Guyana Times 28 July 2017

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

Issue No. 3285

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Friday, July 28, 2017

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

WPA in APNU has lost its way from Dr Rodney’s principles P11 …executives now singing for proverbial suppers – Opposition Leader

Page 9

– Roopnaraine defends decision to remain in office

Govt requests $756M for work at Camp Street, Lusignan Prisons

Page 3

– in supplementary funds

Expect 2015 PAC report by September – Edghill P7 Govt takes major step to push forward with constitutional reform P3

President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Deodat Indar addressing the launching of the eighth edition of the Business Guyana Magazine on Thursday evening at the Marriott Hotel

IDB to offer assistance to flood-affected hinterland regions Page 8

NA man charged for giving false name to Police

Essequibo to brace for load shedding until Christmas P2

Page 8

GPSU decries stalling of negotiations on allowances

Page 14

Police attorney questions P15 journalist’s motives for carrying story

2 news

FRIDAY, july 28, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Essequibo to brace for load shedding until Christmas

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hile power has been restored on the Essequibo Coast, residents will have to brace themselves for several months of load shedding, as the authorities accelerate the conversion from a 50 cycle to a 60 cycle, which new generating capacity should be installed

by Christmas.

The announcement was made on Thursday

by Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, responding to People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament Dharamkumar Seeraj, whose official queries on the state of the electricity system on the Essequibo Coast following several weeks of massive outages.

Minister Patterson told Members of the National Assembly that the gasket of the 25-year-old Wartsila generating set at Anna Regina was the source of the problem. He said this has since been repaired by the genset, but continues to be besieged by age-related problems.

According to the Minister, Government has ordered three 1.8MW plants and their components are currently enroute to Guyana.

He explained that

Government expects the new generating plants to be fully installed by Christmas, by which time the company would be looking to complete the conversion of the grid. This conversion activity, he told the House, will lead to load shedding up until its completion.

Seeraj, who was at the time utilising the opening provisions for questions to a Minister, questioned what measures were being taken by Government to restore the electricity to the Essequibo Coast, while pointing out that residents of Region Two were “punishing for five weeks”, with little or no electricity.

“How soon will residents see a return to stable and reliable electricity supply?”

Seeraj questioned.

Patterson quickly quipped that power had been restored, and pointed to what he called a matter of public record. “We have procured three brand new sets for Anna Regina,” he declared.

The generating sets and their associated components for installation are due to arrive in Guyana in October, he said.

Responding to supplementary queries by Seeraj, the Minister assured that the process was transpar-

ent and fully tendered publicly, with bids evaluated and an order placed.

He reminded that the intention to have the generating sets purchased for Essequibo was announced during his Budget presentation for 2016.

PPP/C Member of Parliament Cornel Damon attempted to query if any compensation would be given to those persons who had lost perishables as a result of the prolonged blackouts, but was quickly shut down

by Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland.

Dr Scotland insisted the substantive question did not centre on compensation.

Damon also suggested to Minister Patterson that, according to information supplied to him, the blackouts could have been avoided. He questioned whether it was a case of sabotage a notion quickly dismissed

by Minister Patterson, who suggested that any such information in Damon’s possession should be turned over to the Minister of Public Security “forthwith” “As far as I am aware, there was no sabotage, the Wartsila set blew a gasket.

We had to put in new bearings..all sorts of problem due to the age of the equipment.”

news

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friDAY, july 28, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Friday, July 28 –08:30h-10:00h and Saturday – July 29 –09:00h-10:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Govt requests $756M for work at Camp Street, Lusignan Prisons – in supplementary funds

Friday, July 28 –07:35h-09:05h and Saturday – July 29 –08:00h-09:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions followed by heavy rain showers, with thundery showers and partly cloudy skies in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging between Easterly and South-easterly from 2.23 metres to 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 07:51h and 20:15h reaching maximum heights of 2.54 metres and 2.46 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 13:48h reaching a minimum height of 0.71 metre.

I

n an effort to improve the prison services following the unrest which led to the escape of several dangerous criminals, Government on Thursday requested $756M in supplementary funding for works at the Camp Street Penitentiary and the Lusignan Prisons.

Government, through a supplementary provision, is seeking $756 million to assist with the expansion and improvement at both the Camp Street and Lusignan Prisons.

The request comes on the heels of a recent fire that destroyed most of the Camp Street correctional facility and has resulted in more overcrowding at the various penitentiaries, particularly Lusignan.

A shot of the new holding areas of Lusignan Prison

Through Parliament, Government is requesting money to construct temporary holding facilities at the Lusignan Prison compound to the tune of $69 million, and also needs $46 million to assist with the cleanup of the site at the Camp Street Prisons.

Twenty-one million dol-

lars are also being sought for the refurbishing of the Camp Street dormitory, and $144 million for the construction of the administrative building; $62 million for security; $40 million for a new kitchen; $28 million for a medical centre, and $75 million to construct a solitary block.

Additionally, the Government, through the Public Security Ministry, is also seeking $62 million for general works on external areas of both prisons; $18 million for a fire suppression system; $10 million for plumbing; $8.5 million for electrical works, and $19 million for contingency.

The Camp Street Prison was reduced to rubble earlier this month following a fire and major unrest. The capital section was completely burnt in the early part of that fateful afternoon. Hundreds of prisoners were evacuated from the facility and taken to the Lusignan prison and other facilities. A prison officer was also killed in the line of duty.

Govt takes major step to push forward with constitutional reform WEDNESDAY, July 26, 2017

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D

raft legislation on the Constitutional Reform Bill was tabled in the National Assembly on Thursday

by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, paving the way for the establishment of a Constitutional Reform Consultative Commission to guide this long overdue process.

This move is seen as a major step to assist with constitutional reform, something that the coalition Government promised to deliver during its election campaign.

Following the first reading of this Bill in Parliament, the draft will be sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional Reform for

consideration and report.

According to the draft bill, the Consultative Commission will be made up of 15 members. The establishment of this commission will allow for some 100 countrywide public consultations. The bill allows for President David Granger to appoint two constitutional law experts.

Eleven of the other members will be nominated each from the parliamentary parties; trade union movement; organisations representing Guyanese youths; the Guyana Bar Association; the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers; Christian, Muslim, and Hindu organisations and the National Toshaos Council.

The bill states that if any entity fails to make a nomination, the President shall appoint a member to represent that entity after due consultation.

The six criteria for selecting membership of the Commission shall include experience, knowledge of Guyana’s Constitution, commitment, academic expertise, and practical ex-

pertise.

Further, the Commission will be tasked with assisting the Standing Committee in the Committee’s review of how effectively Guyana’s Constitution has been working and to ascertain the views from Guyanese through consultations in the 10 Administrative Regions. TURN TO PAGE 14

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friDAY, july 28, 2017

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

Substance abuse is recipe for tragedy

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eautiful 23-year-old Delaney Farrel overdosed from heroin and died recently; but she’s left behind a heartwrenching poem that resounds in the hearts of many who are afflicted with the desperate need for their ‘fix’ of choice, and their desperate families. The poem, found by her mother in a diary she left behind, is evocative of the struggles of every addict. In her moments of lucidity she wrote: “Funny, I don’t remember no good dope days. I remember walking for miles in a dope fiend haze. I remember sleeping in houses that had no electric. I remember being called a junkie, but I couldn’t accept it. I remember hanging out in abandos that were empty and dark. I remember shooting up in the bathroom and falling out at the park. I remember nodding out in front of my sisters kid. I remember not remembering half of the things that I did. I remember the dope man’s time frame, just ten more minutes. I remember those days being so sick that I just wanted to end it. I remember the birthdays and holiday celebrations.

All the things I missed during my incarceration. I remember overdosing on my bedroom floor. I remember my sisters cry and my dad having to break down the door. I remember the look on his face when I opened my eyes, thinking today was the day that his baby had died. I remember blaming myself when my mom decided to leave. I remember the guilt I felt in my chest making it hard to breathe. I remember caring so much but not knowing how to show it... and I know to this day that she probably don’t even know it. I remember feeling like I lost all hope. I remember giving up my body for the next bag of dope. I remember only causing pain, destruction and harm. I remember the track marks the needles left on my arm. I remember watching the slow break up of my home. I remember thinking my family would be better off if I just left them alone. I remember looking in the mirror at my sickly completion. I remember not recognizing myself in my own Damn reflection. I remember constantly obsessing over my next score but what I remember most is getting down on my knees and asking God to save me cuz I don’t want to do this no more!!!”

Delaney’s parents explained that they tried everything to help their daughter recover and be free from the addiction — from rehabilitation centers to therapy — but that nothing worked.

Almost every day headlines are screaming out instances of abuse in various ways, including violent episodes leading to murder, with all its attendant consequences and in one instance the media headlines read: “Teen dies after being struck to head by father”.

There is seemingly no end in sight for these tragic occurrences, which are resultant upon emotional reactions to daily stresses; but most often the violent episodes are exacerbated by some form of substance abuse. It is unlikely that these incidents occur as one-off episodes; but rather an isolated event may trigger off a fracas generated from cumulative stresses combining many factors that leads to tragedy.

It is hardly likely that under normal circumstances an argument between a father and son can lead to murder, and the victims of every tragic event are family members who suffer the consequences, sometimes burdening themselves with guilt because most often a simple family dispute eventuates into the melee that precipitated such a tragic eventuality.

The violent episodes that have led to murder have always devastated lives across the spectrum of relationships, yet these occurrences seem to be escalating in societies across the globe.

When passions have cooled and the consequences of violent reactions to situations impact on the consciousness of perpetrators, the reality of the suffering they have caused to loved ones, making them also victims, may be a harsher punishment than whatever punitive measures the law may impose on them.

As aforementioned, oftentimes these disturbances that eventuate into murderous melees are caused by impaired senses due to over-the-limit consumption of alcohol, or usage of illicit and addictive drugs; or even as a consequence of uncontrollable anger due to a multiplicity of personal and societal stressors, yet authorities only act after the fact, instead of providing facilitating mechanisms to provide assistance of substance abusers and their families.

A squirrel monkey rests on a tree branch on a hot day at a zoo in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China (Reuters/Stringer)

Amerindians, Indians, others entitled to reparations Dear Editor, Descendants of slaves are seeking reparations (compensation) for the inhumane treatment meted out to their ancestors. Indians, Amerindians, Chinese and Portuguese also suffered inhumane conditions under indentured labour; their descendants are also entitled to reparations.

As the world celebrates Emancipation Day on August 1, attention should also be focused on how to observe liberation from indenture and obtain compensation, especially with this year being the 100th anniversary since the abolition of that inhumane system of labour.

It is indisputable that slavery and indentureship were among the most heinous and inhumane crimes committed on people in the New World in the name of colonialism and capitalism. The indignity the slaves and indentured suffered during the periods of slavery and indentureship is amply documented. African nationalists have justifiably led the battle for reparation for descendants of Blacks for African enslavement. And these nationalists have been given recognition and support by Caricom governments. Caricom established (in 2013) a reparation commission to pursue compensation to be doled out to descendants of

the victims of slavery. For fairness, Caricom should do same for the victims of indenture.

It would have been ideal for descendants of slaves to join with descendants of indentured servants and descendants of native genocide to pursue reparative justice from Europeans. But African nationalists and Caricom governments want to pursue their own struggle for compensation for Blacks in the Caribbean, to the exclusion of other groups.

This leaves the victims of indentureship and native genocide to seek their own compensation, separately as distinct groups, or in unison. It is important to make people understand that indentureship was a form of slavery, and that it was wrong. Reparation is to make some meaningful compensation to assist those affected by the system of indentureship – especially those living in abject poverty and illiteracy since colonial days, etc.

The precedence of granting compensation for victims of various crimes has been widely established. People or businesses were paid for broken contracts and injustice since the 1800s. The US set aside funds for the native Indians.

France demanded reparations from Haiti for (Haiti) breaking away. Europe demanded and received reparations from

Germany. Britain doled out funds to businesses for freeing the slaves in 1834. America paid the Japanese for putting the Japanese in a camp. The plantation owners received compensation for ending slavery and indentureship; the victims did not receive compensation for broken contracts. And there was no compensation for crimes related to indentureship, breaking of contracts, cheating of indentured servants, etc. Today, 100 years later, many of the descendants of indentured servants live in institutional poverty; they suffer from high unemployment, lack of skills, etc. Specific unjustified harms against them have been identified.

The wrongs the ancestors of present day descendants of indentured servants suffered were/are largely the cause of their current condition. These wrongs must be corrected, and this can be done through a reparation programme, to help facilitate the development of the various groups that need to uplift themselves.

And the European powers can afford to set up this small fund. The economies and wealth of the major European countries were built on the backs of the indentured labourers after the collapse of the sugar estates following the abolition of slavery in 1838. It was

the Indian indentured servants who rebuilt the economies of the major European powers post slavery. Sugar and other agro products linked to the indentured servants became the dominant commodities during that period. The Indians and others were enslaved and robbed of their labour; the productivity of their labour was used to enrich Europe and the colonies themselves, as well as their companies that pursued wealth in the colonies.

Funds can be used for training in various skills that can help with economic, social and political upliftment of the descendants of these countless victims of indentureship and native genocide. Funds can be used for developing institutions to advance education to eradicate illiteracy as well as to promote better health care. Youths can receive STEM and agricultural training for agro-industries. Scholarships can be offered to youngsters to acquire skills in the European countries.

It is indisputable that reparations are due the descendants of indentured servants and native genocide, to help these depressed communities to transform their lives and improve their standard of living.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Another call for urgent establishment of Local Government Commission Dear Editor, Statistically, sometimes we do not have to go back very far to accurately project the outcomes and likely results of certain behaviours. Likewise, one could anticipate with robust certainty that the many prejudiced decisions coming out of the Ministry of Communities with the blessings of Cabinet were to have

significant current and future negative spin-offs. It could be likened to taking an exploratory forest adventure while marking your return path with salt.

Then when you have travelled several miles into unchartered territory, the rain falls!!!!!!!!

Such has been the mantra of the APNU/AFC coalition on many Local Government and

other important issues. The recent heavy rainfall has certainly exposed their ability to govern this country in the interest of most citizens. At the same time, the elements continuously highlight the numerous falsities in their farcical agendas.

This writer has, on numerous occasions, drawn attention to the jaundiced approached by

the Minister to the empowerment of the elected councils in many Local Authority Areas (LGAs). The fact that the several Regional Executive Officers and Overseers are allowed to do whatever they wish at the fancy of the Minister is actually an indictment on democracy at even the regional and community levels. continued on page 5

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, july 28, 2017

5

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

This is mud offered to mess with our minds Dear Editor, I refer to a letter titled, “Why did Buxton reject the 2017 prison escapee?” by Mr. Frederick Kissoon (July 24, 2017, KN). In it, Mr Kissoon made a number of questionable statements.

First, he is attempting to create an impression that the 2002 escapees had big support from drug lords, when he says: “The 2002 escapees also had drug connections and were helped by those drug lords to embed themselves in Buxton.”

I sincerely doubt this to be true. It may be true that some small-time dealers became ensnared in the 2002

escapees’ web of violence; or the escapees used drugs or had worked for drug lord before; and maybe drugs were used as part of their payment for crimes committed.

But as far as popular opinion went, persons commonly referred to as drug lords in Guyana did not, arguably, offer support for the escapees. If anything, they fought them.

The public should be careful about any attempt to replace the political support that the escapees received, with some story about support from drug lords. This is mud offered to mess with

our minds.

Secondly, the escapees were “embedded” in Buxton because they received strong political support from a certain section of our political community.

Mr Kissoon is saying very little when he states: “Two Cabinet Ministers in the present government had contacts with the gunmen, one of them more than the other. This was the extent of the connection between politics and the Buxton conspirators.”

That’s all, really? If two Cabinet ministers dealt with gunmen, why isn’t Mr Kissoon asking for their

resignation? Why this great media silence about politicians who helped the escapees?

Who are they? They are those persons who never won a free election on their own since they formed a political party in 1957. Their top political leader then said that Buxton had no criminals. They did nothing for about seven months as Guyanese, including their own supporters, were being pommeled by the escapees, and then said that if they are to help stop the violence, they must first get political concessions.

Truth be told, the es-

capees’ political agenda almost succeeded. They compromised the army and left the police demoralised with some 2 dozen members dead. But the escapees and their politician friends were still beaten. They did not anticipate the rise of the phantom - they invented their own war and then lost it.

This partially explains the silence in the media about the friends of the 2002 escapees (but we hear about laptop computers repeatedly). One primary political leader referred to this loss as the “Troubles” in one of his books. That’s it? The

“Troubles”? How about a failed attempt to overthrow a legitimate government?

Because the media refuses to talk about the 2002 escapees' political friends, we have the new group of escapees.

Finally, if people listen to Mr Kissoon and think the “July 2017 jail break marauders are long gone” and “may be heading for foreign territory,” and “do not have Georgetown-based political connections,” then good luck to them.

Sincerely, Rakesh Rampertab

Another call for urgent establishment...

from page 4

In essence, it is contradictory that these administrative officers are the approved Clerk of the elected Councils, but the Councils are not allowed to invoke fair disciplinary measures when deliberate and abhorrent practices define the conduct of these individuals. The oversight provided by the Regional Councils to many Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) also comes with much bureaucratic measures and practices.

The foregoing often enough lends to counterproductive approval periods and time pressured periods for implementation of approved and necessary projects. This approach is being utilised to manipulate the conditions of issues of contracts, and to which selective contractors are chosen by the political bosses of the coalition for the resulting shabby works.

We have witnessed the constant delaying of parliament-approved releases of subventions to which the Minister attributes several previous performance conditions. Often times, by the time these releases are made, more than half of the fiscal period would have passed, thereby delaying the practicality of having meaningful projects completed.

The deliberate non-implementation of the Local Government Commission

and the combination of the common aforementioned issues have been having significant negative impacts across LAAs. There are also serious complaints of the impassible interior roads, as well as many roads and streets in the LAAs, are now having massive potholes. Amidst the outlined framework, we therefore wish to applaud the Eccles/ Ramsburg Neighbourhood Democratic Council for its tireless efforts in getting approvals, and for the excellent work in cleaning the drainage canals, and particularly for filling some potholes in the streets.

It is appreciated that some NDCs have now receive part of their annual subvention from the Government.

It is also noted the delaying approach of this APNU/AFC coalition on Government is very frustrating and suboptimal to the programmes of many LAAs. Imagine, we are already in the seventh month of the year and the Government has released

only half of the annual subventions to the LAAs. Given that the subvention can only be spent on capital works, the responsible Minister should state when he expects the works to be completed, or whether he has a different accounting period.

As we approach the end of the year, when all works must be tendered out and completed, the Councillors have complained that the Ministry of Communities and the Government apparatus, particularly the REOs, are frustrating their efforts to get things done in the LAAs. It seems that the new approach by the coalition in areas where they lost the Local Government elections is to encourage the undermining of councils by the politically placed REOs and overseers.

It is acceptable that in managing LAAs, all NDCs

must, at minimum, make a list of all roads, streets, schools, health facilities, markets, drainage & irrigation, community centers and all other things to be done, and have discussions with the communities.

The Councils in LAAs must be allowed to function with some amount of autonomy, whilst the Councillors must be allowed to exercise their commitment in tandem with their intimate communal knowledge in working to enhance the lives of the communities.

NDC’s leadership must be respectable people in whom the community has shown confidence. They must seek interventions from corporate, private sector and donors in the Diaspora. Many NDCs are presently moving to make clear demarcation on what are the responsibilities of

the Regional Democratic Council and the Central Government. Among the reasons is that, in 2016, Central Government budgeted for works to be done in several LAAs. However, the APNU/AFC coalition Government has bluntly refused to do the work because they lost the Local Government support in the areas. Another example is that, in 2015, APNU/AFC collation budgeted to build a health centre in Eccles.

We are in 2017 and nothing yet has happened in this respect.

The NDCs must be careful in screening the rollover projects for 2015 to 2016, and 2016 rollover for 2017.

Several NDCs are questioning the Government for not doing what was budgeted. It is extremely difficult for the citizens in our country to live under this Administration,

which cannot get things done for the people.

The biggest stumbling block in the Local Government system is Minister Ronald Bulkhan.

This Minister announced numerous dates when he promised to establish the Local Government Commission, to no avail.

Today, almost all the REOs in the regions are experiencing serious problems because of the political interventions. As the Ministry of Communities tries to direct the work of the regions and the NDCs, very little is being done to enhance the lives of people in the Local Government Areas.

Let us, with one united voice, say, ‘Establish the Local Government Commission now!’

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

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FRIDAY, july 28, 2017

Page

By Kim Abraham & Marney Studaker-Cordner

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e’ve all heard the following phrases from our kids: “Stop touching me!”; “Give that back!”; “Knock it off!”; “MOM, he took my stuff!”; “DAD, she won’t stay on her side of the car!” Sometimes it’s simply annoying and frustrating, like fingernails on a chalkboard. Other times, arguments cross the line into verbal and physical abuse. If you’re the parent of an oppositional, defiant child, you know that when they butt heads with brothers or sisters, they usually go “all in” .What starts as something minor quickly escalates to full-blown fighting and things can quickly get out of control. Parents often end up in the role of referee, just trying to regain peace in the home.

Foundation

angry. In these cases, you have things getting heated on both ends of the sibling rivalry: one child not willing to give up control or take responsibility and the other child who views him as a disruption to the family unit.?

The idea of allowing children to “work it out” during a conflict is that it teaches them how to resolve arguments or differences of opinion on their own. But when one of your children is Oppositional-Defiant, it changes things. If you’re the parent of an ODD kid, you’ve likely experienced the frustration that comes from trying to negotiate with that child. Siblings expe-

Why?

Low frustration tolerance.

All children have some difficulty tolerating frustration, particularly children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). These children will fight to gain control in any situation. The idea of giving in to another child – especially to a sibling -- is unheard of in their minds.??

Feelings of resentment.

Siblings of ODD children are usually very aware of the level of stress in their home. ODD kids often deliberately annoy or aggravate others –sometimes because they are bored, feeling spiteful or feeling miserable themselves. They have difficulty accepting responsibility and tend to blame others for conflicts. This frustrates not only us as parents, but other children in the home as well. They can start to resent the ODD child, who they view as creating chaos and problems for others. It can leave the other children in the family feeling hurt and

guyanatimesgy.com

rience that very same frustration, but don’t yet have the skill set to effectively deal with the situation. They need you—the parent—to help them. Here are a few things you can do: Teach your children how to avoid negative situations. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Walking away from a situation where your brother or sister is starting to get

upset is one way of stopping a conflict before it begins. Help your children identify situations where it’s best to “stop it before it even starts”. You might say, “What does Tim do when he’s starting to get in that angry mood?” Your other child might say, “His voice gets louder and he starts pointing at me.” You can then say, “When you see those warning signs, just walk away – nothing good is going to come of staying in there with him and trying to ‘win’ the fight.

Teach your children how to recognise and set boundaries. Let your child know that everyone has the right to their own physical and emotional space. If someone is deliberately provoking you with words or actions, you have the right to ask them to stop or to walk away. If that person follows you, they are crossing a boundary. Unfortunately, ODD kids tend to believe strongly in their own right to boundaries, but have little or no respect for the boundaries of others. This translates to statements like this: “I know I took your video game , but stay out of my room!”

This can be extremely frustrating for siblings to deal with. If your child sets a boundary with a sibling and it’s not respected, that’s the time to come get you – the parent – for assistance and support in enforcing those boundaries.?

Praise problem-solving. If one of your children does tend to be the one who walks away from fights or tries to negotiate with siblings rather than argue, make sure you recognise those attempts in a positive way. Learning to cope and problem solve is part of growing and maturing. Recognise that and praise any attempts either child makes to resolve a situation positively. (Excerpt

T

he August vacation is usually children’s favorite time of year -but not so for parents and other caregivers. It can be tricky finding activities to keep your little ones occupied during this time off from school. Other than days in the park or by the pool or trips to the beach, what can you do to bring some excitement into the seemingly endless dog days of summer?

The answer: crafts! Here at 62 great kids-friendly

Summer Skies Jell-O Snack

Replicate the bright blue skies this summer with a few boxes of blue Jell-O and whipped cream. This tasty treat is easy to make and can bring the sunshine without the heat.

Egg Carton Sail Boat

Sail away with your kids on this easy-to-make egg carton boat that's perfect for summer pool days. Great for all ages, with a bit of help for younger kids.

from empoweringparents.com)

to be continued

craft ideas that are inexpensive, easy, great for all age groups and perfect to do indoors or out in the summer sun. (And perfect for handing off to your summer sitter!)

Pool Noodle Horses

Glow-in-the-Dark Jellyfish

Turn off the lights and watch these jellyfish glow.

Bring the ocean home with these amazingly realistic sea creatures that are a blast to make.

Craft Stick Airplane

Add a little more fun to a day in the pool with these pool noodle horses. Your little ones will love to ride around on their customized ponies.

Channel the Wright Brothers by inventing a craft stick model airplane fit for the skies. Future pilots will love this activity!

Butterfly Beach Bucket

These flower crowns are easy to make, and perfect for complimenting your kids' fairy costumes! You could wear these with a costume, or even for a fun, spring or summer bohemian look. (www.

This reusable chalkboard beach bucket is a great craft your kids can help make in preparation for a trip to the beach. Inexpensive and surprisingly easy.

Flower Crown

care.com)

7 Expect 2015 PAC report by September – Edghill news

friDAY, july 28, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

…as snail pace of previous Committee causes backlog

W

ith the current Public Accounts Committee (PAC) having had to complete three years’ worth of backlog, it is aiming to achieve something else – the completion of its report after months of grilling Government accounting officers over the findings in the 2015 report of the Auditor General (AG).

This is according to PAC member and Opposition parliamentarian Juan Edghill when he was questioned about the progress of the Committee. At present, reports for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 that were supposed to have been completed by past committees were only laid during Thursday's sitting of the National Assembly.

“The reason why we are now laying those backlogs is because the now Government while they were in Opposition never finalised their Public Accounts reports,” Edghill related. “The Public Accounts [Committee] was chaired by (now Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl) Greenidge.”

“They never finalised the reports, so what is being laid in Parliament right now is backlogs. We have just completed the examination of the 2015 Auditor General's Report in a matter of months. By the time we come out back from the recess, before we start examining 2016 Auditor General's Report, which will be tabled by the end of September, we should have a finalised re-

port to lay in the Assembly.”

Following the consideration of the 2015 Auditor General’s report, followed by the PAC's own report, the Government will have to submit a Treasury Memorandum. This includes a commitment, in writing, to either adopt or reject the AG’s many findings and recommendations.

Excluding the PAC sittings where accounting officers were grilled about the fiscal excesses, the memorandum will be the first time the coalition Government will have to formally account for financial anarchy found by the Auditor General to have occurred since it took office in 2015 and documented in his report.

Fiscal abuses

These fiscal infractions include abuse of Guyana’s Contingency Fund and widespread overpayment of contractors. The PAC, before which the 2015 AG Report currently rests, has been the scene of turmoil for the past few months with several accounting officers having to be cautioned and evicted from the Parliament’s chambers for being untruthful to the Committee.

The last Treasury memorandum to be issued was one in 2013, pursuant to the PAC’s report on the AG’s findings of the year 2009.

It, therefore, means that the PAC will have its work cut out before getting to the coalition Government’s spending.

One of the many exchanges during the PAC sessions, with Chairman Irfaan Ali demanding answers from accounting officers

Already, the Government has adopted a defensive stance on the AG’s report, with Finance Minister Winston Jordan being heavily critical of some of the findings. In fact, Jordan went so far to state that the AG’s interpretation of what counts as emergency spending “doesn’t count under the law”.

But the 2015 AG’s report had exposed instances of the Contingency Fund being abused under the present Government. One culprit cited by the report had been the Office of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

AG Deodat Sharma in his report stated that Nagamootoo’s office in December 2015 requested an advance of $11 million from the Contingency Fund, and stated the reason for the advance was for the

Government Information Agency (GINA) to offset part of its debt to the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL), publisher of the Guyana Chronicle newspaper.

The money was used for the debt, but a portion was

also used for another purpose, which constitutes a breach of the financial regulations.

This is based on the fact that the payment of GINA’s debt to GNNL does not constitute an emergency but rather a routine expenditure and, therefore, the Contingency Fund should not have been used. This expense should have been budgeted for in the annual budget.

According to Sharma’s report, an examination of the requisite payment vouchers and other supporting documents revealed that GINA paid the GNNL the sum of $9.45 million, while the remaining $1.55 million was used to pay employees of GINA non-taxable bonuses for 2015.

The Contingency Fund was established as a subfund to the Consolidated Fund, commonly referred to as the Treasury. The use of

the Contingency Fund for the routine expenditure is a breach of the financial principles.

Under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 2003, Section 41 (3), “The Minister, when satisfied that an urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen need for expenditure has arisen – (a) for which no monies have been appropriated or for which the sum appropriated is insufficient; (b) for which monies cannot be reallocated as provided for under this Act; or (c) which cannot be deferred without injury to the public interest, may approve a Contingencies Fund advance as an expenditure out of the Consolidated Fund.”

Besides other instances of abuse of the Contingency Fund, there have been cases of overpayment to contractors.

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friDAY, july 28, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

IDB to offer assistance to floodaffected hinterland regions T

he Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has expressed interest in providing assistance to Regions Eight and Nine -- hinterland regions that have recently been affected by flooding.

Asked by Opposition Member of Parliament Collin Croal what relief measures were taken to alleviate flooding, and what compensation was given to residents in these regions that had been flooded, Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, told the National Assembly that Guyana and neighbouring Brazil have jointly been “looking at the dimensions of the impact of the flooding” on bordering communities in both countries.

He detailed also that the Central Government and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) had mobilised immediately to

Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan

offer relief in the form of humanitarian aid to residents who were affected during the flooding.

Government had made similar response to residents in parts of Regions Seven and Six who had been affected by flooding,

he explained.

At the height of the flooding, Minister Bulkan said, Minister of State Joseph Harmon had led intervention to Region Eight, while Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and he (Minister Bulkan) had led interventions in Region Nine. Some 40 residents who were affected by the flooding in Region Nine were provided food and shelter at an emergency centre set up in Lethem.

The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) had also mobilised efforts to provide potable water to the affected residents in the South Rupununi and other parts of Region Nine, by setting up water distribution access points at the Tabatinga and New Culvert City Pump stations. Minister Bulkan said recovery efforts have been ongoing following the

receding of floodwaters in the affected regions.

There is an ongoing assessment of the damages done, and this would help determine the level of assistance that the affected residents would require. Minister Bulkan also explained that Government does not offer compensation during natural disasters, but would render assistance once determination has been made of the level of damage done to houses, livestock and farmlands, after the fact. Government provided cleaning and food supplies after flood waters had receded from the affected regions, the minister explained; and to resuscitate their livelihoods, the Ministry of Agriculture has also indicated its willingness to assist farmers who have sustained damages and/or losses during the flooding.

NA man charged for giving false name to Police

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New Amsterdam, Berbice man appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Thursday charged for giving false information to the Police.

Mark Anthony, 35, of Lot 56 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, pleaded not

guilty to the charge when it was read to him.

It is alleged that on July 23, 2017 at the Ruimveldt Police Station, Georgetown, Anthony gave the Police Officer the name Justin Tonechane knowing same to be false.

Police Prosecutor Arvin

Moore objected to bail being granted based on the nature of the offence and the fact that false information was given.

He also revealed that the defendant had a narcotics matter ongoing in court.

However, bail was granted in the sum of $50,000 and the accused was made to appear in another courtroom that same day where another date was given.

Accused: Mark Anthony

Hanging matters…

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…on prisons his “prison saga” just won’t go away, will it? Your Eyewitness just read that three of the young’uns sent up to the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) over in Essequibo also broke out in a clear imitation of the prisoners in Demerara. For some reason, of all the people in Region Two, they chose to mug a Government MP!! Do they blame the horrid conditions at NOC on the Government?

Now if you think things were bad at Camp St…then you haven’t been following events at the NOC! That facility was established BEFORE the Georgetown jail… and contrary to what all their name changes since may suggest, their methods of “straightening out” wayward youths have remained the same.

Which is to say…have most of the corrections officers subject the kids to all kinds of abuse, between bouts of imparting vocational teaching. They make the scandals we read about in certain Religious Bodies, look like tiddledywinks! Can someone say how many of the staff at the NOC (school of hard KNOCKS?) are trained for their jobs?? How about you can count them on the fingers of ONE hand??

As your Eyewitness has been insisting, we in Guyana have to get serious about what we intend our detention centres to achieve. Do we want to exact retribution on those “sent away”? What we’re doing right now most resembles this model. The folks behind bars are “bad guys” in the words of our Public Security Minister and we have to treat them like bad guys. None of that “punishing the crime and not the criminal” nonsense – the two things are one and the same and nothing can tear them asunder.

This would explain why the convicts at Lusignan were kept in cow pens: where else would you keep “bad guys” excepting in “holding pens”?? To do otherwise might just encourage them in their “bad ways”, no? But we do have a few brave souls who insist that folks put away can be redeemed and “rehabilitated”. They insist prisons should become “reformatories” that TEACH inmates to see the error of their ways and to change the same.

In fact, that’s the model the NOC was supposed to be practising since the eighties or thereabouts. Hence the name change from “Onderneeming Boys School” to “New Opportunity Corps”. So maybe we can poll the NOC graduates since then and find out how many of them stuck to the straight and narrow after release?

If the numbers are high, there might at least be hope for the ones in the “Big Jails” – even though they might be more hardened.

If not, we can only conclude we’ll be wasting our time! …on Trump vs Trans Another matter that won’t go away is the tension between the US LGBT community and President Trump.

Your Eyewitness isn’t sure if anyone bought Trump’s “softening” of his stance against the LGBT community during the last campaign. Hey! A guy will say ANYTHING to get elected, OK? So, who’s surprised now he’s in the White House, Trump’s backpedalling so fast, it’s leaving the LGBT upended.

Trump’s latest “throwing LGBT’s under the bus” move, is to ban Transgenders (the “T’s of LGBT) from joining the US armed forces. And it’s not just because conservatives outnumber LGBT’s by 100 to 1. Some feel that Trump’s blatant displays of machismo towards women betray visceral doubts about his own masculinity. This is exacerbated by his very obvious misogyny.

He explained his move against Trans in the army by claiming they’d cause too much “disruption”. Why? The rest of the troops will find them so alluring, they’ll become distracted from their job of defending the US??! Really!!?

But wouldn’t they have to be gay to be attracted in the first place??!! …on Cricket So since Prezzie thwarted the WPA’s move to “have a say” in the governance of the country, they’ve decided to “try a t’ing” with the governance of Cricket?? Jeez!!

News

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friDAY, july 28, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

“I’m not at death’s door” – Roopnaraine defends decision to remain in office

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ormer Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine has defended his decision to remain in office and government, despite presenting a letter of resignation to President David Granger less than two weeks ago.

Dr Roopnaraine made this clear: “I’m not at death’s door”, and assured that he is in perfect form and order to undertake the responsibilities of his new portfolio -Minister of Public Service.

After meeting with President David Granger some three days after handing in his resignation from Government two Sundays ago, the former Education Minister has rescinded that

decision and has promised to continue working.

On Wednesday, executives of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), the party that Dr. Roopnaraine represents in Government, told a media conference that the WPA had nothing to do with the now Minister of Public Service withdrawing his resignation, a decision which the party had initially said he was very firm on.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, last Thursday announced that Dr Roopnaraine, who was removed from the post of Education Minister and placed within the Ministry of the Presidency, had withdrawn his resignation after

meeting with the President last Wednesday and engaging in what was said to be a “fruitful discussion” with respect to his portfolio.

Dr Roopnaraine had felt that his health situation was making it challenging for him to contribute at the level expected, but President Granger had assured him during the meeting that he would receive the support he needs to function within his new portfolio.

Contacted on Thursday, Dr Roopnaraine said he is well able to function in his new capacity. “Yes… I am not at death’s door. Of course I have been feeling tired and emotionally not up; but I am okay”, Dr Roopnaraine told

Dr Rupert Roopnaraine

Guyana Times when asked about his ability to work.

On Thursday, the WPA distanced itself from the Minister’s decision to continue working. WPA executive member Dr David Hinds had said that before the letter was handed in, the meeting with Dr Roopnaraine had indicated that the former Education Minister was “very firm” in his decision. It is unclear what might have led him to reconsider his decision.

However, Dr Hinds has said that Roopnaraine rescinding his resignation did not “weaken the party”. “We do not think that the withdrawal of his resignation weakens us in any way,”

Hinds explained, while speculating that Dr Roopnaraine might have considered the President’s request.

It was announced on June 13, 2017 that Dr Roopnaraine would be removed from his post as Education Minister and be reassigned to head the Department of Public Service within the Ministry of the Presidency. While no reason for this relocation was given, many had speculated that it had to do with Dr Roopnaraine’s deteriorating health. However, some days after being reassigned, the senior minister had refuted those claims, saying that “nothing” was wrong with his health.

Guyana may not meet 2020 UN environmental targets – PAC

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iven the extant local realities, it is highly unlikely that, by 2020, Guyana would achieve the targets set out by the United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity, although every effort is being made in this regard. Speaking on Thursday at the launch of the Guyana Project Workshop on “promoting integrated and participatory Ocean Governance in Guyana and Suriname”, held at the Regency Hotel in Georgetown, Commissioner Denise Fraser, of the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), made this disclosure and said that for many countries like Guyana, “it is unlikely that we will meet the targets by 2020”.

The Convention on BioDiversity has laid out some 20 targets to be achieved by 2020. Among these are that, by 2020 latest, biodiversity values should be integrated into national and local development; and poverty reduction strategies and planning processes should be incorporated into nation-

al accounting and reporting systems as appropriate.

By 2020 latest, incentives, including subsidies harmful to biodiversity, should be eliminated, phased out or reformed, in order to minimize or avoid negative impacts; and positive incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity should be developed and applied, consistent and in harmony with the Convention and other relevant international obligations.

By 2020 latest, Governments, businesses and stakeholders at all levels must take steps to achieve, or have implemented, plans for sustainable production and consumption, and should have kept the impacts of use of natural resources well within safe ecological limits.

By 2020, the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, should at least be halved and, where feasible, brought close to zero; and degradation and fragmentation must be sig-

nificantly reduced.

By 2020, all fish and invertebrate stocks and aquatic plants should be managed and harvested sustainably, legally, and by applying ecosystems-based approaches, so that overfishing is avoided; and recovery plans and measures should be in place for all depleted species, fisheries should have no significant adverse impacts on threatened species and vulnerable ecosystems; and

the impacts of fisheries on stocks, species and ecosystems should be within safe ecological limits. By 2020 also, areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry must be managed sustainably; ensuring conservation of biodiversity, among others. Commissioner Denise Fraser has said the targets for marine areas are more unlikely to be met, as Guyana is “sadly lacking in the information needed to

begin discussions on how to manage our marine diversity”. It from this perspective, she explained, that the Protected Areas Commission got involved in this marine planning EU-funded project.

The objectives of the Protected Areas Act are: To provide for the protection and conservation of Guyana’s natural heritage and national capital The creation, management and financing of the

national system of protected areas The maintenance of ecosystem services of national and global importance, including climate regulation and the fulfilment of Guyana’s international environmental responsibilities Public participation in protected areas and conservation. Guyana is a party to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, and the targets under the convention.

10 news

fridAY, july 28, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Kares Engineering Inc pumps million into Emancipation celebrations A

s the countdown to Emancipation 2017 begins, the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) on Wednesday received a much-needed financial boost towards making the August 1 Emancipation celebration in the National Park a most memorable event.

Paul Meusa, Cultural/ Brand Ambassador for Kares Engineering Inc., handed a sizable cheque to Clementine Marshall, Chairperson of the ACDA Steering Committee.

The handover, done on Main Street Georgetown, is intended to cover the cost of the performance fees of the

international acts.

The location has been transformed into the annual Emancipation Main Street Bazaar. The organiser of the Main Street Bazaar expressed elation at the gesture, which she says has come in very timely, to ensure that Reggae artistes Etana and Everton Blender are duly compensated to perform as the featured acts on August 1 at the National Park.

Ongoing up to July 31, 2017, the Bazaar features options of Afro-influenced cuisine, accessories, clothing and art.

During the handing over of the donation,

Paul Meusa, Cultural/Brand Ambassador for Kares Engineering Inc, handing over the cheque to Clementine Marshall, Chairperson of the ACDA Steering Committee

Meusa disclosed that Kares Engineering Inc has set itself the corporate social responsibility of supporting every possible national cul-

tural/entertainment event.

"We at Kares Engineering are at the forefront of doing what we can to build Guyana through construction, etc.

As a Guyanese company that benefits from Guyana, we must give back." Kares Engineering Inc has been in existence for twenty-one years, and has tangibly supported many social events, such as community cricket at the National Stadium and around Guyana. "This is our tangible proof that we are a Guyanese company that is not just about taking and never giving back, and we will continue to promote and support our many events that provide a safe, culturally enriching environment for social cohesion and cultural awareness. “Most recently, we donated some 500 school bags

and school items in Berbice, to ensure that children are afforded the opportunity to have new school supplies to boost their morale and motivate them to understand that Kares genuinely cares," Meusa said. Kares has also sponsored sports events such as Guyana Cross fitness 2017, and has been sole promoter of the Shaggy, Rayvonne and Rick Rock show several years ago.

"We are also engaged in many children feeding programmes, and this donation signals a new partnership with ACDA -- to support their many youth development programmes, such as education," Meusa said.

news

S RAIGHT

WPA in APNU has lost its way from Dr Rodney’s principles ….executives now singing for proverbial suppers – Opposition Leader

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Definition of Dutch Disease, Midstream and Downstream activities

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Dutch Disease explained oes a person have it? Definitely not, it is not a medical condition; it is an economic condition. In the 1960s, much natural gas was found off the coast of Holland. By the 1970s, the oil and gas rush in that country had raised the value of the DUTCH Guilders (the name of the currency before the Euro) to a level where their manufacturing exports were no longer competitive.

In layman’s language, because the currency appreciated due to oil and gas revenue, it created a condition where too much foreign currency inflow (caused by the oil trade) was chasing too few local guilders. This caused the price of the local currency to become more expensive. The more expensive guilders caused everything made in Holland to become more expensive in the export market. This forced foreign customers to dump the Dutch products and look elsewhere for similar products more competitively priced.

For example, there was a boom in cheese exports from New Zealand. The product was found to be of quality similar to, but cheaper than, the Dutch cheese. This situation happened all across the Dutch manufacturing and agricultural sector, causing a major unemployment crisis, although oil and gas revenue was expanding.

In the case of Guyana, if the oil revenue is not channelled skilfully, we can find ourselves in a situation where the production cost for our rice can skyrocket to a point where no foreign market will touch our exports. In such a case, it would make better sense for the rice farmers to down tools and sit at home and collect a Government handout, which can be facilitated by the oil revenue. But that will cause tremendous harm to the long-term productive capacity of the economy, especially its work ethics.

An Example Say it costs a local farmer Gy$1,000 to produce a bag of paddy (US$5 at an exchange rate of Gy$200 to US$1) and then he sells it to Mexico for Gy$1,200 per bag (US$6). In a situation where there is no Dutch Disease, it would cost most farmers around the world about the same to produce a bag of paddy if it were priced in Guyana dollars. When the oil revenues come along, our rice farmer would still produce his rice at Gy$1,000, but now the Guyana dollar gets more expensive as a result of the oil revenue. In this example, let us say it appreciates to G$150 to US$1. Because of oil revenue, the cost of production for the local rice farmer becomes US$7, rather than US$5 before the Dutch Disease. In the new condition, the rice farmer cannot continue to sell his paddy to Mexico for US$6 per bag, but may have to charge US$8 per bag, and Mexico will say, ‘No, thank you, Guyana, I can buy the same paddy from Vietnam for US$5 per bag’. There goes our rice industry, and the livelihood of 12,000 rice farmers, their workers, and their respective families.

What is Midstream?

Midstream is the function of the oil and gas industry in providing the vital link between producing areas and population centres, where industrial, refining, and residential customers are located.

Transportation, transmission pipelines, storage and front-end processing plants are the major assets in the midstream oil and gas industry.

What is Downstream?

Advanced processing and selling of refined products made from crude oil are classified as downstream activities in the oil and gas industry. Key downstream industries include the petrochemical industry, product marketing, and wholesale and retail of oil and gas-related products. This is where the most jobs and the most profits in the industry reside. So, in summary: Upstream is drilling down and extracting up raw materials, e.g. oil & gas; Midstream is transport oil & gas to refineries, storage, and front-end processing; while Downstream is the distillation, refracting and production of the final materials, which we all buy and use and also includes the hightechnology petrochemical industry, such as fertilizer production, etc.

Safety and environmental considerations are critical in all 'streams': in upstream, there is the potential for uncontrolled explosions and environmental spills; in midstream, there is the risk of impacts and, again, spills; and in the downstream, again, the risk of explosions and chemical contamination. You just need to read the accident investigation reports from major incidents to understand these; e.g. Piper Alpha, Grangemouth, Texas City, Exxon Valdez, for a start. Hopefully, the above information is sufficient to push forward the conversation about the production process, which shall be written about next week.

Please share your thoughts at sasesin1@yahoo.com.

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friDAY, july 28, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

he Working People’s Alliance (WPA) as a member of the ruling A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) alliance has lost its way from the principles of its founder leader, Dr Walter Rodney, and its executive members are essentially now singing for their proverbial supper.

This is the blistering observation made on Thursday

by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who was asked to weigh in on the recent brouhaha surrounding the demotion of the WPA Minister in Government, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and the subsequent lukewarm concerns expressed by the party executives over the lack of consultations with the party before the move.

To add insult to injury, the announcement was made on the death anniversary of Dr Rodney.

Speaking with media operatives, Jagdeo said: “At the end of the day, they are all beneficiaries; they will criticise in a perfunctory, peripheral manner the Government and say ‘oh we are not consulted enough’, but at the core of it, they have given up all the principles they once stood for when Dr Rodney was there.”

Speaking for the first time on the public political spat between the coalition members, the Opposition Leader noted that “now they are defending their perks”.

He identified one prominent member (Desmond) Trotman as now receiving a ‘fat salary’.

The Opposition Leader identified other key WPA members such as Professor Clive Thomas and vocal political activist Tacuma Ogunseye as now earning huge salaries

from the Administration “five hundred, seven hundred thousand dollars a month”.

Drawing direct reference to a recent press conference held by the WPA leadership to lament the party’s non-consultation by the President before the removal of Minister Roopnaraine from the helm of the largest budget ministry, Jagdeo told media operatives, “almost all the officials at the table who met with the President, it’s either they have a job from the Government

have drawn down benefits”, and suggested that they would not staunchly challenge the Administration.

He said, “They did a faint criticism and people are going all over the country and say look they (WPA) is standing up for principles...nothing of the sort.” Jagdeo told media operatives it was for these reasons he has largely ignored the internal conflagrations since the WPA leadership was in the end defending individual perks.

“They are defending their

“…it’s either they have a job from the Government earning a lot of money or one of the members of their family now has a scholarship abroad.” earning a lot of money or one of the members of their family now has a scholarship abroad”.

The Opposition Leader was adamant that the WPA members have essentially been silenced in the coalition Government, since “they

perks, and they will find a way of patching things up,” according to Jagdeo.

He said the situation was reminiscent of the Alliance For Change (AFC) which sat in Cabinet and discussed the 14 per cent VAT on education

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

only to later seek to make a public reversal.

“If they discuss the budget measures at Cabinet, how come the AFC is suddenly calling for a reversal now?” Jagdeo questioned. He said the AFC’s track record on such matters includes the controversial parking meter project in the capital city which was originally staunchly supported by the party, a position it later reversed. “Look how long it took them to back down from the parking meter issue after defending it for a while.”

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friday, july 28, 2017

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guyanatimesgy.com

he National Cultural Centre will definitely come alive on Saturday, August 12 as six beautiful, intelligent and successful young ladies take to the stage to compete for the title of Miss Emancipation 2017.

Those competing for the crown are Rachel Alfred, Emaley Nurse, Sceantell Alder, Tinesha Trotman, Amaniah Cort and Ayana Glasgow.

The aim of the Miss Emancipation Pageant is to empower young African-Guyanese women through cultural awareness and education. Over the years, the delegates of the Miss Emancipation Pageant have been engaging in a series of African history and women empowerment seminars.

In addition, they have been engaging in community projects in the fields of Science, T e c h n o l o g y , Engineering and

Delegate #3 Name: Sceantell Alder Age: 18 Education: Studying for a degree in Marketing at Nations University

Mathematics (STEM) and play an integral role in moulding young minds to get involved in these fields to remain competitive in a changing world.

The Miss Emancipation contest is a highlyanticipated occasion that takes the form of an African gala. It is one of the few occasions in which Guyanese adorn themselves in their African attire showcasing the richness of the culture.

The delegates will be competing in the introduction, business wear, evening gown and intelligence segments. In addition, the delegates were tasked with coming up with a community project and on the night of the grand coronation, they will be grilled on the projects’ content and implementation.

The reigning Miss Emancipation Delicia Wright will be handing over her crown on Pageant night.

Delegate #4 Name: Tinesha Trotman Age: 19 Education: CPCE – Associate Degree in Education

Delegate #1 Name: Rachel Alfred Age: 18 Education: Medical Student at Georgetown American University

Delegate #5 Name: Amaniah Cort Age: 25 Education: University of Guyana – BSc Sociology

Delegate #2 Name: Emaley Nurse Age: 22 Education: Diamond Secondary School

Delegate #6 Name: Ayana Glasgow Age: 18 Education: CAPE Student – Queen’s College

to perform live in Guyana on September 2

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Machel Montano

fter a hiatus of several years, Soca King Machel Montano will return to Guyana on September 2, compliments of Banks DIH Limited, to headline an event called “Soca in my Heart”.

Adrian Dutchin Since the announcement, the buzz has been on the streets and people are already getting their tickets early to ease confusion closer to the night of the event.

Machel and the HD Band will be the headlining acts, with several Guyanese artistes also taking to the stage. The band members include Farmer Nappy and Patrice Roberts.

The concert is expected to be epic and the beverage giant is making sure patrons enjoy themselves to the max.

Those performing alongside Machel include Michelle “Big Red” King, Kwasi “Ace” Edmondson, Adrian Dutchin, Timeka Marshall, and Trevor Vibes. It has been quite some time since Dutchin and Marshall have performed before their Guyanese fans and it is obvious that they would want to put up a perfect show.

Tickets for “Soca in my Heart” cost $4000 for general admission and $20,000 for the VIP experience. Patrons can pick up their tickets at Demico Retail Liquor Store, Brickdam; Caesar Palace, Durban Street; OMG Restaurant, Sheriff Street; Quik Serve and all Banks DIH branches in Linden, Bartica, Berbice and Essequibo.

Gates to the event open at 17:00h, and the Farmer Nappy action starts at 19:30h sharp.

Patrice Roberts

Timeka Marshall

Kwasi “Ace” Edmondson

Michelle “Big Red” King

guyanatimesgy.com

friday, july 28, 2017

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s Guyanese celebrate our rich cultural diversity, Emancipation will be celebrated on August 1, 2017, but there are a number of events planned for the entire month of August.

This year, the Den Amstel Dynamic Network will be hosting for the first time, an Emancipation Pageant on August 5 at the Den Amstel Community Centre Ground.

The event will see six radiant young ladies competing for the inaugural title. The delegates will compete in the introduction, personality interview, personal style display, talent, evening gown, and final question segments.

The newly-formed Den Amstel Dynamic Network is focused on building youth capacity in the community with specific focus on mentorship and educational development.

The Pageant, however, aims at fostering community and cultural development while educating delegates about the village’s history. Tickets for the pageant cost $500.

Delegate #1 – Shakira Hercules Hobbies: Singing, modelling and dancing Occupation: Student

Delegate #6 – Yulanda Talbot Hobbies: Dancing and general interactions Occupation: Student

Delegate #3 – Naheeryah Newland Hobbies: Dancing and singing Occupation: Student

RAVI B

D Hitman

Kavita Maharaj

Delegate #4 – Tashana Greene Hobbies: Singing and surfing the Internet Occupation: Student

“Chutney Evolution 2K7”

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to rock National Stadium on Saturday evening

ll roads will lead to the Guyana National Stadium on Saturday evening for the highly-anticipated “Chutney Evolution 2K7” in celebration of Asif Nawaz Production’s 20th anniversary.

Plans are moving apace and the venue is presently being transformed for one of the biggest chutney shows ever.

The main attraction will definitely be the live performances by both local and international singing sensations.

The line-up includes reigning Chutney King Ravi B, Bollywood singing sensation Bindu Kohli, Trinidad’s superstar Kavita Maharaj; Chutney ambassador D Hitman; s i n g i n g sensation Jesh Ramnanan, de sexy Reshma Ramlall, rising star A y ke e l Ali , Sexy Shelia, Joel Gansham, C e l i a

Samaroo and the Shakti Strings Cross Over Band.

In addition, the show will feature dance pieces from the Eshara Dance Troupe and the Shelita Dancers. Plus, during the day, there will be a kids’ fun park and amazing and engaging activities for the entire family, such as face painting, bouncy castle, and trampoline. There will also be several cartoon characters to add to the excitement. The family activities commence at 14:00h. Adding to the excitement, there will be a grand display of fireworks at the stroke of midnight followed by a champagne toast that will epitomise the promoter’s heartfelt gratitude and vehement respect for all supporters – past, present and future.

There will be a special VIP section as well as a VVIP section for sponsors and special guests, and the typical economy category for those thrifty concertgoers. Tickets for the event cost $1000 for general admission a n d $3000 for the VIP experience.

Jesh Ramnanan Aykeel Ali

Reshma Ramlall

Asif Newaz

Shakti Strings

Stacy Katina Carmichael

Delegate #5 – Vilincia Downes Hobbies: Singing and modelling Occupation: Cosmetologist/entrepreneur

Delegate #2 – Shannay Jordan Hobbies: Dancing and playing football Occupation: Student

BINDU KOHLI

eyes Miss Renaissance 2017 title

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he Miss Renaissance Pageant will be held on August 19 at the National Cultural Centre with 12 professional women competing for the coveted title. The delegates were introduced to the media in June at a sashing ceremony.

The Pageant serves as a catalyst to re-educate the public about inner beauty, creativity, cultural awareness and the accomplishments of the mature Guyanese woman 30 years and older. For the next few weeks, Guyana Times Entertainment will feature each delegate.

This week, we are pleased to introduce to you 32-year-old Stacy Katina Carmichael, a mother of three handsome boys. She is currently a Senior Communications Officer at the Ministry of the Presidency attached to the Press and Publicity Unit.

She aspires to be the Chief Executive Officer and Manager of a public relations consultancy firm. Carmichael attained a Diploma in Communications Studies from the country’s premier tertiary institution, the University of Guyana.

This phenomenal woman enjoys singing, dancing and meeting interesting people. She began her career in the media at the Stateowned National Communications Network and moved quickly through the ranks. She became a household name from her presentation of the news on both radio and television and has rubbed shoulders with prominent politicians and other reputable persons. In November 2015, she resigned as an Editor/ Anchor as she migrated to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Carmichael returned to the local media fraternity in 2016 when she joined the dynamic team of the Newsroom as an Assistant Editor/Senior Journalist.

Her goal is to bring hope to women in domestic violence situations and the Miss Renaissance Pageant 2017, apart from fulfilling her dream of entering a pageant, offers the ideal platform for her to advocate for the interests of women all across Guyana and even further afield.

On August 19, Carmichael promises to bring to the audience an intricate combination of beauty, intelligence, poise and talent.

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FRIDAY, july 28, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GPSU decries stalling of negotiations on allowances – wants to continue 2016 wages and salaries talks before starting 2017 negotiations

T

he Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has decried Government’s stalling of negotiations on allowances for public servants.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Vice President of the GPSU, Mortimer Livan, lamented that Government seems to be interested in only negotiating wages’ and salaries’ increases, forgetting that allowances have not been reviewed since the 1990s.

“The Government was interested in only wages’ and salaries’ negotiations, but we are saying (the increase of) allowances is a very burning issue. In fact, the last set of allowance increases were way back in 1996,” Livan pointed out.

He said travel allowance was last increased in 1995 when the cost of gasoline was about $200 per gallon, and now that the cost of gasoline is over $800 per gallon, public servants are still receiving, in this regard, the same amount as allowance that they were getting over two decades ago.

“So it was necessary to bring in allowances as part of these negotiations,” he explained.

Livan further noted that as part of a memorandum of agreement with Government in 2016, it was decided that a committee be established to make recommendations to the negotiating teams on the increase of allowances for public servants.

“With respect to that

GPSU Vice President Mortimer Livan

committee, the Government put up some terms of reference; we examined (them)

and agreed with (them), and both sides were to name three persons. We named our three persons and we submitted the names to the Ministry. The Government’s team -- this was way back in July (2016) -- and onto now we cannot meet to decide where we going with the allowances,” the frustrated Vice President outlined.

The three nominees that were named to represent the Guyana Public Service Union on the allowances committee are Trevor Daily, Kempton Alexander and Morris Butters.

Meanwhile, the GPSU is refusing to sit down with the Government’s negotiating team unless the agenda is to continue talks on the 2016 wages’ and salaries’ in-

creases before negotiating for 2017.

This position is in light of the Department of Public Service inviting the union, in a July 20th correspondence, to commence negotiations for the year 2017.

However, during Wednesday’s press conference, Livan pointed out that while the GPSU is enthusiastic about moving ahead with wages and salaries talks with Government, it would like for the discussions that were incomplete last year to be completed before new negotiations are entered into.

“Given that the union had submitted proposals for 2016, 2017 and 2018, and has agreed to the terms of reference of the allowance committee and submitted names of nominees, it is of paramount importance that 2016 must be completed before moving onto 2017. The outcome of 2016 will affect 2017.

“The union views this piece of correspondence as an affront to the principles of good governance, the memorandum of agreement for the avoidance and set-

tlement of disputes, and the binding agreement entered into by both parties at the beginning of negotiations,” Livan explained.

He said this move to go ahead with 2017 negotiations is a slap in the face of a commitment given by President David Granger, who made it pellucid that no deadlock existed on negotiations for last year.

“His Excellency the President made it clear, both to the GPSU and in the press, that negotiations for 2016 are incomplete…

The President said it’s not a deadlock, it should continue; and it’s incomplete. That’s the Head of State saying that, so we’re taking his word that it’s incomplete and we need to move on,” the GPSU representative outlined. To this end, he revealed that the GPSU has since written to the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Public Service, expressing its concern. The letter has also been copied to the Head of State, seeking his redress to ensure that the negotiations proceed within the realm of the commitments he has given.

Govt takes major step ...

FROM PAGE 3

The Consultative Commission on Constitutional Reform will be funded by the Consolidated Fund, and donations and contributions from international agencies.

Constitutional reform was a hot topic during the 2015 General and Regional Elections campaign, with the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition promising to undertake the task. As part of the reform process, Government had touted major changes to the governance structure, including separate elections to elect a President and National Assembly members; the capping of presidential powers and changes to the composition of service commissions.

The Constitutional Reform Steering Committee that was established would be responsible for effecting the changes to the Constitution when Government finalised its decision on the reforms.

The Committee, which comprises former Director of Transparency International and Attorney Gino Persaud, Professor Harold Lutchman, former Magistrate Geeta ChandanEdmond and was chaired by

Attorney and former AFC Executive Member Nigel Hughes, was established by the Sub-committee on Parliamentary Affairs reportedly without consultation with the parliamentary Opposition.

In fact, former General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee had explained shortly after the Commission was established that the Party was not invited to field any representative to the Committee. He noted that the Party viewed the persons appointed as “APNU/ AFC hacks” and “residents of Office of the President”.

Moreover, he maintained that the PPP was proud of its accomplishments as far as constitutional reforms piloted back in the 2000s were concerned.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has said that while the PPP has an open mind about constitutional reform, it was concerned now about the daily breaches of the Constitution, and law and order. He said he did not understand why Guyana should be pursuing a new round of constitutional reform when the Government did not appear to respect the provisions agreed on in the past.

news

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friDAY, july 28, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Alleged Presidential assassination plot CoI

Police attorney questions journalist’s motives for carrying story

By Shemuel Fanfair

T

he Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the alleged plot to assassinate President David Granger heard on Thursday that senior police ranks at various levels, including the Presidential Guards and Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), were informed of the plan long before the story was televised.

This was confirmed by popular television journalist and HGP Nightly News Anchor

headed by retired Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Slowe, Travis Chase took the stand and said he had contacted Head of the Presidential Guard, Brian Joseph, and head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Sydney James, informing them of the plot before he carried the story. Chase added that he had attempted to contact Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, but this had proved unsuccessful.

Chase also recalled whistleblower Gillard telling him

Television Journalist Travis Chase became the news on Thursday

Travis Chase, whose motives for airing and pursuing the story were scrutinised by retired Chief Justice Ian Chang, counsel representing the interests of the Guyana Police Force.

Earlier this year, whistleblower Andrif Gillard had alleged that businessman Nizam Khan had asked him to kill President Granger sometime in 2015, an allegation Khan has denied. According to Gillard, he had approached Khan to loan him $6 million, but Khan had instead offered him $7 million with the condition that he would not have to repay the money if he killed the President.

At Thursday’s hearing,

that police were not taking him seriously, but Chase said he followed up the story as it was “believable”.

Chase claimed that police had stated on several occasions that they could not find Gillard, to set up a confrontation between him and businessman Nizam Khan, the alleged mastermind of the assassination plot, who reportedly has ties with senior ranks of the Police Force.

However, Justice Chang, as he cross-examined him, honed in on Travis Chase’s motives and keen interest in pursuing the alleged assassination story. Chang suggested that Chase holds animosity towards the police because they

had brought a larceny charge against him when a news entity had accused him of stealing a camera.

At this point, tensions flared as Chase’s attorney, Swelwyn Pieters, disputed the merit of Justice Chang’s line of questioning, contending that both police and journalists have special roles, and noting that his client would have covered several positive events involving the law enforcement agency.

However, Justice Chang told the Commission that the question of the journalist being previously convicted goes to his honesty and credibility as a witness, in addition to the animosity that he possibly holds towards police. Chang further noted that he could ask the question based on Chase’s expressed view to the Commission that police have tried to “cover up” the plot allegation. As such, Commissioner Slowe allowed Counsel to proceed with the line of questioning, but Chase denied harbouring any animosity to police. The popular journalist then recalled that while being employed with the news entity to which he was attached, policeman Mitchell Ceasar had arrived at his workplace and informed him that he was charged him with larceny.

Chase testified that after he could not find or produce the receipt for the camera, he opted to plead guilty and pay a “hefty fine” for the offence.

He, however, feels that the larceny matter was personally motivated by the news’ entity’s owner, former Minister of Government Robert Persaud.

Earlier, in his evidence in chief, Chase told the Commission that on March 30, 2017 Gillard’s interview was recorded, wherein he said that he was offered $7 million to ex-

ecute the act. However, under Chang’s cross-examination, Chase indirectly concurred that Gillard had initially reported that he was offered $6 million. Chase later added that it was only after Minister of State Joseph Harmon had confirmed that Government was informed by police of the alleged plot that he aired the story on April 20. Chase further testified that Gillard claimed the police were not taking him seriously, and at one point,

Chase said, he had even accompanied the whistle blower to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters.

Chase later claimed that former A-Division Commander Clifton Hicken had advised him to be careful after the journalist explained to him that “police operatives” on “motorbikes” were following him at night spots, and had also staked out Nightly News and his home. The journalist claimed that much of this oc-

curred on his way to meetings with Gillard. On Monday, the CoI was told that Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud had ordered the release of businessman Nizam Khan, the accused plotter; his brother Imran Khan, and the complainant Andrif Gillard on the night of March 29, 2017, the day before Gillard became the whistleblower by way of his recorded interview with Chase.

The CoI hearing continues this morning.

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friDAY, july 28, 2017

Regional

Spiralling debt in Barbados Antigua & Barbuda and Trinidad worrying CDB signs Airbnb

S

piralling debt in some regional economies remains a major worry for the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

The Barbados-based institution has warned that the efforts of some countries to tackle the problem are off-track and Governments have to seriously assess their management of the problem.

According to Director of Economics at the CDB, Dr Justin Ram, Barbados is the most indebted country in the Region and there are strong signs that the Trinidad and Tobago economy is headed for trouble.

“Although Barbados is at the top now, we have other countries there that are actually on the wrong trajectory. Trinidad and

Director of Economics at the CDB, Dr Justin Ram says Barbados is the most indebted country in the Region and there are strong signs that the Trinidad and Tobago economy is headed for trouble

Tobago as well, I can say, their debt dynamics is on the wrong trajectory, and if things do not turn around there quickly then very soon they will have a debt-

to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio possibly in excess of 80 per cent of GDP,” he told the annual review seminar of the Central Bank of Barbados.

Ram stressed the problem needed fresh, urgent action and lamented that regional governments may not be following the right examples.

Highlighting experiences in Greece, Italy, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States he suggested the Region should carefully study each case and take only the best practices.

“Greece, yes, [has] a primary balance now that is positive, but general government debt of 181 per cent, and what about the real GDP growth? It’s actually at zero,” Ram noted.

He also cited the experience in Singapore, but maintained it was not the best model for the Region.

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

St Vincent, T&T sign trade agreement

A

new EC$20,000 (US$7,407.26) a week trade agreement has been signed to export produce from St Vincent and the Grenadines to Trinidad and Tobago as part of the growing Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Agri-Export Initiative.

St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar has been working with the OECS Commission, counterparts, manufacturers,

traders and the Bureau of Standards to help drive down the food import bill in the Eastern Caribbean through the initiative which has opened up new trading routes and promotes food production self-sufficiency.

Since the start of the pioneering initiative, St Vincent and the Grenadines has shipped 3325 fifty-pound boxes of dasheen to the United States.

Dominica, on its first shipment, successfully exported

a 20-foot container comprising 425 fifty-pound boxes of dasheen. St Vincent and the Grenadines is now greatly increasing production with 2000 acres of coffee being planted with another million soursop plants, dasheen, squash and other vegetables being cultivated.

“The OECS Commission has done an excellent job in establishing the framework for this important export strategy and I call all stakeholders in the Public

and Private Sector in OECS member states to activate their national systems in order to make this dream a further reality,” Caesar said. Agriculture Ministers of OECS member states convened in St Vincent and the Grenadines this week for further talks on strengthening the regional agricultural agenda, with food security and the agriculture export initiative being key points of discussion. (Excerpt

from Reuters)

Venezuela bans protests before election

V

enezuela is banning protests that could “disturb or affect” Sunday’s controversial election for a new constituent assembly.

Prison terms of between five and 10 years could be imposed on those contravening the ban, Interior Minister Néstor Reverol said.

More than 100 people have been killed in protest-related violence since April.

The Opposition sees it as a move towards dictatorship.

A 48-hour general strike is currently taking place. A 49-year-old died in a protest in the northern Carabobo state on Thursday.

The Opposition has also vowed to go ahead with a

mass protest on Friday, despite the measure.

The ban on activity will be in force from Friday until Tuesday.

“National meetings and demonstrations, concentrations of people and any other similar act that may disturb or affect the normal development of the electoral process are prohibited throughout the country,” Reverol said in a television address.

He said there would be high security on the streets during the election period, and 96 places across the country would be designated for “processing electoral crimes”.

Opposition politicians turned to Twitter to encourage people to fight against the ban by protesting on Friday, calling the

Clashes broke out on the second day of the general strike

demonstration the “taking of Venezuela”.

The new constituent assembly, comprising 545 members, will rival the National Assembly, currently controlled by the Opposition, and will have the power to rewrite the Constitution.

President Nicolás Maduro justifies the new

institution as a way of bringing peace back to the divided nation.

On Wednesday, the US imposed sanctions on 13 senior Venezuelan officials, including Reverol.

The sanctions freeze the US assets of those targeted and stop American entities from doing business with them. (Excerpt from BBC News)

agreement

A

Tourism Minister Asot Michael with Shawn Sullivan

ntigua and Barbuda has joined other Caribbean countries in signing an agreement with Airbnb which will strengthen the tourism sector, according to Minister of Tourism, Economic Development, Investment and Energy, Asot Michael said.

“The tourism and services industry is continually evolving, and Airbnb is the largest game changer in the accommodation sector,” Michael said at the signing on Tuesday.

The California-based service, which allows persons to provide and book accommodations in over 181 countries, signed the agreement in New York. It will start a conversation on creating a framework for taxation

which is intended to assist hosts to be able to pay accommodation taxes through the service.

“I believe it is a good achievement. It is something that is happening all over the world and Airbnb is a good product for us to travel. For the Government, it is a good achievement,” said Alex DeBrito, Chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Association (ABTA).

This agreement comes after top players in the regional hotel industry expressed their concerns over Airbnb, which provides tourists with cheaper accommodation rates than hotels at times.

Locally, villas and private homes accommodate Airbnb customers. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer )

Jamaican scientist’s marijuana-based anti-cancer drug now FDA approved

T

he US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted orphan drug approval for Chrysoeriol, a cannabis-based drug used to treat acute myeloid leukaemia, which was developed by Jamaican scientist Dr Henry Lowe.

Lowe founded Medicanja Ltd – described as “Jamaica’s first medical cannabis company” – in 2013. Its distinguished board of directors includes two former Prime Ministers and a former Governor General.

The US Orphan Drug Act gives special status to a drug or biological product to treat a rare disease or condition upon the request of a sponsor.

Under the act, Lowe will qualify for some development incentives, including tax credits for some clinical testing.

After presenting his research findings at the 2017 Global Health Catalyst Summit at Harvard Medical School in April 2017, Lowe

made the announcement at a July 12 press conference at his wellness resort in Kingston, which both Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Science and Technology Minister Dr Andrew Wheatley attended.

The Prime Minister congratulated Lowe, while injecting a note of caution when he promised that the Government will ensure compliance with international standards, “because cannabis and the (medication) that could potentially come from it are still not recognised in many countries, and some countries still consider it illegal”.

Chrysoeriol was developed

by Lowe’s Maryland-based company, Flavocure Biotech LLC; he insists that he will not allow “big pharma” to purchase the drug, which he says would “park” it, despite the US$15 million to US$50 million such a sale would potentially earn him. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Spending cuts, hiring freeze as Bahamas Government tries to fix deficit

B

ahamian Prime Minister, Dr Hubert Minnis has announced harsh cuts in Government spending as he embarks on a strategy to remedy the country’s fiscal deficit, which is projected to reach $500 million this year.

In a national address

last night, Minnis made it clear the Government had to get its financial house in order, with his administration forced to borrow $722 million to finance its operations this fiscal year.

“In addition to reducing public expenditure, we must move to aggressively stimu-

late economic growth. One measure I announce this evening is that all Government Ministries will have expenditure cut by ten per cent.

There will be no new public sector hiring at this time.

“We will appoint a special committee to advise on State-owned enterprises,

with a view to reducing the burden of such enterprises on public finances,” Dr Minnis said.

Blaming the previous Progressive Liberal Party Administration for engaging in what he called “recklessness and massive waste”, the Prime Minister also an-

nounced that contracts for emoluments, which exceed $100,000 per year, would not be renewed. Additionally, Government is also reducing its fleet of vehicles. Insisting that it could not be business as usual, Dr Minnis said each ministry would be stringently monitored and

Ministers would have to adhere to their budgets. “The former practice of bypassing the Ministry of Finance and bringing new spending requests directly to Cabinet, without review by the Ministry of Finance, is over,” he said. “We are in a new era of financial discipline.” (Excerpt

from Caribbean360)

friDAY, july 28, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Thousands of worshippers surge into Jerusalem’s AlAqsa mosque, 113 injured

Stun grenades explode at the entrance to the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount

T

housands of Muslim worshippers surged into Jerusalem’s AlAqsa Mosque on Thursday and at least 113 were hurt in scuffles with Police after Israel lifted security measures imposed at the sacred site in the face of days of violent protests.

Chaotic scenes unfolded as Israeli Police used stun grenades to try to control crowds charging forward when the last gate Muslims use to enter Al-Aqsa was opened after a stand-off lasting several hours.

“We will sacrifice ourselves for Al-Aqsa!” chanted the throng outside Islam’s third holiest shrine. Several young men clambered onto

the mosque’s roof to affix Palestinian flags, which Israeli Police soon confiscated.

Israel’s removal of the security devices, including metal detectors and CCTV cameras, marked a significant climbdown by right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While Palestinians celebrated, political opponents accused him of weakness.

Netanyahu’s decision followed days of diplomatic effort by the United Nations, the involvement of US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy and pressure from Muslim Arab powers in the region.

One of these, Jordan,

continued to fume at Netanyahu over the shooting deaths of two of its citizens by an Israeli Embassy guard in Amman on Sunday.

Israel repatriated the guard to a hero’s welcome, saying he had fired in self-defence against an attack that may have been spurred by pro-Palestinian sentiment.

The Aqsa dispute erupted after Israel installed metal detectors at Muslim entrances to the compound, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, following the July 14 killing of two Israeli Police guards by gunmen who had concealed weapons inside the walled plaza. (Excerpt from Reuters)

India: Nitish Kumar sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister

N

itish Kumar has taken oath as the Chief Minister of the northern Indian state of Bihar, a day after resigning from the post.

Kumar said on Wednesday that he had to resign because of corruption probes against the leaders of his alliance partner, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

Kumar has found a new partner in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which he defeated in 2015 in a bitterly contested state election.

The RJD has accused him of “betrayal”.

Former Federal Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, who leads the RJD, said Kumar had colluded with the BJP to tarnish his party’s image.

Yadav and his son Tejaswi, who was the deputy Chief Minister in Kumar’s

17

Around the World

Trump could seek ‘tougher’ Russia sanctions; Putin threatens retaliation

U

S President Donald Trump could veto pending legislation that would slap new sanctions on Russia in order to push for a tougher deal, a top White House aide said on Thursday, as Moscow warned of retaliation if Washington went ahead with the measure.

But the idea of Republican Trump wanting to strengthen the sanctions drew scepticism in Congress because his Administration had spent weeks lobbying for a weaker bill. The sanctions, which the US House of Representatives has approved, need to pass in the Senate too before going to Trump’s desk to sign or veto.

Trump’s concerns in-

clude a provision letting Congress stop any effort to ease existing sanctions on Russia. But White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci suggested Trump in fact wanted stronger sanctions.

“He may sign the sanctions exactly the way they are or he may veto the sanctions and negotiate an even tougher deal against the Russians,” Scaramucci told CNN. Republicans and Democrats have pushed for more sanctions partly as a response to conclusions by US intelligence agencies that the Kremlin interfered in the 2016 presidential election campaign to help Trump.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has repeatedly denied meddling in the election, said Moscow would only decide on how to retaliate once it had seen the final text of the proposed law.

The bill would affect a range of Russian industries and might further hurt the Russian economy, already weakened by 2014 sanctions imposed after the Ukraine crisis.

Besides angering Moscow, the proposed legislation has upset the European Union, which has said the new sanctions might affect its energy security and prompt it to act, too.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Chinese Police detain ‘female Jesus cult’members

P

olice in China have detained 18 suspected members of a banned religious cult, State news agency Xinhua said.

The group is notorious for some of its members beating a woman to death in a McDonald’s restaurant in 2014 after she refused to give them her phone number.

The Church of Almighty God cult was started in the 1990s and claims Jesus was resurrected as a woman in China.

Chinese authorities frequently crack down on the cult, having arrested many of its members over the years.

As part of the current detention, Police also confiscated computers and books used by the cult for recruitment.

The Church of Almighty God refused to give a direct response to the BBC and referred to its US-based web-

The cult’s website contains extensive propaganda material

site which contains multiple alleged testimonies of believers tortured by Chinese authorities.

The cult’s core belief is that “Almighty God, Christ of the Last Days” has returned to earth as a Chinese woman to wreak the apocalypse.

The only person who claims direct contact with this woman is a former physics teacher, Zhao Weishan, who founded the cult 25

years ago and has since fled to the United States.

The cult is also explicitly anti-communist, referring to China’s communist party as the “red dragon”.

While many Christian sects find it hard to worship freely in China, the Church of Almighty God is accused of isolating members from friends and families and pressuring them to donate money in exchange for salvation. (Excerpt from BBC News)

At least 5 in abducted oil team in northeast Nigeria killed – university

A Incoming Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will run the Government with the BJP’s support

Government, are being investigated for corruption by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation.

They have denied any wrongdoing.

Kumar told reporters that he had a “zero tolerance” policy on corruption, and had asked his deputy to explain the charges against him to the public.

He added that Yadav re-

fused to follow his advice.

Kumar’s new stint also marks his return to the BJPled National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

He had quit the NDA in 2013 citing differences with the BJP’s decision to announce Modi as its prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

t least five members of an oil exploration team kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram militants in northeast Nigeria have been killed, a university spokesman said on Thursday.

The military said a day earlier that it had recovered the bodies of nine soldiers and a civilian during its rescue of all staff from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) who were on the survey team.

The military’s statement did not refer to team members from the University of

Maiduguri, however, which contributed staff including geologists to the team surveying in the conflict-ridden Lake Chad Basin region.

A spokesman at the university, Deputy Director of Information Ahmed Mohammed, said on Thursday that two university academics and at least one driver were among at least five dead.

Four others staff members from the university are missing, he said.

A military spokesman did not immediately reply to phone calls and text messages requesting comment.

North-eastern Nigeria has been wracked for eight years by an Islamist insurgency that has killed at least 20,000 people and forced some 2.7 million to flee their homes.

The NNPC, which contracted university staff, has for more than a year surveyed what it says may be vast oil reserves in the Lake Chad Basin. It is aiming to reduce its reliance on the southern Niger Delta energy hub, which last year was hit by militant attacks on oil facilities. (Reuters)

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friDAY, july 28, 2017

ARCHIE

You’ll find it difficult to stick to one thing. Impulses (March 21- will be hard to contain. Look April 19) for a way to channel your emotional energy to avoid mistakes and overreactions.

ARIES

Pick up more skills, learn TAURUS from experience and from (April 20- those who have something to May 20) offer. Refuse to let emotional matters hold you back. Make every move count.

dilbert

Plan to have some fun, but GEMINI (May 21- don’t go overboard lest someJune 20) one take advantage of you. A pleasure trip will do you good and will teach you something as well. Romance is highlighted.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

Excess, indulgent behavior and moodiness will ruin your day. Snap out of any funk you are in and live in the moment. Opt for peace and love.

Short trips or gatherings that include old friends or relatives should be scheduled.

A candid discussion will tell you a lot about someone with whom you share an emotional connection.

Check out the current job VIRGO (Aug. 23- market or apply for a highSept. 22) er position at your current workplace. Don’t miss out because someone close to you is jealous or insecure.

Remain upbeat, even if LIBRA someone you are with is a (Sept. 23drag.

Your positive attitude Oct. 23) and friendly demeanor will be hard to ignore and will bring about a positive change in those around you.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Helping others or contribSCORPIO uting to a cause can be re(Oct. 24warding, but don’t let anyNov. 22) one take advantage of your generosity. Be practical and leave time to tend to your own needs or goals.

A job opportunity or a SAGITTARIUS chance to raise your profile (Nov. 23- or enhance your reputation Dec. 21) will put you in a good position. Celebrate new opportunities with someone you love.

Romance is highlighted.

YESTERDAY’S WORD

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Expect the unexpected.

CAPRICORN Refuse to get entangled in (Dec. 22- someone else’s impulsive acJan. 19) tions. Protect against loss or excessive behavior. Walk away from anyone who is a poor influence.

Refuse to let others presAQUARIUS sure you. Too much of any(Jan. 20- thing is a bad idea. Avoid inFeb. 19) dulgence, overspending or taking on too much. Focus on romance and personal growth.

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Personal relationships PISCES must be handled with care. If (Feb. 20March 20) you volunteer or sign up for activities or projects, someone close to you will feel neglected and overreact. Include loved ones.

friDAY, juLY 28, 2017

Morris strikes late as USA claim Gold Cup

U

SA moved within one of Mexico’s CONCACAF Gold Cup record after a 2-1 victory over Jamaica in Wednesday’s final.

Jordan Morris scored an 88th-minute winner as the United States claimed

a dramatic 2-1 victory over Jamaica for their sixth CONCACAF Gold Cup title.

Wednesday’s showpiece appeared set for extra time after Je-Vaughn Watson cancelled out Jozy Altidore’s stunning first-half opener, but Morris struck late

to move USA within one of Mexico’s Gold Cup record.

Altidore curled a free-kick past substitute goalkeeper Dwayne Miller on the stroke of half-time before Watson equalised for the 2015 runners-up – seeking their first Gold Cup crown.

However, USA huffed and puffed and eventually found the winner thanks to Morris, who rifled a shot into the back of the net – securing a third Gold Cup title for head coach Bruce Arena.

USA – semi-finalists two years ago – named an un-

Mayweather v McGregor: Tickets on StubHub for US$150,000

I

t is being billed as the biggest (and possibly richest) fight in combat sports history - and tickets are on sale at eye-watering prices.

When former five-weight boxing world champion Floyd Mayweather and UFC lightweight title-holder Conor McGregor step into the ring at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on 26 August, some 20,000 people will be in the arena.

The scrap for tickets during

American Mayweather, 40, will come out of retirement to face McGregor in the 29-year-old Irishman's first professional boxing bout.

McGregor's lack of experience has led to some criticism of the bout, from which both men are expected to earn as much as $100m (£78.4m).

UFC president Dana White wanted to avoid a repeat of Mayweather's 2015 bout with Manny Pacquiao, for which many tickets fell into the hands

Dana White (centre) hoped to keep tickets out of the hands of brokers

Monday's release was intense, shortlived and disappointing for the majority. But will anyone be willing to shell out $150,000 (£115,000) to be there?

Ticket resale website StubHub has tickets on sale at that price, with several others at a comparatively cheap $100,000 (£75,000).

of brokers.

His solution was to sell seats through Ticketmaster, with each purchase limited to two tickets, and any transaction only possible with a code issued to Ticketmaster members.

But codes - priced at $200 (£153) - were quickly available to buy on

Ebay, allowing non-members to access Ticketmaster, where prices ranged from £385-£7,706.

StubHub is yet to sell any of the tickets listed by users at $150,000, and told BBC Sport $3,265 (£2,500) is the average price at which seats have changed hands.

The cheapest ticket available on the site - for a position in the upper tier, in a row yet to be determined - is $1,875 (£1,433).

Speaking earlier this week, White said: "A lot of shady things can go on with tickets, as if they aren't expensive enough.

"The fight is making enough money, you don't have to go around and sell the tickets to brokers. Everybody is making enough money - stop.

"I wanted everybody to buy their own tickets. I'm buying my own, as are Conor and Floyd."

Mayweather Promotions has negotiated a deal to broadcast the fight in 400 cinemas across the US - and organiser Fathom Events told BBC Sport it expects "sold-out auditoriums" at an average cost of $40 (£31) a seat.

It is estimated the combination of pay-per-view revenue, ticket sales, sponsorship, merchandise sales and receipts from cinema ticket or closed circuit television venues will generate about $600m.

The number of pay-per-view buys will prove pivotal in whether the bout becomes the richest of all time.

Mayweather's bout with Pacquiao - regarded as the richest in history, with total revenue of about $623m (£476m) - had 4.6 million buys. (BBC)

changed line-up for the decider after seeing off Costa Rica 2-0 in the final four as Michael Bradley, Altidore and Tim Howard headlined the starting XI. The Jamaicans made one change after upstaging defending champions Mexico in a 2015 final rematch, with Oniel Fisher coming in for Shaun Francis.

It was a relatively subdued and cagey start to the match but it sprung into life in the 19th minute.

Andre Blake – the hero from the semi-final – was called into action following a thunderous long-range effort from Altidore and the Jamaica goalkeeper showed tremendous reflexes to scramble away the rebound.

But it came at a cost, Blake hurting his hand in the process as the Philadelphia Union star made his way from the field in tears.

The scores were set to be deadlocked at half-time until a moment of magic from Altidore.

Known for his power, Altidore showed his finesse as he curled a free-kick past substitute keeper Miller.

19

Jamaica struggled to provide a threat up front or register a shot on target, but that changed five minutes into the second half.

Watson fired a fierce shot into the net following Kemar Lawrence’s corner, leaving the hosts stunned.

USA pushed forward and looked the most likely to score as Omar Gonzalez and Morris came close.

But Jamaica provided a reminder of their threat on the counter as Alvas Powell almost poked the ball home but Graham Zusi made a last-ditch block with 16 minutes remaining.

Substitute and record-seeking Clint Dempsey – a goal away from becoming USA’s outright all-time leading scorer – then struck the post with a header a minute later.

USA had a chance to win it five minutes from the end but no one could get the decisive touch on the ball following a scuffed free-kick from Dempsey.

Morris, though, pounced two minutes from the end to give USA their first Gold Cup success since 2013. (Sportsmax)

Gold Cup loss a “dagger to the heart” – Whitmore

Jamaica Coach Theodore Whitmore

J

amaica coach Theodore Whitmore has described a lategoal loss to Mexico as a ‘dagger to the heart’ but backed the team to recover from the disappointment and continue to improve.

Jordan Morris broke Jamaican hearts when his 88th-minute shot crashed into the back of the net after an attempted cross deflected off the boot of Clint Dempsey and into his path.

The United States had taken the lead on the stroke of half-time through striker Jozy Altidore, but were pegged back after JeVaughn Watson equalized early in the second half. Despite a late wave of USA pressure, the team looked capable of holding firm as the match inched towards extra time with the game in the balance.

“That was like a dagger in the heart,” Whitmore said.

That’s football. We came up short tonight,” he added.

"But again, this is football," he said. "If you look in the semifinal against Mexico, the same thing happened in that game (when Jamaica scored an 88th-minute winner)."

Jamaica lost their talismanic goalkeeper, Andre Blake, to a hand injury early in the contest. The team was playing in their second straight Gold Cup final, after falling to Mexico in 2015. The win was the sixth title for the United States. (Sportsmax)

20

friDAY, JULY 28, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Cook leads England defence on rainaffected opening day

E

ngland laboured to 171-4 on the opening day of the third Test against South Africa, Alastair Cook helping to steady the ship.

Alastair Cook led the defence as England were made to toil by South Africa on a rain-affected opening day to the third Test at The Oval. gave away England cheap wickets as they collapsed twice in a 340-run thumping at Trent Bridge in the second Test, but former captain Cook provided an excellent example of his staying power on Thursday.

The left-hander made a gutsy 82 off 178 balls as England reached stumps 171-4, a fourth stoppage due

to inclement weather bringing an early halt to proceedings.

However, concerns will remain for the hosts after Keaton Jennings went for a duck and debutants Tom Westley (25) and Dawid Malan (1) were comfortably dispatched.

Vernon Philander was the Proteas' chief tormenter and returned figures of 2-17 from his 12 overs despite suffering from a stomach bug and he will hope to make further inroads on Friday.

Philander forged an early opening for South Africa, working Jennings over before drawing an edge that was taken at third slip by

Vettel and Alonso back introduction of 'halo'

Dean Elgar.

Westley dug in alongside Cook, who survived an lbw review after being given not out to Chris Morris thanks to a slight edge, for a 52-run stand.

However, the debutant fell in the first over after an early lunch was taken due to rain, the Essex batsman impatient with a full, swinging delivery from Morris.

Joe Root's aggression saw him hit four boundaries before Quinton de Kock brilliantly sprung to his right to take a nick from the skipper in his right glove, Philander claiming his second scalp having left the field earlier due to illness.

Cook brought up his 55th

Alastair Cook

Test fifty with a fine drive behind square, but Malan's first Test innings was brought to an end in scintillating fashion when Kagiso Rabada bowled through him with a vicious yorker.

Ben Stokes (21 not out) helped steady the ship and the runs continued to only trickle through for England, his partnership with Cook unbeaten at 51 before the weather ended the action after 59 overs. (Sportsmax)

SCOREBOARD England 1st innings A Cook not out 82 K Jennings c Elgar b Philander 0 T Westley c du Plessis b Morris 25 J Root c de Kock b Philander 29 D Malan b Rabada 1 B Stokes not out 21 Total for 4 wickets, 59 overs) 171 Fall of wickets: 1-12 K.

Sri Lanka in a hole after India score big

India's Captain Virat Kohli celebrates with his teammates the wicket of Sri Lanka's Upul Tharanga

I

The 'halo' was found to be the only device that both successfully passed the test of deflecting a wheel fired at it at 150mph and provided a largely unobstructed view

L

eading Formula 1 drivers have backed the decision to introduce the controversial 'halo' head protection system next season.

Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel said the sport would be "ignorant and stupid" not to use the device.

Fernando Alonso said it would have helped in "many of the fatal accidents" in motor racing in the past 15 years.

Lewis Hamilton said it "doesn't look good" but he "definitely doesn't argue against it".

The three-time champion added: "We are moving towards a closed cockpit. That would look better. There are some great concepts online with closed cockpits.

"When you think about the things that have happened with drivers being hit on the head, it is kind of crazy the head is almost the most precious part of the body and it is exposed."

Governing body the FIA said the halo was the "best solution" to improve cockpit safety.

The halo is designed to protect drivers' heads from impact with large flying objects - or with external bodies such as walls if the car is airborne. (BBC)

Jennings,2-64 T. Westley,3-113 J. Root,4-120 D. Malan To bat: T. Roland-Jones, M. Ali, S. Broad, J. Anderson, J. Bairstow Bowling: M Morkel 16 - 4 48 – 0, Philander 12 - 5 - 17 - 2(w-1), Rabada 13 - 4 - 32 – 1, Maharaj7 - 1 - 16 – 0, Morris 11 - 1 - 48 - 1(w-2)

ndia amassed 600 in their first innings and returned to blow away the top half of the Sri Lankan batting order to tighten their grip on the first test at the Galle International Stadium on Thursday.

Sri Lanka were reeling on 154 for five at stumps on day two, still 446 behind and facing the unenviable task of saving the match with 10 batsmen following Asela Gunaratne's series-ending thumb injury.

Angelo Mathews, who relinquished the captaincy this month, was unbeaten on 54 at the close with Dilruwan Perera on six.

Earlier, India lost four wickets in the morning session but their tail wagged as they added 201 runs to their overnight score of 399-3 before being all out less than an hour before the tea break.

Nuwan Pradeep was rewarded for his lion-hearted bowling effort with career-best figure of six for

132.

Resuming on 144, Cheteshwar Pujara brought up his sixth score of more than 150 before Pradeep dismissed him with a good length ball that bounced and seamed away.

Pujara batted nearly six-and-half-hours for his 153, adding 137 runs with Ajinkya Rahane who made 57.

India's lower order then decided to flex their muscles.

Ravichandran Ashwin smashed seven boundaries in his 47, Mohammed Shami clobbered three sixes in his run-a-ball 30 and all-rounder Hardik Pandya scored 50 off 49 balls on his test debut to help India reach the 600mark.

Sri Lanka made a feeble reply.

Umesh Yadav dismissed opener Dimuth Karunaratne for two with a fuller delivery and the batsman challenged the leg-before decision but

could not overturn it.

Shami dealt a double blow in his fifth over, getting both Danushka Gunathilaka, who made 16, and the scoreless Kusal Mendis caught by Shikhar Dhawan in the slips.

The hosts were reeling at 68-3 when Upul Tharanga and Mathews added 57 runs to arrest the slide.

Tharanga made 64 before falling to a bizarre run out, diving back to the crease and his bat bouncing up in the air.

Abhinav Mukund took a stunning one-handed catch at silly point to send back Niroshan Dickwella, who managed eight, off Ashwin's bowling. (Reuters)

SCOREBOARD India 1st innings (Overnight: 399-3) S. Dhawan c Mathews b Prade ep 190 A. Mukund c Dickwella b Prade ep 12 C. Pujara c Dickwella b Prade ep 153 V. Kohli c Dickwella b Pradeep 3 A. Rahane c Karunaratne b Kumara 57 R. Ashwin c Dickwella b Prade ep 47 W. Saha c D. Perera b Herath 16 H. Pandya c sub b Kumara 50 R. Jadeja b Pradeep 15 M. Shami c Tharanga b Kumara30 U. Yadav not out 11 Extras (b-2 lb-5 nb-3 w-6)16 Total (all out, 133.1 overs) 600 Fall of wickets: 1-27 A. Mukund,2-280 S. Dhawan,3-286 V. Kohli,4-423 C. Pujara,5-432 A. Rahane,6-491 W. Saha,7-495 R. Ashwin,8-517 R. Jadeja,9-579 M. Shami,10-600 H. Pandya Bowling: Pradeep 31 - 2 - 132

– 6, Kumara 25.1 - 3 - 131 3(nb-2 w-5), D Perera 30 - 1 130 - 0 Herath 40 - 6 - 159 – 1, Gunathilaka 7 - 0 - 41 - 0 Sri Lanka 1st innings D Karunaratne lbw b U. Yadav 2 U Tharanga run out (Mukund, Sa ha) 64 D Gunathilaka c S. Dhawan b Shami 16 K Mendis c S. Dhawan b Shami 0 A Mathews not out 54 N Dickwella c Mukund b R. Ashwin 8 D Perera not out 6 Extras (lb-3 w-1) 4 Total (for 5 wickets, 44 overs) 154 Fall of wickets: 1-7 D. Karunaratne,2-68 D. Gunathilaka,3-68 K. Mendis,4-125 U. Tharanga,5-143 N. Dickwella To bat: A. Gunaratne, R. Herath, N. Pradeep, L. Kumara Bowling: Shami 9 - 2 - 30 - 2(w1), Yadav 8 - 1 - 50 - 1 , Ashwin 18 - 2 - 49 – 1, Jadeja 9 - 1 - 22 - 0

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21

Centrobasket U-17 Championships

Guyana U-17s suffer 2nd heavy loss at hands of dominant Puerto Rico D

espite Kevon Wiggins and Akeem Crandon’s 15 and 10 points respectively, Guyana were handed their second consecutive loss of the Centrobasket U-17 Championships when they were heavily defeated by Puerto Rico in the second Group A game they played.

Puerto Rico were dominant in their 115-48 points’ victory as they outplayed the Guyanese opposition comprehensively.

The Puerto Ricans had a 67% 2-point Full Game compared to Guyana’s 37%.

Guyana’s players were careless with the ball, as Puerto Rico managed 25 steals while conceding the ball only 8 times.

As was the case in game one, Guyana had a massive amount of turnovers, 41 in total, compared to Puerto

with 19 points and 5 rebounds.

Wiggins was once again the top scorer for Guyana, with 15 points and 2 rebounds; while Akeem Crandon had 10 points and snatched 11 rebounds.

This defeat surely means that Guyana won’t progress

Kevon Wiggins (white) top scored with 15 points for Guyana

Rico’s 8.

In the first quarter, Puerto Rico almost doubled Guyana’s points as they ended that period of play leading 22-12.

Guyana briefly resisted, and fought back valiantly in the second quarter, however that would be their

most productive quarter as Puerto Rico stifled their offence in the third quarter and easily outplayed a tired looking defence.

The main man for Puerto Rico was Gianfranco Gafral, with 23 points and 6 rebounds. He received solid support from Omar Morales

Overseas-based Guyanese donate gear to cricketer Alex Algoo

T

he progress of National U-17 and U-19 opening batsman Alex Algoo has caught the eyes of Guyanese living in New York. As a result, he has been gifted a bag of cricket gear to assist with his development.

The gear consists of one gladiator bag, one HS boots, one thigh pad, one CA bat, one batting pad, and bat rubbers. The opener has the distinction of being among the few cricketers ever selected in two junior teams from Guyana in the same year. He is from the Young Warriors Cricket Club of East Canje, Berbice.

His benefactors are: Chin Singh, David Sookrah, Ramo Singh, Chris Ganesh, Brodo Kunjal, Mukesh Matai, Goordial Matai, Valdat, Buddy Permaul, Katch, Pampo Karan, Wally Bascom, Devan Ramlall and Shanand Dowlatram.

Speaking on behalf of the donors, Anil Beharry, former Berbice Senior all-rounder, Berbice Cricket Board President, GCB and Young Warriors executive, said the donors follow closely the progress of young cricketers in Guyana, Berbice in particular, with the hope that the West Indies Cricket team can someday once again dominate world cricket.

“They wish Algoo well in his future, and hope that this can motivate others to do the same, as they will

Alex Algoo proudly displays the gear received

continue to make significant contributions to young cricketers based on the recommendation of Beharry.”

Algoo, in response, thanked the donors, even though he doesn’t know most of them personally, and promised take care of the gear and make full use of them. He added that the gesture is very timely, as

his career is moving apace.

This follows assistance given to national player Gudakesh Motie Kanhai, sponsored by Bobby Deonarine of Tenelec; and National youth all-rounder Kevlon Anderson, who was sponsored by Lower Corentyne Secondary School Old Students of the USA.

from the Group stage of the tournament, as the other countries in Group A have each recorded a win, with Puerto Rico having now chalked up two victories to be top of the group.

Guyana will next face Mexico today in their final match.

“It may be good to see Bolt go” – Lewis

– believes sprint king may have been bad for track and field

A

merican Olympic legend Carl Lewis is convinced the sport of track and field has declined under Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt and may be better off in his absence.

Despite the sprinter having achieved unparalleled individual success, Lewis believes the sport has suffered despite of it.

Bolt has been considered to be the sport’s standard bearer for the last decade but is set to walk away from athletics following this summer’s World Championships in London.

The majority of the fans, athletes, and administrators have expressed concern about the prospect of the sprinter’s retirement, but Lewis, once himself the sport’s biggest star, be- Carl Lewis lieves his departure could be a good thing.

“People dwell too much on winning races and getting medals,” Lewis told Sport360.

“Ultimately that’s irrelevant. He’s (Bolt) had great success, other people have had great success, but our sport’s declining.

“When I came into track and field it was amateur and we changed it to professional. I treated it like a business.

Looked at the balance sheet in terms of success. It wasn’t just a great show. Was the sport sold out, did it expand? I think there’s an opportunity to change direction a little.

Lewis believes a part of the sport’s decline has interestingly come from Americans not being at the top of the sprinting pyramid. “…When you’re American there’s a different scrutiny, a difUsain Bolt ferent level of expectations. As Americans, we’re the richest country in the world, so when we’re successful, money follows you.

Whether it was me, Jesse, Edwin Moses, Michael Johnson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, when we’re successful, America’s excited so American corporations are excited,” Lewis said.

“When we’re not successful, there are no American sponsors at the IAAF anymore, they’re gone. I hate to say it but it’s important for Americans to be successful. Our country and sponsors are excited about our sport.”

Lewis is the owner of 9 Olympic gold medals and eight World Championships. (Sportsmax)

22 Green Machine bidding to emulate 2014 win against USA South Panthers

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

fridAY, july 28, 2017

– RAN’s North vs South Championships

W

hen the Green Machine ruggers clash with the USA South Panthers on Saturday, they will be aiming to emulate their 2014 achievement of defeating the same opposition, this time in front of home fans in their backyard.

Captain of the Green Machine, Ryan Gonsalves, revealed that his team are well aware of the physicality of the South Panthers players, and thus have been working on the technical aspect of their game as they look to maximize every possible advantage that could help them win.

“We have been working on our technical aspect because we are well aware of the South Panthers’ size, their weight; they’ll have bigger guys than we played against Trinidad, so we are

really working in our technical department so we could stop them at the gainline.”

The current team is made up of 50% of the victorious 2014 squad that won Guyana’s maiden RAN Championship.

Another factor that will be of tremendous value to the Green Machine, according to Gonsalves, is the crowd support that comes with being the home team.

“With having a huge crowd support at home, it really brings out the best in you as a player. You want to play and do your best in front of your home crowd. What goes for me goes for everyone in the team as well, they feel the same about playing home. We are more happy to be playing the USA South Panthers here at home rather than to be playing Mexico

at home in Mexico. Actually, this is a bonus for us, and we’re going to use it to the best of our advantage, and we really look forward to Saturday’s game.”

Asked about the level of the team’s fitness, Gonsalves was keen to point out that while the condition of the field in which the team trains is not ideal, he believes that “the guys are going to play 90 minutes” and pace themselves accordingly. He also revealed that the team has been working on getting the “bigger guys” faster and more agile as they seek to have a welloiled “Green Machine” to take on the South Panthers.

Guyana will host the United States of America (USA) South Panthers on Saturday July 29, for the Rugby Americas North (RAN) North versus South

Green Machine Captain Ryan Gonsalves collects a sponsorship package from a Banks DIH representative

Championship.

After defeating Trinidad and Tobago 24-17 to win the South Championship, the initial prediction was that Guyana would travel to Mexico City to play the home side.

However, Mexico suffered a 39-17 loss to Cayman Islands, which meant that USA South topped their group and are the North zone champions.

The game will kick off at 2pm on Saturday at the West end of the National Park.

TIGI concerned about lack of transparency, accountability at GCB

Petra/Corona Football tournament

Action resumes today with triple-header at GFC Dr Troy Thomas, President of TIGI

By Delvon McEwan

D

A

fter a prolonged halt due to the inclement weather, the Petra-organised Corona Football Tournament will return this weekend with six matches, with today seeing the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground at Bourda being turned into a football fiesta with a highly anticipated triple-header.

The opening match will see the hungry Pele FC in search of their first win when they play Eastveldt at 17:00 hrs.

After this match, Santos will face a winless Riddim Squad, from 19:00 hrs; while, at 21:00 hrs Northern Rangers will battle Flamingo, the opponent against whom they drew their last match.

On Sunday, the home side will clash with Black Pearl, from 17:00 hrs; and this

will be followed by Western Tigers going on the prowl.

On the opening night of the tournament, Santos FC played fluid and attacking football to convincingly beat Pele FC 4-0, while Rangers needed a goal on both sides of halftime to beat Eastveldt 2-0.

The tournament is being played on a round-robin knock-out basis, with two groups of six teams.

The top four from the respective groups will advance to the knock-out phase.

The teams are playing for a first place prize of one million dollars and championship trophy, while second to fourth-placed teams would pocket $400,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively and the corresponding accolade.

ue to concerns regarding lack of transparency and accountability at the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) -- considerations which have prompted Monday’s protest in front of the Attorney General’s office -- a press conference was hosted by stakeholders of the sport at the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) Pavilion.

Transparent Institute Guyana Inc. found it necessary to lend support to mend fences and return operation to normalcy nationwide.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport on Wednesday, TIGI President, Dr Troy Thomas, said the concerns for transparent operation within a public organization are necessary, otherwise there will be a need for regularization; thus his institution will have a role to play.

In this case, there are continuous calls for immediate elections to be held at the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), since one has not been held there since 2009.

Because due process has not been adhered to, Thomas noted, there will be issues pertaining to transparency and accountability; who is responsible, and for whom they are responsible.

Initially, TIGI wanted to meet with the GCB officials and the stakeholders to chart a positive way forward, but that never materialized.

Alfred Bhulai, Director of TIGI, was not present at the press conference, but expressed his concerned via a message which was read by former national cricketer Neil Barry, who chaired the event.

“Transparency Institute (Guyana) Inc is pleased to send this large reminder to the Government to execute its duties in a timely manner. Cricket is the national sport that binds and inspires us most, and this long continuance of the lack of transparency and accountability by the present officials purporting to represent Guyana at West Indies and ICC levels is corrupting the fairness associated with the word ‘cricket’ here in our country. The cricket stakeholders may therefore certainly be assured that TIGI will continue to be concerned until transparency and accountability are fully restored.”

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, july 28, 2017

23

Harper elated to have Azam in Warriors’ squad G

uyana Amazon Warriors’ Head Coach Roger Harper has expressed his elation at having prolific Pakistani batsman Babar Azam in the squad as a replacement for injured Australian batsman Chris Lynn, for the upcoming Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) tournament, which begins on August 4th.

In a CPL release on Thursday, Harper was quoted as saying, “We are hugely disappointed to lose the talent of Chris Lynn to shoulder injury. He was the leading scorer last year, and we were happy to have him back. However, we are extremely delighted in getting a world-class replacement in Babar Azam. He is one of the most exciting batsmen in the world, and we are sure that he will be a huge success for us at Hero CPL 2017.”

Babar was a vital part of the Pakistan team that won the ICC Champions Trophy in England in June 2017, scoring 46 in the win in the final against India. The Guyana Amazon Warriors will be hoping that Babar can help them to their maiden Hero CPL title, just as he helped Pakistan to their triumph at the Champions Trophy.

The other members of the Amazon Warriors squad are Martin Guptill, Rayad Emrit, Sohail Tanveer, Jason Mohammed, Chadwick Walton, Rashid Khan, Steven Taylor, Keon Joseph, Gajanand Singh, Roshon Primus, Veerasammy Permaul, Assad Fudadin, Steven Jacobs, Steven Katwaroo, Keemo Paul and Muhammad Ali Khan.

The Warriors got down to business on Wednesday with training sessions at the National Stadium, ahead of their first match against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Florida on August 5.

Amazon Warriors’ Head Coach Roger Harper

Digicel Schools Football Championships

Sensational Annai book blockbuster final with Chase’s

By Akeem Greene

N

ever say Never! That was the resounding lesson learnt when Annai Secondary staged a remarkable resurgence in their game against Caesar Fox Secondary (commonly called Waramadong), coming from four goals down to defeat DC seven goals to five and set up what is expected to be a thrilling final with Chase’s Academic Foundation in the seventh staging of the Digicel Schools Football Championships.

It was a 12-goal thriller that will long be remembered by those who attended the National Track and Field Facility at Leonora, WCD on Thursday, as Annai orchestrated the greatest of heists to be seen in school football.

Waramadong seemed to have the game in the bag, taking a 4-2 lead at half time, courtesy of goals from Reon McNaughton (4th &12th), Alvon Hunter (16th) and Nadir Walker (28th) . Their joy was short-lived though, as the duo of Sherral and Nadison Daniels wove their way to skillful goals in the 35th and 39th minutes respectively, to bring the sizable viewership on the edge of their seats with non-stop pulsating action.

The second half proved to be a fulfillment of breathtaking action, with no one left seated, but rather jumping and shouting support for

their respective teams.

Javin Castro reasserted Waramadong’s dominance at that stage with a goal in the 56th which set the stage for a proliferation of masterfully compiled goals by the Region Nine unit.

Annai, who were guilty of playing with a high backline, found smooth riddim when Vasco Cabral’s right-

penalty area in the 93rd minute.

Chase in another final

Defending champions Chase’s Academic Foundation booked their third consecutive final by defeating arch rivals Christianburg/Wismar Secondary 5-4 on sudden death penalty kicks.

The first semi-final was

The fans were out in their numbers cheering their teams

Chase were kept on their toes with some skilful runs but managed to thwart Christianburg/Wismar with compact defending

foot bullet flew past an unmoved keeper. The equalizer

by Daniels one minute later sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Naidison curled the ball with his left foot from the edge of the box in a bauty to behold.

National player Orville Daniels then scored a jaw-dropping goal, taking aim from around 35 yards to place the ball perfectly to the diving keepers left in the 92nd minute.

Whittaker Paul then hammered the final nail in the coffin with his powerful right-foot shot from inside the

what many had hoped to be a final, and it certainly proved to be wholesome entertainment, with the score ending 2-2. Captain Jermey Garrett made the first impression in the 26th with his powerful right shot which took a deflection into goal. Eleven minutes later, the Linden unit, which held the title for four consecutive years, levelled the scores

in stupendous fashion via an Omar Bewley free-kick.

On the brink of half time, Kevin Padmore intercepted a pass from the right flank to head his team in the lead. It set the stage for intriguing second half. With possession swinging between both teams and numerous chances left wanting, Jehu Regis brought the match level once more,

Goal! Ryan Hackett sinks one of the critical goals during the intense penalty shootout (Akeem Greene photos)

courtesy of a defensive blunder in the 56th minute.

The penalty shootout had both sides on their nerves.

The Linden unit took the first shot and sent it wide.

Both sides then kept it perfect until Chase missed fourth kick, courtesy of acrobatic goal keeping.

The sudden death saw Linden making another mishap, which caused them the match.

The champion team is set to win the coveted championship trophy and $1,000,000, which goes towards a school project of their choice.

Second to fourth placed teams will win the corresponding accolade and $700,000, $400,000 and $350,000 respectively, for a school project of their choice.

Sunday’s final will be played at the aforementioned venue with the third-place play-off starting at 16:00 hrs and the final from 18:00 hrs.

18:00 hrs.

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

FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Green Machine bidding to emulate 2014 win against USA South Panthers Harper elated to have Azam in Warriors’ squad

Pg 22

Pg 23 The Green Machine will look to defeat the USA South Panthers on home soil when they clash in the RAN’s North vs South Zone Championships

Digicel’s Schools Football Championship

Sensational Annai book blockbuster final with Chase Pg 23

Annai stayed calm to register a memorable win to earn a spot in the final

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