Guyana Times - 16 November, 2018

Guyana delegation to travel to UK to push for lifting of ban on greenheart P7

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

Issue No. 3748

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Friday, November 16, 2018

PPP files no-confidence motion against APNU+AFC Coalition Govt Page 3

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

New Diamond/ Grove Primary sweeper/ cleaners not paid for 3 P14 months …no increase for Zeeburg Secondary sweeper/cleaners

“Stop The Tears” campaign launched to P2 reduce road carnage

CSME modification will drive sustainable development – Caricom SG Page 12

…as Govts discuss implementation plan during COTED

Grove man found lying on roadway was murdered – PM Page 8

GECOM to release official LGE results Page 7 today

Police Constable charged for dousing boyfriend with acid Page 8

Jagdeo, PPP join with nation praying for President’s full recovery Page 13

...APNU, AFC confident of full recovery

Murder convicts appeal High Court's P2 decision

Exxon hiring practices

Seafarers call for legislation to protect against exploitation, P9 biased employment "Little Robbery" allegedly confesses to murdering P11 Parika woman

2 news

fridAY, November 16, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

“Stop The Tears” campaign launched to reduce road carnage

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he National Road Safety Council of Guyana on Thursday launched the “Stop The Tears” Campaign, an initiative to address and reduce the high percentage of deaths recorded on the roadways.

A teardrop logo was officially erected in Kitty, Georgetown.

A partnership of Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), Traffic Department of the Guyana Police Force (GPF); Public Security Ministry, Public Health Ministry, Public Infrastructure Ministry

PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr Paul Edwards

and private sponsors, the efforts are linked to spreading awareness on the importance of practising road

safety.

“We need to stop the tears. Road safety has become very dormant right now. People are not taking interest. We got to start knowing that this is a serious thing. Road safety is everybody’s business,” said National Road Safety Council Coordinator Ramona Doergen.

P A H O / W H O Representative, Dr Paul Edwards was present during the launch and emphasised on the worldwide impact of road deaths as he stated that the Organisation was pleased at the effort being made.

“The theme of this ac-

National Road Safety Council Treasurer Shahab Hack

tivity reminds us of the importance to adhere to road safety rules if we actually want to stop the tears.

Transportation plays a critical and central role in how we live our lives. While use of the road environment is an asset to society by allowing individuals to earn a living or stay connected, exposure can also bring the lift of death or injury to all road users.”

The WHO lists road carnage as the ninth leading cause of death across all age ranges from a global standpoint. Additionally, vehicular accidents lead to the loss of over 1.2 million lives and over 50 million non-fatal injuries. Half of the ones who die are pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists.

“Road traffic crashes are the main causes of death among people aged 15 to 29. In addition to the grief and suffering, road traffic crashes constitute an important public health and

development problem with significant health and socio-economic costs,” said Edwards.

He added, “Road crashes cost Government between one to three per cent of their gross national product. In Guyana, road accidents are among the leading causes of deaths; the number one cause of death for persons between the ages of five and 14 years and the number two cause of death for persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years.”

Deputy Superintendent Dennis Stephen provided statistics which stated that 89 fatal accidents were recorded with a total of about 101 deaths.

“One death is enough.

What we’re trying to do is to work along with all stakeholders to reduce fatalities on our road,” he stated.

Murder convicts appeal High Court’s decision

T

Shivnarine Jainarine

Ryan Persaud

he two men who were last week found guilty of murdering a security guard at a mandir at Bloomfield, Corentyne are appealing their conviction.

The trial Judge, Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry is being accused of being biased in favour of the prosecution when she summed up the case.

The duo – Shivnarine Jainarine, also called “Sammy” or “Samuel”, of Train Line Dam, Port Mourant, Corentyne, and Ryan Persaud, also called “KK”, of Williamsburg, Corentyne – were last week found guilty of murdering Jagdat Ramcharran, called “Ronald”, 61, a security guard of Bloomfield between January 6, and January 7, 2013.

The man’s body was found bound and gagged at the Iskcon Hari Krishna Mandir at Block 6 Williamsburg.

Initially, the two, along with Kerwin Hintzen, also called “Rattie”, were indicted for the murder. However, Hintzen had earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to a 20-year jail term.

After being found guilty, the two are now saying that the trial Judge erred. In an appeal filed by Attorney-atLaw Murseline Bacchus, the convicted men are claiming that Justice SewnarineBeharry erred in law when

she admitted the statement dated May 16, 2013, purportedly given by an appellant, into evidence.

They are also contending that Justice SewnarineBeharry erred in law when she ruled that the said statement properly formed part of the evidence, thus making it admissible when there was no positive finding by the Magistrate as to its voluntariness.

The trial lasted five weeks. The trial was overshadowed by a voir dire which took up most of the time.

In the appeal against the conviction, the two men are contending that the Judge erred in law when she rejected the “no case” submissions at the end of the prosecution’s case and at the end of the evidence.

According to the notice of appeal, the Judge erred in law in ruling that the felony-murder rule applied when the alleged felony was not intrinsically associated with violence – the prosecution’s case was that there was a break-in at the temple and burglary of a dwelling house, when no dwelling house was burglarised.

Meanwhile, Jainarine and Persaud are expected to return to court on November 29, when a probation report is expected to be presented.

They are also expected to be sentenced then.

news

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fridAY, November 16, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, November 16 – 12:00h-13:30h and Sunday, November 17 – 13:00h-14:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, November 16 – 11:00h-12:30h and Sunday, November 17 – 12:10h-13:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to light cloudy skies are expected throughout the morning, while light rain showers with cloudy skies can be expected in the afternoon. Light cloudy skies are expected in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging from Easterly to East North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 10:58h and 23:24h reaching maximum heights of 2.08 metres and 2.12 respectively.

Low Tide: 04:17h and 16:54h reaching minimum heights of 1.07 metres and 1.17 metres respectively.

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PPP files no-confidence motion against APNU/AFC coalition Govt

A

motion of no-confidence in the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government has been filed by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo with the National Assembly.

At his weekly news conference held on Thursday at his Church Street office, Jagdeo made the announcement, adding that the move came after a meeting of his party’s leadership.

In August 2014, then AFC parliamentarian, Moses Nagamootoo, had filed a no-confidence motion against the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government, led by then President Donald Ramotar. Parliament was then prorogued and Guyana headed into snap elections.

Jagdeo explained that the APNU and AFC had proffered several reasons for their move to file a no-confidence motion against the then PPP/C Government.

Among them were the restoration of monies cut from the budget for the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF), hinterland airports, the University of Guyana student loan programme, vouchers for public school students, and the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project.

Another reason was the non-transfer of monies to the Consolidated Fund, which was held, legally, by semi-autonomous agencies.

A third claim was a procedural breach in the $4 billion transferred to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and allegation of corruption. “They have not proven any of these issues so far,” he said.

The Opposition Leader charged that if these reasons could have justified the filing of that no-confidence motion, then there is greater justification, now, for the filing of the no-confidence motion.

He listed several things to support this contention, including the loss of 30,000 jobs; the decimation of the sugar sector; massive increases in the cost of living; and the imposition of hardships on the Guyanese people, via Government policies, such as $60 billion in increased taxes per annum.

He also pointed to “unbelievable” levels of proven corruption, exposed via, not only the parliamentary Opposition, but also by the Auditor General’s Office and the Public Procurement Commission (PPC). The hiding of the US$18 million signing bonus from ExxonMobil in a separate account, when the monies should have been transferred into the Consolidated Fund, was another example cited.

Jagdeo said, “Since this Government took office we have had taxes increased by sixty billion dollars per year, although they came in on a promise of lower taxes.

They came in on a promise of

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

creating more jobs. We lost 30,000 jobs. Acts of corruption have been unbelievable. “…on almost every single issue they have failed to keep their promises… therefore if, at that time the circumstances existed for a no-confidence motion, it’s a hundred times worse now… and the people have expressed through these Local Government results, even in their own base, an extreme dissatisfaction with their policies at the national level”.

The Opposition Leader further stated that it was made clear at the recently held Local Government Elections (LGE), where the PPP/C, from all appearances, came out victorious with a 45,000 votes more than the Government. As such, Jagdeo noted that it is time for the coalition to be called out for what he says are its continued failures.

“So one thing is very clear is that people across Guyana have rejected the policies of this Government, even in their strongholds…we know apart from the LGE which was unusually low… we gained 120,000 votes in this election… clearly people are unhappy with the direction that our country is going in and with the policies of this

Government… we, for a very long time have been pointing this out to the Government, that their direction is wrong, the policies are bringing more hardships on people...”

Jagdeo said.

Drifting

Jagdeo charged that the country is “drifting” because of a lack of vision of the APNU/AFC coalition Government. According to him, the no-confidence motion is intended to protect Guyanese and Guyana from the excessive borrowing, taxing and wasteful spending of the current Administration.

According to the Opposition Leader, the results of the 2018 LGEs sent a clear message to the coalition Government, relative to the dissatisfaction of Guyanese with the policies of the coalition Government.

He charged that a no-confidence motion reinforces this message. “We will have a chance to say to them that their policies are wrong… they are damaging prospects for the future and the wellbeing of our people,” he said.

Jagdeo added, “…the worst thing that could happen for us is that we lose the no-confidence motion.

That is the worst outcome.

But we may achieve something positive from that, which is to basically reiterate through the debates, and send a strong signal to them from the political Opposition, what the people have said to them through the Local Government Elections that they need to change their ways on almost everything.”

According to him, several policies need to be reversed.

He called for the restoration of the water and electricity subsidies for pensioners; the restoration of the cash grants to public school students; the restoration of the annual tax-free bonus to ranks of the Disciplined Services; the removal of (Value Added Tax) VAT from electricity, water, medical supplies and services; a reduction of the Excise Tax on fuel; a restoration of the two per cent Final Tax for miners; the reversal of the increases in water rates; the reversal of the increases in University of Guyana fees; and a move forward with constitutional reform, among others. Jagdeo stressed that whether the PPP/C is successful in its no-confidence motion being passed in the House or not, Guyanese will benefit.

Principle

Jagdeo said, “We are hoping that the no-confidence motion can shake this Government back to its senses and stop them from destroying our future.” Asked about the possibility of a win, Jagdeo disclosed that, in discussions with some Government parliamentarians, many of them have expressed dissatisfaction with the Government’s policies.

Turn to page 12

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guyanatimesgy.com

fridAY, November 16, 2018

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

Infrastructural projects and accountability

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t is unbelievable the quality of work that is being carried out by some contractors engaged in public infrastructure projects; most of which cost the Treasury millions of dollars. All around the country one can point to numerous examples of substandard work for which contractors were paid huge sums; in fact, in some cases they were even overpaid.

In many cases, very little action is taken against these errant contractors for not meeting their contractual obligations, resulting in them walking scotch free. In fact, some persons would even be shocked to learn that these same persons who have done poor work or left work incomplete were awarded additional contracts.

Year after year, in his report, the Auditor General would highlight a number of examples of substandard or incomplete work in construction projects across the country - whether they be schools, hospitals, roads, bridges etc. His most recent report was no different.

In that report, the AG pointed to some instances where projects were incomplete, or left abandoned even though contractors were already paid huge sums to do a proper job. Many have asked what actions are being taken against these contractors to recoup these monies, or what sort of systems has been put in place to ensure these contracting firms are debarred from bidding for future projects.

Several previous sittings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and regional officials to address several irregularities it was pointed out at that in the past, sums of money were overpaid to contractors in mobilisation fees – which is a fraction of the contractual cost that is paid to the contractor to get his/her equipment to the site where the project is to be implemented. In some cases, sums of money over the standard or required amount are paid to the contractor, and the works are still not completed.

This, certainly, is unacceptable. And while taxpayers have used different forums to complain previously, the relevant agencies have a duty to ensure that public monies are well spent and accounted for.

From what is gathered, there are several lapses in the national procurement system from time to time which need to be corrected urgently. For example, it is clear that there is poor monitoring and reporting mechanisms in place to ensure contracting firms carry out works as per contractual agreement. Also, there seems to be no strict policy to penalise and/or debar contractors for failing to meet their contractual obligations.

The Public Infrastructure Ministry last year had said that it is in the process of establishing a database which will keep a track record of the number of projects awarded to local contractors and their performance with respect to each. It would also be helpful if procuring entities keep a proper record of the performance of companies with regard to projects awarded. This could be used as an effective measure to better inform the process for selecting competent contractors to handle Government projects.

With the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) in place, one would have hoped that the relevant mechanisms would have been put in place with the aim of ensuring these lapses are corrected. The PPC would need to reexamine and implement effective measures for blacklisting, so that contractors who are consistently delinquent could face the requisite level of debarment.

A contractor found to have a record of producing poor and incomplete work cannot and should not be awarded additional contracts.

That said, citizens also have a role to play in ensuring that they get value for money. They should also be encouraged to provide the relevant feedback to the respective authorities in relation to how certain projects are progressing in their communities.

This James Deeges photo shows farmers in Canal Number One Polder, West Bank Demerara heading home after a hard day’s work.

The farmers with their laden boat traverse the black water conservancy

Jamal Khashoggi’s murder ordered by agent – Saudi Prosecutor

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audi Arabia’s Public Prosecutor has concluded that an intelligence officer ordered Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, and not Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The officer was tasked with persuading the dissident Journalist to return to the Gulf kingdom, a spokesman said.

Khashoggi was given a lethal injection after a struggle in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2, he added.

The Public Prosecutor has charged 11 people over the murder and is seeking the death penalty for five of them.

Their cases have been referred to a court while investigations into another 10 people suspected of involvement continue.

The US Treasury Department later imposed economic sanctions on 17 Saudi officials who it said had “targeted and brutally killed” Khashoggi, who lived and worked in the US, and had to “face consequences for their actions”.

They included Saud al-Qahtani, a former adviser to the Crown Prince who the Treasury Department alleged was “part of the planning and execution of the operation” that led to Khashoggi’s murder; Maher Mutreb, who it said had “coordinated and executed” the operation; and Mohammed Alotaibi, the Istanbul Consul General.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the sanctions were “an important step in responding to Khashoggi’s killing” and vowed to “continue to seek all relevant

Critics believe Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would have been aware of the operation

facts, consult Congress, and work with other nations to hold accountable those involved”.

At a news conference in Riyadh on Thursday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Shalaan bin Rajih Shalaan said Khashoggi’s body was dismembered inside the consulate after his death.

The body parts were then handed over to a local “collaborator” outside the grounds, he added. A composite sketch of the collaborator has been produced and investigations are continuing to locate the remains.

Shalaan did not identify any of those charged with the murder.

But he said investigations had “revealed that the person who ordered the killing was the head of the negotiations team” sent to Istanbul

by Deputy Intelligence Chief Gen Ahmed al-Assiri to force Khashoggi to return to Saudi Arabia from his self-imposed exile. “[The crown prince] did not have any knowledge

about it,” he insisted.

Prince Mohammed, the son of King Salman and Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, has denied any role in what he has called a “heinous crime that cannot be justified”.

Critics believe it is highly unlikely he would not have been aware of the operation.

Several of the 21 people arrested over the murder have been seen in his security detail in the past.

General Assiri and Qahtani have also been sacked over the incident.

Shalaan said Qahtani had been banned from travelling and remained under investigation, but he did not say what had happened to Gen Assiri.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said “the order to kill Khashoggi came from the highest levels of the Saudi government” but that he does not believe King Salman gave it.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that

some of the statements by the Saudi Deputy Public Prosecutor were “unsatisfactory”.

“They say this person was killed because he resisted, whereas this murder was premeditated,” he told reporters.

“Again, they say he was dismembered... but this isn’t a spontaneous thing.

The necessary equipment and people were previously brought in to kill and later dismember him.”

Turkish officials have alleged that the 15 Saudi agents who flew to Istanbul in the hours before the murder, one of whom is believed to have been a forensic pathologist working for the Saudi Interior Ministry, were carrying a bone saw.

“Those who gave the command as well as instigators should also be clarified and this process should not be covered up,” Cavusoglu said, adding that Turkey would “shed light on this murder in all its aspects.” (BBC News)

guyanatimesgy.com

fridAY, November 16, 2018

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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

Promises by the APNU Dear Editor, As stated in my previous letter dated November 13, 2018, I wish to further examine the following promises of the APNU/ AFC Government against their actual performance.

The following two promises were made.

Economy

Create a new economy that will stimulate rapid development through Guyana’s transformation from a raw material producer to a manufacturer of Value Added Goods.

According to the latest data by the UN, within the first year in office, 20152016, value added within the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector declined by more than US$67M. In fact, within the manufacturing sector, value added declined by more than US$18M, with whole sale, retail and trade having a US$5M deficit. At the local level, in 2017, lending to the manufacturing sector contracted by more than $4.2 billion or 14.6%, when compared to 2015. According to the latest available data, in mid-2018 the manufacturing sector contracted by another 5.7%, to $26.0 billion. Specifically, credit to the beverages, food and tobacco industry, and for other construction and engineering, decreased by $2.6 billion (39 %) and $1.8 billion (15 %), respectively.

The decline, however, is of grave economic concern, given Guyana’s future role as an oil producing country. According to economic pundits, manufacturing has been proven to be the quintessential escalator for developing countries, given its unmatched capacity to absorb low-skilled workers.

In a developing country like Guyana the development of our manufacturing sector is crucial for us to avoid any negative exogenous shock that accompanies oil prices volatility.

Macroeconomic stability

There is no doubt that our economy is quickly receding. Public enterprises, commercial banks-even the Bank of Guyana, are showing signs of

great financial difficulties. Overall, according to the 2017 Bank of Guyana annual report, non-performing loans from 20142017 increased from 7% to 13.2%. Specifically, NPL in the business enterprise and household sector increased by more than 58% or $7.1 billion, and 65% or $3.1 billion, respectively.

In the commercial banking sector, return on equity for the six major commercial banks fell from an average of 22.3% in 2014 to 2.9% in 2017. Moreover, in 2018, the debt to GDP ratio is expected to reach 54.2%, the highest in four years.

At the central government level, fiscal deficit increased from $9.3B in 2015 to $34B or 277% in 2017 and is expected to further increase by another $9B by the end of 2018, to a total of $43 billion. Moreover, public enterprises moved from producing a surplus of $8B in 2015, to a deficit of $12.8B in of 2017. In 2018, it is anticipated to further increase by another $10 billion, to 22.8 billion. To fund this deficit, central government has become increasingly reliant on domestic credit, subsequently outstripping credit to the private sector in the process. From 2013 to 2017, domestic borrowing to help fund budget deficit increased from $11.3 billion to $23 billion, an increase of 110%. Notably, in 2018, this sum is expected to increase by another $11 billion, to $34 billion. As it relates to International Reserves, the Bank of Guyana recorded a decline from US$130 million to US$454 million, the lowest in 10 years. The ramification of this decline could be detrimental to our economy, and even raise scepticism surrounding our 2018 projected import bill of US$1.6 billion.

In the coming weeks I will continue the examination of all the broken manifesto promises. The readers can determine whether the promises were kept and where the Government is with their manifesto.

Respectfully, Mohamed Irfaan Ali

DPI malfunctions Dear Editor, Please allow me to begin by wishing President Granger every bit of strength he needs to overcome his illness, and it is my sincere hope that nothing I state further will cause him upset should he read the online newspapers as he undergoes treatment in Cuba.

Editor, I am writing to express my displeasure with the manner in which information is dispersed by the APNU+AFC administration.

We learned of His Excellency’s diagnosis and treatment via an online news outlet with close links to the Administration, and later, via a press release from our Ambassador in Cuba. Editor, when the Directorate of Public Information was created, it was my belief that it would be a central clearing house

for information concerning all government ministries, agencies, departments and public offices, I expected the DPI to be staffed with persons capable of explaining governmental actions and policies in layman’s terms for the edification of the general public and to expound on matters of public interest in anticipation of the needs of the populace.

Editor, I am sure my fellow Guyanese would have appreciated an official release from our DPI on His Excellency’s illness; one that would have included details on Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, the treatment details including how much time it is expected to take.

Editor, I used Google to inform myself further on this form of Cancer and felt immediate sympathy for our President and his family, it appears to be a particularly

painful cancer and the treatment is often more painful than the disease; this information was in direct contrast to the glib ‘expected to recover fully’ included in the Newssourcegy.com story, which in its haste to reassure us does a disservice to our need for truth, newsourcegy.com is not, however, funded by taxpayers’ money and is free to operate in any manner they see fit.

Editor, during the period when we needed information the most, our DPI was engaged in preparing and disseminating patently false Local Government Election results with the prefix ‘unofficial’ as a disclaimer; an act that is both reckless and dangerous, one that if not curbed now will lead to public danger come General Elections.

I suggest that If Imran Khan and his staff want to

become a ‘fake news’ outfit, they are free to leave the service of Government and strike out on their own; they cannot and must not be allowed to do so within a Governmental department whilst being paid from the public purse; DPI’s staff must be cognizant of the potential harm that fake election results can generate, as was the case when a home was torched in Sophia on election night 2015, In this modern age a ‘Nuremberg defense’ is not acceptable, and then there is the weight on one’s conscience should the unthinkable occur.

I am a firm believer in redemption, and look forward to an improved, profession service of information in the near future from the DPI. Respectfully, Robin Singh

Guyana is ready for change Dear Editor, Economies comprise three major groups: households, firms and government. One of the principal ideas in economics, is that of ownership of resources by households. Households own and control all of a country’s resources. They exercise control of natural resources through government. Households own land, capital/money, and the spectrum of businesses, ranging from banks and insurance companies to manufacturing and retail companies, to the small shops on the corner.

Households also ‘own’, or are responsible for their governments. They form governments through the creation of political parties who

compete for the seat of government. The governments formed must serve the will of the people by adopting policies which respond to their needs- be it jobs, welfare services, the creation of laws and regulations for new markets, or more effective government services.

When governments and political parties fail, households have to produce other political parties which can deliver a government to better serve their needs and address their welfare issues. Households are ultimately responsible for the governments which administer their affairs. They will continue to suffer from bad government until they can produce better.

And this, I submit, is the

predicament which confronts Guyanese. We have had more than fifty years of bad government by our major political parties. Some smaller parties were even formed, and merged with these major parties to lend credibility to them when the country had suffered enough under one or the other.

One conclusion that can be drawn from the voter turn-out of the recently concluded local government elections, is that Guyanese have had enough of the administration of their affairs by those who have managed our affairs over the last fifty years. I have consistently reiterated this point, and the recent elections is a clear indication, if any, that we are

ready for change. With the next general elections due in the first half of 2020, we have approximately 18 months, billions of dollars in financial resources, land, and all the labor and professional capital at our disposal to produce better Government.

We have suffered enough.

Our children, many of whom are now adults, have suffered enough. It is time for change.

A nation that fails to defend its democracy, justifies and consents to the abuses of its government. It is time we put an end to the abuses by our governments of the last fifty years.

Respectfully, Craig Sylvester

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fridAY, november 16, 2018

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"Y

ou're wrong!"

"Be quiet!"

"Stop it!"

"I hate you!"

When the people in your family are fighting, it's hard to figure out what to do. You may be feeling sad, ashamed, or even angry when it happens. Whatever your feelings are, what you probably want most is for the fighting to stop.

When your parents fight

It can be pretty tough when your parents or stepparents are fighting.

Remember, even people who love each other fight sometimes. And just because they fight doesn't mean they're going to stay mad for long or that they're going to get a divorce.

It's natural for people who live together and spend a lot of time with each other to sometimes disagree and lose their tempers. Just think of the last time you and your brother or sister got into a fight. You didn't really mean all those things you said, did you? In the end, you probably made up. The same goes for parents.

If you get really upset when your parents fight, you might want to talk to them about your feelings. Sometimes, parents don't realise that their arguing makes kids feel upset. If you tell them how you feel, they'll probably try to stop or at least explain to you why they are disagreeing.

When you fight with your parents

It's hard to believe it, but your parents were once kids, too. It might seem like they don't understand you — but don't give up. Remember that they don't really want to make things difficult for you. Your parents care about

Foundation

you, but sometimes it's just hard for them to easily see your point of view.

A parent's job is to look out for you and keep you safe – until you're old enough to take care of yourself (and some parents have trouble giving up watching out for their kids even then)!

Usually, kids who fight with their parents learn to get along with them eventually. This is especially true if kids are able to talk to their parents about how they feel and what's important to them.

Keep in mind, though, that this can take time and a lot of patience. It's not always easy. Talking to your parents about your opinions – instead of screaming and yelling at them – will also make them listen to you a little more closely. Plus, you'll gain respect and learn how to compromise with them.

When you fight with a brother or sister

Is your little sister always taking your stuff? Is your big brother always picking on you? If you're fighting with your brother or sister a lot and competing for attention from your parents, that's called sibling rivalry. It's completely natural to get into arguments with your siblings.

If you're really bothered by your siblings, however, you might want to talk to them about what's going on.

Most of the time, your siblings will listen because deep down (even though they don't like to admit it) they really do like you and don't want to fight either.

Tips on family fighting

If you're upset or angry, try to keep your cool. Sometimes, the more you show your anger or frustration, the more the person you're fighting with

will want to annoy you. Try coming up with an idea that can solve your conflict or problem so it doesn't happen again. For example, if you're fighting over who gets to play on the computer, make up a chart with a schedule of when each person gets to use it.

If you feel like you're so angry you could burst, go to your room and punch your pillow, go out and run a lap around the block, or find a place outside to hit a baseball. Or just find a quiet place and relax. Count to 10 and breathe slowly and deeply.

When you're calm, try talking things out with the person you're arguing with. You'll probably feel much better and more in control than you did before.

Even if you're angry at someone in your family, you should never push, punch, kick, or shove. You could really hurt or injure the person, besides causing him or her to get more angry and the argument to get even worse. If someone physically hurts you, it's important to tell a parent. It's also important to tell an adult you trust if your parent ever hurts you.

If you think your family needs to work on this, you could call a family meeting to talk about it. In the meeting, everyone should get a chance to talk and a chance to suggest solutions.

It's a good way to get everyone working on the problems together.

Sometimes, your parents may ask everyone to visit a family counsellor or therapist to talk about the problems and get advice from a professional on how to deal with (and stop) the fighting in your family. It's not always easy to stop families from fighting, but by working together, it can be done. (kid-

shealth.org)

Continued from Thursday

By Brian D Johnson, PhD, and L aurie B erdahl , MD

As they were interviewed about their daughter’s inconceivable death by suicide, loving parents of 17-year-old Alexandra Valoras described her as a high achiever who enjoyed life. Alexandra made straight As, was an officer of her high school junior class and excelled at the advanced science of robotics.

Her heartbroken parents reported feeling blindsided in the absence of warning signs of their daughter’s intense struggles and suicide.

But Alexandra’s diary discovered after her death clearly displayed her story of despair. Despite her high achievements, she wrote on page after page that she was a failure along with specific other self-loathing sentiments. Thus, she apparently hid her inner agony behind a mask of happiness.

We’ll never know exactly why Alexandra’s suicide happened and if she suffered from perfectionism, but her story speaks to the link between high achievement and possible distress, anxiety, depression, and self-harm. Or at the very least, it illustrates that high achievement doesn’t mean that all is well in our children’s lives.

Here are some warning signs of perfectionism in youth and young adults. The more of these that you see or suspect, the more concern-

ing it is: Acting as if they want or try to be the best at everything they do, or to do things perfectly.

Feeling less worthy or putting themselves down (saying they are stupid or lazy) after experiencing a disappointment, loss, bad grade, or rejection.

Talking about feeling high pressure to excel.

Although some young people pressure themselves toward heights of achievement, other people such as parents, directors, and coaches can impose unrealistically high expectations, resulting in similar perfectionistic thinking and bad outcomes.

Being involved in many kinds of extracurricular activities because of pressure to achieve rather than healthier reasons such as enjoyment, passion, and opportunities to make friends, learn new skills, and have new experiences.

Having very high grades over time. We’ll probably get some flak for this one, but high academic achievers may become very anxious about not getting straight As because it would equal failure and erode self-approval or other people’s approval. And the pressure to continue to achieve high grades can cause anxiety, depression, cheating, substance use, and physical symptoms like insomnia. On the other hand, an unexpected significant drop in grades is a warning sign of various troubles. Recognising the warning signs of perfectionism is a start, but knowing what to do when you see them is key. (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

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fridAY, November 16, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

GECOM to release official LGE results today

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he much anticipated results from the November 12, 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE) will be officially released today by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

This was revealed by the elections body on Thursday which also revealed that a press conference will be facilitated at its office today.

The three major political parties – the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) – have since come out saying how pleased they were with the preliminary results, which were available the day after LGE. The PPP/C recorded a huge win at Monday’s poll in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) after picking up 8356 votes as against APNU which won 5960, and the AFC 270.

The PPP won five of the 10 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) in that region, while there was a tie in one of the NDCs. The region

saw that party winning the Blairmont/Gelderland NDC with 11 seats, while APNU secured three seats. The party also won the Rosignol/Zee Lust NDC with 13 seats, as APNU was only able to secured three seats.

There was a tie at the Woodlands/Bel Air NDC in terms of seats, with both parties winning two constituencies each. However, in terms of votes cast, the PPP got 401 and APNU 283. The PPP took all 18 seats in the Bath/ Woodley Park NDC and 10 in the Union/Naarstigheid NDC. APNU won six seats

there.

In the Seafield/Tempe NDC, APNU claimed 11 seats and the PPP, five; while at the Profit/Rising Sun NDC, the PPP got two seats and APNU nine.

In the Park/Abary NDC, the PPP got 10 of the 16 seats with APNU claiming the others. All four seats in the Hamlet/Change NDC went to APNU which also won the Woodlands/Farm NDC with a 7-6 majority. The eighth seat went to an independent candidate.

The General Secretary of the PPP, Bharrat Jagdeo, has boasted of the party’s success in a recent press conference as the party copped 45,000 more votes than the APNU

and the AFC combined.

He was specifically pleased about the PPP/C being able to win five of 10 towns at this year’s LGE. At the 2016 LGEs, which was the first in 22 years, the PPP/Civic won only three out of the nine towns across the country but according to the PPP/C General Secretary,

the Party made significant inroads, taking five of the 10 towns.

These, he noted, were Mabaruma, Anna Regina, Rose Hall, Corriverton and Lethem – the latter of which the APNU/AFC won at the last elections.

In Lethem, he said the PPP secured three out of

the five seats; APNU, two, and AFC none; while in Mabaruma, the PPP got eight out of 12 seats, whereas it tied with the coalition the last time around. With a 30 per cent voter turnout in the city for this year’s elections, the Party also saw candidates winning in Georgetown constituencies.

GECOM has disclosed that seven political parties, 21 voluntary groups and 33 individuals vied for victories in some or all of the Local Authority Areas (LAAs). The AFC and APNU contested in all municipalities and NDCs, while the PPP/C contested in 80 LAAs.

Guyana delegation to travel to UK to push for lifting of ban on greenheart

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high-level delegation led by Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman will be travelling to the United Kingdom to facilitate discussions on the complete lifting of its procurement ban on greenheart from Guyana. The meeting is set for November 19-21, 2018.

The ban, which was introduced by the Environmental Agency (EA) in the UK in 2015, claimed that proof of sustainable sourcing of the

Minister Raphael Trotman

forest product was inadequate. This has since resulted in a drastic decrease

in exports of the product to the UK. continued on page 9

8 news

fridAY, November 16, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Grove man found lying on roadway was murdered – PM

A

Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) man who died moments after being taken to the Diamond hospital was allegedly murdered, according to a post-mortem conducted on Wednesday.

Fifty-three-year-old Ronald Armstrong, of Lot 77 Public Road, Grove, EBD,

was discovered lying on the roadway in the vicinity of Demerara Distillers Limited on Friday last. According to reports, Armstrong was seen around 16:47h on the day of his demise by security guards attached to the Mekdeci Security Service lying on the roadway.

As such, they made calls to the

Police and reported the matter. When the Police arrived at the scene, vehicle skid marks, along with blood stains, were seen heading north on the said roadway.

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage revealed Armstrong walking along the said road alone. His body was

later identified by his reputed wife and 19-year-old daughter. The post-mortem revealed that he died as a result of haemorrhage and shock owing to multiple blunt and sharp injuries to the neck and head.

The Police have launched an investigation, but no arrests have been made.

Police Constable charged for dousing boyfriend with acid

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pregnant Police Constable found herself before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Thursday to answer to a wounding charge.

Thirty-year-old Cassandra Vulture, of School Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, stood before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and denied throwing acid on Anthony Paul with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause him grievous bodily harm.

The incident reportedly occurred on November 7, 2018 while the couple

were in a car along Camp Street and North Road, Georgetown.

It was previously reported by the Police that Vulture and Paul were having relationship issues as a result of infidelity on the part of the Police Constable.

Paul reportedly demanded that Vulture take a DNA test to determine the paternity of her unborn child as Paul was uncertain whether he was the father.

On the day of the incident, about 10:30h the couple were headed to the hospital as Vulture was com-

plaining of feeling unwell.

While on their way, Vulture reportedly took out a bottle and threw the hazardous substance onto Paul, on his right side.

The man reported that his shirt started to melt and his face and side started to burn. As such, he rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted as a patient.

Vulture was later picked up by Police and taken into custody.

Her Attorney, Adrian Thompson told the court, however, that his client was

being abused by Paul and it was he who brought the acid to throw on Vulture.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne objected to bail being granted, citing the seriousness of the offence and the fact that the Virtual Complainant (VC) was still hospitalised.

Bail was, however, granted in the sum of $300,000, and Vulture was expected to return to court on November 23, 2018. She was also ordered to make weekly reports to the Brickdam Police Station.

Hard news…

Y

…on President Granger our Eyewitness wishes President Granger a quick recovery now that his illness has been diagnosed and treatment initiated. While the “C” word still strikes foreboding in the minds of most, fortunately for the President, the variety that he was stricken with – lymphoma – can be cured once it was caught early enough – as it apparently was – and treatment is followed up rigorously.

But from what we know, the treatment – in this case chemotherapy – ain’t no bed of roses, and can take quite a toll for a man of the President’s age. So even in the best-case scenario, we’ll have to accept that the President won’t be back in the saddle for some time. So, what then? He is, after all, the President of a country on the cusp of the greatest challenge since Columbus spied our coast in 1498 – dealing with our oil wealth!! Who’ll have their hand on the tiller of our ship of State, while the President recovers?

Fortunately for us, the framers of our Constitution addressed this contingency – as has every other country – and there’s a mechanism in place. In the event the President cannot perform his role, the Prime Minister steps in. And, we have seen this already working when Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, chaired the very critical Cabinet meeting last Tuesday, which grappled with the imperatives of the 2019 Budget.

And why does your Eyewitness think this was a critical meeting? For the simple reason that (by sheer coincidence!) – 2019 comes before 2020! And we know that not only does oil start flowing in 2020, but the election to determine which party will be in Government to decide how to spend the revenues from the oil, takes place the same year!! Now, no matter what they say about “featherbedding” or “pork barrel” politics – the incumbent party ALWAYS directs spending with an eye on elections.

So back to Moses Nagamootoo – who didn’t exactly part the seas to prevent a landslide for the PPP in his home village of Whim as he’d promised – and the first Cabinet meeting he chaired. Was he bold and decided that all the sugar workers who were fired will all be given “relief” in the form of a “once for all” mega payout for Christmas? Did he agree to give all public servants – in addition to the Disciplined Forces – that one month bonus the latter had been weaned on for years??

Surely he’d heard his Finance Minister addressing the faithful at Stabroek Market Square and promising them they hadn’t been forgotten?

Ahh…isn’t it great the system we have in place will ensure President Granger doesn’t worry unduly while he recuperates?

Go Moses!! …on teachers The Chief Education Officer doled out some “tough love” with teachers and other officials working to develop the curriculum for this new millennium – and our oil riches. He made the point that delivering the content of the rebooted “education” was only one part of teachers’ duties. Just as important is their attitude towards the students in front of them. They have to know how to speak to those children to encourage them to learn and not break their spirits.

He illustrated his charge by pointing out you can’t have teachers calling kids “dunces”! It’s now been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that children perform according to expectations – and a kid who’s told he’s a “dunce”, expect dunces to fail. And he will! The CEO, however, was on the right track when he pointed out that in Finland and Singapore, where they have fantastic schools, the selection of teachers doesn’t only depend on their academic performance.

Just as important are their qualities of empathy and kindness. But was he throwing water on ducks’ backs? …on spreading thiefin’ Just as the CEO was expatiating of the need for empathetic teachers, news came that some of them from Diamond Secondary, has joined the “thiefin’” epidemic sweeping public servants. $107,000 disappeared from the school’s safe!

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

News

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fridAY, November 16, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Exxon hiring practices

Seafarers call for legislation to protect against exploitation, biased employment

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utraged seafarers are now calling for legislation to be set up to protect their, and other Guyanese rights, as they believe they are being exploited and less favoured by El Dorado Offshore (EDO), a subsidiary of Ramps Logistics, that has been employing citizens to work in Guyana for oil giant, ExxonMobil .

A group of steamy seamen on Thursday joined their voices, backed by the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA), while requesting for their names to be withheld for safety purposes.

It was explained that although EDO has denied hiring Trinidadians, the group had photographic evidence of the company conducting a hiring campaign in Trinidad.

The disappointed group of men told members of the media that they believe their concerns are being swept under the rug, despite meeting with Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and junior Minister within the Ministry, Annette Ferguson.

In fact, the men said it was just May of this year that they met with the junior Minister who assured that the issue would have been addressed in Parliament.

Several issues were raised by those workers on Thursday, including the well-positioned jobs being given to Trinidadians and the foreigners being treated better than locals.

According to them, their contract would only allow them to work for a 28-day period, whereby Trinidadians are given more extended contracts with EDO. They also contended that those employees are being paid more money in United States (US) currency and would benefit from transportation allowances, among others. The workers said while the foreigners were entitled to these privileges, they would have to bare their own expenses.

An experienced engineer who was among the men expressed how frustrated he was as the company has been turning him down at every attempt he makes to

safeguard against exploitation by companies, especially since there have been intensified reports of the local companies being bypassed for contracts and services with foreign companies being favoured.

According to the draft lo-

cal content framework document, the policy seeks to address the suite of opportunities that may arise and the approaches to be taken in selecting and developing opportunities related to enhancing the capabilities of Guyanese nationals and

businesses through training and well-tailored social contributions for greater impact and benefits among others.

The second review of the local content policy is expected to be completed by the first quarter of next year.

Guyana delegation to travel...

from page 7

apply for the engineer position. He said although he knows the position is available and that he is fully competent for the position, his application was never acknowledged.

Breach of laws

The seafarers are now of the firm belief that they are being exploited as the company they are employed with is breaching the laws of Guyana.

As outlined by the men on Thursday, the laws of Guyana clearly allow for workers to be paid double their daily salaries on holidays and Sundays.

According to the workers, the contract they signed with the company did not make provision for this law.

In fact, they are only paid double on Sundays. Other workers from various ships who work under the same company complained of not being paid double at all while some on another ship said they are paid double only on holidays.

Employees

El Dorado Offshore has since refuted the claims of these workers. Guyana Times was told that the company has denied the allegations saying that it has in fact hired over 70 per cent Guyanese.

Next move

The seafarers, who said they have already engaged their superiors on the matter to no avail, added that they are now contemplating their next move.

According to them, the matters affecting them have been raised multiple times in meetings which would just lead to them being assured that their issues

would be “looked into”.

In fact, it was just two or three months ago the men noted that the matter was raised.

The men are now clamouring for a law to be set up to protect their rights. In addition, they said they believe that seamen seeking employment in Guyana should be given a work permit rather than just showing up here in Guyana for jobs, snatching the opportunity away from locals.

Human rights

Commenting on the issue, an official at the GHRA deemed the behaviour of the employers unacceptable.

The officer said the contractual agreements outlined for the workers are “outrageous”.

Just last week these very concerns were brought to light by seafarers at the recent Policy Forum Guyana (PFG) open space meeting on oil and gas, held at the New Amsterdam Technical Institute, where members of the Guyana Seafarer’s and General Workers Union (GS&GWU) protested against actions of the Trinidadian company.

Earlier this year, the Union had written to Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge about the alleged discrimination which was transpiring.

Local content

It has been argued that the primary aim of the local content policy should be to ensure the education, inclusion, and advancement of as many Guyanese as possible in the oil industry.

The draft local content policy has been criticised in recent months for lacking provisions which would

It has also seen several concerns being raised by members of the Forest Producers Association and the public, as it was noted that the banned product was historically vital to Guyana’s economy and the long-term effect of the ban could be damaging to Guyana’s export of greenheart as well as its credibility internationally.

Greenheart represents over 18 per cent of Guyana’s logging industry production, of which timber is a major export earner, thus it was agreed that the Government of Guyana would engage in talks at the diplomatic level, among other things, to ensure this matter is sorted out.

It must be noted that Guyana’s system of monitoring and verification to ensure logging is done in a sustainable and legal manner has been tested and proven over time, particularly, through our agreement with the Kingdom of Norway.

With this being said, in December 2016, after being advised that a Forest

Stewardship Council (FSC) certification was awarded to Iwokrama, the EA relaxed the ban on greenheart. This meant that the UK began to accept Category A FSC 100 per cent greenheart only from Iwokrama, but continued to refuse Category B timber.

In 2017, the UK agreed to reopen dialogue.

In a statement, the Natural Resources Ministry said that Guyana saw this opening as an opportunity to fully ventilate the issue and Guyana’s position with regard to the UK, and made a case for completely lifting the ban on greenheart imports.

Guyana will, therefore, take advantage of the opportunity for dialogue toward the resolution of the matter to restart the smooth export of greenheart to the UK, and strengthen the relationship between Guyana and the UK. “Guyana believes that it has met and maintained all international standards and criteria for the product and export of timber prod-

ucts of all species. This again is evidenced by the successful implementation of the Partnership Agreement with the Kingdom of Norway, and by the successful conclusion of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement with the European Union, under the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) regime, which is to be signed on November 23, 2018 in Brussels, Belgium,” the statement further said.

It was outlined that while in the UK, the delegation will deliver a presentation in support of Guyana’s case for lifting of the ban and hold discussions with senior officials.

The Ministry, which will also receive delegation support from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, is anticipating that the discussions will be “fruitful and rewarding.” The other members of the Guyana delegation include Guyana Forestry Commission Chairman Joslyn Dow, EUFLEGT Secretariat Head Kenny David and GFC Deputy Commissioner Gavin Agard.

10 news

fridAY, November 16, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Supplies needed for Venezuelan Deteriorated West Coast access refugees – Region 1 Chairman road to be fixed by Saturday

V

enezuelan migrants who have taken up residency in the Region One (Barima-Waini) are in desperate need of food supplies.

Region One Chairman Brentol Ashley told Guyana Times that assistance is needed to support those who would have escaped the harsh conditions in their country.

“These persons are in need of food supplies in the varying areas and so we’re saddled with the responsibility of trying to find ways to provide food items for them,” said Ashley.

The Chairman could not give a definite number of persons that are in need of support, since a survey is currently in progress to tally the persons that are scattered in the various communities. “We’re right now carrying out a survey to ascertain the numbers that we have in the various communities that are currently accommodating them so I cannot be able to say a direct number because the numbers that are being provided over the last few weeks is seemingly inaccurate.”

He is certain that this will enable a better understanding of the number of individuals that should be catered for. Moreover, the types of persons will be determined.

C

“We would like to have a better understanding of how many Warrau Venezuelans we have and it’s also putting a challenge on us to find out how many Venezuelans of other ethnicities are here within the region.”

He noted that the supplies needed are any items that can be “cooked eventually”.

“Well, it’s food items that can be cooked eventually whether rice, flour [and] sugar. Those are mostly what we’re looking for.” The rainy season which is gradually stepping in will be of some effect to the migrants and the camps that were constructed for their stay and as such, concerns are mounting.

“We’re currently having rain now. We haven’t had reports from villages of flooding and so forth but of course it is going to be a factor that is going to affect the mi-

grants because of the kind of makeshift camps that they have. We’re trying our best to see how they can remain dry and be looked after day after day”, the Chairman added.

It was reported that an initiative was undertaken in collaboration with the Public Health Ministry to send medical personnel at key areas so that the refugees can access basic healthcare facilities. This is done on a 24hour basis.

Government had also established a multi-sectorial committee to coordinate the national response and assistance to the Venezuelans.

Local public officers also underwent a one-day training workshop on the international best practices to prepare them in assisting migrants and protecting them from abuse and exploitation.

ontractors BK International and Surrey Paving and Aggregate Company Limited are working robustly to ensure that the deteriorated section of the Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara (WCD) access road is completely rehabilitated by Saturday.

This is according to a senior official at the worksite. He explained to Guyana Times on Thursday that the team was preparing to lay a second layer of asphalt.

Although the source was unable to say how much these works would cost the contractors, it was noted that that section of the road was currently closed to motorists who would utilise the pedestrian and even cycle lanes at this time.

Last month, after a section of the road began sinking, contractors conducted tests to determine the cause.

This newspaper understands that the road section began deteriorating as a result of faulty foundation works previously conducted on the newly-commissioned road.

In fact, Head of the Works Services Group at the Public Infrastructure Ministry, Geoffrey Vaughn made it clear that the contractors were now standing the expenses to conduct repairs to the road, under the defect liability clause in the contract.

He explained during a telephone interview that the contract has a defect liability period, which means any defects,

Rehabilitation works winding down at the Vreeden-Hoop, West Coast Demerara road

which develop, in this case over a year’s time, would have to be repaired by the contractors and not the Ministry.

Earlier this month, Surrey Paving and Aggregate Company Limited, a Jamaican company, had begun drilling holes around the sunken section of road at Vreed-en-Hoop, to help determine what caused the road to sink.

Guyana Times was told that days before the hole formed, the patch was uneven and rough, causing motorists to avoid using that section of the roadway.

The project, which was constructed to the tune of some $9.7 billion, was completed this year by the two contractors after several hiccups and setbacks.

Back in July when the road was commissioned by the subject Minister, David Patterson,

it was noted that the project was funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

Some 30.7 kilometres of the West Coast roadway was rehabilitated to include bridges and culverts, new ‘shareduse’ lanes for cyclists and pedestrians at key junctions, the installation of high-visibility traffic signs and road markers, the installation of pedestrian footpath bridges, the construction of concrete drains at critical locations and the construction of parking lanes along identified sections of the road, the Department of Public Information reported.

The expansion entailed the improvement of about 30.7 kilometres of the West Coast Demerara Road from Vreeden-Hoop to Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo just about one mile East of Parika.

S RAIGHT

news

No meeting of Region “Little Robbery” allegedly confesses to murdering Parika woman 5 RDC in 9 months

A Private Sector operated bridge and the “winner’s curse”?

By: Sase Singh; MSc – Finance, ACCA

B

uilding the Berbice River Bridge was a sensible priority for any Government to do and with good reason.

It made travelling to the Corentyne so much more efficient and cost-effective. It aided economic expansion. It caused an injection of private capital into the economy at a time when it was vitally needed. And they are so many more positives because of this Bridge. In the general scheme of things, it was an excellent project for Guyana.

So when former President Bharrat Jagdeo assented to the Berbice River Bridge Act, No 3 of 2006, clearing the way for negotiations with the Private Sector regarding the construction of the bridge, all and sundry were extremely pleased by this strategy. The model touted then was one that encouraged the Private Sector to take part in a Public/Private Sector partnership. The noble objective it was, such a model could only have worked if the economy was doing well.

However, since then, the macroeconomic fundamentals have changed dramatically, and are performing way below par in 2018 compared to those People’s Progressive Party (PPP) years. For this model to work well, Guyana has to be growing at a rate very close to five per cent; in 2018 we are expecting a two per cent growth rate and not much better in 2019. This is a major reason why the Bridge cannot see the sorts of revenue to stay afloat.

In my experience, the risks in public projects tend to expand the longer the payback period because the financial model is more imperfect. Internationally, underestimating future financing, required cap-expenditure and maintenance cost are not uncommon. Therefore, there is a fine balance between the operation model being properly aligned to the revenue streams. The opportunity for divergence is always present.

What is happening on the Berbice River Bridge is what we in the financial sector call “winner’s curse”. This situation comes about because of an over-estimation of the traffic flows at conception that leads to an over-valuation of the future unimpaired cash flows. To make the deal bankable, the conceiver of the deal oversold the idea to the financiers without adequately modelling for two things – one a change of Government from one that was pro-Private Sector to one that offers lip service the “engine of growth”.

Actually the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change Government can be accused of being hostile to the Private Sector. Secondly, at the rate Guyana was growing economically under the PPP, no one expected the country would have been reduced to such an economic basket case, so quickly with the change of Government.

With modern modelling techniques and software, this situation is becoming less prevalent now, but I will bet my last dollar that when National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) conceived this deal, they did not properly model for most of the risk issues and thus the current predicament. No one in the PPP/Civic Government thought they would have lost power, even after the 2011 elections. That was a material miscalculation on the part of the conceivers and financiers of this bridge and unfortunately that is a risk that has to be borne somewhere.

Even in modern societies, circumstance do change materially at very short notice, consumer preference will change. Under the PPP Government, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) would have never let go of thousands of Berbician, which kicked off a financial drought in Berbice.

Today GuySuCo, the largest financial machine in Berbice, pays the bridge less cash because of a much lower use of its road and river crossings. That started an adverse financial infection of the revenue stream. This stuff is not rocket science.

Doing business in Guyana is far from ideal and thus this financial model when conceived by NICIL should have been better stress tested to ensure there were greater safety nets in place. One such safety net was that the Government should have put more cash into the project, especially at the equity level to bring a more balanced financial structure to the deal. Clearly, there was not enough contingency planning when this financial structure was conceived to better protect the creditor’s interest and the shareholders.

Therefore, the time is appropriate to unpack this deal and nationalise it permanently, if necessary, so that it does not fail. I encourage all stakeholders to meet at the table and work it out. Guyana cannot afford any more uncertainty on this bridge, it is too vital to our national interest.

Please share your thoughts at sasesin1@yahoo.com.

11

fridAY, November 16, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Region Five Chairman Vickchand Ramphal

T

he Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) has been unable to meet for the past nine months; a situation that has severely impacted the equitable distribution of services to the residents of that region.

The RDC met on Thursday and once again the meeting was disrupted.

The last successful RDC meeting was in February of this year. In March, the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Ovid Morrison walked out after an unsuccessful attempt to silence a media house which has been in the forefront in reporting what was happenings at that RDC. Region Five Chairman Vickchand Ramphal, who held a press conference after the disrupted meeting, said the REO was disrespectful during the meeting and as such, he was forced to bring the meeting to a premature end.

He explained that Morrison repeatedly stood up to speak and refused to take his seat when instructed to do so.

“He can only speak when the Chairman gives him permission to do so and he should not be speaking on a point of order like a Councillor. What was happening today was that the Clerk was standing up like a Councillor at any point of the meeting to either make a contribution or to contradict what the Chairman or another Councillor had said.

At Thursday’s meeting, on several occasions, I told the Clerk to take his seat and to get the permission from the Chairman before he can make a point or to advise Council on a particular matter,” Ramphal said.

It was in the month of March that Morrison who is the Clerk of the Council, showed his disrespect for the Council and walked out of the meeting.

However, the Chairman argued that the March meeting was adjourned and as such, the minutes for the February meeting could not have been looked at.

When the Councillors met for the April meeting, one side of the floor claimed that they were going to look at the minutes of the March meeting since the February minutes were already dealt with, while the other side argued that there was no meeting in February and as such the minutes could not have been dealt with.

Since then, none of the RDC meetings that were held bore any fruit since the meetings were either disrupted or the Chairman was forced to adjourn same.

Hence, Councillors met and cannot discuss anything since the minutes in one of the first items on the agenda and they are at loggerheads as to which month minutes they should by looking at.

D

ays after the body of 22-year-old Romeza Sukdeo was found in an empty lot at the Hydronie Market Road, Parika, East Bank Essequibo, detectives have made a breakthrough into the case after a man referred to as “Little Robbery” confessed to murdering the woman.

Based on reports received, the suspect, Naresh Ally, made the confession on Thursday after being grilled by detectives. He reportedly told the Police that he and the woman had a misunderstanding after she refused to engage in sexual activity with him. It was then he reportedly got upset and strangled Sukdeo to death.

It was reported that the woman’s body was found by a security officer who without hesitation summoned the Police. Upon arrival, the woman’s body was found facing downwards. She was clad in a multicoloured

Dead: Romeza Sukdeo

dress, without any footwear on.

Sukdeo was last seen alive by her mother, Naimawattie Persaud, 50, a domestic worker of Parika Façade, on Sunday, when she reportedly visited her home and left for an unknown direction.

It was detailed that Sukdeo was a drug addict. Ally is expected to be charged with the capital offence of murder.

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fridAY, November 16, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

CSME modification will drive sustainable development – Caricom SG …as Govts discuss implementation plan during COTED

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he Caribbean Community (Caricom) on Thursday commenced a two-day discussion with Government Ministers so as to convene deliberations for the implementation plan of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) and modifications that should be made for sustainable development.

Held at the Marriott Hotel, the 47th Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) meeting saw input from Government representatives of the 15-member states of Caricom, dealing with changes that can be made to the CSME to enable effectiveness and upscale its advantages.

The Ministers will also seek to discuss the direction of Caricom’s External Trade Policy and the Region’s trade relations with the United Kingdom post-BREXIT. These are all in keeping with strategic and effective decisions that will boost trades in the Caribbean expanse.

At the opening ceremony, Secretary General of Caricom Irwin LaRocque was amidst the delegation

Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque

as he emphasised on the importance of this implementation plan and the ways in which countries can benefit on the international market.

“The most important immediate task is to improve implementation of our own Caricom Single Market and Economy. It has long been identified as a vehicle to drive us towards sustainable development and position us to take advantage of the opportunities in the international sphere,” said LaRocque.

He included that it is in the hands of the respective member states to fulfill their

end of the bargain by implementing the plans that were agreed upon.

“While there has been progress in implementing the CSME, there is a significant amount of work left to be done. All of this is set up in the implementation plan that has been agreed to by our heads of government and which we have published. It is for member states to implement the plans.”

While the representatives focused on ways to sustain Caricom, they also heard that natural disasters that befall one country can have a chain reaction to others as seen in the past.

To address these actualities, it is important to eliminate what no longer has value and enable valid reconstruction that will appeal to its members.

These sentiments were shared by the Junior Minister of Foreign Trade in Barbados, Sandra Husbands who mentioned that countries are working towards integration so as to have a larger production variety in the economic activity sector.

“Our resources are critical. We are in a world where special circumstances of

small states are being overlooked and undervalued.

This puts us at great risk if we do nothing and presents us with a great opportunity to deconstruct what no longer adds value and to reconstruct that which will enrich our future if we act swiftly,” said Husbands.

The Barbadian Minister posed the thought that Caricom States should work as one to achieve favourable results that can be opportune to their economies.

“Caricom is one. No lon-

ger can we afford to see ourselves as 15. Our very survival depends on our identifying our common interest and acting as one in a common cause to achieve our objectives. We’re not 15 members haggling and negotiating to create individual benefits for our countries.

Rather, we are sister territories, striving to manage our resources and opportunities to generate accelerate value and benefit which we share for our mutual benefit.”

Secretary General of the World Customs Trade, Dr Kunio Mikuriya would have provided a list of items on

the agenda for discussion.

Trinidad and Tobago would have requested suspension of the Common External Tariff (CET) on basic food items and some additional items while there was one request from Grenada for the said suspension on food items only.

Reconstitution on the preferential tariffs on soap was requested by Dominica along with a notification of the Commonwealth of the country’s intent to ban the use of Styrofoam and select single use plastics in 2019.

PPP files no-Confidence...

He said, “There is a possibility….anything could happen, given what many of their Members of Parliament have been saying privately.

Let’s see if that will translate into a vote in the Parliament. All it takes is one vote and everything changes.”

Meanwhile, Guyana Times contacted Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira to garner more insight into the processes regarding the hearing of such a motion.

What the PPP executive explained is that there are no definitive timelines for the no-confidence motion to be heard in the National Assembly, having noted that Government hearing the matter before the presenta-

tion of the 2019 Budget is a matter of parliamentary ethics.

“Unlike normal motions that have a 12-day [timeline] for the Opposition, no-confidence motions are not governed by that so the normal principle is that the Government would allow for it to be heard as early as possible,” Teixeira pointed out.

Though the Clerk of the National Assembly has certain powers over the business of the National Assembly, Guyana Times understands that the final decision on hearing the motion does not rest with him.

The next sitting of the body is today; while the Budget should be presented on November 26 and accord-

From page 3

ing to Teixeira, it should be heard before that presentation.

“The Government should accede to it being debated relatively early, certainly on a moral and ethically issue, it should be debated before we go to the Budget because if you a no-confidence motion and your budget is being presented, it should be heard before the Budget,” the Opposition Chief Whip posited.

The PPP/C currently holds 32 seats in the National Assembly, while the APNU/AFC coalition Government hold 33 seats.

A sitting of the National Assembly is set for today.

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fridAY, November 16, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Jagdeo, PPP join with nation praying for President’s full recovery ...APNU, AFC confident of full recovery

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pposition Leader and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo said that his Party was extremely pleased that President David Granger, who was diagnosed with cancer, was in fine shape and expected to recover fully.

He made these comments at his press briefing on Thursday when he noted that the PPP was joining the nation in praying for the Head of State’s recovery.

According to Jagdeo, “on behalf of PPP/C, I wish the President a full recovery and our prayers are with him, the entire nation, for his safe return and full recovery. This is not a political matter and politics aside, we should let him know in Cuba that he has our full prayers … he is the President of Guyana.”

President Granger has been diagnosed with NonHodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of cancer that originates in the white blood cells which form part of the body’s immune system, and was currently receiving treatment in Cuba. He and First Lady Sandra Granger departed Guyana on October 30, for Cuba so that he could undergo a medical investigation.

In a statement, the PPP added that it was hoping for the President to soon return to Guyana’s shores and offered words of prayer to his family members.

“The nation is comforted by the Government’s assurance that the President will make a full recovery. The Party is also urging that no effort be spared in ensuring that the President receives the best medical care,” the

President David Granger and First Lady Sandra Granger

PPP observed.

As President Granger battles with cancer, several individuals in the political arena and others from all walks of life are wishing the Guyanese Head of State well and keeping him in their prayers. Since the announcement that the President was suffering from cancer and was being treated for his illness in Cuba, several social media websites have seen an outpouring of well-wishes being posted.

Since the diagnosis was disclosed, politicians from all political parties, but mainly the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU); the Alliance for Change (AFC) and the PPP/C have moved to Facebook to express their support to the President and his family. A visit to Minister of State Joseph Harmon’s Facebook page saw that his cover photo

was updated Wednesday to one featuring the President.

Guyana Times spoke briefly to People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) General Secretary and Social Protection Minister Amna Ally, who said that the President was “well and alive” and that she had no further comments to make.

The AFC, in a brief statement issued late Thursday afternoon, extended its best wishes for a full and complete recovery to the President, noting that it was pleased that he was receiving medical treatment and was in “good spirits”.

“All Guyanese are aware that President Granger is a man of immense faith and fortitude, and the AFC is confident that he will successfully overcome this hurdle and return to his duties as Head of State in due course. The party will hold His Excellency, First Lady

Sandra Granger and their relatives in prayer at this challenging time,” the AFC noted.

It, meanwhile, sought to highlight that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who is an “AFC Elder Statesman”, was serving as acting President during this period and “all Guyana can be assured of stability and continued astute leadership. The AFC looks forward to President Granger’s early return to Guyana and the resumption of his duties as Head of State.”

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) has also said that it was deeply saddened by the news that President Granger has been diagnosed with cancer, but it was “confident that given his fighting spirit” and “the infinite care of his doctors”, he would recover fully.

“President Granger is not just the leader of Guyana,

he is also as human as any of us …. We pray for our President to get better and for the affairs of the State to return to normal,” the PSC added in its statement.

The PSC also extended good wishes to the First Lady and the rest of the President’s family and prayed for fortitude and strength for them. PSC official Ramesh Dookhoo also posted on social media that expressions of well wishes for President Granger were prominent at the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) meeting being held in Guyana.

After the President and the First Lady did not return in time for Local Government Elections (LGE), held on Monday, November 12, concern was raised as to the state of his health. An official statement from the Embassy of

the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in the Republic of Cuba, by Ambassador Halim Majeed, was released on Wednesday night confirming the lymphoma prognosis.

Moreover, the Ambassador explained that Granger initially underwent a surgical procedure and on Wednesday, began a second phase of treatment, whereby he was expected to stay at the Centro de Investigaciones Medico Quirurgicas (CIMEQ) in Cuba for two to three more days.

Majeed had also outlined that during this time, the “President has been working and resting in accordance with the advice he has been receiving from his doctors. He is in fine form and a good frame of mind. He is expected to fully recover under the supervision of his doctors”.

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fridAY, November 16, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

New Diamond-Grove Primary sweepercleaners not paid for 3 months …no increase for Zeeburg Secondary sweeper-cleaners

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GPSU President Patrick Yarde

fter the matter was brought to his attention by Guyana Times, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) head, Patrick Yarde said he will be investigating two cases of non-payment and failed salary increases of sweeper-cleaners as was promised by the Government earlier this year.

It is being reported that sweeper-cleaners attached to the New Diamond Grove Primary School, East Bank

Demerara (EBD) have not received their salaries since August 2018.

The report which was made by the school’s head teacher, Wendy Chichester, revealed that the workers have been reporting for duty at the school from 08:00h to 16:00h, five days a week.

According to her, the “dedicated workers” who go “beyond their call of duty” have been told that no payments were available for

them.

In a post via Facebook, Chichester indicated that the workers are currently living off funds gathered for them by the school, through mini fundraising activities.

“Now these cleaners are human beings, mothers, grandmothers playing the role of mothers; women who have heavy loads on their backs. As a school, we have tried by lending them whatever we can afford and even doing two mini fundraising activities to assist these unfortunate souls. As an individual, I have given them what little I can afford and even parents have tried in their own little ways. Now what are these cleaners expected to do for survival?”

Chichester questioned.

Further, the head teacher questioned the reason for the late payments, condemning the blatant disregard of the human rights of the workers.

“Every morning at school I listen to their cries in sincere empathy

for these women who have been performing duties that most, if not all of us, won't want to do for a single day.

Now whatever is the problem with their salaries, I do not know, for all we have been told is, it’s not ready as yet. Maybe you can call back next week… That's all we heard from September to now… Does anyone who is earning six-figure salaries have any clue as to what these cleaners are suffering? I think this is a blatant disregard for their human rights and a violation of workers' rights. By now those in authority should have had an alternative or emergency plan to address this issue, for our cleaners are extremely valuable to us and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity,” Chichester chastised.

Guyana Times also received reports which indicated that sweepers/cleaners attached to the Zeeburg Secondary School, West Coast Demerara and who signed contracts earlier this year after the Education Ministry had granted them a salary increase, have not been paid said increases.

This newspaper was informed that the cleaners, following the signing of those contracts, are now required to work from 07:30h to 16:00h daily as opposed to previously working four hours per day.

They have all commenced working but to date, they are still awaiting the increase promised.

The workers are decrying the merciless actions of the Government and are calling for answers.

When contacted, Yarde said that GPSU continues to be upset with the treatment of sweeper-cleaners across Guyana. The GPSU head stated that an officer would be immediately sent out to the schools to investigate the reports.

“This is a vulnerable group, they require sensitivity, why is it taking the Government so long to have this matter resolved? We will not give up the fight for these workers,” Yarde said.

The GPSU President assured that a report would be given on Friday regarding the issue.

Attempts to make contact with the Labour Department and the Education Ministry for a comment on the issue proved futile. (Kizzy Coleman)

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fridAY, November 16, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

LGE process was smooth – EU Ambassador E

uropean Union Ambassador to Guyana, Jernej Videti?, who was an observer at this year’s Local Government Elections (LGE), says the process was a smooth one and all procedures were well-organised.

This was related after he visited some of the polling stations across Guyana to check upon the pace at which ballots were being cast. He noted that he stood as an observer two years ago during the previous LGE, but the method was “excellent” this time around.

“We went as observers and we had done it two years ago, so I think compared to what was [done] two years ago, it was even better prepared. We went to five local polling stations and in all the polling stations, the procedures were the same,” the Ambassador said.

However, Guyana Times inadvertently published that the Ambassador revealed there were no provision for persons with disabilities to vote, but in actuality, he stated that those persons would have come out in their numbers despite challenges.

“The control was there, and it was running smoothly like it should work in a normal democracy. We had a good impression and we also see that disabled peo-

Ambassador of the European Union to Guyana, Jernej Videtič

ple came to vote and they’ve done their best to give them an opportunity to vote. I found it excellent.”

Monday saw a low turnout of voters throughout the country and the pace of voting was even slower than expected. The polling stations opened to a sluggish start but after a few hours, the number of voters was constant.

Villages like Den Amstel, Hague, Blankenburg, La Jalousie, Windsor Forest, Crane, Best and Vreed-enHoop recorded a small turnout, and it was the same on the East Bank at Covent Garden, Providence and Peters Hall. In Berbice and the Essequibo Coast, the sit-

uation was similar.

Other than that, it was heard that many persons were told that they were not allowed to vote, because their names were not on the registered voters’ list.

However, upon checking, they were eligible to vote while others were referred to other polling stations.

Concerns also surfaced about the quality of ink used. Throughout the day, voters complained about the concentrated substance being easily washed off and that it was difficult to tell if they had voted or not.

The matter also caught the attention of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo who stated, “I have had numerous reports that it could be easily removed, so what we have asked our polling agents now is to pay particular attention to people who have voted before may attempt to come back in and vote, so that is one safeguard against ink being removed, so we asked our polling agents to look at this.”

Upon inquiry, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Public Relations Officer (PRO) Yolanda Ward told media operatives that the Commission had leftover ink from the 2016 LGE and this was reused.

FCPF-REDD+ starts furnishing, equipping NTC Secretariat

Project Coordinator Clayton Hall hands over office supplies to NTC Chairman Nicholas Fredericks and other executives

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he Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF-REDD+) Project on Wednesday presented the National Toshaos Council (NTC) with a quantity of stationery and other essential office supplies.

These were handed over at the NTC Secretariat, Hadfield Street, to the Executive by the FCPFREDD+ Project Execution Unit of the Natural Resources Ministry.

The supplies are part of the FCPF-REDD+ Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building Support to the NTC, a national representative body

for Indigenous people.

Receiving the items, NTC Chairman Nicholas Fredericks thanked the FCPF-REDD+ Project for the support and partnership, which were helping the Council to execute its mandate.

“We see this as an important aspect in the development of the NTC,” he said, adding that it positioned “the NTC to function in the direction which it is supposed to be heading” .

The FCPF-REDD+ Unit will soon provide the NTC with the remaining office furniture, computers and other IT facilities as well as

VHF radio communication equipment.

The REDD+ Project already supports rental of the building that houses the NTC Secretariat, two key staff members and several capacity-building sessions with the NTC executives.

Local consultant Vanda Radzik was contracted by the FCPF-REDD+ Project last March to facilitate the capacity-building support to the NTC, Indigenous Non-Governmental Organisations/community-based organisations and community forest-dependent organisations.

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News

Foreign investors seek to establish oil refinery in Linden

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team of professional foreign investors has expressed interest in establishing an oil refinery in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), with the intention of providing technical skills training to the community's workforce and education sector.

Prospects for the initiative were discussed on Wednesday when the team met with regional stakeholders at the office of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) in Linden.

The team was led by US-based Ghanian entrepreneur Quincy SintimAboagye who owns an oil company and Alfred Fafali Adagbedu who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Seaweld Engineering Limited in Ghana.

Apart from the refinery, the team also plans to establish a hotel and to develop economic avenues for local farming. According to Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) Regional Chairman Renis Morian, who chaired the meeting, the team

which also consists of USbased Guyanese has already had an engagement with Government.

Morian recently met with the Guyanese side of the team in Houston, Texas during which they expressed interest in the investment.

The Regional Chairman said after conducting a background check of the company, he was "blown away" with what he discovered. He said given that the community has solely depended on the bauxite industry which is no longer booming, he is optimistic about this venture.

"Bauxite is down. We're looking for a consummate agency that could employ.

Here is one who's willing to bring their own funding , their own oil refinery... they would have established the kind of repertoire in terms of training that our Government about three or four weeks ago travelled to Ghana seeking training for our local people here...

I spoke with the President who's very upbeat about it...

Members of the team posing with Regional Councillors

We're prepared to fight to see this rig in Region 10 for the people here...," he noted.

During the meeting, stakeholders unanimously agreed that they would like to see the refinery in Linden.

Morian further added that though there is some resistance, he is now building support on the ground for the project. The potential investors noted that once given the nod, the operation can be up and running within 18 months.

"We're hoping that we can get a letter of intent

from somebody in high office that we can move forward... I'm happy that today to have met with the people's representative from all of the major agencies in Region 10 as we met with a serious investor who has the money and the machinery to do oil refining in Region 10... They’re ready to go... while they were encouraged to go other places they were persuaded to come here...

What we're looking forward to now is support from our Government to have this oil refinery in Region 10,"

Morian said.

During the meeting, Adagbedu said the team has done a lot of training with countries which have found oil. He said it's important that when a country finds oil that its people fully participate in an effort to ensure maximum benefits. He noted that people who do simple vegetable farming also stand to benefit.

Meanwhile, Aboagye said once the initiative comes to fruition Linden stands to achieve maximum benefits.

"All the benefits will come

to Linden. If the oil refinery comes... We plan to roll some money into a hotel so that when the high experts come here they can spend some of the money here...

We can also get into farming to create the low-end jobs," he noted.

Additionally, Regional Councillor Gordon Callender made recommendations for the establishment of a school in Linden to train young people in oil and gas as urged the team to discuss this with Government.

The two sides also discussed the possibility of implementing training at the Linden Technical Institute (LTI). The investors have posited that there will be opportunities for job creation and training in areas such as welding.

Other benefits they highlighted are cheaper gas and electricity prices with additional interests in crude oil, bauxite expansion, the establishment of an industrial complex in Guyana.

Women in Business Expo Child bereavement organisation Guyana Golden Lives officially launched 2019 for November 23

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hink equal, build smart, innovate for change” is the theme for International Women’s Day 2019.

The Sonia Noel Foundation for Creative Arts, in collaboration with the Women’s Association for Sustainable Development, will be launching Women in Business Expo at the Pegasus on Friday, November 23.

It will be more than a launch because a mini exhibition will be available to the public from 10:00h to 20:00h. Patrons will have the opportunity to not only view high-quality products but also make purchases at special prices that day.

There will be lots of giveaways and chances to win fabulous prizes such as gift hampers, massages and beauty products. Noel will be celebrating one year since publishing the first of her four books, and as such, she will be giving away complimentary courses.

The fabulous fashion display will assist patrons to select that special outfit for the festive season.

Over the years, the participants have benefited tremendously from the pre events which equipped them for the expo. Some of the classes focused on confidence, dressing for success, technology and business, branding and marketing, and the importance of a healthy body.

“I am so grateful to the Women in Business Expo for not only the growth in my business but also in

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Sonia Noel and a young entrepreneur

me as an individual,” Bibi Ramlall Khan, owner of Lisa’s beauty Shop said.

The ‘Inspire You’ motivational event over the years features many phenomenal women from here in Guyana, the Caribbean and internationally. Women empowerment specialist Anna McCoy, Dr Linda Wallace, Best Selling Authors Hilda Bournes, Dr Jackie Evans, Christine Neblette, Lindan Felex Johnson, Sherry Dixon and Attorney Ayana Mc Claman are some of past amazing speakers.

The line-up for 2019 is so powerful that massive transformation is anticipated during and after the event.

“It is a feeling of gratitude and satisfaction when I think about the many

businesses and women that have experienced tremendous grown over the years.

I will encourage women... know you are enough and do not rob the world of your amazing contributions,” Sonia Noel, founder of the expo said.

Noel who is extremely passionate about adding value to lives, recently returned from the second phase of her US tour and is extremely busy not only with the expo but her final personal and professional development classes for the year. Persons interested in registering for the expo can do so at the launch or check Fcebook – the Sonia Noel Foundation for Creative Arts and the Women’s Association for Sustainable Development, for details.

he Guyana Golden Lives Organisation, a unique non-governmental organisation (NGO) which caters for children coping with bereavement, was formally launched on Thursday.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) reported that the founder and Queen’s Young Leaders’ Awardee, Marva Langevine, said she was inspired to establish the NGO after reading a biblical scripture which called for the care of the less fortunate.

She was also further persuaded after witnessing the effect her friend’s death due to cancer had on her two young children.

The 25-year-old said, “The training, the networking opportunities, the knowledge to manage a non-profit and how to take it to the next level… Persons were telling me that this going to get big; this going to blow up… So, the Queen’s Young Leaders’ award gave me that push I needed and here we are today.”

Langevine established the NGO in 2014 and has since assisted 30 children so far, with guidance from the Queen’s Young Leaders’ programme.

Also, addressing the gathering at the launch was the Advisor to the Public Health Minister, John Adams, who recalled during his 28 years of teaching and social protection experience, he witnessed how children attempted to cope with the loss of a parent or both.

Adams noted, “If an adult loses a parent it is difficult,

British High Commissioner Greg Quinn and founder of Guyana Golden Lives, Marva Langevine

much less a child, and for them to grow they need our support. For them to cope they need our support. For them to develop into that adult who will make a positive contribution to the development of their country, and their community, they need our support. I’m happy that Marva has chosen this path.”

Support for the initiative was promised by British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn, who noted “I hope you will all be able to do likewise. It is the very least we can do for this amazing young woman, the embodiment of everything the Queen’s Young Leaders’ Programme is about.”

Stakeholders also heard an emotional testimony from orphan Orlanzo Raghunandan who lost both parents. Raghunandan, who

benefited from the Golden Lives organisation, spoke of his determination to succeed at his Civil Engineering studies despite having to learn to cope with the loss of both parents at an early age.

An explanation of the five stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – was given by Dr Coleena Brown.

She explained, “we can help them [the bereaved] get to the place of acceptance.

Because once you are there, you’re able to manage your life as a child, as a teenager and as an adult in a much healthier way.”

At the conclusion of the launch, a puppy was presented to a Best Village orphan Angel Shivsanker and a certificate guaranteeing lifetime care, courtesy of Pawsome Pets’ Luana Pierre.

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guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

Brexit: EU leaders dismiss talk of renegotiating draft agreement E uropean Union leaders have dismissed talk of renegotiating the draft Brexit deal and warned the United Kingdom’s political situation could make a “no-deal” more likely.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there was “no question” of reopening talks as a document was “on the table”.

Meanwhile, French PM Edouard Philippe said there was a need to prepare for a no-deal because of UK “uncertainty”.

The EU has set out a series of meetings leading up to November 25 when it

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said talks to amend the draft agreement were unlikely as a deal was “on the table”

plans to approve the Brexit agreement.

However leaders admit that there is still much

ground to cover after the UK Prime Minister Theresa May won backing on Wednesday from her Cabinet for the

585-page draft agreement.

“We still have a long road ahead of us on both sides,” the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier said.

On Thursday, Merkel said she was pleased that progress had been made.

But following news of resignations from May’s Cabinet, including the UK’s Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, she said it was possible that Britain may still leave without a deal.

She also said that there was no appetite for further talks on possible amendments to the current agreement. (Excerpt from BBC News)

"Venezuela’s crisis has become our own" …as the health system collapses, disease is spilling over Venezuela’s borders

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n a steamy February morning, Bernardino Albuquerque – a doctor in charge of combating infectious diseases in Brazil’s vast Amazonas state – received the text message he had been dreading for weeks.

We have two patients with symptoms. That alert from Brazilian doctors near the Venezuelan frontier marked the start of an imported measles epidemic that is still ravaging the Brazilian Amazon. It was the first time in nearly two decades that the highly contagious virus had appeared in this tropical region, home to a growing number of Venezuelan migrants. The disease has also spread to Argentina,

Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

The economic and social crisis in Venezuela is increasingly spilling over its borders, with disease becoming the newest symbol of the disaster. Venezuela’s health-care system has virtually broken down, allowing once-eradicated illnesses such as measles and diphtheria to reemerge in a population facing acute shortages of food and medicine. Now, a historic outflow of migrants is helping spread infections to other countries.

“Venezuela’s crisis has become our own,” Manaus Mayor Arthur Virgilio Neto said. Brazil’s Patient zero for measles was a one-year-old Venezuelan child brought over the border in

February. Eight months later, more than 10,000 patients have contracted suspected infections in Amazonas state alone, as the virus hopscotched across a local population that was not sufficiently vaccinated. New cases are growing at the rate of 170 a week.

Seen as a manageable childhood illness in the United States, measles has taken a high toll in the crowded shantytowns and remote villages of the dense Amazon jungle. Amazonas state declared a health emergency in July, and hundreds of people have been hospitalised with complications including pneumonia. So far, two adults and four infants have died. (Excerpt from The Washington Post)

Chile promises to investigate Mapuche killing

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hile’s President Sebastián Piñera has promised a thorough investigation after a young Indigenous man was fatally shot by Police. The incident on Wednesday sparked protests in an area in the country’s South, which is marked by tensions over land ownership.

Police said Camilo Catrillanca, 24, was accidentally shot in the head during an operation against local car thieves. Catrillanca was a grandson of a Mapuche Indigenous leader.

He was driving a tractor in a rural area when he was hit by the bullet. It is not clear who fired the shot.

“The Government will spare

The Mapuche are Chile’s largest Indigenous group

no means to get to the truth of what happened, and has requested the exclusive deployment of a prosecutor to this case,” Piñera tweeted.

The incident happened in Araucanía region, in southern Chile, where Mapuche activists have clashed with logging companies and

farmers.

Since returning to power last year, Piñera vowed to prioritise solving the centuries-old conflict with the Mapuche. He promised to invest in the region’s infrastructure and also to tackle terrorism.

A special force, trained in the Colombian rainforest and known as the Jungle Command, had been deployed in the area.

Opposition politicians and human rights groups have criticised the use of the special force against ordinary criminals. They say the incident will fuel further tension in the region. (Excerpt from BBC

News)

Khmer Rouge surviving leaders face genocide verdict

The pair are already serving life sentences

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he United Nationsbacked Khmer Rouge tribunal is set to deliver its verdict on whether the last two surviving leaders of the Pol Pot regime are guilty of genocide.

Nuon Chea, 92, was Pol Pot’s deputy, and Khieu Samphan, 87, was the regime’s Head of State.

They are on trial for genocide against Cambodia’s Cham Muslim minority and ethnic Vietnamese.

Up to two million people are thought to have died under brutal Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1979.

Many of them succumbed

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Myanmar’s treatment of Rohingya Muslims, telling Suu Kyi that “persecution” by her country’s army was “without excuse”.

Meeting Suu Kyi on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian summit in Singapore, Li said China attaches great importance to its ties with Myanmar and would build on their tradition of friendship, China’s

Foreign Ministry said late on Thursday.

“The Chinese side supports Myanmar’s efforts in maintaining its domestic stability, and supports Myanmar and Bangladesh appropriately resolving the Rakhine state issue via dialogue and consultation,” the ministry cited Li as saying.

China is “willing to provide the relevant parties

with necessary support in this regard”, he added, without elaborating.

More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees crossed into Bangladesh from western Myanmar’s Rakhine state, UN agencies say, after Rohingya insurgent attacks on Myanmar security forces in August 2017 triggered a sweeping military crackdown. (Excerpt from Reuters)

(Excerpt from BBC News)

7 UN peacekeepers killed in fight against DRC rebels

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he United Nations says seven of its peacekeepers have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in a military operation with Government forces against rebels in the country’s Ebola-hit northeast.

Several DRC soldiers were also killed or wounded in Wednesday’s joint operation targeting Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in the Beni region, North Kivu, according to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

Ten UN peacekeepers were wounded and one was still missing, he added. An unknown number of ADF fighters were also killed or wounded.

Dujarric said six of the

killed peacekeepers were from Malawi and one was from Tanzania.

The DRC’s volatile east is home to many armed groups, including ADF, vying for control of the mineral-rich region.

The ADF originated in Uganda as a rebel force against the government and carried out deadly bombings in the 1990s. A military campaign forced them to relocate to eastern DRC. Since October 2014, ADF rebels have been accused of killing more than 1500 people in the Beni region.

UN investigators have blamed the ADF for carrying out the deadliest single assault on the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC in almost 25 years. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Agriculture sector critical to the region, says Barbados PM

China offers Myanmar support over B Rohingya issue after US rebuke hina supports the Myanmar Government’s efforts to protect domestic stability and approach to resolving the Rohingya issue, Premier Li Keqiang told the country’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi, after US Vice President Mike Pence offered a strong rebuke.

Pence on Wednesday voiced Washington’s strongest condemnation yet of

to starvation and overwork, or were executed as enemies of the state.

The pair are already serving life sentences after they were found guilty of some crimes against humanity in 2014.

But a guilty verdict today would be the first official acknowledgement that what the Khmer Rouge regime did was in fact genocide as defined under international law.

The pair will also be judged on more crimes against humanity – including murder, enslavement and torture – and violations of the Geneva Conventions.

arbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has underscored the importance of the agriculture sector, describing it as “critical” to this region.

Mottley made the comments after visiting the headquarters of the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) in Suriname. She had earlier toured the Central Market with Suriname’s President Desi Bouterse, as part of a three-day visit to that Caribbean Community (Caricom) member state.

She noted that New

Zealand has worked assiduously to protect the health of its agriculture and to ensure that its food products were safe. She expressed the view that the Caribbean must see agriculture in a similar light.

Mottley said it was necessary to remove those barriers so people could easily move within the region, similar to how the Surinamese are able to move from district to district. She stressed that if this was not done, “then we will not give full expression to what it is to have a Single Market and a Single Economy”. (Excerpt from

Caribbean News Now)

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A

s the Miss Berbice “I’m a Big Deal Pageant” comes to a climax, the highly anticipated swimsuit segment will be held on Saturday evening at the Skeldon Estate pool.

Yes, it will be water and swimwear. The official swimsuit compe-

tition is expected to be off the hook as the eight delegates compete for the coveted title that is being held

by Valintina Bates.

The delegates competing for this year’s title were selected via auditions, immediately after which they kicked into training gear.

“

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friday, november 16, 2018

After months of training in several fields, the delegates are ready to impress the judges and patrons.

They were officially unveiled to the public a few weeks ago at a ceremony in New Amsterdam.

However, come Saturday evening, all focus will be on the dele-

gates as they compete with poise, charm and grace. Apart from the delegates, there will be lots of giveaways for the crowd such as Bigger De Better, Fit and Proper and Big Belly Man competitions.

Also steaming up the event on Saturday will be the Unity Boyz,

Too Much Sauce and members of Team Extreme Dance Troupe.

Admission to the event costs $1000 and tickets will be available at the gate or advance tickets can be picked up from the delegates or the organisers.

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uyana’s number one entertainment group, Pulse Entertainment, will be hosting another exciting concept party titled “Carnival Friday” this evening at District Ultra Lounge, Giftland Mall.

It will be a night of pure fun and excitement with some of the best deejays in the house to ensure everyone has a fantastic evening. These include Pulse’s Deejay Ryan, Deejay Energy, Deejay Shizzle and Deejay Anisah.

Patrons can party the night away to the best in dance hall, soca and other genres of music that will definitely tantalise the wining spirit. Ladies will be admitted free 22:00h. Admission is $2000 before 23:00h.

However, on December 1, Pulse Entertainment will launch its Carnival Band at the Giftland parking lot, titled the “Lost World”.

he Rio Night Club will come alive on the night before the National holiday as Jamaica’s dancehall sensation Shenseea performs live.

The Jamaican artiste has been creating quite a storm – both on local and international airwaves, with some of her most popular tunes such as “Hard Drive”, “Love I Got For U”, “Wine”, “Nothin them nah have ova meh” and “Can’t Beat Me”.

With these and other songs, the artiste will set the place on fire on Monday, November 19. The dancehall sensation performed at the opening ceremony at the ICC T20 Women’s Opening Ceremony and definitely entertained her fans. However, those who wish to see her in another mode, then, this is one performance you do not want to miss.

Before the grand entrance, several deejays will be in the house to make sure everyone is having a great time. These include Deejays Energy, Akelo, Anisah, Gully Ras and Selector Diamond. VIP tickets for the show cost $10,000 and general admission tickets cost $5000.

Tickets for the show are available at Fireside Grill and Chill, Gismos and Gadgets, That Look Boutique, Rare Finz, Giftland Mall and Rio Café at Alberttown. This is one event you don’t want to miss.

fridAY, november 16, 2018

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Stand-alone Women’s World T20 tournament…

Moving on… Windies will take on Sri Lanka today T

he defending champions of the Women’s World T20 tournament, West Indies will lock horns with Sri Lanka in their third group match at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia at 20:00h.

Sri Lanka have knocked out Bangladesh in their recent match winning by 25 runs in a low-scoring match while West Indies have already registered two wins off some brilliant bowling and fielding performances.

The pitch at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium has

looked a brilliant batting surface to the naked eye, but it is a deceiving look, since batters have had difficulties scoring runs. In four encounters at St Lucia, only two teams have got past the 100-run mark: South Africa with 102 while chasing and West Indies 107 batting first.

However, West Indies and Bangladesh are the only teams in Group A that played in Guyana, but both teams have not made significant contributions with the bat in contrast to the other top teams in the tournament. West Indies

are one win away from booking a place in the semi-finals, but their batters must immediately step up to the task and gather momentum moving to Antigua for the final leg of the tournament starting Thursday, November 22.

Kaciya Knight has been the only shining light with the bat for the West Indies with 64 runs in two innings. In the bowling department, West Indies were extraordinary: Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor bowled match-winning spells in both matches.

Sri Lanka will look to their

BCB/Pepsi 50-Over Cricket Tournament…

Stafanie Taylor was Player of the Match in West Indies’ recent triumph

captain, Chamari Athapaththu to lead them to victory and S Siriwardene, who copped the Player of the Match award in their last match against Bangladesh.

Similarly, Sri Lanka batters would be hoping to put in some brilliant batting performance in the important clash against West Indies.

(Brandon Corlette)

Indian Premier League:

Semi-final action set Mitchell Starc released by for this weekend Kolkata Knight Riders “by text” A

T

Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets players Clinton Pestano, Shawn Pereira and Sylus Tyndall

he Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) will host the semi-finals of its Pepsi 50Over Round Robin Tournament on Saturday, November 17.

Young Warriors will lock horns with Port Mourant in the first semi-final at the Cumberland Ground, East Canje while Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets and Blairmont Community Centre will clash at the Area H Ground in Rose Hall Town.

Young Warriors Cricket Club played unbeaten to head Zone A while Blairmont Community Centre advanced as the runners-up, based on a superior run rate, ahead of West Berbice. In Zone B, three teams – Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets, Port Mourant Cricket Club and Albion Community Centre ended on the same number of points and with Skeldon Cricket Club giving a walkover in the tournament, the top two teams were selected based on overall run rate and then net run rate in three matches.

Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets had an overall run rate of 4.93 and net run rate of 1.48 while Port Mourant Cricket Club had 4.41, 0.90 and Albion Community Centre 4.20 and 0.20 respectively.

Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets was named winner of Zone B and Port Mourant runners-up based on the run

rate calculations. Young Warriors Cricket Club would be spearheaded by the talented Alex Algoo, Seon Hetmyer, Vishal Mohabir, Kassim Khan, Suresh Dhani, Trevlon Stanislaus and Linden Austin while Port Mourant would depend heavily on skipper Joshua Ramsammy, Madan Budram, Loyydel Lewis, R Carmichael, Samuel Kistasammy and Doorsammy Mahadeo.

The powerful Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets team have been dominating Berbice cricket along with Albion Community Centre over the last decade and under the captaincy of former National Under-19 skipper Shawn Pereira would start as favourites against Blairmont Community Centre. Pereira would be supported by his Vice Captain, Clinton Pestano; Kevin Sinclair; Kevlon Anderson; Eon Hooper; Junior Sinclair; Keith Simpson; Surendra Kissoonlall; Sylus Tyndall and the hard-hitting Vidal Crandon. Blairmont Community Centre with a number of promising youth players would be no easy walkover. The experienced player and team mentor Shabeer Baksh would spearhead the team with support from Seon Glasgow, Nigel Deodat, Javed Karim, Marvin Prashad, Zaheer Naseer, and Fawaz Gagoor.

ustralia bowler Mitchell Starc says he has been dropped from his contract with Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders –- by text message.

Starc, 28, was one of the most expensive players when he was bought by the team for £1.14 million (US$1.47 million) in 2018. But he did not play because of a stress fracture and has been told he will not play for them in the 2019 tournament. “I got a text message two days ago from the owners of Kolkata saying I’ve been released from my contract,” said Starc. “At the moment I’ll be home in April.”

Starc’s injury kept him out of cricket for six months and he was replaced in the Kolkata squad

by England bowler Tom Curran, with the team coming third after losing in the play-offs.

The 2019 IPL auction is due to take place next month and Starc says he may miss the tournament in order to rest for the 2019 World Cup and the Ashes later that year. “If I don’t play the IPL next year, it’s a good opportunity to freshen up for a massive six months of cricket in the UK,” he added. “At the moment for me, I just want to play as much Test and one-day cricket for Australia as I can.

“The IPL is a lovely bonus on the pay packet, but if I miss that to play more Test matches, I’m taking that option.”

Meanwhile, England’s Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes have been retained by Twenty20 franchise Rajasthan Royals for the

Mitchell Starc played in all three matches as Australia lost 2-1 to South Africa in their one-day series earlier this month

2019 Indian Premier League.

Batsman Buttler, 28, scored 548 runs in this year’s tournament, helping to earn a recall to the England Test team.

All-rounder Stokes, 27, was named Most Valuable Player in the 2017 IPL after starring for Rising Pune Supergiant.

The Royals have also retained 23-year-old Sussex all-rounder Jofra Archer.

“I couldn’t wish for a better franchise to be a part of – it felt like a family last season and I can’t wait to get back out amongst the team,” said Buttler.

“It is great to play with Stokes and I really hope the fans back home in England will get behind us as players and choose the Royals as their team to support.”

Buttler and Stokes are currently in Sri Lanka with England.

The 2019 IPL is set to start on March 23.

Buttler, who cost £485,000 at auction, made five consecutive half-centuries for the Royals this year, tying the IPL record of Virender Sehwag – after being promoted to open.

Stokes scored 196 runs and took eight wickets in 13 matches after being bought for £1.38 million by the Royals, who reached the play-offs in their first season back after a two-year suspension over a corruption scandal.

Fast bowler Archer, who was born in the West Indies but intends to play for England, took 15 wickets at 21.66 after being bought for £800,000.

The Royals have also retained former Australia Captain Steve Smith, who missed last season after being banned for his part in a ball-tampering scandal. (BBC Sport)

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fridAY, november 16, 2018

FIFA allegedly investigating Chelsea for transfer of minors C

helsea allegedly face the threat of a twoyear transfer ban following a FIFA investigation into their signing of foreign under-18 players, including former striker Bertrand Traore.

Based on documents from Football Leaks, French website Mediapart claims 19 Chelsea signings have been looked at in a three year-long investigation.

Mediapart alleges that 14 of those signings were under the age of 18.

In a statement, Chelsea said it had “fully cooperated with FIFA”.

The club also said it had “provided comprehensive evidence demonstrating its compliance with the applicable FIFA regulations”.

According to Mediapart, FIFA’s integrity and compliance unit has recommended Chelsea are handed a transfer ban covering four transfer windows, as well as a fine of £45,000.

It was first reported in September 2017 that Chelsea were being investigated.

“The proceedings are ongoing and, to date, no decision has been passed by the FIFA judicial bodies,” football’s world governing body

FIFA said in a statement.

Burkina Faso international Traore – who now plays for Ligue 1 club Lyon – signed his first professional contract at Chelsea in 2013 at the age of 18, but was not registered until January 2014.

Mediapart claims FIFA found evidence that Chelsea had misled them over the dates, Bertrand Traore scored four goals in 16 first-team appearances for Chelsea in all competitions

while Traore was found to have made 25 appearances for the Blues (under-16, under-18 and first team) despite not being registered by the Football Association.

Chelsea have also admitted they paid his mother £155,000, as well as a further £13,000 to the club she chaired – AJE BoboDioulasso – in April 2011 to allow them first refusal over his signature.

That deal, it is alleged, was for four-and-a-half years, despite the limit for under-18s being only three years.

In addition, it is also claimed Chelsea paid for Traore to attend the £20,000-a-year Whitgift School in Surrey.

Should they be handed a transfer ban, Chelsea will

be the latest club to receive such punishment after similar incidences in La Liga.

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have both previously received bans for breaching rules over the signing of minors in early 2016, while Barcelona were given a 14-month ban after breaking rules for signing international under-18s in 2014.

Chelsea released a short statement on Wednesday night saying they had “fully cooperated with FIFA and provided comprehensive evidence demonstrating its compliance with the applicable FIFA regulations”.

“We will not comment further on speculation concerning confidential contracts or player-related matters,” added Chelsea’s statement. (BBC Sport)

GCA cricket fixtures continue GFSCA honours softball cricket stalwart Mark Bobb and Vicky Ramsaywack M

atches organised by the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) will continue this weekend with some crucial fixtures.

The highlyanticipated GISE/Star Party Rentals/Trophy Stall First Division (2-Day) Cricket Competition finals will be underway on Saturday and Sunday, as Police SC will face off against the in-form Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) at Eve Leary Ground.

The action is scheduled to begin at 09:00h.

The Noble House Seafoods twoday Second Division tournament will resume on Saturday and Sunday as well, as the UG Trojans will want to consider themselves possible contenders for the title as they go up against GNIC at Queenstown.

The tourney starts on both days from 10:30h.

The New Building Society (NBS) Second Division 40-Over 2018/2019 season will continue on Saturday as Ace Warriors CC will thrash it out against

the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) at Camp Ayanganna, while in the other match at Gandhi Youth Ground, the Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) will be searching for a win against Everest CC as they had lost by 167 runs against the UG Trojans last weekend. The action is scheduled to begin at 10:30h.

On Sunday, the tournament will then continue as a triple header is set to commence with the GDF facing off against Transport SC at Camp Ayanganna, Malteenoes SC seeing off Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) at GYO and the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) battling the depleted Sophia CC who were thrashed by Transport Club last weekend.

The action is set to commence at 10:30h at Bourda Cricket Ground.

The Friends of Cricket Under-17 hundred-over tournament continues on Saturday and Sunday as well, with MYO colliding with Malteenoes SC at MYO and GCC battling Transport SC at Bourda Cricket Ground on Saturday as both matches are scheduled to start at 09:30h promptly. The Sunday edition of the tournament will see ECO Champs clashing with Everest CC at the GNIC Ground. The action is set to begin at 09:30h.

U

pon the recent conclusion of the Guyana Softball Cup 8, the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) has taken it upon itself to honour two outstanding veterans of softball cricket –Mark Bobb of USA and Vicky Ramsaywack of Georgetown in a recent presentation ceremony.

For the past eight years, the tournament has moved from strength to strength as it has grown over the lengthy period, thus the Association took the opportunity to recognise the contributions of both players towards the game, on and off the field.

GFSCA President Ramchand Ragbeer gave high praises to the honoured recipients as he reminded the audience at the ceremony that Bobb has

Ricky Deonarain hands over a plaque to Mark Bobb of New York

Vicky Ramsaywack is with GFSCA President Ramchand Ragbeer and Vice President Reyaz Hussein

participated in every single softball tournament around the world, starting his journey in the sport in 1999 in Orlando, Florida.

He went on to remind the large gathering that that was over nine years ago and although Bobb did not participate in the tournament in the on-field action this year, he graced and inspired everyone with his

usual sound advice and jolly antics.

Vicky Ramsaywack is the owner of Savage Masters as his team participate in every tournament run by the GFSCA. He has thus far personally participated in tournaments in Canada, New York, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Ramsaywack, who is popular for his ponytail and dark shades, is a

close friend of the GFSCA. In closing, Bobb and Ramsaywack thanked the GFSCA for recognising them and that they were pleasantly surprised. Both veterans stated that they loved the game very much and would continue to contribute to raise the level even higher. They also wished the Association more success and pledged their continued support.

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nother night of scintillating football in the Turbo Knockout Tournament saw Georgetown Football Club (GFC) and Campton FC being the final two teams to make it out of round one.

The straight knockout tournament always promises a higher level of competition as players fight to the death to avoid immediate elimination. And it was a display of exactly that at the Ministry of Education Ground on Wednesday night as GFC and Den Amstel met for their knockout game.

The first half of play showed great defence tactics by both sides as neither side could pierce the other’s goal.

However, the second held more entertaining plays as Alberto Basanto started the half with a goal for GFC. The Georgetown team thrived on this momentum as three minutes later they were celebrating again, this time the goal came from LaVaughn Enniss. Extending the lead, Enniss struck again in the 59th minute. The tally of three was too much for the

A snapshot of the fierce battle between Grove Hi Tech and Campton

Under-20 Den Amstel team.

Although they had close calls, they were unable to score, resulting in GFC’s 3-0 victory.

Goa scorer LaVaughn

Enniss admitted that the game did not go as planned, but the team were still thankful for the win.

“It was a hard-worked victory from the fellas, first

half didn’t go as we planned, but we stick to our game plan and play our team ball and we come through with a 3-0 victory,” he stated.

The second game of the night and last one of the round saw a stiff battle between Campton and Grove Hi Tech for the last quarterfinal spot. Though the teams attacked relentlessly, the first half went without a goal, much to the dismay of the vibrant crowd.

The second contained fresh determination from both sides as their shots were steered closer to home, but still not on target. Jermain Backles of Campton had the golden boot of the night as he struck a lone goal in the 76th minute. Given that regulation time was quickly expiring, Backles’ goal ended up being the winning one, in a 1-0 edge for Campton.

The quarterfinals of the tournament will continue today, Friday, November 16 at the same venue where Riddim Squad will tackle Northern Rangers at 18:30h and later Police will look to arrest Santos at 20:00h.

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homari Wiltshire showed why he is the best junior player in the Caribbean on Wednesday evening as he easily won his Group A encounter.

Wiltshire was joined by Nicholas Verwey, Michael Alphonso and Abosaide Cadogan, who also produced convincing wins on the second night of competition.

Wiltshire opened his 2018 Juniors campaign with an easy-does-it win over Gianni Carpenter in three straight sets 11-1, 11-4, 11-1 to bag what is expected to be the first of many wins.

Though Wiltshire’s match did not have too many thrills, Wednesday evening’s action was not short of such.

The pair to watch were Nicholas Verwey and Kirstin Gomes in their scintillating five-set encounter. Gomes

was in command of the match, winning the first two sets 11-8, 11-7, but faltered in the third. After winning this set 116, Verwey saw his opportunity and took the “come from behind” victory by winning the last two sets 11-2, 11-6.

Back in group A, Michael Alphonso quickly disposed of his powerful opponent, Samuel Ince-Carvalhal 11-6, 116, 11-9.

In Group B, Abosaide Cadogan kept her track record clean with another straight victory, this time over Mohryan Baksh, 11-7, 11-2, 11-9.

Category D saw Lajuan Munroe celebrating after overcoming Beau Fernandes 11-7, 11-9, 11-4. It was a bittersweet night for Tristan Seereeram after he got the better of Matthew Daby 6-11, 11-7, 11-9, only to lose to

Romero Muniram later on 11-2, 11-5.

Also in the winner’s row on Wednesday, Matthew Spooner suffered yet another defeat, this time at the hands of Christian Fernandes in an 11-7, 11-5 encounter.

Category H was dominated by Shriya Persaud, who got the better of Solomon Ince- Carvalhal. The young lady won the first set 11-4, but InceCarvalhal took the second with 7-11.

Persaud came back to the third set with determination and registered an easy 11-5 win. Also in Category H, Jane Singh overpowered Eli Goveia in two straight sets 11-9, 11-5.

The competition continues tonight at the Georgetown Club Squash Courts from 18:00h, with the finals being staged on Sunday, November 18.

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

fridAY, november 16, 2018

Stand-alone Women’s World T20 tournament…

Invincible India shatter Ireland’s World T20 dreams – Mithali Raj’s half-century leads India into semi-finals India’s Mithali Raj plays through the off-side as Ireland’s wicketkeeper, Mary Waldron watches on

By Brandon Corlette

I

ndia have strolled into the semi-finals of the Women’s World T20 tournament joining Australia in Group B, with a convincing 52-run win against a devastated Ireland team.

Mithali Raj became the leading run-scorer for India in T20 Internationals (men and women). She stroked yet another half-century as India posted 145-6 in their 20 overs at Providence.

Accurate Indian spin bowling restricted Ireland to 93-8 in 20 overs.

It has been hot and humid throughout the matches played at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara, Guyana, but the match between India and Ireland was a different

setting. The heavy rainfall that passed over the city influenced Ireland’s Captain to bowl first after winning the toss.

The vastly-experienced Raj and the exciting Mandhana took first strike and the opening pair added 67 runs together. Mandhana was yoked by Kim Garth for a well-played 33 runs from 29 balls. Raj continued to play the anchor role in the Indian innings, but Ireland continued to show positive signs with the ball in this World T20 tournament. The Mumbai teenager, Jemimah Rodrigues was the second wicket to fall when she ran past a Delany delivery and was stumped brilliantly by Ireland wicket-keeper Waldron. With the score on 107-2 in the 15th over, the third Indian wicket to fall

was the tournament’s only centurion Harmanpreet Kaur, who was dismissed for seven after hitting a six. Kaur was brilliantly caught at deep-cover by Kavanagh off the bowling of Richardson.

Raj scored her second fifty in as many innings in this tournament, but it has been a struggle for the Indian stalwart. She brought up her half-century off 54 balls with four boundaries and one six. A slower ball bowled wide on the off-stump by Garth led to the demise of Raj in the 19th over with the score on 133-5. Lucy O’Reilly, who was Ireland’s best bowler in the last match against Pakistan, bowled a brilliant final over, conceding only seven runs as India ended on 145-6 when their 20 overs concluded.

Garth grabbed 2-22 in her four overs while Richardson, O’Reilly and Delany ended with one wicket each.

Ireland had fancied their chances of chasing 146, having a “nothing to lose” mind-set. Indian Captain Harmanpreet Kaur with the assistance of former Captain Raj rotated the bowlers and maintained consistency.

Clare Shillington, an experienced candidate, and Gabby Lewis, who is relatively new to international cricket, made their way onto the pitch to open the batting.

Lewis was the first batter out for an out-of-coloured 9 from 19 balls when she was bowled by Deepti Sharma in the sixth over.

In contrast to India’s 42 runs scored in the first six overs, Ireland managed to score 30 runs. The elegant Shillington crossed 1000 runs in T20 Internationals.

She scored a run-a-ball 23 that included three classic boundaries, was out stumped off the bowling of Poonam Yadav. Isobel Joyce, the sister of former Ireland and England men’s cricketer Ed Joyce, and captain Laura Delany were at the crease when Ireland required 80 off the final six overs.

The ultra-fast Indian wicketkeeper, Bhatia continued her extreme glove work behind the stumps when she stumped the Ireland Captain Delany who was beaten for flight off the bowling of Yadav. Joyce was removed for a top-score of 33 in an innings where she never got going, ending with a strike rate of 86. India’s spinners shared the eight Ireland wickets, with Radha Yadav picking up 3-25 in

India celebrate an Ireland wicket

four overs. Deepti Sharma supported with two wickets. India will play Australia in their final group match

at Providence Stadium on Saturday, November 17 starting at 11:00h.

SCOREBOARD

India Innings Mithali Raj c Waldron b Garth 51 Smriti Mandhana b Kim Garth 33 Jemimah Rodrigues st Waldron b Delany 18 Harmanpreet Kaur (c) c Kavanagh b E Richardson 7 Veda Krishnamurthy b OReilly 9 Dayalan Hemalatha run out (Isobel Joyce/Waldron) 4 Deepti Sharma not out 11 Radha Yadav not out 1 Extras: (lb 1, w 9, nb 1) 11 Total: (6 wkts, 20 Ov) 145 Fall of wickets: 67-1 (Smriti Mandhana, 9.6), 107-2 (Jemimah Rodrigues, 14.3), 1163 (Harmanpreet Kaur, 15.3), 1274 (Veda Krishnamurthy, 17.2), 133-5 (Mithali Raj, 18.3), 1436 (Dayalan Hemalatha, 19.4) Bowling: Eimear Richardson 4-0-27-1, Lucy OReilly 4-032-1, Kim Garth 4-0-22-2, Lara Maritz 2-0-23-0, Celeste Raack1-0-8-0, Isobel Joyce 2-011-0, Laura Delany (c) 3-0-21-1

Ireland Innings Clare Shillington st Taniya Bhatia b Poonam Yadav 23

Gaby Lewis b Deepti Sharma 9 Isobel Joyce c Poonam Yadav b Harmanpreet Kaur 33 Laura Delany (c) st Taniya Bhatia b Radha Yadav 9 Shauna Kavanagh lbw b Deepti Sharma 2 Kim Garth b Radha Yadav 3 Eimear Richardson run out (Hemalatha/Taniya Bhatia) 4 Mary Waldron (wk) not out 2 Lara Maritz st Taniya Bhatia b Radha Yadav 0 Celeste Raack not out 1 Extras: (lb 1, w 6) 7 Total: (8 wkts, 20 Ov) 93 Fall of wickets: 27-1 (Gaby Lewis, 5.1), 42-2 (Clare Shillington, 8.5), 70-3 (Laura Delany, 14.5), 82-4 (Shauna Kavanagh, 16.5), 84-5 (Isobel Joyce, 17.3), 90-6 (Kim Garth, 18.4), 91-7 (Eimear Richardson, 18.5), 91-8 (Lara Maritz, 18.6) Bowling: Mansi Joshi 3-112-0, Radha Yadav 4-0-253, Deepti Sharma 3-0-152, Poonam Yadav 4-0-14-1, Harmanpreet Kaur (c) 4-0-101, Dayalan Hemalatha1-0-10-0, Jemimah Rodrigues1-0-6-0

National Women’s League showcases promising teams N

ew Amsterdam United cemented their place at the top of the Berbice leg of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF)Always National Women’s Development League last weekend, with a 2-0 win over West Side Conquerors.

Fruta Conquerors A continued their dominance of the Georgetown leg, putting four without reply past Foxy Ladies. In Mahdia, Micam Eagles A drew 1-1 with Mahdia Gold Getters to leave Micam Eagles B clear at the top of that leg.

The national league, featuring a record 49 teams competing in shorter format and seven-a-side matches, is part of the GFF’s strategy to develop women’s foot-

ball, alongside girls’ participation in the GFF-Kool Kidz Grassroots national programme and nationwide GFF-Scotiabank Academy Training Centres.

Sponsored by Always, official beverage partner iCool (ANSA McAL) and Gaico Construction, the competition will take place in all 10 administrative regions, seeking to grow the player population, and to establish the foundations for talent identification and a player pathway into the national teams.

GFF-ALWAYS National Women’s Development League Results:

GEORGETOWN Fruta Conquerors A 4-0 Foxy Ladies

Goals: Tandi Smith (4’), Kenesha Williams (21’), Celena Chan (31’), Kendra Thomas (36’) BERBICE Cougars 0-4 Orealla Falcons Goals: Sisisla France (11’), Lonetta France (18’, 27’), Veena France (39’) New Amsterdam United 2-0 West Side Conquerors Goals: Alliyah Elexey (11’, 19’) MAHDIA Micam Eagles A 1-1 Mahdia Gold Getters Goals: Micam Eagles A – Clemencia Wilkie (34’); Mahdia Gold Getters – Rosianna Williams (28’)

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fridAY, november 16, 2018

23

Stand-alone Women’s World T20 tournament…

New Zealand topple Pakistan to register 1st win – spinners help restrict Pakistan to 90

Amelia Keer picked up three wickets

By Brandon Corlette

Captain Amy Satterthwaite joined Sophie Devine as the pair were in for a spin treat by the Pakistan bowlers. Devine, who was given the opportunity to open the batting in this match, was the second New Zealand batter dismissed in the thirteenth over with the score on 83. Supporters were in shock when Sandhu held her composure and pulled off a brilliant catch on the midwicket boundary to remove the dangerous Devine.

Satterthwaite and Katey Martin occupied the crease but they were only able to hit the ball to the boundary occasionally. Pakistan spin queen, Sana Mir bowled

hit a six and a four in the third and fourth delivery but Mir had the final laugh removing Martin in her last ball of her spell. Aliya Riaz was reintroduced to bowl the final over and found herself on a hat trick removing Kasperek and Watkin off consecutive deliveries. New Zealand finished off their innings with an eleven-run final over finishing on 144-6.

Mir and Riaz grabbed two wickets each.

Pakistan had gathered momentum from the last two overs and the openers, Ayesha Zafar and Javeria Khan took to a liking to New Zealand opening bowlers.

The strong and lively Lea

J

ess Watkin and Amelia Kerr led New Zealand to their first win of the tournament with a 54run win against Pakistan at Providence.

Pakistan disappointing tournament concluded when they were bowled out for 90 in 18 overs.

Earlier New Zealand posted 144-6 in their 20 overs after their top-order batters failed to convert those useful starts.

On a calm afternoon at the National Stadium Providence East Bank Demerara, Pakistan and New Zealand entertained cricket lovers on the penultimate day of the Guyana matches. Pakistani captain Javeria Khan continued to win the toss in this tournament and she opted to bowl first. New Zealand’s explosive duo, Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates played some exhilarating cricket shots, adding 59 runs for the open-

Javeria Khan

ing partnership. Suzie Bates (35) was the first dismissed in the ninth over, but the foundation was already provided for the New Zealand batters to score runs at their will.

the most eventful over of the match. In the penultimate over, Mir removed the White Ferns skipper, Satterthwaite for 26 with her first ball. Keacy Martin

Tahuhu looked to create a revelation on the Providence pitch with some aggressive fast bowling. In her first over, she bowled one poor delivery that was pulled away

for four as Pakistan opened their account in style.

Pakistan's courageous captain picked up where she left off, hitting fours as if it was routine. Pakistan lost two wickets inside the power play but were able to maintain a brisk scoring rate.

Zafar was the first to be dismissed for eight and Sohail was castled by New Zealand quickie Tahuhu for one.

The little Pakistan master, Khan entertained the supporters with her calypso-like shots. However, she was removed in the ninth over by

the impressive Jess Watkin for a stroke-filled 36 off 23 balls including six timely boundaries. The prize wicket of Javeria triggered the Pakistan collapse. Pakistan lost all 10 ten wickets in the space of 59 runs with Keer and Watkin dominating the wicket column with three wickets each.

Pakistan have completed their four group matches in the World T20 Tournament and will take the positives from this tournament to improve in the near future.

3

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand Innings Sophie Devine c Nashra Sandhu b Aiman Anwer 32 Suzie Bates c & b Nida Dar 35 Amy Satterthwaite (c) st Sidra Nawaz b Sana Mir 26 Katey Martin (wk) c Aiman Anwer b Sana Mir 29 Leigh Kasperek b Aliya Riaz 1 Maddy Green not out 9 Jess Watkin c Nida Dar b Aliya Riaz 0 Bernadine Bezuidenhout not out 0 Extras (lb 6, w 5, nb 1) 12 Total (6 wkts, 20 Ov) 144 Fall of wickets: 59-1 (Suzie Bates, 8.3), 83-2 (Sophie Devine, 12.2), 1203 (Amy Satterthwaite, 18.1), 133-4 (Katey Martin, 18.6), 133-5 (Leigh Kasperek, 19.1), 133-6 (Jess Watkin, 19.2) Bowling: Sana Mir 4-0-35-2, Aiman Anwer 4-0-29-1, Nida Dar 4-0-20-1, Nashra Sandhu 4-0-25-0, Aliya Riaz 4-0-29-2 Pakistan Innings Ayesha Zafar c Katey Martin b Kasperek 8 Javeria Khan (c) c Katey Martin b

Jess Watkin 36 Omaima Sohail b Tahuhu 1 Bismah Maroof c Katey Martin b Jess Watkin 4 Nida Dar c Amelia Kerr b Jess Watkin 11 Muneeba Ali c Satterthwaite b Amelia Kerr 0 Aliya Riaz run out (Katey Martin/Hannah Rowe) 12 Sana Mir c Bates b Hannah Rowe 3 Aiman Anwer not out 4 Sidra Nawaz (wk) b Kerr 2 Nashra Sandhu lbw b Kerr 1 Extras (lb 1, w 7) 8 Total (10 wkts, 18 Ov) 90 Fall of wickets: 31-1 (Ayesha Zafar, 3.1), 34-2 (Omaima Sohail, 4.1), 52-3 (Bismah Maroof, 6.3), 57-4 (Javeria Khan, 8.2), 58-5 (Muneeba Ali, 9.2), 72-6 (Nida Dar, 12.2), 83-7 (Aliya Riaz, 15.2), 83-8 (Sana Mir, 15.6), 88-9 (Sidra Nawaz, 17.2), 90-10 (Nashra Sandhu, 17.6) Bowling: Lea Tahuhu 3-0-18-1, Sophie Devine1-0-13-0, Amelia Kerr 4-0-21-3, Leigh Kasperek 4-0-22-1, Jess Watkin 4-0-93, Hannah Rowe 2-0-6-1

1st part of Outdoor Archery Championships successfully staged A

rchery Guyana has fired off its 2018 Outdoor Archery Championships as it recently concluded the first round of competition. The championships, which is being sponsored by Infotrans Guyana Inc, was held on Sunday, November 11, 2018 at the Carifesta Sports Club Ground where 15 archers competed in the ranking rounds of Men, Women and Junior Women classes.

The official competition started after the opening ceremony which was graced with remarks from President Mohamed Khan and reminders for the day from Head Coach Nicholas Hing. The action started at 12:00 noon after the official equipment checks, practice rounds and sighting-in for competitors were completed.

Competitors were classed as: Individual Women, Individual Junior Women and Individual Men all shooting a 300 ranking round (a 300 round is 30 ar-

which are scheduled to be held on Sunday, November 16 at the Carifesta Sports Club Ground, Carifesta Avenue from 11:00h.

Additionally, Archery Guyana would like to extend gratitude to the Honourable Minister, Dr George Norton, National Sports Commission and the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport for their kind permission for the use of the Carifesta Ground.

Special thanks also to the management of Infotrans Guyana Inc, the official sponsors for this inaugural Outdoor Championship.

Left and right handed female archers take to the shooting line simultaneously

rows shot with a possibility of scoring all 10s).

Excitement was in the air and the competition was intense as everyone braved the blistering heat trying to gain top scores in their respective classes whilst battling with the wind. The

Official list of Results:

ladies and junior women started off the Individual categories followed by the Men’s individual and the Mixed teams (Round 1).

After the Individual rounds were completed, athletes were paired for the mixed team ranking rounds,

whereby the highest scoring male paired with lowest scoring female and vice-versa. Seven mixed team contested for the top four spots, as the excitement grew.

The first four mixed teams will now advance to the semi-finals and finals

RANKING ROUND RESULTS – INDIVIDUAL W O M E N ’ S INDIVIDUAL 1st – Narda Mohamed 160 points 2nd – Shereeda Yusuf 81 points 3rd – Samira Duncan 64 points 4th – Vidushi PersaudMcKinnon 47 points

JUNIOR WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL 1st – Talitha Kissoon 70 points 2nd – Jessica Callender 57 points MEN’S INDIVIDUAL 1st – Sean Duncan 211 points 2nd - Nicholas Hing 191 points 3rd - Anand Mangra 186 points 4th - Ryan McKinnon 167 points 5th – Umasankar Madray 148 points RANKING ROUND RESULTS – MIXED TEAM (ROUND 1) 1st – Narda Mohamed & Robert Singh 177 points 2nd – Ryan McKinnon & Talitha Kissoon 151 points 3rd – Umasankar Madray & Shereeda Yusuf 147 points 4th – Anand Mangra & Samira Duncan 122 points

fridAY, november 16, 2018

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

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Stand-alone Women’s World T20 tournament…

Team New Zealand celebrate

Page 23

New Zealand topple Pakistan to register 1st win – spinners help restrict Pakistan to 90

1st part of Outdoor Archery Championships successfully staged Page 16

Turbo Knockout Tournament

GFC trounce Den Amstel to make it out of 1st round Page 21

The participants in the 2018 Outdoor Archery Championships

A Den Amstel striker takes on two GFC defenders in their heated encounter

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