Guyanatimes 5 january 2018

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Friday, January 5, 2018

Issue No. 3441

PRICE

After submitting EoI for estate purchase

DDL’s interest confirms sugar estates still viable – GAWU

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Suspects in wedding house shooting surrender

P9

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Watching the dead

Late-night guard patrols for Le Repentir Cemetery

– Town Clerk reveals ambitious plan

City residents to pay $100 for every barrel of garbage P9 removed

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Chinese national granted bail for assaulting Policewoman Uncle fit to GPL promises stand trial for better service 18-month-old in 2018 niece’s murder Page 7

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5 busted with ganja in Puruni P10

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9-year-old critical after Corentyne P9 accident

$100,000 bail for bus driver charged with child rape

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news

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FRIDAY, january 5, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

After submitting EoI for estate purchase

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

Friday, January 5 – 05:00h-06:30h and Saturday, January 6 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, January 5 – 07:00h-08:30h and Saturday, January 6 – 07:45h-09:15h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

By Samuel Sukhnandan

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to light rain showers can be expected throughout the day, with thundery showers returning in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging between Easterly and East Northeasterly from 3.12 metres to 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 06:53h and 19:09h reaching maximum heights of 2.62 metres and 2.68 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 00:24h and 12:41h reaching minimum heights of 0.44 metre and 0.63 metre respectively.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2018

LOTTERY NUMBERS J

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thurSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

DAILY MILLIONS 02 03 04 08 19 LUCKY 3 3 5 4 Afternoon Draw DRAW DE LINE

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Evening Draw

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DDL’s interest confirms sugar estates still viable – GAWU

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

T

he interest shown by the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) to potentially purchase a sugar estate proves that the sugar industry in Guyana is still viable and is worth keeping alive, President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Komal Chand, said in response to this development, news of which was published in our Thursday edition.

DDL has raised concerns over Government’s plans to downsize the sugar sector, and has recently submitted an Expression of Interest (EoI) to the Special Purposes Unit (SPU) of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). That EoI is currently under review.

Chand said, “We have observed the fact that so much interest shown in estates to be sold testifies to our contention that these estates are all viable. That DDL is now seeking to purchase one of the estates confirms our position, and it tells you that the industry could be kept alive.”

While the GAWU head maintains that the decision taken by Government was not well thought out, he said Guyanese may have to face the reality of the decision to sell these estates.

He is, however, of the firm view that local buyers stand a better chance of efficiently managing these estates.

“So, naturally, a local buyer would have more interest than a foreign buyer, in a sense that they would be able to hold the foreign exchange here. A local owner will have a better understanding of the culture of the workers, and the venture under new ownership

GAWU President Komal Chand

could be successful,” he said, in reference to DDL. The process by which these estates are sold may be lengthy, Chand noted, explaining that the process is expected to be completed by mid-next year, since the SPU has to assess the value of the assets owned by the estates. An accounting company was late last year awarded the contract to carry out that exercise.

And although a commitment was made by the SPU to keep the Enmore, Skeldon and Rose Hall sugar factories operational until they are sold, hundreds of workers from those entities have already been issued termination letters. A majority of the workers have already received their last payment for 2017.

“If there is a glimmer of hope that these three estates will function again, we are hoping that it can be early, and we are hoping that the SPU is able to be supported in this direction.

They will have to evaluate how many workers they will need,” Chand told this publication in response to the

evaluation.

Chand did not fail to reiterate that GAWU feels that the industry was being consolidated for a number of years, and noted that these estates should remain under one entity. “And it is in the interest of the country, and the economy, and the workers in particular to have all the estates under one (entity),” he added.

However, the DDL EoI was made for one of the sugar estates, and is aimed at keeping the company’s supply of molasses stable. This was confirmed by Public Relations Representative for DDL, Alex Graham, who said, “It was in the company’s interest to explore options with the intention of finding a solution.”

The company has said its distillery production for 2017 has increased by some 30 per cent over 2016, surpassing projections last year; and was projected to increase by a further 25 per cent over 2017.

However, the company is concerned that the downsizing of the sugar industry would affect its projections for 2018. “With the impending closure of estates, there will be a considerable shortfall in molasses’ availability, which is directly related to the reduced projection of sugar production,” the DDL has noted.

When the SPU was established, it was tasked with the divestment (selloff) of assets owned by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). It received an allocation of $200 million under the Finance Ministry’s 2018 Budget. This money would be spent on legal and professional fees, surveys, strategic partnerships with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), travel and subsistence, as well as other expenditures.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder has said that, based on presentations made by GuySuCo and the SPU, Cabinet will next week make a final decision on the divestment plans for the local sugar industry, in that a collective decision will be made on the future of each of the estates and factories.

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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

Independent, effective judiciary

O

n Wednesday, President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo met to kick-start the process of consultation, as required by the Constitution of Guyana. This would hopefully culminate in the long overdue appointment of a Chancellor of the Judiciary and a new Chief Justice.

It came at a point and time in our history when Guyana’s Judiciary has been functioning without a substantive Chancellor since 2005, when Justice Desiree Bernard resigned from the post to take up appointment as the first female Judge at the Caribbean Court of Justice.

When Justice Bernard resigned, the substantive Chief Justice, Carl Singh, was made to act as the Chancellor, while Justice Ian Chang was elevated to the post of Chief Justice.

The two had since been acting, and neither was confirmed in those portfolios because of the failure on the part of three consecutive Presidents and two Opposition Leaders to agree on their suitability for appointment; or the suitability of other candidates, if there were others indeed nominated or courted to fill the vacancies.

It is important to note that the failure to make substantive appointments to these two key judicial postings had a largely negative impact on the morale of those operating within the administrative bureaucracy of the Judiciary and those within the legal profession over the past decade and a half.

While one would have thought that the growing backlog of cases and the need to address the slothfulness in dispensing justice at the levels of the Magistracy and the High Courts would have forced both parties to reach a compromise and embolden efforts to arrive at a “consensus candidate’, this did not happen. Not even the need to implement and pilot more modern and realistic reforms, which could have seen massive improvements in the way justice is administered in Guyana, served as a compelling force that was powerful enough to encourage President Donald Ramotar and then Opposition Leader, Granger, to do what was legally required to end the impasse and delay in appointing the substantive office holders.

As guards changed, two more suitably qualified Judges were appointed to act as the Chancellor and CJ. This time, they were women of great distinction in the persons of Justices Roxanne George-Wiltshire and Yonette CummingsEdwards. As history would have it, neither of the two was selected by the Presidential panel to be confirmed in their respective posts, following what was described as a long and arduous advertisement, interviewing and shortlisting process.

In the end, Justice Kenneth Benjamin emerged as the top person recommended by the panel, and has now been proposed by the President for appointment, while Justice Cummings-Edwards is being proposed for appointment as the new CJ. While no credible concerns have been raised about Justice Cummings-Edwards’s track record, a lot is being reported by sections of the media about Justice Benjamin’s history as far as delivering timely judgments is concerned.

It is therefore important that Opposition Leader Jagdeo be given all of the requisite reports and information that led to the President’s selection of Justice Benjamin. Jagdeo must meet the nominee along with those who recommended him if he has doubts about Benjamin’s suitability for the job. The Opposition Leader must question the advertisement process and the President’s decision not to propose Justice GeorgeWiltshire for confirmation despite her sterling performance.

Also, Jagdeo must not turn a blind eye to other suitably qualified legal luminaries in the country, who can function in both posts. There must be no haste and no rush if the consultations are to be truly meaningful within the context of the Constitution. Any fallout or non-agreement can see the appointments being further delayed despite the frank and factual criticisms of no less a person than the President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Sir Dennis Bryon.

President Granger must do all that is necessary to seal the deal and have substantive appointments made. He must go with what is specifically spelt out in the Constitution if he wants to demonstrate a true commitment to restoring the total independence and effectiveness of the Judiciary which dispenses justice here. Partisan politics could lose this time round in order for Guyana’s interests to win.

Even if the first meeting, based upon the statements released by both parties, was conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect and civility, ‘justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done’.

“Whilst out snorkelling late one afternoon on Jervis Bay [in Australia], I stumbled across this Common Stingaree gracefully gliding over the shallow sand flats,” says National Geographic Your Shot photographer Jordan Robins. “As the sun was setting, I managed to captured this over-under image where you can see above and below the water captured in a single exposure” (Photo: Jordan Robins, National

Geographic Your Shot)

Losing touch with reality

Dear Editor, I read the New Year message of President Granger in the press. I understand that as a politician and leader of his party he would try to put his administration in some good light. However, I did not expect to come to the conclusion that the APNU+AFC has lost touch with reality.

His remarks that his government was “promoting the good life for all…”, is only partially true. It is a fact that the elite created by this administration is enjoying a very good life indeed. They have given themselves a huge increase in salaries and the percentage increase in allowances is massive. Often far more than the month’s salary of the average police officer, teacher and nurse.

We also see the style in which they move around in huge convoys of shiny Prados.

I am told that they have now acquired bullet-proof vehicles for the top echelons.

It is this good life that they are enjoying that has made them immune to the real situation in the country and the growing sufferings of the Guyanese people.

His claim of his regime; “pursuing economic prosperity…” sounds extremely hollow. Nowhere do we see any evidence of this.

In fact, in less than three years, production in most sectors has plummeted. The most startling is the sugar industry. Production in 2017 was a paltry 138,000 tons of sugar. In the rice sector, the situation is deteriorating. In many other areas production is falling constantly.

One of the reasons for this decline is the very many taxes imposed on persons and businesses in the productive sector. People planting kitchen gardens are being harassed for taxes, persons with donkey carts have to pay licence

fees. All of this is eating into their meager income.

Instead of job creation this regime has caused thousands of jobs to be lost. Instead of hiring managers to administer Guysuco, the APNU+AFC regime hired liquidators to shut the sugar industry down. In addition, it has imposed another layer of elite with persons in their eighties and nineties on the industry.

Each one of those pensioners is raking in more than one million dollars per month.

The Board has increased their fees by hundreds of percentage points. All this imposed on an industry to kill it instead of reviving production.

Many small loggers have been forced out of the business due to the anti-Chinese hysteria promoted and encouraged by both APNU+AFC while in and out of office. In the meantime, Barama’s operations have been greatly downsized with hundreds of workers walking the roads with nothing to do.

The President seems os-

trich-like having his head buried deep in the sand or the mudflat, when he said his government is: “...reducing divisions and maximising cohesion…”. His regime has done more than the PNC regime of 1964 to 1992 to promote divisions in our country.

The public service has almost been totally cleansed of Guyanese of Indian origin.

His regime went on a mass dismissal of Indian Guyanese from government. Its recruitment policy is clearly biased against Indian Guyanese.

Indo-Guyanese are discriminated against in almost every government run institution.

In employment or in social sectors, education and other social sectors.

A good example of this is discriminatory policy that is now taking place in sugar. In January of 2015, the government of India had committed to helping Guyana in: (1) building a new ferry to ply the Georgetown/ Mabaruma route, (2) to establish a modern IT Park, the most advanced

in the region, (3) the road to connect the East Coast with the East Bank highways; and (4) soft loans to recapitalise the sugar industry.

This regime has accepted all but the recapitalisation of the sugar industry. Why? The only credible answer is because the majority of workers and people that directly and indirectly depend on the sugar industry are Indian Guyanese. It is a blatant racial position of this regime.

This decision will have serious consequences for the whole country and all our people.

Contrast that with the fact that billions of dollars are spent to subsidise electricity in Linden, while they stubbornly refuse to invest in an industry that can be revived and made profitable and employ thousands of persons.

How are they still speaking of social cohesion when this regime dismissed two thousand Amerindians at one go when they came to power. continued on page 5

Unemployment and suicide

Dear Editor, Here is a highly oversimplified flow diagram showing the influence of a stressor, such as unemployment(A), which disrupts homeostatic

brain functions in unleashing an array of brain problems(B), in eliciting suicide (C). At least two cases of suspected suicide have already been reported among the

recently unemployed sugar workers.

Sincerely, Annie Baliram

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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

Misinformation peddled by Public Infrastructure Ministry Dear Editor, Please allow me space in the letter columns to express concern as well as to educate your readers about the level of misinformation being peddled by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure as it relates to the “successes” of this Ministry.

The undisputed fact is that since the APNU/AFC Granger-led Administration assumed office, no new transformational or major infrastructural project has been undertaken. All that has been reported are projects started by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration pre-May 2015, and in some instances funding moblised awaiting contract awards for execution.

Let me specifically refer to a number of projects, such as: The Cheddi Jagan International Airport, the East Bank four-lane highway, the West Coast Demerara road (Vreed-en-Hoop to Ruby), the East Coast four-lane highway and upgrade (Better Hope to Belfield), the East Bank Berbice road, the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue upgrade, the road link between East Coast and East Bank, the Guyana Power and Light power utility upgrade project (GPL’s PUUP funded by the EU/IDB), new ferry to be funded by India, the Lindento-Lethem road, and the

Kurupukari crossing. These are all projects that were in the pipeline at different stages.

Therefore, I urge all Guyanese not to be fooled by the propaganda lines and sound bites being peddled by the current Administration.

The only new developments in this sector are the corruption and non-compliance with procurement processes, sole-sourcing of contracts to friends and cronies, and the heavy over-reliance on the force account unit.

The New Demerara River Crossing was at the pre-feasibility stage when the PPP/C demitted office in May 2015.

The country is now aware that the feasibility study was solesourced to a preferred contractor even after more than a dozen firms had submitted bid proposals in response to a public advertisement. How this is possible only the Ministry of Public Infrastructure knows.

The Wind Farm proposal was around pre-May 2015, and discussions were ongoing about the cost that would entail in a power purchase agreement, feeding into the national grid, and developing real capacity. However, the boast of the current Administration as it relates to this project is that a political investor, a publicly declared AFC financier, is the preferred investor. We are not aware of the cost to pur-

chase electricity, and there are a number of other unknowns relative to this project.

Maintenance of roads and bridges, maintenance of hinterland roads and bridges, maintenance of highways, maintenance of streetlights, maintenance of ferry vessels, maintenance of interior airstrips, maintenance of wharves and stellings, and maintenance of river and sea defences are all routine tasks of the Public Infrastructure Ministry (PIM); and in some instances, these declared programmes were not executed as confirmed by the Minister when he declared a 73% completion of the capital projects for 2017. Yet the PIM is claiming a highly successful year.

Editor, Government collects taxes, and is expected to provide goods and services to its citizens. It is obvious that the APNU+AFC Government specialises in the collecting of taxes, and is still learning how to deliver goods and services to the taxpayers. This unscrupulous approach of selling propaganda through public relations blitz is a failed method that is seen and experienced by all Guyanese.

It is in this environment of boast by the Minister of Public Infrastructure that Guyanese are yet to be assured of the short-term, medium-term, or even a workable long-term solution to ensuring cheap, re-

Losing touch with...

They have seized the solar panels that the PPP/C government had procured for the Amerindian communities and placed them on government buildings including State House.

So far, the APNU+AFC regime has not given the Amerindian villages a single square inch of land, not even a blade of grass.

The talk of social cohesion is obviously an empty slogan.

The President boasted about raising minimum wage, old age pensions and social security. However, what the regime did could be likened to giving blood with one hand and extracting more of it from the other hand simultaneously. What he did not mention was the fact that by applying Value Added Tax (VAT) on the more than one hundred essential items the PPP/C government zero-rated, he has, in real terms, reduced the standard of living for the low-income people.

Moreover, the APNU+AFC regime has also removed the subsidies on electricity and water and placed VAT on them as well. They have stopped the $10,000 ‘Because We Care’ programme that ensured our children attend school.

Clearly, therefore, this regime has actually taken away the ‘good life’ that this group of citizens had enjoyed under the PPP/Civic administration.

The gap between rich and poor has now become a gulf.

The President also spoke about security and protecting

our citizens. Well, the grave economic situation that his regime has created has led to a big upsurge in crime. The crimes are economic crimes.

The whole population is targeted. No one is safe. Maybe with the exception of the elite that has huge security with them. Some ministers even walk with bodyguards when they travel abroad, where they are hardly known.

Coupled with that is the move to de-professionalise the police. The removals and transfers are clearly being done in a discriminatory way. This regime is not interested in professionalism.

They want blind loyalty to the APNU. (The AFC has little or no support). That has now become the main qualification. We are right back at the stage where the Police and Army had to swear loyalty to the leader and the PNC. Only a fine line still separate us from this.

Crime is actually spiraling out of control in the meantime. The President spoke about upholding the dignity of our institutions. Yet it is his regime that is undermining our institutions, including our Constitution.

He himself has shown scant regard for the Chief Justice describing her decision as her opinion. It is the President who rejected a list of eighteen persons of high standing in our society garnered after the widest consultations with civil society, for the post of Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission. By so

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doing he has devalued that institution and has created the distinct impression that he and his cohorts are planning to rig our national elections.

This is a glaring act of undermining and discriminatory on an important institution.

It is his nominee for Speaker of the National Assembly that is daily bringing that institution into disrepute with ruling that are unfair and totally biased against the opposition. He is destroying debates and discussions in that august body. He makes no pretense of being impartial.

It is this regime that daily violates the Constitution in relation to procurements, appointments and dismissals form our public service.

The President has it in his power to change these things but has not seen it fit to do so.

Finally, the regime has displayed a high degree of philistinism as they desecrate our national monuments, painting them green, the colour of this party.

Is this the President’s understanding of a Green Economy? These are symbols of the mindset of ‘Paramountcy of the Party’.

The President should know that those acts are leading to more and more alienation and not cohesion.

Clearly, the New Year message holds out no hope. It actually reflects a loss of reality by the regime.

Donald Ramotar Former President

liable and renewable electricity.

We all suffered the indignities of constant blackout during the entire year, and

even during the festive season -- Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Guyanese deserve more, so we demand more of this

Administration.

Sincerely, Juan Edghill, PPP/C MP

Local Govt Commission yet to be empowered, fully operational Dear Editor, The perennial local governance cycles since May 2015 have realised faded hope in the APNU/AFC (A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change) coalition Government’s policies. The majority of our citizens are displaying greater apprehension, given the now bullish threat to their rights and security; the fraudulent, non-transparent practices of the Government; and certainty, that almost no positive tangibles for most Guyanese are likely to materialise from the fluff and bluff of this Government.

The approach to 2018 provided brutal evidence of the negative, vengeful politics being rolled out by the partisan, get-rich-quick coalition Government. Many communities which were inundated with water from previous light rainfall are now expected to experience serious heavy flooding, given the predicted increase in rainfall. The silence from Government regarding appropriate response preparations has been resounding. By now one could hardly expect a difference in their behaviour, since ‘the hush’ is premised on the continued policy of non-cooperation with, and disruption of, the programmes of some Councils lost by APNU/AFC at the 2016 Local Government Elections.

Notably, the Civil Defence Commission, which is expected to be geared for disaster relief activity, has recently used public media to sensitise residents in threatened low-lying areas to take preventative actions against likely flooding.

In stark contrast, it is most shocking, shameful and disgusting that residents of some affected areas are yet to see the APNU/AFC Ministers giving some words of comfort to some of the flood victims in their time of distress and significant losses.

Most wicked is the apparent disappearance of the Communities Minister, Social Protection Minister, and the Social Cohesion or the Sporting Ministers in the troubling times of our people. In 2018, the nation, with one united voice, must call for the Local Government Commission to be fully operationalised with full constitutional autonomy, and not as a shadow Department of the Communities Ministry.

The Communities Minister continues to treat the Local Government Commission with scant respect. The Commission’s last meeting for 2017 was held at the National Library. Although its duration exceeded the midday hour, it is sad to know that attending Commissioners were not pro-

vided with snacks, not even coffee or water.

It has been more than three months since the Commissioners have been appointed, and they are yet to receive their salaries.

The Commissioners want to know, and are also now discussing, what happened to the sums of money that were budgeted for the Local Government Commission in 2016 and 2017.

Commissioners of the Local Government Commission have indicated that numerous alarming complaints have been receive from elected Councils. To date, they have been unable to attend to these matters, given the constricting grip of the Communities Ministry. No means of transportation is available to the Commissioners, and they do not have an office from which they can operate. By extension, effective and meaningful communication around the country to address their mandate is in reality an impossibility. One Commissioner said the members of the Commission are contemplating taking the APNU/AFC Government to court, to make sure that the Commission becomes fully operational.

The Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) are experiencing serious staffing problems. The surreptitious negative intervention by the Minister, in attempting to control the Councils through empowered Regional Executive Officers and Overseers, is frustrating the NDC’s implementation of their work programme.

The Commission must function as the law permits, and the APNU/AFC coalition must stop this political interference.

Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan, in his 2018 New Year’s press release, alludes to Local Government Elections this year, and also hypocritically and conveniently advances that: “It is your local representatives who must ensure that roads will be repaired, streets are adequately lighted, mar-

kets are maintained, and garbage is collected. It is the representatives that you elect who will have those and many other powers and responsibilities, not central Government.”

Bulkan knows fully well that his Government has done everything it could to derail these projects by many councils.

As evidence to the foregoing, there has been no intervention from the Communities Ministry when NDCs attempt to look into some of these issues. After two years in office, there has been no assistance with street lighting, even amidst the alarming crime increase. There have been deliberate delays in the approval of projects by the RDC; the non-implementation of approved budgeted projects, such as the health centre in Eccles in 2015, 2016 & 2017; delays in the release of subventions, and conversion of same as the Ministry sees fit. Reference is made to the flawed and crumbling new Eccles bridge, for which $1 million in NDC subvention was deducted and put as Variance after the RDC Region Four bungled the project.

Empowerment and full operation of the Local Government Commission have been overdue for too long now.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

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Foundation

Parents’ Questions and Answers

W

e know it's important to get children to eat healthy foods, but what about getting them on board with healthy drinks? What children drink can greatly affect how many calories they consume and the amount of calcium (needed to build strong bones) their bodies get.

Serve water and milk

For children of all ages, water and milk are the best choices, so let them flow. Besides having zero calories, water is a no-sugar thirst-quencher. And 1 cup of milk has 300 milligrams of calcium, so it's a big contributor to a child's daily needs.

Here's how much calcium children need each day: toddlers (ages 1 to 3 years): 700 milligrams of calcium daily children (ages 4 to 8 years): 1000 milligrams older children (ages 9 to 18 years):

1300 milligrams The current dietary guidelines for milk or equivalent dairy products or fortified soy beverages are: Children ages 2 to 3 should drink 2 cups (480 millilitres) every day.

Children 4 through 8 should have 2½ cups (600 millilitres) per day.

Children 9 and older should have 3 cups (720 millilitres) per day.

Choose fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk products most of the time.

When children drink too much juice, juice drinks, sports drinks, and soda, these beverages can crowd out the milk they need. Sugary drinks also can pile on the calories.

Put limits on juice

If your child likes juice, be sure to serve 100% juice, preferably with the pulp. Also follow these recommended limits: up to 6 months old: no juice 6 - 1 2 months old: no more than 2-4 ounces (120 millilitres) per day, always served in a cup 1-6 years old: 4-6 ounces (120180 millilitres) of juice per day 7-18 years old: 8-12 ounces (240360 millilitres) of juice per day

Say no to soda

Soft drinks are commonly served to children, but they have no nutritional value

and are high in sugar. Drinking soda and other sugared drinks can cause tooth decay. Colas and other sodas often contain caffeine, which children don't need. In addition, soft drinks may be taking the place of calcium-rich milk.

O n e study found that, on average, preschoolers drank less than the recommended 16 ounces of milk each day while drinking 8 ounces of soda and fruit drinks (not including 100 per cent fruit juice).

I f s o d a h a b its start when children are little, chances are they will drink increasing amounts as they get older. In older children and teens, drinking soda has been linked to excessive weight gain and other problems.

That said, many children like soda and will request it. As a rule, don't serve it to babies, toddlers, or preschoolers. With older children, let them know it's a once-in-a-while beverage. Don't ban it entirely if your children like it now and then – that's likely to make it more appealing and them more inclined to overdo it when they get the chance! (Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

M

y son isn't a big candy eater, but he does drink lots of juice throughout the day. His front teeth are starting to become discoloured. Could the juice be to blame?

– Claire Yes, the juice could be causing the problem with your son's teeth. Studies have found that the sugar in fruit juice can eat away at tooth enamel, especially if children are allowed to drink juice from bottles, cups, or boxes continuously throughout the day or at bedtime.

Decay results when juice pools around a child's teeth for extended periods. Babies who are allowed to fall asleep with milk bottles in their mouths can experience the same thing.

It's best to limit juice and other sugary beverages – and avoid putting your child to bed with a bottle.

It's also a good idea for all children to start seeing a dentist after their first birthday. (kidshealth.org)

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friDAY, january 5, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

City Hall sex scandal

Watching the dead

Activists reiterate calls for Mayor, Late-night guard patrols for Le Town Clerk to be sanctioned Repentir Cemetery

These activists have said they will continue to protest until City Hall authorities are sanctioned for covering up the allegations

By Vahnu Manikchand

R

ights activists have once again staged a “mini-protest” outside the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC), reiterating calls for Mayor Patricia Chase Green and Town Clerk Royston King to be sanctioned for allegedly trying to cover up the rape of a 15-year-old boy, who was detained for loitering.

It was alleged that on August 15, 2017, a Lance Corporal attached to the City Constabulary was caught having sex with the teen, and the incident was covered up for some two months until it was reported in October.

Shortly after, the alleged perpetrator, along with a Corporal who witnessed the act and reported it, was dismissed but then reinstated before being sent on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the probe after the matter was handed over to the Police.

However, activist Jonathan Yearwood told reporters during the three-man protest on Thursday that the Mayor and Town Clerk needed to be arrested and charged as an accessory after the fact since they reportedly knew of the incident and did nothing.

“As citizens when you know a crime has been committed, it is our duty to report it. Therefore, the Town Clerk,

the Mayor and the Legal Affairs Committee have all been negligent in their duties as officers of the Council and as citizens of Guyana. They are leaders in this City of Georgetown and they should be setting the example and certainly not try to sweep it under the carpet,” he stated.

In addition, to accusing the Mayor and Town Clerk of trying to cover up the incident by now taking action against the alleged perpetrator from the inception, Yearwood went on to point out, they also failed to report the matter to the relevant authorities when it was first reported.

“No report was made to the Police; no report was made to the Child Care and Protection Agency. All of them are guilty of negligence and I am saying that they should be penalised and the penalty that I’m looking forward to is for them to be dismissed from their jobs.

We must set examples that senior people in organisations, people with responsibilities must take responsibility for their actions and if that means they get fired, so be it,” he posited.

However, Mayor Chase Green has since denied having any knowledge of the incident until it was reported in the media. However, Chief Constable at the Constabulary, Andrew Foo, had claimed that he informed both the Mayor and Town

Clerk of the incident within hours of it being reported to him.

Corporal Quacy Baveghens was the one who reportedly witnessed the act and reported it to Foo. Baveghens, who has been sent on administrative leave for failing to report the matter in a timely manner, has lamented that he is being punished because the alleged perpetrator is friends with the Mayor and Town Clerk.

Meanwhile, activist Don Singh has stated that the protest action would continue until the authorities at City Hall were held accountable for the role they allegedly played in trying to cover up the matter.

“The Minister of Communities should step in and sanction them in one way or the other; ask for them to be removed while a proper investigation is being done by his Ministry or any other thing because this just can’t continue. We can’t just stand by and then we will see another rape or abuse because City Hall is a microcosm of the entire Guyana, where adults commit heinous acts against kids and it’s just washed away, and they call a ‘higher up’ and after a period of time, it’s just gone. But we’re saying no, we will be here every Thursday to let it not die,” Singh noted.

Another rights activist, Akola Thompson, also criticised the City Council for neglecting the welfare of citizens. “City Hall just seems to have a very bad attitude with regards to protecting victims, poor people, everything,” she opined.

The activists will continue the protest every Thursday at 12:00h.

Meanwhile, the Police have since submitted the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), but have been told to clarify specific points before any recommendations for charges could be made.

Chinese national granted bail for assaulting Policewoman

A

fter going viral on Facebook in a showdown with Police ranks, Robb Street businesswoman Maie HyataeKim was on Wednesday arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on a host of assault charges for offences Police said she committed last Friday.

Appearing before Chief Magistrate Anne McLennan, she denied that she unlawfully assaulted Shadee Puran at Robb Street and Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown on December 29, 2017.

The 48-year-old Chinese national, who resides in Newtown, Georgetown, also pleaded not guilty when the Chief Magistrate read the charge implicating her for assaulting and also resisting Policewoman Natalie Gibson at the same location. Kim was handed a fourth charge that she behaved disorderly, but to this, she also pleaded not

Robb Street businesswoman Maie Hyatae-Kim

guilty.

The prosecution objected to bail on grounds that the defendant was a flight risk as she was not Guyanese, but Kim’s lawyer, Bernard Da Silva quickly pointed out that his client was married to a Guyanese and was a mother of one. In appealing for reasonable bail, he observed that on the day in question, Kim was defending her property which the defence alleged was damaged by Shadee Puran.

The Chief Magistrate released the woman on $20,000

bail and assigned the matter to Court Six for continuation.

In the last few days, Kim was seen in a video on social media, standing in front of a minibus seemingly blocking it from proceeding. Police ranks – both male and female – were seen attempting to arrest the woman who apparently was putting up resistance.

In the presence of a gathering of vocal onlookers, Kim was forcibly placed in a nearby Police outpost after ranks fetched her inside. (Shemuel Fanfair)

– Town Clerk reveals ambitious plan

The Le Repentir Cemetery

T

he City Council has a number of plans for maintaining Guyana’s historic Le Repentir Cemetery, and one of those ambitious plans will literally involve placing security guards within the cemetery to patrol from sundown to sunrise.

Speaking to this publication on Thursday, Town Clerk Royston King identified this as one of the City Council’s planned initiatives.

He identified the rationale behind this as a bid to stop

the desecration of the cemetery.

“We’re going to lock the gates and we will have security in the cemetery, patrolling the cemetery to secure the cemetery and ensure it is kept in a tidy state. The reason we’re going to lock the gates is that we’ve had reports that you have criminal elements hiding out in the cemetery,” King related.

“When we had the last prison break, we had a number of reports that escapees were hiding out in the ceme-

tery. We can’t have the cemetery like that. It is an indictment on our own ability to keep a large area of the city in order.”

Despite attesting to it being the Council’s responsibility to upkeep the cemetery, King expressed the hope that persons would still maintain the surroundings of their loved ones’ tombs. He noted the importance of keeping the cemetery maintained in case overseas-based persons wanted to visit and view the resting places of their loved ones.

Long viewed as Guyana’s most recognised cemetery, the vastness of its size has caused headaches for city administrators to maintain over the years. And garbage is not the only thing that has been dumped in the cemetery. There have been a number of bodies discovered in the cemetery in the past, some of whom were victims of murder.

Sophia labourer sentenced to 4 years in jail for killing pensioner

A

Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown resident Kenneth Johnson was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Thursday after pleading guilty to causing the death of 72-year-old pensioner Joyclyn Joseph.

The YY Bent Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown woman was killed early Tuesday morning after she was struck down

by Johnson’s speeding car (PLL 2838) on Brickdam, Georgetown, while on her way to uplift her pension from the Bourda Post Office around 04:30h.

The 35-year-old man, attached to the Cyril Potter College of Education as a weeding labourer, admitted to the prosecution’s facts which noted that he was racing the traffic lights before it counted down to the red light. He expressed condolences to Joseph’s family members, who were sobbing in court, telling the Chief Magistrate that all he saw was a shadow and that the pensioner’s killing was not a wilful act.

Reports are that the pensioner was dragged 147 feet and her left leg was severed before Johnson came to a halt. The pedestrian was

rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Her cause of death was given as multiple injuries due to a motor vehicle accident.

Johnson was also found guilty of operating his car for private hire as Police found a radio set connected to a taxi service. He explained that he was “hustling” to provide for his wife and family. The defendant was sentenced to four weeks in jail for the second offence, and this sentence will run concurrently with his fouryear sentence.

8 NEWS

friDAY, january 5, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Uncle fit to stand trial for 18-month-old niece’s murder

By Shemuel Fanfair

T

he Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the brutal death of 18-month-old toddler, Ronasha Pilgrim, will begin at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts next Monday following the declaration that the girl’s alleged killer, Sherwin Roberts, her uncle, was fit to stand trial. This determination was made by Psychiatrist, Dr Bhiro Harry on Thursday who gave a medical report to the court.

Roberts was last year remanded to prison for the gruesome murder of his 18-month-old niece. He was accused of the girl’s September 1, 2017 killing at Sophia, Greater Georgetown, whom he allegedly murdered over a pair of gold earnings. On the day of the toddler’s murder, it was reported that Roberts

Murder accused: Sherwin Roberts

The dead toddler, Ronasha Pilgrim

broke into his brother’s Lot 98 North Sophia, Greater Georgetown home, and tore a pair of earrings from the baby’s ears.

However, after the child started to cry and in order to silence her, Roberts was said to have thrown the toddler through the window

into the swamped yard.

The accused then reportedly ran outside, dug a hole and then placed her inside the hole; after which he then covered the hole by placing planks of wood on top. The incident had occurred sometime around 03:30h on the day in question when the

toddler and her two brothers, aged 10 and 12, were alone at home.

Father of the toddler, Ron Pilgrim, a security guard who was on duty at the time, had related to Guyana Times that he received a call from a female friend informing him of what had transpired and as such, he rushed home.

“The Police ask me to see if I (could locate) any wood. I saw two big pieces of plank, I moved them, I pushed my hands down as the mud was swamped; when I push my hands down I feel my daughter and then I saw her,” Pilgrim revealed last year.

In response to his brother’s possible insanity, Pilgrim denied that he was mentally challenged but revealed that he is a marijuana user. The matter continues before the Chief Magistrate.

Labourer, teenage relative released on rape charges

A

fter a period of investigation and intense interviews, the Police were finally cleared to lay child rape charges against a labourer from Recht-door-Zee, West Bank Demerara and his male juvenile relative.

Guyana Times understands that the acts were allegedly committed on two females, who are relatives, in a West Demerara com-

munity.

Twenty-four-year-old Krishna Roberts, who is reportedly a fisheries labourer, appeared at the Wales Magistrate’s Court on Thursday charged with rape of a child under 16. He denied the allegation and was released on $100,000 bail by Magistrate Annette Singh.

Robert’s teenage relative was similarly charged

for raping another female, and was released on $100,000 bail after he denied the allegation.

However, the boy’s identity cannot be disclosed as he is a juvenile.

This publication understands that the matter occurred within the past six months and the two co-accused have been cooperating with Police. Roberts and his relative will make

their next appearance at the Wales Magistrate’s Court on January 25.

Meanwhile, sources familiar with the case alleged that the guardian of the virtual complainants was the recipient of a report submitted to welfare officials where allegations surfaced that the girls were being sexually molested.

(Shemuel Fanfair)

$100,000 bail for bus driver charged with child rape

V

ishnu Persaud, called Amit, was released on $100,000 bail for rape of a child under 16 when he appeared at the Wales

Magistrate’s Court. When the 34-year-old minibus driver stood before presiding Magistrate Annette Singh, he denied the allegation that

he committed the illegal act on the underage child.

After the defendant was granted his pre-trial liberty, the matter was trans-

ferred to the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court for statements. Persaud is scheduled to make his next court appearance on February 5.

Missing the point…

O

…about sovereignty of the people ne newspaper reported that the Government’s appeal on “the third term case” was coming up in a month, to set a date for the substantive hearings by the CCJ. Your Eyewitness is quite sympathetic to the desire of the popular press for snappy headlines, but, in this case, they’re doing a great disservice to a fundamentally critical point -- which should be quite apparent in the times we’re experiencing.

The greatest danger Guyana faces today is the PNCled Government’s determination to reprise the dark days of the Burnham dictatorship. What else could Granger mean when you conjoin his actions with his VOW to fulfil the “legacy” of Burnham? And in case some of you, dear readers, are too young to have personally experienced the first iteration of that legacy, just remember Guyana was literally plunged to the bottom of the Caribbean barrel -economically, politically, culturally, and every other “ally” you can think about!

But what is the strongest bulwark against such a dictatorship? An informed citizenry which understands it’s the ultimate possessor of sovereignty and power of its country. Not the Government officials; they’ve merely been placed in positions of authority to run the state on our behalf. It is “we, the people,” who constitute our governments - but we retain the ultimate power over them.

And how do we know this? Well this is where the case that is coming up before the CCJ comes in. Lots of folks say that since the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, that document is the last word about who’s the boss. Chief Justice Ian Chang -- later confirmed by Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh -- pointed out the flaw in that proposition, and why we need to be careful in understanding what’s at stake in front of the CCJ. The Constitution has clauses that specify how its stipulations can be changed – generally, by votes of varying majorities in the Legislature. And this is what can present a clear and present danger to our freedom. Should the majority in our Parliament -- for instance, as happened in Germany with Hitler -- pass an “Enabling Act” that gives their party leader the powers to pass laws on his own -- in other words, become a “constitutional” dictator?

Chang and Singh said, “NO!” There must be a referendum of the PEOPLE to make changes to what is called “the basic structure/nature” of our Constitution.

The “third term” possibility is only the instance – here, the unfettered right of citizens to select their candidates for office -- that triggered the fundamental question as to where sovereignty lies.

Power to the people! No dictator!

…on Judicial appointments Once again, we’re jumping into the morass of making appointments to fill two of the highest offices in the Judiciary. And the problem arises because of our Constitution! On one hand, the “separation of powers” doctrine is undoubtedly part of the basic structure of the Constitution -- that the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary should function independently of each other -- yet our Constitution gives to the Executive the power to appoint the aforesaid top Judicial officials!!

Art 127 (1) said quite clearly: “the Chancellor and the Chief Justice shall each be appointed by the President, acting after obtaining the agreement of the Leader of the Opposition.” While everyone gives lip service to the notion that the judicial appointments shouldn’t be “politicised”, it’s useless to debate whether the two abovementioned leaders in the Executive are not being “political” in their choices. And this is why we’ve had the last two incumbents “acting” for over a decade So how do we break the logjam when Prezzie wants to appoint an Ex-GDF squaddie as Chancellor?

A Judicial Ombudsman?

…on sugar workers’ suicides After the first two suicides by fired sugar workers, GuySuCo rolled out a “social resilience programme”!

Wouldn’t a job programme before the firings have been more humane?

But then, it’s all politics, isn’t it?

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

News

9

friDAY, january 5, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

With gun pointing at her, windscreen smashed in

From next month

City residents to pay Woman flees in $100 for every barrel car, leaving armed of garbage removed bandits behind – in dramatic attempted robbery

By Ramona Luthi

Q

uick thinking by 42-year-old businesswoman Chandrawattie Juman of East Coast Demerara resulted in her evading a robbery attempt and possible injury while in her vehicle parked on Quamina Street, Georgetown, near the Watercrest Hotel on Thursday afternoon.

According to information received, at around 15:30hrs, the woman was seated in the front passenger seat of motor vehicle GWW1904, waiting for her husband who had left to transact business at the Guyana Revenue Authority.

Police reports indicate that two unmasked and armed men -- one holding a hammer while the other held a handgun -- approached the vehicle from an unknown direction and began knocking at the back windscreen.

Upon turning around, the woman reportedly heard the men instructing her to open the vehicle door and hand over her handbag.

When the woman refused to obey this instruction, the perpetrator armed with the gun reportedly began to pound the firearm on the front seat passenger window where she sat. At almost the same time, the other man, who was armed

with the hammer and was still at the rear of the vehicle, hit the glass once, causing the entire windscreen to shatter.

The woman panicked, but quickly made her way over to the driver’s seat and drove off the vehicle in an easterly direction.

The perpetrators then fled the scene, but Police were contacted and an investigation has been launched.

– Town Clerk

By Ramona Luthi

W

ith effect from February 1, 2018, Georgetown residents would be required to pay $100 for every barrel of garbage that is to be removed from their premises.

This was revealed by Town Clerk Royston King, on Thursday during an interview at his office at City Hall, Georgetown.

“Going forward, there are new proposals with respect to solid waste management, including the fact that we are looking and asking all residents within the city to pay a small fee to help us collect domestic waste. The proposal is: residents will be asked to pay $100 per barrel to remove garbage from their premises and to dispose of it at our landfill site,” he told Guyana Times.

According to King, the money acquired from this initiative would allow the Georgetown Municipality the capacity to sustainably develop the city.

Expressing hope that persons living in the city would be receptive to this

9-year-old critical after Suspects in wedding house shooting surrender Corentyne accident

A

nine-year-old girl is now in critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital after she was on Wednesday afternoon struck down by a reckless driver in Number 68 Village, Corentyne.

The young girl has been identified as Cristina Lakeram of Lot 111 Number 68 Village, Corentyne.

According to reports, 25-year-old Seenarine Shamlall of Number 77 Village, Corentyne, was driving his motor car, HC 7751, around 13:00h when the accident occurred.

Enquiries disclosed that Shamlall was proceeding south along the eastern side

allegedly at a fast pace when Lakeram, a student of the Number 68 Primary School, reportedly ran out into the path of the car.

She was quickly picked up in an unconscious state and rushed to the Skeldon Hospital, but was later transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital and then to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Shamlall was taken into Police custody where a breathalyser test was conducted and he was found to have no alcohol in his system. His vehicle is lodged at the Springlands Police Station as an investigation into the accident continues.

T

wo suspects who fled the scene after inflicting gunshot injury on three persons at a wedding house at Lot 89 Hampshire Village, Corentyne, East Berbice at about 00:30h on Christmas Eve Day, almost two weeks ago, have since turned themselves in to Police custody.

Identified as ‘Bara’ and ‘Rambo’, the men were accompanied by their lawyers when they surrendered to ‘B’ Division (Berbice) Police on Thursday. They remain in Police custody, and are assisting with ongoing investigations.

According to Police reports, an argument had

erupted at the wedding house, during which one of the suspects drew a handgun and discharged several rounds, injuring three persons.

Those injured are Samuel Samaroo, 28, a salesman of Lot 63 Hampshire Village, who sustained a single gunshot wound to his right arm; Terry Ramsammy, 21, a labourer of the same village, who was shot thrice to his abdomen; and Nicholas Beharry, 24, of Hampshire Squatting Area, who received two gunshot wounds to his back.

One of the victims who were shot is still hospitalised, but is said to be in a stable condition.

Town Clerk Royston King during an interview with Guyana Times on Thursday

new initiative, the Town Clerk declared he was looking forward to their cooperation.

“We are expecting, we anticipate, that residents will cooperate and will support this move,” he said.

In addition, King asserted that the City Council is looking at ways in which to allow villages that do not presently receive such public health care facilities – like Sophia, Greater

Georgetown -- to experience same.

“We’re also looking at other areas that are not currently receiving such public health services; like, for example, in the area of Sophia. We’re looking at Sophia, and we’re working out an arrangement to also provide public health services in that community, including the collection and disposal of their waste,” he disclosed.

10 news

friDAY, january 5, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Farmers being trained in smart agri practices Childcare providers

…to better manage disasters

W

ith climate change causing a rapid increase in droughts, floods and other disasters in recent years that are affecting the agricultural sector in many countries, putting them at risk of growing food insecurity, several local agricultural agencies have partnered to help train farmers in smart agricultural practices in order to reduce the impact of natural disasters on their produce and poultry.

Guyana’s own flood experience of 2005-2006 is an important example of the impact climate change can have on the agricultural sector; many animals and plants did not survive the flood, causing farmers countrywide to lose their livelihood.

To prevent such disasters from happening again, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI); the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB); the Guyana Livestock Development Authority and the Guyana Red Cross Society have collaborated and launched a training programme.

The exercise, “Disaster

NAREI Training Manager Benjamin Frank explaining the programme to farmers at the launch on Wednesday

Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaption of Good Practices for your community”, was launched on Wednesday at Lovely Lass, West Coast Berbice (WCB). It will be launched in four other communities: Number Four Village, WCB); D’Edwards, WCB; Fyrish, Corentyne and Now and Never, WCB. The training will see officials from the agencies looking at ‘smart agricultural practices’ for each community, which can assist farmers in coping with adverse climate conditions. The most suitable approach will be se-

lected and a demonstration exercise will be done with farmers.

It is expected that farmers will then transfer the new knowledge to their respective farms in an effort to reduce and manage disasters.

NAREI will be building capacity in the extension services, to enable staff to employ the disaster risk reduction tools, practices, and approaches in their daily work and to promote field implementation of disaster risk reduction measures.

The agency’s Training Manager, Benjamin Frank,

told the gathering that in the event of a disaster, while you could move animals, plants could not be moved from one spot and taken back when the situation normalised.

“We have to look at smart practices that can assist you in coping with these adverse conditions like shade houses — but while this might be applicable in one area, it might not be suitable in other places, so we have to arrive at the most suitable practices,” Frank posited.

“We are targeting farmers in specific communities in Regions Five and Six. Observe what we are doing, because it will be practically demonstrated. We expect all farmers to take what they learn back to their farm, so that your livelihood is not greatly affected in the event of a disaster,” he told the farmers present.

The Training Officer concluded by informing farmers that NAREI would continue to assess communities at risk and implement good training programmes to help overcome these hurdles that farmers face on a yearly basis.

GCAA to get new headquarters this year

T

he Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is moving towards delivering its work plans and programmes in a more established and standardised manner, in 2018.

At the Public Infrastructure Ministry’s year-end press conference last week, GCAA Director General, Lieutenant Colonel (ret’d) Egbert Field highlighted several projec-

tions that have been outlined by the agency to be accomplished in the new year.

Field reported that the construction of the GCAA headquarters, which would be located at Providence, East Coast Demerara (ECD), would commence in 2018. The Director General disclosed that land has already been acquired to house the head-

quarters. The new building is expected to maximise efficiency and the day-to-day operations of the agency.

Secondly, Field stated that Guyana was expected to host the third International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) African States and Diaspora meeting, which would focus on promoting tourism and air linkages between African countries

GCAA Director General, Lieutenant Colonel (ret’d) Egbert Field

and the Diaspora, especially in the Caribbean States.

Further, the GCAA hopes to meet an 85 per cent compliance target on ICAO standards. In 2017, a number of successes were recorded in the local aviation sector, including improvements to the air navigation services, aviation security, aviation safety and regulations, and air transport management.

Additionally, the agency, in keeping with the Government’s green agenda, is moving to store files and other critical documents and information electronically. At least 33 per cent of the agency’s work is expected to be electronically stored in a digital collection. Meanwhile, 20 new Air Traffic Controllers will be added to the profession this year while capacity-building exercises for staff will continue.

urged to get registered

T

he Early Childhood Development Unit of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) is calling on daycare owners and early childcare providers to come into the Agency in order to be registered and to receive certification.

This call was made by Concheeta Gray, Manager of the Early Childhood Development Unit.

“We would like to encourage early childhood facili-

CCPA Early Childhood Development Manager Concheeta Gray

CCPA Early Childhood Development Executive Officer Lavern Thorne

ties to work hard (at) meeting the minimum standards.

Once you provide quality service and care to Guyana’s children, we are asking that you come in and become registered with us, and you move to the next step in receiving a childcare services licence,” Gray said.

According to a report from the Department of Public Information, Gray noted that the intention is to ensure that the nation’s children are enrolled in developmentally friendly day care services that adhere to regulated minimum standards.

Lavern Thorne,

Executive Officer, Early Childhood Development, reiterated that persons should not be afraid to visit the Agency’s Brickdam office if they have not yet been registered. “We are not in the business of closing anybody down. Just come in, and we are going to work with you,” she explained.

Daycare owners and early childcare providers must satisfy the criteria outlined by the Guyana Fire Service and the Buildings and Public Health Unit of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council before they are certified. This involves completing the CCPA registration form and providing valid police, food handlers’, and medical certification to be accredited. These documents must be submitted for approval by CCPA before the centre can be licensed.

The centres are monitored by the Early Childhood Development Unit, which has responsibility for ensuring early childhood facilities, including daycare, playgroups, home-based care and night care, are providing quality care for the nation’s children.

5 busted with ganja in Puruni

P

olice in F Division (Interior Locations) have arrested five persons after they were busted with a quantity of cannabis at Puruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

According to Police reports, acting on information received, ranks intercepted and searched a vehicle during which two parcels of compressed cannabis carrying a weight of 483 grams

were found in the tray of the vehicle.

The motor vehicle had five occupants at the time, including the driver. Two of them – a male and a female – had escaped but they were later recaptured.

They have since joined the other three male suspects in custody and are being prepared to appear at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court today.

S RAIGHT Govt’s oil negotiators sold out Guyana for trinkets

T

he notion of the STATE sharing the production of oil and gas with companies as part of a commercial enterprise was first developed in Bolivia in the 1950s. Today it is widely used in over 40 countries, so the Government of Guyana cannot claim that the unavailability of international experts to advise it was the reason for such a poor Petroleum Sharing Agreement (PSA).

Under the terms of PSA between Guyana and the three contractors (ESSO, the Chinese and HESS), the three contractors are providing the requisite upfront finance and technical skills in order to explore and produce oil and/or gas. The STATE, as owners of the exploitable resources, will take delivery of a portion of the production either in cash or in kind (real oil), according to section 15.6 of the Agreement.

The three contractors have been granted an exclusive right to explore and produce oil and gas within a defined area (generally known as the contract area).

Now that commercial discovery has been declared, the value of the oil at production will be distributed in three ways, but not necessarily evenly – one: to recoup production cost; two: to distribute to the three contractors (as ‘payment’ for their efforts); and finally, a distribution to the STATE on behalf of the people of Guyana (the real owners of the oil).

To compensate these three calls on the value of the production, we must recognise four key financial aspects of any PSA. These four key financial aspects are: (a) ROYALTY: Firstly, the three contractors in all the more professionally executed PSAs around the world have paid to the STATE a royalty on gross production. In Guyana’s case, we are benefiting from two percent (2%) of all the production that was sold, less the fuel used to run the operation and all sorts of transportation of the product to the point of sale, as outlined in Article 15.6 of the Guyanese PSA. Thus we are earning less than 2%.

The royalty in Guyana’s case can be taken in cash, using a valuation methodology that is heavily in favour of the three contractors, or in kind (meaning real oil). The valuation model is controlled by the three contractors. It makes all the more sense now, recognising that we have lost out on the cash valuation methodology, that we accelerate the construction of an oil refinery, so we can take actual real oil and leverage added value for the STATE. Such a decision would create hundreds of new, well-paying jobs, and would contribute to the reduction of our fuel importation bills, thus saving some US$200 million annually in fuel imports. (b) COST OIL: Following payment of any royalty, the three contractors, according to Article 11.2, are entitled up to 75% of the total monthly production to recover their costs (with any costs not recovered carried forward to the next period). Such production is known as cost oil. (c) PROFIT OIL: The oil remaining after the royalty and cost oil are divided between the three contractors and the STATE on a 50/50 basis. It is often the case that the STATE’s share of profit oil increases as production increases, but unfortunately, the Trotman Negotiation Team dropped the ball on this one, even though they claimed they were Harvard trained. (d) INCOME TAX: Finally, in normal situations, the three contractors would have been given a 5-year tax holiday and then be called upon to pay taxes. However, in Guyana’s case, according to Article 15.4, the Minister agrees to pay any tax assessed by the GRA on behalf of the three contractors, and that amount shall be considered as income of the three contractors and a loss of additional income for the STATE. There goes the 12.5%, and thus the STATE will get even less.

Naturally, because the STATE does not have operational control, it would want to negotiate a PSA that derives maximum financial inflows into the Treasury. Well, this is exactly what Trotman’s team DID NOT DO! You can hire the best international lawyers, but if the political administrators cannot skillfully frame their outcomes, then the international lawyers would be able to do only so much.

Unfortunately, on the foundation of this poorly structured contract from the people’s perspective, Guyana also does not have adequate influence over the work programme. The three contractors will decide when, how, where, what and why. This PSA illustrates what the three contractors wanted, and it inadequately addressed Guyana’s national economic consideration in a programmed manner.

In the final analysis, this Granger Government, and in particular Minister Trotman, has failed to adequately secure the rights and benefits for the local community. For example, enough oil-related jobs, enough training for local workers in oil-related skills, and other targeted projects for poor and the vulnerable.

This PSA ensures that the oil will leave our shores and the people of Guyana will remain poorer. So much for the good life!

Please share your thoughts at sasesin1@yahoo.com.

11 GPL promises better service in 2018 T news

friDAY, january 5, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

he Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Incorporated, acknowledging that there has still not been noticeable improvement in its customer relations, has promised to work harder this year to improve its efficiency, although still faced with several major issues.

GPL’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Technical), Elwyn Marshall, has said that notwithstanding these challenges, GPL has managed to perform commendably in 2017, and could only improve from there on.

“Credit must be given to the hard-working staff, especially those in the transmission and distribution sections, who have been forced to work under extremely adverse conditions,” he said.

One of the major challenges is no growth in revenue or consumption.

Revenue fell from 103.7 per cent in 2016 to 93.9 per cent in 2017, with net revenue being $28.4 billion last year, as opposed to$29 billion in 2016.

However, according to Marshall, December settlement of Government bills will lead to improvement in the collection rate. Customer growth of less than 2,000, or 50 per cent, is also expected this year.

In listing some of the achievements made in 2017, the GPL official pointed to work done to expand the network to provide electricity to unserved areas, which include: Yarrowkabra Housing Development, Den Hueval Housing Scheme, New Savannah Housing Scheme, and Friendship Squatting Area.

Marshall said projections for 2018 include the commissioning of generators at Anna Regina (5.4MG), Canefield (5.5MW), and Bartica (3.3MW).

Expressions of interest have also been accepted, and bids evaluated for the establishment of a 50MW generation plant capable of utilising natural gas.

Further, the company would also be working towards establishing solar facilities at Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast; Naarstigheid, West Coast Berbice; and Kuru Kururu, East Bank Demerara.

According to Marshall, there will also be continued engagement on the establishment of a wind farm at Hope, East Coast Demerara.

Meanwhile, the Power Producers and Distributors Incorporation (PPDI) has made a commitment to support GPL with quality and ample power. PPDI Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Arron Fraser, said PPDI generated 596,000 megawatts of electricity in 2017, which helped to power several GPL projects.

PPDI has replaced Wärtsila, and has since helped GPL to save US$2.1 million. Fraser hinted that the move to take over from Wärtsila was a good one, as the main power compa-

GPL Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Technical), Elwyn Marshall

jected the entire country to a series of unannounced and frequently prolonged power outages.

Shadow Minister of Public Infrastructure, Juan Edghill, said in a recent letter to the media that Guyanese are yet to be assured of the short-term, medium-term or even a workable long-term solution to ensuring cheap, reliable and renewable electricity.

“We all suffered the indignities of constant blackouts during the entire year, and even during the festive season, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day,” he lamented.

transmission and distribution line has deteriorated. I keep saying this, and I don’t want persons to think that we know the problem and should be addressing it.

It’s still functional, and can transmit electricity very efficiently, but we should be able to isolate the disturbances”, he asserted.

In other instances, he said it is difficult to identify the troubled area (that is) bringing the entire system offline. “Often, the team may think they found the problem and put on back the system, only to have to take it off back when they realise they haven’t (found the prob-

In mid-2017, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson had expressed disappointment at the situation, and had said he would intervene to find solutions. Patterson had told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that he would dedicate the parliamentary recess to intervene and find solutions.

“Over the years, our

lem); and this has led to the deterioration of the protection system.”

Patterson said, however, that GPL is currently financially stable; therefore, monies should be invested towards enhanced generation, so that issues such as tree trimming and burnt generators will not affect distribution.

ny has not only been helped, but a fixed rate of US$16.87 per megawatt of electricity -- less than what was charged before – is now being charged.

PPDI support

According to the PPDI CEO, the company managed to achieve its projected targets, but is still faced with some challenges, among which are understanding the dynamics of the supply chain, and transitioning from a private to a public corporation while convincing consumers to get on board.

However, as part of its work programme for 2018, PPDI plans to undertake 10 major engine overhauls; major rehabilitation of plant auxiliary equipment; the implementation of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 9000; and cross-plant training with regional utilities by utilising clean technology.

Following continuing countrywide power outages over several months in the last half of 2017, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) had criticised GPL. The Commission was quick to point out that GPL sub-

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T

he Bartica Development Business Association upon reaching an agreement with the Regional Administration of Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) has acquired the rights to organise and promote the activities of the Bartica Easter Regatta 2018.

The BDBA is an assembly of most of the major business owners of Bartica, for the purpose of spearheading the various developmental drives within the town.

This year’s Bartica Easter Regatta will be its first major

project… and the group is aiming to make a big impression, while maintaining the event’s basic format.

Headlining the kaleidoscope of activities planned for this year will be the usual Easter Saturday “Street Jam” followed by the “F1 Power Boat Racing” and the “Miss Bartica Regatta Pageant” on Sunday; and “Regatta Washdown” featuring an international artiste on Monday.

The coordinators have indicated that the pageant will be made

up of several components, including the top model segment at Aruwai Resort; sashing ceremony and Carnival at the West Indian Park; intelligence and platform presentation, to be aired live on local television; and the actual pageant night segment at the Bartica Community Centre Ground.

In addition, Bartica Easter Regatta will for the first time host Gymkhana, a presentation of the Guyana Police Force; and also for the first time, “Bartica’s Got Talent Competition”; and the much antic-

ipated gospel concert.

And to keep with tradition, competitions will be held within various sport disciplines, including the Regatta river swim, street football, volleyball, basketball, dominoes, dirt bike racing and boxing.

The Bartica Easter Regatta is an annual sport and recreational event which takes place in the min-

ing town located on the Essequibo River. While much of the plans and dates of activities are yet to be finalised, the main activities will take place during Easter Weekend, March 31 to April 2, 2018.

G

uyana’s own and internationally recognised Jumo “Rubber Waist” Primo will later today release his brand new single titled “Harder” on all major radio and television stations. The song was written by the former Carib Soca Monarch and produced by Drew Thovin and mixed by Master Artic Studios.

In addition to the song, the music video was produced by Brian Roberts out of Honest Illusions in Brooklyn New York. The song was recorded with a touch of EDM, Trap and Soca – a new mix that will definitely complement the lyrics.

The song is all about creating the right atmosphere for Mashramani and Guyana Carnival which will be held for the first time in Guyana in commemoration of Guyana’s Independence. The video comprises snippets of how various countries celebrate their festivals such as Brazil’s Carnival, Canada’s Memorial Day, and some gigs from events in the US and England.

The artiste told Guyana Times Entertainment that he was happy to record the tune and is optimistic that it will be a hit during the Mashramani celebrations. The song will be released on 89.5 FM at 14:30h with Bindya Takchandra and Jumo live in studio.

H

e is called the ‘King of the Dancehall’ for a reason and he would have certainly lived up to all the expectations as he wound into the New Year with one of his vintage performances at Guyana’s number one party spot, Palm Court.

Taking the stage just after 02:00h, the Jamaican super star roused the festive and large crowd with all of his hits from yesteryear in close to an hour of stage time. The early down pour of rain did not the stop the revellers in their traditional classy New Year

attire from being engrossed in the frolics.

Though the event had two different sections, it was an all-inclusive fete to commence 2018 with the action going past sunrise. After the music went down, patrons were treated to breakfast.

The party brought to an end the high octane Christmas season by the night spot, since it brought the likes of King Bubba, Destra, Skinny Fabulous and Nailah Blackan; all leading up to the final live performance by Beenie Man as the wash down.

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Trinidad Govt pulls funds for CSM T

he Trinidad Government through the Finance Ministry has pulled funding for the 23rd annual International Chutney Soca Monarch that was billed for the Queens Park Oval on January 27.

On January 3, a mere one day before the launch of the 23rd anniversary of the Chutney Soca Monarch, the offices of Southex contacted the National Lotteries Control Board with regard to the payment of their sponsorship package and requested an urgently convened meeting to discuss same.

“Whilst there I was greeted by the CEO and was informed that there was a change, a change to which he was awaiting a final decision on. Within a few minutes a phone call was received by the CEO and taken outside of the said meeting. A few minutes later,

I

the CEO re-entered the room to which he stated that there was an email confirmation and directive by the Ministry of Finance that stated that the Chutney Soca Monarch was no longer to be the recipient of any funding whatsoever,” George Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Southex told a media briefing.

Singh is unsure as to the reason and motives behind this sudden pull out from Chutney Soca Monarch by the Government but claimed it will be a very peculiar state of affairs if there were other cultural events receiving sponsorship this carnival with the exception of one.

However, one of the reasons to pull the plug on the competition could be a song that banned from entering the competition sung by Neermal “Massive” Gosein titled “Rowley Mudda Count” which the government

f you have no plans for Saturday evening and want to enjoy a cool and relaxing afternoon, then the place to be is at the Indian C u l t u r a l Centre, Lot 67 New Haven, Bel Air, Georgetown, for the screening of “Drishyam”. ‘’Drishyam” is a 2015 Indian Hindilanguage thriller film directed by Nishikant Kamat. It features Ajay Devgan, Tabu and Shriya Saran in the lead roles.

Ajay Devgan is an orphan who dropped

thought was disrespectful to Prime Minister Rowley’s mother.

In addition the PNM’s women’s wing denounced the composition but the artiste is holding out that in the past calypsonians were allowed to get away with double entendre-laden submissions directed at women and women politicians without criticisms.

Nevertheless, Southex has dedicated 23 years to the growth and shape of an industry. An industry that now sees thousands of people employed and expressing their culture at its finest through song, dance, choreography, production, stage design and much more.

“We are saddened by this turn of events and find the timing rather suspicious given recent events.

Therefore please be advised that the 2018 Chutney Soca Monarch is hereby formally cancelled due to

out of school after the 4th grade. Now he is a contented businessman running a cable TV service in Goa. He is married to Nandini ( S h r i y a Saran), and has Anju, his adopted daughter (Ishita Dutta), a class twelve student.

His only interest is watching films. He has gained fame in his area for helping people with the help of methods he learned from watched films.

The show starts at 16:30h and admission is absolutely free.

low Government and State support and our inability to fund the venture privately as a result of its sheer size and expense,” Southex in a release stated.

The Trinidad Government for the past three years has consistently reduced funding to Chutney Soca Monarch and various members of the present Administration have stated directly to us that ‘Chutney Soca’ brings no value to Carnival.

The International Chutney Soca Monarch drew participants for several Caribbean countries including Guyana, and Suriname. Artistes from Canada and the United States also participated in the event.

The Chutney Soca Monarch apart from being an event, has enabled artistes to raise their own standards and travel year round garnering an income that was not previously

available without this platform to have their music showcased.

The pinnacle of success with the Chutney Soca Monarch came around 2010 when the then Government invested heavily in the cultural aspects of Trinidad and Tobago enabling, the show to achieve levels of production that rivalled that of any international production of the like kind.

It also saw a huge financial incentive given to artistes thereby enabling them to create more elaborate and creative performances.

During that period, the Chutney Soca Monarch was able to make an even larger footprint on the global market with viewership reaching an all-time high of 100,000+ viewers from 50 different countries tuning in live for the final event which was broadcasted over the Internet.

for National Park this Saturday

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he National Park is the place to be this Saturday when Golden Smile Entertainment hosts its 11th annual Flashback Party – one that is expected to be epic. The event will feature some of Guyana’s best deejays including Akeilo, Face, Seen Up and Pappa.

In addition, there will be two guest deejays from the United States – OC Dread and Steven Bashment. This is the second time for the duo at Flashback and according to information; they are both hyped and ready to thrill the anticipated packed to capacity National Park.

Tickets for Flashback cost $2000 for general admission and $5000 for the

VIP section. These prices are expected to be jacked up on the night of the show.

Tickets can be picked up at Corner Kick, Bent Street, Georgetown; Grill King, Mandela Avenue, Georgetown; Ingrid Bar, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara; and Golden Smile Western Union, Croal Street, Georgetown.

The promoters promise security at the event will be tight as members of the Guyana Police Force and those from the Lion’s Club were contracted. Gates open at 20:00h and patrons are urged not to be late since it will be one memorable night.

Flashback 2018 is sponsored

by X-tra Beer, Banks DIH and ANSA McAL.

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friDAY, january 5, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

$150M cemetery restoration project ongoing year, and these works will continue until maybe two or three months, because there are a number of things we have to do within the cemetery and we are very happy about the support from citizens and stakeholders,” he told DPI. Support has been flowing in from especially religious groups, including Catholics and Muslims that have buri-

I

year on the cemetery.

The Council is also hoping that later this year it could galvanise the support of family members of persons buried in the cemetery, to have them be part of a massive clean-up campaign.

“We are asking that when it is announced, that those who are concerned that they will cooperate, because we need to paint the

time to make this area one that we can be proud of.”

According to the Town Clerk, much more still needs to be done beyond the project. In fact, King said the Council planned to restore the gates and fences of the cemetery and plans were also in the pipeline to construct another crematorium.

The development of roads in the cemetery is part of the

An overhead view of ongoing works at the Le Repentir Cemetery by the M&CC

n what could be called an ongoing project, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown has commenced a $150 million restoration exercise in the Le Repentir Cemetery.

The project, which commenced late last year, is part of a wider strategy to sustainably restore the city of Georgetown, according to Town Clerk Royston King.

He explained that the Council was taking an aggressive approach to ensure the thorough restoration of the area.

“We have hired under the emergency clause of the Act, a contractor with

the human competencies and technological capability to clear the cemetery and help us restore it,” he was quoted as saying by the Department of Public Information (DPI).

The restoration work includes the removal of overgrown bushes and using an “environmentally-friendly chemical” to help with the overgrowth and hanging trees. The contractor is also clearing and weeding all canals and waterways in the cemetery.

It is the first time that the Council has hired a contractor to assist with the upkeep of the cemetery. King

said previously persons hired by the Council would simply weed, leaving the Council with the added responsibility of finding more money to have the cemetery cleaned again.

According to King, the new arrangement with the contractor will not only help to secure the integrity of the cemetery, but will also help the Council to save money.

The contractor will work along with the Council’s technical team to ensure a robust maintenance programme, which will be ongoing over a three-month period.

“We started late last

Toddler reading programme to be launched month-end T he Early Childhood Development (ECD) Unit of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CCPA) is preparing to launch its back-to-basics toddler reading programme, to develop and foster an early interest in books in children.

The reading programme is aimed at encouraging parents to read books with their preschool children, thereby preparing them for formal education, ECD Executive Officer Lavern Thorne explained.

Thorne was quoted by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as saying that the programme was developed after it was recognised that a large number of children could not read. She said that reading to your children or simply turning pages and explaining pictures could result in them gaining an interest in reading from an early age.

Thorne explained that while the children may not be able to say the words, by listening to their parents/ parent read, they would develop their oral skills, and as a result, the CCPA was resolved in promoting this

programme.

ECD Manager Concheeta Gray explained that the programme would be launched at more than 300 health centres and 360 childcare facilities across the country. The childcare centres will also be required to establish a library or reading corner for the children.

“Zero-three is where the foundation years are laid and once a child has an interest in books at an early age, that child will have an interest in books contin-

uously throughout life, so our licensing and registration officers will be going to health centres and will be pushing this reading programme countrywide,” Gray further clarified.

The programme will be officially launched by the end of January. Persons are encouraged to support the book drive by donating books to the CCPA’s Broad Street office. The DPI said parents could also call the Agency on telephone number 227-4420 to uplift books.

Ongoing works at the Le Repentir Cemetery

al spaces in the cemetery.

The Town Clerk disclosed that the Council last year spent in excess of $80 million, while $60 million was expended the previous

tombs, we need to have the cemetery looking like a real cemetery… it is really important that we take some time and remember our loved ones and take some

current work package.

The DPI said King also used the opportunity to call on citizens to pay up their rates to assist in the restoration process.

Mashramani costume/ float parade to “edutain” – Director of Culture

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he Social Cohesion Ministry plans to “edutain” Guyanese with this year’s Mashramani costume and float pa-

rade.

Director of Culture, Tamika Boatswain said there was much that the public could be educated about through the various costumes that would be displayed.

Among these, she said, are ways to embrace the Government’s drive for a green state, diversification of the sugar industry and the many advantageous offshoots of Guyana’s recent oil find.

The Culture Director explained, “Mash, as we knew it in the old days, used to be something where we celebrated our achievements; it used to be where we addressed topical issues through the costumes. You used to have subjects such as HIV/AIDS, you had even sugar.”

According to Boatswain, over the years, the country has moved away from what the celebration of Mashramani is really about.

Taking into consideration the theme for this year’s celebration “Let’s Cooperate and Celebrate Republic 48”, she said “the hope is that we can get back to that place where we focus on issues that relate to us as a country and not get carried away with the image of a skimpy carnival swim piece”.

The concept behind the initiative, according to Boatswain, is not to limit the creativity of designers but rather to ensure that the younger generation is not only entertained but also educated. The Department of Public Information (DPI) said she also highlighted, during an interview, that the Ministry would soon be meeting with the various designers who would be informed about what

Director of Culture, Tamika Boatswain

was expected come February 23.

“We do not want to restrict creativity in any way, but want to encourage them to create costumes that we will be proud of and that send a message to the young people looking on that says, this is important to us,” Boatswain noted.

Social Cohesion Minister with responsibility for culture, youth and sport, Dr George Norton, has also endorsed this move. The Minister underscored that Guyanese must be cognisant that Mashramani was not a carnival. “Mashramani is Guyanese branded so to speak, and I think I like the idea of using the costume as a message medium for message sending. I remember the days when agriculture was emphasised a whole lot and we can do the same still.”

Mashramani is a national event, therefore, the image that Guyana displays to the rest of the world is very important, according to Minister Norton.

Mashramani 2018 marks 48 years since Guyana became a republic in 1970.

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Region 2 youths educated by NAPS on HIV/AIDS protected sex, blood transfusion, mother-to-child, and by using unclean needles.

The virus can be found in four main body fluids: breast milk, semen, vaginal secretions, and blood.

By Indrawattie Natram

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cores of youths from various communities within Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) are currently benefitting from a two-day HIV\AIDS workshop, compliments of the National Aids Programme Secretariat (NAPS).

The sessions, which began on Thursday and end today, are being facilitated

by Nazim Hussain. Playing a major part in the workshop are youths from the Essequibo Coast Dharmic Najauwan.

During various sessions, Hussain enlightened the

Youths who participated in the workshop

he informed youths about the works of NAPS and the Ministry of Public Health.

Nazim Hussain speaking to the youths

youths about the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and ways they can safeguard themselves.

He said the workshop was aimed at educating persons about HIV/AIDS and human rights, as well as to remind community leaders about their roles in helping to mould the younger generation.

During his discourse,

Prabhu, thanked Nazim Hussain for choosing Region Two for the workshop, and also thanked him on behalf of the youths. Prabhu said youths are now more empowered and equipped with

According to UN AIDS data, Hussain said, more than 1.6 per cent of Guyana's population is to date infected with the virus. HIV/AIDS is mostly prevalent among persons aged between 14 and 24 years.

He also noted that the Government, through the Ministry of Public Health, is providing free antiretro-

Alleged GPHC handbag thief on $10,000 bail

viral (ARV) medication to persons suffering from the Human Immuno- deficiency Virus (HIV).

Hussain explained that HIV is the virus that causes AIDS, and ‘Human’ means that it affects only humans and lives within their system. The virus, he said, does not live in mosquitoes, cups or spoons, or bed sheets that people who

have HIV may have used.

‘Immuno-deficiency’ refers to a lack, or breakdown, of the immune system.

Speaking on AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), Hussain said to “acquire” means to get or develop over a period of time. Youths were also reminded of ways that the disease can be transmitted; such as by un-

The youths participated in group discussions during the workshop

Youths were involved in various group discussions, and expressed their ideas and thoughts about the dreaded virus. Chairman of the Dharmic Naujawan in Region Two, Nandram

the necessary knowledge about the disease.

Youths also expressed their gratitude to Hussain for imparting his knowledge to them about HIV/AIDS.

National Land Policy consultations to begin this year

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he Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) will, during the course of this year, conduct its first round of consolations on the National Land Policy.

Commissioner of the GL&SC, Trevor Benn, has said the Board of the GL&SC has a draft policy that will be distributed to stakeholders.

“We intend to fan it out to various stakeholders across the country in 2018, so that we could get a feedback from all concerned in relation to what that land policy should look like,” he was quoted as saying by the Department of

Public Information.

The National Land Policy is important for the GLSC to effectively identify where the best lands for agriculture, mining and conservation can be found. “The policy is all-embracing and… either prescriptively or descriptively, will tell us ‘these are the areas (you) should focus on if you want to do a certain kind of business’,” Benn said.

The creation of the policy is being undertaken under the four-year Mainstreaming Sustainable Land Development and Management (SLDM) proj-

ect, which is being funded by the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) at a cost of US$14.8 million.

The SLDM project will be officially launched at the end of this month. The completion of the National Land Policy is part of ‘component one’ of the project, which seeks to mainstream SLDM in policy, institutional and governance mechanisms, to prevent degradation and restore degraded lands.

Apart from the countrywide consultations with stakeholders, Benn said, the Policy will also take into consideration recommendations

from the Land Commission of Inquiry that was commissioned by President David Granger.

“I’m sure that they are going to have recommendations which the land policy is going to take into account, so we look forward to receiving that sort of recommendation from them as well,” Benn said.

The GL&SC is targeting the end of 2018 to complete the National Land Policy. However, Benn said the Commission will be open to additional input over the course of the four-year SLDM project.

Guyana, Mexico strengthen relations with trade, scholarships

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51-year-old electrician from Lamaha Street, Georgetown, was released on $10,000 bail on Wednesday after allegations that he stole a handbag from the Maternity Ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Jinandan Singh appeared before Chief Magistrate Anne McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where he claimed that he found the handbag and was merely returning it to the hospital. The handbag contained one wallet, an umbrella, one bottle of perfume, one pair of headphones, two chargers, documents and $12,000 in cash, for a total value of $48,000.

The prosecution’s case

was that on December 29, at the GPHC, the victim, Latita Samuels, placed her handbag with her valuables on the bag rack at the nurse’s station at the Maternity Ward. It was reported that a GPHC employee then saw Singh with the bag and raised an alarm. The court heard that it was not until 10:45h that Samuels noticed her bag missing. However, the bag was returned to the hospital.

In his defence, the defendant told the court he did not steal the items, but instead found them on the street: “I returned the bag and now I’m here,” Singh told the Chief Magistrate.

He will make his next court appearance on January 8.

uyana is this March expected to have a larger presence at Expo ANTAD 2018, one of Mexico’s largest trade shows for foods and beverages.

The Embassy of Mexico has teamed up with the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and COPA Airlines to ensure “Guyana has a bigger presence at Expo ANTAD 2018”, Mexican Ambassador Ivan Roberto Sierra Medel told Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo in a letter.

According to the Department of Public Information, the initiative is part of fostering closer trade links between Mexico and Guyana, with a focus on rice and paddy. Last year, Guyana exported 88,000 tons of paddy to Mexico, the single largest destination of Guyanese grain exports.

The GRDB was part of a business mission to Mexico’s Expo ANTAD 2017, facilitated by the Mexican Embassy.

Flashback: The first shipment of rice to Mexico being loaded onto the Chamchuri Naree

Expo ANTAD is the largest trade fair in Latin America.

It is held in Guadalajara, Mexico. This year’s fair is scheduled for March 6-8, 2018. Meanwhile, the Government of Mexico has recommitted to making scholarships available to Guyanese.

Ambassador Sierra noted that three Guyanese will begin their degree programmes in Geoscience studies at the Instituto Politecnico Nacional (IPN) in August 2018.

As of 2017, four Guyanese have been granted scholarships to pursue their studies in Mexico. The areas of study included Biology, specifically in the area of genetic enhancement of coconut; Advanced Agriculture, and Civil Engineering at the Mexican Institute for Petroleum (IMP).

In March 2017, Mexico’s IMP and the Ministry of Natural Resources signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build capacity in Guyana’s oil and gas industry.

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Regional

Spirit Airlines to launch Mexico presidential favourite puts himself at heart of security plan non-stop service to Haiti T L

ow cost US carrier Spirit Airlines has announced plans to launch non-stop flights between Fort Lauderale, Florida and Cap-Haitien, to the north of here, in April.

Spirit airlinesThe Florida based airline says the flights will operate three times per week, year round.

“We are excited to add even

more international options to our growing network,” said Mark Kopczak, Spirit Airlines’ Vice President of Network Planning at Spirit.

“With more daily, nonstop flight options from Fort Lauderdale this spring, we know our guests will be able to save tons of money on air travel, and instead spend those savings exploring new

places.”

The flights will be a bosst for tourism in Cap-Haitien – a beach destination on the northern coast of Haiti. CapHaitien has been steadily growing its air traffic, with new flights from carriers including American Airlines, Sunrise Airways and Bahamasair. (Jamaica Observer)

Liberia’s new First Lady is Jamaican

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Jamaican has become the First Lady of Liberia following the election of her husband as the new president of this West African nation. Clar Weah’s husband, George Weah, a former FIFA World Player of the Year, won the presidency in the Liberian electoral run-off on December 26, 2017.

Clar Weah, who was born in Jamaica to Jamaican parents, migrated to Fort Lauderdale in the United States where she runs a thriving

Caribbean restaurant and grocery store. According to reports, the couple met in a bank in the US where Clar worked as a customer service officer.

Liberia, a country yet to fully recover from many years of civil war and senseless blood-letting, might not be popular with many around the world but that has not stopped the name – George Weah – from being prominent on the lips of millions across continents.

One of the tiny West African country’s most il-

lustrious sons, Weah shot to global prominence plying his trade with some of Europe’s biggest football clubs.

An energetic and skilful striker during his playing days, the 51-year-old featured for the likes of Paris Saint Germain, Monaco, Chelsea, Manchester City and AC Milan, where he won the coveted FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or in 1995 – the first and only African to achieve such feat to date.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Report: Google used Bermuda to avoid taxes

he left-wing frontrunner to win this year’s Mexican presidential election said on Thursday that he would personally take a central role in restoring order after years of violence that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Sketching out his plans to end the bloodletting, former Mexico City mayor and presidential contender Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador presented a team of security advisers that drew both on previous governments and the private sector.

He said he wanted to create more opportunities for the rural population in order to disincentivize crime, adding that the military-led approach in place for the past 11 years needed to end.

“You can’t fight fire with fire,” he said. If elected president, the 64-year old Lopez Obrador would also become Supreme Commander of Mexico’s armed forces.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, presidential pre-candidate of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), delivers a speech during an event to unveil his security plan if he wins this year’s election, in Mexico City, Mexico, January 4, 2018

Fuelled by battles between rival drug gangs, murders in Mexico spiked to a record high last year, dashing President Enrique Pena Nieto’s pledge to get violence under control and hitting his party’s popularity.

Harking back to his experience as mayor from 2000 to 2005, Lopez Obrador said he would hold daily meet-

Top EU and Cuban diplomats herald opening to closer economic ties

T

ech giant Google is said to have moved €15.9 billion (US$19.2 billion) to a Bermuda shell company in 2016, saving billions of dollars in taxes that year.

Quoting regulatory filings in the Netherlands, news agency Bloomberg reported that the amount was seven per cent higher than the year before.

According to Bloomberg, Google’s global effective tax rate in 2016 was 19.3 per cent, which it achieved in part by shifting the majority of its international profit to the Bermuda-based entity.

It calculated that applying that tax rate, Google would have saved US$3.7 billion.

The news agency explained that Google uses two structures, known as a “Double Irish” and a “Dutch Sandwich”, to shield the majority of its international profits from taxation.

“The setup involves shifting revenue from one Irish

EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini shakes hands with Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez in Havana, Cuba, January 4, 2018

subsidiary to a Dutch company with no employees, and then on to a Bermuda mailbox owned by another Ireland-registered company,” it said.

However, Bloomberg also quoted a Google spokesman as saying in a statement that the company pays “all of the taxes due and comply with the tax laws in every country we operate in

around the world”.

Google is under pressure from regulators and authorities around the world for not paying enough tax. Last year, the company escaped a €1.12 billion (US$1.4 billion) French tax bill after a court ruled its Irish subsidiary, which collects revenue for ads the company sells in France, had no permanent base in the country. (Except from

Caribbean360)

ings “from an early hour” with the heads of the armed forces, the attorney general and interior minister to discuss security.

He did not address the contentious suggestion he has made of exploring an amnesty for criminal gangs, leaving that to aide Alfonso Durazo, who he has tapped as his head of public security. (Excerpt from Reuters)

T

he European Union’s top diplomat met with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Thursday, saying a landmark accord ratified in November had opened the door to broader economic ties between the Communist-ruled island and 28-nation bloc.

Rodriguez and the EU’s Federica Mogherini called the provisional Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement a new chap-

ter in their relations. “The agreement provides new potential in the fields of cooperation, trade, investment and also political dialogue,” Mogherini said in brief comments to journalists before the meeting began.

The officials, who have met several times over the last four years, appeared relaxed and positive in brief comments to journalists before the meeting began. ”This is an example of

goodwill and mutual respect that will lead to understanding and mutually beneficial progress in all areas despite our differences,” Rodriguez said.

As the US-Cuba rapprochement unfolded in 2015-2016 the EU dropped all sanctions and negotiated the agreement, the first between Cuba and the EU. Mogherini’s visit contrasts with the Trump Administration’s partial rollback of a fragile detente between the old Cold War foes begun by former US President Barack Obama.

“I want to express my appreciation for the very constructive dialogue we have managed to establish at the informal level so far, based on mutual respect, on human rights,” she said.

Diplomats said the EU appeared to sense opportunity with President Raul Castro expected to retire in April and market-oriented reforms already underway.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Petrobras pays US$2.95B to settle US class action

T

he Brazilian state oil company, Petrobras, has agreed to pay almost US$3 billion (£2.18 billion) to settle a class action suit in the United States.

The case was brought by investors who said their holdings were damaged by a cor-

ruption scandal facing the firm.

Former Petrobras executives are accused of accepting bribes from contractors.

Lawyers acting for the oil giant said the payout was not an admission of guilt and that the compa-

ny was itself a victim of the scheme. Petrobras saw its value plunge amid a wide-ranging inquiry into bribes offered to politicians and executives at state-run companies in exchange for business deals.

The inquiry has led to

the arrest of dozens of politicians and executives during years of investigation in Brazil and elsewhere.

Former Petrobras Chief Executives Maria das Gracas Foster and Jose Sergio Gabrielli are among eight tied to the oil com-

pany accused by Brazilian authorities. The deal announced on Wednesday ranks among the largest in US history in cases claiming securities fraud but is smaller than some analysts expected.

Under the proposed set-

tlement, Petrobras has agreed to pay US$2.95 billion, to be distributed in several instalments. The company said the deal, which will be reviewed by the judge overseeing the case, makes sense for shareholders. (Excerpt from BBC News)

FRIDAY, january 5, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

South Africa train crash: "Bodies Deadly suicide blast burnt beyond recognition" hits Afghan capital

A

passenger train has caught fire in South Africa after colliding with a truck, killing at least 18 people and injuring 268, rescue workers say. Some of the bodies are "burnt beyond recognition", Free State Health Department spokesman Mondli Mvambi told South African news site Times Live.

Video footage showed a fire blazing through at least one carriage, near a crushed car and an overturned truck.

Evacuated passengers were seen standing on the roadside with luggage.

The collision occurred near Kroonstad city in Free State province, after the truck failed to stop at a crossing, a passenger told local media. Around 700 people were on the train when it was hit by a truck, a BBC correspondent has reported.

The driver of the truck tried to flee, but was arrested by Police, passenger Seipati Moletsane told the privately owned eCNA news site.

Passengers in the first two coach-

A

The truck apparently failed to stop at a crossing

es were wounded, she added. "I was so traumatised. I didn't know what to do. I was looking for a door just to jump out.

Every door was locked... All of a sudden, we just saw smoke, smoke, smoke," Moletsane said.

The emergency services rushed to the scene and battled the blaze on the train, which had been travelling from

the coastal city of Port Elizabeth to the commercial capital, Johannesburg.

Officials fear the number of dead could rise, reports the BBC's Lebo Diseko from Johannesburg. Mthuthuzeli Swartz told the BBC that emergency teams were trying to lift the train to see if there was anyone else trapped underneath the wreckage. (Excerpt from BBC News)

t least 11 people were killed in a suicide bombing targeting security forces in the Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday.

Waheed Majrooh, a spokesman for the Public Health Ministry told Al Jazeera at least 25 others were wounded in the attack that happened in the Banaee area in Kabul's PD9 district.

Ambulances rushed to the scene to transfer the wounded to hospitals from the area close to the US embassy and other foreign missions. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) issued a statement on its Amaq news agency saying it was responsible for the blast.

A suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest targeted police officers and intelligence agents, killing or wounding about 80 of them, it said.

The attack is the latest in a wave of violence that killed hundreds of civilians in Afghanistan in 2017.

Both ISIL and the Taliban have carried out attacks in the war-torn country.

Thursday's bombing happened days after a suicide attacker killed at least 41 people and wounded more than 80 others at a Shia cultural centre in Kabul, underlining the precarious security situation in the Afghan capital. It too was claimed by ISIL. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Turkey's jailed pro-Kurdish Opposition Trump-Bannon row: Lawyers co-leader to step down seek to halt book's release

T

he jailed co-chairman of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition party will step down, he said on Thursday, depriving the party of its most successful leader as it faces charges of supporting terrorism.

Selahattin Demirtas, who as co-chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) since June 2014 took it into parliament for the first time, said he would not seek re-election at a party congress on February 11.

HDP officials said Demirtas had decided to step down as his party membership may be at risk. Under Turkish law, someone convicted of terrorism cannot be a member of a political party.

“In order to continue our path with new excite-

Selahattin Demirtas, co-leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), greets the crowd during a peace rally to protest against Turkish military operations in northern Syria, in Istanbul, Turkey September 4, 2016

ment, and to improve the culture of carrying out political struggle for people and not positions, I will not

run for the chairman post at our congress,” he said in a letter to the party.

A former human rights lawyer, Demirtas, 44, has been held in jail for more than a year on terrorism charges for which the prosecutor is seeking up to 142 years of imprisonment.

Demirtas, was detained with 11 other HDP lawmakers in November 2016 as part of an investigation into supporting terrorism and Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“Despite the government-based dirty propaganda and baseless, lawless and immoral accusations and attacks against us, we are neither separatist, nor terrorist,” Demirtas said in the letter. (Reuters)

L

awyers for US President Donald Trump are seeking to stop the release of a book containing damaging allegations about his Administration.

Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House cites former top aide Steve Bannon as describing a meeting with a group of Russians as "treasonous".

It also portrays Trump as being surprised at winning the presidency. Despite the legal threat the book's publishers have brought its release forward.

It was due to be out on Tuesday but the book's author Michael Wolff said the book would now be available for purchase on today. The White House has disputed the book's accuracy. Trump earlier said Bannon – who

was sacked in August – had "lost his mind" after losing his White House position.

Among a number of explosive statements, Bannon reportedly said, referring to a Trump Tower meeting between top campaign officials and Russia: "They're going to crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV." The meeting, which in-

volved Trump's eldest child Donald Trump Jr, is being investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of his inquiry into possible collusion between Trump campaign officials and Russia to win the election.

Trump strongly denies any collusion took place.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Indian jewellery stolen from Qatari US, South Korea royal collection in Venice suspend contentious war games

T

he US and South Korea have agreed to suspend contentious military exercises off the Korean Peninsula until after the Winter Olympic Games in a sign that nuclear tensions with North Korea may be easing.

US President Donald Trump said on Twitter on Thursday that planned talks between Seoul and Pyongyang "are a good thing" as he praised the United States' "strong" stance and its willingness "to commit our total 'might' against the North".

The two Koreas restored a cross-border hotline on Wednesday that had been shut down since 2016.

They also agreed to hold high-level talks next week – the first since 2015 – which will focus on "matters of mutual interest", including North Korea's participation in the Winter Olympics.

Trump and South Korean

President Moon Jae-in discussed the situation on the peninsula in a phone call on Thursday. "The two leaders agreed to de-conflict the Olympics and our military exercises so that United States and Republic of Korea forces can focus on ensuring the security of the Games," a White House statement said.

The decision to delay joint military exercises with South Korea wasn't a political gesture, US defence chief James Mattis said. "For us, it's a practical matter," Mattis told reporters, noting the Olympics are South Korea's biggest event in terms of international tourism.

Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have exchanged a series of bellicose comments in recent months, raising alarm across the world. Both sides have threatened to destroy each other. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

The Al Thani collection of 270 items belonging to Indian maharajahs on display in New York in 2014

T

hieves have made off with several items of Indian maharajahs’ treasures owned by a member of the Qatari royal family after an audacious heist at the Doge’s Palace in Venice, Police have said.

Two thieves got away with earrings and a brooch on the final day of a four-month exhibition of 270 items showcasing five centuries of Indian craftsmanship.

The stolen items, part of the

Treasures of the Mughals and the Maharajahs exhibition, were not among the highlights of the items on display but police said they were made of gold, platinum and diamonds, and news reports estimated their value in the millions of euros.

Investigators said the thieves had managed to take the items from a reinforced display case early on Wednesday morning after deactivating the alarm sys-

tem, then melted into the crowd and escaped.

The alarm was raised only several hours later at the palace, known as the Palazzo Ducale in Italy, in central Venice at one end of Saint Mark’s Square.

“We are clearly dealing here with two skilled professionals who managed to pull off their feat despite all the display rooms being fitted with technologically highly sophisticated [alarm] systems,” said the chief police commissioner, Vito Gagliardi.

The Al Thani Collection comprises 270 pieces of Indian and Indian-inspired jewellery and precious stones, spanning 400 years from the Mughal period to the present. It was assembled by Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani and now belongs to Qatar’s ruling family.

Venice police said that since the items were unique they would be nearly impossible to sell on the market. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

18

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friDAY, january 5, 2018

ARCHIE

A social or professional opportunity will be tempt(March 21ing.

Consider the logistics April 19) of what’s being offered and think about any consequences that might prevail. Gather the facts.

ARIES

Visit friends or relatives.

TAURUS Taking short trips or engaging (April 20- in conversations with those May 20) who can provide you with a family or community history will be enlightening. Romance will enhance your life.

dilbert

Emotional disillusionGEMINI ment could send you in the (May 21wrong direction.

Don’t make June 20) assumptions or believe everything you hear. Put your imagination to better use and create something tangible.

You’ll instinctively know the best way to get what you (June 21- want. Take action and physJuly 22) ically get involved in helping further a cause you believe in.

A romantic gesture will encourage a tighter relationship.

CANCER

Peanuts

Anger is a waste of time, LEO and productivity is your best (July 23- alternative. Success should Aug. 22) be your aim, and using your strengths to reach your goal your strategy.

Sign up and take part in VIRGO an event or activity that will (Aug. 23get you out of the house and Sept. 22) making new acquaintances.

Having fun will give you a new lease on life.

Calvin and Hobbes

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Partnerships should be your focus. Talk over any changes you would like to see happen and offer incentives that will help you get others on board with your way of thinking.

You’ll have plenty of good SCORPIO ideas when it comes to your (Oct. 24work and ways to get ahead.

Nov. 22) Those who feel your attention should be elsewhere will not share your enthusiasm.

You’ll be easily misled by SAGITTARIUS a good talker or someone who (Nov. 23doesn’t have all the facts. Ask Dec. 21) questions and gather information before you engage in a joint venture.

solution for LAST PUBLISHED Puzzle

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Home improvements CAPRICORN should be planned careful(Dec. 22ly. Boost the comfort and conJan. 19) venience of your everyday life and lower your overhead to ease financial stress. A personal commitment can be made.

Work in unison with othAQUARIUS ers to make your community (Jan. 20a better place. Offering help Feb. 19) and suggestions will lead to a position of leadership among your peers. Stand up for what’s right.

Share your thoughts and PISCES (Feb. 20- stand behind your actions.

March 20) Much can be accomplished if you are prepared to follow through with promises you make. Stick to the truth and forge ahead.

friDAY, january 5, 2018

19

Indian Premier League 2018…

Kohli, Rohit, Narine V

retained; Dhoni reunited with CSK

irat Kohli is the only player to be retained by an IPL franchise for an amount greater than that set by the IPL (INR 15 crore) for the first player retained: Kohli will be paid INR 17 crore (US $2.67 million) by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2018 season. RCB batsman Sarfaraz Khan was the only uncapped player to be retained at the player-retention event in Mumbai on January 4.

The following players were retained by the teams.

The figures next to the names are the amounts they will be paid by the teams.

Chennai Super Kings

Players retained: MS Dhoni (INR 15 crore/US $2.36m), Suresh Raina (INR 11 crore/US $1.73m), Ravindra Jadeja (INR 7 crore/US $1.1m) Deduction from salary cap: INR 33 crore (US $5.2m) Salary cap remaining for player auction: INR 47 crore (US $7.4m) Right-to-match cards left at auction: 2

Mumbai Indians

Players retained: Rohit Sharma (INR 15 crore), Hardik Pandya (INR 11 crore), Jasprit Bumrah (INR 7 crore) Deduction from salary cap: INR 33 crore Salary cap remaining for player auction: INR 47 crore Right-to-match cards left at auction: 2

E

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Players retained: Virat Kohli (INR 17 crore), AB de Villiers (INR 11 crore), Sarfaraz Khan (INR 1.75 crore/US $268,000) Deduction from salary cap: INR 31 crore (US $4.8m) Salary cap remaining for player auction: INR 49 crore (US $7.7m) Right-to-match cards left at auction: 2

Kolkata Knight Riders

Players retained: Sunil Narine (INR 8.5 crore/US $1.3m), Andre Russell (INR 7 crore) Deduction from salary cap: INR 21 crore (US $3.3m) Salary cap remaining for player auction: INR 59 crore (US $9.2m) Right-to-match cards left at auction: 3

Delhi Daredevils

Players retained: Rishabh Pant (INR 8 crore/Us $1.26m), Chris Morris (INR 7.1 crore), Shreyas Iyer (INR 7 crore) Deduction from salary cap: INR 33 crore Salary cap remaining for player auction: INR 47 crore Right-to-match cards left at auction: 2

Kings XI Punjab

Players retained: Axar Patel (INR 6.75 crore/US $1.05m) Deduction from salary cap: INR 12.5 crore (US $1.97m)

Salary cap remaining for player auction: INR 67.5 crore (US $10.6m) Right-to-match cards left at auction: 3

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Players retained: David Warner (INR 12 crore/US $1.89m), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (INR 8.5 crore) Deduction from salary cap: INR 21 crore Salary cap remaining for player auction: INR 59 crore Right-to-match cards left at auction: 3

Rajasthan Royals

Players retained: Steven Smith (INR 12 crore) Deduction from salary cap: INR 12.5 crore Salary cap remaining for player auction: INR 67.5 crore Right-to-match cards left at auction: 2 The player retention is the first step towards the franchises reforming their squads ahead of the 2018 IPL player auction. After the 2017 IPL, the tenth year of the tournament, the existing squads were disbanded, apart from the players retained by the teams.

The IPL set the salary cap to form a squad for 2018 at INR 80 crore (approx $12.4 million). A franchise is allowed to pick up to five of their existing players through a combination of retention ahead of the auction and the right-to-match card during the auction.

A team could retain up to three players ahead of the auction, and they can use a maximum of three right-tomatch cards during the auction.

Franchises that retained the maximum of three players before the auction have lost from their salary cap INR 15 crore for the first player, INR 11 crore for the second, and INR 7 crore for the third. The exception here was RCB, who lost INR 17 crore on Kohli - the rules say the franchises lose the pre-defined amount or the actual amount paid to the player, whichever is more.

So where franchises negotiated with the player to pay an amount lower that what was pre-defined, it was the amount specified by the IPL that was deducted from the salary cap.

Franchises that retained only two players lost INR 12.5 crore from their salary cap for the first player retained, and INR 8.5 crore for the second.

Where only one player was retained, the franchises lost INR 12.5 crore from the salary cap.

The IPL also imposed a salary cap of INR 3 crore for uncapped players retained.

Each franchise was allowed to retain a maximum of three capped India players, two overseas players and two uncapped Indian players. (ESPN Cricinfo)

Sunil Narine

MS Dhoni

Virat Kohli

Salah wins African Footballer of the Year

gypt and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah won African Footballer of the Year, with Sadio Mane and PierreEmerick Aubameyang second and third.

Mohamed Salah has been named African Footballer of the Year for 2017 at the CAF Awards.

Egypt winger Salah beat Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane and Borussia Dortmund striker PierreEmerick Aubameyang to the prize at a CAF gala in Accra and succeeds Leicester City and Algeria star Riyad Mahrez as the continent's leading player.

Mohamed Salah

Mane finished as runner-up, with Aubameyang in third.

"I have always wanted to be here," Salah told reporters at a news conference before the ceremony.

"I put myself under pressure and take risks. Right now I have the ambition to be the best Egyptian player in history."

Salah enjoyed a stunning 12 months at club an international level, with his form earning a £36.9million move to Liverpool from Roma, having finished the 2016-17 campaign with 15 goals in 31 Serie A games.

The 25-year-old has

since become more prolific in his second stab at the Premier League, with a stunning 17 goals in 21 top-flight appearances under Jurgen Klopp for the ex-Chelsea man and six more in the Champions League.

Having helped Egypt to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, where they were beaten 2-1 by Cameroon, his brace against Congo – including a dramatic lastgasp penalty – secured a first World Cup finals berth for the Pharaohs since 1990.

Egypt boss Hector Cuper collected Coach of the Year and his side won National

Team of the Year.

Mane will also feature at Russia 2018 for Senegal and has eight goals for Liverpool despite a stopstart season. He netted 13 last time around and has often combined thrillingly with Salah.

Aubameyang was unable to inspire AFCON glory for Gabon on home soil, but has remained prolific for Dortmund, finishing 2016-17 as the top scorer in the Bundesliga with 31.

Despite Dortmund's mixed form during the current campaign, he has 21 goals in 23 games across all competitions. (Sportsmax)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

friDAY, january 5, 2018

The Ashes 2017-18, Australia…

Australia quicks hit back on rain-hit day

A

ustralia stunned England with two late wickets, including that of Joe Root for 83, to leave the tourists wobbling on 233 for five at the end of the rain-disrupted opening day of the fifth and final Ashes test on Thursday.

A day that started with rain washing out the first session had looked like ending with a packed Sydney Cricket Ground bathed in summer sunshine and England’s Barmy Army of fans in full triumphant voice.

Root and Dawid Malan had combined for a 133-run partnership to help steer the tourists to 228 for three when Australia took the second new ball with two or three overs of play remaining.

First, Mitchell Starc, back after missing the fourth test with a bruised heel, induced Root into a half volley to square leg where Mitchell Marsh took a superb catch.

Then Jonny Bairstow, who had eschewed a nightwatchman, was removed caught behind by Josh Hazlewood with what turned out to be the last ball of the day.

“It was great to get the late reward as a bowling group for our hard toil,” said Marsh.

f i v e - and there w e r e chances to d i s miss the latter in particular.

Root had just reached the 50 mark when he called for a single off Nathan Lyon only for Malan, who was on 28, to stand his ground and then set off very late.

Marsh fielded the ball but fired it to the striker’s end and Tim Paine’s throw to Lyon caused the spinner to spill the ball, allowing Malan to make his ground.

(Reuters)

SCOREBOARD

A review brought Josh Hazlewood the wicket of Cook (Getty Images)

“Two three-hour sessions really took it out of us, certainly in that last hour, it felt pretty long. So to get those two wickets was great for our confidence and we’ve got a two-over new ball tomorrow, so hopefully we can get stuck into them.”

Despite the Ashes already having been relinquished after the loss of the first three tests in the series, the tourists had been determined to build on their performance in the drawn

fourth test and secure a consolation win.

Malan, who survived a few scares to notch up his fifth test half century and reached stumps unbeaten on 55, said England were obviously disappointed.

“It sort of sums up where we’ve been in on this tour, we’ve been on top for so long in games and then make a couple of mistakes and let the Aussies back in,” he said.

“I thought Rooty played fantastically well to get to

that position, obviously he was disappointed to get out and to be five down after the hard work we put in today is obviously not ideal.”

Mark Stoneman, James Vince and Alastair Cook departed relatively cheaply before tea but Australia’s bowlers were unable to drive home their advantage until the dramatic climax.

Both Root and Malan scored slowly - the captain had six boundaries in his half century and his partner

De Villiers hungry for big Test runs – Du Plessis

S

outh Africa are backing AB de Villiers to show his class and score heavily as he continues his return to the test arena, captain Faf du Plessis said ahead of their three-test series against India.

Former world No.1 batsman De Villiers took almost two years out of first-class cricket to concentrate on the shorter formats and spend more time with his young family.

AB de Villiers

England Captain Joe Root stood tall with his fourth half century of the series

But the 33-year-old is now back for South Africa as they begin a busy home schedule with the opening test against India at Newlands on Friday.

“What’s important with AB is that he is fresh and hungry to score big runs.

He has had a good break,” said Du Plessis on Thursday.

“He feels mentally strong and he wants to put in big performances, so I think that’s half the battle already. When you have a high-quality player like him, if you get the mental side of things right, he can be a good asset.”

De Villiers scored a quick-fire half century -- his 40th in test cricket -on his test return in the brief Boxing Day test against Zimbabwe in Port Elizabeth last week, but this will be a much tougher examination.

“I don’t know when the next test series against India is, but it’s probably the last time a lot of us play against India and there’s no b e t ter way than playing a series in South Africa,” Du Plessis said of South Africa’s experienced line-

England 1st Innings AN Cook lbw b Hazlewood MD Stoneman c †Paine b Cummins JM Vince c †Paine b Cummins JE Root* c MR Marsh b Starc DJ Malan not out JM Bairstow† c †Paine b Hazlewood Extras (lb-1, w-1) 2 Total (For 5 wickets, 81.4 Overs) 233 Yet to bat: MM Ali, MS Crane, TK Curran, SCJ

39 24 25 83 55 5

Broad, JM Anderson Fall of wickets: 1-28 (MD Stoneman, 9.5 ov), 2-88 (JM Vince, 28.5 ov), 3-95 (AN Cook, 32.3 ov), 4-228 (JE Root, 80.3 ov), 5-233 (JM Bairstow, 81.4 ov) Bowling Starc 16-4-631, Hazlewood 17.4-2-47-2, Cummins 17-4-44-2 (w-1), Lyon 26-4-61-0, Marsh 5-0-17-0 Australia team: CT Bancroft, DA Warner, UT Khawaja, SPD Smith (c), SE Marsh, TD Paine (wicketkeeper), MR Marsh, PJ Cummins, MA Starc, JR Hazlewood, NM Lyon

Law calls for soul searching following humiliating Windies tour

up.

“We were disappointed the last time we went there and we’ve got a score to settle, so we’re excited for this series.”

South Africa lost three of their four tests in India in late 2016 in the last meeting between the two nations that top the International Cricket Council’s test rankings.

“It’s good that we can have some importance to this series. Big series are why you play. We don’t have an Ashes, so it’s good to see that India v South Africa can start becoming a really big series,” Du Plessis said.

“There are some really high-class players that are going to bash it out over the next four weeks.”

The three tests against Virat Kohli’s side in a busy January are followed by the another four home tests against Australia in March and April.

“The next two or three years are going to be very exciting for South African cricket.

We are maturing a lot more - both the ODI team and test team,” their captain said.

“If you look at the names we have available this series, it’s a very strong team on paper. I’d like to look at it that, for the next three years, we can push really hard to get to No.1.” (Reuters)

Windies Coach Stuart Law

W

indies coach Stuart Law has called for serious soul-searching following a disastrous tour of New Zealand that ended with a crushing T20 defeat at Bay Oval on Wednesday.

A record 119-run thrashing at the hands of the hosts brought the curtain down on a miserable tour of the Pacific, which saw the team lose seven straight games.

The Windies opened up with losses in two Test matches, followed by three ODI losses and two T20 losses. The massive T20 defeats were particularly painful for the team the current world T20 champions. Despite the loss of a few key players ahead of the series, Law be-

lieves the team could have done better.

"We need to do a lot of hard work, planning and understanding. That means some soul-searching by looking in the mirror and asking if we gave it everything to change a game, get into a game and win a game,” Law said. "They know this format inside out. It's difficult trying to organise players when they pull out at the last minute. It's almost impossible trying to sort visas and flights from the Caribbean in 24 hours,” he added.

"Those decisions didn't help, but the players we had were good enough to play with passion and pride to show we can play the game.”

(Sportsmax)

sports

FRIDAY, january 5, 2018 | www.guyanatimesgy.com

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– Akshaya Persaud makes debut When Jaguars took their guard at the crease, they too received an early jolt to proceedings with young Akshaya Persaud who made his First-Class debut due to regular opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul being unwell, was un-done for a second ball duck.

Chandrapaul Hemraj on the other hand once again looked positive and in full control at the crease, crashing the Scorpions bowlers to

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Akshaya Persaud receives his First-Class cap from teammate Shivnarine Chanderpaul

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uyana Jaguars hold the upper hand after bowling out Jamaica Scorpions for a paltry 106 on the first day of their 2017/18 Cricket West Indies (CWI) Digicel 4-day Championship at Sabina Park on Thursday.

However, the hosts will still walk away with heads high after limiting Jaguars to 75-3 with inform batsmen Vishaul Singh and Shivnarine Chanderpaul unbeaten on ten and three respectively at stumps and Jaguars 31 runs adrift.

Only 58.2 overs were possible due to persistent rain but the visitors made hay while the sun shined in

a fine all-rounded bowling performance led by seamers Keemo Paul and new Test player Raymon Reifer who combined to take six wickets.

Despite the home side fielding a more threatening unit with the return of top players from international duty, Jaguars won the toss and it paid immediately virtue with the dismissal of John Campbell in the third over.

Assad Fudadin against his countrymen could not offer much resistance and the rest of the batting order looked feeble against the three-time defending champions.

SCOREBOARD Jamaica Scorpions 1st Innings J Campbell b Paul 1 A Fudadin c Bramble+ b Joseph 11 J Blackwood lbw Permaul 24 B King c Bramble+ b Reifer 13 P Palmer c Paul b Reifer 7 F Allen st Bramble+ b Permaul 0 A Thomas+ not out 24 D Green c Bramble+ b Reifer 0 D Jacobs b Paul 8 N Miller c Bramble+ b Paul 2 R Leveridge run out (Motie) 0 Extras (b 5, nb 11) 16 Total (106 all out; 36.2 overs) FoW: 1-2, 2-31, 3-58, 4-63, 5-67, 6-69, 7-69, 8-86, 9-90, 10-106 Bowling: Paul 8.2-3-15-3,

Joseph 8-2-39-1, Permaul 10-3-25-2, Reifer 9-2-213, Persaud 1-0-1-0 Guyana Jaguars 1st innings C Hemraj c Green b Miller 47 A Persaud lbw Leveridge 0 L Johnson c Palmer b Green 13 V Singh not out 10 S Chanderpaul not out 3 Extras (b1, lb 1) 2 Total (75 for 3; 22 overs) Yet to bat: R Reifer, A Bramble+, K Paul, V Permaul, G Motie, K Joseph Bowling: Green 6-1-241, Leveridge 7-1-22-1, Blackwood 2-0-8-0, Miller 6-2-16-1, Campbell 1-0-30

and over the ropes.

The left-hander who is adapting to his new role as an opener cracked eight fours and one six in his 47 which came off just 53 deliveries until he fell to experienced left-arm spinner Nikta Miller. Captain Leon Johnson looked to be digging deep in his 43-ball 13 but fell to seamer Derval Green.

Today’s play is expected to resume at 09:30 hrs. (Jamaica Time)

Tiger to start 2018 campaign at Farmers Insurance Open F ormer world number one Tiger Woods will make his much-anticipated 2018 debut at this month’s Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego, his first official PGA Tour event since missing the cut at the same tournament last year.

Woods, who returned to competition last month in an 18-man exhibition after a near 10-month layoff during which he had spinal fusion surgery, will also play the Feb. 15-18 Genesis Open at Riviera, which is run by the Tiger Woods Foundation.

“I‘m very excited to be back at Riviera,” Woods, 42, said in a statement on his website on Thursday. ”I haven’t played at Riviera in a tournament in a very long time. To be able to play in an event that I used to come to as an amateur, as a junior and now as the tournament host, that is on one of the most historic sites in all of golf, it’s a dream come true.”

The American 14-times major champion swung freely and with no sign of back pain at last month’s Hero World Challenge, where he began his latest comeback and finished tied for ninth in a field including eight of the world’s top 10 golfers.

After that event Woods was vague when asked about his plans for 2018, saying only that he would set his playing schedule around building up toward the golf’s four major tournaments.

He will no doubt feel

very comfortable when he tees it up at Torrey Pines, having won the event seven times. It is also the venue where he won the 2008 U.S. Open for the most recent of his 14 major titles.

Woods fell flat in his PGA Tour return at the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open where he missed the cut by four shots. He then played the European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic and withdrew with back spasms after an opening-round 77.

The Farmers Insurance Open begins on Jan. 25 at Torrey Pines.(Reuters)

Tiger Woods

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

friDAY, january 5, 2018

Quest for Super50 supremacy begins January 30 …Jaguars open campaign against Kent

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ricket West Indies revealed on Thursday the schedule of matches for the Regional Super50 Festival which opens on January 30 and will be contested in Barbados and Antigua.

The six CWI franchises and Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners will be joined by English county sides Hampshire and Kent, as well as ICC Associate side, United States, for the #RS50 which concludes with the Grand Final on February 24 under the lights at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.

The 10 teams have been divided into two groups with reigning champions Barbados Pride, along with Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, Marooners, Windward Islands Volcanoes and Hampshire forming Group “A” to be contest

All eyes will be on the Guyana Jaguars to see if they will have an improved performance this year

National Gymnasium upgrade underway

Marques punching to put Guyana back on the map

By Clifton Ross

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The major upgrade will offer athletes an improved playing surface

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n keeping with their ongoing drive to restore and upgrade sporting facilities across the country, the National Sports Commission (NSC) is currently remodeling the outer appearance of the National Gymnasium located on Mandela Avenue.

The drive which commenced in 2017, saw numerous venues across the country being fully restored with numerous upgrades. The popular Gymnasium, the home of sports such as; basketball, table-tennis, volleyball, archery, indoor-primary schools cricket and futsal is set to receive a spanking new outer looking once works are fully completed.

Guyana Times Sport confirmed with Director of Sports Christopher Jones on Wednesday that the

Gymnasium was indeed a part of the restoration project and will have sublime outdoor facilities similar to the other venues, upon completion.

Much like the other grounds refurbished by the NSC, the Gymnasium is set to sport a multiple outdoor basketball courts with new bleachers. Also, works on the foundation of the playing areas and perimeters of the courts were in progress upon visit to the venue on Wednesday.

While no specific time was given for the completion of the Gymnasium, it is expected that within a few months the final touches will be added and the venue will be unraveled as a brand new indoor/outdoor multi-complex sport facility.

in Barbados, and last season’s Three Ws Oval and Windward runners-up Jamaica Scorpions Cricket Ground will stage all the together with Leeward Islands daytime matches and Kensington Hurricanes, Guyana Jaguars, Oval will host all day/night matchUnited States and Kent in Group es; and in Antigua, the Vivian “B” to be played in Antigua.

Richards Cricket Ground will Each team will play against ev- stage all the daytime matches and ery other team in their group twice the CCG all day/night matches. with the top two qualifying Jaguars Group Fixtures for the semi-finals, also to be Opposition Venue staged under Date the lights at the Wednesday, January 31 Kent VRCG CCG. Friday, February 2 States VRCG United Two matchHurricanes Coolidge es will be Sunday, February 4 Scorpions Coolidge played ev- Thursday, February 8 Saturday, February 10

Kent Coolidge ery other day Monday, February 12 States

United VRCG at match venWednesday, February 14

Hurricanes Coolidge ues in the two Scorpions VRCG host territories: Friday, February 16 In Barbados,

urrent Guyana and Caribbean Flyweight Champion Dexter Marques said he is pushing in round the clock training ahead of his upcoming fights which he said once successful, will put Guyana back on the boxing map.

The highly anticipated “Sangre Malo” (Bad Blood) Card billed for January 20 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall will see Guyana’s three best including the “Cobra” Dexter Gonzales, Elton Dharry and Marques, squaring off against Venezuela’s trio of Dionis Martinez, Felipe Lares and Jesus Vargas.

Marques, during and exclusive with Guyana Times Sport following Fight Night’s official press conference which was held Thursday at the Sports Max store located in the Giftland Mall, said his training has been intense and he is ready to go out and defend his name as well as country.

“So far my preparations have been coming good, I have some of the best local amateur fighters in Guyana who give me some very good work because I need the guys who are faster than me to help me get further conditioned”.

He continued, “My Coaches also helps me put in the work, Christmas time was a difficult but we got everything under control and I’m preparing myself for the fight first on January 20 then I’ll do whatever I have to do”.

The upcoming card will be headlined by the Marques/ Martinez fight which the Guyanese champ will use as preparation for his Commonwealth Title fight against UK’s Jay Harris on March 31, 2018 at the Copper Box Arena.

Speaking about his training leading up to Sangre Malo as well as the title fight, Marques said he has been pushing in the hours due to him acknowledging the importance of the fight versus the Venezuelan.

“It’s a big fight for me, because everyone is saying I have to win the fight in order to get the Commonwealth title fight.

I know I will win the fight but people will want to know what round the knockout came and so on, but I know I’m the best man and I’ll come out successful on January 20”.

“The title fight is very important to me and it’s a step closer to putting Guyana back on the map so I will go out there and do what I have to do.

I really appreciate the fight so I could show persons that I cannot only beat fighters in Guyana but I can beat fighters overseas too”, said Marques.

The local prizefighter concluded his interview by calling for support from the Guyanese boxing fans to come out and rally around the fighters. “We need all the support we can get because boxing will get back to a good level. Once we have the support we will do well, the entire Caribbean shows us respect so we just have to focus and keep doing what we do best”. He ended.

friDAY, january 5, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

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Bangladesh headed to Guyana for 2 ODIs – South Africa Women also slated to tour

By Akeem Greene

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nternational cricket will return to Guyana this year with West Indies hosting Bangladesh for two One Day Internationals (ODIs) and South African Women at the National Stadium, Providence.

Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Secretary Anand Sanasie in an exclusive interview with <<Guyana Times Sport>> on Wednesday revealed “the South African women team and the Bangladesh senior men team will be having fixtures for Guyana. We will be having Bangladesh for two one-day matches and for the women I think it is a few T20 matches”.

Guyana Times Sport was able to confirm the ODIs will be held on August 1 and 4 while the Proteas women will tour during the month of July. The International fixture will add to the country possibly being one of the hosts for November’s 3-24 Women’s T20 World Cup.

The Tigers last tour to the Caribbean in August/September 2014 was one they would not want to remember, failing to win any match

All or nothing! …as Police, Beacon clash in tonight’s final

Bangladesh's tour of Two Tests, three ODIs and one Twenty20 International was initially scheduled for February. However, a change was necessitated by the World Cup Qualifiers, scheduled for March in Zimbabwe which current ninth ranked West Indies will feature in the tournament.

The Tigers would have last toured the Caribbean in August/ September 2014 on an identical tour which the hosts sweep the Tests and ODIs before the lone T20 was abandoned due to rain.

More so, the tour comes after the Caribbean side fills a decade-long gap by hosting Sri Lanka for a three-match Test series in June.

Apart from the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), in which Guyana gets four to five games, international cricket was last played at Providence in April 2017, where Windies lost the three-match ODI series1-2 to Pakistan.

“Sangre Malo”

officially launched Prizefighters (centre) Dexter Marques (left) and Dexter Gonzales (right) are flanked by some of their Guyanese teammates ahead of the fight

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The Guyana Police Force football team

uyana Police Force Football Club and Beacon Football Club will clash in the final of the GT Beer/Berbice Football Association (BFA) eight-a-side football tournament tonight at the All Saints Ground on Princess Elizabeth Road in New Amsterdam. On Wednesday night, Beacon blew away Edinburgh Gunners 7-2 to earn the right to test the law men’s ability on the field. In the 5 minute Joseph Giddings put the Berbice team ahead but nine minutes later Travis Lyken scored his first of three goals (14, 3 and 54 minutes).

It became two 2-1 in favor of Beacon when Dean Alfred found the back of the net in the 22 minute to hush the vocal crowd.

Alfred scored twice more in the

second half (42nd and 60th ) while Kimba Brathwaite accounted for goal number seven in the 90+3 minute.

Police had on New Year’s Day made it to the final beating Monedderlust in a penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 deadlock.

Police went ahead early thanks to a 7th minute goal off the booth of Rawle Haynes. Acho Wallace then increased the lead three minute later. However, Kevin Cottoy pulled one back to leave the score 2-1 at the end of the first half.

With 11 minutes left in the game Arthley Bailey found the equalizer and the crown thought they had gotten their money’s worth but the remainder of the game was worth any cost. Neither team was able to score

again and referee Colin Bowery blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot.

The first shot was taken by Police FC goalkeeper Roncey Caleb and it found the back of the net.

Monedderlust did not score with any of their three shots; thanks to Caleb. But his opposing equal was not far off and saved the second and third hammered into him but Caleb’s first shot was enough to take GT Police through winning 1- on penalty kicks.

Tonight will also see Monedderlust and Edinburgh Gunners in a third place play-off.

The winner of the competition is guaranteed $500,000 with a further $250,000 going to the loosing finalist.

(Andrew Carmichael)

he Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC)/ NexGen Global Marketing’s fight night event dubbed “Sangre Malo”, was officially launched on Thursday at the Sports Max store, Giftland Mall.

The simple yet touching ceremony was attended by a few of the card’s headliners including; Flyweight champ Dexter Marques, Dexter Gonzales along with promoters, GBBC President Peter Abdool and NextGen boss Aleem Hussain.

Marques will tackle Venezuelan Dionis Martinez in feature main bout; as the current Caribbean and Guyana Flyweight prepares for his Commonwealth title on March 31, 2018 at the Copper Box Arena.

Oragnizers were very upbeat ahead of the fight, dubbing it as important for the Guyanese who will seek to defend their country in the ring. The fighters meanwhile seemed poised as the feature fighters Gonzales and Marques said they were poised and ready to go ahead of the January 20 card set fort the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

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)

FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2018

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Pg 23

Bangladesh headed to Guyana for 2 ODIs

– South Africa Women also slated to tour The Asian team is currently ranked seventh by the ICC on the ODI charts, ahead of Sri Lanka and West Indies

National Gymnasium Pg 22

upgrade underway Workers on site at the newly-renovated National Gymnasium outdoor courts

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