession without being the holder of a firearm licence.

On the day in question, Rodriguez had threatened to shoot his wife, Amanda Rodriquez, who in fear reported the incident to a co-worker who then quickly communicated the report to another co-worker who readily came to the rescue of the woman.

Prosecutor Simmons related that the co-worker took away the gun from the perpetrator and contacted Police officials, who swooped down on the couple’s premises.

The woman reportedly handed the pistol over

to ranks who conducted a search on the said premises, leading to the discovery of the two other guns and cocaine concealed in two cylinders with false bottoms.

Based on reports reaching this publication, the accused is in the habit of abusing his spouse and despite a few moments of hesitation when asked if she wished to proceed with the charges laid against her husband, the woman replied in the affirmative.

Rodriguez also faced other charges; making use of threatening language and behaviour towards his wife. He is expected to return to court on June 13.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana’s Private Sector urges Govt to rethink closing sugar estates has expanded to include providing Drainage and Irrigation (D&I) for many communities and other sectors as well as providing community health services,” the PSC noted on Monday.

It was also highlighted that the industry encountered many financial challenges over the years, compounded by the loss of the preferential pricing of the lucrative European Union (EU) market. The

initiated Commission of Inquiry (CoI) did not recommend closure of any estate, but, on the contrary, recommended divestment into private hands,” the Private Sector pointed out.

The PSC further stressed that a 2015 audit of the financial statements of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) had disclosed that more than G$10 billion would be removed from private

indirectly, depend upon income from sugar. Such a decline in consumer spending would also have a diminishing impact upon all commerce with concomitant negative spin-off effects on the economy as a whole,” the PSC posited.

Highlighting the country’s current challenges with the availability of international currency, the PSC reminded that GuySuCo was a major earner of

Industry, Commerce and Development; the Region Three Chamber of Commerce and Industry; the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce; and the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association.

On May 8, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder presented Government’s white paper on the future of the sugar industry to the National Assembly.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder presented Government’s white paper on the future of the sugar industry to the National Assembly

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n light of Government’s expressed intention to downsize the sugar industry via the closure of estates, the Private Sector has highlighted several reasons why the State’s largest provider of employment should be allowed to continue current operations.

In a joint statement released by the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and several associate bodies on Monday, Government was implored to “hold its hand” on the current approach towards closure of sugar estates.

“The Private Sector stands ready to place its

considerable experience at the disposal of and to work with Government to explore all possible options to avert closure,” the PSC announced.

Recognising the contributions the sugar industry has made to the country’s economy since being taken over by the State over 40 years ago, the Private Sector bodies reminded all stakeholders of the vital role sugar continued to play in the upkeep of the nation’s sustenance.

“The industry remains the largest employer other than Government and the main foreign currency earner. GuySuCo’s role

The Enmore Estate is slated for closure by the end of 2017

Private Sector, however, espoused the view that the industry could be turned around, reminding that the Administration’s inquiry was against the closure of estates.

“The Government-

employment income should Government proceed with the closure of estates.

“This, in turn, would have a direct negative effect on consumer spending in the communities, which, directly or

62-year-old Guyanese woman hacked to death by abusive lover in T&T

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he lifeless body of 62-yearold Rosaline Periana formerly of Broadway Road, Arima, Trinidad and Tobago, was found covered in blood on Saturday in her lover’s apartment at Madras Road, St Helena.

It is believed that the Guyanese woman was chopped to death on Friday evening, and her body was discovered several hours later. The murder suspect is said to be a clothes vendor who plies his trade in Tobago.

Based on reports received, the now dead woman moved in with the suspect about three months ago and from all indications, she was a victim of domestic violence since screams emanated from the apartment on a daily basis.

Tenants in the apartment building recalled hearing screams on Friday evening and soon after the place fell silent.

A few minutes later, the suspect was seen boarding a taxi with two plastic bags in his hands.

The tenants told Police that they did not respond to the screams, since these were a norm, so they paid no heed. However, the driver of the car in which the suspect left went to the tenants

and told them to check on the woman, claiming that the man was acting in stranger manner and spoke in riddles.

The Police were called in and upon breaking down the door to gain entry to the apartment, the woman’s body was found. Police confirmed that the woman’s body bore several chops and a bloodstained cutlass was found nearby.

The suspect, according to reports in Newsday, had been renting the apartment since August.

“Almost every day she got licks. She was not allowed to even tell us ‘good morning’ or ‘good evening’. One time the woman burnt the pork while cooking and that man beat her bad, bad.

Another day, she was carrying some bags in both hands and he pushed her for walking too slow,” said another of the tenants.

A post-mortem was scheduled for yesterday (Monday) at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, Trinidad. Police are still looking for the suspect.

foreign exchange, noting that estate closures would severely impact the availability of foreign currency which could increase the price at which it is sold.

“The restoration of Guyana’s economy is inevitably, and intimately, linked to the future of sugar. It would be sad to lose the sugar industry and realise five years later that this would have been a success story. We must learn from the history of the scrapping of the railway which would have opened up our country to development,” the bodies outlined.

“Our members are located across the length and breadth of Guyana and the survival of their businesses depends upon a public that spends on goods and services. Most income generation is derived from employment and when this is reduced significantly, it affects the entire chain, from manufacturing and importation to household consumption,” the PSC said in the joint statement.

The associated bodies of the PSC, joining the call against estate closures include the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI); the Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce and Industry; the Linden Chamber of

He had announced that two sugar estates would be closed and the annual production of sugar would be reduced, among a number of other measures, as part of a new policy on the sugar industry.

He further noted that GuySuCo would have three estates and three sugar factories. These being Blairmont on the West Bank of Berbice, Albion-Rose Hall in East Berbice and the Uitvlugt-Wales Estate in West Demerara. The three estates will be complete with factories and will have cane supplied from all locations, the Minister had noted.

He had also claimed that this process would result in improvements to the relationship with some cane cutters, estate staff and about 1710 private cane farmers.

A series of protests followed the announcement of the closures.

In December 2016, sugar operations ceased at the Wales Estate, leaving over 1000 workers without employment.

Thousands more, their families and their community stand to suffer the consequences of more closures. Additionally, many farmers have cited financial and infrastructural challenges in attempts at crop diversification.

news 11

WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Businessman dies in Approval of ExxonMobil’s early morning accident licences imminent – Trotman in Georgetown G

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Derek Mangal & Bike

three-vehicle smashup that occurred at about 07:30h on Monday at the corner of Camp and Middle Streets, Georgetown has resulted in the deaths of 45-yearold businessman Derek Mangal and his beloved “towa towa” bird.

According to eyewitnesses, white Toyota Allion motor car PPP 3751 was proceeding west along Middle Street when its young female driver reportedly failed to adhere to the traffic lights and thus collided with Toyota Raum PPP 9843, heading in a northerly direction along Camp Street. The impact caused the Raum, driven by a 26-year-old male, to spin and hit Mangal, who was driving motorcycle CF 4958 at the western junction of Middle and Camp streets.

Rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) by public-spirited persons, Mangal was pronounced dead on arrival.

Unharmed, the drivers of both vehicles were taken to the Brickdam Police Station, where the female driver is said to be speaking only through her lawyer and has al-

legedly provided very little information.

The late Derek Mangal, of Lot 799 Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, had owned a store in the Regent Multiplex Mall.

The Police have, in a statement, revealed that both drivers are in custody assisting with investigations. Their investigations have thus far revealed that motorcar PPP 9843 was proceeding north along the western carriageway whilst motorcar PPP 3751 was proceeding west along Middle Street; and both drivers failed to stop at the intersection, which resulted in the front of PPP 3751 colliding with the right side of PPP 9843.

The impact caused the latter vehicle to spin around and collide with Mangal, who was driving his motorcycle east along the northern side of Middle Street.

Knocked off his motorcycle, Mangal received head and body injuries, and those are suspected to be the cause of his death.

“The Allion was supposed to stop, because the stoplight was blinking red and the stoplight

for the Raum was amber, so he was proceeding.

But she (Allion driver) ‘jump the light’ and hit the Raum, and the vehicle spin about two times and then the back of the car hit the man off he motorbike,” an eyewitness told this newspaper at the scene.

“When the man fall down from his motorbike, he had some wounds on his head because he was not wearing a helmet, but he wasn’t bleeding from the wound. I think that he had internal injuries, and that is why he died so quickly,” the eyewitness posited.

When this publication visited the scene, Mangal’s birdcage was still there with his dead bird inside, and the Toyota Allion vehicle was also still at the accident scene. However, the number plates were removed from the vehicle.

According to the dead businessman’s daughter, Diandra Mangal, her father would usually go to the National Park and jog, and he was just following his daily routine when the accident occurred.

“We get a call and say that my father was in an accident, and we rushed to the hospital; and when we reach there, they told me that my father had passed away and that we have to identify the body.

After we finish identifying the body, we had to come to the police station to give statements,” she said.

She added that her father would usually take his bird to ‘walk’ with him and would later go to the Regent Multiplex Mall to open his clothing store.

The dead man’s wife was inconsolable when she visited the scene of the accident. Mangal, described as a jovial person, leaves to mourn his daughter and wife.

(Lakhram Bhagirat)

Man lands in court for attempting to smuggle cigarettes into Camp St Prison

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man was made to answer to Magistrate Judy Latchman as to why he attempted to smuggle four packs of cigarettes into the Camp Street Prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday.

Gownauth Geer, 41, pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him, but a guilty plea was entered after his explanation to the court.

The charge stated that on May 25, 2017 at the Georgetown Prison on Camp Street, he attempted to smuggle the prohibited substance into the facility.

Geer told Magistrate Latchman that he was, at the time of his arrest, working as a mason at the Prison, but was unaware that he was not permitted to take the cigarettes into the facility.

However, the prose-

cution told the court that the defendant attempted to smuggle the cigarettes into the prison in his long boots.

The defendant initially told the court that the cigarettes were in his boots as his pants pocket was wet. He later told the court that he had no pockets on his pants.

He was fined G$60,000, with an alternative sentence of 12 months in prison.

overnment is now awaiting the recommendations of two independent agencies that are in the process of reviewing ExxonMobil’s production licence applications to make a decision on the way forward.

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman told Guyana Times International on Monday that the US oil giant had submitted its application in December 2016 and was now awaiting approval. He explained that the process was a very rigid one that was aimed at guaranteeing that Guyana got the best deal.

He explained that one team was hired to review the environmental aspect of the licence agreement, while the other consultant was looking at the technical aspect of the project.

“We expect to get reports from both independent bodies within the next week or two, then Government’s decision will be informed as to whether or not, we can proceed towards products in 2020,” the Minister explained.

Trotman said consideration was being given to oil spills and the effects these could have on

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman

marine life and life along the coast in relation to fisher folk.

Two weeks ago, outgoing Country Manager for ExxonMobil Guyana, Jeff Simons had told the local media that the company was yet to make a Final Investment Decision (FID).

The Country Manager explained that there was need for some level of certainty that must be exercised on the part of the Government of Guyana in granting the licences and approvals.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is currently being reviewed, while the production licence has to be granted by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

Since 2015, ExxonMobil has announced three oil finds

offshore Guyana. The most recent discovery came in April 2017, when the company found 25 metres of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs at its Snoek well in the Stabroek block.

The company has also hit oil at Stabroek’s Payara and Liza fields. The latter is estimated to contain up to 1.4 billion barrels of light oil. According to the company, by the mid-2020s daily output from Stabroek could reach 450,000 barrels.

At present, tenders are out for local suppliers and contractors that are able to support a number of projects for the company’s operation.

ExxonMobil could invest G$5 billion as it prepares to explore oil production in Guyana by 2020.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana still open to suggestions on building own oil refinery

By Samuel Sukhnandan

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overnment has not ruled out building an oil refinery in Guyana, although an overseas oil and gas industry expert has warned that establishing such a facility in the country would be unprofitable.

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman told Guyana Times International in an interview that the Government was still open to receiving suggestions from persons in the Private Sector.

“I think what we are interested in hearing from now, is someone who can put up a good model, to show that perhaps a smaller refinery that will meet our needs could work. So, we have not closed our minds to the possibility of a refinery…we are open to

receiving good and viable suggestions,” he remarked.

Trotman said Government was already in receipt of several proposals; however, he stressed that there was a need for these proposals to be matched with empirical data.

While he did not give a clear indication as to when a decision could be made, Trotman said Government would have to look at the proposals, bearing in mind the timeframe before production begins.

“I can’t say; I mean we are still some way off from production, but certainly some early decision has to be made before 2020,” he told this publication.

The Minister said one of the key considerations would be the creation of jobs. “There are refineries in other parts of the

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman

world which may not be turning an economic profit, but they provide other benefits.”

According to him, most of the decisions would be made by “political imperatives”.

However, Trotman said he hoped that the economic importance would not be lost when a final decision was made.

Earlier this month, a feasibility study about Guyana building an oil refinery was shared with the public, at a consultation.

Director of Advisory Services at the United States-based Hartree Partners, Pedro Haas had said that the cost to build a refinery that would produce 100,000

barrels of oil per day was US$5 billion, with a construction period of 50 to 60 months.

This cost not only caters for the off-site location and other facilities, but takes into account the cost for energy, hydrogen supply, water and docking.

However, even with a smaller oil refinery, Haas said, there was a high possibility of Guyana getting a negative rate of return on investment of between US$2 billion and US$3 billion.

Some Guyanese here and abroad believe that Guyana should build its own oil refinery, because even if this is done at zero profit, it has the potential to create between 3000 and 6000 jobs. More than that, Guyana could become the exporter of more than 100 by-products, including fertilisers.

Most recently, there have been overtures from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for the refining of Guyana’s oil, where a formal proposal could be made in this regard.

Government has said the current-below-optimum operating positions of Suriname and Trinidad bring into stark focus the need for Guyana to be careful in considering whether or not to have a refinery.

Some US$500 million has already been set aside to build an onshore oil and gas facility at Crab Island, at the mouth of the Berbice River. The facility, which will largely support ExxonMobil’s offshore oil exploration and production operations, will include heliports, and supplies, maintenance and transportation hubs.

Plans revealed for new housing scheme near Lethem southern border, Lethem is home to a number of settlements, including Tabatinga Housing Scheme. This scheme is located on the outskirts of Lethem near

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This composite photo gives a view of Lethem in Region Ni ne

new housing development could be built on the edge of Lethem in Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo).

Lethem Mayor Carlton Beckles recently revealed that the municipality planned to develop a 2000-house lot housing development on a site which is about six miles away from Lethem.

The project, which is being pursued by the Lethem municipality, was pitched to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Beckles said.

“Now that I sit on the Central Housing and Planning Authority Board, I started a process of advocating for the Government’s housing drive to Lethem,” the Mayor was quoted as saying by the Government Information Agency (GINA).

He explained that he pitched the idea to the Board, and was challenged to meet with the stakeholders in the community, to put forward the proposal and address such issues as land for the housing development.

This meeting occurred late last week, Beckles said. “I met with the various stakeholders, mainly the representatives from the Guyana Lands and Surveys, the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), the Lethem Power Company, and the Guyana Power and Light and we went through the process of identifying lands for this housing drive,” he said.

He explained further that the stakeholders were able to identify an area, at Pork Bridge, just outside Lethem, “where we could have 400 acres of land that can be transformed into

2000 house lots,” he said.

The meeting also allowed for consensus with regard to the category and the size of lots that would be developed and offered to residents. The residents agreed that the house lots would be developed in three categories: low, middle and high income at 50 x 100 feet, 60 x 120 feet and 80 x 150 feet, respectively, Beckles said.

“Definitely, the land is there and we are going out there to the site, sometime in the course of this week, and have a firsthand look, and then I would take our suggestions and agreements, back to the Board, for them to start the process with the Guyana Lands and Surveys (Commission) in having the land, (the site) being handed over for the development of the scheme,” the Mayor said.

Located on Guyana’s

the Takutu Bridge that links Guyana to Brazil.

It was established and further developed by the CH&PA between 2000 and 2003. GINA said this followed efforts such

as site investigations into Tabatinga and the implementation of appropriate development interventions to address existing realities within the scheme.

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Opposition’s boycott of Independence ceremony due to lack of transparency – source

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s Independence celebrations got underway at D’Urban Park on Thursday evening, it was evident the parliamentary Opposition had boycotted the event. According to a source close to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the decision to boycott the celebration was not taken lightly; but rather one reason for the decision to boycott was the controversy and lack of transparency surrounding the money used on the location.

Sources indicate the Opposition boycotted the event due to the controversies swirling around the Government.

“Apart from the money spent in the past, the Government spent close to another G$100 mil-

Sources indicate the Opposition boycotted the event due to the controversies swirling around the Government

lion to have the Park prepared again for these activities. And it seems to be a cash cow for the Government,” the source stated.

The source revealed

that the Party was also concerned that despite the national nature of the event, the parliamentary Opposition was at no point included in the planning of the cele-

brations.

Other concerns of the parliamentary Opposition are the determined use of agencies such as the Special Organised Crime Unit

(SOCU) to persecute members of the Party.

This comes despite SOCU turning a blind eye to corruption and criminal acts the party had highlighted being done by officials of the current Administration.

During a recent press conference, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had deplored the fact that the Guyana Police Force continuously demonstrated a double standard in its dealing with PPP/Civic officials as against members of the ruling coalition.

“We have had cases where we have called in the Police on several occasions… the Police have two standards now, standards for going after PPP people and standards for APNU.” Jagdeo had called for charges to be laid against Director of the Government Information Agency (GINA) Beverly Alert, for (alleged) misappropriation of public monies, following the glaring admissions made in the Public Accounts Committee recently.

Alert appeared before the parliamentary body on Monday last and essentially told members that the GINA staff had been paid bonuses in 2015 following approval from the Finance Secretary.

But under cross examination, it was found that a Contingency Fund advance made in 2016 was in fact used to make the payments in 2015.

Subsequently, she essentially threw in the towel and said “the auditors probably have to come in back… maybe we have to scrutinise the books again. I can only go to what was provided to me by the staff of GINA.” Jagdeo had also used the occasion to draw reference to staunch coalition supporter, Eric Phillips, a senior official at the State Assets Recovery Unit of the Ministry of the Presidency.

The PPP/C General Secretary pointed to statements Phillips would have made, interpreted to mean death threats against the Opposition Leader and senior members of the PPP/C. He reminded media operatives that the PPP/C lodged an official complaint with the Guyana Police Force and “until today we have seen no action.”

The PPP/C General Secretary and Opposition Leader said the entire State apparatus would have been brought to bear, had it been the party allegedly committing

the act. He also reminded the media of the case of Ruel Johnson.

Johnson, the cultural political advisor to the Government, had been condemned for inciting the torching of the Sanata Complex which houses among other businesses, the media grouping TVG, Guyana Times and RGI Radio.

According to the source, the Party is still disturbed that while several of its members have either been passed through the courts or are being investigated, the Government seems intent on creating a façade that all is well between the two parties.

In retrospect, the source said, the PPP was also cognisant of instances when the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change, then the Opposition, would have boycotted national events the former Government had planned.

Unnecessary The subject of D’Urban Park has been a contentious one between the Opposition and the Government side, since the structure was built last year at a cost of over G$1 billion. The Government has constantly had to defend the logic of building the structure, when the National Stadium, a state-of-the-art structure that already hosted national events, is available.

In the run up to the 51st Independence anniversary celebrations, there had been reports that the event would be hosted at Stabroek Square. That ultimately never happened, as Government switched their focus back to D’Urban Park.

Due to its lack of utility, the structure stands empty and unused for most of the year. During a press conference, Minister of State Joseph Harmon while responding to assertions that the structure has become a white elephant had defended its existence.

“Since the D’Urban Park was built, I can say to you at least once per month or more, that various organisations in this country have been using the Park for various activities. That every afternoon, you can go there, you just walk there and take your cameras, you see people are exercising, they are using the place, you see children playing, so it is not as is portrayed in your article that this is a white elephant,” Harmon had been quoted as saying.

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Corruption still remains entrenched in Guyana …despite rhetoric from Govt – Ramkarran

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espite the rhetoric from Government in regard to combating corruption, and notwithstanding the laws that have been passed empowering institutions like the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) to act, corruption still remains entrenched in Guyana.

Much more needs to be done, according to former Speaker of the House, Ralph Ramkarran, SC, who in his latest missive has said Guyana is about to experience a massive increase in its resources — a reference to the burgeoning oil industry, which is expected to commence commercial production of oil in 2020 — but still retains an

inexperienced regulatory environment, with corruption still existing.

“Challenges (the country faces include) continued corruption and disquiet about the next elections,” Ramkarran stated in his column, Conversation Tree. “Despite the loud talk, new policing laws and institutions, no dent in corruption has been noticed. It is as pervasive as it was in the past, though less noticeable because there is less government spending.”

He also spoke about the elections, and the continuing delay in appointing a chairman for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to replace outgoing Chairman Dr Steve

Former Speaker of the House, Ralph Ramkarran,

ICE officers summon backup as residents attempt to prevent arrest of Guyanese man in Queens

Surujbally.

President David Granger, having rejected the first list submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, has been furnished with a second list since May 2; but sources close to the People’s National Congress (PNC) have related that the President has in mind a favoured person whose name has not appeared on either list.

Government has since denied this assertion, but Ramkarran has said that if the second list is rejected, serious questions would emerge.

Ramkarran notes that it was against this backdrop and the continuing lack of social cohesion that the Carter

Centre had called for constitutional reform.

He has accordingly expressed his complete support for the position taken by the Carter Center.

“It (the Carter Center) said that the anticipated influx of oil revenue has the potential to exacerbate ethnic and political conflicts. It recommends separate presidential elections, possibly with candidates ranked by voters in a preferred scale, with the person gaining the highest total votes being the winner,” Ramkarran explained.

Last year, the United States Department of State had reported that corruption continues to be among the leading human rights problems facing Guyana.

The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015, released by that department in 2016, had also chronicled other human rights violations.

“There remained a widespread public perception of corruption involving officials at all levels, including the police and the judiciary,” the report said. It noted, however, that Government had responded to these reports, but it did not elaborate on that response. The report also stated that while the law requires public officials to declare their assets to an Integrity Commission, that commission has not yet been constituted.

It added that the

law sets out both criminal and administrative sanctions for public officials who do not disclose their assets to the commission, but said neither disclosure of assets nor conviction for nondisclosure of assets occurred during the year.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has called on the Government to have an international firm investigate whatever assets are held by both current and past Government officials, but this call that has gone unanswered by the Government.

The latest U.S. State Department report on human rights in Guyana had also mentioned alleged Government corruption, including among police officials, as among Guyana’s continuing human rights problems.

According to the Department’s annual report, which examines human rights conditions in countries throughout the world, the law provides for criminal penalties for corrupt officials, and Government generally implements the law effectively. However, it noted that “there were isolated reports of government corruption during the year, and administration officials responded to the reports. There remained a widespread public perception of corruption involving officials at all levels, including the police and the judiciary.”

T&T gospel show promoter remanded to prison for trafficking cannabis

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Hardat Sampat (left) (New York Daily News photo)

Queens, New York woman tried to block federal immigration officers from arresting her Guyanese husband Tuesday morning, prompting a standoff when neighbours started ripping into President Donald Trump, law-enforcement sources said.

According to a report in Wednesday’s New York Post, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers went to detain the woman’s ille-

gal-immigrant husband, Hardat Sampat, after he had been released from jail on burglary and other charges, sources said.

The New York Post reported that ICE officers stopped the couple’s car at about 10 a.m., on a one-way street at the corner of 101st Avenue and 112th Street near his home in Richmond Hill.

They took Sampat into custody, but his wife, the driver, refused to move the vehicle, blocking them from driv-

ing away, the New York Post reported.

ICE then called the NYPD for assistance. By the time cops arrived, a half-dozen people were gathered and protesting the arrest, an NYPD source said. The group directed its anger at cops and the president.

Police eventually convinced the wife to move the car, and ICE drove away with Sampat, a source said.

No other arrests were made, according to the New York Post report.

rinidadian entertainer Cornelius Thomas was on Monday arraigned before Georgetown Magistrate Judy Latchman on a charge detailing that on May 28 last, at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, he had in his possession 834 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The 35-year-old defendant, who presently resides at 36 Guyhoc Gardens, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge, alleging in open court that he was called by his landlord, held at gunpoint, and told that a black bag was found in his apartment. He said the Police were called and that was how he was arrested.

However, the

Prosecution’s facts state that the police had received information and, with the assistance of the landlord, searched the man’s premises and found the substance in several Ziploc bags. The defendant was accordingly told of the offence and was charged.

Thomas, a gospel show promoter and entertainer, had previously been charged with fraud in Dominica.

He has been remanded to the Camp Street prison in Georgetown, and his case has been set for recall on June 19, 2017.

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Robust legal and institutional infrastructure needed for Guyana’s oil & gas sector – UK professor

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lthough the Government is making efforts to ensure that the necessary mechanisms are put in place to assist the country to reap the full benefits of the emerging oil and gas sector, a university professor has warned that Guyana could encounter the ‘resource curse’ if stringent measures are not taken.

In order to avoid such a curse, Guyana must implement a robust legal and institutional infrastructure, which is strong and specialised for the oil and gas industry, and one that will make sure that the environmental situation is one where oil companies have every reason to do the right thing.

This is according to Director of the Centre of Commercial Law at University of Reading, England, Professor Jorge Guira, who addressed stakeholders at his lecture session titled, “Paradise found in Guyana? Meeting the challenges of oil and gas exploration and production”, at the Theatre Guild Playhouse in

Kingston on Thursday.

The lecture was organised by the Natural Resources Ministry in collaboration with the University of Guyana.

The UK professor pointed out that in some cases, natural resource revenues have been linked to slow economic growth rates, inequality, and poverty. One culprit may be the so-called Dutch disease, whereby resource revenues raise a country’s exchange rate, hurting competitiveness in non-resource sectors.

Other factors may also include the volatility associated with commodity prices, which can have especially negative impacts on weak state economies, and the under-development of agricultural and manufacturing sectors during boom periods in resource-based economies.

Guira suggested that even when oil abundance produces high growth, it often benefits only a few allegedly corrupt elites rather than translating into higher living standards for most of the population.

Professor Jorge Guira presenting his lecture at the Theatre Guild

In considering longterm plans, Professor Guira said there was also the importance of having a local content dimension, from oil companies, in order to provide bases for the development of the country.

He stressed that the parties giving the Government advice in dealing with its oil wealth may have dif-

ferent self-interest and urged it to be aware of those interests.

Professor Guira noted that the Government was bound to face several challenges in this new sector, but it should try to enforce greater levels of transparency, accountability and sustainability, in order to succeed.

He also suggest-

ed that Guyana developed stronger links with Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean countries, and said that the border controversy with neighbouring Venezuela should also be addressed.

Touching on another key point, the professor said, in order for the Sovereign Wealth Fund to be effective, it must

be checked with accountability and strong oversight to preserve capital, while capping spending.

Instead, Government should, according to him, invest rather than consume.

Professor Guira also stressed that while Guyana’s oil find, as well as the projected earnings, is monumental, Government needed to take the fluctuation in oil prices into consideration.

He also urged that although oil companies were making humongous investments, Guyana also needed to invest in capacity building in order to drive the process in an intelligent way.

Recently, Government was criticised over the issue of transparency with respect to the emerging oil and gas sector

by Control Risks Senior Analyst Raul Gallegos.

Gallegos was addressing an audience in California at the XXVI La Jolla Energy Conference during a plenary session on “Latin America’s Upstream Prospects and Outlook”.

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Union still awaiting word on suggested 40% increase for teachers

By Samuel Sukhnandan

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eachers have, for almost one and a half years, been waiting on Government to finalise with the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) an agreement in regard to increases in salaries and other benefits; and they are still waiting.

The last multi-year agreement between the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) came to an end in 2015, and the GTU has since been working to finalise a new agreement.

GTU General Secretary, Coretta McDonald, told Guyana Times International on Sunday that the MoE informed the union recently that it is still trying to narrow down its counterproposal. The GTU had submitted its proposal since December 2015, with the hope that negotiations would have commenced early and a new agreement would have been completed before mid-2016.

“We were hoping that in 2016 we would have already been finished with this, so teachers could begin to enjoy

the other benefits apart from salary increases.

However, whenever that agreement is signed, it will have to be retroactive to 2015, because it’s a multi-year agreement (2016-2020),” she explained.

McDonald said a reshuffle of permanent secretaries at the MoE might have been one reason why Government has not been able to meet the GTU at the bargaining table. She said negotiations had begun with former MoE Permanent Secretary Delma Nedd, during which only nonfinancial matters of the proposal had been examined. Nedd was later replaced by Vibert Welch, the former Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, who assumed the duties of PS at the MoE earlier this year. “…and we thought it was fair to give him the opportunity to look at the document. We are hoping that sometime soon we will be able to have a counter proposal coming from the Ministry of Education; and it’s from that level that the GTU would be able to start negotiations,” McDonald

GTU General Secretary, Coretta McDonald

explained.

Although ready to excuse the MoE’s delay in regard to resuming negotiations, McDonald has described the situation as “disgusting”, and has said negotiations should immediately be resumed because teachers’ across the country are impatiently awaiting word on what they are likely to receive in the new fiveyear agreement.

“You cannot have

teachers uncomfortable, or uneasy, or not knowing what they are about, and expect them to give of their best. And so, based on what we are seeing coming out of the proposal that we submitted, whatever is submitted to us as a counterproposal would be favourable to teachers.”

Forty per cent

The GTU has also proposed a 40 per cent

across-the-board salary increase for all public school teachers. It must be noted, however, that in the previous agreement, the GTU had managed to get for teachers’ countrywide only a five per cent salary increase over the course of five years.

McDonald explained that the GTU would like to see the salaries of all categories of teachers increased by 45 per cent in 2017 and by 50 per cent for the following three years (2018-2020). She explained that the GTU had arrived at these figures after considering inflation.

“We don’t expect the Government to give us everything we ask for, and that is why we have negotiations. But if they come lower than that, we will have to sit and talk at the table,” she declared.

Although negotiations in the above regard had not been fruitful with the previous Government, McDonald told this newspaper, the GTU is hoping that negotiations with this current administration would see teachers being placed in scales which will reflect the results of

the debunching, in keeping with Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) governing the period 2011-2015.

This would mean that teachers with advanced levels of training would be placed on a scale that is different from those of recently graduated teachers.

Importantly, also, the GTU has proposed that the payment of sums of money in regard to debunching be retroactive to 2011, when the previous MoU was inked. And if the MoU is approved, teachers would also benefit from monthly emotional, stress, risk and maintenance allowances.

McDonald said the extensive proposal also entails benefits for teachers serving in hinterland communities, and addresses the need for scholarships and other non-salary issues.

But apart from that, the union is also advocating for an additional performance-based incentive of three per cent per annum of the total teachers’ wage bill, and for teachers being eligible for double salaries in the month of December each year.

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Importation of heavy-duty vehicles: Revenue body going after tax cheats

By Vahnu Manikchand

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he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has clamped down on a billion-dollar scam whereby heavy-duty vehicles were being imported and not registered. According to Commissioner General Godfrey Statia, the main focus now is recovering the taxes that were not paid.

It was reported that the State has been losing billions annually over excavators and other heavy-duty machinery and equipment that were not registered.

Statia said the “players” involved would be called in and told what would be required of them going forward as well as to get those machinery registered. He pointed out that there would be no seizure of these machinery and equipment.

“As far as GRA is concerned, we try to minimise seizures. All we try to do is collect the taxes that were not collected. People need to get on with their lives; I won’t be seizing vehicles unnecessarily. All I want is when I look at the transaction, if there are any taxes that should have been made, they are paid and we go on,” the GRA Commissioner General posited.

He went on to explain that this scheme has been on GRA’s radar for some time now. Statia outlined that exercises were carried out, monitoring vehicles that had been moving within the country, especially excavators and draglines, but when checks were made, there were no records of them in the system.

“It was on the cards for a little while, but then what we found is that there was one particu-

GTU General Secretary, Coretta McDonald

lar excavator that was imported and we could not have found it, it was cleared and we could not have found it until now.

And now that we have gone through additional transactions, we have

found that they’ve been tainted,” he noted.

The GRA head further pointed out the problem was as long as these machinery and heavy-duty equipment were not registered, the

Authority would not be in a position to find or trace them. As such, Statia said he would be meeting with the importers and trying to facilitate them getting the titles for the vehicles.

While he opted not to divulge the information, the Commissioner General said he was aware of the identity of these importers.

“I’m not pointing fingers at anyone who may be guilty at this point in time. But yes, we know all the importers and we know where their warehouses are and these things,” he stated.

Further asked about the scale of the scheme, the GRA head said that it was not all importers of heavy-duty machinery and equipment who were involved in the racket.

He added that the GRA would have a much clearer idea of the magnitude when it went through its

records and speak with the importers.

Moreover, Statia pointed out that “somewhere along the line, the system went lax and allowed these excavators to be roaming free without numbers and without registration. We need to regularise them.”

Asked whether this scam could have been facilitated by staffers within the system, Commissioner General Statia noted that when he was done with the investigations, he would know “exactly who were involved and whether it was done because of ignorance or knowingly and willingly to defraud the Revenue Authority.”

It was also reported that in addition to heavy-duty machinery and equipment, a number of vehicles have also been imported under this scam and were not registered.

Potential closure of Uitvlugt Estate

Opposition Leader urges sugar workers to be vigilant

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n light of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) touting the possible closure of the Uitvlugt Estate over the fact that workers from Wales are refusing to work at the West Coast Demerara facility, sugar workers are being asked to remain vigilant.

This call was made

by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo at a press conference earlier last week.

Government had merged the operations of the two West Demerara estates after closing the Wales Estate last year.

It had noted that the Uitvlugt Estate is being upgraded to increase its production from 20,000 to 40,000 tonnes of sugar annually, which will demand more labour. In this regard, some 374 of the Wales workers were to be transferred to Uitvlugt but they have refused the employment offer, saying that it is unreasonable for them to travel some 22 miles to the West Coast Demerara facility.

In light of this situation, the sugar corporation said in a statement a few days ago that it may have to consider closing the Uitvulgt Estate if the nearly 400 Wales harvesters and cane transporters continue to withhold support from the Uitvlugt Improvement Programme.

However, this disclosure comes as a departure from what the National Assembly was

Moreover, turning his attention to the White Paper, which was dubbed ‘State Paper on the Future of Sugar Industry’, Jagdeo asserted that the document is hopelessly ill-conceived, misconceived, and does not address the future of the industry or the critical concerns of workers — such as diversification into what, and how to ensure that there is no loss of welfare.

The Opposition Leader went on to out-

Opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo

told earlier this month

by Agriculture Minister Noel Holder when he presented the White Paper on the future of the sugar industry. The Minister had said that only the Rose Hall and Enmore Estates would be closed by year end, Skeldon will be divested.

According to Jagdeo, the ink on the White Paper has not even dried properly and there is now a new move to close another estate. “This betrays the thinking in some circles in the Government, and they don’t understand that they are not only putting sugar at risk, but our country at risk and its wellbeing,” he said.

Severance In their refusal of the transfer, the workers were requesting severance pay, and have been staging protest actions to get the Government and the sugar corporation to

pay. GuySuCo has refused to make the payment, contending that the workers would be entitled to severance pay only if their services are terminated. The company further insists that the workers are not being transferred but will remain on the Wales payroll.

But former President Jagdeo pointed out that the law stipulates that if the transfer is more than 10 miles, then the workers have the right to refuse. In this regard, he posited that Government should pay the workers their severance, as was done by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration.

In fact, the Opposition Leader noted that Government can easily pay the workers their termination benefits and then re-employ them on a new contract.

White Paper

line that the document is not GuySuCo’s White Paper but a Government of Guyana White Paper.

He said this to highlight that GuySuCo is more concerned about profitability as a company, and he opined that Government has to be the one concerned about people’s livelihoods.

“There is a big difference between a government’s white paper and a profit and loss statement by a compa-

ny making decision. So the Government has failed on those standards — on tabling this White Paper and not addressing those critical issues,” he stated. Against this backdrop, Jagdeo is urging the public that everyone in the community – man, woman and children – must all come out to show the Coalition Government their displeasure at what they are doing to destroy their livelihoods.

Cops destroy ganja farm at Linden

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21-year-old South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, man was on Friday arrested after Police swooped down on a marijuana field at Wisroc, Linden.

Police stated that between 16:30h and 18:00h, ranks of the Police Narcotics Branch conducted a drug eradication exercise in Wisroc, during which several acres of cultivated cannabis were discovered.

A total of 5300 of the illegal plants ranging from six inches to five feet were found and destroyed by ranks. Two makeshift camps were also found and burnt.

The Georgetown resident who was on the farm at the time of the raid was taken into Police custody. He is being processed for court.

A section of the camp at Wisroc, Linden with dried marijuana

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Housing expo deemed a success …several Guyanese express interest in options provided

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Scores of patrons gather to examine houses constructed by private developers on Sunday

he housing expo at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara, was dubbed the true housing solution for low-income Guyanese. Scores of persons on Sunday flocked the exhibition site as the Communities Ministry in collaboration with the Central Housing and Planning Authority

(CH&PA) partnered with housing developers to present an array of homes to citizens.

The housing expo, which is aimed at providing low, moderate and middle income earners, along with State employees and youths, the perfect opportunity to access affordable homes, was launched on Friday last.

The “Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond” event features a total of 25 houses which were constructed for display during the four-day exhibition period to present stylish, durable and eco-friendly options to Guyanese who have previously been faced with financial barriers, preventing them from pur-

chasing their own homes.

The houses were uniquely constructed and comprise single units and duplexes made of both wood and concrete. These models range from as low as G$6.5 million with the more eye-catching models being offered on special deals for about G$16 million.

In an interview with Guyana Times International on Sunday, CH&PA Public Relations Officer Ivor Wharton said the event showcased to the Guyanese populace “what are some of the solutions we have come up with” for affordable housing.

The PRO said the Planning Authority, in its “Housing Solutions” initiative, has partnered with private developers

to build homes in three targeted income categories to not only present options to Guyanese, but, at the same time, gather information of the housing preferences of the general public. Wharton even pointed out that of

the use of both popular and lesser known species of timber, 95 per cent of which is sourced in Guyana. DuraVilla’s model home at the housing expo was a distinctive design, which capitalised on the use of

Citizens cashing in on Sunday on other services offered at the housing expo (Carl Croker photos)

the two options presented (single units and duplexes), approximately 80 per cent of those who participated in the surveys preferred the single units.

The PRO further explained that the houses constructed at the exhibition site would remain there and would be the first of several communities to be developed as a result of this housing exposition. As such, she noted that the cost to purchase one of the single units at Perseverance was G$6.5 million, while the duplexes would not exceed G$7 million.

However, the setting up of similar communities is set to commence in about two months across six regions of the country, with similar options made available.

Wharton expressed delight over the successful outcome of this initiative and stated, “We are overwhelmed with the response we have received from the public.”

The PRO went on to say that the CH&PA would be working hard so that it can provide every applicant with a house lot or a fully constructed home.

Expressing similar sentiments was Rafeek Khan of DuraVilla Homes, who highlighted, “The experience has been overwhelming here in Guyana, because what has happened is that the young, the old, the rich and the poor like our greenheart villa concept.”

The Strategic Planning and Development Manager pointed out that his entity operated both locally and aboard and produced unique, customised designs, incorporating

space, capturing the attention of those present.

“Usually, we export our timber overseas, but we would like to have DuraVilla Home concept in Guyana, using the ecofriendly greenheart villa idea,” underlined Khan as he responded to the positive feedback offered by those cashing in on the expo.

He even explained the process of procuring one of the well-designed homes, stating that an application has to be made to the company, after which it would proceed with the qualification assessment. Upon approval, DuraVilla Homes will follow up with the Communities Ministry and the CH&PA to subsequently commence construction.

The model at the housing expo is priced at G$16 million, but will average about G$12 million if constructed on land owned by the buyers.

“Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond” also presented a marketing opportunity for other private entities such as furniture stores, security services and banks.

According to reports from various businesses participating in the expo, the initiative provides the perfect opportunity to market their products, with some even earning close to 100 new customers.

Those in attendance on Sunday dubbed this event a great initiative especially since it provides low-income housing solutions for the masses of Guyanese who fall within this earning level. Many were also impressed with the beautiful modern designs given that they are offered at such affordable prices.

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‘An experience to cherish’, says Rupununi woman who gave birth to second child mid-air

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Susan Williams and her baby girl

he Guyana Defence Force (GDF) recorded its first known mid-air delivery on Saturday when 18-year-old Susan Williams of Fairview, North Rupununi gave birth to a beautiful baby girl way above the ground, in what can be described as the most beautiful view over Iwokrama.

Jemina West, medical student daughter of GDF Chief of Staff Brigadier Patrick West, was onboard the aircraft.

A student of the Texila American University, she played the heroic part in spearheading the delivery.

Both mother and baby are patients in the Post Natal Care Ward of the GPHC, and are said to be doing fine. Williams and her husband are thankful for the courage demonstrated by Ms West in stepping up to the challenge.

Complications The sequence of events began when Susan Williams developed complications during delivery and had to be air-dashed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPCH) for immediate attention.

She had reportedly gone into labour at about 16:00h on Saturday, and was told that the infant was in a breeched position and she would have to be air dashed to the GPHC. Williams’s husband, Diego West, related that at about 16:00h that day, he received a call informing him that his wife was ready to deliver their second child.

“I was at work and her cousin called and said that my girl getting (labour) pain, so I told my supervisor, ‘Let me go home’, and I come home. After I come home my girl tell me that she getting pain and the health worker examined her and she said that the baby near…The baby foot come out one side and they said that it is an emergency, so they send for the next health worker from Iwokrama, and he come. After he come, the baby foot done coming out one side, so he said that he can’t do nothing about that and that we got to send her out.

“The plane was right there collecting tourists, so we went in, and shortly after (take off), she deliver the baby,” 19-yearold West related.

The parents are now deciding on a suitable name for their baby girl, and are playing around with a few that have references to the skies. This is the second child for the proud parents, who say they have no plans for a third child.

They are expected to travel back to their village after Williams and her baby are cleared to do so. And according to Williams, “Delivering in the skies doesn’t make it less painful, but it was an experience to cherish.”

The aircraft was manned by two pilots, Majors Mohinder Ramjag and Patrick Nicols, who both expressed their elation at having experienced a mid-air delivery. (Lakhram Bhagirat)

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

VOX POPULI

What the people say about

I SAY...

Delay in appointing a GECOM Chair

O

pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is of the view that it would be “unreasonable” if the President rejected the second list of nominees he submitted for the post of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson. What are your thoughts on President David Granger’s hesitation to select a new Chairman of GECOM?

Kester Whyte

“The hesitation is a bother, since such an

important role must be filled as soon as possible since there are a lot of improvements that need to be made.

However, the man or woman selected must be qualified, trustworthy and competent in order to effectively run and improve GECOM. So while the delay is understandable, at the same time it needs to be rectified, since the wait is disappointing.”

Kurt Robinson “I’m of the opinion that President Granger is just fed up of nominating someone who just feels that once they’re in, they feel they can just change the game rules or just stupidly think they already have all the bases covered! And rightfully concerned too!!”

Garvin Blackman “I think if we really understand how important it is to find someone who is not only qualified to fill the position, but also has integrity, then we would understand the President’s position on taking as much time as possible is necessary to arrive at that most suitable candidate for such an important post.”

Jonathan Winter “The President has been given ample time, in fact two lists, of which the first was declined.

Given that he has the second list for weeks and has not selected a candidate, I believe that he may already have someone in mind that is not a part of that pool of candidates that were submitted.

At the same time, there is a possibility that he might be conducting a thorough investigation into the group so as to arrive at the conclusion that the person who will be selected is absolutely suitable for the role of GECOM Chairman.

However, I wonder if the President realises that

having an organisation such as GECOM functioning without an active chairman is impeding the function of the Commission and may have negative effects on the country.”

Denisia Liddell “In my opinion, the GECOM Chairman should be appointed based on the

country’s constitutional requirements. I don’t know why it is taking so long for the process to be carried out, maybe the President is trying to ensure that the best suited candidate is chosen or maybe it has something to do with the requirements. I’m not sure, but, in all fairness, the best qualified candidate according to the constitutional requirements should be appointed and the process should be a transparent one.”

Zani Ramez “There is nothing in the Constitution that says the President has

to accept the list or has to choose someone from the list that the Opposition Leader submitted. He has to be satisfied with the person that he will choose and I think that he needs time to consult with some of his supporters and other stakeholders before a decision is made. We have more time and the President is showing that he is in control and not just jumping and doing things like it used to happen before.”

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

By Horace Walcott

I

was one of the pupil leaders selected by my school, Malgre Tout, to attend a rally at the Parade Ground in Georgetown in honour of Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty and Prince Phillip were visiting Guyana in February of 1966. I can recall standing a few yards from Her Majesty as she took the salutes of military and scout bands as they marched pass her. I was one of the youngest scouts in Guyana and, though pedantic and introverted, was attracted to the military.

There was a platoon of British troops stationed across the street where I lived at Versailles. Prior to Guyana's independence, they relocated to Eve Leary in Georgetown. It must have been a few weeks after the Queen's visit. Then there was Independence Day, a few days after my birthday. The Duke and Duchess of Kent were visiting Guyana and

Horace Walcott

there was a celebration to honour the royals at the West Demerara Secondary School (WDSS) in Pouderoyen, the village adjacent to Versailles.

In addition to the royal couple attending the celebration, many important officials including Governor General Sir Richard Luyt and government ministers, were at WDSS. I remem-

ber attending the ceremony, but being there briefly. I was dressed in my neatly pressed scouts’ uniform: khaki short pants, scouts’ belt, a lanyard around my neck with a scarf having the colours of the Golden Arrow Head. My black leather shoes were polished and buffed. I was a scout with the Plantain Walk Boys Scout Troops.

Several weeks leading up to independence, we would be transported from the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling by military trucks of the British Troops to Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara, and undergo joint training sessions with the Den Amstel troops.

My scoutmaster and assistant scoutmaster were officers in the Volunteer Force, the precursor of the Guyana Defence Force. We learned all the flags of the British Empire and, at the end of our training, recited the Scout's Honour Oath, in which we paid respect to God and the Queen.

On the eve of Guyana's inLowering the British flag (left) to hoist the Golden Arrowhead at the Independence Day ceremony, May 26, 1966

dependence, we camped at Den Amstel in huts of the Public Works Department.

The birth of the nation was ushered in by a camp fire, the lowering of the Union Jack accompanied by the British national anthem.

Then, there was the raising of the Golden Arrow Head accompanied by cheers and the play of the Guyana national anthem.

As one flag was lowered and the other raised to full mast, both fluttering with grace displaying their full colours in the night sky illuminated by a large camp fire, crowds of spectators stood at attention and scouts saluted. Throughout the country, it seemed that the red, white and blue receded physically and spiritually and was replaced with red, yellow,

black, white and green.

As a teen, I felt the people of Guyana had lost and gained. What was lost and gained? That question I answered myself, as I witnessed with

fellow Guyanese our nation's struggle for economic and spiritual freedom.

My stint in the Versailles Boys Brigade and Plantain Walk Scout Troops would pay off a decade later. As a Guyana scholar candidate, I was required to undergo ‘guerrilla warfare’ training in the Guyana jungles.

Though in 1976 and 1977, as a budding yogi, I could have refused or objected to the military training.

I didn’t fall in love with the hinterland. However, my stint in Guyana’s jungles inspired me to specialise in zoological medicine. Several years ago, one of my teams of research students deciphered the physics of the blow pipe used by the indigenous people or ‘Red People’. Part of the research was done at Harvard University.

Notably, the team has developed a novel amphibious tranquilising dart rifle.

Now residing in the U.S., I still wear berets in the winter to remind me of my scout days in Guyana, and floppy hats in the summer to remind me of my National Service stint at Papaya and Kimbia.

From 1996 to 1997, with family support, I completed post graduate studies in zoological medicine at the Royal Veterinary College and the London Zoo. For my thesis research, I conducted toxicological pathology studies in neuroendocrine disruption and biosonar in harbour porpoises in British waters.

For me, Guyana has always been a magical, mystical place tinged with danger.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Flat Tire Productions brings ‘Love Bites’ to Queens, NY F

lat Tire Productions will bring their newest stage show, “Love Bites” to Queens, NY this June 10 and 11.

Some hope for it, others run from it and some get bitten by it: the age-old concept of love. This June 10th and 11th, Flat Tire Productions, a West Indian theatre and film company, makes their comeback with “Love Bites,” a stage show featuring five one-act American plays that tackle love and all its nuances to premiere in Queens, New York.

Founded in 2004, Flat Tire Productions is mostly known for their slap-

stick West Indian comedy. Audiences around the world fell in love with their comedic web-series, “Liberty Avenue Singles,” and its lead, Sundar (played by the late Frankie Sooknanan). Flat Tire also earned much acclaim with their last stage production, “Buttahflap: Fresh Baked West Indian Comedy,” which toured five cities in two years (New York City; Schenectady, NY; Richfield, MN; Coconut Creek, FL; and Toronto).

“Love Bites,” however, aims to show that West Indians can play even more versatile roles. With this in mind, directors and veter-

Flat Tire Productions will bring their newest stage show, “Love Bites” to Queens, NY this June 10 and 11

‘A life lived for others’

By Indrawattie Natram

F

amous German physicist Albert Einstein once said: “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile”, and centenarian Lucretia Bradford believes this statement to be true, having lived hers in caring for others.

Bradford, who resides at Lot 7 Cullen, Essequibo Coast, was born on May 25, 1917. Caring for others has always been a priority for the 100-year-old. Being the eldest of her siblings, Bradford had to assume the responsibility of caring for them at a very young age due to her parents having to go work.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Bradford, lovingly called Aunty Baby, mentioned she has spent her entire life in Cullen where she enjoyed helping her aunt who was a midwife.

“I also enjoyed working on the farms and making cassava bread. I was a cane cutter and a domestic, but making cassava bread to sell was my favourite thing to do. I worked hard: I fetched wood and cane for long distances in order to provide for my family,” she recalled.

Though her memories are fading, the doting mother remembered making sacrifices to care for her seven children (three of whom are still alive) - something she did devotedly even when her husband passed away.

“My life is made up with many struggles, trials and tribulations, but I always leave everything in the hands of the Almighty. He is my saviour and protector, he sent me here for a purpose and I try every day to fulfil God's wish,” she expressed.

Throughout the interview she constantly thanked God for “his grace, guidance and strength”. She stated that her only health complaints are poor vision and arthritis, but she remains positive.

Remarkably, the 100-year-old does everything for herself, including bathing, brushing her teeth, feeding herself and using the washroom. She also prepares meals and care of her grandson whenever her daughter is not around.

This publication also interviewed Bradford’s daughter, Sheila, who said she is “fortunate and blessed” to see her mother attain the age of 100.

“While growing up, I admired my mother’s courage and dedication in providing for her children. She was always a loving and caring mother,” expressed

"Love Bites" directors; veteran Flat Tire actors Alisha Persaud (left) and Radha Singh (right)

Sheila.

For her passion in helping others, Aunty Baby has earned the respect of those around her. She also pointed out she inherited midwifery knowledge from her mother and grandmother and has “helped save a lot of marriages”.

She explained: “Many couples who were not getting babies came to me and I helped them. I ‘fixed’ women’s abdomen and provided herbal treatment – some of the things I learned from my mother. Those who I have helped remember my kindness and would often visit me. My hands are blessed and I used them to help others.”

Her encouragement to youths is to “cherish life and focus on their goals”.

“I always tell my children and grandchildren to never judge or be envious of others, don't try to define other people’s lives, and to always focus on their lives and help others. That's what God wants and that what we should all aim for,” she declared.

Now, Bradford spends her time reading her bible. She said although she loves plantains and healthy foods, she would settle for fried rice and baked chicken - her favourite meal.

The centenarian celebrated her birthday in Georgetown with her children and grandchildren sharing out meals to the Children's Convalescent Home. She also attended a church service in celebration of her milestone, where she was able to give thanks to her “saviour and protector”.

an Flat Tire actors, Alisha Persaud and Radha Singh, and executive producers Aaron Ishmael and Dinesh Khemraj created “Love Bites.”

“Love Bites is about relationships between different people throughout the stages of romance. It’s very funny and we put our own little spin on it,” said Singh, explaining that audiences will get a taste of both West Indian and American humor.

“I think this is a Broadway caliber show

and I hope that is what everyone loves,” said actor Prakash Brahaspat. “I hope ‘Love Bites’ broadens everyone’s horizons.”

Fellow actor Dinesh Khemraj added that he hopes everyone takes something different from each play since each one is diverse in its own respect.

"Love Bites" directors are veteran Flat Tire actors Alisha Persaud (left) and Radha Singh (right).

“Drama is for entertainment but also to help us learn about ourselves and

each other,” said Persaud.

“So, hopefully when you’re watching one of these five plays you’ll see a little bit of something that seems familiar or resonates with you. Maybe when you go home, it helps you think about life and love.”

“Love Bites” will be performed at P.S. 268 (9207 175 Street) in Jamaica, New York on Saturday, June 10 at 7:30pm and Sunday, June 11 at 5:30pm. Tickets and discounts are available at flattireproductions.com.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Art in Pre-independence Guyana

‘Artists had already shown independence of thought’

G

"Lotus" (1971) by Jorge Bowen-Forbes

uyana became an independent nation in 1966, but its artists had already, from a generation before, begun to show independence of thought, action and vision. The artistic ferment in Georgetown in the decades between 1930 and 1960 is a yet largely-unrecognised intellectual and philosophical development in Guyana. The early part of this period laid the foundation for an art which lacks nothing in richness, complexity and ideation.

Samuel Horace Broodhagen (1883-1950) is identified as the earliest-known local artist. He was a painter of landscapes and portraits, but not much is known about his work. So was Cedric Winter (1902-1974), a sculptor, who created the altar screen for St Jamesthe-Less Church in 1945. But the first decades of the 20th century were lean years for art in Guyana. One expatriate, Golde White, wrote to a friend that “[t] here has been no Art Exhibition for some time in this colony, and very little is done to encourage artistic talent”.

From the end of the 1920’s, White and other expatriates, along with the British Council, encouraged and supported the local men and women of talent. The colonials helped to found the British Guiana Arts and Crafts Society in 1931, and the British Council sponsored lectures and gave scholarships. This impetus produced our first formal artists such as Vivian Antrobus, R. G. Sharples, E.R. Burrowes, Reggie Phang and Sam Cummings.

On the other hand, Evelyn Williams argues that the colonial establishment “contextualised and controlled the models of cultural expression in the perpetuation of the systematic self-interest… imposing the imprints of a European consciousness”.

Here is where the pioneering local artists began asserting their independence: they soon broke away from the official influence, and began organising their own art groups and art classes. They formed the Guianese Art Group in 1945 and the Working People’s Art Class in 1948, which existed up to as late as 1961.

They attracted young people such as Denis Williams, Hubert Moshett, Marjorie Broodhagen, Enda Harte, Basil Hinds, and later on, Stanley Greaves, Ron Savory, Aubrey Williams, Donald Locke, Emerson Samuels and many others. The pioneers started a great line of artists who would take Guyana’s art into the next three decades and beyond.

On the surface, it seems that Guyanese art copies western art. But this is only superficially true. While our artists draw from the wide range of art approaches, styles and techniques, what they create is truly Guyanese. The pioneer artists broke away from the influence of the British School of landscape painting and used more investigative styles and techniques to delve into, rather than depict, Guyanese life.

They explored a broader range of themes and subjects. Apart from the landscape, they painted

our people, pass-times and activities. Artists such as George Bowen (Jorge Bowen-Forbes), Alvin Bowman, Patrick Barrington, David Singh picked up this tradition from the pioneers and it continued in the works of Eddie Fredericks (our first indigenous painter), Basil and Angold Thompson, Cletus Henriques, Maylene Duncan, Winston Strick, Seunarine Munisar, Merlene Ellis, and a host of other artists right down to the present day.

Our art is a nationally-cohesive influence because of its democratic nature: it is not an elitist art; it takes an unprejudiced look at our life; it is a humanely-progressive art which propounds the richness and dignity of life. Even in the conflict-ridden 1960’s, Guyanese artists quietly asserted the common humanity, struggle, and worthiness of the Guyanese people through their landscapes and depictions of the life of the country in scenes of life and landscape.

In another discordant period, the 1990’s, artists such as Ohene Koama, Betsy Karim and Desmond Ali banded together as “The Guyana United Artists”; they and various other artists made a call through their many exhibitions for unity and peace. But our artists are not just parochial: they have responded to international conflicts such as the Gulf War, and champion international movements for global peace and liberation from oppression.

Our art is one of innate concern and responsibility. Right from the beginning, our artists showed a responsibility to the development of the nation through their social commentary. In 1961, Burrowes presciently offered his “Land of the Dolorous Guard” as a

"Gulf Watch" (1992) by Ernest Van Dyke

warning about developments in the country.

Stanley Greaves became famous for his “People of the Pavement” series in the 1950’s, and he continued his trenchant examination of our politics and culture in his “There’s a Meeting Here Tonight” (1990’s) and other artwork.

Just after the elation of independence, Cyril Kanhai’s sarcastic “Green Land of Guyana” pointed to the disjunction between political promises and reality. Bernadette Persaud bravely confronted authority with her “Gentleman in the Garden” series as economic and political pressures developed in the 1980’s.

From the 1990’s, Desmond Ali in his innovative, massive sculpture enlarged our thinking about Guyana’s political condition by expounding on the history of colonialism and the struggle for independence in the wider American region.

"Backyard Pere Street" (1970) by Leila Locke

Our art gives Guyana root and substance: a hallmark of our art is how it draws from the well of our intrinsic cultures and experiences. By doing this, our artists give recognition to the inherence of the ancestral in the construction and existence of the Guyanese identity.

From the 1960’s, Stephanie Correia brought the forms and spirit of the first peoples of the country into formal art in her ceramic work. Eddie Fredericks depicted the rhythms of indigenous life; George Simon delved into his indigenous heritage to produce powerful art.

He also tutored Lokono artists – Oswald Hussein, Lynus Clenkien, Telford Taylor, Roland Taylor and others - who from the 1990’s revealed a hidden dimension of the Guyanese imagination with their shape-shifting works in wood. Philip Moore had, from the 1940’s, been intuitively drawing from his native African ancestry, but also recognising and utilising the iconography of the East Indian world-views.

Later, in the 1970’s, the Village Movement artists brought the African ancestry further into the limelight through the medium and style of their intuitive wood sculpture. Gary Thomas, Compton Parris, Omowale Lumumba, and Colin Warde were some of the main exponents of this movement, which still live on in the works of the Main Street Artists Brian Clarke, Ras Iah, Marvyn Phillips, Francis Ferreira and others.

In the 1980’s, Bernadette Persaud showed the power and relevance of East Indian religions and imagery in interpreting and understanding Guyana. Dudley Charles gave serious consideration to the beliefs of the folk, starting in the 1980’s with his “Old House” series and continuing this engagement in his subsequent works.

As in any other genuine art, in the particularity of Guyanese art, there is a connection to the universal. Aubrey William’s abstract paintings turn the Guyana landscape into the ground of examination of cosmic matters; Denis William’s Human World addresses all of modern industrial life; Philip Moore’s metaphysics apply to all; Winslow Craig’s themes touch universal chords.

Artists such as Terence Roberts, Carl Anderson and Derrick Callendar contemplate Guyana’s identity within the widest international context; Philbert Gajadhar celebrates East Indian ancestry, but also recognises its relatedness to other cultures as well, and so on. Our artists explore formal technical issues, tackle great questions of being, engage in metaphysics, comment on the world, and are alive to global efforts for freedom, justice, development and the best possibilities of human life.

Notably, art will continue to lead, support and inspire our development.Presently at Castellani House, Vlissengen Road, an art exhibition, titled “In Retrospect”, by Jorge Bowen-Forbes is being held to celebrate the artist’s 80th birth anniversary as well as Guyana’s 51st independence anniversary.

It was opened on May 16, 2017 and will continue until June 3, 2017. Admission is free. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday; the gallery is closed Sundays and holidays. (Artists’ information excerpted from notes by Alim Hosein)

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Essequibo Coast businessman opens multimillion-dollar supermarket

By Indrawattie Natram

F

orty-two-year-old Iftikar Mohamed, a businessman of Cotton Field Village on the Essequibo Coast, has commissioned a multimillion-dollar state-ofthe-art supermarket at Supenaam.

The father of four said the opening of his second supermarket was a testimony of true courage and

proud to be able to have opened a supermarket at a location where there was a dire need for one.

Mohamed is said to be the first businessman to open a supermarket on the Essequibo Coast after which some 25 other businessmen followed.

Operating under the logo “Shop safe and save”, the businessman said his supermarket will serve as a hub for the Supenaam

Safeway Supermarket in Supenaam

Businessman Iftikar Mohamed and his family along with Social Protection Minister Amna Ally at the opening of Safeway Supermarket in Supenaam

determination. He attributed his successes to the almighty and his wife Safeeina.

Mohamed ventured into the business of wholesaling and retailing some nine years ago and today, he said, he is

and Essequibo Islands environs.

When asked what prompted him to establish such a huge business in the Supenaam area, Mohamed noted that after a feasibility study was conducted, it was

noticed that there was no business of such nature at Supenaam and very often, persons had to journey to the town of Anna Regina or Parika to source basic necessities.

He said, too, that the decision to expand his supermarket was birthed

five years ago and after receiving encouragement from “excellent business consultants,” the first pillar was laid in May last year.

Mohamed said the land was acquired first, after which the process commenced and today he has not regretted making the choice he did.

Humanitarian spirit Apart from the construction of the multimillion-dollar supermarket, Mohamed has constructed a masjid for the people living in the Good Hope area. The masjid was a gift, he said, and a way of expressing his gratitude to the community for their support during the construction of the supermarket.

On the opening day of Safeway Supermarket, 22 elders 80 years and

Frank Narain

T

The Guyana Independence medal

he Guyana Independence medal was instituted May 26, 1966, in observance of the his-

toric event. While little is known of the precise criterion for its presentation, it has been awarded to sev-

eral persons who are considered to have made valuable contributions to Guyana at the time.

A few of these stalwart individuals include the late Neil Isaacs, a former depu-

ty commissioner of the Guyana Police Force and a military veteran of the Second World War; Guyanese born W. Herbert (Bernie) Allsopp, now a fisheries consultant in Canada, and Justice

over were given complimentary hampers.

Meanwhile, the official ribbon cutting ceremony was done by Social Protection Minister Amna Ally.

She was accompanied by Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) Chairman Devanand Ramdatt, acting Regional Executive Officer Deryck Persaud and Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Chairman Arnold Adams.

During the simple ceremony, Minister Ally said the businessman has set a pace for others to emulate. She alluded to the fact that he would have transformed the landscape of the Good Hope-Pomona area with the construction of the supermarket. Ally noted that the supermarket

is a testimony to the development that is taking place in the Supenaam area.

Meanwhile, Ramdatt congratulated the businessman on behalf of the Region’s Council. He said he is very proud to learn that the opening of the supermarket provided employment for 10 persons living within the area and also for further community development.

Additionally, Adams also commended the efforts of the businessman and pledged the support of the NDC. Persons living around the area can now purchase a variety of items since the supermarket will be selling most products that are available from leading companies.

Ivan Crandon

Stanley Alfred Moore, who has worked around the world, including in the Caribbean and Botswana.

The medal was also presented to the late Ivan Crandon, former chairman of

the Police Service Commission, president of the Guyana Legion and a military veteran of World War II, and Frank Narain, former Clerk of the National Assembly.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

This week's Crossword

This week's Puzzle

Changes…

T

…in class perspective he PPP was first “abashedly” a Marxist party. But after playing ducks and drakes on the subject with US President John F. Kennedy and getting a quick ouster from office, Jagan came out of the closet in 1969 to declare HIS party was Communist. Among his impressionable protégés were the rustic Moses Nagamootoo from Berbice and the urban (and urbane) Ralph Ramkarran from Bel Air, Georgetown.

Mechanistically following the 19th century European procrustean categories of Marxist sociology, they aped Jagan to insist that race/ethnicity was a mere “epiphenomenon” and class was “fundamental”. Well, now that both have parted ways with the PPP, they’ve evidently done a U-turn on their views.

Nagamootoo was only too happy to insist on 40% of the Cabinet if he and the AFC delivered “Indian” votes.

But even though Nagamootoo had denied his ethnicity, he had to have come to a modus vivendi with the question of race/ethnicity to make THAT bargain.

Rather belatedly, it would appear that Ralph Ramkarran has also now decided to trade in his hammer and sickle. He’d been more passionate about the working class than the rough-around-theedges Nagamootoo; probably overcompensating for his middle class origin! In his blog this week, he’s quoted as declaring: “But the reality is that the main ethnic groups in Guyana live compartmentalised lives, whether in mixed communities or not, separated by our differences, and hardly ever interacting socially, culturally or politically. We are different nations, living separate lives, subsisting in the same homeland and competing for scarce resources.”

Whew!! Ramkarran sounds more extreme than those Indianists and Africanists who flood the letters columns with what he used to deride as “atavistic” outpourings. But doesn’t he owe the Guyanese public a reason for his abrupt volte face? Before the last elections, he’d praised his erstwhile competitor for the title of “Best Marxist in the PPP” as doing the right thing for denying his ethnicity for the sake of “national unity”. Which, your Eyewitness concluded, had to mean Nagamootoo and his new allies in APNU would be ushering in a “unity” based on class.

Has Ramkarran become so embittered by the virulent racism exhibited by the coalition government against Indians over the distribution of “scarce resources” during the last two years that he’s become resigned to accepting race politics? Is Ramkarran about to champion the “cause” of Indians in light of his sudden epiphany? But what’s the end game for a country with “different nations, living separate lives”? Surely he doesn’t envisage the “different nations” fighting unto eternity?

Or is he going to propose we go the way of Yugoslavia, which fissioned into five “homelands” for its five nations”?

New converts are always the most extreme! …on diaspora policies?

What’s with this Government and the diaspora?

It’s like one of those “hold me, loose me” soap operas.

In both the 2011 and 2015 elections, the diaspora played a major role in helping the coalition (AFC and APNU were a “coalition” in all but name by 2011) first checkmate the PPP, and then seize their kingdom. They, not unreasonably, had great expectations of getting a piece of the action in the new dispensation, not least because the APNU/AFC combine had MADE promises such as giving them a seat in Parliament. But it all came to naught in the midst of diasporic weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.

But, once again, the administration’s girding up its loins to engage the diaspora. They started out on safe turf — with ex-GDF types in the States. But they really need to explain what’s gonna be different this time.

“Fool us once, shame on the admin; fool us twice, shame on the diaspora”!

see solution on page 47

…on PM status?

In dishonouring the promises of the Cummingsburg Accord to increase the powers of the Prime Minister, APNU claimed it was unconstitutional to have PM chair Cabinet. But Article 106 (3) says, “Cabinet Meetings shall be presided over by (b) in the absence of the President, the Prime Minister.”

All Prezzie’s gotta do is not show up!!

WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Waiting to exhale…

T

…on Local Government Commission

he PNC-led APNU/AFC Government scraped the bottom of the barrel to come up with “125 accomplishments” during their first two years in office. Probably the same barrel they scraped for their 69 National Awardees! They should’ve at least gone back to their Manifesto and taken a gander at the 1254 promises that are still waiting to be fulfilled!

One of them was the formation of a Local Government Commission (LGC). Ever since the PNC had bludgeoned the PPP in the streets in the aftermath of the 1997 election, reform of the entire Local Government system was demanded and elicited. The PNC – and later the AFC – complained that the PPP at the Central level was emasculating local government to serve their own (nefarious) purposes. A LGC would remove and assume oversight of local government bodies from the Minister of Local Government (now Minister of Communities).

The PNC and PPP formed a committee to make recommendations since 2001. Finally, in 2013, the Bill was signed. But not before the PNC/APNU and the AFC strenuously demanded the PPP “do the right thing”. The AFC even used the PPP’s signing of the Bill as a prerequisite for them going along with the Money Laundering Bill in 2014. That’s how important they (virtuously) insisted, giving autonomy to folks at the local level was to the future of democracy.

But as soon as the Local Government Elections were held in 2015 and the PPP won most of the NDC’s and RDC’s, the hemming and hawing by the PNC/AFC Government began. At first, they bought some time by EXPLAINING the virtues of the LGC!! In March 2016, APNU announced: “The Commission, once established, will take over most of the current oversight role exercised by the Ministry of Communities. The Ministry, therefore, will no longer have the ability to degrade the capacity of local government organs which will now be able to exercise executive authority in keeping with the autonomy guaranteed by the constitution.”

Two months later, Minister of Communities Bulkan announced the LCD’s launch was “imminent” and could be “as soon as next month” – June 2016. By then the PPP had submitted their three candidates and the Trade Unions their one. All that remained was for Prezzie to submit his three, all on his own – without any list from the Opposition Leader!!… and Bulkan one, on advise of Local Government Leaders. Bulkan said they were “vetting” their candidates.

One year later, Bulkan says they’re still not ready to name their candidates. Presumably they’re still “vetting” them.

Now that Dr Surujbally’s free to practice his profession as a Vet, maybe they should call him in??

…on Venezuela

When it comes to getting rid of Maduro, the successor to Hugo Chávez who was more than a pain in the posterior to the US – the democrats and Republicans are as one. Starting with Clinton (D), followed by Bush (“sulphurous” smell!!) and Obama they all tried to oust Chávez. Obama didn’t skip a beat with Maduro and now that Trump’s in office, while he may be an outlier on many issues – Venezuela and Maduro isn’t one of them. Maduro must go!!

But seem not all of the institutions that keep America ticking. It was just announced that Goldman Sachs – just bought US$2.8 billion worth of Stateowned Venezuelan PDVSA’s bonds. For a country that’s reeling from an imploding economy and a Government that’s facing a resurgent Opposition – whether or not backed by the US – that infusion of cash is like manna from heaven!

But then Goldman had to only pay .31 cents on the dollar for the bonds. Profits always trumps patriotism, no?

…to travel

Nandlall claimed SOCU “blacklisted” 200 persons from leaving the jurisdiction. After two weeks, the Police replied indignantly it wasn’t so. It was 139 over the last 10 years!!

They missed the point. If even ONE person’s blacklisted without being charged, it’s illegal!!

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Boat gone ah falls

By Ryhaan Shah

By Ryhaan Shah

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o one is optimistic about Guyana’s future. The country has careened through 51 post-independence years, bouncing along and threading its way through a divide, with two large groups of citizens on opposite sides of the path that should have led us to peace and prosperity.

But poor political leadership is not the only reason for our despair and continued lack of progress.

The will always belongs to the people, and we are the ones who continue to fail ourselves and our children’s future. We have not yet risen above party politics, nor have we graduated from drinking the partisan Kool- Aid that continues to kill us.

Many felt the PPP/C Administration was corrupt and arrogant, and should be let gone.

Whatever machinations occurred in the 2015 elections to ensure this, the Coalition came in with great promises of positive change. We have watched it all come to naught as PNC authoritarianism moved in; and that without any effective protest or deterrence from any quarter.

The PNC has always had command of its thug element, along with its kith-and-kin support in the police and army, which are all part of its political arsenal. With these it had rammed its way into power in the 1960s with the full backing of the US and its allies. PNC attempts to do the same during the 23 years of PPP rule were destructive, but never achieved the desired goal.

The U.S. had invested too heavily in restoring Guyana to democratic rule; and, in a post-Cold War era, there was no good reason for political meddling. Then came oil, and everything changed. Securing an oil future is to everyone’s advantage — especially for the U.S. and its allies, with their manufacturing and industrial sectors to feed.

The PPP/C Administration’s insistence on respect for Guyana’s sovereignty and its infamous feral blast did not help its relationship with the diplomatic community. With Guyana still dependent on aid, we are not in a position to call the shots, and many continue to believe that the party’s uncouth

conduct scuppered its chances of winning the 2015 elections.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is astute enough to understand the need to mend fences with our international partners, but this might be too little too late.

By all appearances, boat done gone ah falls, even if the PPP senses a 2020 victory because of the many corruptions and faux pas being committed by the Granger Administration.

The economy is in free fall; the stink of Government’s corruption is high; democratic parliamentary processes are sidelined, as is the rule of law; and with Justice Franklyn Holder’s recusal from the Carvil Duncan case, the Judiciary appears compromised, whether through intimidation or because of party/racial solidarity.

These add up to the abuse of Executive powers that accompany authoritarianism, and President David Granger is still to name a successor to the GECOM chair — an absolutely crucial position if the PNC’s plan to stay in government come 2020 is to succeed. The pesky AFC 11% appendage will have to go; PNC rule will not be dependent on Indian Guyanese votes.

The moves to erode democratic processes should have set off alarms within the diplomatic circle, given their strident criticisms in regard to the PPP/C Administration’s alleged corruption.

Instead, there are notably affable relations with what is an openly corrupt Government.

Granger was able to go and take a photograph with the Queen of England; and he appears quite delighted with the shiny objects being presented to him, including little Hess toy trucks and a presidential arch complete with the cacique crown, gifted by favoured Trinidadian business partner ANSA McAL, who is G$605 million richer for the corrupt pharmaceutical supply deal it was handed.

If everything goes according to plan – the Nassau Plan? – the 2020 elections will be the last electoral manipulation the PNC might need. The openly racist policies that target Indian Guyanese economically and culturally will succeed in their goal.

As Indians continue to flee, the demographics will shift and Africans will become the majority Guyanese people.

Guyana’s First Nations need to be vigilant about the fatuous claim being

made about African indigeneity. If this claim gains any legitimacy, the First Nations could well find themselves disempowered and dispossessed.

Not everyone wants to see Guyana go down the road of PNC authoritarianism again; but, unfortunately, we have no best selves that will act for the common good and in our country’s interests. We prefer to watch the boat plunge headlong over the falls onto the rocks below.

Oil will not save us; neither will another PNC dictatorship. But is there any will and unity to turn the boat around?

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he trip from Lethem to Moco Moco village is under 30 minutes. As you pass the village, the scene transforms from savannah into rainforest as the trail wanders through the communities favourite farmlands to the Moco Moco Falls at the base of the mountains.

Notably, it is said that most of the areas down and around Lethem seem to have been part of a highly volcanic area a long time ago. There are remnants of

lava flows and lava rocks at Moco Moco Falls.

According to one visitor to the Falls, “the water was deep enough to jump off a high rock into it… There was also a really cool Jacuzzi-like area between two huge boulders. The only way to get to it though was to swim against the current through a small channel about the width of a person… a test of our swimming skills”.

Bridge across the Falls (Amanda Richards' photo)

Breathtaking photo of Moco Moco Falls by Guyanese photographer, Amanda Richards

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Smyth Street fatal accident

Driver who fled scene during crash remanded to prison

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lton Carter, the driver who allegedly fled the scene after crashing into a minibus on Durban and Smyth Streets, Georgetown last Sunday, was on Tuesday charged when he appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman for causing death by dangerous driving.

The charge stated that Carter on May 21, 2017, drove motor pickup GRR 8450 in a manner dangerous to the public thereby causing the death of Daniel Gostavos Richmond.

Defence Attorney Stanley Moore seeking to establish that his client is not a flight risk related that Carter is a building contractor who has a fixed place of abode at Eccles, on the East Bank of Demerara.

Moore contended, based on instructions received, that the accused is the owner of the vehicle and was not driving

same at the time of the accident, rather contending that the vehicle was driven by a woman. The identity of the alleged female driver remains undisclosed.

The lawyer requested that his client be released on bail in a reasonable sum pending trial, indicating that he (Carter) is anxious to vindicate himself and will attend every court sitting in the event that he is released. Moore disclosed that he represented the accused in an unrelated matter which was recently dismissed.

Police Prosecutor Shellon Payne posed a strong objection to bail being granted in light of three pending trafficking charges which Carter is to face shortly. According to Constable Persaud, the accused is an unlicensed driver and had failed to produce same to Police upon request.

Moreover, the vehicle is allegedly uninsured. Also,

The minibus involved in the accident on Durban and Smyth street

the court heard that another passenger of the crashed minibus remains in a critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Payne told the Magistrate that the accused was non-cooperative during the course of the investigation, reportedly being reluctant to assist investigating officials.

She related that after receiving reports, Police found the suspect at a hospital receiving treatment and had been checking in

and out of various hospitals during the investigating period thereby hampering the investigation process. She related that the accused, a few days later, told officials that a female was the driver of the vehicle but failed to provide a name or present the alleged driver as required by the law.

Bail was refused by Magistrate Latchman and the lawyer in a failed attempt to establish the ill state of his client, disclosed that Carter pres-

ently suffers from whiplash; raising further questions from the court.

According to Health Line, whiplash occurs when a person’s head moves backward and then forward suddenly with great force. This injury is most common following a vehicular collision.

Latchman readily inquired from the counsel how the accused had received the injuries and whether he was involved in the accident, apparently causing the lawyer to lose his balance.

After stuttering for a second and quickly gaining his composure, Moore revealed that Carter was a passenger in the vehicle driven by ‘Jane Doe’; his response creating quite a buzz in the courtroom.

Following a lengthy submission by the lawyer, the accused was remanded until June 1 for report as bail was refused

by Magistrate Latchman.

This publication previously reported that the accident occurred around 16:00h on May 21, when minibus BVV 5273 was proceeding along Durban Street heading to South, Georgetown, when it was struck from behind by the black pickup which was

Dead: Daniel Richmond lost his life in the tragic accident

said to be speeding along Smyth Street headed North. Eyewitness stated that the pickup then hit a parked blue Allion before coming to a halt, while the minibus which was fully loaded toppled a number of times.

Injured persons were pulled from the mangled minibus, some in an unconscious state and Richmond, the now dead man, was said to be “half in and half out of the minibus.” Following the accident, the injured driver of the vehicle reportedly fled the scene.

Meanwhile, the deceased – a former cricket coach, umpire and Guyana Cricket Board scorer – leaves to mourn several family members.

(Paula Gomes)

G$89M Liliendaal bridge reopened to vehicular traffic – after months of rehab work

The Liliendaal bridge, Greater Georgetown, is now reopened to vehicular traffic

A

fter being closed for more than two months to facilitate rehabilitation works, the Liliendaal bridge located on the train line, Greater Georgetown, is now opened to vehicular traffic.

According to the Government, the bridge which was built at the tune of G$89 million was recommended to be repaired by the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) Inspection Team and engineers attached to the Public Infrastructure Ministry.

It was recommended that the bridge be closed for traffic based upon findings which showed that one of the panel systems on the northern rail of the bridge demonstrated signs of imminent failure.

Reports are that one of the panels in the system

had been detached, rendering the system structurally unstable. A section of the northern carriageway of the bridge also experienced serviceability failure.

An additional inspection carried out by a team of engineers coincided with the initial assessment. While works had been slated to commence on March 6, 2017, the construction was pushed up due to its urgency and the bridge was converted to a pre-stressed concrete structure.

The project was undertaken by H Nauth and Sons Civil Engineering Contractors, and lasted for approximately three months.

The closure of the Liliendaal Bridge had created major traffic backups on the East Coast Highway.

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Children not the object of sensationalism – PM in stern warning to media entities

By Samuel Sukhnandan

G

overnment has sent a stern warning to media entities, urging them to ensure that children do not become objects of sensational news.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said news organisations should desist from carrying negative stories regarding children, and adhere to the laws of Guyana which speaks of the rights of children.

“Children are not the object of sensationalism.

If they make the news, they have to make the

Attendees are seen with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) Chairperson, Aleema Nasir, among others

The event was attended by several school children and child rights activists

news in a positive way.

And the media has a responsibility, not to help with the demoralisation of our young people, particularly children, by identifying them and exposing them to ridicule and condemnation,”

the Prime Minister declared.

Delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony of the Child Rights and Independence Workshop at Herdmanston Lodge in Queenstown, G e o r g e t o w n ,

Nagamootoo highlighted that the constitution has provisions which cater for children not to be identified in court proceedings.

“Judicial processes of Guyana are not permitted to identify children when they are victims.

And recently, we issued an advisory to all newspapers that they should not identify children who appear in court proceedings, either by name or photographs,” he stated.

Through the Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) and the Government of Guyana, the Prime Minister said, the nation can bask in the glory and satisfaction that much has been achieved.

But, he declared: “We still have a far way to go. Statistics will show that education has not ceased to be an obsession of this country, but we have a far way to go until we can pro-

vide free university education for all our children.”

“After 51 years of independence,” he said, “we cannot be diverted from the need to provide the best opportunities for our children.”

Aleema Nasir, Chairperson of the RCC, explained that the workshop is intended to explore, with the school children of Guyana, the history and significance of Guyana’s Independence, linked to a theme of human and child rights.

Nasir noted also that the legacies of colonialism will be discussed, as would the human rights of Guyana’s children,

particularly education.

Other related themes that will be examined are leadership, youth empowerment, models of child poverty, community development and children in public policy.

The event was attended by several school children; child rights activists; Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman; Chairperson of the Women and Gender Equality Commission, Indra Chandarpaul; European Union (EU) Ambassador, Jernej Videtic; and Cultural Advisor to the Ministry of Education, Ruel Johnson.

T&T closes gov’t information agency, 60 to lose jobs (Trinidad Guardian) The Government Information Services Limited (GISL) will be no more and its 60 employees will be sent home, Minister of Communications Maxie Cuffie confirmed yesterday.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian, Cuffie said the company has been losing money, with its assets exceeding liabilities by $19 million.

“We have been spending $14 million to keep it going but it is not (producing) anything,” Cuffie said hours after met with employees to tell them of the decision.

He said a new board will be appointed for the winding up process and it will determine the terminal benefits for the employees.

“It is an operation-

al board that will be appointed by the Ministry of Finance,” Cuffie said.

Cabinet, he added, will confirm the board members on Thursday.

“It pained me to do this. It was a painful decision for me because I worked there and I hired a number of them there, but it is something that needs to be done. Media companies have been experiencing difficult times and this is generally a cause of concern,” Cuffie said.

Speaking under strict anonymity yesterday, a GISL employee said most of them were shocked over the sudden news.

“Not any one of us thought we would have woken up this morning, gone to our workplace and return home with this news knowing that

Maxie Cuffie

we don’t have a job to go to now. It is very hard to swallow and to accept,” the employee said.

Another employee, who also wished not to

be identified, said initially she had heard GISL would be wrapped up within the next two months but was surprised to know that that

changed to “immediate.”

She added that many people are still owed gratuity and wondered if they will ever receive it with.

“Will they still be paid their gratuities? Over 100 were retrenched before and now us, 60.

We were told that there would have been no new contracts and that contracts would not be renewed, now, suddenly, pops up to say it is over,” the employee said.

In a 2016 report on the future of the Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG) and GISL, it was recommended that GISL be dissolved, its television station TV4 be disposed of and all contract work be ceased.

It also found that GISL and the Government Information

Services Department (GISD) provided the same services. The report said GISL should be dissolved as a limited liability company and GISD restructured to co-ordinate the implementation of government’s information policy and provide services aligned with that particular function, as well as to support ministries and departments with the dissemination of information.

The report said there should be complete reintegration by July 2016.

The report, which was prepared by the company’s board under former chairman Helen Drayton, also recommended CNMG change its name to the Broadcasting Trust Corporation (BTC) T&T Ltd to be more reflective of its mandate.

WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Business sense Dear Diary, This is Gas Skin. No…no…no! NOT Ram Own Gas Skin. Please, Dear Diary, don’t keep confusing me with that loudmouth.

I am the quiet Gas Skin. I just came back from England trying to drum up some foreign Guyanese to invest back home.

It was not as exciting as I thought it would have been. I didn’t get to see the Queen – even though I did see the Guards in their snazzy Red Costumes guarding Buckingham Palace.

I didn’t bother to bring up with the Guyanese they could lobby to remove the British ban on our greenheart – which has destroyed our forestry sector. Nah…I told them about us conserving our rainforests and wetlands and suchlike. We may starve…but we love our forests and if we die, we will die protecting them.

I told our brothers in England (NOT “the brothers”, Dear Diary. Please. I am not that riff raff Gas Skin) that while there is poverty, inequality, poor health care and education in Guyana, we are not unique.

What do they think caused the Manchester bombing??

I also told them how much better off we were than Venezuela and Brazil that have all kinds of problems – including bombings.

But I told them also we will get rich from building that road to Brazil so we can ship their goods. If their problems go away.

But Dear Diary, I don’t really think we will get much business from Britain.

Didn’t they do a Brexit from us before that Brexit from Europe? Only we call it “independence”. You can’t trust them.

But I just figured a way to solve our business problems. When I left Timehri, I saw hundreds of Cubans shipping huge bundles of goods by plane. They buy it from the Chinese businesses.

All we have to do is start collecting duties and VAT from them!!

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

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Shots!

‘Vaccines are the tugboats of preventive health’ – William Foege

Anu Dev

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accines, shots, immunization – so many names for this agent of childhood trauma. But apart from making little kids terrified of anyone with a stethoscope, why do we need vaccines anyway?

Well, diseases are caused by various microorganisms, like viruses and bacteria. When the micro-organisms breach the body’s initial defences (like the skin) and infect the body, the body fights back internally with its own arsenal of defence mechanisms that it creates, and eventually beats off the infection.

Vaccines have a weakened form of those micro-organisms, so when you get vaccinated, you get infected with a little bit of a weakened form of the virus — not enough to actually get you sick, but enough for your body to recognise the virus and equip itself to fight it off when it actually hits you.

It’s like taking a selfdefence class. You take the class and you might get a few bruises as you learn the moves to fight off an attacker; but, at the end of it, you’ve learnt exactly how to defend yourself. But what if you didn’t take the class? You won’t know where to hit, what to do – you’d be defenceless. The mugger could rob you; injure you so severely that you’d have permanent damage, or you might even die.

Vaccines are the selfdefence class for your body’s immune system.

It’s the dress rehearsal before the main event, so your body has everything in place to deal with the actual full-strength virus.

And vaccines aren’t just important at the individual level; they help the population as a whole. There’s this concept called “Herd Immunity”. Let’s say, for example, there’s a room of 50 people — all unvaccinated — and someone walks in with a dangerous disease. The infection will spread from person to person until the entire room is infected.

But what if everyone in the room were vaccinated, except for 5 people near the door and 3 people furthest from the door? Well, the 5 peo-

ple near the door would be infected, but it won’t spread to anyone else; it’ll never reach the 3 other unvaccinated people, because the 42 vaccinated people between them and the door acted as a buffer, preventing the disease from spreading.

And if you apply that concept to the entire population, if enough of us are vaccinated, we’ll be able to control the spread of disease, protecting those people who cannot be vaccinated. And who are those people? Well there are some people who are born without a

functioning immune system; they can’t even fight off the weakened virus in the vaccine. Cancer patients on chemotherapy can’t get vaccinated because the chemotherapy weakens their immune system too much for them to be able to tolerate the vaccine. That’s why herd immunity is so important. It’s like when a herd of elephants are under attack: the adults gather in a circle around their young to protect them. That’s what we do when we’re vaccinated: we help to protect those who can’t be vaccinated.

Vaccines can also

help to prevent cancer.

Cervical cancer is highly linked with HPV. There’s a vaccine against HPV, making cervical cancer one of the most preventable types of cancer. This is good news to us women, and we ought to take advantage of this.

I received three vaccines last week. I finally got around to getting my chicken pox and HPV vaccines; and, for the first time, I got a flu shot.

So when I exhort all of you to make sure you’re up-to-date on your vaccines, I’m not all talk; my still-sore arms can attest to that!

48 Bollywood

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Mikhail Gandhi plays young Sachin Tendulkar

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othing can beat the aura of legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.

But there was a certain someone who, if not surpassed, at least managed to come at par with the iconic sportsperson in his biopic, Sachin: A Billion Dreams. No, it wasn’t any other cricketer, or anyone from Sachin’s life who spoke about him in the docu-drama. It was little Mikhail Gandhi who played the young

Sachin, probably the one of the only actors in the film, which otherwise had real people talking on camera.

Was it Mikhail’s cuteness or his confidence in front of the lens that cliched it? This boy surely has a long way to go. But who is Mikhail Gandhi?

Does his face look familiar? Where have you seen him before? It’s absolutely fine if these questions came in your mind while watching the film.

Mikhail is indeed not new to the archlights.

He has been around for a long time as a child actor. Just that you don’t really remember.

Mikhail Gandhi is just 8 right now, but has already rubbed shoulders with Sachin Tendulkar, something millions of Indians only dream of.

The little boy has done several TVCs. The ads that he has featured in are not just restricted to India, but even Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Mikhail Gandhi has also appeared in 2016 Telugu film Supreme and was chosen among 300 boys who auditioned for the part. His moment to remember was when he finally met Sachin Tendulkar at the film’s screening and managed to click a picture with him. (Indian Express)

Abhishek Bachchan is madly in love with wife Aishwarya Rai’s beauty

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asablanca, the classic American romantic drama defined the meaning of romance back in 1942 and continues to do so for generations to come.

Its famous one-liners still make it to the list of lovers when it comes to wooing their beloveds and expressing their love. And as we go through Abhishek Bachchan’s Instagram profile, we think he too is a fan of the romance between Casablanca’s lead

pair Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Not to mention his beautiful wife, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Abhishek Bachchan who is still drooling over his wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s mesmerising pictures from the red carpet of Cannes Film Festival 2017, shared a picture of her in the blue Cinderella gown and captioned it, “Here’s looking at you kid.”

Earlier too Abhishek

shared pictures of Aish from the biggest film fest and sounded completely smitten by her beauty. His captions were a proof of him being head over heels in love with his wife after 10 years of their marriage. He wrote, “Love this photo…. Oh yes, and the beautiful lady in it too,” along with another picture from Cannes 2017.

Aishwarya’s appearances at the international film festival have been a talk of the town from past 15 years. In 2014, Aishwarya left her husband sleepless as she stepped on the red carpet.

He, in fact, then tweeted about the same and said, “Almost 52hrs without sleep! Eyes shutting… and the Mrs. Shows up looking like this!! Ok..

Eyes wide open now!”

(Indian Express)

Not fond of biopics, it’s a very subjective thing, says Sujoy Ghosh

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rom Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story to Dangal — biopics seem to be the flavour of the season in Bollywood.

But filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh says he is not fond of biopics as he is not interested in peeping into the personal lives of iconic personalities.

“I am not particularly fond of biopics. It is a very subjective thing.

I like people and their work. I mean, for example, R.D. Burman or Kishore Kumar, I love their songs and music.

But I am not interested in their personal life,” Ghosh told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

He added: “I want to stick to the work. I could be wrong (in thinking like this). I am sure there will be other people who want to know, but I prefer the work… That is what attracts me. Maybe I will change my mind.”

Ghosh re-interpreted a legendary episode from the Indian epics Mahabharata and

Ramayana with actors Radhika Apte and actor Soumitra Chatterjee with Ahalya. Set in a contemporary time in Kolkata, the 14-minute film narrated how fate of an apsara, a mahirishi and God of rain Indra is sealed by a curse — all weaved together with the emotion of desire, seduction and infidelity.

At the moment he is working on another short film. This time, he has picked up a story by legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray. He says he might be ready with the film based on Ray’s Anukul, which explores

the relationship between a robotic housekeeper and his owner, in the second half of the year.

The director, who hails from Kolkata, is excited about the new project. As a director, Ghosh is known for films like Jhankaar Beats, Home Delivery: Aapko… Ghar Tak and Aladin. But he got everyone’s attention with Kahaani franchise.

He has also acted in projects like My Brother…

Nikhil, Bluffmaster!, Ta Ra Rum Pum and Badman.

The director is happy with the newfound interest in short film format in the country. But he feels “many people still don’t know how to monetise the short film”. “As of now, short films are being made with people who can just give us some money to make the film.

It was hard initially… People are willing to invest in short films with full knowledge fact that they might not get their money back.” (Indian Express)

Shah Rukh Khan escapes accident as 2 injured on Anand L Rai film set

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portion of ceiling collapsed on the set of filmmaker Anand L Rai’s upcoming movie with Shah Rukh Khan, but the superstar who was present on the set escaped unhurt. Two crew members, however, got minor injuries, it has been reported.

According to a report in the Mumbai Mirror, “A prop ladder fell on the makeshift ceiling. The injured crew members were discharged immediately since the injuries were minor. Everybody heaved a sigh of relief that SRK was seated on another side of the set and was unharmed.

Rai has issued an official statement about the

accident. “It was a minor injury and nothing serious. Prompt care and action was taken. The shooting had to be stalled that day as it was cloudy and not suited to the scene’s requirements,” the director said. The shooting apparently will be resumed later this week.

For the yet-untitled

film, a huge set, recreating the bylanes of Meerut, has been put up at Film City. This isn’t the first time that an accident has happened on the sets of a Shah Rukh Khan film.

Previously, the actor got injured while shooting for Darr, Ra.One and Chennai Express among other films. (Indian Express)

Deepika, Priyanka make it to Maxim 2017 Hot 100 list

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fter winning the world one film or TV show at a time, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra have now made it to the 2017 MAXIM Hot 100 list. The list is topped by supermodel Hailey Baldwin and includes names such as Emma Watson, Emma Stone, Dakota Johnson, Kendal Jenner and more. Both Deepika and Priyanka have gotten rave reviews from the magazine for making their mark in America.

The recognition comes to Deepika after her international big screen debut, her appearance at MET Gala 2017, and her debut on the red carpet of Cannes 2017. The xXx: The Return of Xander Cage is mentioned thus by the magazine: “The Bollywood transplant made her debut stateside earlier this year in xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, alongside Vin Diesel. She ranks number 10 on Forbes’ 2016 list of the world’s highest paid actresses.”

The other Indian on the list; Priyanka Chopra has got her foot strong in the west with the Amercian TV series, Quantico. Not only this, Priyanka’s Hollywood debut, Baywatch is garner-

ing her appreciation from the international critics. Maxim wrote, “The former Miss World was already a huge star in her native India before she set her sights on the States. Now, with television series Quantico and the Baywatch movie behind her, she’s out to conquer the world.”

For both Deepika and Priyanka, this comes after they made it to Forbes Highest Paid Actresses list in film and TV categories respectively. While Deepika found herself at number ten on Forbes’ 2016 list of the world’s highest paid actresses, Priyanka made it to world’s highest paid actresses in TV. Deepika was described by the magazine as having “scored box office gold.” Despite being criticised and compared with her contemporary, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika with her head held high never let any criticism pull her back from the ladder of success. Instead, talking about comparisons, the Padmavati actor says, “Comparisons are obvious because that’s in your mind, and that’s not in my mind! Sometimes I think we unnecessarily get into this phase of comparison, but I think there shouldn’t be.” (Indian Express)

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 4, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

George Clooney feels people Zac Efron’s grandparents can make a difference enjoy Baywatch movie date

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ctor-filmmaker George Clooney believes in the power of individuals making a difference.

In a video address at the awards ceremony of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, held on May 28 in Yerevan, Armenia, the Oscar-winning actor, said: “I really would have been (in Yerevan) but if I came there and my wife had twins while I was there, I could never come home.”

Clooney’s wife, Amal, an international human rights lawyer whom he married in 2014, is due

to give birth in June.

Clooney, who was in Yerevan last year when he presented the award at the inaugural Aurora ceremony, is co-chair of the award’s prize selection committee.

A co-founder of humanitarian organisations The Sentry and Not on Our Watch, he has highlighted humanitarian crises in Sudan, Darfur and other parts of Africa.

At the event, the $1.1 million Aurora Prize went to American doctor Tom Catena, a Catholic missionary who has saved thousands of lives

working as the sole doctor permanently based in Sudan’s war-ravaged Nuba Mountains, reports hollywoodreporter. com.

“As violence and war continue to threaten people’s spirits and perseverance, it is important to recognize, empower and celebrate people like Dr. Catena who are selflessly helping others to not only survive but thrive,” Clooney said.

“Dr. Catena is a role model to us all, and yet another example of people on the ground truly making a difference.”

The Aurora prize, launched last year, was set up to honour the survivors of the Armenian genocide of 1915-1923 and to inspire others today to follow the example of people of all nationalities who at that time came to the aid of people suffering in one of the earliest and, at the time, biggest humanitarian crises of the 20th century. (Indian Express)

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ac Efron’s grandparents showered love on their famous grandson as they arrived in a cinema hall here to watch the actor’s new movie Baywatch.

The proud grandparents, who were dressed in some pretty rad prints, were all smiles when they sauntered out to see the action comedy at the Regal Old Mill Stadium 16 & IMAX in Bend, Oregon on the film’s opening weekend, reported E! Online.

Along with an adorable picture of the cute pair on Instagram, the 29-year-old actor wrote, “This just makes everything even more awesome. Love you, grandma

and grandpa. I love you guys! Can’t wait to talk to u after the movie.”

The film, which is based on the campy ’90s TV drama of the same name, follows Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Dwayne Johnson) and a brash new recruit (Efron) as the duo uncover a criminal plot that threatens the future of the beach.

It also stars Priyanka Chopra, Kelly Rohrbach and Alexandra Daddario.

The movie has received largely negative reviews and finished third at the box office behind Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Guardian of the Galaxy Vol 2 with $18.1

million. Efron will be next star in The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman.

While the former starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron was also the big debut for our desi export to the West, Priyanka Chopra, the film’s box office collections, however, did not turn out as expected.

According to a report in Variety, “Paramount’s Baywatch was hoping to make an oceanic summer splash but looks to have ended up in the kiddie pool. The rebooted property should land a threeday total of $18.1 million from 3,647 locations and end the four-day holiday weekend with $22 million (not counting the money it made in sneaks on Wednesday). That’s far below early estimates.

The movie carries a production budget above $60 million.” Trade analysts aren’t looking at the film rising above its performance over the week.

(Indian Express)

Angelina Jolie’s mother influenced her own parenting

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ngelina Jolie’s late mother, FrenchAmerican actress Marcheline Bertrand, is a huge influence on her when it comes to bringing up her own kids. In an interview with Elle France, Jolie, 41, said she strives to be an example for her six children just as Bertrand had done before she died from cancer in January 2007 at age 56.

“She would have thrived as a grandmother, I know how much she

would have contributed to their lives and I am sad they will miss out on that.

“I would give anything for her to be with me at this time. I’ve needed her. I talk to her often in my mind and try to think what she might say and how she might guide me,” Jolie said.

Bertrand raised the Hollywood star and brother Haven by herself after divorcing their father, Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight, when

Jolie was a toddler. “It is the greatest gift and responsibility,” Jolie said about being a mother of six – Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.

“It means doing everything that you can to live by your values and try to be an example to your children,” she added.

Jolie has previously opened up about how she keeps her mother’s

memory alive, including her decision to be the face of new perfume from Guerlain, her mother’s favourite perfume house. “It spoke to her, as it does to me, of beauty, history, and quality; one of the oldest perfume houses in the world, from France, a country I love and feel connected to,” Jolie explained to Marie Claire in April about her first international beauty campaign in a decade.

(Indian Express)

There’s a fear of missing out: I found peace away from the Zoe Saldana on acting career spotlight: Lindsay Lohan

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oe Saldana says being an actress is a mix of feelings as there are times when she has a fear of missing out on certain things in life.

The Guardians Of The Galaxy star says she always has a desire to create and be artistic, reported Contactmusic.

“The life of an actor is always a mix. There’s a fear of missing out, a certain level of anxiety and a desire to create. I like to be artistic in everything I do,” Saldana says.

The 38-year-old actress, who has two-yearold twins Cy and Bowie and newborn son Zen with her husband Marco Perego, says her children and her career all came about at the same time.

“My career and the kids really all happened together at the same

time. You can’t expect your career to be super high all the time, and you can’t say no when opportunities like this come along. But I find myself really looking forward to downtime.

“I thought that mothers were the ones who really felt the separation from their kids. But I’ve seen the pain in a father’s eyes when they’ve been away. It is universal for parents, not just

for women,” she says.

As she juggles both a professional and personal life, Saldana says she has “a responsibility to show up. You can’t think twice about it. And in that way, I’m really leaning in.” Saldana is currently filming Avengers: Infinity War where she’ll reprise her role as Gamora from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.

When asked what it’s like to portray a superhero she said, “I’m such a physical person, so I tend to get these more physically demanding parts.

But you still have to put your mind and your heart into that character.

You need to understand their issues and root for them. You can’t be afraid to go to that scary place.”

(Indian Express)

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indsay Lohan was a Hollywood diva who once commanded $7 million for her work in the movie industry when, in the 2000s, she was on top of her game. In recent years, Lohan has maintained a low profile and has tried to keep away from the spotlight and rather focus on her work as a philanthropist.

When asked by Jason Kennedy if she missed her Hollywood life, she replied, ‘I miss it but at the same time, I’m creating a bunch of different things on my own so I want to focus on what I’m doing.’

Actress Lindsay Lohan says she misses Hollywood but has found “peace” while staying away from the spotlight. The 30-year-old

actress said during her time away from the films she could focus on things which interests her, like helping children, reported E! online. “Yeah, I miss it (Hollywood)…I think there’s a lot of noise that we deal with, so I found a kind of peace in life working with children and helping other people that really interest me,” Lohan says.

“I think it’s important for us to recognize

that all of this stuff is fun, but you have to take time for you,” she adds.

Lindsay Lohan will be seen back in Hollywood.

She mentioned that she will start, “… filming a show called Sick Note in London with Rupert Grint and Nick Frost in two weeks.”

Lindsay’s filming career started out as a child model, staring in ad campaigns and commercials before she had the chance to play the role of twins in The Parent Trap at when was only eleven years old.

She also starred in Disney films Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen and like Freaky Friday before starring in the movie that completely changed her life, Mean Girls. (Express Web Desk with inputs from PTI)

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Guyana ready to host South American …Contingents start arriving U-20 Championships for historic event

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t is now moments before the commencement of the South American U-20 Championships, five of the 12 foreign contingents arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Wednesday.

Among the delegates who touched down to compete at the two-day event on June 3 and 4 at the Leonora Track and Field Facility are the Brazilians, the most successful unit at the Games, along with the Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay teams.

This is the first time that Guyana is hosting an international track and field meet of this calibre as 359 athletes from 13 countries will be competing for medals across a number of events, including the steeplechase, hurdles and pole vault, events which Guyanese will have a chance to see.

Guyana’s hopes of medalling at the games rest largely on the “fastest U-20 sprinter in the Caribbean”, Compton Caesar, who recently copped gold at

Brazil’s contingent for the South American Games pose for a photo after arrival Wednesday

the CARIFTA Games along with Triple Jumper Chantoba Bright, U-17 athlete Daniel Williams, distance runner Claudrice Mckoy and Anfernee Headecker.

In the non-traditional events, Guyana will be represented by debutant hurdlers Hosea Glenn and Terrence Fraser in the 400 metres hurdles, while Ronaldo Wishart, Nigel Gonsalves and Rondell Newton will seek glory in the 3000m steeplechase.

Joseph confident of National Under-15s’ success H ead Coach of the National Under-15 football team, Bryan Joseph expressed confidence that the young recruits could do well on the island of Saint Martin when they play in the SOUALIGA Tournament.

The SQUALIGA Tournament is serving as part of the national team’s preparatory activity for the CONCACAF U-15 tournament scheduled for August.

Joseph, in speaking to Guyana Times International Sport prior to the team de-

The National Under-15 players pose after a training session

parting, explained that given the performances in French Guiana last December and the constant camps, they had a very good chance of reaching the semi-finals or even the finals. Their last four-day camp ended on Wednesday ahead of today’s (Thursday) departure.

Likewise, the skipper, Joshua Braithwaite said it was a great feeling to lead the national team as it gave him a chance to “lead from the front” and fulfil “one of his goals”.

Braithwaite expressed optimism over his team’s chances in the SOUALIGA

Tournament. “I expect the team to win this time as we’ve been together for a long time. This is the fourth camp that the national programme has had for us and I think this time, we won’t be having any excuse; I think we should win this time.” continued on page 51

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Rockaway NY T20 Cricket Fiesta 2.0

Ganesh shines as NY XI edge defending champs – Lake, Kirton give Guyana first points

Waslim Haslim hits a maximum during his match winning innings against India at the Baisley Pond Park

Karan Ganesh is all smiles after completing victory over Pakistan

By John Ramsingh in New York

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he Baisley Pond Park (BPP) hosted the first triple header on Saturday May 27 in this year’s Rockaway New York T20 Cricket Fiesta and despite the cool conditions throughout the day the action in the middle was heated.

In the match of the day, defending champions Pakistan lost a lowscoring thriller to hosts, New York Select XI by three wickets with six balls to spare.

As the trend goes, Pakistan decided to bat upon winning the toss and were aiming for a 200 plus total but their opponents who are playing as a team for the first time this season, had other ideas.

Off-spinner Terrence Madramootoo and rightarm fast bowler Seon Daniels had impressive opening spells that set back the free scoring Pakistanis. In the end the 2016 champions were bowled out in the final over for 111 with middle

order batsman Jahanzeb Alam hitting a patient 36 from 45 balls (1x4; 1x6) to rebuild the innings after his team was struggling at 46-6 in the ninth over. Umer Farooq hit 17 (7 balls; 2x4; 1x6) at the top of the order but no other batsman got going against the quality bowling which was backed up by superb fielding.

Wasim Haslim mopped up the tail to finish with 3-5 from 3 overs while left-arm seamer Deveshwari Prasad (220), Madramootoo (2-22) and Daniels (2-26) took care of the top and middle orders as the work load and returns were shared evenly.

Muhammed Khali (220) and Wahab Munir (125) then sent back the consistent Chris Patadin (14) and Haslim for a duck while Wahid Ward also fell for a duck in his first game as NY XI were reduced to 22-3 in the third over.

With the match in the balance, Karan Ganesh then played a captain’s knock to see his team through to their third consecutive vic-

Keon Lake (right) is the Man of the Match against Bangladesh

tory and firmly on top of the points table. The right-hander scored an unbeaten 38 from 48 balls (1x4; 1x6) and with Dayanand Roopnarine 27 (25 balls; 2x6) got the run chase back on track with a crucial 42-run fourth wicket partnership. Deveshwari Prasad also blazed 18 from 12 balls (1x4; 1x6) after the required run rate was soaring. Adnan Nasim picked up 2-12 as ball dominated bat throughout the contest. With one needed from the final over, Munir sent down a wide as NY XI finished on 112/7 much to the jubilation of the nice crowd on hand.

Earlier, New York Select XI opened the day with a clinical performance over debutants India with a seven-wicket victory. India were sent in and thanks to a late order resistance got to 167/7. Syed Aleem top scored with 45 (27 balls; 4x6’s) while Saad Younus made 32 (28 balls; 2x6), Haider Ali 28 (11 balls; 2x4; 3x6) and Dwayne Johnson 26 (23 balls; 2x4; 2x6) also contributed. In the bowling department, Madramootoo (2-10), Gavin Singh (2-18) and Chris Sewpradad (2-18) claimed two scalps each.

Wasim Haslim then blazed the trail in a Man

Joseph confident of National...

The squad includes players from six of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF)Scotiabank Academy Training Centres (ATCs) – Region One (1); Georgetown (6); East Demerara (7); East Bank Demerara (2); Bartica (1); Berbice (5) and Rupununi (3). There are three goalkeepers, seven defenders, eight midfielders and seven forwards.

Also included in the squad is U-13 player

Kamani Milne, a forward from the Berbice ATC, as well as Ronaldo Rodrigues, Troni Semple and the appointed captain.

Rodrigues, who hails from Santa Rosa, Moruca, said he was proud to be participating in his first international assignment. He also said his community, which has been very supportive of him, was happy following his first camp in April 2017.

Meanwhile, Semple, who hails from the East Coast ATC and plays for Buxton United FC, is on his third national outing, having represented at both the U-15 and U-17 levels respectively.

He spoke about the benefits of the continuous encampment conducted by the GFF Technical Department and how it has helped him to develop his game.

The squad, which is managed by Coach

from page 50

Joseph, who is assisted

by Challus Mc Kinnon, will be reduced to a 16man travelling team following encampment.

The SOUALIGA Tournament will feature nine other territories, including Anguilla, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Tortola, Barbados, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St Thomas.

The final 16-man squad is yet to be realised.

of the Match performance to finish the game with 82 not out from 37 balls (2x4; 9x6). Chris Patandin made a quick fire 24 from 14 balls (1x4; 2x6). Rafiq Ugrader (112), Krunal Kapoor (126) and Poro Burman (1-30) were the wicket takers.

In the second match of the day, Guyana bounced back from their opening round defeat to beat Bangladesh by 43 runs.

After winning the toss, Guyana posted a challenging 181/6 with Derrick Narine registering his second consecutive half century scoring 50 runs from 23 balls (3x4; 4x6) and got support from Guyana First Class player and Amazon Warriors selectee, Gajanand Singh who stroked 32 from 27 balls (1x4; 1x6) batting at number three.

After a middle order stifle, Rajiv Ivan (30 not out) and Matthew Marques (30) played some lusty blows to score 61 from five and a half overs to end the innings on a high. Robin Das was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers with 3-30 from four overs.

In their first match of the season, Bangladesh were then bundled out

for 138 from 19.4 overs with off spinner Keon Lake spinning webs round the top order with 4-24 in a Man of the Match performance.

Guyana’s captain Andre “Rusty” Kirton picked up 3-13 as Robin Das top scored with 29 while Syed Hussein made 19.

The tournament will take a break this weekend and will resume on June 10 with a double header at the Canarsie ground. Pakistan will take on Bangladesh while India battle Jamaica.

The Rockaway Cricket Fiesta began in 2016 with four teams of expats from Trinidad and Tobago, Bangladesh, Guyana and Pakistan.

This year, T&T failed to field a team while India, Jamaica and the New York Select XI which is made up of mainly Guyanese were brought in.

The final is set for August 12 at the Baisley Pond Park (BPP) for a top prize of US$7,000.

The tournament is sponsored by the Rockaway Group of Companies comprising of The Royal Empress Banquet Hall, Rockaway Roti Shop and Rockaway VIP Taxi Service in Queens New York.

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Colin Munro on CPL ICC Women's World Cup 17: Fortunate to 2017: Australia eye record have been retained seventh World Cup title

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ast year saw New Zealand’s Colin Munro score the first hundred by an overseas player at the Hero CPL, and his Trinbago Knight Riders made the knock-out stages. We caught up with the Kiwi batsman to talk about what he is looking forward to for this tournament and asked him to look back on last year.

Considering the quality of overseas players that have been part of the Hero CPL over the last four years it is perhaps surprising that it took until last season for one of the game’s global superstars to score a century. Munro told us that it does take time to adjust to Caribbean conditions.

“It does take a little while, the slowness of the wickets does take a wee while to get used to.

Luckily I was in Trinidad for a whole week before the tournament started and adjusted really well.

It is just a mindset thing as well to go out there and play your natural game and even if it does not come off for a couple games you still have to go out there and be aggressive. It just worked out well last year.”

Last season the Knight Riders went out of the tournament in the knockout stages to the eventual winners, Jamaica Tallawahs. We asked Munro what the Knight Riders need to differently to go one bet-

M

Meg Lanning

ter and make the final. ”I don’t think we have to do anything differently to be fair. We were beaten by Andre Russell really. We weren’t really beaten by Jamaica.

Andre Russell came out and scored a hundred off forty balls, you know when a guy plays that well you just have to give it to him. It wasn’t anything the team could have done much different, any other day Andre could have gotten out for twenty or thirty and we could have gone on and won the game.

“So there is no big change we have to make, just little things, maybe executing our plans to batters that are established.”

Munro says the Hero CPL is a fantastic experience as a player, telling us that it is “just the biggest party in sport.”

While there is fun to be had it is also about some seriously competitive cricket. “You play hard and you party hard, as

long as you could find the right balance, I think that is the key to enjoying the tournament."

For Munro the standard of cricket is improving, especially with the type of massive overseas stars that are coming to play at Hero CPL. “It has grown quite substantially over the last two or three years where they have got some seriously big players, and yes I am fortunate enough to be retained by TKR and will try and contribute the same as last year.

“Just look at the draft and you see the players that did not get sold or picked up and you consider yourself pretty fortunate to be retained again.

The calibre of players will make the competition tough, day in and day out,” he added.

Colin Munro will be playing for Trinbago Knight Riders at the Hero CPL which gets underway on August 4 2017

(CPLT20)

eg Lanning has achieved plenty in her career so far but over the next couple of months, captaining Australia to a Women's World Cup title is foremost on her list of goals. Australia have a remarkable record at the Women's World Cup, having won six of the 10 tournaments (England have won three and New Zealand one), but this is Lanning's first World Cup as skipper.

Jodie Fields led Australia to triumph in the 2013 final against West Indies, and Lanning is one of seven players from this year's World Cup squad who was also part of the previous winning squad.

The Australians are this week training on Queensland's Sunshine Coast in preparation for heading to England for the tournament, and Lanning's players will this week spend some time with Australia's previous World Cup winners.

"It's a great chance to learn from those players who have been there and done it before, and probably under some difficult circumstances at times," Lanning said.

"It definitely wasn't anywhere near professional when we were winning those World Cups a while ago. We're very excited as a group to be able to meet the players who have been successful in the past, because

Meg Lanning

World Cups are very special and different to what we're used to.

"Our team has been very successful over a long period of time.

We're looking forward to forging our own way as a team, and trying to deliver as best we can. We know it's going to be really tough. We know it's going to be a very open tournament. But we're all excited about the opportunity and looking forward to making the most of the last couple of weeks in Australia and then getting over to England and preparing as well as we can."

Australia's squad this year features several players new to international cricket, including Ashleigh Gardner and AmandaJade Wellington, both of whom have made their debuts over the past few months. Teenage fast bowler Belinda Vakarewa is in line for her international debut at the World Cup, and

Lanning said she was an exciting talent.

"She's coming out of her shell a little bit," Lanning said. "She was pretty quiet early on, but she mainly let her actions do the talking in the first [practice] game. She was really enthusiastic, she really impressed us with her attitude towards the team. She's come in really nicely and she's improving all the time.

She's still very young, but we're really excited about what she can bring to the team through this World Cup and into the future as well.

"I think that's really exciting for the group, to be able to bring in some younger players who bring different skill sets and really add to the group. That's the really good thing about our side, is we've been able to evolve over the last couple of years and we feel like we've got a lot of bases covered in terms of different skill sets."

(ESPNCricinfo)

South American Youth Championships…

Coach Edmond hopeful for another “Gold Rush” ‒ Caesar tipped to claim sprint double

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uyana’s sprinting sensation Compton Caesar has been tipped to take Gold in both the 100M and 200M races at the South American Youth Championships slated for June 3-4 at the Leonora Track and Field Facility.

Asked by Guyana Times International Sport about Guyana’s chances of medalling at the Games, coach Julian Edmond expressed confidence in Guyana’s ability to replicate its recent success and even excel its performance at the recent CARIFTA Games.

“It is our (intention) to win as (many) gold medals as possible,” he declared.

He maintained that Guyana’s best hope is Compton Caesar — fast-

est Under-20 sprinter in the Caribbean.

“We’ve got Compton Caesar; he’s the fastest Under-20 sprinter in the Caribbean, and we expect him to be on the podium at this championship, winning gold,” the coach predicted.

He noted that while Brazil has fielded the best sprint team at these Games, Guyana has been right “there with them”. This, he noted, is the main reason why Guyana’s coaching team expects a lot of medals.

Edmond declared Guyana’s athletes in high spirits, and said that for the last five weeks they have been working hard, training hard, and are in top shape.

Among Guyana’s greatest medal prospects

Compton Caesar, who made history at the CARIFTA Games, has been heavily tipped to take the sprint-double at the South American Youth Championships (Hdp photo)

are Kenisha Phillips, Onasha Rogers, Daniel Williams, Anfernee Headecker, Claudrice McKoy and Ronaldo Wishart. These ‘National’ athletes all performed admirably at the past

weekend’s Independence Track Meet, most of them dominating senior athletes to win gold.

The Guyana Squad reads (Girls): Kenish Phillips, Onasha Rogers, Avon Samuels, Collia

Rowe, Joanna Archer, Claudrice McKoy, Serena Williams, Leyanna Charles, Kezra Murray, Delcia Harper, Tatyana Blair, Shontel Browne, Chantoba Bright, Ruth Sanmoogan, Mian

McPherson, Kimberly Hilliman, Jamacia Scott, Cassie Small, Tonya Rawlins, Tiffauna Garnett and Tandiaka Haynes.

(Boys): Compton Caesar, Tyrell Peters, Laurindo Prince, Daniel Williams, Anfernee Headecker, Samuel Lynch, Ruel Chester, Matthew McKenzie, Rondell Newton, Rickie Williams, Joshua Williams, Ronaldo Wishart, Nigel Gonsalves, Terrence Fraser, Anthony Williams, Ronaldo Greene, Jermaine Simmons, Timothy Sealy, Tremaine Beckles, Jonathan Garnett, Jermaine King, Ryan Bramble, Dennis Roberts, Stayon Wilson, Jonathon Copeland and Tevin Nicholson.

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