Guyanatimes 4 january 2018

300 Region 9 elders still to receive pension books P 7

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

Issue No. 3440

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Thursday, January 4, 2018

PRICE

Sugar industry

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

DDL submits EoI for estate purchase Page 9

C Division P14 Commander to root out rogue ranks

2 Berbice homes go up in flames P14

Nominees for Chancellor, CJ Woman alleges beating at hands of exhusband P10

Opposition to do background checks on candidates

GDF rank, P7 husband arrested with illegal gun, ammo

Page 3

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo accompanied by PPP/C MPs Gail Teixeira and Priya Manickchand during a meeting with President David Granger and his delegation, which included Minister of State, Joseph Harmon and Attorney General Basil Williams at State House on Wednesday

Corentyne fisherman beaten to death Page 10

El Dorado Trading records 38% increase in gold declaration Page 2

US$18M bonus

Money to remain in private account – Harmon Page 10

Future of sugar industry

Cabinet to make final decision next P2 week

P14 Accused handbag thief on $10,000 bail

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El Dorado Trading records 38% Future of sugar industry Cabinet to make final decision increase in gold declaration

L

ocal gold mining and trading company El Dorado Trading recorded a 38 per cent increase in gold declaration last year compared to 2016.

Having declared in excess of 122,000 ounces in 2017, the company has projected a declaration of 150,000 ounces of gold by the end of 2018, providing that the market forces and conditions continue to be favourable.

According to Executive Director Tamesh Jagmohan, some US$160 million was generated from those declarations, all of which were remitted back into the local banking system thus helping to stabilise the country’s foreign exchange.

He added that another $2.5 billion were paid to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) in royalties and taxes, which could have otherwise ended up in the

El Dorado Trading Executive Director Tamesh Jagmohan

streets causing Government to lose out on same.

Last year’s performance, Jagmohan said, has placed El Dorado Trading among the country’s top gold dealers. He credited the company’s success to his more than 50 staff members at its five locations across the country, miners and supporting entities. He also said that

his company has been compliant with the new AntiMoney Laundering (AML) laws and would continue to adhere to such rules and regulations.

In addition, he complimented efforts which allowed gold dealers to benefit from a 13 per-cent increase in the world market prices for gold.

Speaking with Guyana Times, the businessman is optimistic that his company will surpass its 2018 projection.

Nevertheless, Jagmohan noted that over the past year, the small miners have had several challenges, with most complaining about availability of mining lands.

In some cases, he noted, that there was an increase in production cost for the miners since they were given concessions in more remote interior location.

El Dorado Trading has been in existence for the past 20 years.

next week

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

B

ased on presentations made by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Cabinet will make a final decision on the divestment plans for the

local sugar industry next week.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder told Guyana Times on Wednesday that members of the Cabinet were in receipt of these presentations and would make a collective decision on the future of the East Demerara (Enmore), Uitvlugt and Rose Hall Sugar Estates, as well as the Skeldon Factory.

Holder claimed that the approximately 4000 sugar workers would be eligible for severance pay. Hundreds of workers have already been issued termination letters since last year. While some have already stopped working, there are many more set to become unemployed this month.

“The others would have been retained, some by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA); the Ministry of Health centres; community centres; and community personnel required to maintain the assets until divestment is finalised,” the Minister told this publication.

Despite the Government’s aggressive move to shut down the industry, many civil society bodies and other interest groups have been urging them to rethink its decision and to implement plans that would tackle the welfare of workers. The Private Sector Commission (PSC) had highlighted that come 2018, it would be, in fact, 5000 sugar workers who would be left unemployed if Wales was factored into the current numbers.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, at a press conference on Tuesday, made a commitment to better the lives of sugar workers if his Party was re-elected to office. He noted that the persons who lost their jobs as a result of the closure of the industry were unlike any other person who has lost their jobs because they depended entirely on the industry for their daily survival.

The former Head of State said the decision by the Government to terminate thousands of sugar workers was not one of economics or technicality but a political one. The Government, according to Jagdeo, cal-

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder

lously informed the workers about their termination in the middle of the festive season, and he hinted that that was unconscionable. He further noted that there was a state of depression in the sugar belt.

The Opposition Leader also promised the sugar workers that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) would work with them through this time of hardship and would represent them at all levels. He asserted that sugar workers should be treated the same way other groups of workers were treated under the PPP’s rule, hinting at the water and electricity subsidies provided to former bauxite workers.

“The Government did not have to terminate the employees; by doing so, the Government has devalued the estates.”

The Opposition Leader has repeated calls for prompt payment of severance for the sugar workers, stating that it was the duty of the Government to do retraining of the workers, because there were monies in the Budget for retraining, but very little monies were flowing to the sugar belt.

In May 2017, Government announced plans to close the Enmore and Rose Hall Sugar Estates, sell the Skeldon Sugar Factory, reduce the annual production of sugar, and take on the responsibility of managing the drainage and irrigation services offered by GuySuCo. In November 2017, GuySuCo announced plans to retrench 2500 workers by the end of the year. The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) says the downsizing and subsequent closure of sugar estates would lead to the loss of more than 15,000 jobs, and the potential threat of poverty for 50,000 to 100,000 people.

The decisions announced

by Government were met with various protest actions throughout 2017. In December 2016, another estate, Wales, was shut down and to date, many workers have not received severance payment. This matter is still before the courts awaiting another hearing.

news

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

Nominees for Chancellor, CJ

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

Thursday, January 4 – 05:00h-06:30h and Friday, January 5 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, January 4 – 06:25h-07:55h and Friday, January 5 – 07:00h-08:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery rain showers can be expected in the morning, with light rain showers and sunny weather expected in the afternoon. Partly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 24 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging between Easterly and East Northeasterly from 3.12 metres to 5.81 metres.

High Tide: 06:06h and 18:21h reaching maximum heights of 2.69 metres and 2.79 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:54h reaching a minimum height of 0.56 metre.

Opposition to do background checks on candidates T he Opposition will be conducting background checks on the nominees for the positions of Chancellor of the Judiciary and Chief Justice, before it meets to consider these appointments again with President David Granger on February 7.

A meeting held on Wednesday between the President, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and their teams took place at State House at 10:00h.

The Leader of the Opposition was accompanied

by Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, and Attorney Priya Manickchand, while the President had Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams, and Minister of State Joseph Harmon at his side.

Following that meeting, it was agreed that both parties will meet again on February 7, to follow up on the proposed names for appointment of the

The two sides during the meeting at State House Leader of the Opposition.

The provision was a key aspect of the 2001 amendment to the instrument.

The meeting was organised after President Granger announced at his first press conference in two years, that he has accepted a proposal from a committee that had been set up to review and interview applicants interested in the top

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President David Granger greets Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo upon his arrival at State House on Wednesday

Chancellor and Chief Justice.

Minister Harmon informed that the Opposition requested more time to conduct their own due diligence regarding the two nominees. President Granger agreed to the suggestion.

“He [the Opposition Leader] requested a month to do due diligence which the President graciously agreed to…and we expect to meet again on February 7, when we will have that matter finalised,” the Minister said according to the Department of Public Information.

Meanwhile, Teixeira said while the meeting did not discuss much detail about the nominees and the possible appointments, she said the Opposition did make it clear that “we would do our due diligence on the candidates put forward,” noting that the invitation to meet was received during the holidays.

Granger’s favoured candidate for the post of Chancellor is Guyana-born Belize Chief Justice, Kenneth Benjamin.

And while Justice Yonnette Cummings-Edwards is the acting Chancellor, the President wants to appoint her as Chief Justice. That position is currently being held by Justice Roxane George.

This meeting was held in keeping with Article 127 (1) of the Constitution which speaks to the appointment of the Chancellor and Chief Justice.

It states that both the Chancellor and Chief Justice shall be appointed by the President, acting after obtaining the agreement of the

judicial post after it advertised locally, regionally and internationally.

Granger said he had already contacted the recommended individual who later accepted the nomination.

Diligent work by the me-

dia revealed that the person the President favoured was Justice Kenneth Benjamin, who currently serves as the Chief Justice of Belize.

Jagdeo has already warned that even though the President has to make the first move to resolve the decade-long failure to appoint a substantive Chancellor and Chief Justice,

he would not allow himself to be coerced into accepting nominees just to fix the situation.

Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) President, Sir Dennis Byron, speaking at a Guyana Bar Association event, had severely criticised the non-appointment of a substantive Chief Justice and Chancellor.

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

One hundred years of struggle

T

he PPP’s announcement that March of this year will mark the 100th birth anniversary of its founder Cheddi Jagan, brings home the reality that change in the order of the world is inevitable. It was the Greek philosopher Zeno, who remarked that no one can step into the same river twice, as it constantly flows, so does the “moving finger” of fate. Cheddi Jagan was born into tumultuous but momentous times and perhaps, without committing the fallacy of retrospective determinism, we may speculate he was inevitably shaped by those times.

The son of parents who were both brought to Guyana by women who left India as single parents, he would have appreciated the aphorism of the man who would provide the ideology for his adult life: “men make their history, but not in circumstances of their making.” Jagan’s birth, one year after Indentureship from India had ended and in the year that the Great War (WWI) was to finally end, were in circumstances that had to have been very impactful.

With no additional indentured labourers to undercut the bargaining power of those time-expired ones who chose to remain on the sugar plantations, the struggle for better living conditions was being launched in faraway Georgetown where Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow was organising stevedores and would form the British Guiana Labour Union (BGLU) the following year. The sugar barons, with the connivance of the local Colonial State and the British Government, would attempt to recruit new labour for sugar from both India and Africa. Though unsuccessful, this effort would unleash powerful sentiments that would be fanned into ethnic fears in the succeeding decades.

It is said there are always silver linings behind dark clouds and for British Guiana the dark clouds of WWI provided at least two such linings. Firstly, it was competition for ships and manpower from India to the war-front in the Middle East more than anything else that led to the cessation of Indian Indentureship. Secondly, because of the German U-Boat threat to British ships in the Atlantic, rice shipments from Burma and India had to be curtailed and this gave a massive impetus to the fledgling Guyanese rice industry.

With Berbice having one of the healthiest climes in the colony, even though irrigation was a challenge, the Ancient County fast developed into a major producer of paddy, and with new mills opening up, of rice also. Cattle had also provided an alternative source of employment away from the sugar plantations by 1918. Cheddi Jagan, then, would grow up when the times were certainly “a changin’”.

His father had to have showed leadership skills to have become the “Head Driver” at Port Mourant Estate, and while he might not have acceded to the formal “junior staff” of the enterprise, would have been one of the most powerful individuals because of his access to the estate managers and his power to allocate field work. His de facto “middle class” status – at least to the workers in the fields – would have provided the perspective to enrol Cheddi Jagan at Queen’s College in far-away Georgetown, after the boy had completed primary school in Port Mourant.

The father obviously saw a future beyond the sugar fields or factory for his firstborn, but being located in those fields for his entire life, the father would have imparted some knowledge of the exploitative relationships spawned by what Cheddi was to later dub, “Bitter Sugar”. Jagan, of course, was to launch his political career in the bosom of sugar and those workers were to form the backbone of his struggle for Guyana’s freedom.

In this, the year of Cheddi Jagan’s birth centenary, it is, therefore, very ominous that the industry has been given such short shrift to have dismissed 5700 workers in a year, with no other source of employment in sight.

It would seem that there might be a direct effort to belittle the great man’s legacy, by some who are conversant with Guyana’s history.

An old Volkswagen Beetle sits near a cliff in the town of Belen, Turkey. Belen sits at an elevation of some 2000 feet, just a few miles from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (Photograph By Mehmet Aslan, National Geographic Your Shot)

The martyrdom of sugar workers continue Dear Editor, As early as the mid-17th century when African slaves were brought to Guyana, through the Indian indentureship period which lasted about 80 years and until now, the sugar industry continues to claim its share of martyrs.

The Berbice Uprising and the Demerara Revolution in 1763 and 1823 respectively claimed the lives of hundreds of slaves who revolted against the atrocities meted out to them. Unfortunately, their replacement from India suffered immensely as well, having been fooled by the ‘arkaties’ and promised a better life in Guyana and elsewhere.

During the indentureship period, violent strikes occurred at Devonshire in Essequibo in 1873, Non Pariel in 1896, Lusignan in 1912 and Plantation Rose Hall in 1913 which claimed 15 lives – highlighting the atrocious working and living conditions of these indentured ‘slaves’.

However, even after the Indentureship system as abolished in 1917, the sufferings of those who remained on the estates continued and in 1948, five sugar workers were martyred at Enmore, again because of the ruthless and inhuman working conditions.

One would have thought that in the 21st Century sugar

workers would finally arrived in the ‘promised land’ and martyrdom would have been nostalgically remembered only on certain dates. But this is not to be. Now there is a type of ‘reverse’ martyrdom.

Workers are now being forced to take their own lives in order to bring to the attention of this coalition Government the sufferings which are imminent with the closure of the estates. It seems that the British are here again!

A pertinent question must be asked: Why did Ramnarase Bissesar and Joseph Mohabir take their own lives? In a letter to the press, I had written, “Many of the sugar workers who were given the termination letters live on a day-today basis; from one pay day to the next. They do not have an iota of savings, they borrow from friends and relatives and take groceries on credit during the out of crop period hoping to pay off during crop time… Personal visits and engagement of sugar workers in these communities would have done wonders to appease the sugar workers, but sadly this was above their skyhigh status. Leaders must meet and interact with the masses. Sugar workers are more interested where their next meal will come from and not who caused the down-

fall of GuySuCo”. If my advice was taken seriously then these two retrenched workers would have been alive today, but as I had also mentioned in that letter, “They are expendables because they are deemed to be ‘the raiders of the Treasury’.”

This Government always seems to be putting the cart before the horse and as I had pointed out, all arrangements should have been made to make a smooth transition into privatisation and ensure that the workers who are going to be made redundant are being paid their severance pay.

On the last day of work these workers should have been walking out with their severance check in their hands, not only with a despicable termination letter! This is so callous and heartless! The untimely death of these two workers, while avoidable, is unforgivable and their blood in on the hands of our policymakers! They have been betrayed and killed!

The European Union in its National Adaptation Strategy had specifically stated that it must support the livelihoods of workers who are going to be negatively affected by the sugar reforms. This will also suggest that workers must be paid their severance to buffer any hardships which are

bound to accrue after losing their jobs. Let us for a moment pause and put ourselves in the worker’s position who has lost his job, does not have savingS, owes money to creditors or the bank and has a family to take care of, and has not received his severance pay?

I do hope that the martyrdom of the sugar workers is brought to an end and that this Government not only pays the redundant workers but can give them free water and electricity until they have found employment at least and at the same time expedite the privatisation process so that workers can be employed.

I do hope that the sacrifice of the lives of these two brave sugar workers will not go in vain and their sacrifice be seen in its true perspective.

I do hope the famous ‘candle lighter’ can now light another one for them.

My heartfelt condolences to the families of these workers and I am begging those who are in a similar position to show great restraint and courage!

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf RDC Councillor, Region Six

Objectivity required on commenting on parties Dear Editor, Mark DaCosta in a recent letter described the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) “as ethnic oriented” but not the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the People’s National Congress (PNC). All the parties are ethnic. So his analysis cannot be a fair, balanced and accurate description of politics and parties in Guyana. It behoves DaCosta and other com-

mentators to be objective in their analysis of politics and to articulate a vision in which executive power will be shared by all the representative parties and there will be a fair and equitable distribution of resources among the competing ethnic groups.

DaCosta defines the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and AFC coalition as articulating a

non-ethnic agenda and describes the PPP as being driven by ethnicity. I don’t know whether Dacosta is living in Guyana or is a regular reader of the newspapers. If he were, he would have known that Indians have been marginalised.

And Indians and Amerindians have been crying racial victimisation since the change in Administration in 2015.

Thousands of them have been fired from their jobs.

Many have been replaced by supporters of the PNC. Is that an example that DaCosta feels exemplifies the coalition Government’s non-ethnic position.

Contrary to what DaCosta states, all three parties have ethnicity as their foundation.

Continued on page 5

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

One finds in every society, people who are sycophantic and morally depraved Dear Editor, Freddie Kissoon has within recent times resorted to describing those persons whose contributions to the letter columns of the newspapers appear to support the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the former Government established by it as “slime eels”.

The letter columns of the newspapers provide an opportunity for all Guyanese to express their thoughts, ideas, comments and views on a diverse range of issues current and historical in our society. Every Guyanese enjoys the freedom to freely express themself but should avoid attracting liability for what they say or write. Every Guyanese

enjoys the freedom of political choice, thought and opinion.

Kissoon is an open supporter of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change coalition and a public advisor to the Government (though he seemingly painfully laments the fact that he and his advice are humiliatingly ignored by the Government). Kissoon’s political support and opinions must be respected. Of course, Kissoon is also entitled to critically examine the content of the contributions of those whose writings appear to be supportive of the PPP and the former Government but it is horribly boorish and indecent for him to resort to personal

attack on those persons.

The description of anyone as a “slime eel” conjures up images of the worst human traits imaginable. When Kissoon describes those who support the PPP by their letter contributions to the newspapers as slime eels, not only does he thereby attack their undoubted freedom of expression but he also intentionally conveys to the public that they are an obsequious, morally depraved lot. It really takes a person with impeccable morals to so condemn others.

There is however, another dimension to Kissoon’s comments which I found perplexing. It is to be found in

Who exactly re-negotiated the Exxon contract?

Dear Editor, The nation is still reeling from the startling disclosure of the US$18 million golden handshake between ExxonMobil and the Government of Guyana which was found to be stashed away in a secret bank account.

The brazen attempt by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change to whitewash the expose and its disastrous tsunamic impact at home and abroad, continues to encounter old and new persistent and unanswered questions.

Lies and more lies are being churned out by the coalition Administration, before and after the publication of the contract, to fend off a volley of searching questions fired by the political Opposition, sections of the media and other national stakeholders.

One of the more pressing questions which the Administration has refused to answer thus far is; who were the members of the team that re-negotiated the modified ExxonMobil contract in 2016.

At a press conference held on December 29, 2017, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman announced that: “It was a team of professionals that conducted the discussions with ExxonMobil.”

Trotman went on to add that: “I did not take it upon myself to do so” and that “he never proposed to be the negotiator of the contract...”

Trotman’s confession, however, flies in the face of statements by his Cabinet colleague Joseph Harmon, Minister of State, who, answering questions about the negotiations with ExxonMobil at a press conference held in July this year, had stated; “The matter is led by the competent Minister of Natural Resources...The Government has all the confidence in that Minister to lead the sector and to lead any negotiations.”

Later, in an attempt at covering up a previous statement, Harmon went on to state that “the names of key figures negotiating with ExxonMobil are under wraps.”

“Government” Harmon said, “is not ready for the Guyanese people to know the names of the main professionals negotiating with the oil gi-

ant.”

Earlier, President Granger had announced the establishment of a shadowy group branded the Quintet+1 comprising five Ministers plus one other person. The team, according to Granger, had been established to cover all areas of negotiations with ExxonMobil.

This announcement was later obfuscated by Granger in a public declaration in August 2017 in the presence of ExxonMobil’s Chief Executive Officer, Darren Woods when Granger said: “We have got to keep the public informed to ensure that civil society does not feel there is some underhand relationship between the Government and ExxonMobil.”

Three months later, the disclosure that the Government had deposited a signing bonus to the tune of US$18 million in a secret bank account exposed the deceptive and cynical nature of the President’s assurances.

As pressure mounted on the Granger Administration and events began to unfold an important development took place overseas that attracted significant media and political attention.

In August 2017, a high-level ministerial delegation accompanied by two named officials paid a two-day official visit to the Headquarters of ExxonMobil in Texas.

The ministerial delegation comprised Carl Greenidge, Raphael Trotman, David Patterson, Dominic Gaskin and Winston Jordan. Jan Mangal formed part of the official delegation.

Questions arose about who funded the airfares, hotel accommodation, meals and out of pocket allowances for each member of the delegation including the two officials accompanying the five Ministers.

With the composition of the Quintet+1 still ‘under wraps’ by government it was reasonable to assume that the 5 ministers who travelled to Texas were in fact the ‘Quintet’ and that the ‘plus one’ was Dr Jan Mangal.

As subsequent events unfolded, the Government’s propaganda about ‘full disclosure’ rang hollow, leaving much to

be desired.

To this day, the Granger Administration stubbornly refuses to disclose what the public deserves to know, that is, who are the members of the shadowy Quintet+ 1 negotiating team and what was the role this team, with Trotman as lead negotiator, play in clinching the modified contract with ExxonMobil.

Another matter of grave concern to the Guyanese nation are the much touted ‘National Security’ implications which we were told are inherent in the release of the contract.

Heavy weather was made of these ‘national security’ concerns by the President himself so much so that they were used as a pretext for keeping the contract close to their chests.

Now that the contact is in the public domain it follows that our country’s national security is vulnerable and at serious risk.

Clarification of these national security vulnerabilities, assuming they exist, must be of grave importance to the Guyanese people as a whole.

Matters of national security, in the context of the Guyanese body politic, should not be exclusive to the small coterie of ex-Army officers who now parade the corridors of power at the Ministry of the Presidency.

If the threat level to the nation is indeed high and authentic, then it behoves the coalition Administration to come clean and in the spirit of transparency and accountability, and as a basic minimum, alert the parliamentary Opposition to the nature and seriousness of the threat to our nation’s security.

Yours faithfully, Clement J Rohee

his words “the slime eels are really disgusting creatures in that not even half a word against the oceans, mountains and rivers of depravities that charactersed the reign of Jagdeo and Ramotar can be seen in their columns and letters.” Of the just quoted paragraph, it is obvious that Kissoon uses language for exaggerative purposes. I disagree with him, as I am entitled to do. I must not be understood as saying the past PPP Administration did no wrong, but I have digressed.

The point I wish to make is that if someone is identified as being supportive of a particular group, it would be asinine to entertain an expec-

tation that such a person would offer a critical public comment about that group.

It would be like asking Basil Williams, Chairman of the People’s National Congress (PNC) to apologise to the Guyanese people for the suffering caused to them by the past PNC-led Government and for the oppression and brutal violations of the human rights of our people by that regime. And on that note, we are made to understand why President Granger is on record as saying that the PNC has nothing to apologise for, to the people of Guyana.

In reality however, I accept that we do have, as indeed one finds in every society,

people who are sycophantic and morally depraved. So for example, if a lecturer at a university were to show favour to a female student in his/her class in return for shared intimacy or an amorous encounter, then perhaps society may label that lecturer “a slime eel”, or if a person habitually deprives others of the use of books by stealing those books, that person would justifiably earn the title of “slime eel”.

But before offering such a label to anyone, we should each bear in mind, that it takes a “slime eel” to know a “slime eel”.

Sincerely, Selwyn Persaud

Objectivity required on...

The Africans have not shifted their support from 1957. The Indians shifted in 2011 and 2015 voting for AFC but quite likely they will return to the PPP come 2020 because the AFC to which they gave their support has betrayed them. The AFC has had an opportunity to bring racial healing and to reduce if not altogether end ethnic conflict. It has chosen to abandon its mission in favour of self-interest of its leadership. For whatever reasons, APNU or PNC is not interested in sharing power.

Clearly, the coalition is not governing without bias.

There has not been national unity since the change in Administration. Race relations have gotten worse.

There is more ethnic disharmony today than at any time in the Burnham dictatorship.

Ethnic conflict is not going away from Guyana.

APNU and AFC are not reducing ethnic animosity.

We are not contributing to a solution of the ethnic conflict

by accusing one party of creating ethnic division and not the others. Denial of the obvious will not help our politics. We cannot pretend conflict does not exist. We can’t wish it away. Racial labelling of the PPP and excusing PNC and AFC will not bring healing. We must con-

From page 4

front racism and race politics head on. We must advocate for racial power sharing so that all groups are represented by their leaders in government and they must all feel equal.

Yours faithfully, Vishnu Bisram

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Foundation such as oatmeal, brown rice, and whole wheat.

Whole grains have dietary fibre that helps you feel full and protects against constipation. Eating a diet rich in whole grains also might decrease the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

Purple = Protein Foods

M

yPlate is one of the easiest-to-follow food guides, helping parents to figure out how to feed their children nutritious, balanced meals.

The colourful divided plate includes sections for vegetables, fruits, grains, and foods high in protein.

With MyPlate, forget about measuring out serving sizes and trying to remember whether a piece a chicken should be the size of a fist or a golf ball. MyPlate's user-friendly, interactive website provides simple messages that are easy to understand, such as: • fill half your child's plate with vegetables and fruits • make at least half the grains you serve whole grains, like oatmeal and brown rice • serve fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk and water rather than sugary drinks • when buying pre-packaged foods, choose ones that are low in sodium • don't serve oversized portions • include a side helping of dairy, like milk or another dairy food (like cheese or yogurt) in your daily meal plan.

Here's more about how to get MyPlate onto your table: Because MyPlate is a divided plate, no one food group overpowers the others. That's because dietary guidelines encourage eating a variety of foods and discourage "super-sized" portions, which can lead to weight gain and obesity.

Children need to eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with lean meats or other forms of protein and low-fat dairy products.

Oils provide important nutrients and are recommended in small

amounts, but aren't included on the MyPlate icon. Choose oils over solid fats, but limit the amount you eat.

Exercise is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Starting when they're two years old, children need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day.

You might be wondering: Do I have to serve all the food groups at each meal? And what about breakfast? Do I really have to give my children veggies for breakfast? After all, it might be hard enough to get them to eat them at lunch or dinner.

No, you don't, but do aim to serve a variety of food groups at each meal.

Use the plate as a guide when planning and serving meals. And if breakfast or lunch doesn't include a veggie or fruit, serve one of those at snack time (yes, portion-controlled snacks are still a good idea!).

The goal is to think of the plate as an entire day's worth of eating: so, throughout the day, try to make half of what your children eat vegetables and fruits, and the other half grains and protein foods. An occasional treat is fine, but be careful to limit foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients.

If you're thinking it might be difficult to get your children to take a bite, practise what you preach. Children who see their parents eating better are more likely to do so themselves.

Green = Vegetables

The vegetable portion of MyPlate, in green, is one of the largest portions on the plate. That's because, just like grandma said, it's important to "eat your veggies!"

Vegetables provide many of the vitamins and minerals children need for

good health, are naturally low in calories, and contain fibre. The vegetable group is divided into five subgroups based on their nutrients: • dark green vegetables (like callaloo) • orange and red vegetables (like pumpkin and carrots) • beans and peas (like kidney beans, split peas, and blackeyed peas — also included in the protein group) • starchy vegetables (like corn, potatoes, and plantains) • other vegetables (those that don't fall into a particular nutritional category, like artichokes and avocado) For best nutritional value, serve a variety of vegetables to your family each week. Vegetables can be prepared and served in any number of ways and you can use fresh, frozen, dried/dehydrated, or canned veggies.

Red = Fruits

Fruits take up a slightly smaller portion of the plate than vegetables, but they're still an important part of a diet. They contain necessary nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and fibre.

Great choices include oranges, mangoes, and apples.

Serve fruit a variety of ways: whole, cut up, in smoothies. And it's best to serve whole fruit over 100 per cent fruit juice, as some nutrients are lost in the juicing process.

Orange = Grains

The grain group includes any food made from rice, wheat, oats, cornmeal, barley, or other grain. Bread, cereal, and pasta belong in this group.

At least half of the grains children eat each day should be whole grains,

Foods that are high in protein help the body build, maintain, and repair tissue. They also have nutrients that are necessary to the body, like B vitamins and iron.

Protein-rich foods include beef, poultry, seafood, dry beans and peas, eggs, nuts, and seeds. Soy products like tofu and veggie burgers are also good sources of protein. When eating meats, choose lean or lowfat options and try to minimise deli meats and other processed meats that are high in sodium.

Blue = Dairy

This group includes milk and other dairy products that retain their calcium content, such as yogurt and cheese. Besides providing calcium, dairy products are important sources of vitamin D and protein. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and use it for healthy

I

bones and teeth.

Oils

Oils provide essential nutrients, but you won't find them on the plate, because vegetables and meats are usually cooked in them.

Still, it's important to know about oils, which are fats that are liquid at room temperature.

Most oils (like cooking oils, such as olive oil, corn oil, or canola oil, and oilrich foods like nuts, olives, and avocados) are high in what's considered "good" fats: monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats.

These fats raise (good) HDL cholesterol, which helps prevent heart problems, and maintain healthy levels of (bad) LDL cholesterol, which can lead to heart problems if elevated. It's good to incorporate a small amount of these types of oils into your diet.

On the other hand, solid fats (like butter, shortening, and margarine) contain more saturated fats and/or trans fats ("bad fats") than most oils, and should be limited. Some oils, including coconut oil and hydrogenated oils, are high in saturated or trans fats and are considered solid fats. (Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

nvolving the whole family is the best way to promote better eating habits and healthy activities for your children.

A whole-family approach simply means that everyone – parents and children alike – works together as a team to achieve good health and well-being. As with any team, there's a leader or coach – and that's you!

gin to understand the chemistry of cooking. They'll also gain an understanding of healthy ingredients.

Older children will enjoy having the authority to choose and prepare foods they like and will be more likely to eat what they've made. It might even inspire them to make healthy choices on their own.

Lead by example

Eating a meal as a family sends the right messages about nutrition. Children will see their parents eating healthy food and may want to try new foods. They'll also see mealtime as a time for socialising and sharing.

Parents get a chance to offer nutritious food, note their children' likes and dislikes, and talk about daily triumphs and troubles.

Adult family members are important role models for healthy eating and exercise. Talk about why you eat fruit as a snack, take an exercise class, or go for walks.

Start 'em young

Don't wait until your child is at an unhealthy weight to institute good eating and activity habits. It's much easier to maintain a healthy weight than to lose pounds later.

Be active together

Make it usual for the family to be active, not sedentary. Being active as a family allows children to expend energy in a positive way, and adults get the health benefits, too.

Cook together

It may not be possible to do it every day, but invite children into the process of preparing food. Little children can learn math skills by measuring and they'll be-

Eat together

Family Goals Chart

If you're trying to build healthier family habits, a goal chart is a good way to keep score. A chart, posted on the refrigerator or other highly visible spot, can remind family members to pay attention to eating and exercise habits.

Choose family goals, such as exercising every day and eating fruits and vegetables. Keep track of and praise those who meet their goals. And when the whole family achieves the goals, do something fun together to celebrate. (kidshealth.org)

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thursDAY, january 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

300 Region 9 elders yet to receive pension books

S

everal Amerindian villages in Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo), particularly in Aishalton, are yet to receive their pension books, Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Alister Charlie has said.

“After boasting the delivery of the 5Bs across Guyana to ensure Guyanese enjoy the good life, the Social Protection Minister had forgotten the pensioners of Region Nine,” the MP said.

Charlie told Guyana Times on Wednesday that the region has approximately 1600 registered pensioners and, to date, only 700 pension books were received from the Social Protection Ministry.

The MP said he recently raised the issue with Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira who brought the matter to the attention of the Social Protection Minister, Amna Ally.

While acknowledging the untimely distribution, Charlie said the Minister did admit that there was also a shortage that led to the current situation in Region Nine.

“The Minister related that there was a problem at the printery and hence the remaining pension books will be made available by next week. The problem at the printery left me to wonder if there was a shortage of green and yellow ink, or a blatant negligence,” he added.

According to the MP, the untimely distribution of pension books to pensioners in

Region Nine Opposition MP, Alister Charlie

Region Nine has never happened. He said that a commitment was made by the Minister to have the pension books delivered next week.

Charlie said that he is holding the Minister to her word and hope she delivers.

Meanwhile, Toshao for Aishlaton, Douglas Casimero, told Guyana Times that not a single pension book was received for his village, although there are some 76 registered pensioners there.

Although he was not briefed on the situation, Casimero feels that the problem lies in the distribution system. “I am not too sure if it’s transportation but I want to believe it’s the new staff,” he stated.

The Toshao claimed that it is not something that was experienced previously. He also believes that the new staff placed in charge of distribution may have also contributed to the issue.

He said, “Previously it

would have been done in such a way that all the books would have been here before year-end. These people are coming to us and we don’t have answers for them.”

The coalition Government announced an increase in old age pension by $500 moving it up 2.5 per cent from $19,000 to $19,500, with effect from January 1, 2018.

The increase was announced by Finance Minister Winston Jordan, during the 2018 National Budget.

In addition to the pension increase, elderly persons are exempted from paying travel tax, when travelling overseas on a Guyanese passport. They are also exempted from paying for a driver’s licence and passport fees.

Similarly, effective January 1, 2018, public assistance will be increased to $8000, an approximately 36 per cent in the two and half years.

GDF rank, husband arrested with illegal gun, ammo

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anks of the Guyana Police Force’s Narcotics Branch arrested an East Coast Demerara (ECD) couple on Tuesday afternoon after an unlicensed firearm with matching ammunition was found at their house.

The suspects have been identified as a 32-year-old taxi driver and his 34-yearold reputed wife, who is a member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

The arrest was made during an intelligence-led operation carried out at the couple’s Latchmie Street, Better Hope, ECD home.

According to Police reports, the ranks unearthed an unlicensed 9mm pistol along with seven matching rounds at the house. They also found a matching 9mm spent shell in the yard.

The couple remain in

The 9mm pistol along with seven matching rounds that was unearthed by the Police

custody as the investigation continues.

In its last monthly statistical report for 2017, the Police Force reported that at the end of November last year some 115 illegal fire-

arms were seized, compared to 97 for the corresponding period in 2016. Among these weapons were: 66 pistols, 19 revolvers, 18 shotguns and 12 rifles.

8 NEWS

thursDAY, january 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

NDC launches investigation into unsanitary Chinese restaurant …after roach found in fried rice

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he Little DiamondH e r s t e l l i n g Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Sanitation Department has launched an investigation into the allegation that a roach was cooked in a batch of Chinese fried rice.

The investigation was launched after an overseas-based couple bought the food from a popular Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD) restaurant and subsequently found a roach inside.

Speaking with Guyana Times, Head of the Sanitation Department, Ms Holder (only name given) confirmed that an investigation would be

launched into the incident and possible unsanitary conditions at the food facility.

The affected couple said that they recently returned to Guyana and wanted to have some Chinese fried rice.

On January 2 about 11:45h, they went to the Herstelling restaurant and purchased the food.

The woman stated that she bought two servings of Chinese fried rice and left the restaurant.

“I was driving and my husband began eating in the car, so when I stopped at the traffic light, I bent over to taste the food and it was then I saw the roach in his food,” the woman said, relating that

Hotel manager on bail for scrap metal licence fraud

A

Timehri Hill, East Bank Demerara (EBD) resident appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Wednesday to answer to a fraud charge.

Standing in the prisoner’s dock, Nelson McKenzie denied the charge that between June 20, 2017 and October 7, 2017 in Georgetown, he defrauded and forged a scrap metal export licence purporting it to be a genuine document.

The popular hotel manager was accused of making the document appear as though it was filed on behalf of the Avinash Scrap Metal Dealers.

In court on Wednesday, the prosecution objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the charge.

The fried rice with the roach in it

the dead roach appeared to have been cooked in the food She explained that her husband’s instinctive response was to vomit. “I had to stop because after I showed him, he started to throw up; I had to get him some coconut water because he was so upset in his stomach.”

She further explained they immediately returned to the restaurant, and the cashier who was taking orders advised them to “hold on” outside so that she could contact her boss.

However, the angry wom-

an said that she waited over half an hour only for the cashier to return to say that the boss was unavailable When this newspaper contacted the restaurant over the allegation, the manager who gave his name only as “Chow” said that he was busy and there was nothing he could do about the situation.

Just recently, another popular city Chinese restaurant came in for harsh criticism after a customer found what was later identified as a human tooth in his food.

Kitty man slapped with conspiracy charge

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Fraud accused: Nelson McKenzie

However, McKenzie’s lawyer, Keoma Griffith highlighted that his client has been cooperating with investigators.

The 33-year-old man was released on $150,000 bail, and was scheduled to return to court on January 10.

wenty-nine-year-old Kamal Sutton made his first appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday when he denied accusations that he conspired with known or unknown persons to forge a scrap metal export licence in the name of Steve Bourne.

Sutton, of Lot 101 Pike Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was released on $150,000

bail by Chief Magistrate Anne McLennan. The court heard that he has worked as an office assistant for the past four years.

Sutton’s attorney, Dexter Todd, informed the Chief Magistrate that his client has been regularly reporting to Police and he was already released on $100,000 station bail. The matter will continue on January 10.

Cane cutter dies in WCB accident

A

39-year-old Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice (WCB) man lost his life following an accident on the Bath Settlement Public Road.

Dead is Laikram Ninesingh, of 175 Block D Bath Settlement. He was killed about 18:30h on Old Year’s Day by a minibus.

Eyewitnesses say the man was crossing the road when he was hit and he died on the spot.

According to reports, minibus BVV 2961, driven by a 25-year-old resident of Belladrum Village, WCB, was proceeding west along the Public Road reportedly very fast when Ninesingh, who was alleged to have suddenly begun crossing the road, ended up in the path of the vehicle and was struck down.

The injured man was picked up and rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to the dead man’s mother, Rapam Kumiri, there were many persons on the road at the time of the accident.

She explained that there

Dead: Laikram Ninesingh

was a barbecue not far away and the area was crowded.

The bus, she noted, was at the time travelling at a fast rate.

Singh, a father of one, worked as a cane harvester and during the out-of-crop season, he worked as a security guard.

He had been performing security duties for the past three months at a site a short distance from where the accident occurred.

Meanwhile, the bus driver has been taken into custody and is assisting with the investigation. Police have since released the bus to its owner.

Double standards…

O

…on “vulgarity” ver in Carnival Land, folks are all riled up about what constitutes “vulgarity” in their emblematic art form of Calypso. Now that’s more than a bit ironic, isn’t it? Calypso ORIGINATED in Trinidad when slaves wanted to tell-off their “massas” in the most ribald terms. They got away with it under the cover of the Carnival brought over by the French planters who’d fled the revolution in Haiti.

Obviously it was heavily influenced by surviving African customs and cultures.

It became praised as the “people’s newspaper” when social commentary became “the thing” and everyone became fair game for their bubbles and pretentions to be pricked and punctured. The tradition of Calypso provided a space for “Chutney” to develop in the IndianTrinidadian community. Soca (SOul-CAlypso) was another derivation, which added some Chutney/Indian influences to the two acknowledged genres. The “Chutney-Soca Monarch” joined the “Calypso Monarch” as the crowning achievement in these “art forms”.

But this year, up comes this Chutney singer Neermal “Massive” Gosein who releases a composition “Rowley Mudda Count” which was promptly banned from entering the extremely lucrative Chutney Monarch Competition, claiming the double entendre, “Mudda Count” (get it?) is disrespectful to Prime Minister Rowley’s mother. The PNM’s women’s wing denounced the composition as also being disrespectful to women in general and mothers in particular. More troubling was the Telecommunications Authority of TT (TATT) warning broadcasters about playing the ‘derogatory” song.

“Massive” promptly cried “FOUL”!! and pointed out that for years Calypsonians had been allowed to get away with double entendre-laden calypsos directed at women in general and women politicians in particular without criticisms. They were protected by “freedom of speech” and allowed “artistic licence”. Massive specifically mentioned one calypso on Oma, the wife of then Prime Minister Basdeo Panday – “Oma AcCOUNT BIG”! or Crazy’s “Yer Mudda Come”.

He also pointed out that Rowley himself was famous for misogynic statements: “he compared women to a golf course that needs grooming; referring to a 65-year-old woman by using the term “Jammetery”; telling a woman, she could bark at meh dog, because I goh ignore she cyat.”

Massive finally concluded that it wasn’t just a matter of “different strokes for different folks” but a matter of different standards for different ethnic groups. Africans, he said, could make scatological comments about Indians – women and men – and that was “poetic” but when he as an Indian Chutney singer does no less – it’s “vulgar”!

Over here in Guyana, your Eyewitness wonders if the same sociological imperatives are at work, when Simona “I is” Broomes can “boom out” against Jagdeo in Parliament without reproach; but the latter is “vulgar” when his MP’s raise placards there.

Racism?

…on inclusive democracy When the coalition was in the Opposition, one of their major talking points that gained traction in the general populace was on “constitutional change” that would make the political system become more “inclusive”. By and large, Guyanese of all stripes know that while the coalition may have “won” the elections in 2015, Guyana has LOST because the PNC-led coalition Government has broken their promise to include the Opposition in their governance structure. To a large extent, the present malaise gripping the country is a consequence of the PNC’s insistence of tightly monopolising the reins of power.

The PNC has clearly reverted to form in this area. When Burnham was eased into office in1964, he not only chafed at the bits to get rid of the UF. He effectively banished the members of the UDP – which his faction of the PPP had coalesced with to form the PNC. Carter and Kendall were given foreign ambassadorships which took them out of the local play.

Witness the fate of the AFC and WPA today.

…on agri development Have you noticed which rural coastal villages are being drained and irrigated? Or that the big bucks for agri are now directed towards the interior savannahs?

Burnham always said “last licks better than first licks”.

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

News

9

thursDAY, january 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Sugar industry

DDL submits EoI for estate purchase W

ith the impending downsizing of the sugar industry expecting to impact the operations of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), the company has since submitted an expression of interest (EoI) to Government for the potential purchase of one of the sugar estates.

The company, which produces the international award-winning El Dorado Rum, has raised concerns over Government’s plans to downsize the sugar sector. The company heavily depends on molasses for its production.

Public Relations Representative for DDL, Alex Graham, told Guyana Times on Wednesday that once the supply of molasses was threatened, it was in the company’s interest to explore options with the intention of finding a solution.

“At the moment, what we are doing is investigating options that we could participate in that would help us to keep our business interest alive… In that regard, no options are off the table, but there is no specific plan to date,” he stated.

Graham explained that when the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) was established, it had requested interested parties to submit EoIs and DDL submitted same. He went on to note that no formal proposal has been submitted otherwise.

“At the moment, we are looking at all options. Until the SPU comes back to those who have expressed interests and say these are the soft structures that we’re looking at and that kind of thing, then we would be able to make a formal proposal for one or a combination of the options available,” the company representative posited.

The SPU, a subbody under the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), is tasked with the divestment of the assets of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo)

DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo

and has since selected London-based PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to value the assets of the heavily indebted and cash-strapped Corporation.

Last Saturday, DDL said that distillery production for 2017 increased by some 30 per cent over 2016, surpassing projections last year. To this end, the company noted production for 2018 was now projected to increase by a further 25 per cent over 2017. However, the company is concerned over the effect the downsizing of the sugar industry will have in

meeting its projections for this year.

“With the impending closure of sugar estates, there will be a considerable shortfall in molasses’ availability, which is directly related to the reduced projection of sugar production,” the company noted.

It went on to point out that based on production demand for local and international customers, DDL’s molasses requirement for 2018 was 70,000 tonnes. In contrast, GuySuCo has set a sugar production target of 115,000 tonnes at the three estates currently earmarked to remain in operation, with molasses production being pegged at 52,000 tonnes.

“In light of this shortfall, DDL has been actively exploring its potential role in the future of the sugarcane industry, and has executed a high-level technical and economic feasibility study on innovative approaches to use the existing sugar assets to meet the current and future needs for molasses for an expanding distilling industry,” the company stated.

Last week, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, told a post-Cabinet press briefing that Cabinet engaged GuySuCo for the updated

position on the future plans of the Corporation to return it to efficiency and financial viability as well as the SPU that was set up to manage the divestment of the assets of the industry that will fall outside of the reconfigured GuySuCo. Harmon noted that both parties outlined plans and recommendations relating to their respective roles and responsibility, on which Cabinet deliberated. However, those deliberations were incomplete and would be concluded at Cabinet’s next meeting on January 2, 2018.

Nevertheless, DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo posited that “we are optimistic that the Government of Guyana understands what is at stake, not just for the sugarcane industry, but for all other stakeholders that are a part of the

GuySuCo value chain, including the many thousands who are directly and indirectly involved in the production, distribution and sale of DDL’s value-added products, both locally and internationally.”

According to the company, Government’s support is crucial in recognition of

the jobs to be created and the significant increase in taxes contributed to the national economy from greater earnings. In 2016, the DDL Group paid $1.9 billion in taxes, excluding VAT, and was projected to pay in excess of $2.2 billion for 2017 based on its performance.

10 news

thursDAY, january 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

US$18M bonus

Money to remain in private account – Harmon

By Samuel Sukhnandan

D

espite numerous calls for Government to transfer the controversial US$18 million signing bonus received from ExxonMobil and placed in a private bank account, to the Consolidated Fund, the Government remains firm on its position to keep the monies in that account for a bit longer.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon told Guyana Times on Wednesday that Cabinet has not deliberated on whether to have the monies transferred yet, reiterating that there was a purpose for which these monies were not placed into the Consolidated Fund and that has to do with the border dispute with Venezuela.

“So we have to await a ruling from the United Nations (UN) Secretary General (António Guterres)

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

on what he is going to decide. And according to our Minister of Foreign Affairs (Carl Greenidge) that will take place sometime during the month of January.

That’s all I can say right now,” Harmon explained.

After admitting that Government had received a signing bonus from ExxonMobil and its partners more than a year ago and never disclosed this to the

public, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman said the bonus was intended to be used for legal fees pertaining to the preservation of Guyana’s territorial integrity, should its case with Venezuela reach the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

But when the oil contract was released to the general public, ExxonMobil clarified that the US$18 million bo-

nus paid to the Government was meant to secure a 10year extension of the renegotiated contract. ExxonMobil Country Manager Rod Henson made this disclosure when addressing the media at a press conference on the same day that the contract was released.

Harmon noted that until a decision is made by the UN, only then will Cabinet be able to sit and deliberate how the monies will be utilised or whether it should indeed be placed in the Consolidated fund.

Previously, Minister Greenidge had told the National Assembly that Cabinet agreed to collect the bonus in June 2016, stating that the full Cabinet then approved the terms negotiated and the arrangements to receive the funds. He, however, said only those directly involved knew how the monies would be spent.

Greenidge further revealed that not all of the money would go towards paying an “enlarged” legal team to represent Guyana’s interest once the border controversy is referred to the ICJ by the United Nations Secretary General at the end of 2017. The Foreign Affairs Minister said US$15 million would go towards legal fees and the other US$3 million would go towards urgent training for Guyanese in petroleum.

In defending the Government, Minister Greenidge also said that releasing details about the bonus posed a risk to Guyana’s strategy to defend its territorial integrity when the matter is taken before the ICJ. However, it was repeatedly noted that Government’s move to have the monies placed in a private account is considered

to be in violation of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMA).

The bonus first came to light in a leaked correspondence dated September 20, 2016, and addressed to the Governor of the Bank of Guyana with this subject: “Signing bonus granted by ExxonMobil – Request to open bank account”.

It shows that Finance Secretary at the Finance Ministry, Hector Butts, had requested that a foreign currency account be opened at the Bank of Guyana in order to receive a deposit in the form of a ‘signing bonus’ to be given by ExxonMobil.

The letter stated, “This account should not be treated as part of the Bank’s reserves. Instead, the proceeds should be held in the currency of the deposit, that is United States dollars, and invested in secured interest-bearing securities.”

Woman alleges beating at Corentyne fisherman beaten to death ... suspect confesses hands of ex-husband

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n East Bank Demerara (EBD) woman was over the weekend allegedly severely beaten by her ex-husband and his common-law wife when she turned up at their home to collect their children.

Following the allegation, a report was made to the Police and the couple, along with the ex-wife, appeared at the Providence Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, all charged with assault. They were each released on $10,000 bail.

Sally Khan

Reports are 32-year-old Sally Khan went to pick up her children aged 5 and 11 from their father at his Peters Hall, EBD home.

After the mother of two arrived, an argument ensued which resulted in a scuffle between herself and her ex-husband.

She alleged that the man tied her to a chair and he, along with his common-law wife, beat her.

The case is expected to continue on January 17.

Dead: Sahadeo Sankar, also called “Gojan”

By Andrew Carmichael

T

he battered body of a fisherman was on Wednesday morning found in front of a grocery shop in Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Berbice.

The dead man has been identified as 40-year-old Sahadeo Sankar, also called “Gojan” of Crabwood Creek.

He was allegedly beaten to death before sunrise.

The body was found in a pool of blood in front of Annirude’s Grocery store at Grant, Corentyne. Police were able to arrest the suspect and then showed him the video (surveillance) footage of him committing the act.

Surveillance footage revealed that Sankar ran across the road while being pursued by the suspect, who hit him several times to the upper body.

Moments later, he fell to the ground. While details of what may have led to the murder are still sketchy, residents of the community say that at about 05:00h on Wednesday, the man’s body was not in front of the shop.

The man is said to have been living in an old car which was parked a short distance from where his body was discovered.

Sister-in-law of the deceased, Shamwattie Suedatt, said often times persons would beat Sankar.

According to Suedatt, after the surveillance footage was viewed by the Police, the suspect was arrested.

She said the suspect was taken to the Springlands Police Station and later taken back to see the footage which showed him chasing Sankar and lashing him with what appeared to be a piece of wood.

Suedatt explained that her brother-in-law was a frequent consumer of alcohol and had not been providing for his family. At time, he was employed as

wherever he could sleep,” she said.

Meanwhile, the suspect who is called “Chatu” gave Police a confession statement admitting to hitting Sankar on Wednesday morning.

The sister-in-law told this publication that she knew the suspect for several years. “He does go out with them and catch fish too. He is a ‘Junkie’; the two of them is friend and does go all about drinking rum.”

Meanwhile, residents in the area told Guyana Times that on many occasions persons would go pass the car as he slept and lash him with whatever they had in their hand.

Azeez Khan who lives on the same street in which the car is parked, explained that Sankar had moved

The car in which the deceased used to live

a cane harvester. After the couple separated and the father of one was put out of the home, he started sleeping in abandoned buildings and he started to consume more alcohol. “He turn a ‘junkie’, and then he would go out with his brother, who is my husband, to catch fish. Sometimes he would sleep in the boat or just go

into the abandoned vehicle about two months ago.

According to Khan, he knew Sankar for several years.

“He turn a ‘Junkie’ since he and his wife separate,” the man said.

Police are currently making arrangements to have charges implemented against the suspect.

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Thursday, JANUARY 4, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

R

etailer Surujdai Ramraj, the proprietor of Amavani, is a testament to the power of perseverance and hard work. She has grown the multi-faceted business, whose motto is “Efficiency, Reliability.

Quality” from the ground up, retailing stationery and office supplies, as well as cellphones, gifts and other items, while providing document centre services.

“Since I was in my twenties, I had this wish of owning and running my own business,” she related. “Coming from a poor background, I could not have afforded to start as early as I wanted to. But then after working with a number of organisations, including Freedom House, the Cuban Embassy, Caribbean Resources Limited, Republic Bank and eventually the United Nations Development Programme, I had that golden opportunity to do something I had dreamt of for many years. I took the package that was offered to me and started very small on Brickdam (next to Starr Computers, in 2008), at that time I was working part time with two projects. I subsequently moved from there to Lamaha Street.

In the meanwhile, I was building up my clientele and little by little, the business started growing.

“A few years later, the owner of Liberty Office Products (which was situated at the corner of Sheriff and Garnett Streets, offered to sell me that business (clientele, goods and equipment), I took up that offer with the financial help and encouragement from my husband and also my two sons. Today, I have two small stores – one at the corner of Sheriff and Garnett Streets and the other in Alexander Street, Kitty.”

Asked who her biggest influence was, Ramraj responded confidently: “Myself.

I may sound egoistic, but it is true.

I have never really and truly looked up to anyone to be influenced by them. Mind you, there are people who I admire and from who I may have learnt a lot” – including former Presidents Dr Cheddi Jagan and Bharrat Jagdeo.

The business owner says that

along the way she has learnt “you cannot do it alone, you need a team to work with you with honesty and determination. I have learnt that you must trust people – (even though sometimes you get screwed).

Appreciate those who work with you.

Show gratefulness. And it is not always

about money: A smile can take you miles! Show kindness always!”

In more words of wisdom for budding entrepreneurs, she advised that tenacity, honesty and being people/service-oriented were the most important qualities. “Look

around first at the needs of the people in the area you plan to open your business.” Her focus on customers is such that her definition of success is “happy and contented customers”.

Ramraj added that easy access to bank loans with a low interest rate, assistance from Government in terms of duty-free concessions, lower taxes, and more zero rated/exempted items would help ensure entrepreneurs succeed, particularly when they are starting out.

The mother of four grown children says juggling family life and business can sometimes be very difficult, but with proper planning it was not impossible.

“Sometimes, my husband comes to the rescue at difficult times.

I also have very honest and good staff, so when I have family responsibilities (which sometimes have to take priority over the business), I can depend on my staff to handle and manage the business.”

“My sister-in-law, my sister and

my nephew were extremely valuable to me during those early days. My nephew, even though he is now a qualified dentist, would still come and assist me when I need his help,” she later highlighted.

Ramraj, who was born and raised in Enterprise on the East Coast of Demerara, plans to extend the business and include her children so it becomes a family business.

“My children have their own area of expertise, which we can put all together and go way beyond what I am doing at the moment.”

In the present business environment, she noted: “It has become very difficult as the type of business I have – photocopying, office and school supplies – is very competitive. The bigger businesses are squeezing the smaller ones out.

And also the economic pressure on the people is telling on the daily sales you get.”

The Eccles, East Bank Demerara resident says Amavani is “small and surviving in the present circumstances, but we try to meet the needs of the people we serve”.

Contact: 6 Alexander Street, Kitty and 48 Sheriff and Garnett Streets (opposite Royal Castle); 223-5268; www.facebook.com/Amavani

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Thursday, JANUARY 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

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to hang onto and one that stands out in the crowd.

Credibility: A business card can represent trustworthiness, honesty, and reliability that a company or business person would attach his name and number to a physical card. Not only is a company’s reputation or credibility at stake if no business cards are used, but the company stands the chance of being forgotten about when a prospective customer departs from the company’s or representative’s presence.

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Beyond 2000 Printing Inc takes great pride in serving and working along with our clients so we can provide them with the best style and design to match their personality.

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Thursday, JANUARY 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

We, the ATC family, welcome you to the accounting and business profession. Many thanks for expressing your confidence in us to help you achieve your educational and career goals.

We believe we do have something special to offer you, which is “adding value to your future�.

We find it very remarkable and must commend you on the investment you are making in your future.

The ATC will be offering for the second time around in Guyana, the ACCA Computer Based Exam and its Block Release courses; these courses will be held by internationallyqualified lecturers, for the ACCA F4-F7 & P1-P5 exam sitting in March 2018.

Invest in your future, get registered today by visiting the ATC office, 267 New Market Street, North Cummingsburg or contact us @ 227-1007 or 223-7673.

14 news

thursDAY, january 4, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Mashramani events to C Division Commander be taken countrywide C Division 2018 crime fighting strategy…

to root out rogue ranks …as we make more inroads in crime fight

By Michael Younge

I

n order for more success to be achieved in the fight against crime along the East Coast corridor, there must be a deliberate and sustained effort to root out internal corruption and rogue ranks, while at the same time improving community relations that could lead to an unprecedented boost in the levels of confidence and trust reposed in lawmen who are serving citizens there.

This is the position adopted by C Division (East Coast Demerara) Divisional Commander Calvin Brutus who, on Wednesday, recommitted himself to the task of building a more professional policing division where respect for citizens is high on the agenda, with a view of upholding law and order, even if it means holding both junior and senior ranks to higher levels of accountability and integrity as they dispatch their constitutional and professional remit.

Brutus, who recently returned from annual leave, said 2017 saw his division achieving an overall 12 per cent reduction in serious crimes while at the same time clinching a two per cent reduction in fatal accidents.

He said this was achieved because of several new crime fighting approaches that were rolled out in 2017 which saw his division improving its community relations and ties through the social crime preventing initiatives and “Intel driven policing”.

Asked first about the increasing concerns of citizens within his catchment area about the alarming levels of unprofessional conduct by ranks while dispatching their

C Division Commander Calvin Brutus

duties at the community levels, Police stations and roadways, Brutus said the standing orders and Police policy is clear as day on this.

“We look at addressing it through several approaches because it is both an internal and external problem. At the local level, we do so through our instruction classes”, he marked before revealing that he recently initiated a monthly muster where all available ranks are briefed on a variety of issues and told how to address a number of situations that may prove difficult.

“As soon as those complaints about unprofessionalism come, we investigate them and take action. Many cases are pending. Some persons were transferred while others are dismissed and we will continue in that vein. We look at education and the coercive measures that is taking acting through OPR and at other levels,” he reported.

Brutus said decisions are mostly taken on documented reports but denied that there was an increase in those reports over the past two years.

He admitted that these complaints have been constant as the division is in the process of being decentralised.

Questioned about a new phenomenon developing along the East Coast where Police Officers, specifically traffic ranks are circling entertainment spots, hiding in dark areas and harassing law-abiding citizens for money through deceptive means, Brutus said he is unaware of the situation.

But persons who spoke with Guyana Times on Wednesday claimed that Policemen were asking them to travel to the nearest Police station to conduct breathalyzer tests, especially if the person is found to be under the influence of alcohol. The Policemen on patrol then hint a possible settlement and the monies are allegedly paid and the errant driver is allowed to go, only to be stopped by another patrol group, tested and charged for the DUI offence.

Brutus said he would investigate the complaint as he restated the Force’s policy on handling DUI cases. He maintained that the tests are supposed to be conducted on the spot.

“That’s the initial test because it makes no sense or it’s rather inconvenient, and the law is clear...even in our policy, that you take someone off the road and inconvenience them, they lose time and distance travelled, and expense in gas and what have you, to take them somewhere to test them and then to find out there’s no alcohol in their systems. It’s an inconvenience and that’s why we have the mobile stations where the tests ought to be administered on the road, on the spot where ever you stop them,” he

said strongly.

He said that he would not uphold the harassment or unnecessary interference of law abiding citizens by ranks who are seeking to induce bribes or achieve personal objectives as he recommitted himself to running a professional division.

“Once the reports are credible, we will take action. We will root out all corruption and corrupt ranks,” Brutus remarked as he signalled his new zero tolerance approach.

The C Division Commander said the onus was on ranks to conduct themselves properly even though he said “he hasn’t had” any credible reports about collusion between criminals and Police in the execution of criminal activities and plots.

He reiterated the fact that “Trust has to do a lot with our relationship with members of public and discharging our duties in a professional way… it is encouraging to see the rise in the level of confidence reposed in our Police and but the process is incremental… we have to tackle corruption in order to achieve more success”.

In November 2017, Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine had affirmed that the Force has no place for unprofessional conduct.

“We have to be skilled and professional in our actions, a tower of strength and virtue, and accept that all of our actions have to be subjected to continuous public scrutiny,” Commissioner Ramnarine had said.

He had warned that actions will be taken against any rank who seeks to use their position for their own selfish gain or to harass citizens.

Director of Culture, Tamika Boatswain and Mashramani Coordinator Andrew Tyndall

T

he Social Cohesion Ministry plans to take the 2018 Mashramani events countrywide. Residents stretching from Regions Two to Nine will for the first time witness some of the major Mashramani activities hosted by central government; aside from what is usually undertaken by the regional authorities.

This was disclosed by Mashramani Coordinator Andrew Tyndall and Director of Culture, Tamika Boatswain.

Tyndall said, “This year you would see that a decision has been made to have some of those activities decentralised.”

He further added that “a lot of the events on the national calendar, people will now have an opportunity in addition to what the regions plan, to see these activities within their regions”.

Culture Director Boatswain said this was the first time that the Ministry was hosting Mash activities usually held in Georgetown in the various regions.

Boatswain pointed out that the idea was receiving tremendous support.

“The regions have been calling asking for the activities; they have been very insistent in us taking some of our activities there and we welcome it because it gives us a chance to expose our artistes to new audiences and new followings.”

Come next year, Boatswain said that Region One would also be included in the activities.

Some of the events slated to be held in the various regions include a steel pan concert in Regions Eight, Seven and Nine; calypso semi-finals in Region Seven; and Chutney Finals in Region Three.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Let’s Cooperate and Celebrate Republic 48.”

Mashramani is an Amerindian word which means celebration after hard work. The festival was introduced following Guyana gaining republican status on February 23, 1970. (DPI)

2 Berbice homes go up in flames

Fire completely razed one of the houses

D

uring the first two days of the year, two fires were recorded at Crabwood Creek in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), including one which is said to be an act of arson.

At about 18:00h on Tuesday, a fire flattened a building situated at Lot 47 Grant 182, Crabwood Creek.

The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire.

Residents say a unit from the Corriverton Fire Service went to the scene. However, while they were sourcing water, the Guyana Sugar

Corporation Skeldon Estate sent its fire team and they were able to use water which a resident had stored in two black tanks and prevent the fire from damaging a nearby house.

There are reports that African bees had infested the building and it was also being used for illegal activity.

Meanwhile, on New Year’s Day, residents watched helplessly as a man allegedly set fire to the house he and his family lived in. The man’s three children ages nine, four and 18 months are now homeless.

According to Shaneeza Persaud, her husband Shazam Silvanish had accused her of having an affair with one of his cousins. She explained that Silvanish was very abusive and had not been supporting the family as he should.

The 27-year-old woman told this publication that during the Christmas holidays after the accusations were made, Silvanish called his cousin and informed him of his suspicions. He then allegedly told the cousin to take the woman and her three children.

Persaud said she took her children and went to her husband’s cousin’s home but his aunt took her back to her husband a few days after.

On New Year’s morning, after Persaud invited the cousin for a drink, he sent his wife away again.

However, before they left, there was an altercation between Silvansh and his cousin which escalated into a fight.

Persaud told Guyana Times that as they were on their way and she looked back, she saw fire coming from the building and ran back

Shaneeza Persaud and her three children

to save her documents but it was too late.

The man, after setting the house on fire, allegedly fled the scene immediately after. The Police have been on the hunt for the suspect.

Meanwhile, Persaud and her

children have since been living with her mother, also in Crabwood Creek.

The unemployed woman is asking the public to assist her children to be able to go out to school next week.

She can be contacted on telephone number 603-9703.

thursDAY, january 4, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

GES 2017 Held in Hyderabad, India from November 28-30, 2017, this year’s GES attracted well more than 1700 seasoned and emerging entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders from 140 countries across the world under the theme “Woman First, Prosperity for All”. Major focuses were emerging industries, including energy and infrastructure, health care and life sciences, financial technology and digital economy, and media and entertainment.

“I

magine visiting the doctor without ever leaving your house.”

Those are the first words uttered by young tech entrepreneur Arifa Mohamed to describe her start-up company, iMed, which is about to revolutionise the medical industry in Guyana.

“Imagine your medical prescription being delivered through your phone.

Imagine having an on-de-

mand cardiologist, psychiatrist, primary-care physician, or any specialist.

This is the power of iMed – Guyana’s first ‘virtual doctor’ initiative, an app that enables the end consumer to access licensed health-care practitioners in an affordable way.

“This initiative aims to tackle a few of Guyana’s social issues, including: 1) Inefficient public health

Market statistics

Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board

Cambio Rates

Calculated at 94% purity, Jan 3, 2018

Bank of Guyana Cur

Buying

systems; 2) our Indigenous communities’ limited access to health care; 3) geographic limitations across the country, and 4) expensive private health care. The second phase of this project aims to use the app as a health tracker, pills reminder, and offline knowledge bank.

The third phase of this project aims to develop mobile add-on medical devices that analyse blood, track health, and do ultrasounds.

With two partners and a team of volunteer app developers, the start-up’s founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is determined to make the ‘Uber for medicine’ a reality, aiming for a mid-2018 launch. “We’re currently in mobile development and are working to create a network of healthcare practitioners,” she says.

Fresh from the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017, in India, a fired-up Mohamed, who was hard at work despite a bad bout of the flu picked aboard, said her experience there has made her even more focused. “GES 2017 was nothing short of amazing and life-changing…. [it] exposed me to a greater level of understanding of the current trends, and innovative and disruptive industries that are flourishing

Selling

USD

$1314.90

GBP

$276.38

$282.91

Gross

$257,559

CAN

$164.55

$166.45

Net

$239,530

USD

$205.98

$208.44

EURO

$ 247.47

$250.62

Indicators as on January 3, 2018 Indicators

US$ per barrel

Crude Oil

$66.57

Price

USD

Change %

-0.08 Change %

Rough Rice

$256.04/ton

-2.24

London Sugar

$398.60/ton

+0.99

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1312.50

$1313.50

Low/High

$1306.90

$1318.40

Change

0.00

0.00%

Business Concept – Company Culture Company culture: values and behaviours that "contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organisation". Hedge funds on Wall Street are known for fostering an extreme form of cut-throat competitiveness. By contrast, places like social work organisations tend to be more collaborative.

Most workplaces will fall somewhere in between. Company culture impacts the long-term health of your business. Highly competitive workplace environments bring out excellence and top-notch results, but they also encourage people to undercut and back-stab each other. Egalitarian businesses foster creativity, collaboration, and empathy, but they can also suffer from weak leadership and low productivity. (ActionCOACH)

15

and making international waves throughout the entrepreneurial community.”

She said one of the major advantages of GES 2017 was its success in bringing entrepreneurs of all ages, experiences and accomplishments from 140 countries around the world into one venue.

around the world,” the East Coast Demerara resident said.

At just 25 years old, Mohamed’s drive and commanding presence belie her years, as she juggles working as a Business Development Manager for a social media marketing company,

port women’s empowerment.

In reflecting on her own journey into digital business, the millennial said: “You can’t do it alone. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Starting something is hard, especially something that is a bit out of the norm. There are so many moving pieces

“Every true entrepreneur deserves to experience an event like GES 2017.

It will quickly propel your business/venture to heights and directions that you didn’t even know possible!

I’m now back in Guyana with a wealth of new knowledge, connections, mentors, and a massive network of exciting entrepreneurs and new business opportunities for myself and other Guyanese… I must say thank you again to the US Government for sponsoring my trip and thank you to the Government of India for hosting us! Massive kudos for investing in the success of female entrepreneurs

spearheading iMedGY’s mobile development, her legal studies, and a new engagement. But the University of Guyana law student has long been a go-getter and fearless, moving from the Essequibo Coast to Georgetown at the age of 16 by her lonesome to pursue her tertiary education. A former Anna Regina Multilateral School student, Mohamed says Facebook Chief Operating Officer (COO) Sheryl Sanberg is her dream mentor, explaining that Sanberg, one of US’s most influential female executives, has helped to dramatically boost revenues at Facebook and also founded Lean In, a non-profit to sup-

and factors to take into account that it can become really overwhelming, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. I’ve been lucky to have reached out to a few persons outside of Guyana who were very helpful!”

Armed with her smartphone and her go-to app Cortana, Mohamed is ready to make Guyana a healthier place virtually.

Contact: 592-225-1842 | +592-651-0675 Want to be featured on the business page or know someone who should be or maybe you just have a comment, contact businesspagegy@gmail.com

Investor’s Guide

Wall Street records buoy global stocks

W

all Street stocks pushed further into record territory while the dollar perked up after a bumpy fortnight, as accelerating US factory orders underpinned growing investor confidence in global growth.

Bullishness was intensified by the Institute of Supply Management’s US manufacturing index beating expectations to rise to 59.7 in December, putting it close to a 13-year high — as more evidence of a stronger economy put the spotlight further on the Federal Reserve to increase the rate of its tightening cycle.

Global stocks on the FTSE All-World index pushed upwards to all-time highs for the second day in succession, as Europe also joined the rally after missing out in the previous ses-

sion due to euro strength weighing on dollar-earning exporters.

The global benchmark followed Tuesday’s best gains in two weeks to add a further 0.5 per cent with Wall Street extending its rally, powered by the outperformance of US tech stocks on the Nasdaq Composite.

All the three main US indices notched all-time records, with the Nasdaq pushing further above the 7000 level by gaining 0.8 per cent while the S&P 500 closed 0.6 per cent higher and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4 per cent.

“With tax reform being signed into law, we are raising our S&P 500 2018 earnings per share forecast by 10 per cent,” said Dan Suzuki of Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

“The bull case for earn-

ings is that tax reform and deregulation could spark a sustained pick-up in growth from animal spirits,” he added. “Following the passage of tax reform in 1986, the S&P 500 posted two consecutive years of double-digit earnings growth, although that did not prevent the 1987 bear market and actually contributed to the savings and loan crisis.”

A 0.3 per cent gain for Asia-Pacific stocks was highlighted by Sydney’s ASX 300 Metals & Mining index rising two per cent to hit its highest point since February 2013, underlining global strength for commodity-related stocks.

The Europe-wide Euro Stoxx index gained 0.5 per cent with the index tracking oil and gas companies and there was a 0.8 per cent jump for Frankfurt’s Xetra Dax. (Excerpted from Financial Times)

16

guyanatimesgy.com

thursDAY, january 4, 2018

Regional

Peru Pasamayo: Dozens killed as coach plunges off cliff

A

t least 48 people have been killed after a coach plummeted 100 metres (330 feet) down a cliff and landed upside down on a beach in Peru, officials say. The health ministry said six people had survived the accident, one of whom had jumped from the bus before it fell.

The accident happened on a notorious stretch of road known as Curva del Diablo (devil’s bend) in Pasamayo, north of the capital Lima. The coach, with more than 50 people on board, collided with a lorry.

Transit Police said the lorry driver had been detained for questioning. The bus, which belongs to the San Martín de Porres transport company, was travelling to Lima from Huacho, about 130km (80 miles) north of the capital.

Footage showed rescue workers struggling to reach the bus, with a helicopter winching down some emergency workers while others were lowered down the cliff with ropes. Rescue work had to be halted overnight as the tide rose and engulfed parts of the coach. A Peruvian navy boat helped get the rescuers off the beach.

Dominica’s Private Sector wants public inquiry into looting after Hurricane Maria

T

The coach landed on its roof

Local media reported that one of the passengers managed to survive by jumping out of the coach before it plunged down the cliff. The doctor in the hospital where 24-year-old Máximo Jiménez Vilcayaure was being treated for a broken arm said the man had jumped out of a window and onto the tarmac with seconds to spare.

Five other survivors were pulled from the wreckage and are being treated for multiple fractures. Twenty-four bodies have so far been recovered.

Peru’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said it was “painful for the whole country to suffer an accident of this magnitude”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

he Dominica Business Forum (DCF) is calling for a public inquiry into the looting that followed the September 18, 2017 devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.

DCF Chairman, Severin McKenzie, said the issue had been raised last month with Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit where the Private Sector group raised a number of issues “concerning the building of confidence particularly as it relates to the looting that took place after Hurricane Maria.

“The questions we have asked are what mechanisms are being put in place to give any local investor a certain level of confidence that they should re-invest in the Dominican economy knowing that within the next six months when we are facing another hurricane season

and what is going to prevent the same kind of criminality that took place after Maria,” he said.

Last month, Prime Minister Skerrit said that a review would be held to determine what went wrong with security on the island following the passage of the Category 5 hurricane that killed at least 29 people and left millions of dollars in damage.

McKenzie said that the Private Sector, which employs in excess of 15,000 people in Dominica, is also seeking a “public inquiry into what went wrong, not only with the police, but what went wrong generally in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria that Dominicans could actually turn on the Private Sector with the level of brutality that they did”.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

J$2.5M, 500 rounds of ammo Venezuela soldier held after pregnant seized in gun for drugs bust 18-year-old killed in meat queue tussle

V

T

he Clarendon Police say they have made a “massive bust” in the guns for drugs trade after seizing J$2.5 million and over 500 assorted rounds of ammunition.

According to reports, the bust was made during an operation on Sharp Avenue in the parish. Four men including three Haitians and a Jamaican were taken into custody.

Reports are that between the hours of 17:00h on Tuesday and 01:00h on Wednesday, a search was conducted at a premises during which 547 assorted

rounds of ammunition was seized: • Two hundred and nine (209) .45 cartridges • One hundred and one (101) .40 cartridges • Two hundred and thirty (230) 9mm cartridges • Seven 10 calibre cartridges

The Police said the operation continued at a premises on Hazard Drive in the parish where J$1.823 million, US$401 and five Canadian dollars were found. The identities of the four men in custody are being withheld at this time. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

PM Rowley invites Kamla to President talks

T

Minister and a small government team at ten o’clock on Friday at the Diplomatic Centre.

In the letter which was sent to the media, Young told Persad-Bissessar, “I also called you to extend an invitation and to ask that should you have any name(s) you would like us to consider that you provide the name(s) as soon as possible in advance of Friday’s meeting so that we may consider same.”

Persad-Bissessar did not respond to calls to her mobile

Food riots and rowdy queues in front of supermarkets have become frequent in Venezuela. The Opec country is reeling from a fourth year of brutal recession

Venezuelan authorities have arrested a National Guard soldier and accused him of shooting dead a pregnant 18-year-old during an incident that local media described as a melee over scarce pork.

“The National Guard went crazy and started firing,” Colopoy’s spouse Bernabé said in a filmed interview circulating on social media. “She fell to the ground,” he said, adding his

wife was five months pregnant. His brother Alejandro was also shot, but was recovering, he said.

Food riots and rowdy queues in front of supermarkets have become frequent in Venezuela. The Opec country is reeling from a fourth year of brutal recession. Millions of residents have salaries that add up to just a few US dollars a month, making it difficult to obtain enough food. (Excerpt from

The Guardian)

Brazil Industry Minister resigns, likely to run for Congress

President Anthony Carmona; Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar

rinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley has invited Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and a “small team” from the Opposition to a meeting to discuss nominations for the election of a new President for T&T. Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and Office of the Attorney General Stuart Young wrote to Persad-Bissessar yesterday inviting her and a small team to meet with the Prime

enezuelan authorities have arrested a National Guard soldier and accused him of shooting dead a pregnant 18-year-old during an incident that local media described as a melee over scarce pork.

Alexandra Colopoy was shot by First Sergeant David Rebolledo, according to a tweet by the state prosecutor late on Sunday night. No further details were provided, but critics of President Nicolás Maduro’s leftwing Government seized on the incident, calling it a stark example of the oil-rich country’s meltdown.

Local media reported that Colopoy’s husband and a witness said the soldiers were drunk when they arrived at the queue for pork in a poor area of Caracas.

They said the soldiers ordered the people waiting in line to move on because the traditional Christmas meat had run out, but they refused.

phone, but Deputy Political Leader of the UNC David Lee told the T&T Guardian that the UNC’s parliamentary caucus will meet today “to discuss that process.”

The party’s national executive will also meet to discuss the way forward. Asked whether the party will submit a nominee, Lee responded: “I could not say. Discussions have to take place first.”

Some UNC MPs are advocating that the UNC should not submit any name for the Presidency.

(Excerpt from Trinidad

Guardian)

B

razilian Industry Minister Marcos Pereira resigned on Wednesday, becoming the third Cabinet Minister to quit in a month.

A few hours after Pereira stepped down, the leader of the Government-allied Brazilian Labour Party, Roberto Jefferson, said his daughter, federal Congresswoman Cristiane Brasil, would become the next Industry Minister.

Pereira, who posted his resignation letter on his verified Facebook page, is expected to run for Congress in October for his Brazilian Republican Party.

In his resignation letter he cited “personal and party” reasons for leaving the job and thanked President Michel Temer for the posting. (Reuters)

Brazilian Industry Minister Marcos Pereira resigned on Wednesday

thursDAY, january 4, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

North Korea reopens border hotline as Iceland makes it illegal to Trump boasts of ‘bigger’ nuclear button pay women less than men

N

orth Korea reopened a long-closed border hotline with South Korea on Wednesday, hours after US President Donald Trump appeared to mock North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by saying he has a “bigger and more powerful” nuclear button than Kim does.

On Tuesday, Seoul proposed high-level discussions amid a tense standoff over North Korea’s program to develop nuclear-tipped missiles capable of reaching the United States.

That proposal followed a New Year address by the North Korean leader in which he said he was open to speaking with the South and would consider sending a delegation to the Winter

A South Korean Government official checks the direct communications hotline to talk with the North Korean side at the border village of Panmunjom, South Korea on January 3, 2018

Olympics to be held in South Korea in February.

US officials said Washington would not take any talks between North and South Korea seriously

if they did not contribute to denuclearising North Korea.

A State Department spokeswoman said North Korea “might be trying to drive a wedge” between Washington

and Seoul.

Kim ordered the reopening of the hotline at the truce village of Panmunjom at 0630 GMT on Wednesday, when South Korean officials at the border received a call from the North, the South’s unification ministry said in a text message.

Officials on both sides were checking the line and conducting a conversation for about 20 minutes, the contents of which were not disclosed by the ministry.

There was no immediate US comment, although a State Department spokeswoman, Katina Adams, said Washington remained in close contact with Seoul “about a unified response to North Korea.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

I

celand has made it very difficult to pay women less than men.

Employers in the Nordic country now have to prove that they pay men and women in the same jobs equally. If they fail to do so, they risk being fined.

Discrimination based on gender is already illegal in many countries – but research shows the legislation is far from effective. Women are paid less than men in every country in the world, according to research by the World Economic Forum.

Iceland is the first country to take the fight against the gender pay gap a step further, requiring companies to proactively get equal pay certification from the government.

The law came into effect on Monday and applies to all

companies and organisations with at least 25 full-time employees. Firms with more than 250 employees will have to get the certification by the end of this year, while smaller companies will follow in the next few years, according to their size.

The possible fines are set at around $500 per day in the current legislation.

The new law has resonated with activists around the world.

Sam Smethers, who campaigns for women’s rights as CEO of the Fawcett Society, said equal pay “isn’t just about what is in women’s interests.”

“Holding women back holds our economy back.

Tackling gender inequality and discrimination is good for business and for all of us,” she said. (Excerpt from MSN)

Macron wants new law Thousands of Iranians join counterto fight ‘fake news’ protests after week of unrest

F

rench President Emmanuel Macron announced plans Wednesday for legislation to stop fake news spreading online in the run-up to elections, in a veiled reference to Moscow-backed RT and Sputnik.

Macron, who came to power in May, has previously lashed out at the Russian outlets as spreaders of “deceitful propaganda” and “organs of influence”.

“We are going to develop our legal means of protecting democracy against fake news,” Macron said in a New Year’s speech to the press.

Details of the bill will be released in the coming weeks, he said, but he told reporters that media would be forced to reveal all sponsors of their content among other measures to boost transparency.

Judges will be able to or-

der media to take down fake news, block access to offending websites, and close social media accounts that spread untruths, Macron said.

France’s audio-visual regulator will see its powers boosted to better allow it to “fight any destabilisation attempt by television channels controlled or influenced by foreign states”, he added.

This would allow agreements allowing such channels to operate in France to be “suspended or cancelled”, also taking into account the content they publish online, he said.

RT and Sputnik both have French-language websites, and during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in May Macron accused them of publishing “defamatory untruths” and “deceitful propaganda”. (Excerpt from France24)

Joshua Boyle, former Taliban hostage, charged with sexual assault, confinement – reports

J

oshua Boyle, the Canadian man who was freed last October along with his family after being held captive for five years by a Taliban-linked group, has been charged with several crimes, including sexual assault.

Boyle is facing 15 charges in all, including sexual assault, unlawful confinement, uttering a death threat, and one count of causing someone to “take a noxious thing, namely Trazodone,” an antidepressant, reported CTV News.

Boyle made his first court appearance in Ottawa on New Year’s Day and appeared briefly again in court via videoconference from the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre on Wednesday morn-

ing, CTV News said. The case was then adjourned until Monday.

The identities of the alleged victims are unclear; a court order bars reporting on information that could identify them or witnesses in the case. Boyle’s attorney said in a statement to NBC News that there was very little he could say and that “the matter is before the courts.”

Boyle, 34, and his American wife, Caitlin Coleman, were kidnapped by militants while hiking in Afghanistan in 2012.

Coleman was pregnant at the time. She, Boyle and their three children born in captivity were rescued by Pakistani troops in October after five years of being held as hostages. (Excerpt from MSN)

Pro-Government demonstrators wave their national flag during a march in Iran’s holy city of Qom

T

housands of pro-Government counter-protesters have taken to the streets of Iranian cities after nearly a week of unrest.

Footage broadcast on national television and images published by state news agencies showed a high turnout in pro-establishment rallies, in cities that have seen turbulent scenes since Iran’s biggest demonstrations in nearly a decade began on

December 28, 2017.

State television aired a rally from Ahwaz, the capital of Khouzesan province, which showed thousands of people marching on a long bridge connecting two parts of the city, while holding up pro-regime placards and chanting in support of the establishment.

It broadcast similar footage from Ilam, also in the west of the country, as well as from Arak, in the cen-

tre of Iran. The semi-official Fars news agency, affiliated to the elite Revolutionary Guards, forces involved in the crackdown on protesters, described the rallies as “the revolutionary outburst of Iranian people against lawbreakers”.

The commander of the Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday it had deployed forces to three provinces – Isfahan, Lorestan and Hamadan, where most

of the casualties have occurred – but claimed the anti-government protests were over.

During violent clashes between protesters and the security guards, in a week of demonstrations that has seen both sides becoming increasingly confrontational, at least 21 people have lost their lives – mostly protesters but also some security guards, according to officials. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

Deadly Storm Eleanor batters Europe

W

inter storm Eleanor has swept into most of northern Europe, including France and Germany after battering the UK, cutting power to tens of thousands of homes and affecting transport.

A skier died in the French Alps and 15 others were injured elsewhere in the country, four of them seriously. A train was blown off its tracks in Switzerland, leaving several people with minor injuries. One person

was hit by a falling tree in the Netherlands.

Wind gusts may reach 200km/h (124mph). Storm Eleanor is the UK’s fifth named storm of the season. In northern France, the storm cut power to more than 200,000 households and Eleanor is set to move to other regions throughout the day, including Corsica.

Air travel was also disrupted in the capital, Paris, and in the east of the country.

In Paris, the Eiffel Tower was closed because of the strong winds. The city’s parks have also been closed until the storm dies down because of worries over falling tree branches.

A skier was killed by a falling tree in Morillon, in the Haute-Savoie region of eastern France. In Germany, the storm – named Burglind there – has swept over much of the country. It packed gusts of more than 120km/h in the west of the country

and led to transport disruption, reports say.

Switzerland has also been badly hit, with some 14,000 homes without power. The high winds left several people stranded in a ski lift in St Gallen canton, overturned a light airplane in Stans and snapped the 13 metres (42 feet) high Christmas tree in the capital Bern, Reuters news agency reports. (Excerpt from BBC News)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

thursDAY, january 4, 2018

ARCHIE

A change in lifestyle is apparent.

Embrace whatever (March 21comes your way and make up April 19) for whatever setback or loss you encounter. Getting along with others will help the process.

ARIES

A change to your person-

TAURUS al finances or a pending legal, (April 20- health or contractual matter May 20) must be handled with intelli-

dilbert

gence. Exercise moderation and take baby steps when decisions and changes need to be made.

Build a solid home base.

GEMINI The people you live with or (May 21spend the most time with June 20) should have similar interests and something to offer. Don’t be tempted by people mired in bad habits.

If you want to pitch in and help a cause, do so, but not at (June 21- a price that would be too high July 22) emotionally, financially or physically. Only offer what’s reasonable.

CANCER

Peanuts

You’ll have some great LEO ideas. Don’t let anyone come (July 23- between you and your dreams.

Aug. 22) Plan your actions and execute them with intelligence. Now’s the time to make a positive change.

Walk away from anyone VIRGO using emotional tactics to get (Aug. 23you to do or purchase someSept. 22) thing questionable. It’s in your best interest to downplay your personal assets.

Calvin and Hobbes

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

solution for LAST PUBLISHED Puzzle

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Personal problems will SCORPIO surface if you are insensitive (Oct. 24or take someone for grantNov. 22) ed. Nurture an important relationship before you are accused of neglect. Be willing to discuss emotional problems.

Do research, educate yourSAGITTARIUS self and look at all the angles (Nov. 23- before you engage in someDec. 21) thing that will require your undivided attention. Back away if you feel the least bit uncertain.

An unusual opportuniCAPRICORN ty will grab your attention.

(Dec. 22- Be sure that the information Jan. 19) you are given is accurate be-

YESTERDAY’S WORD

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.

You’ll come up with great suggestions, giving you the chance to impress someone you’d like to collaborate with in the future. Speak up and make changes that will improve your life.

fore you get involved in a venture that could disrupt your personal or professional objectives.

Partnerships may need to AQUARIUS be realigned to fit the chang(Jan. 20ing circumstances you face Feb. 19) at home or work. Use intelligence and common sense to come up with a workable solution.

Put your heart and soul PISCES (Feb. 20- into getting ahead. A posiMarch 20) tive change will take place if you are ambitious, helpful and adaptable. Pitch in and help for financial gain to be yours.

thursDAY, january 4, 2018

19

Light heavyweight title bout added to “Sangre Malo”

T

he highly anticipated January 20 fight night dubbed “Sangre Malo” recently heated up with inclusion of the WBC Fecarbox Light Heavyweight Title fight between Trinidadians Sheldon Lawrence and Shawn Corbin.

Boxing Promoter and NexGen

Global Marketing executive Aleem Hussain confirmed that the card which was headlined by Guyana’s top three boxers; Elton Dharry, Dexter Marques and Dexter Gonzales, has now been upgraded to a co-main event featuring the Lawrence/Corbin title fight.

Marques will be matching gloves against Venezuelan Dionis Martinez in the originally scheduled main bout; as the current Caribbean and Guyana Flyweight prepares for his Commonwealth title fight against champion Jay Harris.

The Guyanese pugilist will

square off against the champ who hails from the United Kingdom in a bout set for March 31, 2018 at the Copper Box Arena; promoted

by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.

The new main addition to the card will see Lawrence and Corbin squaring off in 12 full rounds of combat and should put on spectacle which will certainly complement the battle between Marques and Martinez who will lock horns for 10 rounds.

Meanwhile the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) will be

hosting the official Press Conference for the card on, Thursday January 4 at the Giftland Mall at 15:30hs.

Fight Card

Bout # 1 (Heavyweight – 4 Rounds) James Moore (debut) versus Anderson Emmanuel (Barbados) Bout # 2 (Bantamweight - 8 rounds) Elton Dharry versus Jesus Vargas Bout # 3 (Lightweight - 10 Rounds) Dexter Gonsalves versus Felipe Lares (Venezuela)

Co-Main EVENT (WBC Fecarbox Light Heavyweight Title – 12 Rounds) Shawn Corbin versus Sheldon Lawrence (Trinidad) MAIN EVENT (Flyweight - 10 rounds) Dexter Marques versus Dionis Martinez (Venezuela)

CWI/Digicel Regional 4-Day Championships 2017-18…

Unbeaten Jaguars looking to extend dominance

R

unaway leaders and reigning three-time champions Guyana Jaguars will be looking to start the New Year and the final leg of the race towards the Headley/Weekes Trophy, when the Digicel 4-Day Championship resumes on Thursday following the break for the end-of-year holidays.

Jaguars were one of the three teams that collected wins in the previous round and this has allowed them to open up a sizeable, if not insurmountable lead over the rest of the teams in the Championship.

The aim for them in the final three matches will be to consolidate their position at the top of the table with solid, if not spectacular play which will let them ride the crest of the wave to the title.

Jamaica Scorpions vs Guyana Jaguars at Sabina Park This is the feature match of this round and the return of key personnel from Windies duties in New Zealand will add some spice to the attraction.

Jaguars landed a comprehensive victory when the two sides met in the first round of the season last October and will be aiming to complete the season sweep.

Scorpions however, will fancy their chances with the return of inspirational leader and champion left-arm spinner Nikita Miller from Windies One-day International duty, along with Jermaine Blackwood from Windies Test duty and Windies “A” Team

– international players return for last lap

The Guyana Jaguars’ opening round victory over the Scorpions was led by Veerasammy Permaul with a 10-wicket haul

batsman Andre McCarthy from injury to boost their line-up.

Windies Test left-handed all-rounder Raymon Reifer adds to Jaguars’ depth chart, along with fast bowler Keon Joseph, who was a late withdrawal from the previous match with an injury.

Jaguars have lost none of their previous seven contests against Scorpions in the Professional Cricket League era and they will be hoping that trend continues over the next four days.

Squads: Scorpions from; Nikita Miller (captain), Fabian Allen, Jermaine Blackwood, John Campbell, Assad Fudadin, Derval Green, Damion Jacobs,

Brandon King, Christopher Lamont, Andre McCarthy, Reynard Leveridge, Paul Palmer, Aldaine Thomas Jaguars from; Leon Johnson (captain), Anthony Bramble, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Keon Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Veerasammy Permaul, Akshaya Persaud, Raymon Reifer, Romario Shepherd, Vishaul Singh Barbados Pride vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at Kensington Oval Buoyed by encouraging results in their two previous

matches, Pride and Volcanoes hope they can regain the momentum and finish the season strongly, if not successfully.

Pride have clawed their way into second place in the standings behind Jaguars thanks to a confluence of results including a draw and a victory in their last two encounters. At the same time, Volcanoes played to an historic tie against Jaguars and earned their first victory of the season.

Pride has been boosted by the return of Roston Chase and Kemar Roach, but Volcanoes have not been so blessed, although batsman Kavem Hodge returns from injury.

Pride will have their hands full trying to put a lid on veteran Volcanoes left-handed opener Devon Smith. He has been the toast of the batsmen this season and requires a further 196 to become the leading single season scorer in the history of the Windies firstclass championship.

The match also marks the 100th Windies first-class championship appearance for Volcanoes’ champion offspinner Shane Shillingford. He also needs just four wickets to reach the 450-mark.

Squads: Pride from; Shamarh Brooks (captain), Anthony Alleyne, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Shayne Moseley, Kemar Roach, Shamar Springer, Kevin Stoute, Tevyn Walcott, Hayden Walsh Jr, Jomel Warrican, Kenroy Williams Volcanoes from; Tyrone Theophile (captain), Miles Bascombe, Roland Cato, Larry Edward, Kirk Edwards, Kavem Hodge, Delorn Johnson, Shermon Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Shane Shillingford, Denis Smith, Devon Smith, Josh Thomas Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Queen’s Park Oval Both Red Force and Hurricanes started the season with promising, but they have failed to find the results to keep them in contention for the title.

A mix of results in the second stage of the season just before the holiday break has

taken a toll on their confidence and left them searching for answers.

The return of Kyle Hope from Windies duty, Yannic Cariah from injury and the introduction of Steven Katwaroo for the first time this season could help turn things around for Red Force.

Hurricanes batting has been boosted with return of Kieran Powell from Windies duty and Keacy Carty from injury, and the importation of Barbadian opener Rashidi Boucher.

Though the loss of Rahkeem Cornwall and veteran fast bowler Gavin Tonge will weaken the bowling, the addition of another Barbadian, off-spinner Chaim Holder, could help them to overcome.

Red Force will be looking to complete the season sweep, but three times the teams have met in Trinidad has produced a win for each and a no-result last year.

Squads: Red Force; from: Denesh Ramdin (captain), Yannic Cariah, Bryan Charles, Kyle Hope, Amir Jangoo, Steven Katwaroo, Imran Khan, Ewart Nicholson, Anderson Philip, Khary Pierre, Jeremy Solozano, Daniel St. Clair, Tion Webster Hurricanes from; Kieran Powell (captain), Sheeno Berridge, Rashidi Boucher, Shane Burton, Jason Campbell, Keacy Carty, Jahmar Hamilton, Chaim Holder, Montcin Hodge, Jeremiah Louis, Mervyn Matthew, Akeem Saunders, Devon Thomas.

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursDAY, january 4, 2018

Bramble’s runs feast not over – batsman eyeing more big scores

Benjamin worried about short turnaround time

By Akeem Greene

G

uyana Jaguars leading batsman in the ongoing Cricket West Indies (CWI) Digicel Four-Day championship, Anthony Bramble is still focused on churning out more runs in the remaining three rounds.

The right-hander sits third on the overall tournament’s batting chart with 481 runs inclusive of one century and three fifties which equates to an impressive average of 60.12 runs per innings.

Jaguars begin another battle with hosts Jamaica Scorpions today and the batsman wants to come good with another ‘big score.’

“I think I could of score at least one more hundred.

Scoring a next hundred in the last three matches is my aim as I try to be more consistent,” he told Guyana Times Sport.

Before the championship’s Christmas season break, Bramble added the icing to a splendid season with a majestic 196 not out in a day/night fixture against Leeward Islands at Providence.

He missed etching his name in the history books by joining Junior Murray as the only wicketkeeper/ batsman to score a Regional double century.

While it took the 27 yearold 45 First-Class matches to register his maiden ton, it was a moment he relishes immensely.

“It’s a great feeling to score a hundred and I felt great scoring it when it was really needed for me and my team. Scoring a double century would have been really great for me but 196 not out is still a good score.”

Anthony Bramble’s sublime forn has bailed Guyana Jaguars out of some dire situations this season

Another standout feature of the scintillating innings was he entered with Jaguars struggling at 41-4 in the first innings but along with ‘Mr. Dependable’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul they added 118 to spare an embarrassing rout at home by reaching 417 all out against the leeward Islands Hurricanes.

“It is always good to bat with the legend of cricket, Shivnarine. We both knew that we had to dig deep for the team and score when the bad balls came.”

Last season the Corriverton born Bramble played ten matches and only mustered 330 runs at an average of 23.57. It shows the remarkable turnaround which is accredited to patience. “I did some work mentally and work hard on my patience in the nets.”

If there is one aspect of the sport, the Berbician stands apart in the entire Caribbean, is with his glove work which helped in accounting for 36 dismissals this season and 176 in his career overall.

“I always work hard on my wicket keeping and I’m happy with my glove work at this point in time,” he commented.

Looking ahead to February’s Regional 50-over tournament, a format with just a lone half-century in 28 matches, he is licking his lips of the possibility of transferring that form into the white ball aspect.

“Fifty over cricket suits my style of play and I would love to score runs in those games and help our team win the title.”

Windies ‘A’ Team will battle England Lions next month in three ‘Tests” and three 50-over matches and though his strong performances in the First-Class could catapult him into that squad he is not looking too far ahead.

“I don’t have any goal currently. My plan is to take it one match at a time.”

Leeward Islands Head Coach Winston Benjamin

F

Focused! Bramble’s wicket-keeping has been second to none in the Cricket West Indies Professional FourDay Championship

ormer Windies fast bowler, Winston Benjamin, wishes there were more turn-around time between the end of the Windies Professional Cricket League 4-Day Tournament and the Regional Super50 competition.

Benjamin, now the coach of the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, believes changing from a long-format competition to a limited-overs one, should come along with some preparation time.

“Unfortunately for us, we don’t have the preparation time and reason being, the Super50 starts four days after we would have played our last 4-Day match against Windward Islands. I believe it might be here in Antigua so we are not going to have a lot of time to prepare and that’s the issue,” he said.

Preparation is integral to the Hurricanes especially, who have suffered in the 4-Day tournament, winning just one of seven games to date.

There is a plus for the team though, as Windies opener Kieran Powell, the Hurricanes captain, is expected to take his place in the team for the Super50 tournament.

The Hurricanes, under the leadership of Powell, did much better in the Super50 competition last year than in previous showings, making it to the semi-final where they lost to eventual champions, the Barbados Pride.

The team will be hoping that Powell’s return will boost their performances much in the way that he led from the front in the last season, scoring more than 500 runs at an average of 64.12. (Sportsmax)

Dead Ball law under the microscope D

ebate sounded about the Dead Ball law after an unusual blunder from the Melbourne Renegades wicketkeeper Emma Inglis nearly cost her team their Women’s Big Bash League encounter against the Sydney Sixers in Victoria on Wednesday.

In a dramatic finish, with the Sixers requiring three runs off the final ball, Inglis’ premature celebrations inadvertently allowed a second run as Sixers tied the Renegades’ score of 120.

Renegades, however, prevailed in the one-over eliminator to spare their blushes.

With two to defend, Renegades offspinner Amy Satterthwaite pitched up to Sarah Aley, the Sixers No. 9, whose drive trickled down behind square off the inside edge.

With the throw from fine leg coming in accurately to

Inglis, the two batsmen had just enough time for a single. However, Inglis, in her excitement, did not stand over the stumps and check an acceptance that the ball was dead.

Instead, she threw the ball in the air after collecting it cleanly, and allowed it to drop to the ground, leaving the ball still in play.

Amid celebrations from the Renegades players, Aley showed sharp presence of mind to spot the opportunity quickly and took off for the second.

Satterthwaite seemed to be the only Renegades player to have understood the danger and began to frantically sprint towards the stumps. By the time Inglis had realised her blunder and turned around, Satterthwaite had swooped down on the ball. She dived towards the stumps with the ball in her outstretched

Amy Satterthwaite attempts a run out of Sarah Aley off the final ball of the Sixers chase (Cricket Australia, Getty Images)

right hand, but Aley had put in a timely dive of her own and Sixers secured the tie.

Once discussions with the umpires had subsided, players and fans alike stud-

ied the Dead Ball law, Law 20, with a debate breaking out on social media. Some claimed that the Law was somewhat contradictory and created a grey area as to when the ball was actu-

ally dead.

Law 20.2 clearly puts the onus upon the umpires to determine when the ball has come to rest, stating: “Whether the ball is finally settled or not is a matter for

the umpire alone to decide.”

Another relevant rule, Law 20.1.1.1, states that the ball becomes dead when “it is finally settled in the hands of the wicket-keeper or of the bowler.” However, the Law goes on: “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batsmen at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.” *The MCC, the custodian of the Laws, backed the decision of the umpires. It said that since the bowler Satterthwaite reacted immediately after Inglis threw the ball, “clearly there is a member of the fielding side who believes it is still live.

“In fact, Aley doesn’t set off for her second run until Satterthwaite is half-way down the pitch - at which point the ball cannot be dead under 20.1.2.” (ESPN Cricinfo)

sports

thursDAY, january 4, 2018 | www.guyanatimesgy.com

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A

fter a convincing run, Supreme Dub Ballers have won the right to represent Guyana at the 2018 International Basketball Foundation Antilles 3X3 U-18 Championships in St Maarten which is slated for May. Ballers, a team which comprised of this year’s South American Youth Games 3X3, took down Royals 15-11 in the final of the qualifying tournament organised by the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation last Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

All of their players contributed to the victory with Nigel Bowen dropping seven points, while Akeem Crandon scored four. Akeem Bowen and Shamar France scored two points each.

On the other side, Kobe Tappin dropped eight of

21

Supreme Dub Ballers book St Maarten trip Royals 11 points in the final, while Immanuel Larose scored the remainder. Crandon, who was the team’s captain, won Most Valuable Player (MVP) honours.

Meanwhile, the female team of Annalisa Barclay, Lydia Roberts, Roschelle Campbell and Soffiya Greene won on the female side with Barclay dropping in six points.

The trials which catered for players born January 1, 2000 or after saw a total of fifteen teams from which 52 players competed which shows a high level of interest for the shortened form of the game.

At the 2016 championships held in St Lucia, the likes of Jamal Gilkes, Jonathan Mangra, Stanton Rose and Timothy Thompson made history by reaching the final against Martinique only to suffer their only lost

Supreme Dub Ballers (L-R) Shemar France, Andre Johnson, Akeem Crandon, Nigel Bowen

8-9.

Rose fell short of the MVP by virtue of Guyana losing the Finals by one point in the last nine seconds of the game.

On their path to the final Guyana would have defeated the likes of Barbados, Curacao, Antigua & Barbuda, Saint Vincent, Aruba and Guadeloupe.

Djokovic returns after 6-month lay-off N

ovak Djokovic is finally set to return to action next week after six months out with an elbow injury and will then decide whether to take part in the January 15-28 Australian Open.

“After pulling out from Abu Dhabi and ATP Doha events due to pain in his right elbow, Novak is travelling to Australia where he will take part in two exhibition tournaments,” said a statement on Djokovic’s website (www.novakdjokovic.com).

“After the two events, a decision will be made about his participation at the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open, where Novak has been crowned champion six times.”

The 30-year old Serbian is to return at the January 1012 Kooyong Classic and is also scheduled to take part at the Tie Break Tens evening exhibition at Melbourne Park next Wednesday.

The former world number one, who won the last of his 12 grand slam honours when he captured his maiden French Open title in 2016, has not played since retiring against Czech Tomas Berdych with the injury in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in July.

He pulled out of the Abu Dhabi event last week only hours before his match with Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut after the pain in his right elbow flared up.

On medical advice, he also withdrew from the Qatar Open and now faces a final fitness test for the Australian Open. (Reuters)

Former World Number One Novak Djokovic

GFF opens mid-season...

The process for the Domestic Transfer is as follows: 1. The new club confirms the player has an interest in the transfer and, if so, the new club makes contact with the former club to negotiate the transfer agreement

2. If it’s agreed upon, the new club collects the transfer document from the relevant RMA 3. Each entity involved fills and signs their part namely on the form; player, former club, new club 4. The form is then submit-

ted to the relevant RMA which confirms the authenticity of the involvement of each party 5. Everything being in order, the RMA approves the transfer and gives a copy to the new club 6. If the player is being transferred across RMA, the

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new club takes their copy of the form to their new RMA so that the player can be registered within that RMA and cleared for participation as a player of that club.

It is important to note that the GFF is the RMA for Elite Clubs.

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thursDAY, january 4, 2018

Marvellous Munro leaves Windies empty-handed – New Zealand complete biggest T20 win

olin Munro became the first batsman to make three centuries in T20 internationals as he laid the foundation for New Zealand’s battering of West Indies by 119 runs in

dropped one short and down the leg side, and Munro duly wafted it over the long leg boundary. He crunched Taylor over midwicket with a slog, and when Ashley Nurse replaced him from

Tim Southee picked up two wickets in Windies' first over including Chris Gayle for a duck

their final match of the tour at Mount Maunganui. The left-handed opener followed up his two fifties from the previous games with a 53ball 104 as the hosts won the series 2-0 with the second match abandoned after nine overs. West Indies failed to register a single win on a New Zealand tour for the first time since 1999-00.

West Indies began much like they have begun all series - by feeding New Zealand everything they wanted. This time, Martin Guptill - who had made two single-digit scores previously - made use of the offerings.

Carlos Brathwaite entrusted his spinners with keeping New Zealand quiet in the Powerplay. Samuel Badree’s first ball was an early indicator of what was to come. The legspinner

the other end, he welcomed him with boundaries on either side of extra-cover. By this point, he was set up to better his career boundary rate - he hit a four or six approximately once every five balls before this match - for the rest of his innings.

Guptill wasn’t as destructive, but he kept up the pace that allowed the openers to put up a century stand and get to their respective fifties inside ten overs. With the pitch offering nothing, West Indies’ bowling was reduced to offerings of straight balls at different paces. The spinners didn’t attempt to slow their pace down, and on the rare occasions that they tried it, Guptill had no problems hitting them through the line. The pain of conceding 51 runs in five overs of spin was momentarily alleviated when Brathwaite’s

first over - the eighth of the innings - went for only seven runs. A West Indies bowler had finally avoided being hit for a boundary first ball.

But all of 36-year-old debutant Rayad Emrit’s experience couldn’t help him or West Indies keep that up.

He started with two overpitched balls on the pads; Munro flicked the first one over square leg to bring up fifty, and carted the next over midwicket. It was more of the same for the rest of the innings. Brathwaite’ only conceded one boundary off the bat in his next over, but went for 22 anyway. Length balls kept coming into Munro and he kept putting them away, evidenced by a wagon wheel that showed 55 runs in the midwicket and long-on regions.

Guptill survived a caught-behind appeal in the 11th over, first on-field, and then on the review despite a mysterious disturbance on the audio check for the edge.

It was against one of the few yorkers West Indies bowled, and it came from Nurse.

Guptill edged Emrit to the keeper in the next over.

New Zealand managed a half-century stand for the second wicket, as a modified middle order added quick runs around Munro’s march towards a record hundred.

Each of them managed to hit a six - Kane Williamson’s loft over long-on was the most handsome one of the innings - as New Zealand made 243, their highest score in T20Is. West Indies’ propensity for poor starts seeped into their batting as well.

Chadwick Walton chased Tim Southee’s outswinger with hard hands and chipped one to cover first

Martin Guptill shared a century opening stand with Colin Munro

ball of the innings. Five balls later, Southee lifted a short ball up at Chris Gayle, trapping the batsman with his gloves covering his throat and his eyes looking at the floor; the ball lobbed up for wicketkeeper Tom Phillips and both openers were gone for ducks.

Rovman Powell was promoted to No. 4 to cover for Shai Hope, who had damaged a ligament in his right shoulder while diving in the field. The immediate effect of that change was Trent Boult going for 17 in a disastrous first over, in which he bowled back-to-back noballs, followed by Southee conceding 19 to Andre Fletcher and Powell in his second over.

Williamson did what Brathwaite had done earlier, and brought Anaru Kitchen on to bowl his left-arm spin.

He got one to straighten off the pitch and take the top-edge as Powell swiped across the line. Shimron Hetmyer began brightly, hitting Mitchell Santner for six next over, but was run out minutes later, Fletcher’s ball-watching causing just enough indecision to leave them both hopping aimless-

ly outside their creases.

The visitors threw in one final effort to come close to the target, hitting through the line like Munro and

Guptill had as they monopolised the cover boundary to make 24 off the seven balls following Hetmyer’s wicket. The introduction of Ish Sodhi’s legspin put the brakes on that streak. He went for just two off his first over, and bowled Fletcher with a googly when he heaved at him to relieve the pressure created by a tight over from Santner at the other end. The end was swift from there on, with West Indies folding in the 17th over. Boult and Southee dipped into the West Indies wicket pool for one last time as New Zealand completed their biggest T20 win.

(ESPN Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand Innings (20 overs maximum) MJ Guptill c †Walton b Emrit 63 C Munro c Hetmyer b Brathwaite 104 TC Bruce b Brathwaite 23 AK Kitchen run out (†Walton/Emrit) 9 KS Williamson* b Taylor 19 GD Phillips† not out 7 MJ Santner not out 6 Extras: (lb-4, nb-1, w-7) 12 Total: (For 5 wickets, 20 Overs) 243 Did not bat: DAJ Bracewell, TG Southee, IS Sodhi, TA Boult Fall of wickets: 1-136 (MJ Guptill, 11.3 ov), 2-191 (TC Bruce, 15.6 ov), 3-204 (AK Kitchen, 17.1 ov), 4-226 (KS Williamson, 18.6 ov), 5-226 (C Munro, 19.1 ov) Bowling Taylor 4-0-53-1 (nb-1), Badree 4-0-51-0 (w-1), Nurse 4-0-43-0, Brathwaite 4-0-50-2 (w-2), Emrit 4-0-42-1 West Indies Innings (target: 244 runs from 20 overs) CAK Walton† c Munro b Southee 0

CH Gayle c †Phillips b Southee 0 ADS Fletcher b Sodhi 46 R Powell c Williamson b Kitchen 16 SO Hetmyer run out (Guptill/†Phillips) 7 CR Brathwaite* c Bruce b Boult 15 AR Nurse not out 14 RR Emrit lbw b Sodhi 5 JE Taylor c Santner b Boult 13 S Badree c Bruce b Southee 2 SD Hope absent hurt Extras (nb-2, w-4) 6 Total (All out, 16.3 Overs) 124 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (CAK Walton, 0.1 ov), 2-1 (CH Gayle, 0.5 ov), 3-42 (R Powell, 3.5 ov), 4-49 (SO Hetmyer, 4.5 ov), 5-80 (ADS Fletcher, 8.1 ov), 6-92 (CR Brathwaite, 10.4 ov), 7-99 (RR Emrit, 12.1 ov), 8-114 (JE Taylor, 13.5 ov), 9-124 (S Badree, 16.3 ov) Bowling Southee 2.3-0-213, Boult 4-0-29-2 (w-3, nb-2), Kitchen 4-0-33-1 (w-1), Santner 2-0-16-0, Sodhi 4-0-25-2

GFF opens mid-season transfer window T he Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) has confirmed via a press release that they have officially opened from January 1 its mid-season transfer window that will close January 31 to enable the transfer of players from one club to another.

During this transfer period clubs are encouraged to process the transfers needed in a timely manner to avoid the last-minute transactions, which have become a norm.

Competitions Director of the GFF, Ian Alves, said this is a great opportunity for clubs to bolster their capacity and increase their chances of success: “With a lot of football tournaments being contested within the Member Associations countrywide in the first half of the season, clubs and teams have had a good chance to take note of their deficiencies on the pitch, if any, or to see what possible projected ad-

The Guyana Defence Force recently won the GFF Super 16 Year-End Classic and other teams may have an interest in their players

justments might be needed in order to improve the team's performance going forward. The mid-season

Transfer Window provides those clubs and teams with an excellent opportunity to fix whatever needs

fixing in terms of their composition and harmony on the field of play. It is therefore anticipated that maxi-

mum use would be made of this opportunity accordingly.”

A Domestic Transfer, in order to be considered procedurally correct, must involve the Former Club, the Player, the Former Regional Member Association (RMA), the New Club, and the New RMA (in the case of transfer out of the Former Association). Unless and until all of these entities are informed and involved, and provided that none of these raise any legitimate concerns with the attempted transfer, and as a result refuse to concur or approve the transfer, the transfer is incomplete.

The New Club has the recourse of seeking the intervention of the relevant RMA, or subsequently the GFF, if it is of the view that the transfer is being unjustly hindered by the Former Club or the relevant RMA. turn to page 21

thursDAY, january 4, 2018

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MACORP rescues LGC – Guyadin – rehabilitated course playable by February being done on a daily basis, it is safe to say that golfers can certainly look forward to action before the end of January.

The local golfer also praised MACORP’s President Jorge Medina who

According to Guyadin, the main concern is the water and when compared to past instances where they were unable to play even weeks after the rains elapsed, golfers are able to play a few holes now despite ongoing works

sometimes last until late at nights.

Hussain added that as soon as the exterior is rectified and fully playable, then works on the club’s actual infrastructure will commence and should be 70 percent fin-

The greens up until Wednesday were submerged under approximately 16 inches of water but became visible after 24 hours of work

By Clifton Ross

G

olfers both local and overseas are expected to take to the Greens much earlier than usual this year thanks to MACORP, while Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) Ground Supervisor Mike Guyadin confirmed that millions were saved thanks to the company’s generosity.

The Machinery Corporation of Guyana (MACORP) recently lent the executive members of the

LGC pieces of equipment; most notably one Caterpillar Excavator which has been the catalyst behind the ground’s tremendous rehabilitation over the past few weeks.

When Guyana Times Sport visited the course on Wednesday, Guyadin along with a few of his ground staff were carrying out massive drainage operations following some 16 inches of water which turned the lush greens into a waterlogged swamp.

Guyadin said that the

restoration project which began in December 2017 was expected to be completed by the first week of February 2018. The LGC executive further pointed out that if it were not for MACORP’s input, then golfers would not have been able to play perhaps until mid-year.

He said that over the years, the first six or seven months have been rendered unplayable due to the excess water which comes with the rainy season. However, he anticipated that with works

LGC Ground Supervisor Mike Guyadin engaging in talks with the excavator operator at Lusignan on Wednesday

is an avid golfer and member of the Club. He said that the company had been a savior to the sport as well as an ambassador; given the way they selflessly donated millions of dollars in equipment to help refurbish the entire course and its appearance.

and daily showers.

Meanwhile, LGC President Aleem Hussain said that he was pleased with the way works have been coming along and rated the work-pace of his ground staff who has been relentless in their tasks which

ished by the summer. Such works include, remodeling the entire LGC into a fullfledged country club with a 5-star bar and kitchen along with numerous ponds and mini lakes expected to beautify the entire spread of the ground.

Hosting World Cup can develop our women’s cricket – Sanasie ...GCB aiming for female franchise league

Developing a flourishing women’s franchise league is on the agenda of the Guyana Cricket Board

By Akeem Greene

S

ecretary of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Anand Sanasie is hopeful that Guyana can secure the rights to be one of the hosts for this year’s International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s Twenty20 World Cup in November.

His quest for the hosting rights stems from him having optimism it will positively influence the development of female cricket in the coun-

try.

“We are looking to promote women issues in the Caribbean and Guyana and most importantly develop our young ladies for the vastly improving international women’s cricket,” the official told Guyana Times Sport on Wednesday.

In 2017, the under-19 team won the regional championships held in Trinidad and Tobago but the senior side has failed to replicate such performances, finishing in the penulti-

mate position in the regional T20 tournament in 2016 held in Guyana and then last year in St Vincent and the Grenadines they finished fourth.

More so, there is a lack of structure domestically which is showcased with the undesirable results at the inter-county level. However, Sanasie is contending there is light at the end of the tunnel once they can acquire the necessary funds, they can implement a developmental structure.

“It is something we have a workable developmental plan. Financing is always the issue so we are hoping to garner some revenue to push that level. Our plan is to have women’s cricket at the under-19 and senior levels played as franchise level as we are currently doing with male senior cricket”. **Big boost for Guyana** Since the National Stadium hosted Super Eight matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup and then group matches at the 2010 Men’s World T20, an ICC event has not come to these shores.

The Cricket West Indies Director felt that since the tournament will for the first time not be held with the men’s tournament running simultaneously, it brings a large international viewership solely to the women.

“The international viewership can boost the tourism sector significantly and

outside of that there will be aggressive marketing strategies to get persons to come.

The financial model that was proposed for the hosting would require a gate fee which would be kept a very low cost.”

He added, “It will be first of a standalone ICC women’s tournament and it will beamed live throughout the world which brings international recognition of having probably 150 million viewers. The idea is to have the West Indian type of carnival experience to fill the National Stadium.”

GCB are set to receive substantial support from the government through the National Sports Commission to have a successful leg should they be given the green light by the ICC. “We did put in the bid, myself and [Director of Sport] Christopher Jones attended the bid submit and I

GCB Secretary Anand Sanasie

subsequently prepared the bid on behalf of the cricket board and the government which was signed off and was successful at the Cricket West Indies level.”

“The three successful countries would be hosting would be referred to the ICC for conformation on their part. It’s most likely we will be one of the countries but we have to keep our fingers crossed.”

West Indies, South Africa, England, Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have already qualified for the games which will run from November 3 to 24, 2018. West Indies women are the defending champions.

thursDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Marvellous Munro leaves Windies empty-handed Pg 22

Colin Munro had a shot-filled third T20 century

– New Zealand complete biggest T20 win

Supreme Dub Ballers book St Maarten trip Pg 21

Pg 23

MACORP rescues LGC – Guyadin The female team of Annalisa Barclay, Lydia Roberts, Roschelle Campbell and Soffiya Greene have also qualified for the championships

– rehabilitated course playable by February

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