Guyana Times, Sunday 2 September 2018

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

Issue No. 3674

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Sunday, September 2, 2018

PRICE

Mother, son die in Linden Highway accident

$120 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE: Trumped up charges

Jagdeo slams political P9 pressure on prosecutorial agencies

Page 7

Dead: Tessa Telford Ibrahim

Dead: Marlon McFarlane

Campaign financing legislation

Nothing formalised as yet – Granger

Home invasion leaves P10 Grove family traumatised

Page 16

Amerindian Heritage Month 2018 launched Enmore North Co-op feud P15

More homes being invaded with documents issued by Co-op

City abuzz with back-to-school shopping rush P11

Govt can save $3B by slashing recurrent expenditure – Ali Page 3

...says misallocation is root of economic hardship

Prisoner, wardens busted with ganja

Page 12

President P7 stands firm on decision to downsize sugar industry Region 2 officials accused of turning blind eye on teen pregnancy P6

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, September 2 – 09:30h-11:00h and Monday, September 3 – 11:00h-12:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, September 2 – 08:35h-10:05h and Monday, September 3 – 09:55h-11:25h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Light rain showers can be expected in the morning, with sunny intervals in the afternoon. Light to partly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South South-easterly to Easterly and East North-easterly to East South-easterly between 0.89 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 09:00h and 21:22h reaching maximum heights of 2.40 metres and 2.41 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 02:29h and 14:52h reaching minimum heights of 0.70 metre and 0.87 metre respectively.

Govt can save $3B by slashing recurrent expenditure – Ali …says misallocation is root of economic hardship

G

overnment’s refrain that it cannot afford increases for teachers may need to be revisited; as Opposition parliamentarian and economist, Irfaan Ali, is contending that just by slashing recurrent expenditure, there can be a surplus of $3 billion for the year.

According to the former Minister, there were increases in at least six-line items since 2014 that directly contribute to a 55 per cent increase in total recurrent expenditure.

These are security services, an increase of 41.9 per cent; dietary, an increase of 44.4 per cent; national and other events, increased by 91.5 per cent. Other trans-

Former Minister Irfaan Ali

have increased from $3.3 billion to $9.4 billion; equivalent to an increase by 56 per cent and according to Ali, Regions Five and Six bud-

plus of $8 billion in 2015, to a deficit of $12.8 billion at the end of 2017.”

The next promise the former Minister alluded to be a promise to reform the tax system, increase investments while creating sustainable jobs and to restore Private Sector confidence in the economy. But pointing to the budget estimates and the latest Mid-Year report, Ali noted that the facts tell another story.

“From 2014 to 2018, credit to Central Government increased by 24.2 per cent, while Private Sector, by 11.3 per cent. In 2017, lending to the manufacturing sector contracted by $4.2 billion or $14.6 per cent.”

Teachers during a protest for their salary increases

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port and travel, 62.5 per cent; transport and travel, 48.6 per cent and employment costs, 41.9 per cent.

“Specifically, employment cost makes up $17 billion or 39 per cent of total increases in recurrent expenditure.

If excess budgetary allocation, $2 billion, is slashed from dietary and national events to 2014 levels, the Government would be able to rehire and offer a 66 per cent increase in stipend to the 1972 dismissed Amerindian CSOs; increase the (National Toshaos Council) subvention to $50 million and provide each Amerindian village with a $3.5 million cash grant.”

Ali also suggested that if excess allocations to security services and transport and travel were returned to what it was in 2014; initiatives like the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant to students could be reinstated and even increased to $15,000 per child.

Pointing to the Ministry of the Presidency, Ali noted that budgetary allocations

gets combined.

Ali returned to Finance Minister Winston Jordan’s speech in 2015 to show discrepancies between Government’s financial vision and what has actu-

“In mid-2018, the manufacturing sector contracted by 5.7 per cent to $26 billion; credit to the beverages, food and tobacco industry and for other construction and en-

have also been specific cases where Government, faced with the need to make cash pay outs to workers, have either claimed lack of cash or scrapped to find part payments.

This includes the former Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) workers, who were placed on the breadline when Government closed several estates. Despite the sugar workers being legally entitled to their severance, Government had announced that only some of them, owed $500,000 or less, would be paid in full by January month end.

In June, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) took Government to court.

This was done on behalf of workers from Skeldon, Rose Hall and the East Demerara sugar estates.

In the legal documents, it was outlined that the redundant workers were to receive their redundancy allowance/severance payment no later than December 29, 2017. The legal team, which was led by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, stated that the over 4000 workers were paid only a portion of their severance payments.

Then, three years of trying to secure salary increases and other benefits saw teachers proposing increases of 40 per cent under a multi-year arrangement up to 2020.

However, Government has

Sugar workers during a protest for their severance payments

ally been happening. One such instance was the 2015 promise to reduce the deficit in public enterprises and Central Government.

“Deficit in Central Government increased from $9.3 billion in 2015 to $34 billion by the end of 2017,” Ali pointed out. “Private enterprises moved from a sur-

gineering decreased by $2.6 billion or 39 per cent and $1.8 billion or 15 per cent, respectively.”

Cash pay outs

While the Government’s upkeep has gotten more expensive, so too has cost of living when taxes and other factors are considered. There

maintained that it just cannot afford this proposal, offering a 2018-2019 pay off.

After making little headway, the Guyana Teachers’ Union galvanised strike action. President David Granger said during a press conference on Friday that efforts were being made to find cash for the teachers.

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Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 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

Editorial

GuySuCo as a “business” T

he Oracle of Delphi in Ancient Greece spoke on the seventh day of every month to the throng gathered from far and wide for answers to their questions.

These, however, were worded so ambiguously that their “meaning” depended as much on the interpreting hearers as on the words themselves. But for the faithful, the words were never doubted. President David Granger goes one better than the Delphic Oracle by speaking once yearly to a “horde” of reporters; but his answers are just as ambiguous and demanding of interpretation.

Take his answer to questions on the future of the Government of Guyana-owned GuySuCo, which had closed four of seven “grinding” estates. This threw 5,700 sugar workers out of jobs directly from the corporation, and another 2,000 from farmers supplying sugar cane to the closed factories. Said President Granger oracularly, “GuySuCo is important to us. We have said that we are not shutting down the sugar industry; it is being reformed.”

Technically, of course, he is correct. But the rump sugar industry is being run in a manner which guarantees its death knell is only a matter of time. Set a target of 147,000 tonnes this year, it is now certain that not even 100,000 tonnes will be produced; and at a higher cost than that which was used to justify closing the three estates.

GuySuCo will still be losing money on every tonne of sugar it produces. Ancillary income such as supplying bagasse to the Skeldon Co-Gen Plant is now gone, since Skeldon was shuttered. The same is true of the supply of molasses to DDL, which have been forced to import this raw material for their production of their world-recognised rums, which bring in foreign currency.

But all of this does not matter to his partisans like PM Nagamootoo, who thought he had wrung the concession not to close the industry – meaning to make it viable as it was comprised -- before the AFC went into a coalition with APNU in 2015. He did not realise the President speaks oracularly. But the President’s statement is of little comfort to the sugar workers of Berbice, where two estates were closed. To them, the President spoke with a “forked tongue” to trick them into supporting the coalition. This became even more blatant after the recommendation of the Government’s high-priced Commission of Inquiry -that the entire industry be stabilised and brought to a point of sale.

The President also oracularly emphasised that “GuySuCo must be run as a business.” He said: “There has been a tendency or a temptation in the past to put persons (on GuySuCo’s Board of Directors) who might be socially prominent; but this is a business, this is an international industry, we have to compete with other sugar producers.”

What does this mean? In terms of GuySuCo as a business entity, the Government’s spokespersons, especially Audreyanna Thomas, PRO of GuySuCo, had emphasised the “GuySuCo as a business” like a mantra.

More recently, after appointing a new CEO, the Ministry of Agriculture explained: “This approach is guided by GuySuCo’s new ‘Sustainable Business Model,’ which focuses on achieving a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) – economic/ financial, environmental and social.” The question, of course, to which Granger’s oracular pronouncement must be subjected, is what happened to the “social” aspect of the Triple Bottom Line when the decision was made to place 7,700 workers on the bread lines? Has the President not placed those Guyanese in a position where they are forced to “lime on street corners” and “look for handouts” – practices which the President frowns on?

But that portion of his oracular statement -- that running a “business” is not compatible with placing “socially prominent” persons on its Board -- was given an interesting interpretation by the state-run Chronicle. Its headline advised: “Pres. Granger steers clear from bourgeoisiedominated board.” “Bourgeoisie-dominated”? This is quite redolent of the 1970s Burnhamite rhetoric when they nationalised the sugar industry “for the people of Guyana”.

Will we now have a “working class” GuySuCo Board?

This parent, with her two girls and niece, was one of the many who were in the crowded Footsteps Megastore on Regent Street, Georgetown, staring at the wide variety of shoes but being unable to choose the right one

What is meant by natural boundaries?

Dear Editor, There is a buzz across the length and breadth of Guyana from residents of communities in designated Local Authority Areas (LAAs). There is an emerged display of upbeat but yet impatient enthusiasm to advance their representatives of choices to the Municipal and Neighborhood Councils.

Words from the streets seem to indicate an unwavering determination to not only take a stance against the many public Government excesses, but also to cushion the increasing negative impacts of the imposed ‘tax-based pressure pot’ system.

The uneasy quiet created has drawn questionable reactions from the Government, to the extent that even the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has become observably unbalanced.

The focal issue of ‘gerry-

mandering’ of constituency boundaries in LAAs is factual, and indeed worrying.

This is given the actual silence of GECOM on the effect of the shifting of boundaries on the actual preparation of interested groups and persons who intend to contest the election for those specific areas. Although the boundary issues for some areas are not yet finalised, it is known that GECOM has published August 29, 2018 as the date of submission for symbols and September 21, 2018 as nomination date. This definitively puts persons at a disadvantage.

Following justified criticisms from various publics, including the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the situation could not have been better highlighted, but for the PNC/R Commissioner Vincent Alexander’s futile and unwitting attempt to defend both the Minister of Communities as well

as GECOM on the issue.

According to his recent article, captioned GECOM’s hands tied in drawing of new constituencies for LGE, Alexander, while being silent on the impact on preparation of contesting persons, posits that “GECOM has to proceed with the exercise of redrawing boundaries to facilitate an increase in the Local Authority Areas (LAA) ahead of Local Government Elections (LGE) set for November 12th.”

In context, it is necessary for Mr Alexander to clarify certain woolen bandages he seeks to pull over the eyes of citizens, based on his statement that boundaries are being drawn up on natural boundaries, population as well as interest groups.

What is meant by natural boundaries? Is it not clear that the natural boundaries that we had in all previous LGE are now being manipulated so as to change the

demographics in fourteen NDCs? When he spoke about population demographics as the basis for the changes, he should also let the nation know that shifting targeted reducing the influence of strong PPP councillors in certain constituencies.

I contend that in lieu of the need to have a transparent process implemented, an accepted approach of engagement by GECOM should have been pursued prior to recommendations being advanced to the minister. This is obvious, since persons like Mr Alexander and the Hon Minister of Communities are from one political party, and more likely would have had prior knowledge of the proposed changes, which by extension allow greater preparation time to secretly establish on the ground.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

M&CC slipping into arrears again Dear Editor, With reports appearing in some sections of the media that another showdown is looming between the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown and the two largest garbage collection agencies that are contracted to provide refuse collection services to corporate, residential and industrial customers, certainly not a citizen of Georgetown should be surprised.

Absolutely no one should be startled that payments

to the two companies by the Council could be slipping into arrears again. Without an audit being done of Council’s financial records in over two decades, with the profusion of financial scams over the years, and with the profuse and improvident spending that the Council is so well known for, how could one expect anything other than insolvency, defalcation, and total bankruptcy at the Council?

It will not be much longer before the Central

Government will be asked to jump in and bail them out again. Especially since the Local Government Elections are scheduled in a matter of weeks. Mendicancy, impecuniousness and indigence are the order of the day at the Georgetown City Council.

Further, the city’s two largest waste collection service providers working for the Georgetown Municipality should not be the least surprised at the plan being hatched to jettison them from the garbage collection

arrangements involving the capital’s nursery, primary and secondary schools in favour of another ‘well-connected contractor.

This is just another barefaced, crude and open attempt at massive corruption, malfeasance and nepotism at the Council. A movie can be made of the goings-on of the Council that would rival The Godfather, Goodfellas, The Departed and Scarface.

Regards, Sambu Jacobus

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Success in Business programme

Georgetown women eager to take on business environment

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irst Lady Sandra Granger has charged the 46 Georgetown participants of the SelfReliance and Success in Business Workshop to give back to their communities while expanding their businesses. The participants today graduated after successfully completing the five-day workshop, during which they were taught the skills necessary to lead lucrative business ventures. The workshop was held at the Regency Suites, Brickdam.

The First Lady, in her closing remarks, expressed her gratitude to the Social Protection Ministry for assisting with funding, and Interweave Solutions for its commitment to ensuring that the initiative is successfully executed throughout Guyana.

“Go back to your communities with the excitement and passion to move forward and to grow and expand your business,” she said.

The First Lady also stated that the Self- Reliance and Success in Business Workshop was aimed mainly at empowering women, but has since been extended to a number of men as well. In fact, there were two males in today’s batch of graduands.

Coordinator Shondel Hope said this initiative has successfully empowered women all across Guyana.

“I want to challenge you to take all that you have learnt this week and go out and be your best selves; but see how best you can share that knowledge with the other persons within your community who are also business

First Lady Sandra Granger poses with two of the participants who proudly display their certificates

people. When you empower a woman, you empower a community; and so we feel it is time for women to break that ceiling and continue to climb that ladder of success,” she said.

Presenting their business plans to the gather-

ing, Afaia Daly, Kim GomesDainty, Deslinee Kerr and Ulita Moore described how they intend to incorporate into their lives the information they learned during the training sessions. Afaia Daly said, “I am going to set a goal and have a purpose,

accept challenges as a natural part of life. With the community action plan, I will create a group that helps single parents in my community, because a lot of parents have challenges on a daily basis to provide for their children.”

Ulita Moore, in presenting her business plan, noted that she usually gets many questions from members of the public as to whether or not she makes a profit selling phone credit. “In this type of business, when asked if money is made, I tell them look around and see the amount of persons selling in the Bourda vicinity, then you will know if money is made.

If you are going into this type of business, you must have a plan. My group decided that in order to bring my com-

munity together as we teach them about our jobs, we will have a cleanup campaign to reduce the pollution and other water-borne diseases”, she said.

Delivering the feature address, Chairperson of the Guyana Office for Investment, Patricia Bacchus, commended both the First Lady and the participants, and spoke of a few pointers she uses to accomplish being self-reliant.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of certificates to the participants, who are now equipped to prepare their own business plans, which they can submit to the Institute of Private Enterprise Development [IPED] or the Small Business Bureau to access grants or loans.

GHK Lall should stop writing rubbish Dear Editor, GHK Lall’s claims that teachers are asking too much is another example of intelligent, educated individuals in the pay of the administration being used to undermine teachers’ claims for increased salaries; attempting to con this group and the working masses into accepting less than their just due.

These individuals will agree that teachers are justly deserving their increases, but turn around to say that they’re asking for ‘too much’.

Lall, who has apparently disregarded information in the press, even though he has claimed otherwise, must know that paying teachers their proposed salary increases is a matter of policy -- fiscal policy, in particular -- where other expenditure items have to be considered in terms of their effectiveness in meeting de-

sired social needs (versus Government’s hare-brained ideas on ‘national development’). Paying teachers and other public servants salaries adjusted to reflect a 'living wage' has been long a priority, and overdue, and has been dragged underfoot for a number of reasons, including: 1) union leaders selling out workers, 2) workers' general dissatisfaction with, and lack of confidence in, union representation; and general lack of commitment by successive governments to provide much-needed relief to workers, going back to the 90s.

For Lall's information, not only the forty percent for 2016, but the entire initial proposal submitted by the GTU is truly reflective of the real demands of teachers. Their position would have been strengthened had they provided a justified ‘living wage’ upon which to base their claims,

but enough analyses are nevertheless available to support their claims.

On the issue of affordability, the entire country cannot afford not to pay teachers and other public servants their salary increases, because the social costs have proven to be already more than society can bear, but are forced to. This include the cost of corruption across the entire public sector; the instances of domestic violence that result from financial stress in homes; the alternative lifestyles some workers are forced to adopt to augment their salaries, which lead to a breakdown in families; the loss of lives attributed to poor health care; and not by any means least, the otherwise brilliant children who

leave school as uneducated, unprincipled adults because their parents could not afford to send them to private school, because teachers in the public school system under-teach and withhold the full scope of their service to children. Not to mention crime and the deaths of these government-generated ‘criminals,’ and cost of the loss of lives to their families.

All have accumulated over the decades for which workers have been underpaid.

If the number of unprepared children leaving school annually even after CXC is roughly 8,000, close to 160,000 adults with dependents over the last twenty years or so are on the streets across the country unable to secure proper jobs, hustling with what-

ever they can to make ends meet every day; not paying NIS, taxes etc. These are among the very individuals Granger has been advocating to ‘buy bicycles, boats and buses’, I think it was, instead of ‘depending’ on Government. The man’s Bs programme is apparently the mechanism upon which the coalition administration depends to lift Guyana out of our economic punishment, all resulting from the PNCs earlier 28 years, and bring us into the 21st century.

This administration is clueless about the responsibility of Government in an economy. Furthermore, the money is there. Government has just been spending it on other items, gambling on the gullibility of public ser-

vants and their unions.

The coalition administration got into office with a commitment to comprehensively address public servants' salaries. They have not. Increasing, this component of Government expenditure addresses many of our social ills.

Furthermore, the entire Guyanese society thinks wages and salaries are a priority, so for the administration to pursue other fiscal measures first is to invite the wrath of voters, as they have already done; fatally so, I might add.

So Mr GHK is encouraged not to adopt silly positions on matters with which society is already familiar.

Yours faithfully, Craig Sylvester

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Region 2 officials accused of turning blind eye on teen pregnancy

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wo months after it was revealed that Guyana recorded over 6000 adolescent pregnancies in just two years, residents of Westbury on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) have voiced their concerns over what they identified as increased incidences of teenage pregnancy in their community. Speaking to Guyana Times recently, the villagers said the relevant authorities should urgently look into these pregnancies.

According to information disclosed, two secondary school students in the

the girls are “closely related” to senior persons in the region’s administration and residents have said this close relation has caused many to turn a blind eye to the situation.

One of the concerned parents in Westbury, who de-

Child Care and Protection Agency office

village dropped out of school as a result of their pregnancies. This publication understands that one of the girls is reportedly living with her grandmother and the other is living with her mother, who is a single parent. Reports are a young man from a neighbouring village has been seen visiting the home of one of the girls on regularly occasions and is presumed to be the boyfriend and father to be. It was claimed that both the boy and one of

clined to be identified, said because of the economic constraints in the area, some parents cannot afford to give their children the best education and children are left with little to help themselves after schooling. “Some who are not qualified for good jobs are the ones falling prey to this practice for survival and now the younger children are following the same trend,” a parent said.

Other residents pointed out that the Child Care and

Protection Agency (CC&PA) should immediately launch an investigation into the report, so as to prevent other youth in the area from falling prey to teenage pregnancy. Some are calling for more education to prevent vulnerable youth from falling into underage and or unsafe sexual practices so as to curb early pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Westbury residents are also calling on the welfare department of the region to quickly intervene and discontinue the teen pregnancy trend.

Some residents alleged that some of the young girls are “forced” to have sexual relationships at an early age due to poverty. Over the past 11 years, the Government has been introducing, and at some points, reforming the national policy for the reintegration of adolescent mothers into the formal education system. After the last round of research and consultations, the Education Ministry received a policy framework document on reintegrating teen mothers in the public-school system.

Guyana was said to be ranked second on the list for the highest number of teenage mothers in the Caribbean and Latin America, with about 97 births for every 1000 teenage girls which

puts the country in close range with The Dominican Republic which tops the list.

Guyana Times had reported in June on some of the 15 factors that lead to teenage pregnancies as highlighted in research for the policy. It was revealed that school dropouts, lack of knowledge and difficult relationships with parents and family members, poverty, incest, exploitation and sexual abuse were the identified factors; some which concurred with the concerns of Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) residents.

Education Minister Nicolette Henry who received the policy framework earlier this year noted that it was a way of modernising education in Guyana. In 2015,

some 3712 girls were reported pregnant while in 2016, a total of 3032 were recorded.

In both cases, the age range was between 15 to19 years.

The programme to reintegrate teenage mothers into the school system was launched on April 15, 2008. The programme was launched under the theme “Assisting to Achieve Quality Education through Reintegration” and had started in 2007 but was officially launched in 2008. The initiative is in keeping with the millennium development goals and targets youths.

In the case of the teenage pregnancy in Westbury, the ages of the teen mothers and young men who reportedly fathered their offspring

were not revealed. According to the laws of Guyana, it is prohibited for an adult male to sexually penetrate a female under the age of 16, in addition to other sexual acts.

However, under the Sexual Offences Act, there is some consideration observed when the accused and complainant have less than four years age difference. However, the male cannot be related, hold a position of trust or must the complainant be dependent on the accused.

Meanwhile, if the child is under the age of 18 and an adult abuses a position of trust; they would face charges based on the gravity of the offence. Persons found guilty of committing rape are liable for life imprisonment.

Viola Nursery to benefit from project won by former student

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iola Nursery in New Amsterdam, Berbice, is to benefit from a developmental project won by a former student of that school. The student won an inter-nursery school colouring competition of which the first prize was a school developmental project.

Children of six of the seven nursery schools in the town had to colour two objects and the top from each school were selected to participate in the final.

The winning entry came from Hailey Peters of Viola Nursery; the second place went to Chrystal Mosses and third to Aubrey Gravesandy.

Peters was impressive with her colouring of a banana and the national flag.

The competition was or-

Winner: Hailey Peters

ganised and sponsored by Furniture World on King Street, New Amsterdam.

Managing Director of Furniture World, Janette Hikel, explained that they were looking for neatness and uniformity in colouring.

She added that they also wanted to encourage children to use appropriate colours when colouring.

“The flag has five colours. I noticed that some of the children used purple and brown decorating the National Flag more that it should be. So they lost marks for that. They had to choose the five colours and they had to be placed in the correct way. They also had to colour within the boundaries.”

In the preliminary round students were asked to colour a clown and a bicycle.

Meanwhile, the top two winners from each school who were in the final received educational prizes.

Hikel said while the competition is only in its first year and was extended to nursery schools in New Amsterdam, next year it will be extended to all the nursery schools in Region Six (East Berbice-orentyne).

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SUnDAY, september 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Mother, son die in Linden Highway accident A

mother and son are now dead while three other family members are in critical condition following an accident on the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway.

Dead are Tessa Telford Ibrahim, 60; and her son Marlon McFarlane, 30. Injured are Maisha Ibrahim, 23; Patricia McFarlane, nine; and Roshana McFarlane, seven; all of Lot 119 Highway

Boulevard, Amelia’s Ward, Linden.

Reports are the family was returning to Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) on Saturday at about 15:30h when the accident occurred at the Moblissa Bridge, Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

McFarlane was an employee of Guyana Goldfields and a former member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

Guyana Times was told that Maisha Ibrahim, 23, who is Tessa’s niece, lost control of the motorcar, PNN 3987, after she reportedly dropped in a pothole and swerved to the opposite side of the road.

This ran the vehicle into a ditch and came to a halt after it collided with a tree.

Following the incident, public spirited persons rushed the family to the

Linden Hospital Complex where the seamstress and her son were pronounced dead on arrival.

Nine-year-old Patricia McFarlane was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital in an unconscious state while seven-year-old McFarlane and Maisha Ibrahim were admitted to the Linden Hospital Complex.

Police have since launched an investigation.

Dead: Tessa Telford Ibrahim

Dead: Marlon McFarlane

President stands firm on decision to downsize sugar industry

D

espite the closure of four estates, the Coalition Government remains adamant that while there is a future for a sugar sector in Guyana, the only way forward is a downsized industry.

This is according to President David Granger, who told a media conference on Friday that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the sugar industry as a whole are important to this administration. Hence, he noted, Government has not entirely shut down the sugar industry, but has reformed it into three larger estates – Albion (East Berbice), Blairmont (West Berbice) and Uitvlugt (West Demerara).

“So there is a future for sugar, a very clear future.

We’ve put out a [White] Paper and it’s gone to the National Assembly. We’ve had meetings with the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and NAACIE (National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees). We want to see the sugar industry survive; a more compact, better managed sugar industry. It is very competitive in terms of the international environment in which many people are moving away from sugar and are going into artificial sweeteners, but we feel that it’s something that the

President David Granger

industry and the corporation can survive,” the President asserted.

According to the Head of State, going forward, the aim is for the sugar industry to profitably produce between 147,000 and 150,000 tonnes of sugar, and maintain a working population of about 10,000.

The President’s statement comes on the heels of some 7000 redundant sugar workers being placed on the breadline following the closure of the Skeldon, Rose Hall, Enmore and Wales estates over the past two years.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, two weeks ago, said he was in possession of information suggesting that an assessment was done on the closed sugar estates by the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) which was set up under the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited

(NICIL) to handle the divestment of GuySuCo’s assets.

Jagdeo said this assessment has proved that the very estates that were shut down, which led to thousands being unemployed, were actually viable.

“And so, if this is true… it would be very disturbing, because we believed this to be so and we asked our Government to do a feasibility study of these estates and the industry before it took any decision to send home workers, and they refused to do that… To now do another study to find that these estates with small injection of funds could have been viable would be criminal. So we believe the estates are viable,” the Opposition Leader noted.

The former Head of State said if the assessment proved to be true and the estates could be made viable, then the Opposition would support the reopening of all the estates.

The coalition Government has made its position clear that the move to downsize the industry was a necessary one, as the monies used as annual bailouts were too much.

But the Opposition said even if this was the case, the laying off of workers could have been done in stages, to allow for them to prepare for alternative employment.

Now that the preliminary valuation works of several estates have been com-

pleted, the Skeldon, Rose Hall-Canje, East Demerara/ Enmore, and Wales Estates are now being advertised for sale.

Meanwhile, there have been calls for Government to give out the sugar lands to the dismissed workers for them to develop into economic activity to earn a livelihood.

However, while President Granger did not address this, he did say during Friday’s press conference that the

lands would be first subjected to the jurisdiction of a State Land Sales Commission, on which the SPU would of course have representation.

“The idea is that we wouldn’t sell off the family jewels, we’ll make sure that the lands that are being taken out of sugar are placed to the benefit of the people of Guyana as a whole,” he posited.

But the Head of State noted that there could be several anomalies or contra-

dictions which may occur, such as various Government ministries, including the Agriculture Ministry, as well as private companies and individuals, wanting the lands for various use.

“So the State Land Sales Commission is going to rectify the differences among these various agencies and at the same time make a profit from the disposals of those lands which may not be going back into sugar,” President Granger stressed.

8 news Chinese investments in Guyana decline – GO-Invest T SUnDAY, september 2, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

he number of Chinese investors who wish to establish businesses in the Guyanese market has begun to decline, which could mean the influx of traders will soon stabilise.

This is according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), Owen Verwey, who noted that the amount of investments reaching the agency from China is fewer than that which was recorded a few years ago.

“In terms of the Chinese Industries coming to

Guyana, I think it’s more or less stabilised now. We don’t see as many as (we were) seeing before,” Verwey said.

This, he said, is completely normal since there are instances when an influx of investors would flood the market to establish trades, and these numbers would later stabilise.

“Presently, the situation is at the stabilisation level in Guyana, and the future will tell if these numbers would remain or decrease further.

CEO of GO-Invest, Owen Verwey

turn to page 11

Top… Y

…COP

our Eyewitness is intrigued by President Granger’s proclivity for coming up with new “criteria” when selecting top officials for the various Government and State institutions.

When choosing the Chair of GECOM, he insisted for the longest while that if the person wasn’t a judge, he or she must have “judge-like” qualities. Your Eyewitness thought the President was insisting that the person be “sober” – from the oft-quoted phrase “sober as a judge” – even though he knew of quite a few members of the Bench who “had a thing” for “high spirits” of both the “hijinks” and “spiritous” varieties!!

Anyhow the President explained he was looking for a person with “qualities of impartiality, integrity and intelligence” – which he seemed to feel judges inherently possessed. But he just as obviously thought folks had forgotten that it was precisely those qualities the Judges who’d been the GECOM Chairs during the Burnham era were lacking!! “Toothless poodles”, the normally circumspect Jagan had described one of them!!

So no one was surprised when the fella Granger picked – Justice Patterson -- showed he was severely challenged in the very same qualities. He clearly had a severe deficiency in impartiality, since he was flagrantly supportive of the PNC in his Facebook page.

As for “integrity”, he blew that requirement when he admitted he’d inflated his qualifications by claiming he’d been “Chief Justice” of Grenada. Said it was “a slip of the pen”!! Your Eyewitness figured he wasn’t that “intelligent” if he thought he could get away with such a checkable whopper!!

Anyhow, the President was back at it with his “criteria” schtick on his appointment of the new Commissioner of Police. The COP had to be “unbribable”, and he would submit his shortlist to a “test”! So far, so good. Tests are good, no? But even before the test was applied, there was the matter of how he came up with his “shortlist”, when he excluded the man acting in the position and the one with the most seniority in the top ranks – David Ramnarine. Pressed on this issue, he claimed he had “specific” reasons – but which he wouldn’t divulge!!

This being Guyana, the chatterati, of course, immediately flew into a frenzy of speculation – was he caught with his hand in the till? Was Ramjattan’s recommendation the kiss of death? Was he in cahoots with “drug lords”? (This wasn’t a defect, and was possibly even a plus; since one former top COP with such a relationship was given “Minister wuk” by Granger!!)

But what your Eyewitness knows for sure is that Ramnarine’s name is now “mud,” since folks will automatically wonder about the skeleton in his closet, which Granger couldn’t even mention.

The horror!! The horror!!

…test??

But then there was the test itself – which turned out to be a portion of the Social Studies section of the 6th Grade Test. Surely, the President jests!! Is this what he thinks the “intelligence” of the Top Cop ought to be measured by? But hold it! Maybe it wasn’t really a “test”. Just as how, sometime back, our mavens in the education sector figured that kids finishing primary school shouldn’t be “tested” but “assessed”, could it be Granger felt his top COP candidates ought to be “assessed”?

After all, the “assessment model” was just supposed to identify areas of weakness in the candidates’ pertinent knowledge base that could be rectified in the new office. Your Eyewitness assumed the key word was “pertinent,” and therefore wondered how pertinent is the geography of Guyana to the better running of the GPF. And in the years after the GPF was formed in 1839, haven’t there been refinement in Police testing??

And how would Basil Williams, one of the three who administered the assessment, fare??

…spot

Asked as to whether he’ll run as APNU’s candidate in 2020, President Granger was, as usual, quite coy. Said he wouldn’t “refuse to serve” if asked to.

So who’ll be brazen enough not to ask him??!!

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

news

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SUnDAY, september 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Trumped up charges

Jagdeo slams political pressure on prosecutorial agencies W

ith the case against former Public Service Minister, Dr Jennifer Westford thrown out of the courts following a no case submission, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has now broken his silence on the matter.

According to the former President at his recent press conference, much of the commentary has been centred in the case being dismissed by Magistrate Judy Latchman because it was “bad in law.”

He pointed out the wider picture.

“The Magistrate declared two things. Everyone has been focusing on the first, that the charge is bad in law.

But what the Magistrate found, from the news reports, is that the evidence did not support the charges. Because of the witnesses, almost all of them said they don’t remember whether the training activities took place in the region,” Jagdeo recalled.

“One of them actually said yes, there was training in the region. And the money was supposed to be used for training and other activities in the region. So the Magistrate said, not just that the charges were bad in law, but that the witnesses

made and do that? Imagine it’s a politician advocating for this.”

The case

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma

did not support the charges.

How come we’re missing that part?”

Jagdeo also commented on Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma’s public criticism of State prosecutorial agencies and his questioning of the Prosecutor, Natasha Backer, bringing witnesses that could not support her case.

“And then to have a person like Sharma, he’s pushing this. I’ve never seen Sharma talk this much about corruption, individually. What does he have to say about Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson? What does he have to say about the five other Ministers there that

the DPP withdrew (charges against)? Was that bad, that the DPP withdrew (the) cases?”

Jagdeo reminded that Sharma himself awarded the forensic audits to different agencies back in 2015, all without any public tender. He noted that as a politician, Sharma should allow the technical personnel to do their job and not apply his ministerial influence to pressure them.

“Sharma? He’s the last person to talk about reopening charges. And it’s a politician saying this! Why don’t they allow the technical agencies to assess whether there is really a case to be

Westford and her former Administrative Assistant, Margaret Cummings, were freed on August 24, 2018, of a $600 million larceny charge. The duo were before the court on an allegation that they had stolen over $600 million from the Government of Guyana while they were employed at the Public Service Ministry.

In 2016, Westford and Cummings were each placed on $4.8 million bail by Magistrate Judy Latchman,

after denying 24 charges which alleged that they had stolen over $639 million while being employed in public office. The prosecution had contended that the money was stolen between October 19, 2011 and April 28, 2015. The prosecution also contended that the monies were requested to conduct outreaches in the 10 administrative regions of Guyana.

The team of attorneys that represented the duo comprised Dexter Todd, Keisha Chase, Rexford McKay, Neil Boston, Eusi Anderson, Bibi Shaddick and Brandon Glasford. In court on Friday, Magistrate Latchman up-

held the no-case submission made by Attorney Dexter Todd; and in handing down her decision noted that the charges were bad in law, as Westford, according to the Guyana Constitution, was a Government Minister and not a public officer.

With respect to Cummings, who was a public officer, the Magistrate said there was insufficient evidence for a conviction. She added that there was no evidence to show that the money was taken and not used for its intended purposes.

A total of 48 witnesses had been called during the trial.

10 news

SUnDAY, september 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Home invasion leaves Grove family traumatised

T

hree armed bandits on Friday evening invaded the home of a family at Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara, relieving them of cash and jewellery while binding and beating them.

Reports are that the incident occurred at about 19:00h at Section A, Block Y Golden Grove Housing Scheme on the East Bank of Demerara as one of the occupants, 49-year-old Robin Ramdyal, was sitting on a bench in front of his house.

Ramdyal told Guyana Times on Saturday that he felt a cold metal object touching his neck, and as he turned around, he was confronted by three men, all of whom were armed with handguns. They demanded that Ramdyal hand over all the money and jewellery in his possession.

“They tell me don’t make any sound or noise. Then they tell me get up and let we come here (in the house).

They want the money and the jewels, so I tell them we ain’t got that,” he said.

The men then took the man inside the house, where his two sisters were, and again made their demands.

His 44-year-old sister Nomina Ramdyal recalled the horrific incident, stating that she was in the living room when she saw the bandits leading her brother into the house.

The injuries Robin Ramdyal sustained

After being threatened, Nomina explained, she was fearful for her life and told the bandits there was some money in the wardrobe of one of the bedrooms.

“I was lying on the chair and my sister was sitting, and I see the guy coming with the gun. He come in and point the gun at me and ask, ‘Where is the money and gold?’ So I tell he that it get some money in the wardrobe, but he went in and didn’t find anything,” she said.

At that point, the woman said, the men exited the bedroom and carried her with them a second time, and this time they found a sum of Gy$70,000, US$500, two gold chains, two gold rings, one silver bracelet, and two Identification (ID) cards.

The siblings were asked to lie on the ground, where they were bound. It was in-

dicated that the men were dissatisfied with the items which they had found, and they proceeded to ransack the house. Nomina Ramdyal was kicked to the stomach while her brother was gun-butted several times to the head. Her sister, however, was unharmed.

“They still tie up my foot and hand at the back, and they want the rest of money; and one of them tell me mustn’t look at he, and they

tie them.

“When they left I didn’t hear any noise or anything, and I manage to slip out the cord from my foot that they tie me with. I run in the kitchen and get a knife and free them,” Robin Ramdyal said.

Nomina’s son and neighbours were immediately summoned, and the injured Ramdyals were taken to the Police station to file a report, and later to a medical insti-

The house where the daring robbery was carried out

beat me and my brother with the gun,”Nomina detailed.

“They said don’t look at them, so is when I turn when one went into the room that them man start lash me with the gun by me face, and they lash me by my head,” her brother added.

After the men had left, the injured woman said, her brother managed to enter the kitchen, and he found a knife which was used to un-

tution to receive treatment.

According to the injured woman, she has been living in the area since 2015, but this is the first time such an incident has occurred to her. However, she claimed that there are numerous criminal activities which stem from the absence of streetlights in the area.

Investigations are ongoing as Police are on the hunt for the three male suspects.

Offensive Ministers

S

atiricus was a bit apprehensive as he ambled towards the Back Street Bar. He wondered, now that GrainJa had spoken to the press, which statements he would have to defend. Satiricus was somewhat ticked off with himself for being so conscientious. If only Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat would show some backbone and say something, he’d throw GrainJa under the bus in a second!!

“Tell me if dis na schupidness!” demanded Bungi indignantly, even before Satiricus had time to start on his beer.

“What’s that?” asked Satiricus cautiously, as he took a swig and wiped his brow.

“Yuh President now seh dat de Pee an’ See party now guh handle de “I is” Broomes’ matta!” Bungi snarled.

“Wha’ da?” interrupted Cappo in surprise. “Afta dem bin tell abee fuh de whole mont’ dat Cabinet guh deal wid she?”

“Yes, Sato,” said Hari. “She didn’t rough up those two guards and had them detained as a Pee and See member, but as a Minister of the Government!”

“Fellas, I really don’t know what to say,” Satiricus said apologetically. “My leaders didn’t tell us anything yet.”

“Dis a rass-pass!” exploded Bungi. “An’ no-bady na seh nuttin!”

“Yes!” said Cappo. “Rememba how all dem big-shat behave baad when Beri-Beri seh he gon “slap and strip” dat gyaal?”

“And Beri Beri didn’t even tell it to the woman who’d accosted him,” said Hari. “He said it to some reporters afterwards!”

“Yes, I remember,” admitted Satiricus. “I protested in front of President Ram O. Tar’s office and he fired Beri Beri as Minister of Health.”

“Na even the slap-an-strip gyaal na seh nuttin’ ‘bout de “I is” Broomes’ matta,” complained Bungi.

“Yes,” said Hari. “After Beri Beri was sacked, she said all “offensive behaviour by officials” should be “rooted out!”

“Budday, nobady na kay ‘bout po’r people,” said Cappo bitterly. “All dem big shat who protest fuh “slap-an’-strip”ah now march fuh parkin’ meeta!”

“I’ll ask Nagga and Rum Jhaat if Cabinet decided that Broomes’ bad behaviour was ‘an internal party matter’,” said Satiricus placatingly.

“Who?” asked Hari. “Dumb and Dumber?”

news

11

SUnDAY, september 2, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

City abuzz with back-to-school shopping rush T

he crowded stores and streets of Georgetown were on Saturday loaded with parents and children, who were finishing off their back to school shopping, even as vendors complained of less sales this year.

A number of street vendors on the crowded sidewalks of the capital city complained of declining sales this year, especially at this time since it is usually one of the busiest times of year for them.

This was the major cry when Guyana Times roamed the streets, capturing the excitement of little boys and girls, who were still shopping

footwear, backpacks and stationary, among other items as they prepared for the commencement of the new school year on Monday.

Samantha Roman, who vends on Water Street, Georgetown complained, saying “Sales is not too bad but it could have been better.”

Elizabeth Spencer, who vends undergarments in the same area said, “Sales used to be better but I can’t complain.”

A sales representative at Brassonic, also on Water Street, Georgetown explained that sales have improved at the store over the past week, as the days drew

nearer to schools reopening their doors across the country.

Another vendor, Neola Thompson, said her sales have not been as good as the last few years. She noted, “It’s what we had expected, its fluctuating but it’s okay.

I can live off of it.”

Meanwhile, at one of the larger stores, Kezia Hetsburger, a sales representative at Colors Boutique on Robb Street, Georgetown told Guyana Times that sales have also been fluctuating. According to her, customers have been rushing into the store more frequently over the past week.

Another seller on Robb Street told this publication

A crowded section of the city on Saturday

of promotions for its customers, during this time of the year, which winds down at the end of September.

According to him, the last four days have been the bus-

tailor said he hopes youths can take up the trade, as the demand is increasing.

According to him, the trade keeps him occupied, especially at this time of the year,

These shoppers were buying the last few items on their lists as they purchased socks and other bits and pieces from this Regent Street vendor

Chinese investments in Guyana... from page 8

“As things change, you see an influx, and then starts to stabilise and it either stays at that level or it declines. I think it’s coming more focused and more planned within the intentions and strategies and policies of [the] Government of Guyana,” said Verwey.

In November, China will be hosting its inaugural China International Import Expo, which is intended to merge exporters from around the world to determine what can be imported into the country.

Presently, China is one of the largest manufacturing and exporting nations in the world, and hence the expo will provide a medium for the country to showcase its interests in the exports of other countries. For this, over 21 companies from Guyana will be participating.

“On the international forum, there is the inaugural China International Import Expo which will be held (from) November 5-10.

We had the launching of that in Guyana, the information is well out there, and we have about 21 companies from Guyana who

will be attending with us.

The big advantage of this event is (this is) the first time China is opening its economy to imports, and it’s actually allowing you to showcase what you have to send to China.”

While the manufacturing industry is one of the emerging sectors in Guyana’s economy, Verwey explained, there are still some challenges, mainly in the cost of energy consumption as well as the consistency of the power supply.

However, many of these projects are now in the initial stages, and produce results when they are completely established.

“The cost of power is the number one issue. In our agency, manufacturing is one of the primary sectors that we look at, so anything manufacturing-related we tend to give attention.

There are some activities that are going on at the early stages right now.

Overall, manufacturing did have its challenges over a number of years, both energy cost and energy reliability affecting it, and the overall cost of production and shipping,” Verwey explained.

that “Last year was better… cause most people going into the stores and buy.”

Seon Ram, the Marketing Manager of Footsteps on Regent Street, admitted that the increased competition has been taking away some customers but nevertheless boasted of the store’s quality products.

He said the company has embarked on quite a number

This excited couple was captured assisting their son in trying on a new pair of sneakers

iest at the store.

Over at the La Penitence Market, a well-known tailor expressed his satisfaction at the number of sales he has been receiving. The

where he hardly has time to rest.

A clothing and uniform vendor in the same market, Lalta Narine, said he has been selling there for about

20 years and has seen an increase in sales for school items.

A few parents; such as Debra Jardine of Kuru Kururu, on the LindenSoesdyke Highway, said she avoids the current rush in Georgetown during this period. She added that she finished her back-to-school shopping early.

This newspaper also caught up with a few excited children who said they were ready for whatever the new school term throws at them.

Nine-year-old Johnathan Hemraj, of Annandale, East Coast Demerara, who was picking up a few items for school with his mother in the Forgarty’s Mall said, “I’ll be going over to Grade Four when school opens.”

The child said he is worried about what his new teacher would be like and is anxious to wear his new gear tomorrow.

Another energised nineyear-old, Jelene (only name given), who was shopping on Water Street with her mother said she attends Mocha Arcadia Primary, on the East Bank of Demerara. She said she can’t wait to go back to school to tell her friends how her summer vacation has been. (Davina Ramdass)

12 news

SUnDAY, september 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Prisoner, wardens busted with ganja

A

prisoner at the Lusignan Prison on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) was on Saturday busted with 71 grams of marijuana, which was hidden in his slippers.

Police information reveals that the discovery was made after it was noticed that the slippers he was wearing was not the one he had on when he went to serve meals at the holding bay.

As such, ranks on duty conducted a search on him at about 13:45h and the packets of ganja were unearthed. He is serving one year in prison for a larceny charge.

The marijuana which was being smuggled by prison ranks

Meanwhile at the New Amsterdam Prison, a delivery driver was detained after a search conducted on the truck which he was driv-

ing uncovered four packets of cigarettes behind the driver’s seat. Guyana Times understands the man would usually deliver dietary items to the prison on a frequent basis.

Earlier this week at the Lusignan Prison, two ranks were busted with 398 grams of marijuana as they attempted to smuggle the illegal substance into the penitentiary.

According to information received, the gatekeeper of the prison became aware of the fact that one of the ranks had the marijuana along with a quantity of cigarettes in his possession at about 20:04h.

The cut out slippers in which the ganja was found

At that time, he opened the gate to allow the rank to get rid of the contraband; they were both confronted and confirmed that such actions on their part were indeed true. The pris-

on officers then reportedly tendered their registrations while the matter was reported to the Police. An investigation was launched to determine the charges.

In recent times, several

attempts to smuggle contrabands into the prison were averted while many items have also been unearthed from within the penitentiary. In June, an unknown person attempted to throw a black wrapped parcel over the North-eastern fence of the holding area. Ranks immediately opened fire and the person made good his escape, leaving the package behind.

When opened, it contained 1002 grams of narcotics, a large quantity of tobacco leaves, four cellular phones without SIM cards, one charger, one earpiece and 33 packets of Bristol cigarettes.

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SUnDAY, september 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Jagdeo/Granger meetings

GECOM reform to be on agenda during upcoming talks

Reforming the GPF’s composition

A

s he appointed the new Commissioner of Police, President David Granger declared, “The Police Force has to be reformed, and you can’t build a new house with old wood. You have to select new materials; people with a new vision; people with a new commitment to break from the old bad habits and to return to the principles of good policing.”

It would appear he forgot to mention – or deliberately chose not to mention – that a new house also needs a new plan, or else the old house would simply be recreated with all its defects, since form affects function so profoundly.

Such a new plan was crafted back in 2003-04 by a Disciplined Forces Commission (DFC) on which then Brigadier (retd) David Granger sat, and which held extensive hearings from a wide cross-section of the Guyanese populace. The hearings were conducted Ravi Dev during the heat of the crime wave, during which the 2002 Prison Outbreak Five held off the Guyana Police Force and the Army from their redoubt in Buxton. One of their main targets was policemen, and before the gang was defeated, more policemen had been murdered than in any other period of the history of the GPF. David Granger, when discussing “Police reform”, has -- for good reason -- referred many times to the DFC Report, which had been laid in Parliament in 2004 but only finally approved in 2010; since, of the 164 recommendations, 71 concerned the GPF. But he has studiously avoided the one that addressed the vexed issue of “ethnic imbalance”, which had been brought up even before Guyana received independence from Britain.

In 1965, the year David Granger entered the armed forces as a 2nd Lieutenant, an ICJ Commission (invited by the British as a condition for awarding Guyana Independence) suggested a programme of accelerated recruitment of Indians into the Police and Armed Force until their numbers were roughly in proportion to those in the population. Nothing came of that recommendation.

During the hearings on constitutional changes in 1999 – precipitated by PNC riots in the streets after 1997 -- one of the constitutional recommendations unanimously adopted in 2000 was for the President to establish a commission to investigate and recommend resolving the ethnic imbalance in the Disciplined Forces. During the aforementioned “troubles” -- as since labelled by Granger -- intriguingly, it was the Opposition PNC under Robert Corbin that called upon the PPP Government to establish the Disciplined Forces Commission.

ROAR supported that call.

On the matter of ethnic representativeness, the DFC declared: “The Commission…is of the view that the allaying of ethnic security fears which stem from the predominance of Afro-Guyanese presence in the GPF must be addressed… but to ensure, in so doing, that no similar insecurity fears are caused in the Afro-Guyanese community.”

More specifically, it recommended: “It should be an aim (of the GPF) to achieve a Force representative of the ethnic diversity of the nation without employing a quota system.” To achieve this, ethnically-diverse recruitment teams should be employed as openly and extensively as possible. The report also suggested that a study be conducted on how to address the ethnic make-up imperative.

While in Opposition, both the PNC – including the one led

by David Granger -- and the AFC trenchantly criticised the PPP for burying the DFC Report for seven years in Committee. In 2010, when it was finally passed (unanimously) by the house, AFC leader Trotman said dramatically, “We shudder to think that if it took seven years to consider the recommendations, how many centuries will it take to implement them?”

When as an MP I made my submission to the DFC in 2003, I remember David Granger asking whether I favoured a fixed quota in the recruitment of Indians to rectify the imbalance in the armed forces. Using the terminology made popular by the US Supreme Court in that country’s affirmative action programme, I told him I preferred “targets rather than quotas”. Especially with the armed forces, one must insist its members are “fit and proper” to perform their duties.

Today, I once again remind David Granger, who is now President of Guyana, to insist that targets be established for Indian Guyanese in those armed forces, and teams fan out to sensitise the community about the importance of serving their country in these institutions.

Much is rightly being done by the Government for African Guyanese to enter businesses, as we have long also advocated.

T

his month, President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo are expected to have a series of meetings to discuss several matters of national importance and it is expected that the reform of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will be among the topics the two leaders will be deliberating on.

The need for electoral reform, and Constitution reform as a whole, have long been highlighted and during its campaign trail leading up to the 2015 elections which got it into office, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition had committed to have these reforms. While the current Administration has come in for some criticism for not fulfilling this campaign promise, President Granger has assured that the issue of GECOM restructuring would be included on the agenda for upcoming talks with the Opposition Leader.

According to the Head of State, GECOM is currently

operating under the ‘Carter Formula’, which he said has exhausted its usefulness.

The ‘Charter Formula’ refers to the composition of the Commission, which is comprised of six commissioners – three from the Opposition and three from Government – and a Chairman appointed by the President in “meaningful consultation” with the Opposition Leader.

This method was devised by former United States President Jimmy Carter following the controversial 1992 elections.

However, President Granger faced heavy criticism after he unilaterally appointed retired Justice James Patterson as the new GECOM Chairman last year after rejecting three lists of six nominees submitted by the Opposition Leader.

This had once again reinforced the need for electoral reform, something which the Head of State recognises but told media operatives at his press conference on Friday that it would require consensus on both sides.

“Yes we could consider the

reform of GECOM, we are still working under the Carter formula which we generally agreed to have exhausted its usefulness. It’s like having a cricket match with one umpire from each team… it is not a formula for consensus, it’s almost a formula for gridlock. So there needs to be a change,” he posited.

The President went on to note that while no proposal has been placed on the table as yet for these reforms, new rules will have to be established.

“We will always come back to the situation in which the main parties would have either through consensus or through convention or through constitutional change be to made nominations and once those nominations come from political parties, you can anticipate certain consequences.

So the reform of GECOM – just as you have at the Police Service Commission or the Public Service Commission – would depend on the nomination of human beings coming through the National Assembly and coming from

political parties. So I’m in favour of reform but we must adopt the architecture, we must adopt the procedures which are in place for other constitutional commissions,” he asserted.

According to the Head of State, the reform of GECOM is something which could be possible before the 2020 General and Regional Elections but, again, it would depend on the agreement of the two sides.

However, while the need to end the practice of having political appointees as members of GECOM has been recognised, commentators and political activists have said that it is too late now for such reforms to be realised.

For decades now, election observer groups – both internationally and regionally – have been insisting that while GECOM’s purpose for existence is to administer free and fair electoral processes, Guyana should consider reforms that would reduce or eliminate the politicised composition of the election body in order to ensure independence and impartiality.

14 news

SUnDAY, september 2, 2018| guyanatimesgy.com

Better wages strike

No, it’s not President’s comments contradict Education Ministry’s actions – teachers just you; it’s getting hotter

T

eachers are now confused at the position of Government on their strike action, since, according to them, President David Granger’s position on the issue is different from the Education Ministry’s action.

According to teachers, the call by President David Granger for full mediation and possibly arbitration is completely different from what his Education Ministry is attempting to do in relation to their salary and other benefits’ negotiations.

On Friday, the President hosted his third press conference since taking office in 2015, and called Guyana Teachers Union’s strike action “extreme...premature” and urged that there be full mediation and possibly arbitration before such extreme measure is taken.

However, when contacted, GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald told the Guyana Times that they have listened keenly to the President’s comments and they are still ready to go to the bargaining table, provided that their conditions are assented to.

Additionally, she explained that the actions of the Education Ministry are quite contradictory, since the Union is yet to be contacted since meeting with the Education Ministry on Thursday. McDonald said the GTU are still going ahead with the strike ac-

for trainee teachers and retired ones, when they saying that they have it under control. How can we rest when it seems like the Ministry don’t know what they are doing?” questioned Johnathan Persaud.

The man said his son is now a third form student at Patentia Secondary School, WBD, and he is concerned about the quality of teaching his son will receive, since he has to prepare for the National Grade Nine Assessment.

Education Minister Nicolette Henry

tion, and noted that they are ready to provide relief to teachers if Government decides to cut salaries.

This publication spoke to a number of teachers on Saturday, and they related that they are being forced to strike due to non-consideration by the Education Ministry.

“The Ministry is not doing anything. They are trying to strong-arm the teachers into accepting what is on the table, and that is it.

We have been waiting on debauching money for so long, and now they want to give you a small sum. Then we have the President saying something else. The Government needs to get their act together and get on the same page,” a teacher who gave her name only as Ms Persaud said.

Persaud has been in the teaching profession for

GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald

over 20 years, and she said it is time that the teachers take a collective stance because their rights would be trampled upon. She said that all the teachers at her school, on the West Bank of Demerara, would be supporting the strike.

Another teacher noted that teachers need to understand that they have to band together in order to have their demands met.

Meanwhile, there is a growing level of anxiety cause by the uncertainty of the quality of education to be delivered when school reopens tomorrow (Monday).

Parents are questioning the Education Ministry’s contingency plan, since that plan seemingly does not have all in place to cushion the effect of the teachers’ absence.

“We now seeing that the Ministry sending out notice

Contingency Plan

Education Minister Nicolette Henry and her officers have been saying that a contingency plan is in place. The plan would see trainee teachers, substitute teachers, parents and retired teachers taking over classrooms. However, it is unclear whether the Teaching Service Commission is on board with this plan.

Additionally, former CPCE lecturer Tamashwar Boodhoo has said that trainee teachers cannot take school registers since registers are legal documents and could be used in a court of law.

Like many parents, even President Granger said he does not find favour with trainee teachers taking over the classrooms, come September 3.

The Education Ministry has issued a notice to Education officials, detailing the responsibilities of the CPCE teachers on attachment, parents and substitute teachers it intends to deploy to cushion the effects of the strike.

The notice said they are to follow the regular lesson plan, scheme of work and other curricular documents; record tasks/assignments; record daily attendance in the Attendance registers; keep an up-to-date record of the content completed; and maintain a relationship with parents, among other requirements.

However, teachers and the GTU are questioning where the substitutes would access lesson plans and schemes of work, since those are usually completed during the pre-term activity period, and the strike commenced during that period.

Teachers are seeking increases of 40 per cent under a multi-year arrangement up to 2020. However, Government has maintained that it just cannot afford this proposal, offering a 2018-2019 pay off.

Additionally, Granger said they are currently looking to source additional funds to meet the teachers’ demands, but explained that Government is not going to commit to a multi-year agreement.

T

he sweaty bus conductor exclaimed, "This place hot bad, man!" as he scurried off to fill the few vacant seats in the zone 48 bus. A typical bus conductor in Guyana works in the heat with no air conditioning for 8-10 hours per day. He is not alone, over 40 percent of Guyana’s population is not formally employed, and they usually turn to selling at different outdoor markets in Georgetown and various parts of the country to make ends meet.

Therefore, much of the population is directly exposed to heat on a daily basis.

While it might seem like an exaggeration to say that the days are getting hotter (surely we must just be feeling that way), the temperature is in fact getting warmer than usual, and trending warmer still.

Feeling Hot! Hot! Hot! We are aware that Guyana is below sea level, and is it predicted that climate change will result in rising sea levels of one to two feet by the end of the century; hence the reason the seawall continues to be built higher and higher. Living in Guyana, we have already witnessed the effects of climate change through extreme weather events such as floods, heavy rainfall, and droughts. I have been surprised to find that, in Guyana, I have not heard the word "heat wave" as much as I would have expected in conversations, given the abnormally hot weather. The danger in a hot country like Guyana is that we do not notice the slow burn of climate change until it is too late.

Guyana is a tropical country, and therefore the overall temperature should be warmer than in other parts of the world; but, in recent years, we have seen and felt the temperature peak at alarming rates.

According to a UN study, 2016 was recorded as the warmest year on record dating back to the 19th century, while 2017 and 2015 tied for second place. This alarming rate in temperature increase is tied directly to man-made emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, released from burning fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas You are at risk Working outside and battling heat is a way of life for many Guyanese. Rising heat will lead to more heat-related illnesses.

Equally important, agriculture is one of the main economic sectors of Guyana, employing 17.8 percent of the population, yet climate change is increasing pest populations while decreasing plant growth and crop yields.

Lastly, with rising sea and water levels, Guyana faces significant risks from more extreme storms and greater flooding, leading to greater property damage and fatalities.

A vendor’s perspective Walking around the markets in Guyana, you are greeted by lots of tall, colourful umbrellas. This is the main way many vendors seek refuge from the blazing sun.

Sharon Mollyneaux, a fruit vendor at Stabroek Market for over 30 years, spoke out about the heat, stating that she has felt the difference in temperature and noted it has gotten hotter these past years. When asked how the heat affects her, she said, “Sometimes I feel dizzy; the sun and extreme heat burn up my fruits.” She pointed to her bananas on the wooden stall. “It’s unfit to sell to customers,” she said. Her daughter Keithana Mollyneaux agrees with her.

They are at the market from 6 am to 6 pm daily. Keithana mentioned that she drinks plenty of water to keep cool in the hot weather. Sharon Mollyneaux added that the Government can build proper shade for vendors, because the umbrellas she uses are not always sufficient against the smouldering heat of the sun.

Knowing is better The heat will continue to rise at uncomfortable and deadly levels; therefore systems have to be put in place to address this urgent issue. There are opportunities for businesses to work with Government officials to create more indoor spaces, cooling centres and to promote smarter water and energy use. Most importantly, citizens should be aware of the effects of heat waves, and stay indoors during particularly hot days.

These are some of the reasons why it’s important for you to understand Guyana’s Green State trajectory, and actively participate in the process. In order for us to move Guyana towards being a more resilient nation; one that is equipped to address the effects of climate change, the power lies in an informed citizen body who are aware of the issues concerning the environment and ways they can get involved in crafting solutions.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@ gmail.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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SUnDAY, september 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Enmore North Co-op feud

A look at the Mid-Year Report, 2018: Economic Growth vs Economic Development vs Human Development (Part 1) - Contextualising the 4.5 percent estimated mid-year growth for 2018

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his article (which will be continued next week) seeks to contextualise the limitations of GDP as a measure of economic growth within a broader framework of economic growth versus economic development and the relationships on the outcomes of human development. The Mid-Year Economic Report was released and presented to the Parliament by the Finance Minister earlier last month. The report thus noted that Guyana recorded an estimated GDP growth rate of 4.5 percent for the period January to June 2018, which compared rather favourably with the 2.5 percent growth rate recorded for the first half of 2017.

The report noted that the mid-year growth rate for this year was driven by more broad-based growth, compared to that of the previous year; with improved performances in agriculture, fishing and forestry of 3.4 percent; services of 8.2 percent, and construction of 13.4 percent.

With regard to the external sector, the overall balance of payments recorded a deficit of US$139.8 million, compared with a deficit of US$46 million for the corresponding period in 2017.

This represents a 204 percent widened deficit on the balance of payments accounts relative to that which was recorded one year ago; that is, June 2017.

In the monetary sector, the money supply expanded by 7.6 percent to $372.6 billion, which was highlighted as the highest rate of expansion of the money supply in the last five years. Net domestic credit of the banking system grew by 24.5 percent to $236.8 billion, of which loans and advances to the private sector expanded by 4.1percent. Notably, the public sector (net) credit position with the banking system increased from $4.2 billion in June 2017 to $44.8 billion at the end of June 2018. In the fiscal sector, Central Government’s overall balance was a reduced surplus of $3.1 billion, compared to $8.3 billion for the corresponding period in 2017, owing to a dramatic increase in total expenditure by $14.6 billion, as well as reduction in grants of $2.6 billion.

Having extrapolated the foregoing from the mid-year report for June 2018, and more so what actually inspired this article in particular is that when the GDP growth rate of 4.5 percent was reported, this analyst was of the view that this outturn of the GDP growth rate was driven largely by a dramatic increase in Government expenditure to achieve such attractive growth rate in an arguably dwindling economy, wherein most of the traditional sectors have been underperforming. It turned out that this analyst’s pre-conceived hypothesis was nothing far from being accurate, as will be proven shortly in the following sections.

GDP, or Gross Domestic Product, is the market value of all final goods and services produced in a country in a given time period. GDP measures the value of production, which also equals total expenditure, or final goods and total income. The equality of income and output shows the link between productivity and living standards.

GDP can be measured in essentially two ways: (1) aggregate expenditure, and (2) aggregate income. Aggregate expenditure measures total expenditure on final goods and services, and equals the value of output of final goods and services, which is represented by the equation below: Total expenditure = C + I + G + (X-M), where C is Consumption (total expenditure by households), I is Investments, G is government spending/expenditure, and (X-M) is exports minus imports, which is net exports.

In the second method, aggregate income measures the aggregate income earned from production of final goods, Y, which equals the total paid out for the use of resources, wages, interest, rent and profit. Firms pay out all their receipts from the sale of final goods, so income (Y) equals expenditure: Y = C + I + G + (X-M).

Therefore, by studying the abovementioned equation which is used to compute GDP, one would observe that the Government cannot directly influence and/or control the outcomes of three components from the equation to achieve a higher or improved level of GDP growth rate. Those are: Consumption (household expenditure); Investments (I) in the economy by firms and FDI (foreign direct investment) and, net exports (X-M). But Governments can very well influence their own components from the equation, which is Government expenditure (G).

So, from looking at total Government expenditure for the last three and one-half years’ period, for the period January to June 2016, total Government expenditure was recorded at $89.6 billion; from January to June 2017, it was recorded at $97.2 billion; and from January to June 2018, it was recorded at $111.8 billion.

This therefore gives rise to increases in the levels of Government expenditure for the half year (HY) period 2016 – 2017 of $7.6 billion, and from 2017 (HY) to 2018 (HY), a difference or increase of $14.6 billion, thus doubling the level of increase of Government spending for the period January – June 2017 and 2018 when compared to the January – June 2016 and 2017 half-year periods.

And hence this was how the GDP growth rate of 4.5 percent for 2018 half-year was skilfully achieved.

(For comments, questions and responses on articles featured in this column, readers can reach the author at jbinsights@outlook.com).

More homes being invaded with documents issued by Co-op

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ome 20 homes in the community of Enmore North on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) are on the verge of being taken away with the continued issuance of documents by the secretary of the North Haslington Cooperative Society. These lands were already occupied by persons who have been living there for more than 30 years in some cases.

The issue is now at its peak, with many affected persons contemplating their next move, as the fear of losing their lands deepens. Many are also unaware of what their next decisions should be as they’ve done everything within their control.

Guyana Times was informed by Marcia Gordon that the Secretary of the North Haslington Cooperative Society, Mary Luke, was prohibited from distributing such documents since 2013. However, these actions have continued and the current problems stem from this.

“Right now, we have about 20 lands that having the same issue. What we understand is that the co-op secretary wasn’t banned by the Georgetown co-op from giving out any transport but she still giving transport for other people land,” said Gordon.

One of the persons affected in the past is Nadia Rambarran, told this publication that public awareness of the situation is her last resort, since several other efforts have gone in vain.

“I go all over trying to get help and it’s the same thing we ending back to. When we go to the co-op, they say that the land is not transported land, its back lease. They had stop Mary Luke from giving out transport to other people land and causing all the stress cause she giving people the authority to take over we land,” Rambarran explained.

M e a n w h i l e , Champawattie Samuel, who had a similar problem claimed that the persons who were issued transport for her Lot 158 Enmore North property have commenced preparations to construct a house on her land.

She fears that if the structure is completed, she will have to surrender the land.

The Police had to be involved on numerous occasions to resolve some of the complications with residents and their land.

“We had a meeting and when I show Mary Luke the paper that she give me for $35,000, she grab it way.

I had to go back to the station so that she could give me back my paper but she was saying that somebody get transport for me land.

So after that, we couldn’t get access to the land. Now we see like a day after, some-

A section of the land where a foundation was being laid to commence construction

body start to dig the foundation on the land. Then they come to my house asking if I can get my material out of the land. I didn’t,” Samuel related.

She further relayed what happened afterwards, noting, “When I go to the Police,

the officer says I should take pictures of what they doing every day. If they continue to build on the land and I just take pictures, what can I do? We going everywhere and doing everything and there is no solution out there. No help.”

A few weeks ago, Rambarran’s house was invaded by some unknown persons with transport documents in their possession for the land which she has owned for years. Her belonging was tossed out of the house and left in the rain.

With other persons being faced with the same dilemma, an intervention was sought by seeking assistance from former Attorney General Anil Nandlall who stated that it was unlawful for such actions to be taken by the Co-op Society.

Ranks of the Cove and John Police Station were also advised to take immediate actions so as to ensure that Rambarran and her family could returned to their home. It was also promised that he would represent the residents in the High Court if the matter isn’t resolved.

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SUnDAY, september 2, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

Campaign financing legislation

Nothing formalised as yet – Granger P

resident David Granger has disclosed that nothing has been formalised as yet with regard to establishing Campaign Financing legislation.

“Nothing has been formalised. This is something that has to be agreed upon by both sides, and it could be put on the agenda [for discussion during planned talks this month] with the Opposition Leader. But I have not seen a

draft…,” the Head of State told reporters on Friday during a press conference – his first for the year and third since getting into office in 2015.

Prior to coming into office, the APNU/AFC Coalition had pushed for the implementation of campaign financing laws, and had even included it as one of its manifesto promises, but even after three years in Government, there has been no active step towards deliver-

ing this much-touted piece of legislation.

However, Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), the minority party in the Coalition Government, which has been pushing for these laws prior to 2015 election, Khemraj Ramjattan, back in May had said that they have begun the campaign to draft the legislation. He referenced a previous visit by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s General Secretary Akbar Khan during which they requested assistance in doing so.

Ramjattan had noted he had requested a draft campaign finance legislation from the Commonwealth, and the Secretary General Khan directed him where to get this,

along with other source materials.

“So we are going to tap into those resources to come up with a campaign legislation that is modern enough to take care of all the concerns,” the AFC Chairman told reporters.

While in Opposition, the AFC had moved a motion in Parliament to set up political financing legislation in 2011.

In its final report on the 2011 General Election, the Carter Center said the need to create legislation to cater for campaign financing was important, and even reiterated that in its 2015 report.

“To ensure realisation of the right and opportunity to be elected, legal reform is necessary to improve campaign fi-

nance laws. Legislation should be strengthened to routinely require disclosure of contributions and expenditures.

Consideration also should be given to establishing reasonable limits on donations and expenditures to ensure that the free choice of voters is not undermined, or the democratic process distorted by disproportionate expenditures on behalf of any candidate or party.

A monitoring and enforcement body with oversight authority of compliance with campaign finance regulations would also be a positive contribution to Guyanese politics,” the report outlined.

Additionally, the report stated that Guyana’s legal framework for elections was

silent in the area of registration and operation of political parties, hence the reason why legislation is needed to establish clear requirements for the registration and operation of political parties that would support the freedom of association and promote broad multi-ethnic parties that could represent citizens’ interests in governance.

According to the Transparency Institute of Guyana, political financing laws are about protecting the State from corporate and other interests, ensuring that incumbents avoid corrupt use of State resources, and ensuring access to resources for all recognised political parties, among other issues.

Mabaruma Power Company applies for hydropower licence

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he Mabaruma Power Company has applied to Government for a licence to supply hydropower ahead of the construction of a US$165,175 power plant at Hosororo Creek.

In a notice of application on Saturday, it was stated that any person who objects to this project has 21 days from September 1, 2018 to lodge a petition with the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), opposing the grant of the licence.

The Hosororo Creek project will see the company providing eight per cent of Mabaruma’s energy demand, which will translate to approximately 64 MWh a year. The maximum

GEA’s CEO, Dr Mahender Sharma explaining the different components of the hydropower plant earlier this year

horsepower capacity of the proposed plant is 26.8hp (20 kW).

In June, a GEA team visited Region One, and members identified the Hosororo Hydropower Project, which was one of 67 sites identified in 1976 as having hydropower potential. It will be situated at

the Hosororo Creek about 4.6 km flight to the south-west of Mabaruma. The initial plant was built in the late 1980s to supply electricity to an agricultural produce processing facility that was built nearby. The project was abandoned some years after its inauguration.

In 2015, the German

Government, through its German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) initiative, committed to assisting the GEA with developing the project.

US$91,108 of the financing was secured from the Government of Guyana and US$74,067 in financing was obtained from GIZ/REETA. It was reported earlier this year that there currently are approximately 700 customers, both residential and commercial, who are connected to the grid.

The resuscitated hydropower project will feature a new design that was conceptualized by GEA’s engineers, and will entail the construction of a 20kW run-of-the-river type micro hydropower plant, inclusive of weir/intake and penstocks, but the existing powerhouse will be used after it has undergone repairs.

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SUnDAY, september 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Amerindian Heritage Month 2018 launched closed, relating that village economies are being stimulated, infrastructure being improved, and agro-processing is at an all-time high.

“There is a silent revolution in agro-process-

A section of the Indigenous participants at the Indigenous Village exhibition

A

s he delivered the feature address at the opening of Amerindian Heritage Month celebrations, at the Sophia Exhibition Centre, Greater Georgetown, President David Granger said his Government is committed to bridging the gaps between the coastland and the hinterland through education.

The President said Guyana’s multicultural heritage is regarded as a national treasure alluding to the various celebrations that honour the various ethnicities. He said Amerindian Heritage Month is testament to the high regard in which Guyana’s first peoples are held. He noted that while the month is one of celebration, it is also a time to reflect on the disparities between the remote villages and the capital, adding

that plans need to be put in place to address that.

The Head of State said every Guyanese is guaranteed equal rights and opportunities and that Government should make it its prime focus to eliminate the inequalities that exist particularly between the coast and hinterland.

He referenced his Plan of Action (PoA) that was presented to the National Toshaos Council in 2015 and noted that it is still relevant to this day, since it deals with some of the very issues that are affecting Amerindian people.

“The Plan of Action aims at reducing inequalities between Indigenous people and the rest of the population and we must do so by eradicating poverty by promoting employment and by ensuring greater economic opportunities and increased access to the

The Surama Cultural Group performing a dance

people of the hinterland of public services,” he noted.

Granger further related that the PoA has been guiding the Government’s conduct and policies as it relates to the empowerment of the Indigenous population.

“We are concerned with eliminating inequalities among the Guyanese people and we believe that education is the surest and swiftest way to eliminate those inequalities. The Government is taking steps to improve hinterland education access; improved attendance and attainment,” he added.

He noted that the Government is already on a path to improved education access since they have recorded improved attendance.

He added that Government is working to ensure that the gap is

ing and micro enterprise taking place in more than 200 Indigenous communities. These enterprises will help to reduce inequalities.

Employment is essential to eliminating poverty. The Hinterland

Entrepreneurship Youth Programme is providing training and seed capital to engage young people in economic enterprises,” Granger said.

TURN TO PAGE 18

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SUnDAY, september 2, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

Under pressure: AG activates Judicial Review Act …Nandlall lambasts Govt for wasted money, judicial resources

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

Attorney General Basil Williams

fter court battles and much criticism, Government has finally brought the Judicial Review Act – which will

allow members of the public to seek redress for court judgements and decisions by public officials – into force.

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An order signed by Attorney General Basil Williams was gazetted earlier this week, revoking a previous January 2019 commencement order. According to the new order, the Act took effect from July 31, 2018.

Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George had ordered the AG to enforce the Judicial Review Act by July 31, 2018. At the time, she was ruling on a legal action brought against the State by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall.

Nandlall subsequently approached the courts to file contempt proceedings against his successor.

The former AG had contended that William’s de-

lay to bring the Act into force was in violation of the Chief Justice’s ruling.

Commenting on his predecessor finally bringing the Act into force, Nandlall noted that this will only be a mitigating factor as the contempt of court has already been committed due to the delay.

According to Nandlall, it is up to the High Court to determine how it will treat the contempt proceedings.

That being said, he lambasted the Government for allowing time, millions of taxpayers’ dollars and precious judicial resources to be wasted in a futile legal battle.

“There is absolute-

ly no justification for the Attorney General to take so long to do the right thing.

I was forced to write a letter, file legal proceedings which the AG defended rather than concede; when the CJ ruled rather than comply with the ruling, he appealed. Then filed an application to stay the execution of the CJ ruling and when that was thrown out, he issued an order to (activate) the Act as of January 1, 2019.

As a result, contempt of court proceedings had to be filed.”

“All of this could have been easily avoided.

Instead, an immeasurable amount of energy, invalu-

able judicial resources, time and millions of scarce taxpayers’ dollars had to be spent in getting him to do the right thing. But they (Government) expect the teachers to accept that they do not have money to meet their demands.”

The National Assembly had passed the Bill, and it was assented to by then President Bharrat Jagdeo, in 2010.

The Judicial Review Act provides an avenue for relief if anyone considers a decision made by a public official, against them, is unfair. That relief includes the ability to seek to have decisions struck down and compensation paid.

No word on salaries for Region 3 guards Amerindian S

ugar workers, who lost their jobs and gained employment as guards in West Demerara, are among several persons who have still not been paid their salaries in the last two months.

According to information obtained on Saturday, the workers were not paid despite some being reportedly told that they would be paid by Friday.

However, when time came, they said their supervisor has not given them any positive word, leaving them to wonder when they will be able to receive their salaries.

This month means work-

Heritage Month...

FROM PAGE 17

REO Denis Jaikarran said a team from the RDC is engaging the Finance Ministry on the matter

ers would be entering their third month without being paid.

The guards are employed with a security company that provides guard services to schools and medical facilities in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).

Guyana Times first made enquires on Wednesday and the guard service said it was up to the Region Three administration to effect payments.

Region Three Regional Executive Officer (REO) Denis Jaikarran however gave all assurances that the region is currently in the process of resolving the issue. To this end, he had related that the region was in discussions with the Finance Ministry.

“It is not a shortage of money but there were some difficulties and challenges we faced in terms of the releases... that matter is going to be resolved in quick time,” Jaikarran told this newspaper on Wednesday last.

This publication spoke with two male former sugar workers who said that they were struggling to make ends meet and that the non-payments was having a significant strain on their families. They observed that they were better off when they worked with Wales Estate.

“They taking too long to pay we and they not keeping any meeting to tell we why them an paying we...it hard,” a father of two told Guyana Times last week.

Many of the guards were former Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) employees who were experiencing great difficulty finding work after the State-owned entity ceased operations in December 2016.

“They taking too long to pay we and they not keeping any meeting to tell we why them an paying we... it hard,” the younger guard related, noting that he has a 10-year-old who is attending school.

Some of the craft on display

Granger also pledged his Government’s full support to working with the NTC to address the issues plaguing the Indigenous communities.

He alluded to the creation of frontline villages in Indigenous communities to address the influx of Venezuelans fleeing their country due to the current economic crisis. He said humanitarian services have to be provided to them and that those communities are now serving as the entrance points for those refugees.

Meanwhile, Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock said Guyana is on the cusp of new development and that we are transitioning from the use of fossil fuel to renewable energy. He explained that the Indigenous communities have been utilising re-

newable energy from time immemorial, adding that there is great potential for solar, hydro and wind energy in Guyana.

He called on the villages to develop their Village Improvement Plans since it is integral that each village map their development, no what resources are available, what they need and how they can achieve their targets.

Additionally, NTC Chair Nicholas Fredericks called on Government and international community to work hand-in-hand to address the issues affecting Indigenous peoples.

Amerindian Heritage Month is being observed under the theme ““Proud of our Indigenous identity, celebrating in Unity.”

The exhibition at Indigenous Village, Sophia, would run until September 5.

sunDAY, september 2, 2018

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US Open 2018:

Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber knocked out!

W imbledon champion Angelique Kerber was beaten 3-6 6-3 6-3 by Slovakian 29th seed Dominika Cibulkova in the third round of the US Open in New York.

Kerber broke three times in the first set but Cibulkova repeated the feat in the second to take it to a decider.

The German fourth seed was then broken again twice in the final set and misses out on a last-16 tie with last year’s finalist Madison Keys.

None of this year’s Grand Slam winners are now left in the women’s singles.

French Open champion Simona Halep was knocked out by Kaia Kanepi in the first round, while Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki suffered a shock second-round loss to Ukraine›s Lesia Tsurenko.

American 14th seed Keys, runner-up to

Sloane Stephens last year, recovered from a set down to reach the last 16, beating Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic 4-6 6-1 6-2.

Keys was broken in her first service game of the match en route to losing the first set but broke twice in the second set to take it to a decider.

The first five games of the third set went against serve before the American held for 4-2 and closed out the match.

“I was definitely a little bit nervous and she came out playing really well and put pressure on me from the start. I am just happy to be in the next round,” Keys, 23, said.

“There were too many unforced errors in the first set but I’m glad I settled down a bit and played much better. I wasn’t aggressive enough in the first set and was too passive. The biggest thing was trusting myself.”

Walker strikes as Man City continue unbeaten start

Walker scored his first goal for Manchester City

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anchester City Manager Pep Guardiola said he is “so satisfied with the commitment of the players” after the Premier League champions maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a battling victory over winless Newcastle.

Full-back Kyle Walker was the match-winner with his first goal for the club, picking the ball up 30 yards out and drilling a low finish into the far corner of the net. City had seen title rivals Liverpool and Chelsea win earlier on Saturday and had to work hard for three points to keep pace at the top end of the table.

“To start with 10 points from 12 is a good start for us,” Guardiola told BBC Sport. “Step by step we will get our best condition.

“After the international break, the season starts with the Champions League, Carabao Cup, the kids go back to school and there will be order in our lives.”

Guardiola’s side were forcing the issue against a Newcastle side set up to defend at Etihad Stadium and took the lead within the opening 10 minutes through Raheem Sterling’s curled effort. But the home side missed clear-cut chances and were punished when striker Salomon Rondon set up DeAndre Yedlin to stroke home the equaliser before half-time.

It proved to be Newcastle’s only shot on target in the match, however, and Rafael Benitez’s beleaguered side have now collected just one point from their first four games. City strolled to the title last season with a record number of points, victories and goals but early indications suggest they will have to battle much harder to claim back-to-back triumphs.

No team has managed to achieve the feat since rivals Manchester United won three in a row between 2007 and 2009, with leaders Liverpool and second-placed Chelsea two points ahead in the table and boasting 100% records after four games.

City drew against Wolves last time out and, having been pegged back against the Magpies, it looked as if they might drop further points, but England international Walker’s rasping drive in the second half was the difference.

“Today we adapted the system differently which allowed me to get forward a bit more which was enjoyable,” said Walker.

“It’s important to get three points and bounce back after a disappointing result against Wolves.”

The hosts had signalled their intent from the off as club record signing Riyad Mahrez dragged a shot wide, before Sterling opened the scoring with a brilliant strike on seven minutes. Striker Sergio Aguero narrowly failed to add to his 14 goals against Newcastle, coming close with an effort that went just wide.

Guardiola added: “We dropped to points against Wolves but the performance was quite good and we created chances. I am not disappointed in the way we played. If you don’t win a game then it is important to win the next one.”

Another high-ranked departure was French sixth seed Caroline Garcia, conqueror of Britain’s Johanna Konta in round one, who lost 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-4) to Carla Suarez-Navarro.

After taking the first set, Garcia was broken in the opening game of the second set and could not find a way back, before losing a tight third set on a tie-break.

Spanish 30th seed Suarez-Navarro will face Russian former champion Maria Sharapova or Latvian 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko next.

Elsewhere, Dutch 13th seed Kiki Bertens was knocked out by Czech Marketa Vondrousova 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 7-6 (7-1).

Japan’s 20th seed Naomi Osaka thrashed Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-0 6-0 and will face either fifth seed Petra Kvitova or 26th Angelique Kerber celebrated her seed Aryna Sabalenka.

Wimbledon gold earlier this year

Raikkonen makes history with fastest F1 lap F

errari’s Kimi Raikkonen the upper hand this weekend. set the fastest lap in We will give it everything we Formula 1 history as he can tomorrow. stole pole position from the title “It was so intense and that’s contenders at the Italian Grand how F1 should be.”

Prix.

Hamilton’s team-mate The 38-year-old Finn triValtteri Bottas, who has been umphed in a thrilling fight off the pace all weekend, endat Monza with team-mate ed up fourth, 0.362secs behind Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes’ the Briton. Red Bull’s Max Lewis Hamilton, taking pole Verstappen, Haas’ Romain with the last lap of the session.

Grosjean, Renault’s Carlos Hamilton was fastest after Sainz, Force India’s Esteban the first runs and improved on Ocon, Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly his second lap, but Vettel beat Kimi Raikkonen (R) and his pole mates Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton and Williams’ Lance Stroll comhim before Raikkonen pipped pleted the top 10. end. It is always like this in Monza, for both.

It was Stroll’s best qualifying result him it was in the sweet spot. My lap was Raikkonen’s lap of one minute 19.119 not very good but for now we have both since this race last year, when he was seconds meant he averaged 163.793mph. cars on the front row.” fourth in the wet. Speculation continues The previous record - 1:19.525 Hamilton said: “Ferrari did a solid to surround the Canadian’s future fol(162.950mph) - was set by Juan Pablo job. We gave it everything we could, it is lowing the purchase of the Force India Montoya in a Williams in 2004. very close between us but they have had team by a consortium led by his father.

Vettel was not happy, saying “we speak after” as his engineer told him the result. The German declined to elaborate when asked to say what he meant.

In one of the most exciting qualifying sessions for some time, Hamilton fought to overcome what appears to be a slight Ferrari pace advantage and appeared at one stage to have done it.

On the first runs in final qualifying, Hamilton set a 1:19.390, beating Raikkonen by just 0.069secs, with Vettel third just 0.038secs behind the Finn.

Hamilton improved to a 1:19.294 on his final run, but the Ferraris had positioned themselves behind him, Vettel in front of Raikkonen, and the slipstream the second Ferrari driver got may have proved decisive.

Raikkonen, whose pole was his first since Monaco last year, was pleased to set the quickest time on Ferrari’s home track.

He said: “I couldn’t think of being on pole in a better race. I am hoping tomorrow I can end up in the same position.”

That remains to be seen, as Vettel is 17 points adrift in his close title fight with Hamilton.

Vettel said: “Not entirely happy with my last run but Kimi was a bit too fast in the

20

guyanatimesGY.com

SUnDAY, september 2, 2018

India rest Virat Kohli Sabbir Rahman faces 6-month ban from international cricket for Asia Cup, Rohit Sharma to lead

– uncapped Khaleel Ahmed called up

T

I

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

ndia have rested their captain Virat Kohli from the Asia Cup, which will be held in the UAE from September 15 to 28. Rohit Sharma will lead the side in his absence, with Shikhar Dhawan named his deputy.

India are currently playing a five-Test series in England, which ends on September 11, four days before the start of the Asia Cup. The Test team will be back in action on October 4 - less than a week after the Asia Cup final - when they begin their first Test against West Indies in Rajkot. Given the tightly packed schedule, and the tour of Australia that will follow the series against West Indies, the selectors have chosen to rest Kohli.

“Considering the workload we’ve given him rest,” MSK Prasad, the chairman of selectors, said. “He has been playing continuously, yes he’s on the road since IPL, that’s looking at workload. I’ve been [to England] for the third Test match, we sat for a discussion regarding workload management, so we need preserve some players who are playing all three formats. Looking at that workload issue we have started with Virat and rested him. Other all-format players will also be rested in due course.”

The squad is otherwise at full strength, with the selectors not opting to rest Dhawan, KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya and Bumrah, who are all involved in the Test series in England.

India’s ODI squad for the Asia Cup ESPNcricinfo Ltd

There is one new face in the squad in Khaleel Ahmed, the left-arm seamer from Rajasthan.

The 20-year-old has only played two first-class matches, but has more experience in List A and T20 cricket, having played a combined 29 games across the two shorter formats. He was part of the India A limited-overs squad that toured England in June-July, and also played for India A in the recently concluded 50-overs quadrangular series in Bengaluru.

Khaleel has taken 15 wickets in his last nine limited-overs matches for India A, and has not gone wicketless in any of these matches. He had been on the selectors’ radar for a while, since they were looking for a left-arm option, and his returns for India A have encouraged them to call him up to the senior side.

Prasad said the selectors had identified most of the squad to take to next year’s World Cup in England, apart from two or three slots, of which one was in the pace-bowling group.

“Two to three slots we are yet to finalise, so for those slots we are trying and we’ll look at these 24 matches [in the lead-up to the World Cup]. You’ll come to know the slots more specifically as we go ahead ... Among those, one of those seamers’ slots is open. We are looking at a left-arm option in Khaleel.”

The middle-order trio of Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav, are back after missing India’s last ODI series in England, as well as for Jasprit Bumrah, who sat out that series to recover from a thumb injury. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has just returned to action after recovering from a back issue, is also part of the squad.

Of those who were part of the ODI squad in England, batsmen Shreyas Iyer and Suresh Raina and fast bowlers Siddarth Kaul and Umesh Yadav have misssed out on selection.

Pandey has forced his way back into the ODI squad with his blistering form in the A team quadrangular series, in which he made 306 runs in four innings without being dismissed. Rayudu was originally in the ODI squad for the England tour, but was left out after failing the yo-yo fitness test. He has since cleared the test, and played in the quadrangular series for India A. Jadhav suffered a hamstring injury on the first day of the IPL season and was ruled out of the rest of the tournament and the England tour. He too returned to action during the quadrangular series.

One player who has been in red-hot form across formats in domestic cricket and for India A is the opener Mayank Agarwal. Prithvi Shaw pipped him to a slot in the Test squad when the selectors left out M Vijay for the fourth and fifth Tests in England. Now, after scoring four hundreds in his last nine List A matches, an ODI spot has eluded him too. Prasad said he was “just a step away”.

“Mayank has been fantastic and performing consistently for 10-12 months, he’s just a step away, and I’m sure in due course of time he’ll get his recognition. He did well in all three formats in domestic cricket and whatever opportunity he’s got for India A. We’ll definitely look at him when we rest senior cricketers. (Cricinfo)

Sabbir Rahman

he BCB’s disciplinary committee has recommended that Sabbir Rahman be suspended for six months from international cricket for abusing a fan on social media. The recommendation needs to be approved by BCB chief Nazmul Hassan’s approval, but that is understood to be a formality.

Sabbir, who had already been dropped from Bangladesh’s squad for the Asia Cup later this month, will be out till the end of February. He will be unavailable for Bangladesh’s home series against Zimbabwe and West Indies, as well as part of their New Zealand tour.

Sabbir had just finished serving a ban for physically assaulting a fan during a first-class match last December. He was fined Tk 20 lakh ($25,000 approx), stripped of his central contract, and banned from domestic cricket for six months for that offence. When the new punishment is enforced, it will mean that Sabbir can only play domestic cricket till his international ban is lifted.

“We have recommended to the board president that Sabbir Rahman should be suspended from international cricket for six months,” BCB director Ismail Haider Mallick said. “He repented that he would never do such a thing again. He also admitted to a lot of things.

“This is by no means a lesser punishment. Every player has a dream to represent the country. He was banned from domestic cricket because of his previous offence. We called him this time for a recent incident on Facebook. He said that his account was hacked but we took into account other incidents, some of which he has admitted to be true.”

Mallick warned that Sabbir would face harsher punishments if he didn’t rein himself in.

This is the third time since 2016 that the BCB has punished him. “If there’s a repeat of such incidents, he will be serving longer suspensions. He had a loss of nearly 1.5 crore in the previous punishment. Some people get their act straight, some don’t. The board president has made it clear that we will be strict on discipline.”

Mallick also said that Mosaddek Hossain, who was sued by his divorced wife recently, had been issued with a warning by the disciplinary committee, though any action against him was deferred until the court’s judgement. (Cricinfo)

Lasith Malinga recalled for Asia Cup

F

allrounder, also failed to retain his place following modest showings against South Africa, while seam-bowlSri Lanka squad ing allrounder Danushka Gunathilaka, who was suspend- Dasun Shanaka ed for the limited-overs leg of the recent South makes it to the Africa series for breaking curfew on a Test- squad thanks to match night in July, is also back in the side, fol- his strong perlowing good performances in the ongoing pro- formances in the vincial T20 competition. But there is no such same series. Dinesh Chandimal, who sat out luck for legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay - another the series against South Africa largely due to player who had recently been sanctioned over an ICC-imposed spirit-of-cricket suspension, is a disciplinary breach. Sri Lanka have instead back in the squad. opted for the left-arm spin of Amila Aponso, Malinga’s inclusion represents something who has been in and out of the Sri Lanka of a climbdown for the selectors, who had long team for the last two years, and the offspin insisted that he plays in domestic cricket in orof Dilruwan Perera, who last played limit- der to stand a chance of being selected for the ed-overs cricket in April 2017. national team. Although Malinga has generalThe specialist seam-bowling contingent, ly performed well in domestic T20 cricket this meanwhile, comprises of four players. In ad- year, he had chosen to complete a consulting dition to Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera stint with Mumbai Indians at the returns to the ODI side folIPL this year instead of playing the Sri Lanka squad Angelo lowing an injury layoff, while premier one-day tournament in the Mathews (capt), Kusal Perera, Suranga Lakmal and Kasun Kusal Mendis, Upul Tharanga, Sri Lanka domestic calendar. In July, Rajitha have also been named.

Dinesh Chandimal, Danushka coach Chandika Hathurusingha There is no place for Lahiru had also said that Malinga’s fieldGunathilaka, Thisara Perera, Kumara, who played in the reDasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya ing needed to be of a good standard cent ODI series against South de Silva, Akila Dananjaya, in order for him to be considered for Africa. selection, but importantly, neither Dilruwan Perera, Amila Niroshan Dickwella’s Aponso, Kasun Rajitha, Hathurusingha or the selectors had omission was the only major Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha shut the door on him. In the ongoing surprise on the batting front. Chameera, Lasith Malinga T20 provincial competition Malinga Dickwella had hit 2, 69, 10, Standby: Shehan has an economy rate of 8.62 - most34 and 43 in the recent series Madushanka, Nuwan ly bowling at the death - with three against South Africa, but was Pradeep, Lakshan Sadakan, wickets in six games. nevertheless excluded. Shehan Shehan Jayasuriya, The Asia Cup will be played from Jayasuriya, the spin-bowling Niroshan Dickwella September 15-28 in the UAE. (Cricinfo)

ast bowler Lasith Malinga has been recalled to a 16-man Sri Lanka squad for the Asia Cup, despite not having played in Sri Lanka›s provincial one-day tournament in May and June this year. Malinga, 35, has, however, consistently been playing domestic T20 cricket in Sri Lanka. He had last played an international in September last year.

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21

CONCACAF Nations League

GFF announce 30-man

National Squad

G

uyana’s national football team the Golden Jaguars are ready and rearing to have a taste of competition come next week, as they now have a newly outfitted team.

Leading from the front is recently appointed Head Coach of the national team, Michael Johnson, who has announced the fresh-faced team that will come up against Barbados in the first encounter of the CONCACAF Nations League.

The 30-man squad, inclusive of seven standby players, draw their members from nations all around the world, including Portugal, Canada, England and Trinidad and Tobago. Most of the players, however, hail from the Land Golden Jaguars Head Coach Michael Johnson of Many Waters, Guyana. The squad is equipped with three goalkeepers, eight were playing in the Dutch Eredivisie defenders, six midfielders, and six for- under former Tottenham Hotspurs wards. The players on standby are all coach Martin Jol. Guyana-based, and include one goalkeeper, two defenders, two midfielders and two forwards.

Johnson, in an invited comment, said the squad is “strong and competitive.”

“We feel it’s a strong and competitive squad, with a variety of options as we look to embark on the Nations League campaign. We have a positive blend of Guyana and international-based players in the squad, but they all understand they have to earn the right to wear the badge,” Johnson explained.

Among the squad is the debutante Ronayne MarshBrown, an Englandbased solid left side defensive option, who played a season professionally for RKC Waalwijk in Holland. At that time, RKC Waalwijk The full squad along with the standby players

M a r s h Brown is known for his commitment to the game. He is the older brother of England Forwards Keanu and Ky Marsh-Brown.

Technical Director of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Ian Greenwood, gave a little insight into the purpose of the standby list, stating, “The recently-concluded preparatory Train and Play camp in Brazil enabled the technical staff to assess the players in the pool through a variety of exercises, including fitness. While it was a competitive process to shortlist the 23-man squad, it was felt that these players had enough of what is required to wear the badge at the highest level of football in Guyana, and therefore are being called to be available in the event of injury or any unforeseen circumstances.”

The Golden Jaguars’ international-based players and the technical squad are scheduled to arrive today, while the Barbadian team is scheduled to land on Tuesday.

The CONCACAF Nations League will kick off with the encounter between Guyana and Barbados at the Leonora Track and Field facility on Thursday, September 6.

Guyana has been grouped with Barbados, Turks and Caicos Islands, French Guiana and Belize, and will play host to Barbados and Belize in September 2018 and March 2019 respectively, while Turks and Caicos Islands and French Guiana will host Guyana in October and November 2018.

Early-bird tickets for Thursday’s event are available at the Guyana Football Federation Secretariat for one thousand dollars. Tickets will also be sold at the gate.

Guyanese squash teams defeated on second day qualifiers...

Fernandes dominates...

A

s many who have been following events over the past few days would know, Guyana has taken somewhat of a beating on Day Two of the ongoing Pan-American Games on August 31, 2018. The action is on at the Sound Squash Club in the Cayman Islands, as Guyana aims to qualify for participation in the Pan-American Games to be held in 2019 in Peru.

Out of Guyana’s lonely depths of despair there emerged light at the end of the tunnel, as her leading squash player, Nicolette Fernandes, crafted a name for herself by dominating her opponents. Currently ranked 73rd in the world and 39th in the World Series, Fernandes is the recipient of a gold medal at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games, which is a major boost for Guyana. Everyone expected her to dominate when she arrived.

In the first match of the day, Guyana’s ladies team slumped to a 1-2 defeat, as the lone winner of that match

was Nicolette Fernandes, who defeated Catalina

P e l a e z (Ranked 72nd) 118, 11-6, 12-10, and made known why she is one of the best there is in the game of squash. Mary Fung-A-Fat and Ashley Khalil were not as lucky, losing to Laura Tovar and Maria Paula Tovar 4-11, 7-11, 4-11; and 7-11, 4-11, 2-11 respectively.

The men’s team had similar misfortunes as their female counterparts, recording their second defeat of the tournament, this time to El Salvador 0-2.

Sunil Seth lost to Israel Abrego 6-11, 3-11, 7-11; and Richard Chin lost to

Ernesto Molina 11-6, 6-11, 9-11 and 7-11.

Being so defeated on only Day Two of the Pan-American Games tournament, Guyana will have to get her act together and hit back if she aims to qualify.

22

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SUnDAY, september 2, 2018

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2018…

Stars, Tridents in return bottom-of-the-table clash Dwayne Smith

Kieron Pollard

Andre Fletcher

Qais Ahmed

I

t’s a battle of the last placed teams as St Lucia Stars and the Barbados Tridents lock horns in an interesting encounter at the Kensington Oval Ground at 14:00h today.

The Stars, who were in last place for most of the tournament following the 13-match plus losing streak, have now been pushed up to second to last with the Tridents sadly slipping to last place following a nightmare past few games.

Kieron Pollard’s men will want to capitalize on the Tridents’ recent 8-wicket loss which they suffered at the hands of the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Friday night. To date Pollard, Andre Fletcher, Rakeem Cornwall, Lendl Simmons and David Warner have all scored significant runs, and could use this chance to further impose themselves on the wounded Tridents.

Guyana’s bowlers exposed the Tridents’ top order, but a strong comeback from Steve Smith; Nicholas Pooran; and Shai Hope, who has been the core of the batting throughout

the tourney, helped Barbados to a decent batting total. Smith will again be looked upon as he scored 40-odd in the last match; so, too, did top-scorer Pooran, who continues to dig the Tridents out of a hole.

Opener Dwayne Smith has been in good form, while the big man Hashim Amla has been short of runs on this Caribbean tour, but could come alive at Bridgetown.

The Tridents will not worry about their bowlers, who have been in menacing form, especially Pakistanis Wahab Riaz and Mohammed Irfan; while off-spinner Ashley Nurse has been providing impetus with bat and ball.

The Stars have suffered in the past primarily because of their mixed bowling.

Their last few games have seen an expose of their true talent, as Kiwi pacer Mitchell McCleneghan and left-armer Obed McCoy have been making steady inroads.

Windies T20 specialist Kesrick Williams and Cornwall’s off-spin will also add signifi-

cant fire-power to the attack, while leg-spinner Qais Ahmed will provide his usual bag of tricks.

The last time these two sides met, more than 400 runs were scored, and the Tridents racked up the highest score in the tournament – 226 -- to beat Barbados by 38 runs

in the end. Pollard slammed a ton, while Fletcher, who hit 80, was in his zone as they mauled the Tridents.

Both sides will be playing for their lives, with the Tridents having more to play for, having hovered in the higher levels of the points table earlier in the tournament.

Hockey developmental GBBC launches league continues tomorrow “Young Guns The Proving Ground” F

ollowing a five-month hiatus -- that began in April and was occasioned by a playing field deemed unplayable because of frequent flooding and the excessive presence of slush -- the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) on Saturday evening resumed their developmental league at the St. Stanislaus College Ground on Carifesta Avenue with six planned matches.

In the Solo Under-19 leagues, the GCC Pitbulls and Bingo Spartans lead the boys’ and girls’ categories respectively. In the Bounty Paper Towel-sponsored second division leagues, Pizza Hut GCC lead the women’s category; while in the men’s competition, Old Fort and GCC The Sequel are tied on 12 points each, with Old Fort holding a one goal advantage on goal difference.

These 7-a-side Under-19 and second division leagues

Samuel Woodroffe and Hilmar Chester cross swords in the Bounty Paper Towels Men’s Second Division League

Chalia Webb of Saints has proven to be one of the standouts in the Girls’ Solo Under-19 League

are the second and third steps in the GHB’s player development strategy, helping the graduates from the Smalta/iCool Water Under-14 Indoor leagues to make the transition to the outdoor game. Clubs also use these leagues to identify new talent to draft into their first division teams which will compete in the Farfan and Mendes and Woodpecker Products-sponsored leagues, scheduled to commence as soon as venues become available.

The action gets underway again today, September 2, from 15hrs at the Saint Stanislaus Ground on Carifesta Avenue.

With the yearly May-June inclement weather having come early, the league was put on hold in April of this year while it was around its halfway stage. The GHB has, however, kept its promise to postpone rather than discontinue the league.

Y

oung boxers will again get opportunity to display their skills when the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) hosts a new card within the next few weeks.

The “Young Guns - The Proving Ground” gets underway on Saturday, September 22, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, and from all indications, this card will separate the professionals from the pretenders in a war of attrition.

The card was launched on Friday afternoon by GBBC President Peter Abdool, who said he sees the card as a developmental one, allowing young boxers in particular to get much needed exposure.

Speaking at his offices at Abdool and Abdool, the president of the GBBC stressed the need for patrons to come out and be able to enjoy the sport. Citing the need to popularise new boxers, Abdool hinted at the possibility of having similar bouts being held each month for the remainder of the year.

The highly anticipated card will feature several up-and-coming personalities in the boxing world. A majority of the boxers have expressed confidence in their abilities ahead of the tournament, disclosing that they are constantly training and pushing themselves in order to get the best results come September 22.

The only female bout will feature Rewinna David and Ansilla Norville punching it out in a four-round Bantamweight duel.

Delon Charles will make his debut against Terrence Adams in the Featherweight category, while Anson Green will take on the debutante Joel Williamson for Junior Welterweight recognition.

The competition will also see a regional fighter in Barbadian Keithland King taking on Derick Richmond in the Middleweight category, while in the Cruiserweight division, Romeo Norville and James Moore will match fistic skills.

Admission to the “Young Guns - The Proving Ground” on September 22 stands at $1000 for general admission and $2000 for the ringside.

guyanatimesgy.com

SUnDAY, september 2, 2018

23

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2018…

Dwayne Bravo’s fivestar show lifts Knight Riders to victory

D

wayne Bravo made Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) history with five successive sixes as Trinbago Knight Riders beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots by 46 runs at Warner Park.

A slow-burner of an innings from the Knight Riders exploded into life in the closing overs to get the total within a whisker of 200, which proved well beyond a Patriots side that still has work to do to secure a play-off spot.

There appeared little chance of anything approaching 200 for the Knight Riders with just 127/3 on the board after 16 overs, but an astonishing 72 runs came from the remaining four overs with Dwayne Bravo’s demolition of Alzarri Joseph’s final over – the 19th – very much the headline attraction as he became the first player in Hero CPL history to hit five sixes in a row.

the Knight Riders captain smashed his way to 37* from just 11 balls. He now has 12 sixes from just 41 balls faced in this season’s Hero CPL. Colin Munro, who batted beautifully once again as his unbeaten 76 took him back to the top of the 2018 Hero CPL runs list , added another 18 runs from the final over – including the fifth six of his own innings – to lift the Knight Riders to 199/4 in an innings that remarkably featured 16 Hero Maximums but only nine fours.

The Patriots were always up against it in the run-chase, especially so after Anderson Phillip snared the big wicket of Chris Gayle for just 9 in his first over the 2018 season.

There was a welcome first half-century of the campaign for Evin Lewis, who made light of his recent poor run with a classy 52 from 37 featuring five more Hero Maximums, but

From left: Ali Khan of Trinbago watches as Knight Riders Devon Thomas and Ben Cutting of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots get runs off

Perhaps the most astonishing thing about those five sixes was the fact they were all so different. The first went gun-barrel straight back over the bowler’s head, the second in-toout over extra-cover, the third over squareleg, the fourth carved to third-man and the final one swiped beyond deep mid-wicket as

the Patriots couldn’t get the big partnership going that was needed to chase down such a total.

Lewis also fell to Phillip (3/40) walking across his stumps to be trapped plumb lbw, while leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed did for Rassie van der Dussen and Anton Devcich.

McCullum rode his luck in making 35 When Devon Thomas chased a wide delivery to edge Ali Khan through to Denesh - dropped by Joseph in the deep and wickRamdin, the Patriots were left hoping for et-keeper Devon Thomas down the leg-side some Bravo-style heroics from either Ben from a gloved pull - but was finally removed Cutting or Carlos Brathwaite just to get close by Joseph, who, for better or worse, appeared to be at the centre of everything. to their distant target.

Darren Bravo offered a taste of what was Cutting, though, ran himself out looking for a non-existent second run to third-man to come with successive sixes off Cutting beand Brathwaite was unable to get going until fore being caught at mid-off by Mahmudullah the target was well out of reach, hitting his off Sheldon Cottrell. That, though, only first six when the equation had reached 57 brought the elder Bravo to the crease for 11 balls of mayhem. from nine balls.

Phillip took his third wicket of the night when Brandon King sliced a full delivery to Sunil Narine at backward 52 E Lewis lbw b Phillip point before Dwayne Bravo Trinbago Knight Riders Innings HE van der Dussen b Fawad fittingly had the final word (20 overs maximum) 18 Ahmed 11 with the wicket of Brathwaite CA Lynn b Joseph DC Thomas † c †Ramdin b Ali for 21 in the final over of the SP Narine c Joseph b 6 Khan 23 Brathwaite night.

76 BCJ Cutting run out The Knight Riders had C Munro not out 35 (Narine/†Ramdin) 9 made an inauspicious start BB McCullum b Joseph DM Bravo c Mahmudullah b CR Brathwaite c Phillip b DJ to their own innings, losing 18 Bravo 21 both their openers inside the Cottrell 37 BA King c Narine b Phillip 7 first 27 balls of the innings. DJ Bravo (c) not out 9 Mahmudullah not out 2 Both Narine and Chris Lynn Extras (b-1, lb-2, w-6) Total AS Joseph (For 4 wickets; 20 not out

0 did manage to contribute to 199 Extras (b-4, lb-1, nb-2, w-5) 12 the six count – Lynn’s a land- Overs) Total (For 8 wickets; 20 mark 200thsix for him in T20 Did not bat: D Ramdin †, JPR Scantlebury-Searles, Fawad Overs)

153 cricket – but not much more.

Ahmed, Ali Khan, A Phillip Narine was caught by Joseph Did not bat: SS Cottrell off Carlos Brathwaite, while Fall of wickets: 1-10 (SP Narine, Fall of wickets: 1-22 (CH Gayle, Lynn was one of two batsmen 1.4 ov), 2-34 (CA Lynn, 4.3 ov), 3.3 ov), 2-51 (HE van der clean bowled by Joseph. His 3-112 (BB McCullum, 14.6 ov), Dussen, 6.6 ov), 3-88 (E Lewis, figures were an eye-catching 4-133 (DM Bravo, 16.4 ov) 11.2 ov), 4-97 (AP Devcich, 12.3 2/13 after his first three overs Bowling Cottrell 4-0-39ov), 5-115 (DC Thomas, 14.5 before Dwayne Bravo got hold 1, Brathwaite 4-0-40-1, ov), 6-121 (BCJ Cutting, 16.1 of him.

Joseph4-0-43-2, Cutting 4-0ov), 7-138 (BA King, 18.2 ov), Munro and Brendon 35-0, Mahmudullah 2-08-150 (CR Brathwaite, 19.3 ov) McCullum rebuilt the innings 19-0, Devcich2-0-20-0 Bowling Ali Khan 4-0-32in a partnership of 78 that was St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 1, Narine 4-0-22-0, Phillip often hard work but studded Innings (target: 200 4-0-40-3, DJ Bravo 4-0-26with just enough boundaries 1, Fawad Ahmed 4-0-28-2 to keep the Knight Riders go- runs from 20 overs) CH Gayle (c) c †Ramdin b Phillip 9 ing in the right direction.

SCOREBOARD

Archery Guyana coach returns from training camp and coaching seminar in Colombia W

orld Archery Guyana Head Coach, Nicholas Hing recently returned from an archery training camp and coaching seminar funded by Pan Am Sports, and coordinated by World Archery Americas with the collaboration of the Colombian Olympic Committee in Medellin, Colombia.

The camp and seminar, which followed on the heels of the World Archery Americas General Assembly and the conclusion of the Pan American and Parapan Championships, was conducted by top level experts in various fields of the sport, and attended by a total of 32 archers and 39 coaches from 22 countries, among whom were Olympic silver medalist Aída Román of Mexico, Central American and

Pan American champion Alejandra Valencia of Mexico and men’s compound champion Roberto Hernandez of El Salvador.

The intensive program, with sessions beginning from 8:00 am and concluding at 10:00 pm and with practical sessions at the archery range, was coordinated by USAA coach Phil Graves.

Speaking on the importance of biomechanics of the shot cycle, and the prevention of physical and mental injury, was world-renowned head coach of the US recurve team Kisik Lee. Also speaking were Level 4 Coach, Philip Graves, Dr. Alison Pope-Rhodius and Professor Fernando López of the Department of Psychology at JFK University who spoke on the mental aspect and mental training in archery. Equipment expert Don Rabska, Vice President of Easton Foundations spoke on bow tuning and set-up, WAA SecretaryGeneral Sergio Font spoke on the rules of archery, and physical trainer Felipe

Marin’s presentation was on designing and controlling physical training schedules for archery.

From all of this, a high performance archery program can be developed from the bottom (grass roots programs -Junior development in schools/clubs) leading to schools and national competitions, and work upwards to win World Championships in preparation for the Olympics.

There was special mention of Guyana as a developing nation on the archery stage in the Americas, as we hope to soon be competing regionally in the Caribbean’s development with sister nations; Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, the British and US Virgin Islands, The Bahamas, etc.

The next important event in the Americas, are the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October.

The training camp and seminar was a boost for Guyana’s archery development program for which Hing is grateful to have been selected to attend, and is thankful USAA Coach Phil Graves (left) and US Olympic to his part-sponsors; New GPC Inc and Recurve Team Coach Kisik Lee (right) with Archery Guyana’s Head Coach Nicholas Hing Guyana Times Inc.

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A group photo of archers and coaches at the end of the training camp and coaching seminar in Medellin, Colombia

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September 2, 2018

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This recently constructed log cabin in the Amerindian settlement of Pakuri (St Cuthbert’s Mission) along the Mahaica River is an ode to both traditional and modern construction. (Photo by Carl Croker)

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Feature

S

hulinab is a sunkissed village in South Rupununi, Region 9 (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) surrounded by the picturesque Kanuku Mountain and this year it has been selected as the Heritage Village as Guyana celebrates its first peoples during Indigenous Heritage Month.

Indigenous Heritage Month 2018 is being observed under the theme “Proud of our Indigenous identity, celebrating in Unity.”

Shulinab is the only Macushi speaking indigenous community in South

Rupununi and serves as the hub for access to the South.

The village has 775 residents from the Macushi and Wapishana tribes. Toshao, Nicholas Fredericks, said that the residents are excited to have their village selected as Heritage Village and promises a spectacle.

Over the years, the village has been primarily responsible for coordinating activities for the entire South and the celebration would see cultural groups from across the region displaying their talents. The Village is one of the largest livestock producers in Guyana and that will be on

The preparation of cassava

full display come September 15.

The formal Heritage Day celebration is expected to be on September 15 and is expected to see the attendance of President David Granger, Indigenous Peoples Affairs Ministers Sydney Allicock and Valarie Gorrido-Lowe as well as other government officials. However, the Village would kick off its Heritage celebrations on September 13.

“The event is starting on the 13 (September) where the Culture Groups and the 14 (September) will start the cultural activities and then the big day. We will

have a huge dance ceremony to enter in the benab compound. We expecting the President and Ministers to join us in the dance parade.

We will have a set of youths, elders, women, we will have traditional horsemen with arrows and bows so the entrance ceremony will be very huge,” Fredericks said.

Heritage Day will display how the communities can be developed using natural resources as the traditional knowledge of the people. The villagers are excited to display their local craft as well as high-quality leather products. Additionally, the Women’s Group will be out in their full numbers to showcase their natural talents as well as their authentic indigenous meals.

“We will have a lot of cultural extravaganzas and we will be doing a lot of horse riding and people can come out there and enjoy the scenery of the Kanuku Mountains. We have a lot of horses and persons can go riding or they can do biking through the village or take a dip in the Saurab River.”

The Indigenous Affairs Ministry has been working closely with the village in the coordination of the activities. Fredericks said that he wants to let the persons attending leave with a different sense of feeling and understanding of what life in the Rupununi is all about.

“So while we’ll have the games, we’ll have a lot of indigenous food on display, we will have craft along with

members of different groups from different villages to participate. So we want people to be able to better embrace life in the

Toshao Nicholas Fredericks

Rupununi so to speak,” he noted.

Men of Shulinab Village in their traditional clothing

Indigenous Heritage Month will see a number of activities through-

out Guyana to celebrate our first peoples and their culture.

The beautiful Kanuku Mountains Shulinab houses

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SEPTEMBER 2 , 2018

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Feature

tion – meaning not having more or less heat than expected,” Patterson had explained.

Tuma is usually served with cassava bread or farine, depending on the preferences of various indigenous tribes. The Arawaks will use cassava bread, while the Macushi and Wapishana

Tuma Labba

By Lakhram Bhagirat

A

bout one year ago, I was introduced to “tuma pot” and my initial reaction was why you are serving me boiled fish when I would prefer a good pepperpot to pair with my cassava bread. However, what I did not know was that I would enjoy every last bit of it and secretly ask for some more.

I distinctly remember being at St Cuthbert’s Mission’s Heritage Day in 2017 and being forced to try tuma put and I would forever be grateful to my peers who introduced me to the indigenous delicacy. Initially, my ignorance of the dish led me to believe that it could only be made with fish since that was the type I tried.

However, I later learnt that tuma pot is not the actual pot rather it is a variety of meat in a pot.

It is prepared using the cassava water as opposed Tuma labba, cassava bread and fly

to cassareep. Very similar to the pepperpot, the tuma pot also includes a variety of meat that is used mainly by the Macushi, Wapishana, Patamonas and the other groups indigenous to Guyana. On the other hand, the pepperpot is used mainly by the Arawak people of the Lokono nation.

Not many people are aware of tuma pot because it is not as popular as the pepperpot and every Amerindian village you visit would have its version of the dish but the taste almost remains the same. I have had the opportunity to try tuma pot from four Indigenous villages within Guyana.

The word tuma refers to the meat or fish cooked in kada (cassava water).

The kada sauce, as it is referred to, is less viscous than that of cassareep as well as the colour is much lighter.

However, it was explained to me that they both serve

the same purpose of preserving the food.

Legend has it that the longer the tuma pot sits, the more intense the flavour is.

However, I am yet to experience that since the limited amount of tuma pot I have had was never over a day old. One of the things that I have learnt is not everyone is capable of preparing the dish since it utilizes the cassava water, which is as deadly as cyanide.

A few years ago, Michael Patterson opened the first Indigenous Restaurant, Tuma Sàlà, in Georgetown and the house special was tuma pot. He would have explained the process involved in making a tasty batch of tuma pot.

“To prepare the cassava water, one must follow and carry out the process of extraction in detail in order to have a refined product. After grating the cassava, it is then placed into the matapi to extract the poison – the same process of making the cassareep. The extracted juice, cassava, is potent at this stage and should be treated with all care as it relates to storage, as animals can pass by the kitchen area and sip/drink the liquid. They were many cases where animals – mostly cattle – were found dead after drinking the cassava water. After the water is extracted, it is then placed into a container and allowed to ‘settle’, eventually forming starch after a while. The settled water is now cooked – refining the sauce for consumption. While cooking, a broth is formed at the top of the boiling water. That portion is scooped off and placed into another container as the kada sauce. This process can be done to accumulate adequate sauce for the tuma pot. The remaining cassava water is further processed under heat to produce cassareep. This process takes time with fire modula-

people will use farine. The Warrau will use the fresh cassava bread referred to as “arasuka”. Fresh cassava juice or “belltarie” will be used as the beverage. Other freshly made juices are also served with the tuma including fly, piwari, and parakari – just to name a few.

For me, I had my first

tuma pot with the ever-popular fly and cassava bread.

Now that it is Indigenous Heritage Month again, you would surely be seeing me at the Indigenous Village at the Sophia Exhibition Center getting my tuma pot.

I would also encourage you all to try it and thank me later.

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Feature

“I

loved dolls growing up and always had a thing for them.

But sadly we could not have much time with dolls while growing up because we would have to do work and so on. So one day I decided to make a doll for myself and since then I have been a part of the fashion and craft world,” says Natasha David.

Natasha is a 42-year-old mother of one. She was born in Georgetown but moved to Imbatero, Region 1 (BarimaWaini) where she spent the first 11 years of her life. Natasha would then move to Matthews Ridge for a few years and then completed the circle by moving back to Georgetown at the age of 17.

When she moved back, she then began studying but always felt a bit incomplete.

“I was kind of restless.

I was always amazed by what people can create and when I made the first doll my sister came and

Sonia Noel and she asked me to transfer what I did with the doll into clothing and I did it and since then I have been in fashion,” she says.

She has been professionally making dresses, jewellery and craft items for over nine years. Natasha said that she is more passionate about the fashion aspect of her business because there are not a lot of designers who make indigenous clothing. She explained that the demand is there but it is seasonal.

“I would make a lot of clothes for like September, February and May be-

cause that is when more people want it.”

Apart from clothing, she produces a number of various craft pieces and accessories to go with the outfits. One of the major challenges for Natasha is the accessing the materials needed to sustain her business. She would have to wait on people coming out from the remote villages to get the beads and stones for her accessories as well as travelling all the way to Suriname to get the cotton threads needed for her clothing creations.

“The cotton thread is important to make the clothes and I would use that with straw (I get from

St Cuthbert’s Mission) and make various pieces.

The costumes would sell whenever there is a cultural show and so on and I does make to order.”

Natasha has a small craft shop at her home in C Field Sophia and you would find her at various exhibitions. She would be at the Sophia Exhibition Center as a part of the Indigenous Village. So be sure to check her creations out.

One of the costumes created by Natasha

took it away with her and after that people see it and start ordering because it came out food. Since then I have been creating stuff and one day I met with

Natasha (blue suit) with models displaying her creations

Decorative doll covered in banana leaves

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Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

S

CEO Marcel Hutson

eptember marks the commencement of a new school year as well as the beginning of Education Month and this year the Education Ministry is going a step further with a first of its kind Education Exposition. The Expo is slated for September 14 through 16 at the D’Urban Park, Georgetown.

This year, Education Month is being observed under the theme “Education for a good life through innovation and STEAMS”.

The month is a time for the Education Ministry to show off the achievements of its Schools as well as the work it has been doing over the years.

The Expo is the brainchild of Minister Nicolette Henry and according to Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson, the idea is an exceptional one that allows them to showcase the work of the Ministry. Every sector of the Ministry has

been asked to participate and showcase how they contribute to the development of education in Guyana.

Additionally, the Expo would see the participation of international partners such as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The Organizations would be highlighting the work they have been doing in Guyana as well as actively engaging those visiting the event.

The idea of the Exposition is to “touch every Guyanese and make them aware of what is happening in education,” Hutson said during a recent interview. He noted that the inter-agency participation is necessary since education is not about a person rather it is about everyone.

“We are looking to tap into everything. All the sectors of the Ministry of

Children during a previous Steelpan display

Education will be involved.

From Nursery, Primary, Secondary, Georgetown Technical Institute, University of Guyana, CPCE and from all over. We have a number of entities and it is not confined to just the education sector,” Hutson said.

The Ministry is hoping that persons become more au fait with their work through interactions at the Expo. They are also hoping to use the opportunity to promote the idea of improving literacy as well as focus

FLASHBACK: The tree planting exercise from 2017’s Education Month Activities

on Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, Spirituality (STEAMS).

In the changing world and the increased dependency on technology, the Ministry has been increasing its focus on the sector with the hosting of a number of STEM fairs. Hutson said that is necessary since it only serves to push the education agenda further. He hopes that patrons visiting the expo will be informed “historically, academically and socially” adding that the impact they are striving for is the importance of education.

Education Month has been a very important part of the MOE’s calendar as every year they strive to fur-

ther develop the sector and further enhance the delivery. It is also a time where they brainstorm and engage the stakeholders on the development of the sector.

“It is our intention to promote education and showcase what we are doing in relation to education over the years because sometimes we sell ourselves short by not sharing the kind of information with the public.

We are making strides and we are making those strides progressively,” Hutson explained.

Over the years, we have seen the celebrations move away from the routine participation of just only Education Officials and students to include all stakeholders inclusive of teachers.

It has seen the introduction of the Teachers Jeopardy Competition as well as other activities. The hope is to make the Expo the star of this year’s celebration but also have a whole host of activities as a part of the celebration.

While the Ministry hinted at some of the activities which include the JOF Haynes Debating Competition, Steelpan displays as well as Music Festival they are yet to release the official calendar of activities. It is unclear when they would also be launching the month of activities.

For now, plans are well ahead for the expo as the MOE has been utilizing its Facebook page to keep patrons up to date.

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Feature

Some people from the Makushi Tribe in their traditional wear

T

he Indigenous culture is one that remains deeply connected to its roots despite the every changing world we live in. Quite often people from all over the world would escape to remote Indigenous communities to experience the culture and detox from their current lives. Indigenous communities in Guyana are welcoming and every visitor is treated with the same respect.

A wide assortment of indigenous drinks

The ancient art of hunting with bows and arrows

This young man is dressed in his traditional wear while performing a dramatic piece The traditional dress from one of the many Indigenous Tribes in Guyana

Young performers

Proud Amerindians

Some of the Amerindian delicacies

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Sunday Times Magazine 7

Literary Corner

Preserving our literary heritage

by

Petamber Persaud

(E

xtract of an interview with Joy Agness, Georgetown, Guyana, July 2018. Agness, a Wedding & Event Planning Professor at the Miami Dade and Broward Colleges, recently launched her first book, Wedding and Event Planning 101, in Guyana.)

PP During my formative years, the ‘teach yourself’ series of books was very popular. As we talk, I can picture the brilliant yellow and black covers. Then as time moved on, we were treated with the do it yourself series. Great initiatives – teach yourself, do it yourself - but along the way there were many challenges, challenges with reading, comprehension and expression skills. So often we hear about the dearth of reading and the death of the book, so why have you chosen, despite all the challenges, why have chosen to put your thoughts down on paper, in a book form?

JA Good question. DIY – do it yourself; we have now abbreviated it to DIY. Being a professor of two colleges, I find quite a few challenges with my students. You would find a conversation is not a conversation that you and I would know it to be, Petamber. You see growing up in Guyana, and I love to say growing up as a Guyanese, our major thing was perfecting our thoughts, reading and understanding. Being in North America, great conversations but there’s always that barrier to communicate - there’s always that line that young people don’t cross over. You see for me to have a conversation with my students is not a challenge but I have to be a very attentive listener because

sometimes the words are shuffled and displaced and I have the privilege as I call it of deciphering what is been said to me….

PP That is also a challenge in itself – the art of listening….

JA Yes, the art of listening that has caused me to write this book …because you can’t ask me anything after having read the book…

PP That’s a reason for the book: a book is repository of information which can be retrieved for various uses.

JA So when I give my exams and if you haven’t read Weddings and Event Planning 101 which is one of their text books, you will fail miserably. So that is my way of pushing you to read and I am going to ask you questions that’s going challenge you to go to the book…So you have to read, reading is fundamental. In our society as we know it it is not that fundamental…In my time, when you get a book, there were no pictures and the reason is simply to push you to read.

You see when you are a facilitator of education which is what we do, we teach, there is a dialogue, a conversation; what are we talking about - a specific topic. The topic of this book is Wedding and Event Planning 101. The 101 doesn’t necessarily mean you are a dummy, it means that this is the basic and fundamental from where you should start elevating yourself to the next level.

So yes, it is a trick question.

PP You said that you are a proud Guyanese JA Yes, I am.

PP From Guyana to North America you have moved quite a bit, let’s trace that journey.

JA Originally, I am a Ms. Hamer, now I am a Mrs. Agness. I was born

in Russell Street, I grew up in East La Penitence and that in itself a transition but when you get into North America that is a bigger transition.

PP A cultural shock.

JA You find a lot of things I am accustomed to do in Guyana, you had to shift. My first stop was Canada and I worked in the Guyana Consulate for a bit and it was quite an exposure for me.

Vic Persaud was my then boss – protocol master…

PP Uncle Vic JA Yes, Uncle Vic that’s what we called him and back then he called me ‘Pointer’ because I was so slim; we had a laugh at that the other day when I went to meet him….he was my first intro into protocol and I have no regrets.

I am a nurse by profession – an emergency RN and if you anything about ER, from the time you clock in, you’re on roller skates ….

So I was equipped medically but events like birthdays, anniversaries, promotions etc. – a lot of that went on at the hospital and I was always doing the decorating etc.; it was something I loved.

So what I did was to turn my hobby into my job then a friend said I should turn it into a business and I said no, never heard of it.

When I got into the wedding event industry, it was not popular, it was unheard sort of….

PP So then you are a pioneer…

JA Yes, I have gotten a few awards as a trailblazer, that’s what they called me, a trailblazer…You see the life I live is not for me but for the others coming behind. I am just setting an example for you to follow. If you want change, Mahatma Gandhi said it starts with you. So I can’t want people to change

and prefect the craft, if I don’t change.

So I had to change my mindset and everything else and so here you have the birth of Wedding & Event Planning 101 because now I am a professor and I am teaching and I am looking at some of the mistakes made and I call people out there who don’t have the real knowhow, barefoot contestants, not with any disrespect. But you need to know the tools and have the tools of the trade to perfect the craft and the industry you want to be a part of. So Wedding & Event Planning 101 is for people who are already in the field and want to brush up on a few things, people who want to get into the field but don’t know which direction to start and people who think they know everything and don’t know…

You may attend a wedding and it is beautiful and everything is gorgeous but you don’t know what has gone into perfecting that. This book is going to give you an insight: how many inches your dance floor suppose to be and how many people it can accommodate, how to sit.., how to eat…, how to set your table…

PP Portion size.

JA Portion size ….I put it all in there, I didn’t hide anything.

PP So we don’t have to re-invent the wheel.

JA No, you don’t.

PP One of the things, there are many things one can take away from this book but I like the concern you show for the environment whenever you’re planning.

JA Yes, very important. You must ensure you are environmentally conscious of what’s happening around you…

PP This book is about planning. I

am intrigued with each new book. Let’s talk a while about planning and getting this publication out….

JA …this was three years in the making. I travel extensively as a wedding and event planner and this entails hours away from home, hours in hotels…

PP that’s gathering information.

What about printing, that process?

JA That process wasn’t very hard because there are lots of publishing companies. I chose AuthorHouse because AuthorHouse has been around awhile. So I sat down with the layout of my book every step of the way. So what we have here [pointing to the book] is not some printing company that threw it together and says Joy, here is your book. What we have here is me flying to New York because I live in South Florida, sitting down with my publisher...

PP Wow, what a process.

JA Yes, a process because I wanted to take an active part in my book, I wanted to make sure that when people get this book that it was ready and worthy to be read by other people; it is okay for me to read it and say this is how I wanted it to be but in the hands of somebody else they should be able to get the same clarity. So for me to get the clarity I wanted to impart to other people, I had to be at the helm, so to speak, because AuthorHouse doesn’t know what I want, they can imagine what they would like to see...when they put it together. Sometimes things got distorted and I had to gone over it page by page by page, it’s a tedious and laborious task but it had to be done; that’s the only way I’d be satisfied....

Responses to this author please telephone 226-0065 of email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com

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Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

E

veryone wants a spotless home but sometimes achieving that can be very tedious. However, we've got a trick for every corner of your home as you strive to achieve that spotless look.

Ingredients

• 2 lb. chicken, cut into pieces • 2 lb stew beef , cut into 2 inch pieces • 1 lb. cow foot • 1/2 lb salted beef, cut into 2 inch pieces • 1 cup genuine cassava cassereep • a few wiri wiri peppers or 1 scotch bonnet if you can't fnd wiri wiri

• • • • • • • • •

4 cloves garlic 1 small onion 1 bunch thyme 1 teaspoon of salt, or salt to taste 3 tbsp sugar Lime juice or vinegar 4 cloves 2 pieces orange peel 1 stick cinnamon

Instructions

1. Trim excess fat off meat and soak in vinegar for about 15 to 30 minutes. Puree garlic, onion and thyme. Marinate fresh meat with marinade and 1/3 cup of cassareep.

2. Meanwhile, in a pressure cooker, place salted beef and pressure for a 10 minutes.

Discard the water and set meat aside.

3. Wash cow foot thoroughly by soaking in vinegar for about half an hour. Rinse. Place in pressure cooker and pressure for 20 minutes or until tender. Discard water. *If the cow heel isn't soft after 20 minutes, continue to pressure in 5 minute intervals , checking for tenderness.

4. In a stock pot, cook beef and chicken in marinade until all liquid evaporates. Add the cow foot, salted beef, sugar and remaining cassereep with a stick of cinnamon, cloves, orange peel and enough water to cover. If the stew is brown, add more cassareep to attain a deep, dark color.

5. Cook slowly until tender. Add pepper and salt to taste. This meal tastes better the next day, so it is best when made a day ahead. To serve this meal, warm and serve with bread or cassava bread.

Instructions

1. Soak saltfish in water overnight to remove salt or boil by changing the water twice.

2. If using salt fish with bones and skin, remove the bones and skin.

Ingredients 3. Finely flake the saltfish.

• 8 oz salted fish 4. In a bowl add flaked saltfish, finely • 2 scallion, finely chopped chopped scallion, onion, hot pepper, black pepper, • 1 small onion, finely diced flour and water and mix to form a batter. Add salt if • ¼ tsp finely diced hot pepper, I used needed. wiri wiri or scotch bonnet 5. Heat oil(about ½ inch deep) over medium • 1 tsp black pepper fire in a skillet. Drop spoonfuls of batter in the oil • 2 cups flour and fry until golden brown. Turn halfway through • 1 ½ cup water cooking so that it browns on both sides.

• Salt(optional) 6. Remove from oil using a slotted spoon and • Oil to fry place on a plate lined with paper towel to collect the excess oil. Serve warm.

Make an all-purpose cleaner and deodorizer To clean kitchen counters, appliances, and the inside of your refrigerator, all you need is baking soda. It makes a great deodorizer and can be used to shine stainless steel sinks and appliances. Just combine 4 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 quart of warm water and some lemon juice.

Add shine with vinegar Use white vinegar to brighten your windows. Mix 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with a gallon of water, and dispense into a used spray bottle. Squirt on and wipe away with a clean microfiber cloth (not paper towels, which can cause streaking).

Clear a slow drain When you notice your drain is starting to clog, a 1/2 cup of baking soda down it, followed by a 1/2 cup of vinegar. Cover with a wet cloth to contain the science fair-like effects.

Wait five minutes and then flush with hot water.

Lift the worst carpet stains.

It's dish liquid to the rescue. Dissolve one tablespoon of dish liquid into two cups of warm water, and blot the stain with a clean white cloth dipped into the solution. Repeat until the stain absorbs into the cloth and disappears from the carpet. Then sponge with cold water, and blot dry with a clean cloth.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

SEPTEMBER 2 , 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

Puzzles

ACROSS

106 Trucker's load

1 Pooped out 107 Jiffy

6 Neutral and first

108 Courtesy env.

11 Eyewash acid

110 Talks fondly

16 Arched ceiling

111 Bandleader Count - 21 Deliver a speech

112 Shade provider

22 "Walk Away --"

113 Violent weather

23 Geologic period

115 Backpackers' load

24 In a ferment

116 Assumed as fact

25 Acts worried

117 Muffle, as sound 26 Develop 120 Place

27 -- Blake of jazz

122 Divvy up 28 Dapper

124 Gardner of mystery

29 Had roast beef 128 Period

30 Military caps

129 Tool handle wood

32 Untrue (2 wds.)

131 -- salts

34 Rainbow band 133 Thugs

36 Codgers' queries

135 Bran source

37 Round number

136 Retina cells

39 Meadow grazers

138 Money in the bank

41 Queen of the Misty Isles

140 By itself 43 Attic

142 Zen master's poem

45 Creek or river

144 Romance, in Roma

47 Trellis coverers

145 "Psycho" setting

49 With dry humor

146 Attractive one

51 Needed a bath

147 Looked at amorously

54 Fuzzy fruits

148 Got along

55 Flapjack acronym 149 Rumpled

56 Avenger Mrs. Peel

150 Work clay

60 Dots on a screen

151 Search party

61 Where icicles hang DOWN

62 Sharp ends

1 November stone

64 "Am -- -- time?"

2 Up in arms

65 High society

3 Indy 500 competitor

66 Greeted the moon 4 Riviera summer

67 Cries like a baby

5 Anchorman's spot

68 Javelin or marathon 6 Plotted, in a way

70 Capp and Jolson 7 Stranger

71 Nutty confection

8 Pastis flavor

73 One-celled plants

9 Lawyer's thing

74 Eyre's creator 10 Glimpsed

75 Famous hotelier 11 Ladybugs 77 Swindle

12 Musical works

78 Restful color

13 C3PO or R2D2 79 Edits

14 Here, to monsieur

80 Quebec school

15 "Moonstruck" star 82 Manufacturer 16 Barbarian

83 Went headfirst

17 Quiet -- -- mouse 84 Limped

18 Sigh or murmur

87 Fall planting 19 Graceful

88 Type of jacket

20 Secret rendezvous 89 Well-protected

31 -- Park, Colorado

93 Nile god of resurrection

33 Caravan halt

94 Ghostly noise

35 Sphinx setting

95 Saffron dish 38 Young raptor

97 Overly glib 40 Hedge

98 Polite address

42 For some time 99 Presses

44 Grain crop 100 Brink

46 Type of wrench 101 Swipe

48 Had a mortgage

103 -- out a living

50 Guidry and Howard

104 Intolerant people 51 Harpoon

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- ASININELY

ASININELY: AS-ihnine-lee: Stupidly.)

Average mark 30 words Time limit 45 minutes Can you find 40 or

more

words in ASININELY? aisle alien anile anise asinine sail sale saline sane sanely seal sienna

sine slain slay snail inane inanely inlay inly insane insanely isle nail

nine nisei easily easy elan lain lane lase lean lenis lens liaise

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" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

52

53

54

55 57

58 59

61

62

63 66 67 69 72

73

74

76

78

79 81

-- Vanilli

82 Fundamental particles 111 Awful Be real

83 San -- Chargers

112 Swung around Arctic canoe 84 Abodes 114 Flirted Waterloo resident 85 Port near Kyoto

115 Plains dwellings Bearings

86 Waits patiently

116 Swanson of old films -- Carlo

87 Horses' gaits

117 Coffee option Wagers

88 Bathrobe size

118 Olfactory stimulus Torturer of Prometheus

90 High mark (hyph.)

119 Medieval estate "On call" device

91 Ipso - 121 Auditions Start a tennis game 92 Fred Mertz's wife

123 Playing marble Physique

94 Brushes the dog

125 Churns up Censor

95 Vanish forever

126 Louise and Victoria Annuls 96 Ignited

127 Recital piece Woodwinds

99 Horror-film servant 130 Jon -- of "Mad Men" Adam of "Chicago Hope" 100 Far-flung

132 Name in big rigs Slanting edge 102 Banal

134 Get groceries Striped animal

105 Clickable images

137 Prior to Big celebrations

106 "No -- --!"

139 --'wester Biathlon weapon 107 Connoisseur

141 Play on words Scale

109 Sixth sense

143 Way back when See Solution on Pg 14

guyanatimesgy.com

SEPTEMBER 2 , 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

S

amsung’s Galaxy S10 is shaping up to be very special, but it cannot hold a candle to the company’s most exciting (and most expensive) smartphone in years. That is, until Samsung itself this week cast doubt over its immediate future…

Speaking to The Investor in its home country of South Korea, Samsung officials told the publication there are no immediate plans for massproduction of the foldable displays required to make the company’s radical Galaxy F folding smartphone.

Something which will come as a surprise to many.

Just last week Samsung CEO DJ Koh spoke about

F

irefox, a browser billing itself as the choice for anyone valuing privacy on the web, is following rivals that led the way with a technology called tracking protection.

With the 2017 release of Firefox 57 -- the first "Quantum" version geared to reinvigorate Firefox's competitiveness with Google's Chrome -- Mozilla made it possible to block website software that tracks you on the web. Trackers can be used so advertisers can build detailed profiles of you and show you an ad that follows you around the web.

Trackers also mean websites load more slowly, use your network data and con-

his company’s race to get this potential game-changing phone to market, saying it "didn't want to lose the world's first title".

Consequently, whether the company’s updated statement means the Galaxy F will be delayed or Samsung has decided

to call off mass-production and reposition the phone as a niche device (possibly to secure that ‘World’s First’ title) remains to be seen.

But, either way, it will be extremely disappointing given the hype with which Samsung has previously built-up the phone. (Forbes)

sume more battery power.

"In the near future, Firefox will -- by default -protect users by blocking tracking while also offering a clear set of controls to give our users more choice over what information they share with sites," said Nick Nguyen, vice president of Firefox, in a blog post Thursday.

Seems like a no-brainer, right? Wrong. The online ad industry has its downsides, but it also has funded countless websites that otherwise wouldn't exist or would charge you money to use. It's not a simple decision, and Mozilla's actions are amplified by the activity of the 250 million of us who

use Firefox each month.

Tracking is at risk, though. For one thing, millions of people now use browser extensions like Ghostery and Privacy Badger that block trackers.

More importantly, Apple has started blocking some trackers with intelligent tracking protection in its Safari browser, and Brave, led by Mozilla co-founder and former Firefox leader Brendan Eich, blocks all trackers by default.

Blocking trackers can cause problems with some websites, including those that detect the blocking and ask us to disable it.

But a Mozilla study in 2017 showed that people reported fewer problems with tracking protection enabled.

And tracking protection is catching on in Firefox.

Since the feature arrived in November, people have steadily been enabling it even before Mozilla's future move to turn it on by default. (CNET)

Garmin’s new fitness tracker monitors your blood oxygen levels

G

armin saved its reveal of the newest Vivosmart fitness tracker for IFA this year. For the Vivosmart 4, the company is adding a “pulse ox2 oximeter,” which measures the oxygen saturation in your blood.

You may have tried an oximeter when a doctor or nurse clipped a little accessory to your finger. In Garmin’s case, the oximeter is trying to determine how well a person is sleeping. It could also figure out whether they stop breathing during sleep, meaning they have sleep apnea. That’s the biggest hardware addition to the tracker, although the company’s also updating its software to build out its sleep-monitoring system, so wearers can

check in on their sleep quality once they’re awake. Sleep definitely seems like the focus of this launch.

Of course, it measures the other typical things, like heart rate and activities. It should last up to seven days on a single charge, and it pairs with phones over Bluetooth.

Wearers will be able to receive notifications and, with Android phones, reply to texts through preset messages. The device is listed on Garmin’s website now with an availability estimated in three to five weeks. It costs $129.99, and it comes in four colors: gray, maroon, blue, and black.

(The Verge)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

SEPTEMBER 2 , 2018

Bollywood/Hollywood

Aishwarya slams reports saying she turned down Sanjay Leela Bhansali for husband Abhishek A ishwarya Rai Bachchan has slammed reports that she had turned down a starring role in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. In a statement released to the press, she called the reports ‘totally baseless and untrue’.

The original report by Deccan Chronicle quoted a source as saying, “Aishwarya had to choose between working with Bhansali and sharing screen space with her husband, as the dates for both films were clashing. And she chose the film with her husband.” The report said that Aishwarya had chosen to star opposite husband Abhishek Bachchan in Gulab Jamun over the Bhansali film.

According to Aishwarya’s representatives, “This is total-

ly baseless and untrue. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has immense love for Sanjay Leela Bhansali and will always be very keen to work with him and he knows that.”

Abhishek had spoken to Deccan Chronicle about reuniting with his wife after an eight year gap.

“Gulab Jamun is a sweet film and it’s always a pleasure to work with the missus. Every time we’ve done a film together, it’s been special,” he said. The last time the couple worked together was in Mani Ratnam’s Raavan.

Aishwarya said that they had wanted to work together for years, but Abhishek had wanted to take a break from acting. His upcoming film, Manmarziyaan, is his first in two years. Gulab Jamun is produced by his Manmarziyaan director Anurag Kashyap.

“We had agreed on the idea then,” Aishwarya had said. “However, it was around the same time that AB decided to take time-out. After the hiatus, he returned with Manmarziyaan, which coincidentally is directed by Anurag Kashyap. That’s when the chatter around Gulab Jamun began again, and we finally came on board. It is a beautiful script, and we fit the narrative perfectly.” (Hindustan Times)

Prince Harry Sings at Hamilton and Steals the Show

P

rince Harry just made his musical debut! After watching Wednesday night's performance of Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London, the Duke of Sussex took the stage and belted out a few notes from "You'll Be Back"—a fan favorite sung by the character King George III in the play.

Harry kept his performance very brief and sang only the first two words, "You say." Still, the quick serenade stole the show and the audience burst into both laughter and applause. The show's creator Lin-Manuel Miranda joined Harry onstage with the rest of the cast and seemed particularly enthused by his performance.

"He did try, but I said no," Harry said, hinting that this would be the end of his Broadway career.

Before the show, Miranda told reporters it would be "fun and surreal" to see Harry's reaction to the impersonator of his sixth great-grandfather.

"You don't often get a direct descendent," Miranda said at one point.

However, Harry suggested he and his

M

ore than three months since his controversial comment on slavery, Kanye West has issued an apology.

In early May, the Grammywinning rapper sent the Internet ablaze after an interview with TMZ, in which he said, "When you hear about slavery for 400 years— for 400 years? That sounds like a choice."

The comment immediately sparked headlines everywhere and incited backlash with colleagues and fans publicly voicing their criticism of the star's outlook. In a lengthy interview with WGCI 107.5 on Wednesday, West took a moment to address the public in regard to that comment.

"I don't know if I properly apologized for how that slave comment made people feel, so I want to take this moment right now to say that I'm sorry for hurting, I'm sorry for the 1-2 effect of the MAGA hat into the slave comment and I'm sorry for people who felt let down by that moment," he said into the microphone.

"And also I appreciate you guys giving me the opportunity to talk to you about the way I was thinking and what I was going through and what led me to that and I just appreciate you guys

wife Meghan Markle were just excited to see the show.

"Honestly, this is a huge deal to us and it's going to be a fun night," Harry told Miranda. He then laughed and added, "I'm sorry you've got to watch it again."

It looks like the royal couple enjoyed the show, too. After the performance, Meghan told the cast the energy was "palpable" and that the show was "so engaging." Harry also described it as "incredible."

The two sat out in the audience during the show and were seated next to Miranda. The Broadway star told reporters it was an "honor" hosting them. However, Harry wasn't the only one to have a showstopping moment. The Duchess of Sussex also stole the show with her ensemble, which included a Judith & Charles tuxedo mini dress and matching pumps.

The special gala performance benefitted the charity Sentebale, which Harry founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help children and young adults affected by HIV. (EOnline)

holding on to me as a family."

In addition to his apology and reflection on the slavery comment, West also got the change to answer a question previously posed to him by Jimmy Kimmel earlier this month.

"You so famously and so powerfully said George Bush doesn't care about black people.

It makes me wonder what makes you think that Donald Trump does—or any people at all?" the late-night host asked him at the time, though the show cut to commercial quickly after.

Co-host Kendra G reiterated the question to the star, asking, "Do you feel as though Donald Trump cares about all people— black people included?"

"I feel that he cares about the way black people feel about him and he would like for black people to like him like they did when he was cool in the rap songs," West thoughtfully responded after taking a pause. "He will do the things that are necessary to make that happen because he's got an ego like all the rest of us and he wants to be the greatest president and he knows that he can't be the greatest president without the acceptance of the black community, so it's something that he's gonna work towards,

but were gonna have to speak to him."

Co-host Kendra G quipped back, "I need to go with you to the White House. I got a couple things I got to say."

"Exactly," West added. "But at least now…you can go." (EOnline)

Crossword Solution

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SEPTEMBER 2 , 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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SEPTEMBER 2 , 2018

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Personal improvements, sharing with a loved one, and making plans that will enhance your personal life are favoured. Refuse to let someone’s negativity or demands ruin your day.

Let your emotions fuel the TAURUS fire. If you want to get some(April 20- thing done, be passionate and May 20) demonstrative about the way you want to see things unfold.

Include loved ones in your plans.

Time spent honing your GEMINI skills and putting in extra (MAY 28- hours will pay off. Don’t leave June 20) anything to chance or let anyone interfere in your plans.

Romance is in the stars.

You’ll make an impression and a difference if you (June 21- lend a helping hand. Share July 22) your opinions, but not your personal data. Now is not the time to be gullible or too trusting.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

Slow down, take your time and don’t act on impulse, emotions, or hearsay. Look inward and size up what you can do to improve the way you look or live.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Listen to your heart, not to what others try to tell you.

Trust in your intuition and experience to help you reach your destination. Spiritual growth will change your life.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Stay focused on what’s important and make changes that will improve your domestic life. Discuss problems openly and make fair suggestions. Strive for equality and peace.

Find a way to settle a disSCORPIO (Oct. 24- pute without overreacting.

Nov. 22) Listen to suggestions and consider options that encourage working as a team player to achieve positive results.

SAGITTARIUS Someone will use informa(Nov. 23- tion that you share against Dec. 21) you. Don’t trust anyone who is trying to butter you up or sell you something using highpressure tactics. Don’t exaggerate; truth matters.

Calvin and Hobbes

Change whatever isn’t CAPRICORN working for you. Put an end to (Dec. 22- problems that can’t be solved.

Jan. 19) Be prepared to walk away from situations that are not healthy emotionally, physically or financially.

Don’t exaggerate or make AQUARIUS a big deal out of something (Jan. 20- unless you are prepared to Feb. 19) suffer the consequences.

Do your best to stick to the truth.

Share your stories and PISCES (Feb. 20- memories with old friends, Mar. 20) relatives, and youngsters.

An offer someone makes isn’t likely to be as wonderful as you may think. Don’t rely on hearsay. Collect an old debt.