Sunday Times August 18, 2019

LOOK INSIDE !

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4019 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

Sunday, AUGUST 18 , 2019

Agriculture sector decline

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Sugar sector procurement woes sign of mismanagement …rising costs a major disincentive for local producers – Irfaan Ali

Berbice residents protest against Ministers at Govt "outreaches"

Gun-related crimes at markets increased – Chief P12 Constable

WPA snipes that AFC got too much from Cummingsburg Accord P7 ...looks for PNC to transfer more power to them

Garbage P7 pile-up causes traffic nightmare at Stabroek Market

Page 8

Jagdeo calls out Govt for poor public servants’ wages track record See story on page 17

…as Finance Minister says talks underway with unions

Audit of CJIA stalled, critical info not forthcoming – Auditor General Page 12

“Mad rush” for land at Millie’s Hideout – Region 10 REO

Page 13

Mid-year report shows economy in serious danger of 'Dutch disease' – financial analyst P17

Teen stabbed by knifewielding P16 bandit

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news

Agriculture sector decline

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

Sunday, August 18 – 05:30h – 07:00h and Monday, August 19 – 05:00h - 06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, August 18 – 05:50h – 07:20h and Monday, August 19 –06:25h – 07:55h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine with intervals of light rain showers will prevail throughout the day. Intervals of light rain showers will continue at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Easterly to North-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 06:04h and 18:22h reaching maximum heights of 2.64 metres and 2.57 metres.

Low Tide: 11:58h reaching a minimum height of 0.61 metre.

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Sugar sector procurement woes sign of mismanagement – Irfaan Ali

…rising costs a major disincentive for local producers

T

he troubles documented in the sugar industry relating to procurement is a strong indicator of incompetence in the management of the restructured Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

This is according to economist and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali, who cited what the 2019 Finance Ministry’s mid-year report had to say about GuySuCo. “The poor performance of sugar subsector was due to the late delivery in materials and extended maintenance of equipment that delayed production. This caused sugar production output to reach its lowest level of 33,531 metric tonnes during the first half of 2019,” Ali said in a statement.

“Compared with the first six months of 2014, this represented a 159 per cent decline in sugar production.

According to the half-year report, production for the remainder of the year and 2020 is likely to be affected by delays in procurement; a manifestation of mismanagement”.

Ali went on to project that based on the current trend, the sugar subsector is now projected to grow by 2.3 per cent during 2019, instead of 15.6 per cent. He noted that as a consequence, export revenue from sugar is expected to continue its downward trend.

Revenue from the export of this commodity, he added, contracted from US$34.4 million during the first half of 2014, to US$12 million during the corresponding period in 2019. The projected export revenue of US$29.4 million for the entire 2019, which is 15 per cent less than the halfyear amount for 2014, was adjusted downwards to US$25 million as a result of gross mismanagement.

According to the 2019 mid-year report, GuySuCo fell short of its production target for first crop by one per cent. Its output reached 33,531 tonnes of sugar, but the Corporation was hampered by delays in the start of production.

“There were delays in the start of production that were due to the late delivery of materials for critical repairs to boilers in all factories, as well as extended equipment maintenance at the Uitvlugt factory. Thus, the commencement of cane harvesting was pushed to late February,” the report stated.

“However, once harvesting began, industry yields were higher than the same period last year, by 1.4 per cent, with considerable gains being made at Uitvlugt. There were also noticeable improvements in the recovery of sugar at both the Uitvlugt and Blairmont estates. The Corporation estimates that production for the second crop will be 73,516 metric tonnes, resulting in a growth rate of 2.3 per cent in 2019, down from the 15.6 per cent forecasted at the time of

Limited (NICIL) to take over the divestment of GuySuCo’s assets that were earmarked for sale.

It has been a tempestuous relationship, however, with GuySuCo and SPU engaging in several public spats over the latter’s approach to management. SPU has also been accused by the Corporation of leaving them in the dark about much of its actions and transactions it enters into.

PPP Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali

the Budget,” it added.

The report also said that GuySuCo completed its first round of cane assessment for the 2019 second crop; this assessment found that the canes were relatively well grown and are developing in favourable conditions.

“However, it is noted that delays in the procurement of inputs, including fertilizers and spare parts, could affect production for the remainder of 2019, as well as 2020,” the mid-year report added.

Back in 2017, Government had announced plans to close the Enmore and Rose Hall Sugar Estates, sell the Skeldon Sugar Factory, reduce the annual production of sugar, and take on the responsibility of managing the drainage and irrigation services offered by GuySuCo. Subsequently, thousands of workers were retrenched and Government set up the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) under the National Industrial and Commercial Investment

Local producers The mid-year report also found that the livestock subsector, despite recording growth in 2018, is estimated to have contracted by 8.1 per cent in the first half of 2019.

While there were some gains in beef and pork production, a number of other sub sectors took hits.

“This was as a result of a decline in broiler meat production and, to a lesser extent, milk production, which fell by 8.2 per cent and 1.6 per cent, respectively. The contraction in the former was due to a supply imbalance of a large producer, who reduced output so as to run down stocks”.

“Subsequently, there has been a shortage in the supply of chicken on the local mar-

ket, and efforts to address this have been hampered by poor hatchability of eggs and the stunted growth of chickens,” the report added.

Ali noted that contractions in the livestock subsector have affected the entire population. He pointed out, however, that the mid-year report failed to highlight one of the major factors for the declining production in chicken.

According to Ali, this factor is the rising costs that are a major disincentive to local producers.

“Meanwhile, the fishing subsector suffered a major setback from decline in shrimp production and industrial finfish production.

Based on the performance of the livestock subsector during the first half, this sector is now forecasted to register growth of 0.7 per cent instead of 2.3 per cent for 2019,” the Presidential Candidate also said.

Ali also noted that based on the statistics and the Balance of Payment figures generated by the Bank of Guyana, export earnings have been revised downwards for the primary commodities. All signs, he said, of a struggling economy.

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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

Haitian migration redux

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he issue of Haitians’ entry into Guyana is not new.

Towards the end of March 2017, a Fly Jamaica chartered flight from Port-au-Prince arrived with 154 Haitian citizens. Citizenship Minister Winston Felix said at the time that they came as ‘tourists’ and were given 1 month’s permission to stay. At the time, Suriname had just imposed a visa requirement for Haitians, even though they were both members of Caricom, but Felix surmised that they were on their way to that country and could enter if they secured visas. A month later, 27 more arrived via a Copa flight from Panama, and with no one to receive them, flags were raised. After its investigation, the Guyana Police Force reported that a Haitian medical student was the local point-man in a human trafficking ring involving the Haitians and two named city hotels.

By 2018, their numbers kept increasing, along with those of other nationals, such as Cubans, and concerns were raised that they were not returning. Of the Haitians, 3515 entered Guyana in 2017, but only 291 left, raising concerns that they might have been trafficked.

The Parliamentary Sectorial Committee on Foreign Affairs summoned Felix to offer an explanation, but on four occasions he cancelled his appointment. Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge asserted that the Haitians were on their way to French Guiana and not “hiding out” in Guyana as was being suggested.

Fast forward to 2019, when another newspaper reported that between January and July, some 8400 Haitians had been recorded as entering Guyana, but only 13 had left. Opposition figures claimed that many of these Haitians were being given birth certificates and other IDs so that they could be registered in the precipitately launched H2H Registration process and so impact the elections due after the successful NCM. After a month, Felix finally offered that 8,476 Haitians had actually entered Guyana via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), but 1,170 had departed. Then, late last week, he claimed he had received information from Brazil that during the same time period, 6,925 Haitians had entered Brazil via the border at Lethem and, except for 129, the majority left. He noted, therefore, that of the 7306 Haitians (8476 – 1170) who were initially unaccounted for after entering Guyana, that number was actually 381 (7306 – 6925).

But something does not add up. After the 2010 earthquake, several South American countries – especially Brazil and Chile – which had sent peacekeeping forces to Haiti under UN auspices, had opened up their borders to Haitian immigration on humanitarian grounds. In the case of Brazil, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) became involved.

This year, they issued this report: “The Brazil Visa Application Centre (BVAC) is a centre in Port-au-Prince exclusively dedicated to Haitian citizens applying for special humanitarian permanent visas (VIPER), which aims to ensure a safe, dignified and legal migration channel to Brazil. The BVAC centre was created in 2015 as a mean to increase the processing of humanitarian permanent visas in response to the concern of the growing number of people travelling to Brazil irregularly.

As numerous Haitian migrants were falling prey to migrant smuggling and trafficking networks who promised to help them reach Brazil through what is known as “the jungle route”, the Government of Brazil established mechanisms to enable migrants to obtain visas in countries of origin and transit. Since 2012, Brazil has issued humanitarian permanent visas to Haitians coming to the country, which allow them to work and enjoy the same rights of any other foreigner in a regular situation.

With the aim of reducing the risk factors of these dangerous irregular departures, the special humanitarian visas for Haitian nationals offer a legal, transparent, and significantly cheaper alternative”.

The question is why would Haitians keep on using our “coyote-run jungle route” when they can obtain visas to Brazil in Haiti and fly directly there via the same Copa Airlines? And why would 6796 Haitians leave Brazil if that is their destination?

The Guyana delegation performs at the CARIFESTA XIV opening ceremony in Trinidad and Tobago (DPI photo)

The ball is in GECOM’s court to uphold the Constitution Dear Editor Now that the Chief Justice has given her ruling on August 14th, 2019, democratic and progressive-minded Guyanese have been vindicated on several counts once again by a judicial authority:- Elections were due three months after the passage of the no confidence motion on December 21, 2018 in accordance with article 106 which was immediately engaged; the date was not extended by a 2/3 majority of members of the National Assembly; - Whilst the House to House registration by and of itself is not unlawful or unconstitutional, the removal of names from the National Register of Registrants based on persons not being home, overseas etc, and scrapping of the National Register of Registrants, as being done

by GECOM, is illegal; - the House to House registration cannot deregister people who are already on the National Register of Registrants, and, therefore, those already on the November 12, 2018 voters’ list do not need to register at House to House registration again; - There is no residency requirement for Guyanese to be on the National Register of Registrants and persons’ names ’cannot be removed unless they die or are no longer Guyanese, except Commonwealth citizens who are here for one year; - The CJ mentioned several times that the voters’ lists can be refreshed by other means as provided in law such as claims and objection; - The Guyana Election Commission must now choose options available to it by law to verify and refresh the Voters’ list taking into consideration the context that elections were due

since March 21, 2019.

Madam Chief Justice (ag) Roxanne George-Wiltshire ruling on August 14th in no way deviated from the Constitution, neither the CCJ ruling of June 18th nor its July 12th consequential orders.

The President has not abided with the Caribbean Court of Justice and continues to violate the Guyana Constitution. The President has not acted since December 21, 2018 to name a date for elections.

Today is 239 days since the passage of the NCM on December 21, 2018, or 7 months and 27 days.

Today is 149 days since March 21 2019 or 4 months and 27 days when elections were due according to article 106 (6) and (7).

Over the last eight months, GECOM refused to prepare for elections. In actual fact, it is the Pattersonled GECOM that has been an integral part of the subversion of constitutional rule in our country. This is the first time that elections have not been held within 90 days from the date of dissolution for general and regional elections in 1992, 1997, 2001, 2011, and 2015, and the Local Government Elections of 2016 and 2018 as required by the constitution and statutes. The difference with a No Confidence vote is that the three months period starts on the day that the vote was passed in the National Assembly, and, not from the time the President dissolves the Parliament and the Regional Democratic Councils under normal elections.

There is a new Chairperson, retired Justice Claudette Singh, and it is hoped that the now fully constituted Commission shall right the injustice done to the Guyanese people over the

last eight months and abide with alacrity with the constitutional provisions of article 106 as exhorted by the Caribbean Court of Justice on July 12, 2019.

Here is what the CCJ said “The judiciary interprets the Constitution. But, as we intimated in our earlier judgment, these particular provisions {article 106(6) and (7) } require no gloss on the part of the Court in order to render them intelligible and workable. Their meaning is clear and it is the responsibility of constitutional actors in Guyana to honour them. Upon the passage of a vote of no confidence, the Article requires the resignation of the Cabinet including the President. The Article goes on to state, among other things, that notwithstanding such resignation, the Government shall remain in office and that an election shall be held “within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine”…

The CCJ then went on to state that “The Guyana Elections Commission (“GECOM”) has the responsibility to conduct that election and GECOM too must abide by the provisions of the Constitution.” { that is elections within 3 months as per article 106 (7) } Following the August 14th 2019 ruling by the Chief Justice, we can logically deduct that this House to House registration--which has insisted that people already registered had to be reregistered-- has been a colossal waste of hundreds of millions of dollars, and, most important, time. Time which has been arrogated by the President and his government for an additional

149 days and counting past March 21, 2019 when elections should have been held.

This wasteful and redundant expenditure and exercise must stop immediately.

The Patterson-led GECOM did everything to ensure that no preparations for elections were commenced prior to March 21, 2019, instead preparing for House to House registration in the said month; this is a travesty that has whittled away the confidence of the people in the Guyana Elections Commission. An issue the new Chairperson and Commission must address urgently in order to win back the confidence of the electorate and it must do so quickly.

The figures, which we have been receiving in dribbles from GECOM with no breakdown by region or by any of the 29 Registration Centres, has not and will not imbue confidence. It now claimed as of August 15th that 230,000 over 14 years old have been registered.

Given the Chief Justice (ag) ruling, any exclusion of persons who were registered previously on the existing National Register of Registrants during the exercise will be illegal.

The country must not be confused with regards to the time for the House to House field exercise and the time allocated for the total House to House registration to be concluded. Given GECOM’s work plan dated February 25th 2019, it was projected that the House to House exercise would take from June 2nd to December 18, 2019, a total of 199 days or 6 months and 16 days. Since the exercise started one month and 18 days later it means that the date would most likely be pushed to early February 2020. continued on page 5

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

Was industrial sabotage occurring President Granger has exposed the State under previous Administration? to incursions from Russians, others Dear Editor, The allegation by the Russians that the UK and others are building a military base in Essequibo to be used

by Venezuelans, underscores the dangers that President Granger and the coalition have exposed Guyana to by refusing to call timely elections.

By having a defeated, fallen, or illegal Government managing Guyana’s affairs, the State is made vulnerable and exposed, especially in light of what is happening in Venezuela.

The State must be governed by a stable, legal Government that enjoys the confidence of the people. This is precisely why the Constitution dictates that fresh elections are need-

ed “within three months” following the valid passage of a No-Confidence Motion.

The PNC and its coalition partners, however, have shown that they are willing to sacrifice the security of the State in the interest of the coalition. The idea of a secured and safe State has evaporated among all the talks of registration.

Moscow recognised this. It has seized upon the occasion made possible by President Granger’s exposure of the State, and has committed its first incursion.

Indeed, the Russians may have laughed when Government said it abides by the principles of the United Nations Charter. They know

that President Granger and coalition members cannot abide by the United Nations Charter when they are busy flouting Guyana’s Constitution.

They also know that Government does not have the support of a majority of the people.

All that the Russians have to do is to ask Government exactly on whose behalf it is speaking, and Moscow would have further exposed the State and threatened the integrity of the Instruments of Independence acquired in 1966.

Sincerely, Rakesh Rampertab

The ball is in GECOM’s court...

Add to that the other consequential processes such as data verification and entry into the National Register of Registrants, cross matching of fingerprints, the production of a Preliminary Voters Lists, a Claims and Objection period, followed by the production of the Official List of Electors, and elections could very well be held into mid-2020.

With this in mind, GECOM must avoid the trap of believing that it has now gone so far in the field exercise that it might as well finish the exercise.

To do so would be to extend the life of the government into mid-2020 and contribute further to the subversion of constitutional rule, the demoralization of the Guyanese electorate and more wastage of precious time and resources.

Based on the Chief Justice ruling the APNUAFC government has been illegal since March 21, 2019, surely this must give impetus to GECOM to act righteously with the full backing of the constitution.

The Guyana Elections Commission has the power to halt and should halt this wasteful exercise and immediately commence Claims and Objections period, with the existing Registration centres and staff already in place that has been used for the House to House registration, and be ready to hold elections long before the month of December.

Most interestingly in the last few days, Mrs. Garrido-Lowe and the WPA using Congress Place talking points in public statements are now trying to condition December as the month for elections; Congress Place is behav-

ing as if it is above the constitution; it can usurp the constitution, and, throw out the judicial rulings.

This new strategy should be condemned.

Ultimately it is the President’s call and he has not named a date.

I wish to remind the President that article 9 of the Constitution states that “ sovereignty belongs to the people { not to GECOM, not the President, not the Cabinet, not the government}, who exercise it through their representatives and the democratic organs established by or under this constitution”.

How do we exercise this sovereignty? Through our power and our right to elect those representatives at elections--a right that the President has been denying the Guyanese electorate since March 21, 2019.

The President and his government lost the mandate to govern after its resounding defeat at the Local Government Elections on November 12, 2018—a hard pill to swallow l am sure.

Nevertheless, the voters in those 80 Local Authorities Areas represent 90.5% of all voters. The PPP/C won 65% of the 80 Local Authorities.

Following that the government lost the confidence of the Legislature on December 21, 2018. The President and APNUAFC Coalition government, therefore, stand exposed without moral, political, parliamentary and constitutional authority.

Whilst the President has exclusive powers, these are given within the confines of the constitution and he is subservient to the Constitution, there-

fore he must announce the following forthwith:i) The President and Cabinet stand resigned: ii) A caretaker government with restrained and limited authority as spelt out by the Caribbean Court of Justice and Commonwealth parliamentary norms; iii) Name a date for elections; iv) Dissolve the Legislature.

How long is Mr. Granger prepared to hold out on calling elections? Is President Granger prepared to go down in history, as one of the first leaders in a parliamentary democracy in any part of the world, to have defied a No Confidence Motion legitimately passed and refused to hold elections within the constitutionally required time frame? I cannot think of one parliamentary democracy where this has happened. Will this be Mr. Granger’s legacy?

We assert our right under the Guyana Constitution to exercise our sovereignty and our power to elect our representatives to govern our nation and demand that the President and his illegal government name a date for elections.

We urge GECOM to act with alacrity to prepare for elections. GECOM’s mandate is that it must always be ready to hold elections.

This is no time to sit on the fence. Who are those amongst us prepared to defend the constitution and democracy?

As the next few days and weeks unfold we shall learn who will join us to defend our constitution and our democracy.

Sincerely, Gail Teixeira

Dear Editor, Immediately after the change of Government, signs could be seen all over, signalling that things might be looking better. Even ‘Cold Cases’ could be seen being solved by the Guyana Police Force, attitudes seemed to be different in most places including Government entities. One first assumption was that as a result of the changes, staff might be under the impression that they would be replaced by party supporters or in some cases, party supporters would be given jobs and their attitude changed drastically. Ironically after the first year, the attitudes seemed to return to normal, bribery/ paying for service seemed back to normal, staff in many places were reluctant to assist, etc.

Many were of the opinion that because the Government saw it fit to award themselves a ‘huge’ salary increase, unnecessary spending on luxury vehicles/ foods/alcohol/travelling and the allegations of Government officials started to circulate about them being corrupted, companies downsizing, various places closing down and other issues arising, everyone just get fed up, whilst prices increased and promises of job creations seem

to be diminishing. Despite solving cases, allegations are still being levelled against members of the Guyana Police Force for corruption. Many are being investigated and charged.

Editor, since the NCM in December 2018, as the Government tries various tactics to outmanoeuvre the Opposition from facing an early election, realisation seems to sink back into the working force and slowly, we are witnessing admirable changes again all over. From my personal observation going into most places, security or people (staff without identification) approach you, question your purpose there and direct you to the relevant area/boot, etc. In some cases, you are given a number and are guided to a seat or waiting areas. Places like the GRA on Camp Street and the NIS are always busy and rowing/complaining by crowds is always happening. Last week, accompanying my mother to the NIS, we were questioned of our purpose for visiting the NIS and directed to the department responsible. A half-hour was not up and she was being attended to and had she walked with all requisite documents, all of her business would have

been sorted out that said day.

Whilst waiting outside, I was directed to a seat and based on my observation, security keeps moving around and assisting people, every time a staff passes you, they ask if you are getting through. In some cases, those who are there extra long are being pointed out and they are being looked after. I must say, the way these places are operating now is worthy of being praised, but my questions are, why the sudden changes? In most places, it is mainly the same staff and security, with a few changes, that worked under the previous Administration, still there under this Administration, in the same position, working for the basically the same salary.

With the various taxation by this Administration and the salary increase, most are still saying that things are harder now than under the previous Administration. It makes me wonder if industrial sabotage was occurring under the previous Administration and I am wondering how long the various changes will continue.

Sincerely, Sahadeo Bates

Saddened, disappointed with unlawful behaviour of Govt

Dear Editor, As a patriotic citizen of this wonderful country, I am extremely saddened, disappointed and utterly disgusted with the unlawful behaviour of this Government to date. Over and over, they are totally and blatantly disobeying the rule of law and our Constitution which is the backbone of any democratic country. The baldfaced lies that the President and his Ministers are telling in interviews and in the news media are insults to the citizens of this country and they should be ashamed of themselves.

The final cold realisation that the House-to-House Registration process was a plan to “de-register” the voting populace of Guyana is a criminal act of the highest nature.

This cold pre-meditated plan by the Government should be challenged by not only the Opposition but the citizens of this country whose constitutional rights to vote were almost taken away from them.

We would have been the victims here if it were not for the brave acts and the tenaciousness of the few people who truly have this country at heart.

And also the integrity that still exists in the Judiciary to deliver fair judgments.

Mr Bharrat Jagdeo and his team should be honoured for the great service that they have provided to this nation in exposing and stopping this particular illegal and criminal practice orchestrated by the Government. Also, in bringing to light multiple other infidelities by this Government. The Chief Justice and Judiciary should also be praised for the fair judgments that the court

has provided so far, as should all of the other participants who have boldly and fearlessly stood for the rule of law in these desperately needed times. Guyana is very grateful!

On the other hand, Mr Granger and his Ministers should be charged in court for this criminal act of deliberately and soberly plotting to disenfranchise the good citizens

of their constitutional right to vote - in particular. These Government officials should all be impeached and have their party’s names taken off the ballot. They are not eligible to rule or be considered as fit and proper to vie for the presidency of this great country ever again.

Sincerely, Shane Lindie

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SUnDAY, august 18, 2019

Page Foundation Family life is important for kids’

mental health and adjustment

A

ll parents have the goal of raising happy, healthy, well-adjusted children. Most parents look for information online and from books and other resources related to child development, child psychology, and parenting to help them to be successful in achieving their goals. Yet parents may overlook the importance of day-to-day interaction with kids and teens as well as the influence of day-to-day family life as playing an essential role in supporting mental health and well-being for all family members.

Citing Parenting Matters, an exhaustive report published in 2016 by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, “Having a safe and loving home and spending time with family – playing, singing, reading, and talking – are very important. Proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep also can make a big difference.”

Additionally, one of the principal findings by the authors of “Family Leisure Functioning: A Cross-National Study” published in (Leisure Sciences 2016), was the following: “Consistent and continued involvement in family leisure remains important to family cohesion, adaptability, functioning, and satisfaction with family life; however, more emphasis should be placed on creating satisfying family leisure experiences rather than simply high levels of family leisure involvement.”

Finally, the Search Institute has identified five types of positive family experiences, including (1) nurturing relationships; (2) establishing routines; (3) maintaining expectations; (4) adapting to challenges, and (5) connecting to the community. All five experiences can be strong predictors of quality of family life and resiliency.

Parents may think that keeping their children involved in extracurricular activities and helping them with their homework are the most important actions they can take

to ensure that their kids and teens will become successful adults. However, they may overlook the importance of spending time interacting personally with their child or children.

When parents and kids spend time interacting and having fun together, the results are many and extremely valuable. From this experience over the years, children come to feel important and loved. They have the opportunity to adopt essential values from their parents.

Parents have the chance to gain more in-depth knowledge about their children’s strengths and weaknesses, which enables them to provide sufficient support and proper guidance. During these times together, mainly when it’s one-on-one time, children feel free to express their thoughts and feelings. All of these experiences create a stronger parent-child bond, which leads to greater self-confidence, resilience, and self-reliance.

Here are a few activities to consider to increase family fun-time and bonding: 1. Family mealtime, which includes family input into developing the menu, helping prepare the food, setting the table, serving, and cleaning up. Having a regular time for meals with all family members expected to attend most of the time is essential. No electronic devices should be present during meals. Use this opportunity for family discussions related to what and how family members are doing, as well as planning family activities.

2. Get into the habit of reading to your children several times a week. For older kids and teens, ask what book they’re reading and then read it yourself. In both cases, engage them in a discussion. Ask what they liked about the book. If it was fiction, ask what your child thought about the outcome or any other plot points. Also, ask if they identified with any of the characters and if so, why. You can also ask if any of the characters reminded them of someone they know.

Look for opportunities to discuss character traits and values. If the book is non-fiction, you can start by asking why

your child selected it. You may want to continue a discussion about the topic and their interests. Ask your child what they learnt and what they will do with the information.

3. Attend community events together such as a parade, carnival, public project, or fundraising projects like a walk or run.

4. Participate in religious activities together.

5. Plan for family game nights. Board games and card games are great ways to have fun.

6. Share music by listening, singing, or dancing together.

7. Participate in physical activities which could be playing catch or shooting baskets in the backyard or visiting the gym or pool together. Fly a kite together. Play Frisbee. Go to the beach and have fun.

8. Build a structure together with blocks or Legos.

9. Watch a movie together, whether at home or a theatre. Discuss your impressions. Look for teachable moments and have an open discussion related to characters, values, and problem-solving.

10. Plan outdoor family activities such as hiking, bicycling, picnics, or camping. These are just a few suggestions. Sit down with your children or hold a family meeting to brainstorm and plan fun things to share. Schedule the activities and commit to making it happen. You’ll find that spending time having fun strengthens your bond, encourages open communication and provides the chance to get to know each other even better. It also offers opportunities to discuss and share values and learn from one another.

Finally, your family will become more connected and cohesive. Your children will feel loved and accepted. You will all come to understand, accept, and appreciate each other. (child-

developmentinfo.com)

S

tart thinking about how important inventions are to daily lives by creating an Invention ABC book.

Materials

Paper Crayons, markers or other art materials Books about inventions

Procedure

1. Define the word “invention.” One way of putting it is that an invention is something new or different that solves a problem. Inventions are everywhere!

2. Write down the letters of the alphabet on the board. Brainstorm a list of inventions, and try to come up with one invention for every letter. Think about things you used to get ready, things around the classroom or inventions you read about in a book. If at the end of the brainstorm you have letters with no invention, look through invention books in groups for ideas until you have an idea for each letter. You may need to jump in for the letter X! 3. Once the invention alphabet is completed, create a picture of the invention and write a sentence about how the invention is used. Include information on how it was invented.

5. Once completed, bind the book together and add it the class library. (startwithabook.org)

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Garbage pile-up causes traffic WPA snipes nightmare at Stabroek Market that AFC got too much from A Cummingsburg Accord

large pile-up of garbage in the vicinity of the Stabroek Market caused traffic chaos on Saturday as both commuters and vehicles tried to navigate the filthy area.

The specific area, which was set aside for waste collection, was overflowing with refuse, mainly comprising of used cardboard boxes, rice bags filled with used plastic bottles and buckets, among other items.

The odour of the garbage dump stretched some distance away as the week’s garbage from the market was left unattended by City Hall and its garbage collectors.

Market waste, according to vendors, was not collected during the week causing the major pile-up.

The garbage scattered over to the road, blocking an entire traffic lane. Drivers were forced to reverse on the one-way lane and take another route out of the congested area.

Luckily, vendors were kind enough and assisted drivers in this process to avoid further confusion. But with this major garbage crisis affecting hundreds, the Mayor and City Council’s (M&CC’s), Solid Waste Management Director, Walter Narine, was unreachable. Calls to his mobile went unanswered while the Public Relations Officer at City Hall, Debra Lewis, was also unreachable.

When contacted and asked for a comment

....looks for PNC to transfer more power to them

T The huge garbage pile outside the Stabroek Market

on the situation, Mayor Ubraj Narine explained to Guyana Times that contractors were deployed to have the area cleared.

Narine said he was not sure what led to the situation becoming so uncontainable, but claimed that there has been a recent upsurge in waste collection. According to him, this has been posing a major challenge to City Hall given that 50 to 60 per cent of its revenue goes towards waste collection.

On this note, he said that the agency plans to have another compactor placed in the area but this will cost an additional $35,000. Against this backdrop, Narine appealed to residents to be

more responsible in the disposal of their waste. In fact, the Mayor even encouraged composting, which simply means using biodegradable materials such as vegetable skins and others to make a heap or apply as manure for plants.

This will decrease the amount of waste being collected and lodged at dumpsites which ultimately poses a threat to the environment.

On the other hand, Narine noted that this situation is not one which is unfamiliar to other parts of the capital city. According to him, hundreds of thousands is usually spent to have various sections of Georgetown cleared, especially Regent

Street, a commercial area.

In fact, the Mayor said that he is still awaiting a meeting with the Private Sector Commission (PSC) on this matter. He added that the situation has been less worrying since M&CC established a relationship with the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

Back in April of this year, a similar situation plagued the Stabroek Market area.

he Working People’s Alliance (WPA), a member of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), has described the Cummingsburg Accord— the sweetheart deal which binds APNU and Alliance for Change (AFC) — as a “lopsided” agreement, since it benefitted some parties more than others.

The WPA is one of five parties which came together in 2011 and formed A Partnership for National Unity.

WPA Executive Member Dr David Hinds told media operatives on Friday that the agreement was clearly disproportional and they are hoping also to have the APNU’s charter reassessed.

“Clearly, the last agreement created a sort of lopsided arrangement kind of within the coalition. We would hope that as they go

into the second round of the Cummingsburg Accord and perhaps a reassessment of the APNU charter, because there is an APNU charter that binds the five parties together. We did not look at it in the 2015 elections,” he said.

His remarks come on the heels of the Cummingsburg Accord being set to be reviewed in the near future.

Hinds indicated that their supporters are of the opinion that the minority party in the coalition, the Alliance for Change (AFC) received more than what was deserving.

“We feel that there should be much more participation by all parties within the coalition. Some of our supporters are saying that the AFC got more than they deserved in the last election and parties like the WPA got less than they deserved. turn to page 13

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Berbice residents protest against Ministers at Govt “outreaches”

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overnment Ministers visited Region Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne) on Friday in what was expected to be a ministerial outreach to the region however, widespread picketing and poor turnout were the order of the day.

Government had arranged 11 meetings in the region with the hope of meeting with residents. However, the ministers turned up at nine of the proposed meetings and were heavily picketed at most of them.

The two meetings scheduled for the East Bank of

the Berbice did not materialized, focusing the handful of people - who went out to have issues addressed - to return home.

At Glasgow also in the East Bank of Berbice, Ministers Winston Felix and Tabitha Sarabo-Halley were expected to address residence but dissatisfied residents turned up with placards, highlighting the fact that the current administration is illegal as thy called on the David Granger led administration to resign from office.

The situation was similar

at Lighttown where Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence and Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman were slated to address residents.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the region at Crabwood Creek, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan was greeted with a barrage of protesters when he went into the community.

The protesters also chanted slogans as minister within Indigenous Affairs Ministry Valerie Lowe spoke to less than ten persons as she announced that General

and Regional Elections will be held this year.

Also attending the meeting was Minister Anette Ferguson who explain the central Government’s role.

At the end of the meeting the few farmers, who attended expressed disappointment stating that none of the ministers addressed issues of concern to them namely agriculture as rice, cash crop and cattle farmers are in need of urgent intervention from central government to have canals and dams upgraded. turn to page 18

In the air…

W …elections?

ith all the “outreaches” the Cabinet that’s not a “Cabinet” (we’re assured!) has been making to all parts of our far-flung land, you’d have to be Forrest Gump not to know election’s in the air!! As far back as February, the PNC Government – let’s not beat around the bush about names, all right?

– had announced its “Ministerial outreaches” where they’d “bring government to the people”. Yeah, right!! $300 million was budgeted for these “outreaches”.

It was on one of these that Finance Minister Jordan declared “war break!!” and Nagamootoo allowed he’d donned his olive battle fatigues!!

By June, however, Public Security Minister Ramjattan fessed up: “We had started our campaign in a sense. We were outreaching in all the areas, even having Cabinet in different areas, having lots of meetings on the weekends especially and carrying our Government projects and programmes for the people to see it themselves and promoting our accomplishments. And that is what part of the campaigning was all about during that time, because there was always this 50-50 chance that we’re gonna lose it and indeed, we lost it”.

Anyhow, matters took a more confessional turn on the Govt’s campaign trail when Minister Garrido-Lowe announced on her “outreach” to the furthermost eastern point of Guyana – the town of Corriverton – that “President Granger said that elections will be this year!!” Well, well, well!! Mout’ open and story jump out!! The Opposition’s been calling on Granger to proclaim a date for the elections since the beginning of the year, after the NCM was passed. Ditto for the CCJ after all his excuses were thrown out! But “No can do!!” was Granger’s response – up to this day.

Sanctimoniously and demurely, he insisted it’s the task of GECOM to tell him when they can be ready – and only THEN he can set a date!! GECOM’s an “autonomous” constitutional body, and he’d never dare to interfere with their work!! So much for the 3-month command of the Constitution following a NCM! So how is it that Garrido-Lowe can now blithely announce that the President said elections will be held this year?? Has he been so advised by GECOM? We know for a fact that after the one meeting the new Chair held with all the Commissioners, no date was proffered. So where did Granger pluck this date from??

Isn’t he now interfering with the “autonomy” of GECOM? Isn’t he giving a very clear signal that the new Chair dare not rule (it’ll come down to her casting vote) for Sept 18? But that’s the PNC for you, isn’t it?

Yet Lowe trotted out what’ll be the PNC campaign “Granger is a leader of integrity!” Some integrity!!

…on Venezuela??

Russia’s one of Maduro’s closest allies as his country careens out of control. But he clings to power through the support of the armed forces, which he’s rewarded handsomely by handing over large swathes of the economy to them. Now we all know that our case to dismiss the controversy precipitated when Venezuela decided to do a volte face and renounce the Arbitral Award of 1899 that settled our western border, is coming up at the World Court. We’ve made our submissions, while Venezuela declined to do so.

So when a spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry insisted that the UK was, “completing the construction of a military base on one of the islands at the mouth of the Essequibo River under a plausible pretext – supposedly to stop the smuggling of weapons and drugs,” we should sit up and take notice. The Russians said the base was to train “sabotage groups to be dispatched to Venezuelan territory”.

A misdirection ruse?

…in an elevator

How many persons does it take to run an elevator?

In the case of the elevators at Peters Hall, at either end of the crossover, the MoPI says “five”. Not that Guyanese mightn’t know how to press the button, but because there might be vandalism.

Wouldn’t concealed cameras be more efficient??

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

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SUnDAY, august 18, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

Guyanese of Indian Ancestry kick off youth development forum WPA as a PNC flank group

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s the elections draw closer, as usual, our two major polarised ethnic groups are acting like magnetic poles dragging the society into one or the other camp. In the classic Liberal polity, supposedly rational individuals engage in a variety of roles and belong to a multitude of organisations and groups whose several interests are cross cutting. The individual, in his political role as a voter, therefore, makes a “rational” choice based on the position a given party takes on the issues before the electorate. Even if all voters do not conform to this ideal, there are enough who do, to constitute a pool of “swing” votes in the middle for which all parties compete.

This situation creates a centripetal moderating effect and the parties line up on a continuum on the issues. We have the politics of “in and out”.

The party system in a divided society like ours operates on totally different basis. Here, the individual is a member of groups, which Ravi Dev instead of diffusing the cleavages, act to reinforce them. They will generally attend different places of worship, occupy different occupational niches, and have different modes of recreation. The “broker institutions” that each group participates in, and which represents him in the larger society, are also ethnically based trade unions, political parties etc.

Political affiliation, is thus not based on the party’s position on a variety of issues, but generally on one issue: which groups’ interest does the particular party represent? Party membership is generally inscriptive, where individuals perceive their fate in ethnic, rather than individual or class terms.

For the longest while, the PPP and the PNC have been attempting to be seen as “multi-ethnic/multiracial. However, working against such parties is the existence of “flank” parties or groups. These are found within every ethnic group and take positions which can be considered “extreme” in favour of their given group. The major “multi-ethnic” party are forced to respond to their demands so as not to lose core support. Since the demands of these flank parties are invariably particularistic and in opposition to the “out” group, the major parties move away from the centre as they respond.

In 2015, I thought the PNC made an important concession when they courted the AFC for the latter’s Indian-Guyanese supporters. But rather than moving towards the centre and addressing concerns of “both sides”, the PNC simply shrugged and let that promise fall, while the AFC recoiled from any advocacy for Indian-Guyanese issues. In the meantime, the rump WPA, which had merged with the PNC as “APNU”, abandoned Rodney’s signal multiracial stance as its remaining members played leading roles in organisations that flanked the PNC from an Afro-centric perspective: Cuffy 250; ACDA; Buxton First of August Movement (BFAM) etc.

I was rather bemused when I read my friend David Hinds asserting on behalf of the WPA, “We would argue that if any group should complain that Government has not put particular attention to them, it is African Guyanese… but it has shown that Government does not have ethnic preference”. What about, for instance, the $2.8B programme to develop the farming lands behind the African-dominated villages of Buxton, BV, Ithaca and Mocha?

“The monies would be used to buy farming equipment that will remain in the identified communities, finance land clearing, restore and upgrade drainage and irrigation canals, install a pump in each of the farming communities and provide technical support for targeted farmers. Planners expect that 155 kilometres of canals and drains and 40 kilometres of fair weather dam would be constructed and one pump station would be provided to enable farmers to reclaim 2,500 acres of abandoned land. There would be market-driven approach to match demand for high quality produce in Caricom countries while the second and third best would be processed into value added products”.

Or what about the 90% Afro-recruits to the Public Service College; thousands trained for jobs; given scholarships; facilitated in business; 16 out of 17 Permanent Secretaries; Ministers, Heads of Dept; Boards membership; IDPAD initiative; housing schemes; augmented Disciplined Forces? etc But what took the cake was David claiming the PNC Government “was careful not to throw Indian Guyanese under the bus”. That’s cold. Apart from shuttering sugar, why not an agricultural plan like the above for the fired workers, using some abandoned cane land?

Or at least subsidise their electricity bills?

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s part of ensuring that youths are being provided with important life skills that will enable them to have better lives while simultaneously equipping them to make meaningful contributions to society, the Guyanese of Indian Ancestry Association (GIAA) has commenced youth development forums.

The first of this series of events was hosted at the Madina Building of the GIAA’s conference room in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and saw a turnout of over 40 participants between the age of 12 and 19.

These participants represented various groups from both Region Three and Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

According to the team from the GIAA which is spearheading these youth development forums, such an initiative was deemed necessary since each forum will allow participants the opportunity of becoming “better persons for the future.”

During the first session, a young lecturer at the Government Technical Institute (GTI), Asif Ishak, focused heavily on the usefulness and importance of time management.

He explained that managing one’s time is vital in an individual’s ap-

A section of the gathering at the first youth development forum hosted by the GIAA

proach towards achieving any goal and self-development.

“Effective time management should be taught from an early age so that the workforce is more effective. The youths were able to identify the ways in which their times are consumed by irrelevant and unnecessary activities,” the GIAA stated in a release.

The GIAA team was established two years ago and has been the driving force behind the Annual Indian Heritage Expos at the National Track and Field Stadium, Leonora, Region Three.

The team is comprised of persons from various backgrounds whose interest is to promote Indian culture and build a better society.

Another activity scheduled by the Indian Heritage committee that is slated within the coming weeks is its Food Fest and Curry Competition. The event is slated for September 22, 2019, at the National Track and Field Stadium, Leonora, WCD. According to the GIAA, this event will be “the first of its kind to be held in Guyana with over half of a million in prizes up for grabs.”

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Gun-related crimes at markets Audit of CJIA stalled, critical info increased – Chief Constable not forthcoming – Auditor General

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riminal activities have been prevalent at marketplaces across Georgetown but most of these petty offences have now graduated to gun-related incidents.

Chief Constable Andrew Foo explained at a recent press conference that security has always been a concern and during the last few years, most of the persons committing unlawful acts are armed.

“Security is always a concern for the constabulary because we have a responsibility, we have a mandate in terms of providing security. Policing have to do with numbers. You have to be able to dominate the ground to deter persons from perpetrating offences…What we recognise is that over the last couple of years is that most of the incidents are committed by persons who are armed and more so gun-related in terms of robberies,” he said.

Foo added that there is always a need for patrols and solid presence from ranks because if not, criminal activities will spiral out of control.

He established that while robberies and other offences are due to the economic activities at Stabroek and Bourda Markets, it is due to inadequate lighting.

“Outside of that, you have to have an established presence either in terms of

T City Constable Andrew Foo

uniformed ranks or ranks in plain clothes. Unless you have that, you will not [stop] the sort of activity that is happening. The fact is that area is a hub for economic activities and you have persons selling around the clock. If you look at that area, there is need for lighting,” the Chief Constable said.

Just recently, a couple of stalls were broken into at the Bourda Market and vendors heavily complained about their losses. However, he informed that those culpable individuals were apprehended and hauled before the court.

“A few weeks ago, we’ve had a few stalls that were broken. Fortunately, we were able to apprehend those persons and they are before the court. While we have a

limited amount of strength, the strength that we have is in terms of presence.”

Last Thursday, a man was caught in the morning hours as he attempted to scale a gate at the Bourda Market. The suspect was spotted climbing over the structure by a rank on patrol and an alarm was raised.

However, as the man retreated from proceeding further, he opened fire at the City Constable, who at that time reciprocated with similar actions. This caused the suspect to flee the scene and after a high-speed chase with backup from other ranks, he was apprehended at Hadfield Street and placed in the lock-ups. A search was conducted at the said location, where a pistol and 15 live rounds were discovered.

he much-anticipated, value-for-money audit, as well as an overall financial audit of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project expenses by the Audit Office of Guyana, is still on the table but has been stalled and it is unclear as to when these audits can be conducted.

This is according to Auditor General (AG) Deodat Sharma, who during a telephone interview with Guyana Times, stated that over six weeks ago, a letter was sent to the Public Infrastructure Ministry to supply certain information for the agency to commence its work.

According to the AG, that information is yet to be provided and until the Audit Office receives this critical information from the subject Ministry, it cannot begin any audit at the CJIA. However, Sharma noted that the Public Infrastructure Ministry had initially responded to the AG’s office signalling its in-

tent to cooperate.

“They just acknowledged the letter to say that they are working on it to send. Until I get the document(s) from the Ministry, then I will be unable to say a time frame of when we can start working,” he stated.

Over one month ago, Sharma had explained that the reason that the Audit Office of Guyana had requested the critical information from the Ministry was because of the fact that it needed to have certain groundwork completed in this regard.

“We had to get up information, you know. We were doing some reports in terms of what we would need, so I had to let the engineers get up some information like what we are going to be needing later to carry out this special investigation. So the letter has now gone off to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry and yes, the audit is still in the pipeline”.

This special audit comes in light of a series of calls

mounting for a thorough probe into the CJIA expansion project by a wide section of society.

For some time, the Public Infrastructure Ministry has faced questions over the CJIA expansion project’s costs and delayed construction. The project was initially supposed to have been completed within 32 months.

The project started in 2012 under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration when Guyana secured a US$138 million loan from the China Exim (ExportImport) Bank to fund the expansion and modernisation project, for which the Guyana Government was to contribute some US$12 million.

The A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC), when in Opposition, had cut the funding the then PPP/C Government had allocated for the expansion project. turn to page 16

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“Mad rush” for land at Millie’s Hideout – Region 10 REO

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s some 628 applications have been received for land at Millie’s Hideout, there continues to be a “mad rush” for land, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Regional Executive Officer (REO) Orrin Gordon said.

According to the REO, with the Region Ten administration’s efforts in constructing a road that will lead to the Berbice River, the interest by farmers and others to secure land there continues to be significant.

Millie’s Hideout is the area in Region 10 where Police conduct constant raids as it is a haven for marijuana cultivation. This year alone, Police have unearthed and destroyed thousands of marijuana plants on large acreage in that area.

According to Gordon, Government had given the region $13 million, which was supposed to complete some two miles of road; however, they were able to complete nine miles instead, and is determined that the project which was originally pegged at $300 million can be completed for one-fifth of that amount.

Gordon said that some

sure that those who are genuine about farming can benefit.

In June, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo called on President David Granger to answer for a massive distribution of prime State lands to certain employees of the Ministry of the Presidency, as well as to cronies in the PNCled A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) fraction of the

One of the camps that was found during the Police operation

628 persons have applied for land at the area, noting that the interest in farming continues to increase, and stressed that the public is becoming aware that agriculture is critically important to Guyana.

He disclosed that from the 628 applications, the Region has some 21,000 acres of land that will be

distributed among the applicants. He added that the region is awaiting the green light from Guyana Lands and Survey Commission before the applications are processed.

The REO stressed that the greatest challenge facing the Region Ten administration in its distribution is that the Lands and Survey

Commission is not moving as fast as they expected them to move, noting that its slowing the process.

REO Gordon declared that the lands that the Region intends to distribute are for serious farmers, warning that the monitoring and evaluation process would be rigged so as to en-

WPA snipes that AFC got too...

We would imagine that when they sit down to iron those things out, they would come to some conclusion that would be fair to all the parties,” Hinds affirmed.

The Cummingsburg Accord expires on February 14, 2020.

However, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had positioned last year that it was being undermined by the APNU/ PNC. In fact, he mentioned moves made by President Granger to lessen the responsibility of AFC ministers.

AFC Executive, Cathy Hughes, was first appointed as Tourism Minister in 2015 when the coalition Government first took office. Her stint as Tourism Minister was short-lived, and she was reassigned to a relatively unknown

ministry which has fewer responsibilities – the Public Telecommunications Ministry. The Tourism Ministry was then assigned under another AFC executive and son-in-law of the President, Dominic Gaskin, who was in charge of the

Business Ministry— a lesser known ministry also.

Jagdeo had also highlighted that the move taken by President Granger to strip Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman of his responsibility for the oil and gas sec-

from page 7

tor. Responsibility for the environment was first taken away from Trotman when a decision was made to establish the Department of Environment that is now housed in the Ministry of the Presidency.

coalition Government and officials of the States Assets Recovery Agency (SARA), which were supposed to recover State assets.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Leader said its quite worrying since a top-ranking official of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) also received land. That land is located at Millie’s Hideout in Linden.

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Are you burning your waste?

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ast week, we spoke about the importance of the safe management of hazardous waste and what is required under the Hazardous Waste Management Regulations. This week, we will continue the theme of waste management and will focus on the burning of waste, a growing problem which poses significant negative impacts to human health and the environment. The burning of waste—sometimes referred to as opening burning or backyard burning— is an environmentally poor waste management option. You may have had the disturbing experience of being in your home when suddenly everything is in a cloud of smoke. As we travel through communities all across Guyana, we often can see thick smoke billowing, fires near electric poles, sometimes causing worry that a home is on fire. Open fires are dangerous to public health and the environment. Waste commonly burned at or nearby homes and business premises may include paper, cardboard, textiles, plastics, household and industrial chemicals, food, and yard clippings.

Why do people burn their trash?

The excuses may range from the high cost of garbage disposal services in their community, to the absence of these services, or not wanting to haul their waste to local disposal sites. Nowadays, with the exception of some rural areas, many communities have access to relatively low-cost garbage pickup services. Some people, though, may simply not understand the dangers of burning their waste and thus see it as an easy cost effective method.

Burning waste is a health hazard Burning waste can result in the release of highly toxic pollutants into your home or environment and some people are at greater risk of being affected. Pollutants include particulate matter, nitric oxides, dioxins and many other dangerous chemicals. Some particulate emissions that are commonly found in smoke are small enough to enter the respiratory system. This means that you can simply breathe in dangerous fine particles. Contact with pollutants that can have immediate effects such as rashes, nausea and headaches, and long term health effects such as asthma, emphysema and other respiratory illnesses, nervous system, kidney, or liver damage, and reproductive or developmental disorders.

Dioxins can be produced in harmful quantities during burning Dioxins are a group of hundreds of chemically-related compounds that are persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These chemicals are members of three closely related families: chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs), chlorinated dibenzofurans (CDFs), and certain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

CDFs and CDDs are not usually created intentionally, but as a result of human activities such as burning household garbage.

Some types of dioxins may result from natural processes such as forest fires. According to the US EPA, dioxins are highly toxic and can cause cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, damage to the immune system, and can interfere with hormones.

These compounds though not present in the materials before they are burnt, are produced and introduced into the environment.

Pollutants are then released at the ground level where they can be readily inhaled, deposited on plants and released into waterways and can enter the food chain. More dioxins are produced in a burn barrel as compared to large incinerators because of low oxygen and lower temperature.

Open fires are especially dangerous near populated areas These include highways, airports, health-care facilities and other smoke-sensitive areas. Children, older people and people with heart problems and respiratory ailments like asthma are sensitive to these pollutants.

Burning also threatens natural resources and contributes to climate change Harmful contaminants from burning affect, water, air, wildlife, and natural habitats and can destroy soil nutrients and reduce fertility. When surface runoff increases after burning, it may carry suspended soil particles, dissolved inorganic nutrients, and other materials into adjacent trenches, streams and lakes reducing water quality. Smoke from the burning of vegetation consists of small particles (particulate) of ash, partly consumed fuel, and liquid droplets. Other combustion products include invisible gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, and small quantities of nitrogen oxides. These substances, when present in the atmosphere, are powerful greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change. There is an even greater risk of fires under the warm temperatures and decreased rainfall that we sometimes experience; we should therefore avoid setting fires in vegetated areas and immediately put out fires that start spontaneously.

The Environmental Protection Agency encourages citizens to desist from the unauthorised burning of waste. To dispose of waste by incineration requires an environmental permit. It is an offence under the Environmental Protection (Air Quality) regulations, to emit any air contaminant related to industry, commerce, agriculture, or any institution, without approval from the EPA with penalties ranging from $75, 000 to $500,000 and to imprisonment for six months. Contact your local authority about safe and proper waste disposal methods. Be vigilant and exercise caution when around open fires. Use caution when disposing of smoking materials or open flames like barbeque and cooking fireside.

Permits can be obtained through the Environmental Protection Agency Offices at Ganges Street Sophia, Georgetown or Whim Village, Berbice.

To report fires relating to the burning of waste please call your local NDC or the EPA on 225-5471-2/225-6048. You can also email us at epa@epaguyana.org or send us a message on Facebook.

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Commercial banks cannot operate as microfinance institutions, those of venture capital firms

—the real constraint with small business financing is more of a financial market problem

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oday’s article is inspired by the concerns raised in the press a few weeks ago by the Small Business Bureau (SBB) in an article carried in the print media titled, Commercial banks’ squeeze on small business lending strangling entrepreneurial ambitions, job creation.

Commercial banks are naturally risk averse because they are deposit-taking institutions – thus, having the responsibility to protect depositors’ funds, which means they have to engage in prudent lending. Compounding the situation in which access to financing is apparently difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises especially; it is not necessarily the inherent nature of the commercial banks per se, but rather, a series of limitations with respect to the businesses themselves and by extension the management and owners of the said enterprises – so it can be regarded as twofold.

In the conduct of credit assessment, a borrower needs to fulfil certain qualifying criterion before the decision to approve a loan is made. One of the primary requirements in this process is collateral, and in many instances, this is one of the main limitations – lack of adequate and tangible collateral. Instantly, this may be a deterrent – much to the disadvantage of the prospective borrower.

It must be noted, also, that having healthy collateral is not always a decisive factor in the loan approval process. The more important decisive factors in this regard are premised upon the borrower’s ability to repay – debt servicing ability, and, this other element might sound surprising – but in reality – the most crucial of them all is the borrower’s willingness to repay.

With experience over the last 25 years or so, bankers have recognised that borrowers are not disciplined as they were for the period prior to 1992. This is undoubtedly one of the key reasons loans are consistently in arrears and also non-performing in some cases. This notion hinges on the fact that there has been, over this period, a paradigmatic change in the socio-cultural construct of the market within which the banks operate – that is, the customers.

In respect of the technical limitations of businesses, most small and medium-sized firms lack crucial expertise in the industry within which they operate; such as, sound financial management practices, and particularly, cash flow management. These, therefore, inevitably disqualify such entities from accessing financing through the commercial banks.

The problem of access to financing is not so much an interest rate problem or cost of capital. The broader problem about access to capital is not because of commercial banks: it is because of Guyana’s underdeveloped financial system. It is important to understand and acknowledge that commercial banks are inherently different in their structure. They are not designed for microfinance. Commercial banks do, in fact, help and contribute to some extent, but micro financing is usually risky.

If at all the notion of “notoriously high” interest rates hold any merit as posited in the referenced article, which it doesn’t hold much in this author’s view, then institutions like the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED) would have been a failure today.

IPED was founded specifically for the purpose of microfinance and it is doing extremely well today. To this end, one ought to therefore pause to examine the structure of IPED. Ironically, if we want to talk about notorious interest rates then guess what is IPED’s on microfinance? 20-30 % in some cases. Of course IPED’s interest rates are reflective of high risk nature of such businesses and poor collateral. Commercial banks’ interest rates are way below that.

Now, in terms of IPED’s structure, the way they operate is to take a hands on approach to help their clients manage their business, extensive field work and they even have training programs for their clients. Commercial banks don’t do this and they don’t have the incentive to so do.

Another important factor with IPED’s structure is that they hold anything from household effects to cars, or any asset as security which the banks cannot do because of the Financial Institutions Act. The contention is this: if we want to deal with the issue of microfinance, that’s not for commercial banks, we need more microfinance institutions like IPED, and this comes right back to capital market development. Moreover, IPED’s financing structure that is, the source of its financing is different from the commercial banks. Meaning, it is not a deposit taking institution, its capital is actually shareholders money and it reinvests its profits. Unlike the commercial banks which take savings from ordinary people (householders) and firm. So the source of financing and the way microfinance institutions versus commercial banks are designed, are all different. The SBB is therefore suggesting that commercial banks should in effect function as a micro-finance institution and that of a venture capital firm. Unfortunately, it doesn’t and cannot work like that. Commercial Banks can’t take the savings from householders and lend it as it like. It has to be done very prudently.

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

16 news

SUnDAY, AUGUST 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Teen stabbed by knife-wielding bandit A

teenager is battling for his life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after he was stabbed to his chest by a knife-wielding bandit on a bicycle.

Injured is Omesh

Lakeram, who was stabbed after he tried to protect his two female friends, aged 19 and 17, from the bandit.

Reports are that on Thursday evening at about 18:45h in the La Parfait Harmonie village, West Bank Demerara (WBD),

Lakeram was in the company of the two sisters, who are his neighbours, when the robbery and stabbing incident occurred.

As the trio exited at a bus stop in their village and started walking through the street, they noticed a ped-

al cyclist ride past them but thought nothing of it since that route was often traversed by many.

However, after passing Lakeram and the two sisters, who were trailing some distance behind the lad, the man turned around and rode towards their direction. The cyclist snatched a handbag belonging to one of the sisters, but she did not let go.

Instead, she held onto the handle as the bandit continued to tug at it. He managed to pull the bag out of her hand, leaving only the handle hanging.

The bandit then pounced on the other sister, who also tried to hold onto her handbag. Lakeram ran to the sisters’ aid.

Guyana Times was told that the bandit then stabbed him to his chest and rode away.

A relative of the girls told this publication on Saturday that the sisters were not

aware that Lakeram had been injured since they only noticed him falling to the ground but did not hear him complain of being stabbed.

“They asked him if he was okay and he told them he was, that they should walk quickly and get home fast, while they were helping him to his feet. The girls had him braced on each of their shoulders to walk and then he told them suddenly he cannot walk and cannot see anymore and he fell again. That is when they realised he was stabbed, they raised his jersey and see the blood pouring out,” the woman stated.

According to the woman, Lakeram’s father was also at that time walking through the street to get home from work, and noticed his son falling to the ground with the girls struggling to help him.

The woman added that the man rushed to his son’s

aid and with the assistance of the driver of a car that was passing that location, they managed to take the boy to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH).

However, due to the severity of the wound, Lakeram was immediately transferred to the GPHC. “They did a surgery on Friday and then the medical staff and doctor them told us he got a puncture to his lung and his heart. This child is on life and death, a 50-50 case, at the ICU. This is unfair, justice needs to be served,” the girls’ relative said.

A report was made at the La Grange Police Station, WBD, shortly after the ordeal. Although Police retrieved the handle of one of the girls’ handbags along with a knife casing, no arrest has been made.

Guyana Times was also told that the girls are still traumatised.

11 Guyanese awarded Chevening scholarship …urged to return and serve their country

E

leven Guyanese will soon be departing Guyana’s shores for studies in the United Kingdom (UK) after they were selected for the Chevening scholarship this year.

At the British High Commissioner’s residence on Friday evening, the candidates were joined by two others from neighbouring Suriname. The scholarship is a fully-funded initiative which the UK Government extends to several countries. Awardees are required to spend one year in some of the most prominent universities, completing a post-graduate master’s programme.

British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn explained that this opportunity is geared at providing a gateway for Guyanese to study and then return to serve the country. While other employment offers will come along, it is the expectation that Guyana will be placed as a priority.

“After these scholars have been awarded their

degrees, we expect them to come back and work for the benefit of Guyana…This is the purpose of Chevening – to give people the skills and knowledge needed to help develop their own country.

Not to go and work elsewhere but to return and work here. It is the least we can expect. We are not spending money to have people vanish off elsewhere,” Quinn expressed.

This year, the scholarships were funded by the British Government at a cost of $93 million. The post-graduate studies were awarded in a number of fields including marine planning, oil and gas law, health, environment, human rights, economics, information technology, media and cultural studies; and sports science.

The envoy said this demonstrates their commitment to developing Guyana.

“I am proud that we have committed this amount of funding to develop and train those people who will help develop Guyana. I am also proud that we have shown an increasing commitment

to Suriname over the same period,” he stated.

Meanwhile, one of the alumnus Dr Quincy Jones shared advice to the new batch, charging them to make the best use of this opportunity. He also positioned that while it was challenging to gain admission, there will be other roadblocks.

“You will meet people who think that you’re too entitled but don’t let that stop you. You have to remember why you were chosen for Chevening. You have to remember that you checked that box and you have to remember that this is not just for you, but it is a shot for Guyana moving forward,” Jones told the new scholars.

Among this year’s candidates are Anjie Lambert, Ashley Bankay, La Donna Fredericks, Carlyle Collins, Petra Richmond, Sunita Samaroo, Jaime Skeete, Vivette Wellington, Desilon Daniels and Christelle Chesney.

Applications are opened for next year’s scholarships and will close on November 5.

Audit of CJIA stalled, critical...

When the coalition Government came into power in 2015, the project was put on hold, but after discussions between Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), it was later announced that the project would be continued but a number of downgrades were done to the design.

The extension of works into 2019 comes in disparity to an earlier commitment

by Government whereby it pledged that the works associated with the expansion would have been completed by the last quarter of 2018.

Just a few months ago, Attorney-at-Law and an-

ti-corruption advocate Christopher Ram stressed that such an audit is, in fact, to be expected and speaks to the broader issue of a Government that is accountable.

“It’s obviously something that is necessary. There need not be a call for it. It should be done as a matter of course. It’s part of the broader issue of transparency and accountability. Only an independent audit will be able to attest to the accuracy and authenticity of any expenditure,” Ram had said.

According to the Attorney, there are several elements to consider when conducting an audit. Ram urged that any audit into

from page 12

the CJIA expansion project should include elements of both value-for-money and financial audit.

“The way an audit is conducted, an audit looks at the materiality of figures and the fact that those figures are to be pursued. The first thing one does is look at the contract and see whether the contract is being observed”.

“If there’s any variation, what was the authority for the variation? And was it made in accordance with the Procurement Act? You also need to ensure that those persons who might have compromised at the variation had the relevant expertise to do so”.

news

17

SUnDAY, AUGUST 18, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Jagdeo calls out Govt for poor public servants’ wages track record …as Finance Minister says talks underway with unions

W

hile Finance Minister Winston Jordan has promised that public servants can look forward to salary increases over the next two years, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is questioning the Government’s commitment to public servants, particularly teachers.

Jordan made this commitment during a press conference he held earlier this week, where he was asked what public servants can look forward to. According to the Minister, talks are presently ongoing in a bid to come to an agreement for wage increases with the unions.

The Minister was careful not to give details regarding these talks since they are still active. Regardless of the results of these talks, however, Jordan said Government would at least be paying interim increases.

“We will be paying a salary increase in (2019) and a bigger salary increase in 2020. We’re in discussions with the unions at

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

the moment. There are two high-level committees who are engaging the two main unions.”

And we trust that they will be able to advance the negotiations to such a stage that we’re ready to make a payout. But even if there is a deadlock or no agreement, something interim will be paid,” Jordan said.

At his press conference on Thursday, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo cited the Government’s poor track record in wage in-

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

creases and workers’ benefits. It is a track record that included even Jagdeo interceding with President David Granger on the side of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU).

“They want to announce how much they’ll give in the next term. All along, we had to fight, I had to make public statements, I spoke to the President personally. I said why can’t he meet with the Teachers’ Union? We had a multi-year agreement

Mid-year report shows economy in serious danger of 'Dutch disease' – financial analyst

…as productive sectors in decline, FDI driven by preparations for oil

T

he 2019 Ministry of Finance Mid-year report is out and according to one financial analyst who perused the document, it shows that Guyana is headed towards an unhealthy dependence on oil and potentially the dreaded Dutch disease.

According to economist Dr Peter Ramsaroop on Saturday, the report shows that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is being driven at the moment by the oil sector, which is counterbalancing the uninspiring performance of the traditional sectors.

“Imports of intermediate goods into Guyana in the first half of the year expanded by US$170.4 million to US$706 million, driven largely by other intermediate goods, chemicals, parts and accessories imported growing significantly on account of oil and gas activities.”

“Imported capital goods increased substantially, by US$155.2 million to US$423 million, primarily attributed to a substantial expansion in mining machinery, again, supported by oil and gas activity,” Ramsaroop said.

However, these

are the very conditions that can lead to the ‘Dutch disease’; an economic term used to define an imbalance in the local economy of an oil producer that can include rising currency values, non-competitive exports and the decline of traditional sectors.

“These are not indicators of a diversified economy that is growing but rather one that is now leaning towards sole dependency on one industry,” he said, noting that the Dutch disease is creeping in but there are no concrete measures to address it.

Ramsaroop noted that Government’s projected growth rate of over 4 per cent is supported largely by this imbalance in investments in the petroleum sector and not

the traditional sectors. He made it clear that such investments have little trickle-down effects to small or medium-sized businesses.

According to the Bank of Guyana’s recently released first-quarter statistical bulletin, sugar experienced a major decline of 34.3 per cent, owing to the restructuring process the Guyana Sugar Corporation is undergoing. On the other hand, the decline of rice output by 9.3 per cent was attributed to the paddy bug infestation and the increased costs of production.

The mining and quarrying sectors exhibited lower production. According to the bulletin, there was a 4.9 per cent decline in gold declarations. The Bank cited particular mining companies. Troy Resources output declined by 40.4 per cent, while Guyana Goldfields showed slight increases.

One of the worsthit sectors was the bauxite industry, w h i c h contracted by 24.4 per cent in terms of production. turn to page 18

as a result of which they got a salary increase, a large number of duty-free vehicles for teachers.”

“We gave them a housing grant and every year a sum of money would flow from the treasury into that housing fund. We worked out a whole package and that was a multi-year agreement. The first three years of this Government, they failed to deal with non-salary benefits of teachers. It’s only after the No-Confidence Motion they started working on these things. Suddenly, they love teachers.”

Indeed, teachers have had a tough time with their salary increases, leading to an almost nationwide teachers’ strike last year. It led to President Granger final-

ly intervening by offering the Union a 10 per cent increase for 2016 and eight per cent for 2018.

The President’s move came days after Jagdeo had advised that Granger take a stand on the matter. That was also the second time that the President has been forced to intervene between the GTU and the Education Ministry to resolve the wage-related matters. In 2017, a high-level task force was appointed by him to oversee these matters.

When it comes to other public servants and the disciplined services, Government had approved retroactive salary increases of up to seven per cent last year.

These increases were set according to the various

earnings of the workers.

For instance, workers between the $100,000 to $299,000 range got an increase of 6.5 per cent. In the case of public servants earning below $100,000, they received a seven per cent increase.

According to a circular that was issued, public servants with salaries ranging between $300,000 and $499.999 would receive a five per cent increase; while those that fall within the $500,000 to $699,999 bracket would receive a three per cent increase; $700,000 to $799,999 – two per cent increase; $800,000 to $999,999 – one per cent; and those earning one million dollars and above would receive a 0.5 per cent increase.

18

SUnDAY, AUGUST 18, 2019

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

Bulgaria seizes cocaine T&T hospital worker smuggled in banana shipment nabbed with drugs

A

warehouse worker has discovered 75 kilogrammes (165 pounds) of cocaine hidden among bananas shipped from Ecuador to Bulgaria’s Black Sea port of Burgas, prosecutors and police said Saturday.

The drugs were packed in bricks wrapped up in metal foil and hidden inside the shipment of 20,626 boxes of bananas, Burgas regional prosecutor Georgy Chinev told journalists outside the Burgas warehouse of the InterCitrus fruit distribution company.

A warehouse worker came upon the 2.5-kilogramme packages on Saturday morning and alert-

ed police, Burgas police chief Kaloyan Kaloyanov said.

Officials said the fruit arrived at Burgas on July 27 on a ship from Ecuador that also made a stopover in Italy.

Authorities will be checking other warehouses of the

same fruit company in Sofia, Varna and Plovdiv in the coming days, they said, adding that some of the bananas had already been exported to Romania.

Romania and Bulgaria are considered key transit points for cocaine from Latin America on the smuggling route to western Europe.

But such busts at Bulgarian ports are unusual, with Kaloyanov saying that this has been the largest seizure in Burgas this year. Similar finds of cocaine in banana shipments from South and Central America have been made in several European countries over the past year, including Ukraine, Poland and Spain. (AFP)

Bangladesh fire: 15,000 homes destroyed

A

massive fire has swept through a slum in the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, leaving 50,000 people homeless.

About 15,000 homes were destroyed in the Chalantika slum late on Friday.

Many homes had plastic roofs, which helped the flames to spread. No deaths have been reported, although several people were injured.

Most residents are lowwage earners and many were away after the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. There is no word on the cause of the fire.

An investigation is under way. Firefighters took more

Police have seized a quantity of drugs and cash from a worker at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital

A 35-year-old man of Marcano Quarry, Laventille was also held with 30 grammes of marijuana in his possession.

The officers also had cause to arrest a 33-yearold man from Carenage at the City Gate Maxi Taxi Terminal in connection with a report of wounding with intent.

The said party of officers also executed several search warrants in the Beetham

Gardens, Laventille, Bath Street Plannings and Pashley Street areas for arms and ammunition.

During the searches, officers found 500 grammes of marijuana and 35 grammes of cocaine in a bushy area.

Several road check exercises were lso carried out in the Belmont and Besson Street police districts, where a total of 44 field interview forms were completed. (T&T

Guardian)

Mid-year report shows economy... from page 17

Fire raging through the slum in Bangladesh

than six hours to put out the flames.

The government says relief will be provided for the many thousands who are now without shelter.

In February a fire in the historic district of Dhaka killed about 80 people, and nine died in another blaze in a slum in the coastal city of Chittagong. (BBC)

Sudan protest leaders, military sign transitional Govt deal

S

udan’s main opposition coalition and the ruling military council have formally signed a final power-sharing deal, paving the way for a transition to a civilian-led government.

The landmark agreement signed on Saturday in the capital Khartoum came after a long period of negotiations following the overthrow of longtime leader President Omar al-Bashir in the wake of mass protests.

The deal was inked between Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy chief of the Transitional Military Council (TMC), and Ahmed al-Rabie, who represented the Alliance for Freedom and Change umbrella group.

The ceremony was attended by heads of states, prime ministers and dignitaries from several countries, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.

The power-sharing deal creates a joint military and civilian sovereign council to rule for a little over three years until elections can be

A

n employee at the Port of Spain General Hospital was arrested and a quantity of marijuana seized by officers of the Port-of-Spain Division Task Force, during an anti-crime exercise on Friday.

The employee was arrested while on the compound resulting in a partial lock down that caused a stir among staff and early morning visitors.

The exercise, coordinated by ACP (Ag.) Williams, Snr. Supt. (Ag.) Moore and supervised by Insp.

Randall McGuirk and Sgts.

Alexander and Lucas, was conducted between 5 am and 10.30 am and included officers of the Besson Street Operations Unit, City Police, Transit Police and the Canine Branch.

The officers acting on information proceeded to the hospital where they conducted a search and discovered 500 grammes of marijuana along with TT$1,020 in cash hidden in and around the compound.

The Bank attributed this to industrial unrest at the Russian-owned bauxite company, RUSAL. “Analysis of the non-petroleum economy would reveal that the economy has not only been reeling from stagnation but rather, is regressing by as much as double-digit figures with even more troubling signs on the horizon,” Ramsaroop said.

“What the Minister of Finance would wish to silence in the report that the inflation rate – already calculated using suspect and conservative figures for a Consumer Price Index (CPI) – has also been revised upwards by more than the growth he projects.”

Dutch disease

The agreement, brokered by the African Union and Ethiopia, has been welcomed with relief by both sides [AFP photo]

held.

Under the agreement, a military leader would head the 11-member council for the first 21 months, followed by a civilian leader for the next 18.

It would also establish a cabinet appointed by the activists and a legislative body.

Sudan’s sovereign council would include TMC head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the deputy Dagalo and Lieutenant General Yasser Al-Atta, the TMC’s spokesperson told Sky News Arabia.

Under a power-sharing agreement, the sovereign council would include five members selected by the

TMC, five picked by the main opposition coalition, and one agreed upon by both sides.

The military’s two remaining members would be named at a later time, Shams El Din Kabbashi said.

The deal also included the establishment of an independent investigation into the crackdown on protesters by the security forces.

In June, troops violently dispersed the protesters’ main sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum, killing dozens of people and plunging the fragile transition into crisis. (Al Jazeera)

Among the measures that have been touted to prevent the resource curse is a ‘depletion’ policy. Last year, this publication had quoted former Vice

President for Strategy and Policy Development at BP, London, and visiting professor at King’s College, Nick Butler, as making this suggestion.

Butler had said that a depletion policy would help to set the pace of growth in the oil sector.

He said the idea behind this is to phase production over a long period, avoiding a gold rush and allowing local companies to build up their capabilities to enable them to win a share of any oil-related activity.

“They don’t need to develop it all at once. I would support a depletion policy where you limit what you produce year by year to manage the inflow of money so that the exchange rate is not destroyed by this one single, successful industry,” he was quoted saying.

That covers everything from the development of a new port, infrastructure, en-

gineering support and all the other essential onshore services from food to accommodation for the oil workers.

Butler noted that if Guyana is to get this wrong, it would have devastating effects for agriculture and local businesses. It would also mean employment will become less.

It was only this week that, in the wake of a Bloomberg report critiquing Guyana’s unpreparedness for its oil and gas sector, Finance Minister Winston Jordan had admitted that indeed, Guyana is not at the stage where it ought to be ahead of first oil.

This comes even as ExxonMobil is headed towards 2020 first oil, having found billions of barrels of oil in the Stabroek Block since 2015 and Tullow, a British-based oil company with shares in the Orinduik and Kanuku blocks, has also recently found oil.

Berbice residents protest...

Meanwhile, as Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes met with about seven persons at Whim, as there too protestors chanted outside as they held placards calling for Government to resign.

Also, as part of the outreach, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson met with residence at Rose Hall Town where protestors referred to the minister as being illegal and also called for his resignation.

The meeting at Fyrish

and another at the New Amsterdam Town Hall at which minister Amna Ali addressed residents, went smoothly.

Meanwhile, about three persons attended a meeting at Zambia in the Black Bush Polder which was also part of the outreach. That meeting was addressed by Foreign Affairs Minister Karren Cummings.

Protestors were also outside of that meeting.

Also, in the Black Bush Polder ay Yakasary,

from page 8

Business Minister Hemraj Rajkumar and Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan address of residence amidst another demonstration by residents.

Regional Supervisor of the PPP Zamal Hussain who organized the protests said the party was heightening its calls for the Government to resign and wanted the ministers to recognise that the call is coming from all parts of the region.

sunDAY, august 18, 2019

19

Day of high drama…

Steven Smith takes centre stage again – as Australia give themselves a chance S

teve Smith was always destined to be the headline act, but the way he commanded centre stage at Lord’s could scarcely have been more dramatic.

Australia’s fortunes in this second Test hung on Smith’s performance going into day four, with his side desperately needing him to stand up again as they resumed at 80 for 4 in pursuit of England’s first innings score of 258.

At the end of day three -- in which Jofra Archer had unleashed hell in the form of searing pace and destructive force, and Smith had barely withstood the barrage, being felled by a nasty blow to the neck and struck hard on the forearm -- England held a 104-run lead with six wickets in hand.

The hosts could have been much worse off, were it not for two dropped catches at the hands of David Warner and a failure to appeal two not-out lbw decisions that replays strongly suggested would have delivered the wickets of Rory Burns and Ben Stokes.

Smith was monitored overnight for any delayed signs of concussion, having been cleared to resume batting after initially retiring hurt when he was struck behind the left ear

by Archer’s short ball. Despite the ugliness of the hit, which knocked Smith off his feet and sent a hush over the shocked crowd as players and medical staff rushed to his side, it was the blow to his forearm, suffered six overs earlier, that sent him to hospital for precautionary X-rays.

Smith did not take the field for England’s second innings, and was replaced by substitute player Marnus Labuschagne, although he was later cleared of any fracture and returned to the dressing room, where he sat with his arm in ice.

Sense would suggest he should perhaps have been rested as a result of being hit on the neck anyhow, and Smith’s participation in the rest of the match will depend on how he pulls up on Sunday morning.

The sight of any player being struck on the neck - Smith wasn’t using stemguards - was sure to evoke memories of Phil Hughes, the Australian batsman who died after being hit in a similar area in 2014. As awful as Smith looked, having collapsed onto his front immediately after the blow, he calmed the worst fears by quickly removing his helmet and rolling onto his side, and then onto his back.

Those fears were further eased when Smith walked back to the pavilion, apparently reluctantly retiring hurt on 80, with Australia on 203 for 6, and when he returned to bat again after Peter Siddle’s dismissal, it was to relieved and astounded applause from the crowd, which was blighted by some tasteless booing.

Smith added 12 more runs, including consecutive fours plundered off Chris Woakes, before Woakes had him out lbw for 92 two overs later. Smith called for a review, but his dismissal was upheld by the DRS. Before all the drama, Smith’s role had looked pivotal,

SCOREBOARD Australia 1st Innings CT Bancroft lbw b Archer 13 DA Warner b Broad 3 UT Khawaja c †Bairstow b Woakes 36 SPD Smith lbw b Woakes 92 TM Head lbw b Broad 7 MS Wade c Burns b Broad 6 TD Paine (c) † c Buttler b Archer 23 PJ Cummins c †Bairstow b Broad 20 PM Siddle c †Bairstow b Woakes 9 NM Lyon lbw b Leach 6 JR Hazlewood not out 3 Extras 32 (b 17, lb 12, nb 1, w 2) TOTAL 250 all out (94.3 Overs, RR: 2.64) Fall of wickets: 1-11 (David Warner, 4.2 ov), 2-60 (Cameron Bancroft, 22.5 ov), 3-60 (Usman Khawaja, 23.2 ov), 4-71 (Travis Head, 30.1 ov), 5-102 (Matthew Wade, 44.2 ov), 6-162 (Tim Paine, 66.6 ov), 6-203* (Steven Smith, retired not out ), 7-218 (Peter Siddle, 85.2 ov), 8-234 (Steven Smith, 87.5 ov), 9-246 (Nathan Lyon, 93.1 ov), 10-250 (Pat Cummins, 94.3 ov) BOWLING O M R W SCJ Broad 27.3 7 65 4

Steven Smith launches over the leg side after returning to the crease

as he and Matthew Wade resumed for the day on 13 and nought respectively, not least in light of Smith’s twin tons and Wade’s century in the first Test. When Wade was out, Australia needed Smith to turn the match as much as had been done at Edgbaston.

Smith and Tim Paine, who each made their Test debut at Lord’s in 2010, looked dangerous before Archer hit his straps with a menacing display that dismissed Paine and turned Smith’s body into collateral damage.

In one over, Archer’s slowest delivery was 88mph, and his fastest - at 96mph - did the least damage of the three that hit Smith. Smith Batted with an arm guard two overs after the blow to his forearm, and the ball smashed into his gloves as he guided it down safely in front of Jos Buttler at short leg.

In England’s innings, Pat Cummins did his best to stretch the tension wire tight by claiming two wickets in

JC Archer CR Woakes BA Stokes MJ Leach

29 19 8 11

11 59 6 61 1 17 3 19

2 3 0 1

England 2nd Innings RJ Burns c †Paine b Siddle 29 JJ Roy c & b Cummins 2 JE Root (c) c †Paine b Cummins 0 JL Denly c & b Siddle 26 BA Stokes not out 16 JC Buttler not out 10 Extras 13 (b 4, lb 8, nb 1) TOTAL 96/4 (32.2 Overs, RR: 2.96) Yet to bat: JM Bairstow †, CR Woakes, JC Archer, SCJ Broad, MJ Leach Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Jason Roy, 4.1 ov), 2-9 (Joe Root, 4.2 ov), 3-64 (Joe Denly, 18.5 ov), 4-71 (Rory Burns, 20.2 ov) BOWLING O M R W PJ Cummins 8.2 2 16 2 JR Hazlewood 7 1 15 0 PM Siddle 8 2 19 2 NM Lyon 9 2 34 0

as many balls in the fifth over. The hosts’ lead was just 17 when they fell to 9 for 2, with Jason Roy out for 2 and Joe Root registering a golden duck.

Roy’s dismissal on the first ball of the over was somewhat bizarre. He got a leading edge to a short-of-a-length Cummins delivery which bobbled down the pitch slightly to the on-side as Cummins pivoted from his follow through to collect the return catch. Cummins then found a thick edge, as Root pushed forward and was caught behind by Paine.

Warner put down a low chance to his right off the bowling of Siddle, to give Joe Denly a second chance. Nathan Lyon then had an appeal for lbw turned down by umpire Aleem Dar when Rory Burns was on 24, and as Paine declined to review, replays suggested the ball was hitting leg stump.

Burns added just five more runs before Siddle had him caught behind. That was after Siddle had dismissed Denly, caught and bowled.

Again, Australia failed to review, as Lyon appeared to trap Stokes lbw, with Hawk-Eye confirming their error.

That was after Warner had dropped a chance off Stokes, who went to the close unbeaten on 16, with Buttler not out on 10. (Excerpted from Cricinfo)

Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo 3-1 – Bale bags assist as visitors survive Modric ‘red’

G

areth Bale marked his return to the starting line-up with an impressive assist as Real Madrid survived a red card for Luka Modric to win 3-1 at Celta Vigo in their opening La Liga fixture of the season.

The Wales star had been left out in the cold for large parts of pre-season following a collapsed move to China, but he was handed a start at Balaidos on Saturday, and set up Karim Benzema for a 12th-minute opener.

Looking to capitalise on champions Barcelona’s shock loss to Athletic Bilbao on Friday, Madrid added a stunning second goal through Toni Kroos, but only after Brais Mendez had a strike ruled out and Modric was shown a straight red card.

Zinedine Zidane started without any of his new signings, although the quality of his side’s third goal -- rounded off by substitute Lucas Vazquez -- will offer hope of a far brighter 2019-20, despite them conceding late on through Iker Losada.

Madrid had lost back-to-back league matches at the end of last season, but they soon found their rhythm here, as Bale turned his man inside out down the left and set up Benzema for a simple finish from four yards.

Celta felt there should have been a free-kick in the buildup, and were further aggrieved in the final stages of the first

half, when Alvaro Odriozola was dispossessed by Denis Suarez and the ball fell to the feet of Iago Aspas, who was adjudged to be marginally offside when teeing up Mendez for a close-range finish.

Celta’s hopes of claiming a point were boosted when Modric caught Suarez on the heel, and was shown a red card following a VAR review.

Nestor Araujo forced Thibaut Courtois into a point-blank save, but Madrid dug deep and scored a second, thanks to Kroos’s stunning strike from 35 yards, a minute after Benzema’s header had struck the post.

Vazquez rounded off a flowing move 10 minutes from time by drilling a good finish into the bottom-left corner, although Celta at least got a consolation through Losada’s precise strike from a similar spot at the other end.

What does it mean? Familiar faces on show for Madrid.

Madrid spent big during the close season in an attempt to bridge the gap with Barcelona, who finished 19 points clear of them last season.

Eden Hazard, Rodrygo Goes and Ferland Mendy

all missed out through injury though, while Eder Militao and Luka Jovic were named on the bench; so it was left to the old guard - not least Bale, Benzema, Kroos and Vazquez - to get the job done.

Bale makes his point

Zidane admitted on the eve of the game he was now “relying” on Bale, and the forward did not disappoint on his return to the side. As well as setting up Benzema’s goal with an impressive assist, he also helped out in a defensive sense.

Odriozola’s spared blushes

Not helped by Courtois’s pass, Odriozola was put under pressure and lost possession on the right. The offside flag came to the fullback’s rescue that time, but it was generally a nervy display.

What’s next?

Madrid welcome Real Valladolid to the Santiago Bernabeu next Saturday, while Celta host Valencia on the same day. (Excerpted from Sportmax)

20

guyanatimesGY.com

sunDAY, august 18, 2019

CWI looking to strengthen ties with Caricom …focused on improving school cricket

U

nder current leadership of President Ricky Skerritt and Vice-President Dr. Kishore Shallow, Cricket West Indies has reiterated its commitment -- made on the campaign trail by these two officials -- to strengthen ties with CARICOM, following a courtesy call they made on Thursday morning on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Hon Ralph Gonsalves.

Accompanying CWI President Skerritt and Vice President Shallow at the meeting with PM Dr Gonsalves was former West Indies wicket-keeper and recently appointed CWI Independent Director, Ambassador Michael Findlay.

The more-than-threehour-long meeting, conducted in a serious but very cordial atmosphere, addressed not just the urgent

need to strengthen schools cricket, but also concerns and plans for governance reform, a financial review, modernisation of the team selection system, and the need to introduce a fitness culture at the youth level.

“West Indies Cricket’s success and growth are crucial to our regional psychological wellbeing. A regional good cannot be operated like a private club”, said Prime Minister Gonsalves, who is also CARICOM’s Cricket Sub-Committee Chairman.

The CWI President assured the Honourable Prime Minister that, after just four months of the new administration, hard work was well underway on all fronts, to strengthen stakeholder relations and to bring improvement and success both off and on the field.

Skerritt also thanked

and commended Prime Minister Gonsalves for Saint Vincent having done such a good job of hosting the just concluded Rising Stars Under-19 tournament and trial matches.

Dr Gonsalves, one of the better known cricket-loving prime ministers of the region, reflected on his own pleasant memories of the glory days of West Indies Cricket, and said he is hopeful for some of the talent he is seeing now.

He urged the visiting CWI trio to do whatever is necessary to mould that talent and improve the on-field results, as the “Caribbean people are hungry for a return to the victory days”.

Prime Minister Gonsalves pledged the full support of his administration, and committed to help rebuild the CARICOM and CWI relations going forward.

CWI President Ricky Skerritt, St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Vice-President, Dr Kishore Shallow, and Ambassador Michael Findlay

BCB Trophy Stall Under-13 tournament returns T he normal activities of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) will be resumed after the rainy season has passed, but the Trophy Stall Under-13 tournament will bowl off on Saturday August 24, 2019.

Seven teams are slated to contest this tournament: The Blairmont Community Centre Cricket Club (BCCCC), Archivers Cricket Club, Tucber Park Cricket Club, Rose Hall Canje Cricket Club, Albion Community Centre Cricket Club, Port Mourant Community Centre Cricket Club, and Rose Hall Town Poonai’s Pharmacy Under-13 team.

The matches in this tournament will be played in the two-innings format, with the first innings being limited to 40 overs per side, and persons participating in this tournament would have had to be born on or after September 1, 2006.

BCB President Hilbert Foster has disclosed that performance in this under-13 tournament would influence selection to the

Berbice Under-15 team.

Visiting the BCCCC academy last week, Foster urged the players to establish themselves at this level. He disclosed that a proud product of the previous Under-13 tournament is Rampertab Ramnauth, currently representing the West Indies Under-15 team in England.

The fixtures of this Under-13 tournament are as follows:

Rose Hall Canje vs Archivers at Archivers

24

Zone B Round 1: Saturday August

Albion vs Port Mourant at Port Mourant Community Centre Ground Rose Hall Poonai draw the bye

Zone A Round 1: Saturday August

Round 2: Sunday August 25 Rose Hall Poonai vs Port Mourant at Area H Ground Albion draw the bye

Blairmont vs Archivers at Blairmont Tucber Park CC vs Rose Hall Canje at Canje

Round 3: Tuesday August 27 Albion vs Rose Hall Town Poonai at Albion Port Mourant draw the bye

Round 2: Sunday August 25 Blairmont vs Rose Hall Canje at Canje Tucber Park Vs Archivers at Archivers Round 3: Tuesday August 27 Blairmont vs Tucber Park at Blairmont

Semifinals: to be played on Thursday August 29 Winner of Zone A vs Runnerup of Zone B Runner-up of Zone A vs Winner of Zone B Finals: Date and venue to be announced.

24

Blairmont fortunately has numerous under-13 players

2nd Ashes Test at Lord’s…

Australia’s Steve Smith retires hurt – after being hit on head

by Jofra Archer ball

S

teve Smith retired hurt in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, after a titanic tussle with Jofra Archer ended with the batsman being floored by a 92.4mph bouncer.

Smith was on 80 not out on the fourth afternoon, his latest epic knock of the series, when he was struck in the neck by a rearing delivery from the debutant.

Having already received treatment for a nasty blow on the left forearm, and after fending off a lightning fast 96.1mph ball aimed at his ribs, Smith hit the deck immediately, and remained on the floor for an extended period before stumbling to his feet.

Members of both teams’ medical staff attended to him, and the 30-year-old was eventually persuaded to leave the pitch, despite seemingly being reluctant to do so. Smith was applauded from the field, with his side 55 behind, on 203 for six.

A Cricket Australia statement read: “Steve was hit on the neck below the left ear. He was assessed lying on the pitch at the instructions of team doctor Richard Saw. Dr Saw made the precautionary decision to remove Steve from the field of play to have him further assessed under Cricket Australia’s head impact protocol. Steve then passed his assessments, and will now be monitored on an ongoing basis, as is routine.”

Smith returned to the crease following the dismissal of Peter Siddle, but headed back to the pavilion soon after, being trapped LBW

by Chris Woakes for 92. (Excerpted from the Guardian)

sunday, august 18, 2019

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guyanatimesgy.com

Griffith to defend Urban Benjamin Memorial title today T eam Evolution’s Christopher Griffith will be defending his 2018 Urban Benjamin Memorial Road Race title today, August 18.

Organized by Team Evolution to take place on the roadways of the Essequibo Coast in Region Two, this cycle race will begin at 9:00h outside the Charity Primary School, and cyclists will head to Supenaam and return for the finish at the starting point, after covering a distance of 74 miles.

Christopher Griffith had reigned supreme over 32 other competitors in the

senior category in 2018, having clinched the title in two hours 59 minutes 53 seconds.

Warren ’40’ McKay had defeated Junior Niles in the Under-45 category, while Ian Jackson had taken top honours over Andrew Spencer and Amit Sankar in the Over-45 category.

In the junior category, Adelie Hoge had defeated Ajay Gopilall and Ralph Seenarine, while Ozia McAuly had defeated Quincy Punch and Julio Melville in the Mountain Bike race.

Cyclists wishing to participate in this race are required to pay an entrance

fee of $2,000, while those also needing transportation to the Essequibo Coast are asked to assemble at the National Sports Commission on Homestretch Avenue before 06:00hrs today. The bus will depart promptly at 6:30hrs, along with a separate vehicle to carry the bikes.

Each participant will be responsible for his/her own accommodation and meals in Essequibo. The return ferry will depart Essequibo at 16:00hrs tomorrow, and it is each cyclist’s responsibility to be ready and on the bus for the return trip at 13:00hrs.

Guyana National Mini-Cadet and PreCadet Table Tennis Tournament…

Team set to depart Guyana on Monday

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21

Christopher Griffith

Mosley, Belgrave optimistic about teams’ performances at “Road to Mecca”

Eagles Captain Travis Belgrave Colin Wong, boys’ under-13 team member, with his sponsor, Ramdeo Kumar from Beacon Café

G

uyana’ National Mini-Cadet (11 years and under) and Pre-Cadet (13 years and under) table tennis contingents are set to depart Guyana tomorrow for the Dominican Republic, to contest the 2019 Caribbean Mini- and PreCadet Championships scheduled for August 19-27.

The Caribbean Cadet and Junior Championships is an activity that engages girls and boys between the ages of 11 and 13 years in the Caribbean region. It is one of the signature competitions on the Caribbean and GTTA calendar of events, since its forms the basis for regional table tennis supremacy and is the incubator and platform for the development of young emerging table tennis talents.

All of the region’s table tennis stars commenced their journey here.

Guyana’s representatives, a very formidable group of players, has National 13, 18 and 15-years-andunder Boys Champion Jonathan Van Lange. the talented Colin Wong, Krystian Sahadeo, Dhanesh Persaud, who are in their fourth and final cycle of competing at the Mini- and Pre-Cadet levels, will form Guyana’s under-13 boys’ team. The team also consists of the Boys’ 11 years and-under players Malachi Moore, who is currently in the Dominican Republic participating in the World Hopes Caribbean training camp, and the fast-improving and energetic Ebo Mc Neil (debutant Linden).

The under-11 girls’ team consists of national 11- &13-years-and-under

girls’ champion Jasmine Billingy; the talented Akira Watson, and the tenacious Samara Sukhai, who are strong candidates for possible medal performances.

The team will be coached by Shavin Greene and Dwain Dick, with assistance from Colin France.

The GTTA has commenced planning its activities on a 4-6 years’ cyclical basis, and sees the selected players as prospects to transition as Guyana’s key representatives at regional and international tournaments, Junior Olympics, and Junior Olympic cycle games in the future.

Guyana has had a rich tradition of success in this sport, winning several medals and bringing Guyana regional honours at the regional level. The competing teams include Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St Lucia and St Vincent & the Grenadines.

Competition for regional honours will be in the categories of Boys and Girls 11 and 13 years, team doubles, mixed doubles, and singles’ events.

The team selected to participate in the championships consist of: Under–11 Boys: Malachi Moore and Ebo McNeil Under-11 Girls: Jasmine Billingy, Samara Sukhai, and Akira Watson Under-13 Boys: Jonathan Van Lange, Krystian Sahadeo, Colin Wong, and Dhanesh Persaud.

The GTTA hereby expresses gratitude to the sponsors who contributed to making the team participation a reality.

By Timothy Jaikarran

M

any of the t o p teams in basketball will be participating in the ‘Road to Mecca’ competition, and both the UG Trojans and Eagles are rearing to go battle for supremacy.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, UG Trojans Captain Selvaughn Mosley was asked about preparation leading up to the highly anticipated competition; and he said, “Preparations for ‘Mecca’ are being made despite challenges of having to share the court with table tennis almost every training session, and players not being available every session, due to personal engagement!

“We continue to have pickup games and have a strong group of core players around which we are trying to build the others. We are one of the few team which have the luxury of using the Sports Hall for training, and (we) plan to use it to our advantage, as home court familiarity will be ours.

“Because of our style of play and discipline, we continue to attract a wealth of players, so Trojans might have a few new faces this basketball season.”

Mosley also said what gives the team motivation is love for the game, as no one on the team is being paid to play. He noted that, as a team, players try to motivate each other on and off the court, especially after a bad game.

Moseley said that since the team

UG Trojans Captain Selvaughn Moseley

won the GABA Under-23 title in 2018, team members’ confidence has been greatly boosted, and players have been encouraged to maintain a high level of productivity on the court.

Echoing similar sentiments, Eagles’ Captain Travis Belgrave said winning the tournament is his team’s top priority. “It has been a lot of hard work, whether on or off the court.

Lots of personal training sessions (are involved. It is) a bit difficult balancing (commitment to the game) with work, but in all has been good. Representing my country is what keeps me going. It’s a huge honour for me to be labelled as a national athlete. And also, (I am) learning as much as I can, so I can teach the next generation.”

Belgrave said it is not all about participating, but winning the biggest basketball competition in Guyana -- which would be a huge accomplishment for him and his teammates. He also said that the Eagles team stand out from all others as they possess leadership and a hunger for the title.

22

guyanatimesgy.com

SUnDAY, august 18, 2019

GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power U-17 League, EBFA leg…

Garnett slams 5 in Grove’s 7-nil rout of Soesdyke ─ Samatta Point edge Agricola

G

rove Hi Tech FC’s Samuel Garnett blasted five goals to lead his team in a 7-nil rout of the beleaguered Soesdyke Falcons in last weekend’s matches of the GFF/ NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power U-17 League at the GFF Facility at Providence, EBD. Samatta Point/Kaneville also upstaged Agricola Red Triangle 4-3 in a humdinger last weekend to record the biggest win of their still fledgling career in the EBFA. Led by hat-tricks from Tyrel Khan, Tyrone Burnette and Captain Shanon Samnauth, Timehri Panthers ‘A’ romped to an incredible 11-nil win over Swan FC, while Mocha Champs and Timehri Panthers ‘B’ battled to a 2-2 draw.

Just back from duties with the national Under-15 Team that competed in the 2019 CONCACAF Boys’ Under-15 Championships at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, USA, Garnett wasted no time in stamping his authority on the match as he exploded the nets in the 22nd, 38th, 39th, 48th and 52nd minutes.

Teammate and fellow national player Devon Padmore had opened the scoring in the 13th minute, while Nikosey Gordon closed out the goal spree with a strike in the 63rd minute.

Samatta Point/ Kaneville FC goal-scorers

Samatta Point/Kaneville put in a sterling performance against seasoned campaigners Agricola Red Triangle to win the match 4-3, even erasing a two-goal deficit to snatch full points and leave their opponents stunned.

Agricola had taken the lead through goals from Brian Lambert in the 16th and Jamal Fyffe in the 21st minute

respectively; but Jadon Fort netted the first of his double in the 30th minute, while his teammate Kareem Richmond tucked one past the Agricola goalie two minutes later to even things up.

Agricola again snatched the lead in the 56th minute, but Forthe netted again in the 60th minute to knot the score,

Chandrika stars in Canada with impressive century

– says he wants to play for West Indies again

F

ormer West Indies batsman Rajendra Chandrika recently slammed a brilliant century for Vikings Cricket Club in the 2019 Toronto and District Cricket Association’s ‘Super9’ 50over tournament at the King City venue in Canada.

The Guyanese righthander, who had played five Tests for the West Indies, stroked five fours and four sixes in his 110, to lead Vikings to a 78-run win over Islanders Cricket Club.

Batting first, Vikings compiled 220-8 off 50 overs, then restricted Islanders to 132 all out in 34 overs.

Chandrika has ex-

pressed a desire to again play for the West Indies.

He had injured his finger playing for the Leeward Islands last season.

Former Guyana Under-19 left-arm spinner Dennis Legay, playing for the Islanders last weekend, bagged six wickets in his match against Yorkshire Cricket Club at the same venue.

Yorkshire scored 203 all out in 35.5 overs, while Islanders were dismissed for 187 in the 46th over.

Canada’s Navneet Dhaliwal had hit 93 for Yorkshire as Legay returned figures of 6-46 in ten overs.

In the Islanders’ re-

ply, former Guyana First Class batsman Shemroy Barrington had managed only 18. Legay and Barrington have both made it known that they want to perform consistently and play cricket for Canada in ICC assignments.

Apart from Chandrika, Barrington and Legay, the following Guyanese cricketers are playing in Canada: Royston Crandon, Trevon Garraway, Euhen La Fleur, Ryan Ramdass, Zaheer Haniff, Azib Hanif, Troy Gobin, Sunil Dhaniram, Devon Ramnauth, Steve Ramdass, Rovindra Mandolall, Herman Latcha, Krishna Deosaran and Troy Gonsalves.

Timehri Panthers ‘A’- Ishmael Pulsaram, (right), Shanon Samnauth, Tyrel Khan, Tyrone Burnette and Kevon Scott

before Denzel Garraway sealed the deal for Samatta Point when he scored in the 65th minute to take a memorable win.

Like Samatta Point, Mocha Champs battled back from being two goals down to earn an equal share of the points in their match with Timehri Panthers ‘B’, who had run away with a two-goal advantage, thanks to a brace off

the boot of Orin Solomon in the 22nd and 33rd minutes.

But Mocha Champs’ Warren Williams emulated his rival Solomon when he fired in a double of his own in the 40th and 62nd minutes to bring parity to the score and the match.

Timehri Panthers ‘A’ were in devastating form when they administered an 11-0 whipping

on Swan, thanks to hat-tricks from Khan (8th, 34th, 60th), Burnette (21st, 39th, 41st), and Samnauth in the 23rd, 58th and 62nd minutes.

Complementing the efforts of the trio, Ishmael Pulsaram tucked in one in the 24th minute and Kevon Scott did likewise in the 59th minute.

Badminton team hoping to medal after semi-final appearances G uyana’s Badminton team at the Caribbean Regional Badminton Confederation (CAREBACO) International Championships have begun their campaign on a positive note, with four semifinal appearances to be made later tonight.

The CAREBACO Championships present players with a platform to get better ratings, especially ahead of the 2020 Olympics.

On day one of these under-19 championships, Guyana’s Tyrese Jeffrey defeated Panama’s Pedro Aguilar Gonzalez in a three-set encounter 21-17, 18-21 and 21-15.

Jeffrey later teamed up with Priyanna Ramdhani to take on Trinidad and Tobago’s Dejaun Williams & Zharia Hinds in contending the mixed doubles, which the Guyanese pair won in straight sets 21-10, 21-8.

Guyana’s first loss in the tournament came when Kennie King of Barbados defeated Akili Haynes 21-18, 21-12.

On day two, Guyana sealed 4 semifinal appearances with another set of exemplary

Priyanna Ramdhani gearing up for a serve

performances. Although he fought valiantly, Guyanese Tyrese Jeffrey, having picked up a knee injury, lost the three-set thriller to Trinidad and Tobago’s Leon Cassie 1421, 21-19, 14-21.

Guyana’s Priyanna Ramdhani advanced to the semis by making light work of Barbados’s Robyn Sobers 216, 21-4.

Teaming up for the men’s doubles, the Guyanese pair of Tyrese Jeffrey and Akili Haynes defeated Sean Butcher-Nurse and Alexander Price-Greaves of Barbados 21-10, 21-10.

The team of Guyanese Priyanna Ramdhani and

Trinidad’s Chequeda De Boulet overcame the Surinamese pair of Kayleigh Moenne and Faith Sariman 21-14, 21-5.

Guyana’s presence will also grace the semifinals of the mixed doubles division, as Ramdhani and Jeffrey have recorded a victory over the Surinamese pair of Jair Naipal and Chaista Soemodipoero 1921, 21-18, 21-16.

The semifinals were scheduled to be contested last night (Saturday evening) at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium in St. Michael Barbados. Results were, however, not available up to press time for this publication.

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, august 18, 2019

23

CPL tickets go on sale tomorrow!

F

ollowing a slight delay, Guyanese cricket fans can now get their hands on Hero Caribbean Premiere League 2019 tickets for the first three games to be played at the Providence National Stadium.

The Hero Caribbean Premiere League (CPL) 2019 is a mere three weeks away, and Guyanese patrons can now purchase tickets for the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ first three home games on September 5, 7 and 8.

Tickets can be purchased at the CPL Guyana Office at 238 Camp and Quamina Streets, Georgetown from Monday August 19.

As per usual, tickets for the Red and Green stands are priced at Gy$5000, while Orange stand tickets are Gy$3000. Tickets for the Grass mound remain at Gy $2000.

The sales office will be open from 8am to 5pm on weekdays; 9am to 5pm on Saturdays, and 9am to 2pm on Sundays.

The tickets that would be readily available

Chris Gayle

Nicholas Pooran

When will CWI take action against ODI Captain Holder? ─

Brandon Corlette asks

T

he 27-year-old Barbadian Jason Holder, West Indies Test and One Day International (ODI) captain, assumed the mantle of leadership of ODI cricket in 2015, and has captained 86 matches. Holder has since recorded 24 wins and 54 defeats, and has never won a bilateral series as captain.

Despite being rated as one of the best Test all-rounders in recent times, Holder has never transferred this ability to the ODI format of the game. He has played 21 ODI series (including ICC championships) and has never clinched one. His win percentage of 31.25 is the poorest among captains who led their teams in 80-90 matches.

Pakistan’s Imzamn-ulHaq captained 90 ODIs, won 52 matches, and lost 34.

Misbah-Ul-Haq captained 87 ODIs, and registered 45 wins and 39 defeats. West Indies’ Richie Richardson led in 87 ODIs, registered 46 wins and 36 defeats. Zimbabwe’s Alistair Campbell, in his 86 matches, registered 30 wins and suffered 52 defeats.

Bangladesh’s Mashrafe Mortaza has 47 win and 36 defeats in the 85 ODI matches he has captained.

C l i v e Lloyd l e d the

Jason Holder

West Indies in 84 matches in the golden era, won 64 and lost only 18.

Current Indian captain Virat Kohli has led his nation in 80 matches, wherein he won 58 and lost only 19.

All these captains have led their teams to approximately the similar number of matches Holder has played, and each has performed above Holder’s lev- Holder took the el, as per the captain armband record. since 2015, but The West has never won Indies ODI a series to date captain, has played 107 ODI matches and has taken 130 wickets with two five-wicket hauls to his name. His batting average in ODIs is 26.04, and he has recorded nine half-centuries, with a best of 99 not out.

Holder’s first series as ODI captain was in 2014-15 against South Africa, and his West Indies team lost 4-1 in South Africa. His second bilateral series came against Sri Lanka, and he suffered 3-0 whitewash in the Asian

sub-continent.

Holder’s assignment at home saw him lose a Tri-Nation Series against Australia and South Africa in 2016. The Barbadian born then lost 3-0 to Pakistan in 2016-17 in the UAE, followed by a Tri-Nation Series defeat to Sri Lanka in Zimbabwe.

Despite winning a few matches in patches, Holder has still failed to find the answer to a series victory. He lost 3-0 to England in the Caribbean in 2016-17, and 2-1 by to Pakistan in a Home series in 2017. Holder finally tasted some success in 2017 when he drew 1-1 against Afghanistan. He returned to his losing ways with a 3-1 series defeat against India in 2017, followed by a 4-0 defeat against England in 2017.

In the 2017-18 season, Holder led West Indies to 3-0 defeat to New Zealand and a 2-1 defeat to Bangladesh.

In 2018-19,

Holder lost 3-1 to India in the WI overseas tour, followed by a 2-1 defeat in Bangladesh. In 2018-19, West Indies’ most fruitful ODI series came against England, when they drew a level 2-2 in the five match series. West Indies then lost the Tri-Nation Series to Bangladesh, and recently lost 2-0 against India.

Holder has by no means impressed tactically as a captain, and continues to suffer defeats in ODI series on a constant basis. When will Cricket West Indies (CWI) take action against Holder and his poor captaincy?

from Monday are for the GAW match against St. Lucia Zouks on September 5, GAW vs St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots on September 7, and GAW vs Barbados Tridents on September 8.

Tickets sales for the final two home games -- against the Jamaica Tallawahs on October 3 and Trinbago Knight Riders on October 4 -- will go on sale from Monday September 9.

Guyanese cricket fans and loyal supporters of the Guyana Amazon Warriors are urged to uplift their tickets at the soonest possible time, so as to avoid the rush when the time draws near for the games to be played.

Further information can be obtained from the Ticket office on telephone numbers 2315344, 502-0448 or 502-0454.

Dick optimistic about team’s performance

Sponsor from Beacon Café, Kumar Ramdeo, and Coach Dwain Dick present the participants with their very own T-shirts

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he Guyanese contingent will be departing for the Dominican Republic tomorrow as they prepare for the National Mini-Cadet and PreCadet Table Tennis Tournament.

Dwain Dick, head coach of the Titans Table Tennis Club, is optimistic that the members of his club would record creditable performances in the tournament.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, Dick said, “We are hoping to qualify for the miniand pre-cadets Pan-Am Games.

I was just informed that because of lack of funding, one of our key members of the boys under 13 team (Dhanesh Persaud) will not be able to attend. I hope this doesn’t affect the morale of the team. The girls under 11 team is a young team who went for the exposure last year. They are two 9-year-olds (Jasmine Billingy & Akira Watson), Samarra Sukhai is 8yrs, so they have a few years left to compete in this category.

“Jasmine (under 9, 11 national girls national champion) and Jonathan Van Lange (national under 13,15 & 18 boys’ champion) have been very dominant locally this year, and should be able to put in some great performances. They have vastly improved from last year, and we hope for a team medal.”

He also said that in terms of what the team needs to work on, the boys under-13 have all the technical tools, fitness, experience and tactical awareness to come good, but the lack of competition and exposure may leave a window for error.

Dick noted that the girls under-11 are a work in progress, as they are a part of the Titans Club development programme for long-term development, while under-11 boys are still young and need more overall development.

Asked about final preparations for the contingent, Dick replied, “We did some mental conditioning in terms of simulating the conditions they would face: which was getting up early and getting into the competitive zone quickly and

staying concentrated for long playing periods.”

Also throwing his support behind the team was owner of the Beacon Café, Kumar Ramdeo, who presented to the participants T Shirts with their names.

The titles up for grabs are teams, singles, doubles and mixed doubles in all categories.

The team will not be participating in the Under-13 mixed doubles because of the absence of an under-13 girls’ team.

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

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2019

guyanatimesgy.com

CPL tickets go on sale tomorrow!

Pg 23

The stands at Providence are expected to be packed to capacity

Dick optimistic

about team's performance Pg 23

When will CWI take action against ODI Captain Holder?

Pg 23 Holder, addressing the local media at Providence as Brandon Corlette looks on (Jemima Holmes photo)

Coach Dwain Dick, training some of the participants

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August 18, 2019

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2 Sunday Times Magazine

AUGUST 18, 2019

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Feature

Sharon Rose:

“My sister sparked the teaching fire in me”

By Lakhram Bhagirat

A

t the age of about 8, Sharon Rose had to be working with her sister who was a year older than her. She had to tutor her elder sibling in various subjected and for most eight-year-olds that would have been a tedious task, one they despised. But for Rose, it was not.

It ignited something in her that to this date she is at loss for words when she tries to explain it. But she knew that she had to follow the burning desire to become a teacher. She loved doing it as a child and now as an adult, she has been enjoying it for over 25

years.

Born and raised in New Hope on the East Bank of Demerara, Rose completed her secondary education at the Brickdam Secondary School and almost instantaneously knew that she wanted to become a teacher. The story of how she became a teacher, much to the disappointment of her mother, is an interesting one.

“So although my mother wanted me to work at GAC at that time, I always knew I wanted to teach so when I left to go and take the application there (GAC) but I stopped halfway and then went back to Craig Primary School. When I went and asked about this teaching and the headteacher then advised me to write the application and so on and send it in. I wrote the application and sent it and then I started working the very next day because they were short of staff.”

“My mother did not know that I was teaching, she thought I was going to work at the airport. It wasn’t after like a week and a few days after that I told her. She was really disappointed but that was what I wanted to do because I was teaching long before I even started to teach. I used to teach the neighbourhood children do spelling with them and so on,” she fondly remembers.

After telling her mother that she was a teacher, Rose went on to the Cyril Potter College of Education and upon completing her Trained Teacher’s program she then ventured to the University of Guyana where she read for a Degree in Education Management.

Rose spent two and a half decades at the Craig Primary School and is ow at the St Mary’s Primary.

“I think the thing that drove me to this teaching is that of the seven siblings I have

was a slow learner. I don’t think anybody recognized it then but they just thought that she was lazy and although she was older than I was I had the task of getting her to read every day. So when my mother leaves, she would give us pages in the Nelson West Indian Reader and when she comes in the afternoon she has to know it.”

Rose not only imparts knowledge to the thousands of children who passed through her classes but she also actively takes an interest in their development. She mothers them and creates a safe space for them to so that they can be open about their home life. It is by the creation of that safe space that she has been

able to have her students open up about being sexually and physically abused by those who should have been caring for them.

It is by that virtue she has been able to help thousands of children realise their true potential and they have gone on to become contributing members of society.

“Some of the challenges I had is working with children who you want to learn but they

were having so many domestic issues and so as a young teacher sometimes you don’t recognize it. Some of these children you want to teach Math but they did not have breakfast, you want to teach spelling but there were somebody sexually abusing them and these little challenges sometimes went unseen in my younger stage of teaching but as I got older in the teaching them, I learnt to realize that if these children got domestic issues there was all they

can function in school.”

“I do a lot of counselling with the children, lots of it. So you find until now some children remember me from saving them from one issue or the other. I’ve learnt that teaching is not just Mathematics and Science and Social Studies but teaching is dealing with a child, a whole issue, the social issue, the emotional issue, the mental issue, the physical issue, ev-

ery aspect of it,” Rose noted.

Goals are an integral part of Rose’s classroom and she encourages every student to set not only short-term goals but also career goals. She imparts her experience and the lessons she learned as she matured in hopes of having her students’ lives a little easier.

“You might have a child not being able to read and then you would’ve worked with them and then they would call one word or two words and when you see that improvement and the happiness that the child display seeing that it makes you want to go to work. One thing I ask them is what do you want to do when you leave school? What do you plan to do with your life? What do you want to become? and I try to instil that trust to the very level I am.”

When asked what inspires her, Rose simply says that it is seeing the children in her care smile that makes her tick.

“To someone who is thinking about joining the teaching profession I would say to them to ask themselves one very important question, do I love teaching? Do I love children? Because it’s not one of these flowery days every day. So the only thing that keeps you there, that keeps you going is your love and your passion for teaching. You gotta have a passion for it and when you have a passion for it and the children mess up or the children talk back to you or when the children’s parents tend to be very unthankful sometimes it wouldn’t daunt your spirit because it’s your passion is what keeps you going,” she advises.

AUGUST 18, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

eaching is an art that many have yet to master. Teachers are our contact with the outside world, they quite often introduce us to the world through their classrooms and encourage us to dream and dream big. They instil the sense of imagination

as Group Chief Internal Auditor at the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), one would never believe that Bacchus dropped out of school to sell at the market.

Hailing from West Ruimveldt in Georgetown, as a child, he would spend his time between his birthplace and Albouystown with his grandmother. His life

High, and he has his school, Krishna’s College, and he told me that I needed to have an education because it could have taken me a far way. I realised then that I could have continued to work on the market during the day and plus pursue my GCE (General Certificate of Education) qualifications at that time in the night,” he

was offered the opportunity to attend the University of Guyana where he read for his diploma in Marketing and subsequently a degree in Business Management.

Feeling like he did not belong in the Marketing Department, where he served as the Head, Bacchus asked to be transferred to the Accounts Department

Cacique has been churning out quality and competent accountants with the requisite knowledge and expertise needed for them to function in their work environment.

“The whole concept of attempting to give back to society where the accounting qualification is taught in the evening was birthed because when I dropped out of school I really got my education in the evenings. I was teaching at the Academy of Higher Learning and in 2005 myself and a few friends, we decided that we wanted to make this more of a strategy. We wanted to make sure that young people coming out of secondary and fuel the drive in us that makes us want to conquer the world.

They share their experience in order to make us learn so that when we head out into the real world we are better equipped to take on the challenges as they come. However, one of the sad facts about classroom teaching is that it limits the amount of practical knowledge that is imparted.

When we leave school, most of us know the theories that guide our intended profession but what we do not have is the working knowledge and that is where Fazal Bacchus and his team at the Cacique Accounting College comes in.

Bacchus has been in the education business for over 25 years and has continually been trying to improve the standard and practicality of what we are being taught. As the name suggests, Cacique Accounting College provides tuition in the accounting field of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) certification.

To understand why Bacchus is successful in creating a business model that caters for those with fulltime jobs, then you must understand the backstory of how he ended up where he is today.

With his current qualification as a senior member of ACCA and position

was simple and not without challenges. The earnings of his market vendor mother and carpenter father were not sufficient to take care of the entire family so when he entered secondary school, Bacchus decided that it was time that he took on more responsibilities.

This time he felt that he needed to be earning and when his mother did not approve he became rebellious. In the end, she relented and he began his career as a teenaged market vendor. He always knew that he had a knack for financials and when he came into contact with Krishna

Ramdhani, he knew that it was time to pay more attention to his academic development.

“I met Krishna Ramdhani, who was a Senior Master at the Bishops’

said.

After completing his GCE, Bacchus took up a position in the Marketing Department of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). Whilst there, he

where he felt at home. He then began to pursue his ACCA qualification.

Even while he was working and studying, Bacchus never stopped teaching. He taught in several fields but focused more on accounting.

He taught Foundations in Accounting (FIA), CAT and ACCA. Now at 51, he continues steadfastly in his quest to mould the future generations of accountants as they seek to realise their true potentials.

Cacique Accounting College was birthed out of the idea that one can have a full-time job and then study in the evenings so that they can advance themselves in their field. Now, at 15,

school could have the opportunity to do the ACCA qualification in the evenings and that was the thrust on which Cacique Accounting College was born.”

Cacique is currently the sole gold approved tuition provider in Guyana, an accomplishment which speaks to the quality of teaching delivered at the institution.

The certification means that Cacique Accounting College is specialised in the delivery of ACCA qualification and nothing else.

Bacchus credits this achievement to the fact that all of their lecturers are chartered accountants who have full-time jobs, so when they come to teach, they bring with them not only

the theoretical knowledge but also the working experience of implementing everything outlined in the course modules.

“You need to give young people an opportunity who may not be privileged to have full-time studies but they still want to pursue a career and that is where we give it. That model has been working tremendously and over the last decade or so we have produced a number of accountants who are manning departments on their own and they are all across Guyana in most of the industries.”

“That is one of the great things that drives me. To see that I was assisted by someone years ago to get myself where I am today and I am trying to give that back to the young people out there. I want to make sure that opportunities are available to those who need it.”

Cacique offers evening classes on weekdays and on weekends they offer classes during the day.

Bacchus’ focus is on providing quality and affordable education for students wishing to pursue the ACCA qualification. To become an ACCA member, certain steps need to be taken and the first is having completed the FIA programme which consists of seven papers. At Cacique, this can be achieved in just 12-15 months.

After FIA, one would have to go on to CAT, which is two papers and that would be followed by ACCA, which has three components. However, once FIA and CAT are completed, the first ACCA component, which is the foundation, is eliminated and students are trained in the skills and professional components.

The ACCA qualification is recognised worldwide in over 180 counties and gives an advantage to students.

Bacchus is urging prospective students to come into Cacique Accounting College’s Kitty, Georgetown location and have a chat with management and get on the path towards becoming a chartered accountant.

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 18, 2019

Feature

After 17 years

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

hough teaching was not her initial career choice, Brenda Kendall Ramsara can never see herself doing anything else other than teaching at this point in

her life. The profession is one that she has grown to love as she feels at home in the classroom setting.

For Ramsara, seeing her students’ advancement after the completion of their formal education makes her immensely

proud to know that she played a part in their development. For her, 17 years seems to have flown by because every day of teaching feels like the first day. She is still filled with the burning passion to ensure that the future gener-

ation can function at their best.

The Fort Ordinance Primary School teacher said ensuring the students of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) are given the best chance at quality education is what drives her passion. She loves every aspect of her job and would not trade it for any other in the world.

Ramsara entered the profession in 2002 but at that time, it was not something she wanted to do.

After graduating from the Berbice Educational Institute upon the completion of her Caribbean Examinations Council exams in 1996, Ramsara went on to the New Amsterdam Technical Institute where she graduated with a certificate in Business Studies.

“After I finished [NA] TI and got a certificate in Business, I was home then for a while. After I got a job with a family friend real estate business and it was during that time I applied for a teaching job.”

“Teaching was not my first option and it had a few teachers around me who inspired me and I chose to get into it and as I started my profession, I fell in love with my job. Being in the classroom eases me and I am happy to know that I am privileged enough to get the opportunity to impart my knowledge to the children under my care for

those hours. Most importantly, I am glad to learn from them because we don’t know everything. Yes, I am a teacher but you deal with children from all walks of life and sometimes they would come and tell you something that you did not know so it is a learning experience for me as well,” she said.

For Ramsara, a good teacher is the one who ensures that the children under their care get the requisite knowledge to be able to function as effective adults but a great teacher is one who not only imparts their knowledge but also shapes that student using the relevant experience. She went on to say that a teacher goes above and beyond to ensure that their students understand the concept of what is being taught in the classroom and prepares them to function in a society that challenges their very being.

She said that she not only prepares her students to be productive adults, rather she goes the further step in providing them with the foundation that would make them exceptional leaders in society. It is quite often said that if you love what you do then you will never work a day

in your life and ever since she joined the staff at Fort Ordinance Primary School in 2002, Ramsara has never worked a day in her life.

“I feel like a second mother to my students.

The opportunity of seeing these students progress after primary and secondary schools makes me feel happy and content to know that I impacted their lives somewhere. I try to be the best role model for them.”

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 18, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

S

ome people are just a natural at what they do and they have the ability to leave a long-lasting impression on everyone they come into contact with. It is not as though they are trying to leave that indelible mark, rather they are just being their authentic self and making a difference in the lives of those they encounter.

When Angela BennettPersaud is in front of a classroom she is at her best. You can see the passion in her eyes as she imparts knowledge to the students under her care. She goes the extra mile to ensure that every concept is grasped and no student has difficulty in understanding what she is teaching them.

A teacher for over 19 years, Bennett-Persaud has grown to love her profession.

“Though teaching was not my passion, I eventually grew to like it and now have nineteen years of teaching experience. They say ‘Man plans but God directs,’ and I feel extremely proud to have moulded and inspired the young minds that I have had the privilege of teaching. Teaching is a job you have to like since it requires a lot of your time, lots of patience and there is always something to do. Never a dull moment. Seeing a child succeed and grasp concepts, makes me very happy because I feel as if I have achieved my goal as a teacher,” she says.

Hearing her speak about her

job and seeing the time she invests in ensuring that her students receive the best possible education, makes Bennett-Pesaud different from the rest of teachers.

She not only talks the talk but ensures that she walks the walk.

She knows the importance of a quality education and tries to make sure that everyone is afforded that opportunity.

Going back to her childhood days, the Vreed en Hoop Secondary School teacher says growing up in the Pomeroon as a young child, was the best. She fondly remembers the enjoying every moment of school and particularly the Friday afternoons that the entire school population would engage in outdoor games such as hide-andseek, sal-out, and bun house among a whole host of o t h ers.

During the weekends she enjoyed swimming in the Pomeroon River and paddling to see video shows since during that period only a few business places had this luxury. Like any child, she looked forward to school vacations, especially the August vacation since it was really long and she enjoyed the comfort of her home, friends, family and other loved ones.

“Oh, how I dreaded the thought of leaving them to return to Georgetown to attend Secondary school.

However, Christmas was my highlight. There was the decorating, baking, cleaning, and best of all, a new frock which was usually sewn by my grandmother. The new frock always had me excited to attend the Christmas Eve church service so that I could have showcased it,” she reminisced.

After completing her secondary education at the Richard Ishmael Secondary School in Georgetown, Bennett-Persaud taught for a few months but realised that she needed to advance her education. She resigned f r o m h e r post as a

teacher and enrolled at the Government Technical Institute (GTI) where she pursued an Ordinary

Diploma in Science. After she graduated GTI, the thirst for even more knowledge persisted and it led her to the University of Guyana where she read for a Degree in Chemistry.

“My dream was always to become a Food Chemist.

However, upon graduating from the University of Guyana I had difficulty in obtaining a job in that particular field, thus, ended up teaching Science at the Secondary level.

In order to be considered a trained teacher, I then returned to the University of Guyana to obtain a Diploma in Education since I never attended CPCE (Cyril Potter of Education).”

She now is the Head of the Science Department at the Vreed en Hoop Secondary School and enjoys her job. The aim for her is to move up the professional ladder but for now, she is very happy and comfortable in the classroom.

“My best piece of advice to young persons is that you should only enter the teaching profession if you have a love for children and a passion for teaching.

Another advice would be one given by my grandmother, Granny Cynth, who said ‘People can take everything from you but not education.’ So, go out there and do great things.”

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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AUGUST 18, 2019

Feature

(Extract of an interview with Eric Huntley and Michelle Asantewa, Georgetown, Guyana, 2019. Eric Huntley cofounded with his now deceased wife, Jessica, the Bogle-L’ouverture Press, of which its first publication was ‘Groundings with my brothers’ by Walter Rodney. Asantewa’s first novel is ‘Something buried in the Yard’ and she founded a Way Wive Wordz Publisher.)

E

H I suppose every body’s journey is a different journey. I remember my parents whenever they found us playing outside they would tell us to get a book and read. But they were hardly any books around at that time in the 1930s and 40s; you had the slate in fact and not a book.

It so happens one of the first things I did in that area [reading/writing/publishing] is to import books from the States…

PP Wow, that’s great.

EH …working in New Amsterdam as a messenger to the …. Messenger, I

began to import pocket books from the States for twenty-five cents each. Then I graduated to publishing a newspaper for the post office workers union when I was working in Buxton.

I spent my month’s salary to buy a Gestetner machine from Bookers which was seized by the police and army when they arrived in 1956/57….

But to fast forward the story of books and publishing, it took Jessica and myself until 1969 when Walter Rodney was banned from returning to Jamaica …we took his speeches which we published as ‘Groundings with my brothers’ so that was the beginning… so from importing books, to publishing a journal for the post office workers to printing and publishing ‘Thunder’ – the PPP weekly newspaper to ‘Groundings with my brothers’ was a tremendous leap……and or-

ganizing a new publishing house – Bogle-L’ouverture Publishing….

PP The name?

EH One member of our group, I think it was Richard Small, suggested ‘Bogle’ and Bogle as we know was one of the main fighters for independence of Jamaica and L’ouverture was the leader of the Haitian Revolution and we combined the two to form Bogle L’ouverture.

We linked the two names to commemorate their contribution to West Indian independence and emancipation.

We were among the first in Black publishing – New Beacon, Alison and Busby and Bogle L’ouverture were the first three Black publishers in the UK. MA Just to add, Uncle Eric also writes.

EH Well yes, been engaged in publishing for several years, you have to edit, you have to comment,

you have to advise authors, and I supposed that encouraged me to write.

I did in fact author a biography of Paul Robeson, and I went on to do one on Cheddi Jagan who was my mentor - we worked together from 1950 to 54.

And I did one on Florence Nightingale, and Mary Segal and Marcus Garvey.

And of course, I continue to write since then and to publish.

PP Lots of interesting things about you [Uncle Eric] – ‘Doing Nothing is not an Option’ [indicating the book].

EH I think the title is very apt in that it speaks a thousand words really.

Many people asked us how did it, how we managed to become publisher in the 1950s and 60s of very important titles like ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa’, one of them.

In those days, there was no precedent, so to speak, no internet to search on how to publish and what to publish, no new fangled technology like today; you had a manuscript and you just publish it …somebody had to do it. We are the best people to tell our own story, so we just went ahead and tell it.

That’s simplifying a complex industry.

PP Michelle, the name of your publishing house, MA It is ‘Way with words’ spelt in a curious way: ‘way wive wordz’. It initially started with me

writing blogs, then I wasn’t thinking about publishing so I use to use it as a platform to write on any subject… and when I decided to publish, I kept that title….

PP In this book, ‘Caribbean Publishing in Britain’, there are two pages of acknowledgments with lots of names, perhaps running into the hundreds. To produce a book is a complex undertaking – different and varied skills – and I am wondering if a book should carry the credits we see at the end of a film because it is important to acknowledge every step of that production: the writing, copyediting, cover design, marketing and distribution, everything…I am wondering, should we give credit to everyone; a book is not only the author’s work, a whole lot goes into it….

EH …it is interesting that when we started to publish, many, many people did not realize or understand what a publisher does; the closest they get to a publisher is to confuse it with a printer, a printer had the physical equipment of the machinery.

But what does a publisher do.

When you come to think of it, many of the manuscripts are handwritten or even typed sheets of paper which you have to turn into a work that is

accessible to the reader. I can think of many manuscripts that you have to rewrite to make it presentable. And then there are the various skills involved before you get to the final product.

One remarkable thing about small publishers is that you have to provide everything - all the skill areas - in-house, while the big publishing companies will have specialists in various area, so most of the work you have to do yourself and present to the printer something to roll out.

This is something to note: our archives are lodged at the London Metropolitan Archives and one of the items is that we have over 200 manuscripts which we did not publish for one reason or another… so you can see the amount of manuscripts a publisher receives and many never see the light of day…

PP ‘Come Lehwe Reason’, your [Huntley] new book….

Responses to this author please telephone 2260065 of email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 18, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

eachers are the creators of every other profession and they more than often become our second set of parents. They have our best interests at heart and take pride in our developments. They go above and beyond to ensure that we are given the best possible education we can get so that we can grow and be the best version of ourselves.

It is a known fact that teachers are overworked and underpaid and suffer from severe mental exhaustion from dealing with children from diverse backgrounds. The personalities sometimes clash but a teacher never gives up.

No teacher would tell you that they are in the profession for the money, rather they would tell you that they do it for the satisfaction and impact that their work has.

Just like teachers, social workers are important because they make a difference in society, their profession makes an impact on people’s lives.

Some in-

dividuals often devalue the contribution of these dedicated and hardworking social workers because they lack knowledge of the assistance and impact social work has on persons. Social work is not as easy as it may seem because it is literally a lifechanging occupation.

For Abigale Joungaye, she has had the distinct opportunity to be in both professions but found her calling when she became a School Welfare Officer. To understand the impact that she has made, you must first get to know Abigale’s story. It is a story that is quite unique in the sense that both professions are near and dear to her and she uses her training to help those who she crosses path with.

The mother of two is currently a Family Counsellor attached to USAID on a project in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Protection.

She is working every day to make this country a better place for its citizens who needs help. She loves helping people and she has a job which makes her dream come true.

S h e grew up in Mabaruma, North West, with her very large family.

That has shaped her into the person she eventually grew up to b e .

As a child,

the memories are plentiful and range from stealing fruits with her siblings to having the most fun playing different games.

Abigale wrote the Common Entrance Examination in Mabaruma then her mother moved to Georgetown in search of better opportunities. After she moved to the city, Abigale attended Tutorial High School but as fate would have it, she moved back to Mabaruma where she completed her secondary education at North West Secondary School.

Immediately out of school, Abigale knew that she needed to begin a career and she had a passion for imparting knowledge so it was only fair that she join the teaching profession. She started teaching at the very school she completed her education at and at that time, her salary was one of the motivating factors to furthering her education.

Eager to upgrade her educational status, she then attended Cyril Potter College of Education where she trained professionally to become a teacher after which she went to Port Kaituma where she began teaching as a trained teacher. During her tenure as a teacher, one of her past teachers told her of the need for a School Welfare Officer in Port Kaituma and that she is the ideal candidate.

She was identified as the ideal candidate for the post because of her ability to make an impact and offer solid solutions to the social ills that plagued the mining community.

“The community is a mining one and most of the youths would say why go to school when I could go in the backdam and make so much of money. So the school drop out was very high and we needed to address that. Then when the opportunity as a

School Welfare Officer came along, I took it and knew that I can make a difference,” she said.

From then she never looked back and continued to soar to dizzying heights.

However, the road to where she is now is one that was in no way paved. Though she speaks very little of her challenges, Abigale said that they are part and parcel of the package that shaped her and helped expand her thinking so that she can create an impact through her work.

Her first venture in social work as a Welfare Officer inspired her decision to make it her profession and she attended and then graduated from the University of Guyana in 2012. She took a break after graduating and during that time she attended Law School but dropped out due to personal reasons.

She applied to work with the Ministry of Social Protection as a Child Protection Officer for two years. Abigale applied to work at USAID as a Family

Counsellor, which is in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Protection. Abigale stated that being in the social work field has always been a part of her because she has always assisted persons in her family and students in school.

To avoid stress factors in her life, Abigale keeps it professional whereby she deals with work at her workplace and keeps her personal life on track. She has the innate ability to separate work from her personal life so that the stress of her job does not crawl into her personal life.

“Helping my client and seeing them able to move from that depressed state to a better state where they can be better to be able to function. That’s one of the greatest moment of any social worker I would say.

To get them at a stage where they are helpless and then you move them to another stage where they can eventually help themselves or be better at the situation that they were at,” Abigale said

as she spoke about the fulfilment her job gives her.

Her major influence in social work is her family.

Abigale is trying to break the stereotype that social work is for people who want an easy way out or a profession that does not involve much work.

She stated that social workers are important just like doctors or ministers because people seek their assistance and social workers help persons who attempt suicide or have family problems or if they need someone to talk to.

“If you are not ready for social work because you have to deal with issues and these are real core hard issues and if you can’t deal with it, don’t even think about joining social work because you will find yourself frustrated, you will find yourself burnt out, you will find yourself pulling your hair out of your head cause it’s not a movie, it is real life and these are real people story. If you can’t handle it you need another profession,” she advised.

8 Sunday Times Magazine

AUGUST 18, 2019

Feature

Upper Mazaruni District Games 2019 Scenes

The Upper Mazaruni District Games recently completed and was hosted in the picturesque Jawalla Village. The 2019 Games, which started on August 4, attracted over 800 participants as the villages also competed in volleyball, cricket, archery, athletics, and table tennis. Here are some photos from the recently concluded games. (Photos from Upper Mazaruni District Games 2019 Jawalla Village Facebook Page)

guyanatimesgy.com

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 18, 2019

Edema

E

dema is swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in your body's tissues.

Although edema can affect any part of your body, you may notice it more in your hands, arms, feet, ankles and legs.

Edema can be the result of medication, pregnancy or an underlying disease — often congestive heart failure, kidney disease or cirrhosis of the liver.

Taking medication to remove excess fluid and reducing the amount of salt in your food often relieves edema. When edema is a sign of an underlying disease, the disease itself requires separate treatment.

accumulate in your abdominal cavity (ascites) and in your legs as a result of liver damage (cirrhosis).

Kidney disease. When you have kidney disease, extra fluid and sodium in your circulation may cause edema. The edema associated with kidney disease usually occurs in your legs and around your eyes.

Kidney damage.

Damage to the tiny, filtering blood vessels in your kidneys can result in nephrotic syndrome. In nephrotic syndrome, declining levels of protein (albumin) in your blood can lead to fluid accumulation and edema.

9

Feature

treme lack (deficiency), of protein in your diet over a long period of time can lead to fluid accumulation and edema.

Risk factors If you are pregnant, your body retains more sodium and water than usual due to the fluid needed by the fetus and placenta. This can increase your risk of developing edema.

If left untreated, edema can cause: • I n c r e a s i n g l y painful swelling • Difficulty walking • Stiffness • Stretched skin, which can become itchy

Symptoms

types of medications are a good option for you based on your personal medical history.

Long-term management typically focuses on treating the underlying cause of the swelling. If edema occurs as a result of medication use, your doctor may adjust your prescription or check for an alternative medication that doesn't cause edema.

Signs of edema include: • Swelling or puffiness of the tissue directly under your skin, especially in your legs or arms • Stretched or shiny skin • Skin that retains a dimple (pits), after being pressed for several seconds • Increased abdominal size

Causes

Edema occurs when tiny blood vessels in your body (capillaries) leak fluid. The fluid builds up in surrounding tissues, leading to swelling.

Mild cases of edema may result from: • Sitting or staying in one position for too long • Eating too much salty food premen• Having strual signs and symptoms • Being pregnant Edema can also be a side effect of some medications, including: • High blood pressure medications • Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs • Steroid drugs • Estrogens • Certain diabetes medications called thiazolidinediones In some cases, however, edema may be a sign of a more serious underlying medical condition. Several diseases and conditions may cause edema, including: Congestive heart failure. If you have congestive heart failure, one or both of your heart's lower chambers lose their ability to pump blood effectively.

As a result, blood can back up in your legs, ankles and feet, causing edema.

Congestive heart failure can also cause swelling in your abdomen. Sometimes, this condition can cause fluid to accumulate in your lungs (pulmonary edema), which can lead to shortness of breath.

Cirrhosis. Fluid may

Sunday Times Magazine

(Mayo Clinic)

Weakness or damage to veins in your legs. If you have chronic venous insufficiency, the one-way valves in your leg veins are weakened or damaged, which allows blood to pool in your leg veins and causes swelling.

Sudden onset of swelling in one leg accompanied by pain in your calf muscle can be due to a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis, or DVT) in one of your leg veins. If this occurs, seek medical help immediately.

Inadequate lymphatic system. Your body's lymphatic system helps clear excess fluid from tissues.

If this system is damaged — for example, by cancer surgery — the lymph nodes and lymph vessels draining an area may not work correctly, and edema can occur.

Severe, long-term protein deficiency. An ex-

and uncomfortable • Increased risk of infection in the swollen area • Scarring between layers of tissue blood • Decreased circulation • Decreased elasticity of arteries, veins, joints and muscles • Increased risk of skin ulcers

Treatment

Mild edema usually goes away on its own, particularly if you help things along by raising the affected limb higher than your heart.

More-severe edema may be treated with drugs that help your body expel excess fluid in the form of urine (diuretics). One of the most common diuretics is furosemide (Lasix).

However, your doctor will determine whether these

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Preserving our literary heritage

AUGUST 18, 2019

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Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

Home Décor

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken

breast halves - cut into chunks • 2 tablespoons white wine • 2 tablespoons soy sauce • 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided • 2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved

in 2 tablespoons water • 1 ounce hot chili paste • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar • 2 teaspoons brown sugar • 4 green onions, chopped • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic • 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts • 4 ounces chopped peanuts

Easy Home Decor Ideas That Will Instantly Transform Your Space If your home is due for a design update but you have a limited budget and even less time, you're in the right place. With something as simple as an accent wall, colorful light bulb, or new throw pillow, your entire space can feel fresh, on-trend, and refined. You can tackle each of these decorating ideas in one day, even though the results will look like it took way longer to pull off.

Get Inspired By Nature This space is rich with texture, which creates warmth and dimension. There's also plenty of character even though it's sticking to a strict color palette. For a similarly inviting and grounded environment, get inspired by nature. Think seagrass, rattan, jute, wood, brushed concrete, and marble.

Instructions 1. To Make Marinade: Combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture and mix together. Place chicken pieces in a glass dish or bowl and add marinade. Toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

2. To Make Sauce: In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture, chili paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add green onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. In a medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic.

3. Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and saute in a large skillet until meat is white and juices run clear. When sauce is aromatic, add sauteed chicken to it and let simmer together until sauce thickens.

Reupholster Your Furniture

Cinnamon Swirl Bread Ingredients • 1/3 cup white sugar • 2 teaspoons ground

cinnamon • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 1 tablespoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 cup white sugar • 1 egg, beaten • 1 cup milk • 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a small bowl, mix together 1/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon; set aside.

2. In large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 1 cup sugar.

Combine egg, milk, and oil; add to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened.

3. Pour half of the batter into pan.

Reupholstering your furniture will automatically freshen up an entire space and if you love eclectic decorating, take notes from this impeccable living room.

Apply Accent Wallpaper Sprinkle with half the reserved cinnamon/ sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and cinnamon/sugar mixture. Draw a knife through batter to marble.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap in foil and let sit overnight before slicing.

You don't have to wallpaper your entire room—just pick a wall and accent with it. It's fast, easy, and makes a big difference.

Pineapple Salsa Chicken

Reupholster Your Furniture

Ingredients

Chicken: •

• •

Salsa:

4 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning

• 1 cup diced pineapple • 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper • 1 small jalapeno

pepper, seeded and

minced • 2 tablespoons minced

red onion • 2 tablespoons minced

fresh cilantro • 1 tablespoon lime juice • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a small bowl, mix together 1/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon; set aside. large 2. In bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 1 cup sugar. Combine egg, milk, and oil; add to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened.

3. Pour half of the batter into pan. Sprinkle

with half the reserved cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Repeat with remaining batter and cinnamon/ sugar mixture. Draw a knife through batter to marble.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap in foil and let sit overnight before slicing.

Your chairs and couches don't have to line up—in fact, you don't even have to have chairs. Put your side table in the corner flanked by two sofas, and if you don't have enough arm chairs for a classic living room setup, just place floor cushions by the coffee table.

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Puzzles

ACROSS

1 More ticked off 6 Flora and fauna 11 One-named model 15 Michael Caine role 20 Baked-potato topper 21 Empire builders 22 Explorer Sebastian -24 Glittering adornment 25 Fray 26 Sidekicks 27 Kind of power 28 Fateful card 29 Wrestling venues 31 Queen of the Misty Isles 33 Jostle 34 Papas or Cara 35 Detail 37 Stem-to-stern timber 39 Dentist's drill 41 Job application info 42 Postpone 43 Browser bookmarks 44 Prevailed upon 46 Vishnu incarnation 50 Go-ahead 51 Quark's home 52 Fiery gem 53 Tight spots 57 Mournful poems 59 San -- Capistrano 60 Too exacting 61 Finish third 62 Coaches 63 Escorted by 64 Washes down 65 -- -- carte 66 Pablo's girl 67 Stoic founder 68 "Luck of the Draw" singer 69 Warren who played Clyde 72 Quaint lodging 73 Keg 74 Hits the hammock 75 Motel plus 76 Bone connector 79 Strads 80 Gusting 84 Gin-fizz flavor 85 Supports 86 Map a course 87 -- Paulo 88 Fixes up 91 Porkers' plaints

92 -- Marian 93 Four-footed pal 95 Lyric poem 96 Altiplano locale 97 Say "yeth" 98 Hogan dweller (var.)

99 Volcano goddess 101 Plant parasites 102 Toad feature 103 Dugong cousin 104 Tackles' neighbors 105 Important decades 106 Ceremony 107 Casino action 108 Dweeb 109 Cheddar type 111 Knights of -112 Worker's incentive 114 Ques. opposite 117 One, in combos 118 Speck of dust 119 Like sci-fi 124 Went by boat 126 Common amphibian 128 Lord Vader 130 Conceal a message 131 Uses the phone 132 "Peanuts" kid 134 Barred to outsiders 136 Crated up 137 Lawn care brand 138 -- nous 139 Atlanta campus 140 Licorice flavor 141 Tree secretion 142 Japanese clog 143 Feel 144 Fender mishaps

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Fragment Maureen of film Sell down the -Big occasion Did over, as tiles Razor brand Took a breath Microscope lens Less feral Type of prof Freud, to himself Ifs Kareem -- -Jabbar Benchmark

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- LINEAGE (LINEAGE: LIN-ee-ij: Descent in line from a common ancestor.)

Average mark 19 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 26 or more words in LINEAGE?

TODAY'S WORD -- LINEAGE

lain lane lean liege lien line ling ingle nail

eagle elan agile alee alien align angel angle anile

gain gale gene genial genie glean glee glen

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.

15 16 17 18 19 23 30 32 36 38 40 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 51 52 54 55 56 58 59 60 63

Outfit Fibber, plus Taxi riders Presses a suit Gobbled up VIPs (2 wds.)

Behind the -Ohio city Foreign visitors?

Horror-film street Like gargoyles Bryce Canyon state Surprise win LP spinners List price Grads Doling out Beside oneself Commuter vehicle Sends packing At the drop of -- -Drop feathers Go to and fro Rollover subj.

Quick turn Fencers' weapons It once was wild

64 Corridors 67 Grey of Westerns 68 Castles, in chess 69 Attack of the flu 70 Sister of Helios 71 Elev.

73 Corp. biggies 74 Dampens a stamp 75 Trudge along 77 Cool -- -- cucumber 78 Diamond org.

79 Barn toppers 80 Object on radar 81 Villa 82 Just as soon 83 Vacillated 85 Waits 86 Gone by 88 Heavy gold chain 89 Blissful spot 90 Embraced 91 Pub sign (2 wds.)

92 Deep mud 93 Topeka loc.

94 John, in Siberia 96 BB gun (2 wds.)

97 Like many a train

98 Kind of trail 100 Slalom run 101 Vicious 102 On edge 103 What's cooking 106 Decompose 107 Pesters 110 Large Canadian bay 111 Dairy product 112 Sewing kit item 113 "Arabian Nights" hero 114 Fire of the mind 115 Bete -116 Flattens a fly 118 -- Carlo 119 Physique 120 Tea biscuit 121 Venom 122 That is (2 wds.)

123 Surrenders territory 125 Post-kindergarten 127 Chime 129 Birthday counts 133 Captain's milieu 135 Do batik See Solution on page 14

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Sunday Times Magazine 13 Samsung could have a smartphone with a Graphene battery by 2021

upcoming foldable might pack triple rear cameras S X iaomi recently showcased a foldable phone on video, but so far, there has been no information about the device's internal hardware or cameras. A new patent application filed by Xiaomi suggests that the company's first foldable phone might pack triple rear cameras.

The schematics in Xiaomi's patent application clearly show a verticallyaligned camera module with cutouts for three lenses. But unfortunately, there is no information on the megapixel count of the cameras on the company's foldable phone, which is still under the prototype testing phase.

The foldable phone patent filed by Xiaomi before EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office), which was first spotted by @ Xiaomishka, shows a tabletlike device with symmetrical dual-hinge design to fold the display on either side along its vertical axis. The design is quite similar to the foldable phone that was recently showcased on video by Xiaomi's president Lin Bin and later made an appearance in another teaser video

shared by Xiaomi.

However, none of the two videos gave a glimpse at the foldable phone's cameras.

The diagrams in Xiaomi's patent application indicate that the upcoming foldable device might pack triple rear cameras. The lenses will be housed in a module that will create a small

hump. Surprisingly, there doesn't appear to be a cutout for the selfie camera in any of the patent images, neither is it visible in Xiaomi's teaser videos.

It must be noted that the triple rear cameras are seen in a patent application, which means they only represent Xiaomi's vision for a

foldable device and might not necessarily be implemented on a commercially available phone. Also, Xiaomi has already made it clear that its foldable phone will launch as a mass device only if the concept gains traction and generates enough interest. (Gadgets 360°)

PUBG Mobile 0.14.0 Update Brings Infection Mode with Dedicated Map, New Character System, and More

P

UBG Mobile 0.14.0 update is here, and it brings a tonne of new elements such as an entirely new mode, a fresh character system, rewards, and a lot more. The most notable addition is the Infection Mode, which allows one to play as a defender or a zombie in an entirely new map setting, and switches the roles to test out the strategy skill of players. A tonne of bug fixes are on the way as well, alongside a new Pirate main theme and restocked items with the season 8 Royale Pass.

The PUBG Mobile 0.14.0 update is now available to download and is 731MB in size on Android. The game's updated version is available to download on iOS platform as well.

As a zombie, the goal is to kill as many defenders as possible, but only via me-

ring-shaped jump pads that help players quickly jump on a rooftop to avoid the zombies. Players can customise the layout of on-screen buttons when they are playing as a zombie, even if the number of controls is much less than the regular layout.

Moreover, a fresh character system has been introduced with the update that

lee attacks. If you play as a defender in PUBG Mobile's new Infection Mode, you get a gun and a machete to hack the undead, but the main objective is to stay alive. Zombies revive after being killed, but defenders will turn into zombies if they die. As for winning, zombies will be victorious if all defenders are infected. But even if a single defender survives the zom-

bie onslaught before time runs out, the defenders will win the round.

The Infection Mode is set in an entirely new map which appears to be an a b a n doned suburb at dawn.

There a r e stairs galore and s o m e s w i m

adds a new character called Victor with his own unique outfit and skill – the ability to load SMGs faster than others. Victor is available as a free item and can be picked up from the Characters section under the Workshop tab.

There is also a Global Treasure Hunt challenge for Royale Pass owners that is divided into four stages with a unique map for each one.

There are seven levels in each stage and two missions for each level, all of which can be completed to unlock a final reward. (Gadgets 360°)

martphone batteries aren't something that we think a lot about beyond the capacity, since that usually gives you an indication of how long the smartphone will last on a full charge. Most smartphones today have lithium-ion batteries, which while capable, are now falling short on capabilities as smartphones are getting more powerful.

The solution could be in the smartphone industry adopting graphene batteries, which could be coming to at least one Samsung smartphone by 2021, according to tipster Evan Blass.

Graphene batteries on smartphones using Samsung's graphene ball technology have been tipped for some time now, but a new tweet by Evan Blass suggests that it's still some time away. Blass' source suggests that Samsung hopes to have at least one smartphone with a graphene battery by 2021. For the time being, capacities still need to be raised while simultaneously lowering costs, according to the tweet.

The technology is still expensive to develop, but has potential for smartphone batteries for a couple of key reasons.

For one, graphene batteries will allow for more capacity in a smaller size, allowing for slim smartphones with compact batteries that can power the phone for longer. Additionally, graphene batteries can be charged much faster, with Blass stating that a full charge could happen in under 30 minutes.

However, the cost of putting such a battery into a smartphone is still too high, and could take a while to come down to reasonable levels. When it does, graphene batteries could finally allow smartphones to achieve greater potential without relying on oversized and heavy lithium ion batteries.

(Gadgets 360°)

Twitter tests letting users follow topics in the same way they follow accounts

T

witter will begin allowing users to follow interests, the company said, letting users see tweets about topics of their choosing inside the timeline. When the feature goes live, you’ll be able to follow topics including sports teams, celebrities, and television shows, with a selection of tweets about them inserted alongside tweets in your home feed.

Topics will be curated

by Twitter, with individual tweets being identified through machine learning rather than editorial curation, the company said. For now, only sports-related interests can be followed, said Rob Bishop, a Twitter product manager. The feature is now being tested on Android.

The move represents Twitter’s latest effort to help users find the best content on the platform even if they don’t know which accounts to follow. For years, the company has sought to make it easier for people to find value in Twitter, which can be foreboding for newcomers. Previously, Twitter Moments allowed people to follow events such as the Oscars or a sports game.

One reason to restrict the interests that can be followed in the testing phase is to see how amplifying them via the new feature

affects the overall Twitter experience. The company has been researching the bad incentives that Twitter can create, with the like and retweet often serving to promote outrage and polarization. It’s unclear whether algorithmic promotion of interests will behave differently than algorithmically promoted retweets. The underlying mechanics appear to be quite similar, at least on the surface.

Kayvon Beykpour, who leads Twitter’s product efforts, said that the company did not plan to create topics for everything its users might be interested in, suggesting it would be sensitive to how the product could be abused by bad actors.

You’ll also be able to mute topics, so if you’re following a TV show but haven’t seen the most recent episode, you can temporarily hide tweets about it from your feed. (The Verge)

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Bollywood/Hollywood

M

F

ilmmaker Boney Kapoor is yet to overcome the loss of his wife and actor Sridevi and missed her deeply on her birthday. The producer said, in an interview, how he feels that she is still around and taking care of them all.

In a video interview to BehindWoods TV, Boney broke down remembering her and said, “She was a legend in her lifetime and she remains a legend after she has left us. She may have left for the world, but for me, for us, she is still around.

She is wishing us well and taking care of us and is still around.”

Boney also revealed that he had lost 14 kgs when he

H

e made a successful Bollywood debut with Student Of The Year in 2012 and managed to garner a fan base with his good looks in the initial years of career. The past couple of years, however, have been rough for Sidharth Malhotra. The audience wasn’t quite impressed with his films such as Baar Baar Dekho, A Gentleman

G

rammy-nominated rapper A$AP Rocky was found guilty of assault in a Stockholm street brawl, but won’t serve any more jail time, a Swedish court ruled Wednesday.

The 30-year-old musician, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, didn’t appear in Stockholm court

was dating Sridevi. Talking about how he eventually gained weight after getting married to her, he said, “When she was pregnant, she used to have a lot of milkshakes and ice creams.

She had a sweet tooth. And I was also very fond of milkshakes and faludaas and we used to go to all her favourite places.”

He also spoke about her interest in South cinema.

“After English Vinghlish and before Mom, she did Puli.

Unfortunately, Puli didn’t turn out well. She has done it all and was waiting for good opportunities and good roles. Her passion for Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema was always there and

used to watch films on television. Whenever I had to buy a remake right, she used to be with me, she was my interpreter and she exactly knew what she had to do for a particular art.”

He also spoke about how her instincts were very strong and she had observed her aunt carrying her handbag and that’s the way she used to carry it in English Vinglish.

On being asked about his favourite film of Sridevi, Boney said, “All her films are my favourite from Mom, English Vinglish, Khuda Gawah, Chandni, Mr India, Chalbaaz, Gumraah to Judai and the list is endless.” (Hindustan Times)

and Aiyaari, which turned out to be duds at box office.

“Rome was not built in one day, it takes time to create something great. Similarly, one should not analyse an actor’s growth by one particular film. I know there were films that did not do well and I would be lying if I say failure does not affect me. It affects me, but I know how to deal

with it. I maintain a positive outlook,” Sidharth told IANS. He added: “Criticism and failure motivate me, and add fire to my belly. These things push me to try something new and different every time. Sometimes, thing go in your favour, at other times they do not. It does not mean you should stop putting in your best. It’s part of the journey. There are so many superstars in our country who are still working. Even they must have gone through hard times. It’s a matter of working hard.”

Sidharth’s latest release Jabariya Jodi cast him opposite Parineeti Chopra.

Currently, he is preparing for Shershaah, where he plays the role Captain Vikram Batra, who laid down his life in the service of the nation while recapturing Indian territories from Pakistani intruders during the Kargil War of 1999. (Hindustan Times)

where he and two members of his entourage were convicted, the BBC reported.

Rocky — who spent a month in custody before he was released – was given a suspended sentence and ordered to pay a fine of 12,500 Swedish krona ($1,300) to the victim.

Prosecutors allege that

the “Praise the Lord” rapper and two entourage members assaulted the teen in a bloody beatdown June 30 in the Swedish capital.

The rapper — who was seen on a video throwing the teen to the ground — has claimed that he was acted in self-defense. (Page Six)

iley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth broke up because the “Hunger Games” actor couldn’t keep up with her whirlwind social life, Page Six is told.

Pictures of the “Wrecking Ball” singer making out with another woman on an Italian beach created a tidal wave of reports that the seven-month marriage had ended over an affair. But sources tell said that Cyrus is “acting like the ‘old Miley’ again,” referring to the singer’s public antics in her youth, “and he wants a normal, settled-down life.”

Multiple sources said that while Cyrus is certainly enjoying herself right now, she’s as “healthy as she’s ever been, focusing on her music.”

Meanwhile, in spite of the shots of Cyrus smooching with reality star Kaitlynn Carter — which appeared online a day after Cyrus and Hemsworth announced their split — a source said, “Miley was never unfaithful.

She never hooked up with girls while she was married. It wasn’t a part of the relationship.” The source reiterated, “There was no hooking up behind his back or with his knowledge.”

Insiders told said that the couple were close pals with Carter and her now-ex and

“The Hills: New Beginnings” co-star, Brody Jenner — but there was no romance between the women.

Sources close to Hemsworth told Page Six that the actor has been “totally blindsided” by the media maelstrom brewed up by the breakup. He addressed the split on Tuesday, writing on Instagram that he wished Cyrus “health and happiness.”

Reps for the pair didn’t comment.

(Page Six)

F

ilmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has shared the first poster of his next film, The Kashmir Files.

Speaking at an event to announce the project, he said he wants to present the unreported history of Kashmiri Hindus in his upcoming film, The Kashmir Files.

“Kashmiri Hindus were literally butchered, raped and made homeless. It is one of the most tragic genocides in Indian history but is absent from our history and our consciousness. All I want to achieve is to present the unreported history of Kashmiri Hindus,” Agnihotri told IANS, adding: “I believe artists owe it to society which consumes their work. It’s unbelievable that there are so many films on Kashmir but not even one on the misery, pain and loss of the (state’s) Hindu minority.”

The Kashmir Files, based on the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus, is scheduled to hit screens in August 2020. Other details about the film are still under wraps.

The director earlier made The Tashkent Files, which revolves around the mysterious death of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri

in 1966, soon after the signing of the Tashkent Agreement between India

and Pakistan to end their 1965 war. (Hindustan Times)

Crossword Solution

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Sunday Times Magazine 15

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Fun Times

Archie

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Emotions will be difficult to control. Channel your energy into personal gains, physical, mental and emotional improvements, and spending time with someone who brings out the best in you.

Don’t let changes initiTAURUS ated by others cause you to (April 20- make a hasty decision. Time May 20) is on your side, and discipline and experience will help you weather any storm that comes your way.

Time spent with friends, GEMINI relatives and your immediate (MAY 28- family will bring you closer June 20) together. Home and personal improvements will pay off and end up saving you money. Romance is encouraged.

Trusting someone who has big ideas and tends to (June 21- embellish situations will lead July 22) to a loss. Don’t get involved in someone else’s fast-cash scheme. Do your own thing and control the outcome.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

Clear up any unfinished personal business. Put together a plan that will help you save for something you really want. Explore the possibility of lowering your overhead.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

A change of scenery will help you put your life in perspective and encourage you to make a positive change.

Live life your way and eliminate what is no longer working for you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Think matters through carefully. Consider the consequences of standing up to or walking away from someone who has been taking advantage of you. Say what’s on your mind and initiate change.

Immerse yourself in someSCORPIO (Oct. 24- thing that excites you. A creNov. 22) ative project or an event will bring you in contact with people you find intriguing. Live, learn and explore.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Calvin and Hobbes

A personal realization will encourage you to live a healthier lifestyle. Easing the stress of debt, getting rid of excess possessions or curbing indulgence will help you gain control.

When in doubt, ask questions. Knowledge is power, and making the right choice can have long-term effects.

Home improvements look promising and should help cut expenses.

Attending a reunion or AQUARIUS reconnecting with someone (Jan. 20- from your past will help you Feb. 19) realize what you have and what you want. Personal improvements, love, romance and commitment are favored.

A change can be implePISCES (Feb. 20- mented, but don’t take a risk Mar. 20) that could be detrimental to your health. Too much of anything will backfire, leaving you in a vulnerable position.