Guyanatimes 13 september 2017

Addressing HIV epidemic

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Issue No. 3331

PRICE

WHAT'S INSIDE:

New Demerara River bridge

Parking meter saga

Firms forced to sign non-disclosure agreement

Mayor P7 distances self from renegotiation

Page 9

…barred from protesting …as prequalification tender keeps bidders on a tight leash

Teacher douses husband, sets home on fire as son sleeps Page 3

Page 16

PPP/C Councillors walk out of Region 2 statutory meeting P15

Staff shortage affecting West Dem Hospital P14 … Public Service Ministry yet to confirm several positions

Dr Norton promises P17 greater embrace of Amerindians Cocaine mule dragged off Canada- P8 bound plane

Workers, GAWU protest Govt’s decision to privatise Skeldon estate Page 11

Linden hit by freak storm

$80 vat included

Govt urges investors to appraise sectors besides oil

Page 2

…as Canadian oil and gas investors attend trade mission

CCJ President pushes for electronic judicial P10 system

NY-bound passenger busted with cocaine at CJIA P8

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wednesDAY, september 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt urges investors to appraise sectors besides oil …as Canadian oil and gas investors attend trade mission

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ven as Canadian investors are expressing an interest in coming to Guyana and partnering with local businesses due to the oil and gas sector, the Government is urging these companies to look beyond just oil and gas.

This pronouncement was made

by Business Minister Dominic Gaskin during an Oil and Gas Trade Mission at the Marriott Hotel on Tuesday. He noted that while investors in the oil and gas sector were appreciated and would be supported by the Government, there are other areas of opportunity.

“Guyana is on a steep learning curve and we are playing catch up with the industry. There is a high level of interest now, outside of Guyana,” Gaskin said. “And people are visiting Guyana with a lot more frequency now, to get a feel of the types of business opportunities that exist.”

A lot of discussion in Guyana centres on local content, he noted, assuring that the Government is cognisant of all the challenges and opportunities which the oil sector brings with it. This, he noted, in-

cludes the opportunities for further investment in oil.

“But I don’t want you to think oil is not the only thing happening to Guyana. There are other priority sectors which the Government will promote and that we will like to see placed on developmental trajectory before the production of oil begins,” he told the room of investors.

According to the Business Minister, the food industry has the potential to diversify on the required scale. Local content and what it will do for Guyana has been a burning question since the announcement of oil in the Stabroek block.

After ExxonMobil first tempered expectations by saying that few job opportunities will be created by oil, it has since said that it will help with local content delivery.

On the other hand, it is a fact that with the coming of oil, opportunities for investments and partnerships with local businesses will arise. For its part, Exxon has said its local content plan will be updated on an annual basis.

It has also said the plan will

turn, will be overseen by a multistakeholder group representing local bodies that are involved in the sector.

The agency’s duties will also include monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the licensing and registration process for all suppliers. It will also be in charge of creating databases for suppliers, local professionals and technicians, as well as projects. It is proposed that the body will also set targets for these projects.

Trade mission

A section of the gathering at the Oil and Gas Trade Mission at the Marriott Hotel

seek to develop the local business enterprises that will have to supply Exxon’s operations with essential goods and services.

Avoiding a focus on oil at the expense of other sectors is an important economic concept known as avoiding the Dutch Disease.

Economic problems usually arise in nations with an unbalanced emphasis on the lucrative but unstable oil sector.

Guyana has its own draft Local Content Policy, which was formulated by the Natural Resources Ministry and was seen by this publication. According to the Policy, local businesses will be provided with capacity building assistance.

The document sets out that the policy will be enforced by a well-funded and resourced regulatory institution. The regulator, in

The Trade Mission itself is a product of collaboration between the High Commission of Canada and the Newfoundland and Labrador Oil and Gas Industry Association (NOIA). The Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) also played an important part.

Approximately 25 entities from Canada’s offshore oil and gas industry participated in the mission and are expected to stay in Guyana from September 11 to 14. The companies are here with the expectation that partnerships with local businesses can be formed.

NY-bound passenger busted with cocaine at CJIA

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anks of the Guyana Police Force’s Narcotics Branch on Monday afternoon arrested a frequent traveller at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) with a large quantity of cocaine hidden in his luggage.

According to reports received, the suspect – who resides in Kara Kara, Linden and in Ozone Park, New York, United States of America – was

intercepted as an outgoing passenger destined for the USA around 16:35h on Monday.

It was reported that suspicious ranks conducted a search on the belongings of the suspect during which the illegal substance was found hidden away in one of the suitcases. The narcotic amounted to some 1828 grams.

The suspect was subsequently arrested. He is being processed for court.

news

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wednesDAY, september 13, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, September 13 – 10:30h-12:00h and Thursday, September 14 – 12:00h-13:30h.

Teacher douses husband, sets home on fire as son sleeps

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, September 13 – 09:45h-11:15h and Thursday, September 14 – 11:15h-12:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Heavy rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, with light cloudy skies in the afternoon. Clear to partly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 26 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East South-easterly to Easterly between 4.02 metres and 5.81 metres.

High Tide: 09:48h and 22:13h reaching maximum heights of 2.30 metres and 2.33 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 03:12h and 15:40h reaching minimum height of 0.77 metre and 0.98 metre respectively.

SATURDAY, september 9, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS I

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FREE TICKET

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

DAILY MILLIONS 06 10 14 20 24 LUCKY 3 1 1 9 Afternoon Draw

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

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The now gutted one-storey wooden house in Cummings Park, Sophia

he community of Cummings Park, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was in the wee hours of Tuesday morning swept in an uproar as the house of a seemingly happy family went up in flames.

This is after the wife, Bursene Walters, a primary school teacher, allegedly doused her husband, Richard Walters with kerosene and subsequently threw a lit match at the sleeping man while their teenaged son was asleep in an adjoining room.

Awaken by the commotion, the father of two rushed to save his 16-yearold son after which the duo escaped the burning building. At that time, his wife was said to have already fled the scene, leaving the two behind to perish.

Guyana Times visited the scene of the now entirely gutted one storey home, during which neighbours recapped the horror that struck their village just after 01:00h Tuesday morning.

Neighbours recalled hearing the man shouting, “Murder! Murder!” and ran out to see the building engulfed in flames. While rushing to the scene, they (neighbours) alerted the Fire Service but upon the tender’s arrival some 15 minutes later, it was too late.

Even though neighbours are unaware of the circumstances which led to the incident, they relayed their understanding of what transpired.

“From what I hear is that he went sleeping and he wake up and find she throwing the kero on he and she just scratch the match and throw it pon the bed and run out the house. Then the man go wake up he son and loose the dogs and so and run out, but by then the whole house deh done engulfed,” the neighbour explained.

Moreover, Guyana Times understands the couple had been living at their Lot 1419 Cummings Park, Sophia residence for about 15 years and share two sons; the older one being 18 years old.

However, according to reports, the teacher had accused her husband of having an affair, which he denied.

As such, it is believed that this was the reason behind the woman’s actions.

“They don’t come out and associate a lot so if they have domestic problems it would be indoors. Nobody don’t hear like they fight and stuff like that,” a neighbour stated.

Nevertheless, this incident comes as a shock to those living within the area as they are not aware of the couple having marital issues. In fact, they indicated that the woman always appeared to be respectable and stable.

Richard Walters sustained minor burn injuries

about his body and subsequently received treatment at the Sophia Health Centre. After suffering the loss of all of their belongings, man and his two children are now seeking refuge at family members living nearby.

Meanwhile, his wife is reportedly still on the run and is said to be hiding at relatives in Berbice. As such, Police are on the search for the woman accused of arson as investigations into the incident continue. (Ashraf Dabie)

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, September 13, 2017

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

Noise nuisance

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overnments come and go but the scourge of noise nuisance continues unabated, even though the adverse health effects of noise are trumpeted at various forums and complaints by those affected are plentiful. There are so many people who seem to be oblivious to the injurious effects to general health and wellbeing of victims when perpetrators uncaringly engage in activities which create noise nuisance.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), noise causes a wide range of health effects, including: sleep disturbance; cardiovascular effects; damage to work and school performance; hearing impairment including tinnitus.

The WHO also avers that noise has negative impacts on cognitive performance. For recall and reading, a reduction of the day and night noise level by 5 dB(A) within the range of 65–80 dB(A) was shown to improve performance by almost 10 per cent. For attention and memory, a 5 dB(A) reduction in average noise level results in approximately two to three per cent improvement of performance. The Organisation surmises that adverse impacts of noise on cognitive performance can lead to a reduction in the productivity at work and the learning performance at school.

The lack of a sustained campaign against noise nuisance has created a dynamic where the noise emanating from various sources has grown to unbearable proportions countrywide.

It would appear that playing music loudly has become part of our national culture. The situation has become worse because of advances in electronic technology which has helped musical sets to become much more powerful than what they were a couple of decades ago.

Announcements by several Home Affairs Ministers over the years, that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will adopt a ‘no nonsense’ approach and the full force of the law will deal with offenders, have all come to naught.

Although the Ministry has over the years admitted that it continues to receive numerous complaints from senior citizens, the sick, working parents, students and several other law abiding people, to the effect that they are being affected by loud, repetitive and continuous noise emanating from a range of places in the different Police divisions, there is no evidence pointing to any long-term relief for victims.

Reports verify that checks made at the locations complained about, on specified days and times, have reenforced the validity and justification of the complaints, yet little or no relief is provided by law enforcement agencies, even though, sporadically, relevant Divisional Commanders of the GPF have been provided with the details pertaining to the complaints and directed to take appropriate action to ensure that Subsection (1) of Section 174 A of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, as amended by Act No. 1 of 1989, is not breached.

The law states: “No person shall, in any road, street, public place or land or in building or premises, by operating or causing or suffering to be operated any stereo set, juke box, radio, wireless loudspeaker, gramophone, amplifier, automatic piano or similar instrument of music, or by any other means whatsoever, make or cause or suffer to be made any noise which shall be so loud and so continuous or repetitive as to cause a nuisance to occupants of any premises in the neighbourhood.”

Another aspect of the noise nuisance the Ministry should look at is loud music emanating from privately owned vehicles.

Somehow or the other it would appear that the operators believe they have the right to play music as loudly as they feel.

The campaign against noise nuisance must be relentless and sustained or else this scourge will not be stopped because it seems that some people get a sense of pleasure when they play loud music and disturb others.

These children of Indigenous heritage performing a cultural dance at the National Gallery of Art, Castellani House, where homage is being paid to a pioneer promoter of Indigenous art and craft, Sister Theresa La Rose, RSM, in the form of an art and craft exhibition (Carl Croker photo)

How Eric Phillips sabotages the African reparation cause

Dear Editor, In Monday’s print media, ACDA President and Government Advisor Eric Phillips targeted the Guyana Times newspaper and several of its columnists, including myself. In another of his characteristic, petty public rants unbecoming of anyone purporting to be of academic stock, Phillips cited my name in the racial war declared against those he claims form part of the “Indian intellectual community”.

Judging from its contents, the letter seemingly intended to pursue a personal vendetta against one Vishnu Bisram, a move Phillips seems to believe will serve the African reparation cause. Nevertheless, I’m happy he mentioned my name as it allows me to once again highlight why he is an obstacle to nation-building, national unity and by extent, African reparation.

Guyanese identity politics is inherent to our colonial past and continuously falls prey to racism at the detriment of nation building. Those brandishing flags of divisiveness to defend causes blurred by racist lens have proven that identity politics can be hijacked to threaten the integrity of the Nation-State.

In his fight to gather support for African slave reparation, Phillips has launched a crusade against Indigenous land rights which are intrinsic to the survival of Indigenous cultures worldwide.

He has proven that if he cannot piggyback on

Indigenous rights to promote African reparation, then he should seek to diminish the legitimacy of Indigenous peoples’ minority rights.

It’s because of lobbyists such as Phillips that Indigenous rights, in particular land rights, are now throttled by the Government, and that a Minister can stand without restraint in Parliament and unapologetically accuse Amerindians of being “avaricious”.

It’s because of such divisive discourses, that there are increasing ethnic tensions between Amerindians and Afro-Guyanese. As one senior Indigenous leader puts it, now “we’ve gone from a PS who used to curse Indigenous leaders, to Ministers who attack our most vulnerable population”.

Vulnerable, because of limited access to socio-economic rights; vulnerable to political bullyism; vulnerable to cultural erosion; vulnerable because of ethnic stigmatisation and stereotyping; vulnerable because of poverty and environmental challenges – a vulnerability which commenced with stolen lands. This vulnerability heightened when the Coalition pulled the plug on Indigenous land rights, an unprecedented act in independent Guyana.

To justify his contribution to the growing marginalisation of Amerindians, Phillips continues to make unfounded assertions, including his most recent statement before the Land

CoI where he argued: “Africans installed (…) 2.58 million miles of drainage canals, trenches and inter-bed drains; 3500 miles of dams, roads and footpaths; and 2176 miles of sea and river defence. No one else in Guyana has done that, yet they’ve gotten reparations”.

Here he contends that Amerindians are being given reparation for which they’re less deserving than Africans, subsequently repudiating the very legitimacy of Indigenous land rights. He pursues a path of ignorance, equating Indigenous land rights to African reparation although neither evolves within the same historical context.

In what appears to be a case of selective amnesia typically associated with historical revisionism, Phillips omits that Indigenous peoples were not just the first inhabitants of the lands that later became Guyana, but are also the natives of the Americas for as far back as can be anthropologically and scientifically proven.

He must be reminded that Indigenous lands were stolen by European settlers, that the First Nations of the Americas were forced from their homes, had 90 per cent of their population decimated, lost their cultures and languages, are still stigmatised and are still marginalised. No other peoples have suffered the same fate as the first known inhabitants of the Americas.

Yet, Indigenous peoples provide that bridge between humanity’s past and present, a quickly eroding fragment of our history, for which survival is bound to ancestral land.

Subsequently, the lands legally owned today by Guyana’s Amerindians are not “reparation” and the specificities of Amerindian land rights prescribed by the Amerindian Act 6–2006, the Independence Act Cap 14-S17, the Constitution of Guyana, and the UNDRIP cannot ,therefore, “set a precedence” for African reparation, as Phillips defends.

So as he continues to pit groups against each other while dangerously pretexting merit and by extent, hierarchical dominance, not only does he sacrifice what is left of his own credibility, but risks losing national support from Guyanese countrywide in the fight for African reparation.

His discourse imbibed with racial slurs seeks to inflict on Guyanese a sentiment of guilt for a horrendous passage of history for which they are not responsible, and contradicts the very principles of tolerance once ardently peddled by the APNU/AFC. Alternatively, there’s a regional and global fight for slave reparation to which Phillips, should he abdicate his personal racist agenda, might be able to find relevance and valuably contribute to helping the Guyanese cause.

Sincerely, Anna Correia

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, September 13, 2017

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

CPL’s consistent players should Does the M&CC no longer be given a chance in WI team have social responsibilities?

Dear Editor, While fans around the world were thrilled to the high heavens by the Windies victory against England in the second test match of the current tour, I join in the chorus that one tree does not make a forest.

Our boys in maroon have flattered to deceive before… many times.

And while the words of Captain Holder are what he is expected to say, especially given the penchant of the cricketing administrators to never tolerate independent thought and any language that can be deemed critical.

Thus, as long as Holder indulges in board speak a la WICBC he is safe, even though, like Darren Sammy before him, Holder’s selection as captain continually comes under scrutiny.

However, at the minimum, Sammy was a better tactician, a far better leader of people and quite fair in his captaincy.

Holder on the other hand, keeps making fundamental captaincy mistakes, indulges in field placements that befuddles and uses his bowlers in ways that are enigmatic. Particularly so was his handling of strike spinner, Devendra Bishoo whose deployment, or rather lack thereof, was criticised by all and sundry.

It is felt that appropriate use of Bishoo in the first test may have made a difference in the outcome of the game, while use of Bishoo in the third test clearly indicated that he was set up for scapegoat status in a losing cause.

Many also argue that Holder chose Chase over Bishoo so as to provide scope for Chase to boost his

bowling credentials in order to secure his place in the team as an all-rounder.

And a few wondered whether race may have been a factor, especially given that Bishoo was the only Indian in the team that was once described by a former captain as a black team.

Some fans have made the point that players should not be chosen on the basis of the Captain’s comfort level with them. But the reality seems to be that this current team, referred to by many as a Barbados team with a couple of guest players, is being so categorised. And while Shai Hope has given hope indeed, his brother Kylie continues to fail miserably as does Dowrich, while Chase, once considered a rising star seems to be at sea.

With respect to boosting the current team, Darren Bravo must be brought back immediately. And many argue that captaincy should go to Bravo or Brathwaite, while Holder should be allowed to merit his place like everyone else, especially since that position can be filled by a third pacer, most likely Taylor, with Beaton and a few others chafing at the bits. Ramdin should be brought back since he is still the best keeper/batsman around and at 29 still young even by cricketing standards, while a couple of the other youngsters develop, among them Nicholas Pooran.

And Gayle also should be given a run, while Powell is provided with the help he needs, as he’s still a good talent. Blackwood also needs some work so that his approach to batting does

not remain one-dimensional, as he too is a good talent.

As well, Kyle Hope must be dropped and among considered replacements should be Assad Fudadin.

Finally the board must decide on the role of Bishoo since playing him without appropriately and fully utilising him is a waste of time.

Waiting in the wings are Permaul, Shillingford and one or two others.

Finally, some of India’s current test players came through the ranks of the IPL. The West Indies selectors ought to take note of this and some of the CPL’s consistent players ought to, at least, be given a chance.

Sincerely, Annan Boodram

Dear Editor, In the chaos and venality at City Hall, there was one beacon of light there, and that was the provision of daycare services by the Council that benefited hundreds if not thousands of toddlers and children of persons, including single parents, poor mothers and fathers who cannot afford private daycare facilities but who have to go to work, etc.

But alas! The provision of the one worthwhile service to the citizens of Georgetown, is apparently being withdrawn by this hopeless City Council. One must ask why? Is this service not catered for by the property rates residents have to pay?

I would like to demand on behalf of the residents of Charlestown, to which this daycare centre is located, and also on behalf of all the other residents of Georgetown who benefit from the daycare services, the clinics and the maternal and child welfare services that are provided by and at the public health facilities located in the various wards of the city, that these services be immediately restored and maintained.

The closure of these centres will only spell more financial hardship, more inconvenience and more stress for the citizens of Georgetown. Is this a new trend of Council divesting itself of meaningful services but for which no one gets

a kickback, whilst it continues to employ more and more staff members to loiter around all day?

Does the Council no longer have social responsibilities, a moral compass and a concern for the youth of Georgetown? Or is everything at the Council dollar driven and no sense. Will they continue to expend hundreds of millions of dollars each month on foreign travel, on building presidential parks, on contractors who never have to bid for contracts and on having their seniors enjoy a luxurious lifestyle while closing the few worthwhile services it provides?

Sincerely, Debra Gibson

An opportunity for Guyana’s diplomacy Dear Editor, The Rohinga crisis is in many ways, a re-play of the Hitlerian persecution of the Jews which began in the 1930’s and culminated in the murder of six million Jews and other nationalities.

The Rohingas, like the Jews of Germany, were a long-settled community who helped in the development of their country. The Burmese persecutors, like the Nazis, picked on religion as a basis for their persecutions.

The Nazis deprived the Jews of their German nationality while the Burmese Government has always denied the Rohingas their Burmese nationality. Like the Jews, the Rohingas are being expelled from their homes and country and even

maimed or killed.

The world stood by and allowed the Nazi persecutions until it was too late.

Now, similarly, the world is doing nothing while the Rohingas are being driven out of their homes and abused.

Such evil always ends up by bringing suffering to all as World War II and its aftermath has shown. In Guyana, we suffered a great deal of privation during the war.

Britain and Sweden have at last raised their voices against the persecutions but at a time when half of the Rohinga population has been driven out of their homes, many of them brutalised and all their houses and villages burnt to the ground.

Guyana could take the initiative by doing some shuttle diplomacy with Caribbean Community partners and friendly Muslim states, with which we have contact through the Muslim Development Bank, to have them condemn the persecution and human rights violations. We could also mull getting a group together at the UN to move for sanctions. Guyana could once again bounce back into

a place of prominence on the international stage as President Burnham had done in the Non-Aligned Movement and attacking Apartheid. Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge could seek the help and advice of Ambassadors Insanally and Jackson. But Guyana has to take the initiative now.

Yours sincerely, Mithra Bhushan

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Foundation

The importance of cuddling

By Vanessa LoBue, PhD

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ecently, many hospitals have started to emphasise skin-toskin contact between mothers and newborns. After my own son Edwin was born, he was immediately placed on my chest, touching my skin, for an extended period of time. This seems to be the new trend, and for good reason. Research suggests that skin-toskin contact has immediate positive effects for babies, and can effectively reduce crying, stress, promote sleep, and even help establish a breastfeeding routine.

In fact, research suggests that the effects of skin-to-skin contact can be long lasting, especially for premature babies who generally require incubators after birth and don’t often receive skin-to-skin contact from their mothers right away. For example, premature babies who are given massage therapy in the hospital while in their incubators gain more weight and have shorter hospital stays on average than premature babies who do not receive touch therapy. Further, in a more recent study, researchers randomly assigned some premature babies to receive two weeks of skin-to-skin contact from their mothers, while other premature babies were randomly assigned to remain in incubators. Babies who received two weeks of skin-to-skin contact had healthier stress responses, sleep patterns, and even some better cognitive abilities than babies who were simply given the standard incubator treatment. Most importantly, these effects were still evident in children 10 years later.

But why is touch so important?

What does touch actually do for the body? Researchers have shown that touch can reduce stress hormones (ie cortisol) and lower heart rate, effectively calming babies when they are upset. Touch has even been shown to calm stress responses in the brains of adults.

In one study, researchers brought married couples into the lab and had one of the two placed in an fMRI scanner, which is essentially a magnet used to capture images of your brain. In a series of trials, the participant in the scanner saw either a green circle or a red “x". A green circle meant that the trial would end without anything else happening. However, a red “x” meant that there was a 25 per cent chance that the participant would receive a mild electric shock on the ankle a few seconds later (yikes!). In one condition, the participant in the scanner received these trials on their own. In another, a stranger entered the room and held the participant’s hand. In a final condition, the participant’s spouse was asked to hold their hand.

The researchers were interested in how the participants’ brains reacted to the few seconds between seeing the red “x” and feeling the shock, or in other words, how the brain anticipates something bad happening.

Generally when we anticipate something bad or threatening, specific parts of the brain are activated. The results of the study showed that activation in response to anticipating the shock is lessened when a loved one is holding your hand. In other words, when your spouse or partner is holding your hand,

your brain is more relaxed when you are anticipating the possibility of being shocked. The brain did not respond the same way when a stranger was holding the participant’s hand. Further, the happier the couples were in their relationships, the more the partner’s hand lessened the brain’s response to the shock.

The moral of the story? A little bit of physical contact can go a long way in reducing stress. Now, you might have heard that cuddling or carrying babies too much might “spoil” them. That’s certainly what my mom told me. The logic behind this conventional wisdom is that when you touch or carry babies all the time, they get used to it and will eventually cry any time you put them down. The truth is, there is absolutely no evidence that this is the case, and most of the data on carrying suggests that it leads to a calm and happy baby. In fact, a very recent study found that adults who were held and cuddled as babies were the most likely to be healthy and well-adjusted later in life.

The more they were carried, the better they functioned.

Another important take-home message here is that while a little bit of skin-to-skin contact can be calming for babies, it can also be important for you. In general, physical contact with a loved one in a time of anxiety or stress decreases the stress response in the body and brain, for both babies and adults. So snuggle those babies as much as you want, and when you’re feeling anxious, a little bit of snuggling or simply holding the hand of someone close to you just might be the thing you need to ease the stress. (psychologytoday.com)

B

onding is the intense attachment that develops between parents and their baby.

It makes parents want to shower their baby with love and affection and to protect and care for their little one.

Bonding gets parents up in the middle of the night to feed their hungry baby and makes them attentive to the baby's wide range of cries.

Scientists are still learning a lot about bonding. They know that the strong ties between parents and their child provide the baby's first model for intimate relationships and foster a sense of security and positive selfesteem. And parents' responsiveness to an infant's signals can affect the child's social and cognitive development.

Why is bonding important?

Bonding is essential for a baby. Studies of newborn monkeys who were given mannequin mothers at birth showed that, even when the mannequins were made of soft material and provided formula to the baby monkeys, the babies were better socialised when they had live mothers to interact with. The baby monkeys with mannequin mothers also were more likely to suffer from despair. Scientists suspect that lack of bonding in human babies can cause similar problems.

Most infants are ready to bond immediately. Parents, on the other hand, may have a mixture of feelings about it.

Some parents feel an intense attachment within the first minutes or days after their baby's birth. For others, it may take a bit longer.

But bonding is a process, not something that takes place within minutes and not something that has to be limited to happening within a certain time period after birth. For many parents, bonding is a byproduct of everyday caregiving. You may not even know it's happening

until you observe your baby's first smile and suddenly realise that you're filled with love and joy.

The ways babies bond When you're a new parent, it often takes a while to understand your newborn and all the ways you can interact: Touch becomes an early language as babies respond to skin-to-skin contact. It's soothing for both you and your baby while promoting your baby's healthy growth and development.

Eye-to-eye contact provides meaningful communication at close range.

Babies can follow moving objects with their eyes.

Your baby tries – early on – to imitate your facial expressions and gestures.

Babies prefer human voices and enjoy vocalising in their first efforts at

communication. Babies often enjoy just listening to your conversations, as well as your descriptions of their activities and environments.

Making an attachment Bonding with your baby is probably one of the most pleasurable aspects of infant care. You can begin by cradling your baby and gently rocking or stroking him or her. If you and your partner both hold and touch your infant frequently, your little one will soon come to know the difference between your touches. Both of you can also take the opportunity to be "skin to skin" with your newborn by holding him or her against your own skin when feeding or cradling.

Babies, especially premature babies and those with medical problems, may respond to infant massage.

Because babies aren't as strong as adults, you'll need to massage your baby very gently. Before trying out infant massage, be sure to educate yourself on proper techniques by checking out the many books, videos, and websites on the subject. You can also contact your local hospital.

(Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

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wednesDay, September 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Parking meter saga

Mayor distances self from contract renegotiation ations with this. Again, I will not be part of that committee,” the Mayor pointedly stated.

On Thursday, September 7, 2017, thirteen members of the Council voted for a renegotiated contract with SCS while five voted to scrap it and seven voted to wait until the completion of court proceedings. It was one month after Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan suspended the paid parking initiative, that a Parking Meter Committee was established on April 26, 2017. Its members consist of Chairman Malcolm Ferreira, Roopnarine Persaud, Vice Chairman Noelle Chow-

Imminent return? A parking meter in Georgetown

D

espite the recent vote by the City Council in favour of a renegotiated parking meter contract with Mexican company Smart City Solutions (SCS), Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green on Tuesday evening said she will play no part in the process which could see changes in the deal’s originally agreed terms.

“I don’t know what you can expect; I’ve divorced myself completely from any negoti-

just his opinion and would not influence the work of the Council or its decision.

Further highlighting the issues surrounding the parking meter contract, which attracted wide criticism and controversy, Mayor Chase Green told Guyana Times on Tuesday that even though the Town Clerk and the City’s Treasurer, Ron McAlmont, are on the negotiating committee, the two cannot vote on matters.

“I read in the papers today (Tuesday) that Mr King and the Treasurer are part of the committee but they don’t have voting rights but Mr King ac-

“I cannot speak for Mr King but I can speak for myself and say that I will not be a part of that renegotiating team,” – Georgetown Mayor Chee, Ivelaw Henry, Trichria Richards, Carlyle Goring, and Heston Bostwick.

At last week’s extraordinary meeting, the Mayor had said that Town Clerk Royston King’s statement about the negotiating committee overstepping its mandate was

cording to law is the responsible person for all documentation of the records of Council but in the last committee, Mr King did not partake in that process. He would have appointed someone and the law gives him that right,” she clarified. TURN TO PAGE 10

8 NEWS Cocaine mule dragged off Canada-bound plane A wednesday, September 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

cocaine mule was taken off a Canadabound fight on Tuesday morning by ranks of the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) and has since excreted several pellets.

CANU has since identified the suspect as 39-yearold Julius Fidel Watkins of Second Street, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara.

According to the anti-narcotics agency, after confessing to ingesting cocaine-filled pellets on Tuesday morning, the suspect was escorted to a city hospital where he was ad-

mitted. The suspect has since been medically examined and so far, he has excreted a total of 86 suspected cocaine-filled pellets.

Investigators believe that the man may have swallowed over 100 pellets.

The suspect remains under observation at the medical facility.

While CANU has been strengthening efforts to curb narcotic trafficking in the country, the agency continues to reiterate the danger of ingesting the illicit substance.

“It is important to note that these practices are hazardous to the health

W

A few of the cocaine pellets

of the intended trafficker and can gravely compro-

mise life,” CANU said on Tuesday.

Georgetown, denied that the drug found belonged to her when she first appeared before the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan. It is alleged that she had 252.5 grams of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking on August 8, 2017.

Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore had told the Court that Police were at the time conducting a raid when Poole’s premises were searched.

The woman reportedly attempted to hide the ganga in her pillow; however,

it was unearthed by the law enforcement officers.

As such, she was arrested and charged with the present offence and was remanded on her first court appearance.

In requesting bail for his client, Gomes told the Court that Poole was not a flight risk and would not fail to report to the Police Station if it was a condition of her bail.

However, the request was denied and Poole was further remanded to prison. The case will continue on September 29.

Kitty woman further remanded for ganga in pillow

A

fter listening to a bail submission by Defence Attorney Euclin Gomes for Nikita Poole, the Kitty woman who was early last month reportedly found with ganga hidden in her pillow, Magistrate Judy Latchman further remanded her to prison.

Poole was taken into Police custody and later charged when Police allegedly found the cannabis hidden in her pillow during a raid in the area.

The 24-year-old woman, of Stanley Place, Kitty,

Nikita Poole

Alleged narco possession lands father in court

A

Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown man was before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday to answer to a charge of possession of

cocaine and cannabis.

Jermaine Estmant, 40, of Lot 493 Turkeyen, appeared before City Magistrate Judy Latchman.

He denied the charge

Ducking…

which stated that on September 8, 2017, at Waterloo Street, South Cummingsburg, Georgetown, he was found to be in possession of 0.2 grams of cocaine.

Additionally, he denied another charge which stated that on the same day at the same location, he was found to be in possession of 4.5

grams of cannabis.

The prosecution is contending that the father of three was found with the items by ranks that were on patrol at Waterloo Street.

Police Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves had no objections to bail. The man was released on $60,000 bail.

The case will continue on October 9.

…climate reality

ell now that Irma tore up the West Indian “Greater Antilles” – especially some outcroppings like Barbuda – are we finally going to get some serious rethinking about the connection between these intensified storms, global warming and our carbon pollution? The short answer is NO!! And why is your usually non-committal Eyewitness being so adamant in his answer? Well just that the real Irma didn’t really hit Florida – just a tired, exhausted version!

Now don’t think your Eyewitness WANTED Irma to do more damage… but if it had, especially after Harvey in Texas, then there definitely would’ve been some reflection by the Southern Bible Belters who form the core of Trump’s climate-change deniers. So while China and India will be going green, Trump and America will be pumping ever more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by fracking shale oil – and even coal.

Now the Eest convinced us natives – in what’s now the “Third World” – that we were just ignorant sods because we didn’t do things “scientifically”. Using cow dung and other waste as manure?! Backward – not to mention disgusting! Artificial fertilisers like urea which is made from petroleum gas is better. Living in harmony with forests? Eweuuu! That’s for uncivilised pygmies and Indigenous Indians! Burn the forests down!

But suddenly even though their own science and scientists assert conclusively that climate change is connected with the increasingly higher temperatures created by higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels – and that’s causing havoc with our climate – the cry by Trump is “What Climate Change and carbon emissions?” And the yokels follow their piper!

Now one can say the truth was hidden from them by companies like Exxon, which we know hid the real data, their studies revealed – confirming the connection between carbon dioxide levels and climate change. But that’s not the whole truth, is it? The Americans that follow Trump don’t believe the scientists because to do so would force them to accept that five per cent of the world’s population shouldn’t be using us 25 per cent of the world’s resources including burning up nearly 25 per cent of the coal, 26 per cent of the oil, and 27 per cent of the world’s natural gas.

This obviously would mean taking a cut in the everrising standard of living it takes to be number one in the world…and that’s a no no!! But while some may feel this is all academic to us Guyanese since hurricanes and such like will literally pass over our heads, there’s still that small matter of rising seas.

With our mudland already five feet BELOW sea level, it wouldn’t take much to wash away those sea walls!

…the ducks

Your Eyewitness’ ears literally perked up when he read about the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) producing 408,000 ducklings last year.

Now in the interest of fair disclosure, your Eyewitness has to admit he loves duck in any of the myriad forms it can be prepared – fried, curried, baked, bunjal, stewed, and most of all – roasted “Peking Duck” style. Ahhh… he has to sop up his salivation as he remembers those crisp, crackling paper-like skin of that roasted duck he had in China Town last month!!

But he didn’t know the GLDA was not only selling the ducklings – that was but a mere seven per cent of what they sold to farmers, but the rest – amounting to over 1 MILLION pounds they sold off @ $250/lb!! Your Eyewitness’ better half nearly had a fit when she heard that. Here it was, she’d been buying WHOLE ducks at her local market – with feathers and all – @ $580 per scrawny lb!!

So who’s been getting this MILLION pounds of duck practically free?

…crime

The Police reported there was a 41 per cent INCREASE in robbery with violence, but the Chronic decided to headline an 18 per cent DECREASE in murder.

Looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses or propagating propaganda?

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

News

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wednesDAY, september 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Regulatory body Firms forced to sign non- proposed to safeguard local content disclosure agreement New Demerara River bridge

…barred from protesting …as prequalification tender keeps bidders on a tight leash

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An artist’s impression of the new Demerara River bridge

he Government has begun the process of prequalifying contractors to design and build the new Demerara River bridge at Houston to Versailles.

However, firms will be kept on a tight leash, as they will have no choice but to sign a non-disclosure agreement before even being considered.

According to the invitation for prequalification released by the Public Infrastructure Ministry, the list of prequalified contractors will be restricted to three. In addition to the non-disclosure agreement, bidders will be forced to waive a number of rights.

These include the right to protest if a bidder believes an unqualified or undeserving contractor was given the nod ahead of everyone else.

It was only last year that the Bid Protest Committee was set up as a final arbiter, for this very purpose.

Ensuring the Government is protected from any further lawsuits from aggrieved companies, the invitation for prequalification bars bidders from taking legal action against the State regarding the selection procedure, evaluation and the final decision for the tender.

It adds that “by participating in this procedure, you (bidder) accept and acknowledge the aforementioned and waive all rights in connection therewith including the right to protest against the decision for the shortlist and the selection of the preferred bidder, to claim damages against the Employer, its director or any of its affiliates and advisors”. Additionally, the bridge designs which firms submit cannot be considered the firms’ property.

The invitation states that bidders waive their right to ownership of all information and designs they provide in the prequalification and bidding period.

Firms also waive the right to any payment or compensation of costs they would have incurred in tendering, no matter the outcome of

set up by the Government, it has not been afraid to rule against the Administration.

In one high-profile case, the Committee had ruled against the Education Ministry in favour of local juice company Tropical Orchard Products Company (Topco). The company won its appeal to the Committee

The current Demerara Harbour Bridge

the process. As if that is not enough, companies can have their bids refused without any reason having to be provided.

According to the Ministry’s invitation to prequalification, “The Employer reserves the right, at its sole discretion and without stating any reason, at any time and in any respect, not to award a contract following the tendering, or to terminate the pre-qualification and/or tender procedure. “

Bid protest

The Bid Protest Committee has been in place since June 2016. It hears the valid concerns and complaints of bidders who are dissatisfied with the system and circumstances under which a contract was awarded. Even though the Bid Protest Committee was

over the Government’s decision to award its supply contract to another company – from Suriname.

Demerara Bridge

Government has had a $146 million feasibil-

ity study carried out on the new Demerara River bridge by Dutch company LievenseCSO. The project team had included officials from the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation and the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD).

It is understood that the feasibility study determined the proposed location of Houston-Versailles was the most ideal. It was further noted that the bridge should be a low-level one with a movable part and three lanes.

The completion of that feasibility study had paved the way for the next stage, the prequalification of contractors for the construction of the bridge. This process is likely to conclude

by October 17.

Floating at 1.25 miles, the Demerara Harbour Bridge is a strategic link between the eastern and western banks of the Demerara River. It facilitates the daily movement of a large number of vehicles, people and cargo.

The structure was built in the 1970s, but was opened in July 1978 with the expectation of lasting only 10 years. But some 37 years later, it is still floating. It is not without its hiccups, however, as the bridge has to be retracted on a daily basis to facilitate maritime traffic. This has resulted in a rush hour and long traffic lines on either side of the bridge.

... as T&T expert calls for common vision across political divide

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

T

he Government of Guyana has embarked on a consultative process aimed at crafting a Local Content Policy designed at securing the input of Guyanese in the emerging oil and gas sector; and as such, has proposed new laws along with a regulatory body to oversee the industry.

The proposal has been outlined in the Draft Local Content Policy crafted by Trinidadian Energy Expert Anthony Paul.

According to the draft supplied by Paul and for which Government has begun to embark on finalising, the Local Content Policy will be enforced through appropriate legislative mechanisms and be regulated by “a capable, well-resourced and accountable institution.”

Paul in his Draft Policy – to be supported by proposed laws – has proposed that the regulator will be overseen by a multistakeholder body representing those Guyanese parties involved in delivering national development

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman

and sector goals that support and/or are impacted by local capacity development and participation in the sector.

The regulator will report to the people of Guyana through their elected representatives in the Parliament of Guyana.

The proposed regulator for the local content aspect of the industry is also earmarked to require international operators and contractors to manage their procurement through local content policies.

Political divide

Meanwhile, cognisant of the political climate in Guyana, the Trinidadian Industry expert has written into his draft proposal for a Local Content Policy, the need for cooperation across the political divide.

According to Paul in his draft policy document, investments and activities in the sector require long timelines, often out of sync with national election cycles. turn to page 15

10 news CCJ President pushes for electronic judicial system wednesday, September 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

T

echnological advancement should not exclude the judicial system rather it should be used as a method of addressing the backlog of cases that impinges on the right to a fair and timely trial, Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) President, Sir Charles Michael Dennis Byron has said.

Sir Charles, who is in Guyana for a brief visit, noted that the backlog of court cases is not only limited to Guyana as it has become an issue that plagues almost all Caribbean countries.

He said that in order to deal with the heavy backlog of cases in the judicial system, the necessary infrastructure needed to be put in place to make the courts electronic, noting that the CCJ has developed systems and set standards to deal with backlogs.

“Everywhere I go in the Region, people complain about the process and the backlogs in the courts and I have first-hand indication that many of these complaints are justified.

We have tried our best to highlight this to the judiciaries involved and to propose programmes to improve the situation. We have designed programmes and given them to the ju-

Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) President, Sir Charles Michael Dennis Byron

diciaries to implement to the extent they wish,” Sir Charles related.

“We have reached a stage now where the courts must engage in electronic communication with litigants. Everybody in Guyana is using mobile phones, laptops and computers and a lot of the delays would be eliminated if the existing technology were applied to the court processes.

I also feel that the systems of managing cases, the court should operate like any other modern enterprise and use best management practices when dealing with its caseload. This must

be supported by available technology. Then, of course, the State must provide an adequate complement of Judicial Officers and the infrastructure that is necessary to operate must be in existence,” he added.

He noted that every case that was filed before June 1 has already been heard by the CCJ, and added that he hoped that could become the standard practice for every judicial system in the Caribbean. Sir Charles told reporters that he has always been an advocate for the elimination of backlogs in the judicial system, noting that they impinged on the right of timely justice. He further stated that they were developing e-filing systems and working with the Regional Judicial Systems to improve the quality of case management.

“I have been a firm advocate about the elimination of delay in the judicial process. I believe that when you look in terms of our duties – to provide fair and just dispute resolution in reasonable time is something which we have to take seriously,” he said.

In the Guyana context, there have always been heavy legal backlogs.

Mayor distances self...

FROM PAGE 7

Chase Green said last week she felt that the Committee had fulfilled its mandate and further congratulated them on the work they would have completed. But on Tuesday she was adamant that the renegotiations will be conducted without her input.

“I cannot speak for Mr King but I can speak for myself and say that I will not be a part of that renegotiating team,” she stressed.

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) had entered into a con-

tract with Smart City Solutions Inc on May 13, 2016, for parking meters to be implemented in Georgetown. After the rollout of the initiative earlier this year, mass protests followed against what many felt were exorbitant fees and overreaching penalties.

The Negotiating Committee had Terms of Reference (ToR) which were drafted and voted upon by the majority of members of the M&CC. The ToR provides the Committee with the authority to “engage with all stakeholders within

the parameters of the framework agreed upon by the Council, Cabinet and Smart City Solutions (SCSI) to seek to determine what terms of the Agreement can and should be negotiated to bring the contract in harmony with the desires of the Council, Central Government, SCSI and the citizenry.

The life of the Parking Meter Renegotiation Committee ended with it submitted its final report and finding to the Mayor of Georgetown on August 2, 2017, and later circulated to all Councillors.

September remember

S

atiricus was literally scratching his head. He and the fellas had been throwing back at the Back Street Bar for the better part of the night and the words had become a bit slurred and the thinking fuzzy. With Irma following Harvey but doing most of its damage in the Caribbean, they’d been commiserating with their fellow West Indians. It had taken its toll on them!

“But thank God, it’ll soon be over,” said Hari with a loopy smile. “Let’s drink to that!”

“How yuh suh shore ‘bout da?” asked Bungi, while he signalled to the waitress to bring some more cutters. He’d become hungry.

“Don’t you remember the hurricane season nursery rhyme, we did lin Lil ABC?” asked Hari, as Satiricus and Bungi knotted their brows. “Teacher la Rose used to whip us good when we forgot.”

“Who can remember one line, get a free beer,” slurred Satiricus, hoping to buy some time and have his memory jogged.

“Me remembah somet’ing” said Bungi uncertainly.

“June too soon? Da mean hurricane na come in June!”

“An who said fetching all that cane on your head made it soft!!” teased Hari. “One beer for you!”

“July, standby!” shouted Satiricus, who was happy as a kiskadee he’d saved his honour. He’d been Miss La Rose’s pet in Lil ABC! “One for Sato!” said Hari, marking his imaginary bat like his Warriors’ hero Walton. “August - Lookout you must! Score one for me!”

“Septembah, remembah!!” shouted Bungi.

“But dis year, like abee na gat fuh remembah; dem hurricane remin’ abee demself!!”

“October – It’s all over,” said Satiricus, proud that his brain was kicking into gear.” But I’m not sure this year it’ll be all over.”

“Why?” asked Hari and Bungi – while at the same time they ticked off the score on their imaginary bats.

“Miss La Rose had said the world would end when Bungi remembered the poem!” he said to laughter all around.

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wednesDAY, september 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Workers, GAWU protest Govt’s decision to privatise Skeldon Estate

Some of the workers attached to the Skeldon Sugar Estate during the protest

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orkers attached to the Skeldon Sugar Estate on Tuesday rallied and protested the Government’s decision to privatise the Skeldon Sugar Estate.

The protest was held as

they were addressed by representatives of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU).

President of the Union, Komal Chand, said sugar is not the only industry that is experiencing difficulties,

on the sugar industry, which was presented to the National Assembly and which he described as a lethargic attempt to represent the 200 odd years of the sugar industry in Guyana.

Additionally, he said the

Some of the protesters on the picket line

Secretary of the Union, Seepaul Narine, said management has started to remove machinery from the Skeldon factory.

Addressing the issue of the Skeldon modernisation plane being a failed investment, Narine shared the view that that was not so,

He is of the opinion that the estate does not have to be privatised.

Government’s decision to downscale the sugar industry is being viewed as one which will shatter the lives of many; especially those who will go on the breadline and students who would

through a sugar estate in their community; which might now soon be closed.

It is also being viewed as a decision which will put more hardship on the Government and local government agencies, since GuySuCo maintained a large portion of the drain-

Workers as they marched through the streets of Skeldon

workers returned to work after an extended out of crop.

It was the first day for the year that work was scheduled for many of the workers, as the estate had ceased grinding operations since last year.

On Tuesday, workers gathered at Republic Square, Skeldon, where

adding that several other industries are all under the sledge hammer of the current Administration.

Chand urged the workers to be militant as he promised that the Union will not allow the efforts of those who made the ultimate sacrifice to go down in vain.

Chand also addressed the eight-page White Paper

closure of the Wales Estate is a “failure” since all that has been done to replace the industry is the cultivation of about 200 acres of rice.

The Union’s President noted that at the Skeldon Estate, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has stopped planting some fields and tilling the land.

Meanwhile, General

Workers gathered to voice their concerns over Government’s decision to privatise Skeldon Estate

saying the Cogeneration plant made $9.5 billion last year.

have wanted to further their studies by attending the GuySuCo Training Centre

age and irrigation systems in both farming and residential communities.

12 news

wednesDAY, september 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

M&CC looking to relocate Industrial Site Day Care – Mayor

…Charlestown Centre closed

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he Georgetown City Council is looking at the possibility of relocating its Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Daycare Centre due to location issues according to Mayor Patricia Chase Green.

In addition, the Charlestown Centre has shut its doors because of the poor condition of the building.

“We are looking at whether the Industrial Site Daycare Centre was properly placed because of all of the factories that surround there. So maybe in our 2018 budget we will probably look at relocating that Industrial Site day care because of its location,” she told Guyana Times.

“You have all sorts of manufacturing companies there while we may not have no study on it but because of

what is being manufactured around there we don’t know what the long-term effects might have been or would be to those young people,” Mayor Chase Green added.

She noted that the centre is possibly the only one located in an industrial complex.

She added that when the idea was conceived and that location identified, the area was less industrialised and now that it has grown, the environmental and health implications must be taken into consideration.

Chase Green explained that the City cannot afford that relocation in its current financial state but did commit to have it addressed as soon as possible.

Town Clerk Royston King had earlier said that day cares contribute to the social and economic functions

Mayor Patricia Chase Green

of the family, since assistants play a crucial role in influencing the minds of the young ones; and day care staffers have an opportunity to impart core values such as discipline, respect, obedience and teamwork to the children they nurture and care

for in the absence of their parents.

It is a popular belief that the Municipal Day Care services should be closed, since these have to be subsidised by the M&CC, but King has stated that he feels the day care services provided by the Council should be extended to accommodate more children and to help parents in need of these services.

The City Council manages four daycare centres, located at Festival City; Bourda; East Ruimveldt; and Industrial Site, Ruimveldt.

Total enrolment at all five of

the day care centres stands at approximately 280 persons.

The South Road Centre was the first centre opened.

It began operating in 1933 as part of the maternal and child welfare service to the citizens of Georgetown, and was established as a place for the care of the children of domestic servants.

It has remained the only child-care facility for over four decades. However, with the election of Beryl Simon as Mayor, more emphasis was placed on childcare, and a second centre was opened

in East Ruimveldt in 1974. In addition, in 1983, under the mayorship of Mavis Benn, another daycare centre was opened in Charlestown.

Children of these daycare centres are subdivided into age groups in a staff-tochild ratio, and their activities include routine resting, eating, health checks, and structured and unstructured play for early stimulation.

Parents are organised into parent/staff committees to help organise and implement programmes for children for the development of the centre.

Hurricane Irma: France, UK and Netherlands step up response

E

uropean countries are boosting relief efforts in their Caribbean territories devastated by Hurricane Irma, amid criticism over the response.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who is visiting French islands that took the full force of the storm, said a huge "airlift" was bringing more aid.

UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson is due in the region and the king of the Netherlands is touring Dutch islands. Irma killed at least 23 people in the three countries' Caribbean territories.

The victims include 10 dead on the French island of St Barts and on the French part of St Martin - which is shared with the Netherlands.

As he arrived in the region on Tuesday, President Macron said the Government had responded with "one of the biggest airlifts since World War Two".

He told reporters that last week's hurricane had been almost unprecedented and that the effort had been hampered by a second hurricane, Jose, in the area days later.

Praying for recovery

He promised to "shake up all the rules and procedures" to rebuild the islands "as quickly as possible". Later on Tuesday he saw for himself the damage in Saint-Martin.

Johnson is due to visit the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla, which have also suffered widespread devastation.

The BBC's Laura Bicker and Paul Blake on Tortola island say many neighbourhoods have been flattened, and their residents can be seen trying to cook and clean amidst the rubble.

About 1,000 UK soldiers are now in the region to deliver aid, and more troops and supplies are due in the coming days, officials say.

More than 100 prisoners escaped during Irma.

Meanwhile King WillemAlexander is visiting Dutch territories, where at least four people were killed. He spent Monday night in Sint Maarten - the Dutch side of St Martin - and is due to travel on to other islands.

"I've seen proper war as well as natural disasters before, but I've never seen anything like this," he told Dutch radio on Tuesday.

"Everywhere you look there's devastation, you see the collapse." Irma struck other Caribbean islands with deadly force, including Cuba, Barbuda, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. (BBC)

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wednesDAY, september 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Addressing the HIV epidemic

PANCAP Champions for Change initiative relaunched … First Lady honoured as a champion

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he Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) on Tuesday formally relaunched the Champions for Change programme to strengthen the Caribbean’s response towards tackling the HIV/ AIDS epidemic.

In the Caribbean there were 285,900 people living with HIV in 2015, which represented a decline from the 333,400 in 2010.

The PANCAP Champions for Change was initiated in 2004 and convened in St Kitts and Nevis. It seeks to bring together stakeholders from all sections of society to focus on significantly eliminating stigma and discrimination. However, since 2008, the Champions for Change initiative became inactive and PANCAP reactivated it on Tuesday at the Georgetown Marriott Hotel.

Speaking at the relaunch, Education Minister Nicolette Henry pledged Guyana’s support towards ending the HIV epidemic nationally and regionally. Minister Henry noted that stigma and discrimination have devastating effects on the lives of people living with HIV and those closest to them.

“Stigma and discrimination have a devastating effect on the lives of people living with HIV and those closest to them. It also in a large way undermines our effort to tackle the epidemic, people are afraid to test for HIV, to disclose their status or to access treatment, care and support,” the Minister added.

She further stated that the rapid scaling up of access to HIV treatment across the Caribbean aids in the reduction of deaths and increases the life expectancy of persons living with HIV/AIDS. President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Sir Charles Michael Dennis Byron, in his feature address spoke about the judicial attitudes and HIV, and the positioning of the Judiciary to effectively contribute to ending AIDS by 2030. Sir Bryon noted that cases of HIV/AIDS have repeatedly engaged the courts. “They include challenges to decisions refusing them employment to persons living with HIV/Aids on the basis of their status and even complaints of discriminatory treatment by example officers of the court,” he said.

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Dr Douglas Slater, said Caricom remains committed towards addressing the fight against HIV/AIDS. He noted that the PANCAP Champions for Change model is an opportunity to tackle the barriers and challenges to end AIDS in the Caribbean.

“The elements of this goal, while aiming to end the epidemic of AIDS by 2030, places emphasis on integrated approach. It recognises that while deaths from AIDS have declined by approximately 60 per cent, since the establishment of PANCAP in 2002, more people with AIDS are dying from opportunistic infections and non-communi-

Some of the honourees

cable diseases,” he informed.

“It also recognises that strengthening health systems, designing new integrated testing and treatment regiments and adopting the WHO/PAHO principle of Universal Health access are all important parts of the new paradigm for change for which PANCAP Champions must focus on,” Dr Slater added.

He noted that there are lessons to be learnt from the successes and challenges involved in the AIDS response by PANCAP over the years.

He attributed the major successes due to a coordinated strategic plan of action, coordinated mechanism and provision for sustainable resource mobilisation.

Champions

The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS is a mechanism that provides a structured and

unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic. It was originally launched in 2004 but has been in a state of dormancy since 2008.

However, at the relaunch on Tuesday, First Lady Sandra Granger was named as one of the champions. She was recognised for outstanding leadership in championing of the every Caribbean woman, every Caribbean child initiative and stellar work in improving the lives of children and women in Guyana. The First Lady is a member of the Caribbean Community forum for First Ladies and spouses for heads of government, which focuses on reducing adolescent pregnancy, cervical cancer, mother to child transmission of HIV and domestic violence in the Caribbean.

Among those being honoured were former Culture, Youth and

Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony.

He was honoured for outstanding work in public health and demonstrated understanding of the critical role parliamentarians can play in ending AIDS. The other honourees were Dr Allyson Leacock for outstanding leadership as director of Live Up, the Caribbean media alliance and championing the HIV response in the Caribbean; Joel Simpson for advocacy work against sexual orientation and discrimination in Guyana and regionally; Speaker of the National Assembly of Belize, Laura Tucker Longsworth; Trinidad and Tobago Health Minister Terrance Deyalsingh; Nicolette Fernandes; Cannon Garth Minott; Kenita Placide; Lucien Govarrd; Dr Nigel Taylor; Dr Nikkiah Forbes; Volderine Hackett; and Reverend Winston Mansingh.

The 16 Champions for Change would be engaged in a training workshop that would assist them in addressing several challenges and formulate plans in dealing with HIV epidemic. The workshop concludes today.

PANCAP is a Caribbean regional partnership of governments, regional and civil society organisations, regional institutions and organisations, bilateral and multilateral agencies and contributing donor partners which was established on February 14, 2001.

PANCAP provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic.

14 news

wednesDAY, september 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Staff shortage affecting West Dem Hospital …Public Service Ministry yet to confirm several positions

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s a staff shortage continues to affect health-care delivery at the West Demerara Regional Hospital and other medical institutions in Region Three (Essequibo Islands- West Demerara), doctors and other medical staff have relayed their frustration over the delay in confirmation of several positions.

Guyana Times was told that a list of suitable persons to fill various vacant positions was sent to the Public Service Ministry several months, but hospital officials were still awaiting approval.

During last week’s top-level meeting at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, Minister within the Public Health Ministry,

Dr Karen Cummings was told of doctors being reluctant to work beyond their standard eight-hour shifts owing to the current payment package being offered for over time. More importantly, Deputy Regional Executive Officer (DREO) for Region Three, Jennifer Ferreira-Dougall indicated that doctors in the district and other medical staff

have been waiting since before April to be confirmed to their positions before opting to work beyond the normal call of duty.

“Since I came into the Region, they are waiting on the Public Service Ministry to okay those positions, like in the lab. I don’t think the lab technician is confirmed,” Ferreira-Dougall disclosed.

This publication was told that a senior health official was told of these concerns when she visited the Region earlier this year and after that visit, a list of persons for confirmation were passed on to the Public Service Ministry.

Nevertheless, the situation remains unchanged.

The DREO highlighted that the medical employees are seeking to be duly compensated for their time.

“A doctor is like a pilot, you can’t have them working over a certain hour and in terms of remuneration, if you’re going to ask the doctors and nurses to come back on, they are looking for an extra dollar,” she stressed.

This publication previously reported that phar-

The West Demerara Regional Hospital, along with the Region, is facing a staff shortage

macy graduates from 2016 were among the medical personnel awaiting placement at health facilities throughout the Region.

Other departments with staff shortages include the x-ray department and theatre. On this note, Dr Cummings encouraged the officials to re-submit the lists of names to the Public Service Ministry, along with justification for the positions to be filled/confirmed.

Regional officials and the Minister engaged in an hour-long meeting which included Hospital Administrator Sanjah Persaud and Warehouse Manager at the Public Health Ministry’s Materials Management Unit (MMU),

Sihouette Craig. The regional officers present included the DREO and Medical Superintendent and acting Regional Health Officer, Dr Bibi Jabar and Inter Ministerial Sector Coordinator, Mr Seewchan.

At the meeting, Dr Cummings had called on the Region Three officials to explain the Region’s problems associated with timely drug procurement at those facilities.

She heard that often times requests to the MMU are only made by health centres when the supply of drugs is finished. Many of these health facilities are in need of persons to fill the position of pharmacy assistant.

news

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wednesDAY, september 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Ramsammy’s Ruminations Punishing rice farmers – Straight out of the Burnham pages

W

ith the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), everything is now a secret. The production and export statistics of rice and sugar, for example, are now State secrets and only after many months when we are able to surreptitiously obtain information are the real numbers known. This is different from the People’s Dr Leslie Ramsammy Progressive Party (PPP) days when sugar, rice and other commodity production statistics were declared on a daily basis. Recently, we reported the significant reduction of rice export. This is even as APNU/AFC boasts about new markets in Mexico and Cuba. But the truth is that the APNU/AFC lost the Venezuelan market in 2015 and now it appears they might have lost the Panama market also. The Cuban and the Mexican markets together are not even one-third of the volume previously exported to Venezuela and Panama.

The consequence is that there will be further reduction of the price farmers receive for their paddy. I challenge the Agriculture Minister, the Finance Minister, the Prime Minister and their boss, President David Granger, to guarantee farmers that prices for paddy will not be further reduced from the already low prices they were getting in the first crop. Of course, APNU/AFC will insist that rice is a Private Sector business and APNU/AFC has nothing to do with the price. But they are the ones ignoring the loss of the lucrative Venezuelan and Panama markets and at the same time boasting about the Mexico and Cuban markets.

For clarity, the Cuban market is not new. Guyanese millers had voluntarily reduced their exports to Cuba as they pursued more lucrative markets and Guyanese millers were for years already selling small volumes to Mexico. No doubt the Mexican market has expanded and for this APNU/AFC deserves credit.

But the truth is that both the Cuban and Mexican markets are substantially lower-priced. They have never volunteered the prices Guyana receives for paddy sold to both Mexico and Cuba. The reason is clear – we export paddy, not rice and Guyanese millers receive less than US$250 per ton. Guyanese paddy is being marketed for about GY$2900 per bag. After discounting for shipment and other charges, Guyanese farmers are barely recovering their investments.

During the observance of the death anniversary of Forbes Burnham last month, with Moses Nagamootoo obediently by his side, President Granger vowed he will ensure that the Burnham economy and governance will be restored.

It was not the first time that Granger promised the return of the Burnham legacy. He has been unequivocal that he and his Government, with the help of Rupert Roopnaraine, Nagamootoo, Ramjattan, Keith Scott and others who were brutalised by the Burnham regime, will reinstitute the Burnham legacy in Guyana. It was interesting that Ralph Ramkarran this past week highlighted the unmistakable re-emergence of Burnham, with a vengeance, courtesy of Granger and APNU/AFC. Much focus has already been paid to the ongoing efforts by Granger and his Government on restoring party paramountcy and authoritarianism. While some attention has been paid to the Burnham-era rice and sugar disastrous policies, Granger and APNU/AFC have been surpassing Burnham in their anti-sugar and anti-rice policies. The rice farmers are in part responsible for keeping the economy from shifting into negative growth rates. They invest about GY$30 billion annually in the economy. Rice farmers are, in fact, the largest investor in Guyana's economy. The rice farmers and their families account for about 40-50,000 people who earn their livelihood from rice. Indirectly, about 100,000 depend in some way on the rice industry.

Yet Burnham deliberately pushed rice farmers to abandon the rice industry and Guyana's economy not only suffered, but this was one major reasons why Guyana's poverty rate skyrocketed to between 67 and 88 per cent. Clive Thomas can attest to this truth because he was among those who studied and pronounced on the poverty rate in Guyana.

Like Burnham and true to his vow, Granger is determined to keep rice farmers as poor, impoverished people. It is a vile political act catalysed by two repugnant reasons – punishing rice farmers for their continued strong support of the PPP and because Granger desperately wants to be Burnham. It is unfathomable and idiotic that Granger would want to repeat the failures of Burnham. But stupidity is not as offensive to Granger as the possibility that he cannot replicate Burnham.

PPP/C Councillors walk out of Region 2 statutory meeting

C

ouncillors from the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on Tuesday walked out from the statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) due to the absence of the Regional Executive Officer (REO) Rupert Hopkinson. The walkout came immediately after a reoccurring matter from the meeting was still unresolved.

During the discussion, the issue of trench cleaners still being owed for cleaning road shoulders at Charity came up, with coalition Councillor Julian Cummings expressing his disappointment since those workers did not receive their payments since 2016. Another APNU Councillor, Naitram, also spoke out stating he is dissatisfied that to date those workers payments were not processed and their family’s livelihood are affected. Naithram also said several other matters raised at previous RDC meetings continue to linger due to the REO’s absence.

The Deputy Regional Executive Officer, Roop Kumar, who acted as Clerk of the RDC in Hopkinson’s absence, said

PPP/C Councillors walking out of the RDC meeting

he had no knowledge pertaining to the payments of monies owed to those workers.

On that note, Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt said he is dissatisfied with the REO’s approach to the region since many issues raised at the RDC level are still unresolved. Ramdatt, who is the head of the RDC, said he cannot un-

derstand why the REO is consistently absent from the meetings, with no excuse/ explanation being given.

“This is total disrespect to the Region Two RDC, the REO who is the Clerk of the RDC should be present here at all times, many of the RDC meetings he has been absent with no excuse… as a result, there are no meaningful follow-ups to key development issues within the region,” Ramdatt said.

Ramdatt said it is time for the RDC to take a firm stand on the lethargic leadership, and as such, all councillors from the PPP walked out from the meeting. Other Councillors also left immediately after.

Some of the major issues that were not addressed to date are delayed payments for contractors, slow implementation of the Capital and Current Budget for 2017, non-payment of expenses for the Amerindian Heritage celebrations, lack of payment for RDC Councillor Lloyd Perriera, poor conditions of dams leading to cultivation areas, lack of a fogging machine, and the poor conditions of community grounds, among other concerns.

(Indrawattie Natram)

Regulatory body proposed to...

As such, “robust management of the sector to enable maximum benefit capture therefore requires a common vision or aspiration for the sector and country, across the political divide, which lends itself to predictability in policy direction and sector governance.”

ExxonMobil and the Government in February last had hosted high-level consultations with key Ministers, Opposition parliamentarians and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

Resources Natural Minister Raphael Trotman at the time had committed to having Guyanese at all levels – including those living in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean – being briefed on the developments in the sector.

According to Trotman at the time, “It is important, as Guyanese and particularly as policymakers, that we know what the resources are, how it is going to be exploited and captured and developed and very importantly how are we going to use the resource for the benefit of all Guyanese.”

Despite the assurances, the Opposition Leader this past week lamented the level of consultations and briefings that are being held with the Opposition members on the development of the sector.

Minister Trotman had recently pointed to ‘frequent’ briefings being afforded to the political Opposition – a notion dispelled by Jagdeo.

He gave as example a recent meeting held in Texas, USA where the Ministerial Sub-Committee along with the President’s Petroleum Advisor, met with a team from ExxonMobil but the matter only came to light when it was reported in the media.

Both Government and ExxonMobil were silent ahead of the excursion to the US. Jagdeo this past week during the party’s weekly engagement with the local media corps had lamented the state of affairs.

Jagdeo told reporters he was unaware as to what Trotman meant by ‘frequent

briefings,’ since it was only after it was discovered by the media that five Government Ministers visited ExxonMobil’s Headquarters in Texas, USA, he received a call from the oil company to brief him about what was told to the Ministers while on the trip.

According to Jagdeo, “After the media discovered this, and then it became a public issue, I got a call from ExxonMobil to say that they wanted to brief me

about what was told to the Ministers in Texas, and I was thankful for it, and I had that briefing...But I don’t know what Trotman means by frequent briefings.”

The Opposition Leader was at the time reticent in disclosing the details of that briefing and adopted the position instead, “I was not on the trip. I got a few pages of what took place. He should be telling the country.”

He was adamant the

from page 9

Administration “should have disclosed the visit and the circumstances under which they were going and all of the financial issues etc, before they left and they should have explained why they did not take any technical people.”

Those who travelled to Texas to meet with ExxonMobil’s executives included Ministers Trotman, Carl Greenidge, Winston Jordan, David Patterson and Dominic Gaskin.

16 news

wednesDAY, september 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Linden hit by freak storm …Mayor appeals for emergency funding homes being flooded. The roof of the Christiansburg Wismar Secondary School, at Blueberry Hill was also damaged.

Additionally, the Mackenzie Market also suffered tremendously as a result. Reports indicate that the roof of the market was badly damaged during the freak storm, which occurred sometime after 15:00h.

Several lantern posts also collapsed resulting in a power outage. Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland when contacted after the storm, noted that he received numerous calls

A

An uprooted tree

severe lightning and thunder storm on Tuesday resulted in damage to several homes and public buildings in the Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice) community, which also led to disruption of electricity and communication services within the town.

One of the homes – that of a Retrieve family of four – was damaged when a tree, which was uprooted by heavy winds, collapsed on the building. Guyana Times was told that the Moraballi Street home is owned by Sandra Hopkinson.

There were also reports of trees being uprooted in areas such as Richmond Hill and Mackenzie.

Several residents in the Wisroc Housing Scheme,

A section of the Mackenzie Market roof which was damaged during the freak storm

Victory Valley, One Mile, Retrieve and other areas across Linden reported severe damage to rooftops, which resulted in several

from residents at Wismar, who complained of damage to their homes. On Wednesday, he said a prop-

er estimate would be conducted of the market area to assess the damage.

In areas such as Richmond Hill and Green Valley, Holland noted that the threat of erosion was great, and as such, the cash-strapped Linden Mayor and Town Council would be seeking emergen-

cy funding from Central Government to address the situation as well as to assist those affected by such catastrophes.

The mayor said a recent walk- through of Victory Valley revealed scores of homes under threat of erosion.

Holland said he

has also contacted acting E Division (LindenKwakwani) Commander, Superintendent Anthony Vanderhyden who has activated a team of Policemen, who were in the process of driving around the communities checking on residents to ensure their safety. (Utamu Belle)

GNBS introduces standardisation to education system

I

n an effort to further promote regularisations within the various sectors of the country, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) on Tuesday launched its first ever Standards and Academia Initiative, including their works as a part of the formal curriculum in schools, countrywide.

This is as the GNBS in recent months embarked on a series of stringent measures to ensure that operations within the economy and society are befitting the standards dictated by the national body.

In doing so, the Bureau has now moved to introduce its new educational approach which seeks to address the significance of standardisation, starting from within the schools.

While speaking at the launch of the Standards and Academia Initiative on Tuesday, the Executive Director of the GNBS, Candell Walcott-Bostwick, expressed delight in realisation of this significant undertaking.

“This initiative is to educate our students, our lead-

Primary school students reviewing the content of the “Let’s Talk Standards” information booklet

ers for tomorrow, on the roles and functions of the GNBS as the national standards body and the benefits of implementing standards.”

On that note, Bostwick pointed out that many persons are not aware the Bureau exists, much less of its roles and functions. As such, she posited that this project is aimed at bridging that gap. In fact, she deems this the formal induction of standardisation to the education system.

The GNBS Executive

Director then went on to outline the structure this new approach will have, while emphasising the importance of teaching locally and internationally established standards, especially in schools across Guyana.

Adding to that, she highlighted the ripple effect this effort will have; particularly as the students go on to pursue career paths which will be crucial to the development of the country. continued on page 17

17 Dr Norton promises greater embrace of Amerindians S news

wednesDAY, september 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

ocial Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton has denied reports that his placement at the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport is solely for the mobilisation of Amerindians for the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), while at the same time not ruling out any special emphasis being placed on that section of the Guyanese population.

Political Analyst, Dr Henry Jeffrey, is quoted in local online media reports as saying the new placement of the Minister

is expected to assist in Government’s political mobilisation of Amerindians.

Norton told Guyana Times during a brief telephone interview he has always been a strong advocate for Amerindian rights in Guyana and stated that that section of the population has been marginalised with respect to national representation at the sporting level.

He used as an example the fact that Guyana’s under-19 national football squad does not include a single Amerindian player

and juxtaposed this reality with the dominant performances of the Waramadong team.

He spoke of the excellent performances at the domestic level by Amerindian athletes but this is not replicated at the national level, since Amerindians are not afforded the opportunity.

Cognisant of a possible backlash from the other ethnic groups in Guyana if there was to be special emphasis placed on the Amerindian grouping, Dr Norton told Guyana Times that in order to achieve a

GNBS introduces standardisation...

Bostwick pointed out that, “This initiative is to provide students with sufficient knowledge on the benefits of standards applicable to different sectors and is expected to facilitate a smooth transition into higher levels of education and into everyday lives, and continued by saying, “Standards influence everything. Our students must be educated in this importance field since it will boost their understanding in key topics such as globalisation, which is rampant and will remain so for the foreseeable future.”

Moreover, the GNBS Director indicated that this initiative is one of the outcomes of Guyana’s participation in a past forum hosted by the International Organisation of Standards (ISO).

The event on Tuesday officially kicked off the pilot project of the Standards and Academia Initiative which will see the GNBS partnering with the Education Ministry.

During this first phase, an information booklet, titled: “Let’s Talk Standards”, will be distributed to prima-

from page 16

ry schools in Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and 10 so as to facilitate the introduction of standardisation into the curriculum.

Come next year, the Bureau is set to organise a series of activities, such as debate competitions, which will assess the progress of this venture. Based on the success of this pilot project, the initiative will then materialise in schools across Guyana, officially taking its place as a part of the country’s academic curriculum, with the possibility of extending across all levels.

Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton

Political Analyst, Dr Henry Jeffrey

‘level playing field’, there must be special emphasis placed on that group.

Asked specifically about mobilising Amerindians for political purposes, Dr Norton told this publication it is no secret he has been a long-standing advocate for Amerindians rights and this will not change.

Dr Norton conceded that he is a senior member of the PNCR leadership but insists his advocacy for Amerindian rights did not pose any conflict of interests with his new designation as Minister with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, september 13, 2017

ARCHIE

ARIES

Discuss matters regarding

(March 21- partnerships. Getting things April 19) out in the open will help you

discard any potential pitfalls that may occur. Romance will encourage better days ahead.

Offering to help one of TAURUS your peers will encourage the (April 20- same hospitality in return.

May 20) Focus on sharing and compromise when it comes to getting things done.

dilbert

Let experience help you GEMINI (May 21- make better choices. Rely on June 20) people who have helped you in the past and have your best interest at heart. Share your feelings and be honest.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

Look at every aspect of a suggestion before you rule it out. Refuse to let your emotions get involved in a situation that requires common sense. Use your memory and experience wisely.

Your money is best put toward improving your life or home. Don’t let an old friend walk back into your life after letting you down before. Keep personal information a secret.

Stay focused on what’s imVIRGO portant.

Do a good job and (Aug. 23add a personal touch to gain Sept. 22) recognition. Don’t sit back when you should be moving forward.

Don’t miss out on an opLIBRA (Sept. 23- portunity because you don’t Oct. 23) feel like putting in the effort.

You must do the painstaking work if you want to reap the rewards.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Financial limitations due SCORPIO to emotional spending will (Oct. 24stress you out. Look for alNov. 22) ternative ways to make your money work for you. Cut corners and work on improving your savings plan.

Show a little creativity reSAGITTARIUS garding how you do things.

(Nov. 23- Presentation will count, and Dec. 21) you’ll turn heads if you can incorporate a wow factor.

Romance is in the stars.

Business trips, interCAPRICORN views, educational pursuits (Dec. 22- or research will be beneficial.

Jan. 19) Personal gains, physical enhancement and romance look promising.

solution for Last Published Puzzle Children and elders can AQUARIUS bring happiness as well as (Jan. 20- trouble. If you are organized, Feb. 19) you should be able to enjoy their anecdotes while staying on top of your responsibilities.

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Look at all your options if PISCES (Feb. 20- you want to keep the peace.

March 20) Try to accommodate everyone, including yourself.

Compassion and honesty will help you maintain your popularity.

wednesDAY, september 13, 2017

United cruise past Basel on Champions League return

19

South Africa agree to replay World Cup qualifier after referee ban

R

omelu Lukaku opened his Champions League account as Manchester United marked their return to the competition with a 3-0 rout of Basel in their opening Group A match at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

United, who missed last season’s Champions League but qualified this time by winning the Europa League, dominated the first half and went ahead through Marouane Fellaini’s 35th minute header.

Belgian striker Lukaku, a constant menace to the Swiss champions, scored his first Champions League goal with a textbook header soon after halftime to double United’s lead.

Marcus Rashford came off the bench to score United’s third goal, also his first in the competition, in the 84th minute. (Reuters)

Romelu Lukaku

Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey has been banned for life by FIFA

Neymar leads 5-star T PSG demolition of Celtic Neymar (centre) and his teammates celebrate

P

aris St Germain flexed their attacking muscles with a 5-0 victory at Celtic in their opening Champions League Group B game on Tuesday as the world’s most expensive frontline produced a potent display of force.

Neymar, making his first European appearance for PSG after his world-re-

cord move from Barcelona, orchestrated proceedings and was joined on the scoresheet by Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani, the other two members of PSG’s extravagant forward trio.

The 222 million euro (199.91 million pounds) Brazilian opened the scoring in the 19th minute with an expert finish, before French striker Mbappe slammed

home a second from close range and Cavani converted from the penalty spot five minutes before the break.

The visitors had to wait until the 83rd minute to add to their lead when Mikael Lustig put through his own net before Uruguayan Cavani added a fifth two minutes later with an expertly-placed header. (Reuters)

he South African Football Association (SAFA) will not contest FIFA’s move to replay a World Cup qualifier tainted by match-fixing.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) has accepted FIFA’s decision to replay a World Cup qualifier against Senegal after the match referee was handed a lifetime ban for match-fixing.

Ghanaian official Joseph Lamptey was expelled from football for allegedly manipulating Bafana Bafana’s 2-1 win in the November 2016 encounter.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Lamptey’s ban, leading FIFA to last week confirm a replay after clearing both nations of any wrongdoing.

SAFA had considered appealing the verdict, but has now agreed it should not benefit from the result on “moral and ethical” grounds.

“Therefore, we have decided that we will comply with the FIFA directive to replay the match against Senegal at a date to be decided,” SAFA said in a statement.

“We have, however, noted that the official at the centre of all this controversy has appealed his case to the courts of law and if the courts overturn the decision, everything becomes null and void and SAFA will reserve its right to challenge the decision of FIFA to replay the match.

“SAFA’s zero tolerance on corrupt activities within football are well documented and it is in this light that we decided to comply with the FIFA directive.”

The match will be replayed during the November international window, with Senegal in strong contention to leapfrog Burkina Faso into Group D’s qualification spot. (Sportsmax)

CAS to hear Carter’s appeal in November A n appeal case involving the 2008 Olympic title stripped from Usain Bolt and the Jamaican relay team is going to court in November.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said Monday that sprinter Nesta Carter will challenge his disqualification by the International Olympic Committee on Nov. 15. A verdict is expected weeks later.

Carter tested positive last year for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine in re-analysis of a urine sample from the 2008 Beijing Games. He and Bolt were teammates on the 4x100-meter relay team, which won in a world record of 37.10 seconds.

Carter ran the opening leg, and Bolt took the baton third in a team that also included Michael Frater and Asafa Powell.

The IOC’s disqualification of Carter and the relay team came in January, spoiling Bolt’s perfect Olympic record of three gold medals — in the 100, 200 and 4x100 — at three consecutive

Jamaica’s men’s 4x100 meters relay team, from left, Michael Fraser, Usain Bolt, Nesta Carter and Asafa Powell show their gold medals

games from 2008-2016.

Carter also teamed with Bolt on three straight world championship relay-winning teams, from 2011 through 2015. They were also teammates when Jamaica set another 4x100 world record in 2012 at the Olympics, running 36.84.

Bolt said in February he was “not sad” about giving up the medal, though was “waiting to see if Nesta is going to appeal.”

Carter’s legal team could ask Bolt to appear as a witness at the hearing, which is likely to be held in Lausanne, Switzerland — the home city of CAS and the IOC. Dozens of athletes tested positive for banned drugs in an IOC-ordered reanalysis program using new and more accurate tests on samples stored since the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics.

Most of more than 110 cases involved steroids and athletes from the former Soviet republics.

Carter’s case was the only one involving Jamaica.

(Sportsmax)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednesDAY, september 13, 2017

Cricket returns to Pakistan with a

bang!

– Babar Azam hits 86 in victory over World XI

B

abar Azam showed why he is considered the future of Pakistan batting, as his 52ball 86 carried Pakistan to a comfortable 20-run win over the World XI in the first T20I. After Fakhar Zaman was dismissed in the first over, Babar put on a 122-run partnership with Ahmed Shahzad to set Pakistan up for a big finish. Shoaib Malik and Imad Wasim then helped Pakistan score 48 runs in the last three overs to finish with 197, their fourth-highest T20 total. World XI's weak bowling attack was laid surgically bare, with only their specialist bowlers - Morne Morkel and Imran Tahir - providing a semblance of control.

However, the opening pair of Hashim Amla and Tamim Iqbal would be the envy of most sides.

Hashim Amla was at his elegant best, providing that unique mix: grace and a brisk strike rate. At least one of them needed to bat through, but both fell in the 5th over, and the target began to fade into the distance. Faf du Plessis kept World XI in the hunt, taking 22 off a Hasan Ali over,

but in a chase that cried out for a substantial contri-

pitch could bear. His short deliveries sat up for Babar.

Shadab Khan accounted for the South African pair of Faf du Plessis and David Miller

bution, World XI had only cameos to offer.

Morkel is the side's only specialist fast bowler, and he relies far more heavily on bounce than Lahore's

The part-time medium pace of Ben Cutting, Darren Sammy, and Thisara Perera, who went for 51 in his four overs, proved to be far too easy for the

Pakistan batsmen. World XI looked to have conceded about 20 runs too many, and it was fitting that that was the winning margin.

Babar's star continues to shine. The 23-year-old had only ever played one match in Pakistan in his career - an ODI against Zimbabwe - but he showed he could handle the pressure with a classy innings that left World XI in his wake right from the start.

He seemed set to become the second Pakistan player to score a T20 hundred, but holed out to David Miller on the midwicket boundary as Pakistan pushed for 200.

The difference between both teams' premier spinners was on full display, with Tahir slightly off colour, often dragging the ball short, and in general, a little intimidated by the idea of flight. He conceded 34 off his four overs. Imad Wasim, who opened the Pakistan bowling, knew exactly what was required of him. He starved the batsmen of scoring shots, giving away just 22 in four overs.

With a target of 198, the asking rate was only ever going in one direction.

The first over of the game

was Pakistan's batting in a nutshell. Fakhar Zaman inside-edged the first ball for a boundary, before timing an exquisite square cut off the second delivery for four.

Two balls later, he nicked Morkel to Hashim Amla at wide slip. Ahmed Shehzad then played two attractive

drives that went straight to fielders. It doesn't matter where they are, that's how Pakistan play anyway.

Pakistan lead the threematch series 1-0, with two games to go. The second T20I will be played at Gaddafi Stadium today.

(Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Pakistan Innings F Zaman c Amla b Morkel 8 A Shehzad c Sammy b Cutting 39 B Azam c Miller b Tahir 86 S Malik b Perera 38 S Ahmed (c) c Paine b Perera 4 I Wasim Not out 15 F Ashraf Not out 0 Extras 6w, 1lb7 Total 20.0 Overs, 5 wkts 197 DNB: S. Khan, S. Khan, H. Ali, R. Khan Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Fakhar Zaman, 0.4 ov), 2-130 (Ahmed Shehzad, 14.1 ov), 3-142 (Babar Azam, 15.5 ov), 4-161 (Sarfraz Ahmed, 17.6 ov), 5-182 (Shoaib Malik, 19.2 ov) Bowling: M Morkel 4-0-32-1, Perera 4-0-51-2, Cutting 4-038-1, Tahir 4-0-34-1, Elliott 2-017-0, Sammy 2-0-24-0 World XI Innings

T Iqbal b Khan 18 H Amla c Wasim b Khan 26 T Paine c Khan b Khan 25 F du Plessis (c) c sub b Khan 29 D Miller s Ahmed b Khan 9 G Elliott c Wasim b Khan 14 T Perera run out (Azam) 17 D Sammy Not out 29 B Cutting Not out 0 Extras 4w, 6lb10 Total 20.0 Overs, 7 wkts177 DNB: M. Morkel, I Tahir Fall of wickets:1-43 (Tamim Iqbal, 5.2 ov), 2-48 (HM Amla, 5.6 ov), 3-101 (F du Plessis, 12.3 ov), 4-108 (TD Paine, 13.3 ov), 5-123 (DA Miller, 14.5 ov), 6-145 (GD Elliott, 16.3 ov), 7-173 (NLTC Perera, 19.5 ov) Bowling: Wasim 4-0-22-0, Sohail Khan 4-0-28-2, H. Ali 4-0-44-0, Rumman Raees 3-0-37-2, F Ashraf 1-0-7-0, Shadab Khan 4-0-33-2

Magic Messi leads IOC is 'doing nothing' about corruption crisis, says senior official Barca demolition T of Juventus A

mesmeric Lionel Messi scored twice and inspired Barcelona to a 3-0 win over Juventus as the Catalans got off to a flying start in Champions League Group D on Tuesday avenging last season’s quarter-final elimination by the Italian champions.

Messi broke the deadlock on the stroke of halftime by playing a slick one-two off Luis Suarez and arrowing the ball beyond Gianluigi Buffon, finally getting the better of the veteran Italian in his fourth game against him.

The Argentine was also the catalyst for the second goal, forcing Juve to scramble the ball off the l i n e and allowing Ivan Rakitic to shoot into an empty net in the 56th minute and add to his strike against Juve in the 2015 Champions League final.

But Messi was from done. For his second and Barca’s third he received a pass from Andres Iniesta and ripped more holes in a depleted Juventus defence before lashing beyond a dejected Buffon, scoring his seventh goal in three games.

Juventus, who were missing five key players including defensive warrior Giorgio Chiellini, looked a shadow of the team that beat Barca 3-0 on aggregate last season and reached the Champions League final, and have conceded seven goals in their last two games in the competition over two seasons. (Reuters)

he International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been accused of "doing nothing" about its growing corruption crisis, by senior official Dick Pound.

Several IOC officials have been implicated in corruption in 2017.

In the latest case, police last week raided the home of Carlos Nuzman, head of the Brazilian Olympic

member is implicated in something potentially nefarious we lose more credibility."

On Monday, IOC president Thomas Bach said the organisation would act on corruption allegations "once evidence is there".

But Canadian Pound, speaking at an IOC executive board meeting in Lima, Peru, said: "What are we doing taking all these hits

Dick Pound was head of the World Anti-Doping Agency from 1999 to 2007

Committee, as they investigate "strong evidence" of vote-buying to secure Rio's 2016 bid.

"We've taken a severe hit in terms of credibility," said Pound.

"Every time another IOC

and doing nothing about it?

We've got to recognise that we haven't done enough.

"If your conduct has put the IOC into disrepute, you should be liable to at least vigorous investigation and potentially sanctioned for

it.

"That has not happened."

Lawyers for the IOC's ethics commission have contacted Brazilian authorities hoping to obtain further details about Nuzman's case, after he was questioned and had his passport seized.

The 72-year-old is accused of acting as an intermediary in a cash-forvotes scheme to ensure the support of influential IOC member Lamine Diack, who was also serving as president of the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) at the time. That case has also implicated Frankie Fredericks, the Namibian four-time Olympic silver medallist and IAAF member who has been suspended from athletics while he is investigated.

Meanwhile, in April, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, a high-ranking Fifa official and head of the Olympic Council of Asia, resigned a day after denying claims linking him to a fraud case. The Kuwaiti had been linked in media reports to Richard Lai, the Fifa audit and compliance committee member who was banned after admitting taking $950,000 (£715,250) in bribes. (BBC)

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est Indies star batsman Chris Gayle admits he has been encouraged by an improving relationship with the sport’s regional governing body and play-

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Not long ago various disputes and regulations kept the team’s senior players out of the One Day International and Test cricket formats. However, a change of direction by recently appointed Cricket West Indies director of cricket Jimmy Adams and chief executive officer Johnny Grave has seen the players given a temporary reprieve with a view to making permanent changes to the regulations.

Gayle, who is en route to joining the team in England ahead of a five match ODI series, has been one of the major beneficiaries.

“Things are beginning to open up a little more now between players and the board,” Gayle said.

“It’s looking good, and we’ve to try and build from this to get the best players out on the field,” he added.

Gayle will be hoping to give the team a boost ahead of its series against England and has targeted an appearance at the 2019 World Cup in the longer term.

“Hopefully, things can get better.

Hopefully, I can play a few more games.

I definitely want to play the 2019 World Cup.” (Sportsmax)

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T

The first match of the finals takes place on June 14, 2018

he first wave of tickets for the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia will go on sale on Thursday.

Fans will be able to submit their applications via Fifa's website and tickets will be sold in two phases.

Tickets prices will range from £79 for a second-round group match to £829 for the final in Moscow.

In line with previous ticketing policies, Russian residents will have a special

price category with tickets starting at £17.

The most expensive ticket for the 2018 World Cup final, £829 is a £151 increase on the equivalent ticket at the Brazil 2014 final in Rio de Janeiro.

"We have put in place a ticketing system that will enable all fans a fair chance to secure tickets," said Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura. (BBC)

Roach looks for Persaud, Sampson improvement after shine at GNRA England series

H

aving been recalled after not playing Test cricket for almost two years, West Indies pace bowler Kemar Roach enjoyed a successful return to the international arena taking 11 wickets in the just-concluded three-Test series against England.

Only England’s James Anderson took more wickets (19) than Roach whose wickets came at 29.81 runs apiece.

The Barbadian quick, now ranked 24th in the world also took his first five-wicket haul at Lord's during the series that the Caribbean side lost 2-1 following their nine-wicket defeat in the third Test that ended in less than three days last week.

"For me it's about getting better as a bowler, as a cricketer," said Roach after completing the five-for.

The success of this series for Roach was not done in isolation, as Roach thanked Corey Collymore, in particular for the help he gave him.

"I've been talking to past players as well, Corey Collymore, guys that have play in England for a couple years, so coming here I was prepared about how to bowl on certain pitches, obviously the lengths would be crucial so I have to say kudos to those guys for helping me out," said Roach. Compatriot Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, ranked 33rd, was the next best Caribbean bowler with eight wickets that came at an expensive rate of 39.12.

Trinidad paceman Shannon Gabriel and spinner Roston Chase each ended the

Test series with seven wickets each.

Gabriel averaged 37.42 runs per wicket while Chase

Kemar Roach

conceded 40.42 runs for each wicket he took during the series.

Gabriel's performance, Roach said, was special, and though he didn't have the wickets to show for it, provided a point to the Windies bowling attack.

Legspinner Devendra Bishoo only managed three wickets at 43 runs each, while Miguel Cummins was the only other West Indies bowler with a wicket to his name.

His one wicket came at the expense of 87 runs.

Up-and-coming fast bowler Alzarri Joseph failed to grab a place in the final XIs. (Sportsmax)

Recorded Shoot T

he Guyana National Rifle Association (GNRA) Fullbore shooters held a Recorded Shoot on Sunday at the Timehri Rifle and Pistol Ranges. The competition was held over the 300, 500 and 900 yards ranges.

Among the outstanding performers were Fullbore Captain Mahendra Persaud, just back from the Canadian Fullbore National Championship who was in excellent form at the first two ranges, having shot possible with scores of 50.4 at the 300 yds and 35.4 at the 500yds. Ryan Sampson was second at the 300 yds with a score of 49.4. The 500 yds saw Sherwin Felicien also shooting a possible with 35.4. The 900yds proved to be the most exciting range with heavy winds, causing much distress for the shooters.

When the last shot was fired in fading light, many shooters were left in disbelief as the Recorded Shoot was won by Mahendra Persaud with an overall score of 117.9 followed by Peter Persaud with 115.7, Sherwin Felicien 112.9 and Ryan Sampson 111.8.

The day’s scores saw an overall improvement in scores by shooters as noted by the Fullbore Captain when announcing the final results. He state that this augurs well for the defense of the team matches at the upcoming Championships in October.

The fullbore shooters, in remembrance of their late colleague, Mr. Richard Fields, who was laid to rest last Wednesday, held one minute’s silence on the 900 yds bank.

Name Mahendra Persaud Peter Persaud Sherwin Felicien Ryan Sampson Ransford Goodluck Leo Romalho Roberto Tiwari Dylan Fields Lennox Braithwaite Dane Blair Chevlon Velloza

Pt 50 48 46 49 45 48 45 45 48 37 34

300 yds

V 4 2 4 4 2 3 0 3 4 0 0

Guyana’s Fullbore Captain, Mahendra Persaud

Last Thursday, Guyana NRA’s President, Brigadier Patrick West, and the Executive Council also paid respect to its late Vice President during its Council meeting. He was at the time the longest serving Council member.

500 yds Pt V 35 4 34 2 35 4 31 2 34 2 34 3 33 3 33 2 32 1 32 3 31 0

900 yds Pt 32 33 31 31 32 28 31 30 28 30 22

V 1 3 1 2 2 3 1 2 0

0

Total Pt 117 115 112 111 111 110 109 108 108 99 87

V 9 7 9 8 6 9 4 7 5 3 0

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednesDAY, september 13, 2017

Windies have long shot 5-member dart for World Cup spot team to represent Guyana in Brazil

T

he West Indies could still seal automatic qualification to the 2019 World Cup in England, but only through an unlikely scenario in the next couple of One Day Internationals.

With the cutoff deadline for making it to the into the top eight set for September 30, the West Indies are currently in ninth spot on 78 points. The Caribbean team is, however, still just in with reach of Sri Lanka who are eight points ahead on 86.

The team will begin a series of ODIs this month starting with a matchup against Ireland on September 13 and then five straight matches again England, which bowl off on September 19.

In order to progress the Windies will have to defeat Ireland and then England

either by a 5-0 or a 4-1 margin in which it wins the last four matches. In other words, losing any match other than the opening match against England at Old Trafford on 19 September will allow Sri Lanka a direct passage.

The team failing to advance directly to the tournament will get another shot through a Qualifying tournament. The ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 will feature the bottom four sides from the ICC ODI Team Rankings, the top four sides from the ICC World Cricket League Championship and the top two sides from ICC World Cricket League Division 2. The top two sides from the World Cup Qualifier will complete the 10-team line-up for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. (Sportsmax)

Trophy Stall representative Travis Brandon (left) and GDA President Sheik Yassen with one of the trophies up for grabs

A

five-member team comprising national champion Sudesh Fitzgerald, Luiz Miguel Ramierz-Merlano, Lallchand Rambharose, Terrence Joseph and Victorine Chandro will grace the shores of Palmas, Brazil to compete in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Championship Qualifier for Central Caribbean and South America.

The players are all aiming to cop a spot at

the William Hill World Darts Championship set for December in London, England. The road there will be a tough one since only the winners will be able to secure a spot at the championships.

Fitzgerald won the Caribbean and South American Masters in 2008 which qualified him to represent Guyana at the PDC World Darts Championship, held in London in 2009. In 2008, he reached the semi-finals in the World Darts Federation

Americas Cup singles. The experienced player is hoping for more support for the team, since they are presently facing an expense of US$1700 per person given the rigorous travel agreements. The former Darts Association President has asked that those wishing to lend support contact him on 616-2039. The former Caribbean champion explained that they were conducting intense training sessions at the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) and would be moving to different venues as a way of learning to perform at an optimum in different conditions given that they are unaware of what to expect in Brazil. The team, which will also have the presence of David Dharamraj, who is a strong supporter of the sport, will depart Guyana on September 20.

The three-day tournament, which will be held at the Girasol Plaza Hotel, will begin on September 22.

Meanwhile, current President of the Association, Sheik Yassen has managed to secure the sponsorship of Trophy Stall for a monthly tournament, which begins Friday at the MSC. Prizes will be awarded to the top three performers in the various categories.

17 teams to compete in Mark Hendriques Volleyball Memorial

Some intense action is expected come this Sunday

B

erbice is in line for a heap of volleyball action this weekend when the Mark Hendriques Volleyball Memorial is hosted at the Kendall Union Sport Facility, Number 19 Village, East Coast Berbice on Sunday.

Seven junior and seven male teams are expected to be present along with three female teams from Orealla, Port Mourant and Corriverton.

There will be trophies and other incentives to be awarded to outstanding performers.

More so, National Volleyball Coach Levi Nedd disclosed that the Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) schools tournament will commence this Friday and run until September 22. The tournament is open to all schools in Upper Corentyne, Central Corentyne, Lower Corentyne and New Amsterdam. Nedd further disclosed that impressive performances will go a long way since they will be considered for the 2018 InterGuiana Games Squad.

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, september 13, 2017

23

West Indies look to embrace rare day of superiority

– face Ireland today in one-off ODI

I

Marlon Samuels

t was in the 2015 World Cup that these teams last met - the first game of the tournament for both of them. West Indies' decline as a Test force had slowly been established, but their limited-overs stocks were still highly rated. This was the team which, in its third match of the group stage, would put up 372 against Zimbabwe - all of those runs put together by Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels in a gargantuan second-wicket partnership, with the lefthander scoring a double-century. Before that game, they had reduced Pakistan to 1 for 4 in a chase of 311.

Jerome Taylor took three of those wickets.

These results would eventually help put West Indies through to the quarter-finals, but they came after a comprehensive loss against Ireland in that first game.

It's Ireland's first fixture against a Test-playing nation since acquiring Test status. Not a lot has changed for them in the last two years. Ireland's heroes from that match - in fact, their entire top seven - will almost definitely feature in the one-off ODI at Belfast on Wednesday.

In contrast, captain Jason Holder has been the only constant for West Indies since the teams last met. Gayle, Samuels and

Taylor, who led the batting and bowling charts for them in that World Cup, haven't played together in an ODI since.

Still, there is a circularity about this meeting.

Both of them are on the cusp of a new dawn. Ireland have fought a long battle in achieving Test status while West Indies have shown hints of no longer being haunted by the ghosts of their past glory, picking up wins in each of their last three Test series. Ireland will soon be equipped with the experience of Graham Ford as head coach, while West Indies' resurgence is being shepherded by the hard-talking Stuart Law. At the core, both teams are trying to carve new identities; they are teams on the ascension, even if they're earmarked as the lower-tier population when the future of the game is discussed.

Neither side has quite managed to dominate anyone in ODIs off late. In that sense, their reputations remain the same. But West Indies will enjoy their chance to feel like the stronger team before they head back to England. A win will simplify their requirement for direct qualification for

the next World Cup: they'll need to beat England 4-1.

Paul Stirling made four fifties in a five-match series against Afghanistan earlier this year and even slipped in a six-wicket haul with improvised legspin. Then,

he characteristically tapered off in the subsequent series. A couple of starts against England were followed by scores of 14, 0 and 0 in the tri-series against Bangladesh and New Zealand. Stirling is only 27, but he has been around for nine years and now is a time when Ireland need his expe-

Captains confident of chances in intriguing final T

Police Captain Dwain Jacobs

West Indies squad: Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Miguel Cummins, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder (capt), Kyle Hope, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell,

international hundreds, and has twice made scores in the nineties in the format over the last month. He hasn't shown anywhere near the same returns in ODIs yet, with 450 runs in 17 innings.

This could be his chance to arrive First ball is expected to bowl off at 05: 15 hrs Guyana Time.

Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Kesrick Williams Ireland Squad: William Porterfield (capt), John Anderson, Andrew Balbirnie, Peter Chase, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O'Brien, Niall O'Brien, Boyd Rankin, Simi Singh, Gary Wilson, Paul Stirling. (Cricinfo)

William Poterfield

Corona Invitational Football

he Corona Invitational Football Tournament will conclude this Sunday with a grand finale, and the captains of the opposing teams, Dwain Jacobs (Guyana Police Force) and Shaquille Bowen (Georgetown Football Club) are confident that they could once more produce the winning formula.

Reflecting after his team’s bruising 1-0 victory over Western Tigers, Jacobs believes that the battle was always going to be extremely tough given the history between the sides.

“Western is always a tough challenge. It is one of the most competitive battles all the time. When we come out, we are always prepared since we work very hard.”

Police lost the talented duo of Lerone Charles and Quincy Holder to red cards in their match against the Tigers, a loss which will test their bench strength.

“I liked the team spirit and togetherness; it is unfortunate that we lost

rience to come to the fore.

In the recently-concluded Caribbean Premier League, Evin Lewis was so explosive that his partner Chris Gayle was forced to drop anchor for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. Lewis has two T20

Inter-Service Athletics meet cancelled …lack of preparation time cited

I the players. We all know you supposed to have more deepness and we have persons and will be looking to execute and produce more conversions,” Jacobs contended.

On the other side of the coin, GFC Captain Bowen’s optimism stems from their 3-0 routing of Northern Rangers in the semi-final.

“We started early and dominated, and we came out and converted. Coach Floyd Cadogan and his plans helped since we stuck to the plan.”

He added, “We are hungry: it has been a while since we won a title and we really want it. We are coming hungry. Each game we are developing. We have energy and we have sustenance.”

The stakes will be high come Sunday at the Georgetown Football Club Ground at Bourda since the championship team will pocket $1 million and the championship trophy, while second to fourth place will respectively pocket $400,000, $200,000 and $100,000 and the corresponding accolades.

t has been revealed that the Inter-Service Annual Athletics Championships (ISAAC), which were known in the past as the Joint Services Championships will not take place this year.

The Championships, which are usually held annually, have officially been cancelled this year according to Chairman of the Joint Services Sports Committee, Dale Alves.

Speaking to Guyana Times Sport, Alves noted, “The reason for cancellation has been due to a number of factors which include the strain put on the Joint Services following the fire and the jailbreak at Camp Street Prison as well as the one after at Lusignan Prison, added to that the administrative operations that usually facilitate the championships have not been able to be put in motion as several integral personnel have been put under added pressure.”

Owing to the circumstances surrounding the jail breaks, there has been a lack of preparation time as well with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) being forced to call off their respective athletic meets which are used to select their teams for the ISAAC. The two armed services usually host their athletics meets in July and August respectively.

The Joint Services Championships usually followed in October with it being contested between the GDF, GPF, Guyana Fire Service, Guyana Prison Services, and City Constabulary.

However, Alves expressed optimism that the Championships would be run off next year as he noted things should be back to normal far before the usual time.

The GDF team have been the defending champions for three successive years after snatching the title from the GPF back in 2014.

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Cricket returns to Pakistan with a bang!

Pg 20

– Babar Azam hits 86 in victory over World XI Pakistan fans celebrate cricket's return to the country ©AFP

Corona Invitational Football Pg 23

Captains confident of chances in intriguing final GFC have looked a compact team to date

Pg 23

West Indies look to embrace rare day of superiority – face Ireland today in one-off ODI

Gayle is expected to make a return to the ODI side after two years

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