Thursday april 27

Local cops to start P speaking Chinese soon

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– as 25 Police Officers start Mandarin course Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3194

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Thursday, April 27, 2017

PRICE

New pharmaceutical importation system

Importers react to new system for drug importation

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

GPSU P15 moves ahead with elections

Page 3

– foresee adverse effect on business Meeting with Queen Elizabeth II

Fisherman found hiding under bed with 2kg of cannabis P14

Granger pushes ‘green agenda’, says relations “becoming warmer” Page 15

NYPD P17 detective charged for crash that killed Guyanese

– British State Minister to visit Guyana President David Granger meeting with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England. The meeting marks the first time a Guyanese leader has met with Queen Elizabeth II in the United Kingdom

Gold Board probe

GM asserts innocence in fiasco Page 7

Small gold, diamond miners feel neglected

by Govt

Cane cutter arraigned for attempted P8 murder

Page 9

– unable to meet President in 2 years, despite numerous requests

14-year-old allegedly P15 brutalised by Police

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Thursday, April 27 – 05:00h-06:30h and Friday, April 28 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, April 27 – 17:00h-18:30h and Friday, April 28 – 05:15h-06:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions are expected to prevail with light rain showers in the late morning and early afternoon hours. Clear skies are predicted for the evening hours. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-easterly between 4.02 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 04:59h and 17:27h reaching maximum heights of 2.97 metres and 2.87 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 10:59h and 23:15h reaching minimum heights of 0.22 metre and 0.39 metre respectively.

WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS 02

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2017

DAILY MILLIONS 04 05 06 24

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Importers react to new system for drug importation – foresee adverse effect on business

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

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New pharmaceutical importation system

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

F

ollowing the introduction of the new measure whereby a regional hub will now recommend approval for pharmaceuticals to be imported into Guyana, local importers had mixed reactions to the new system with many of them decrying the move, saying that it will “adversely” affect their business.

The new arrangement – which was signed on to by Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence since early March and announced by Head of the Government AnalystFood and Drug Department (GA-FDD) Marlan Cole on Tuesday at a public meeting with local importers – will see the Caribbean Regulatory System (CRS), a regional regulatory body under the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), vetting and recommending pharmaceuticals to be imported into Guyana.

According to Cole, previously suppliers would submit dossiers to local regulatory bodies for review and approval of the drugs they wanted to sell on the market, but with the new system in place, suppliers will now have to make electronic submissions to the CRS for it to do an assessment of the drug. He added that the CRS would then make recommendations to the GA-FDD as to whether that drug should be registered locally based on certification from either a World Health Organisation (WHO) prequalified site or the particular medicine’s marketing authorisation issued in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Argentina, Cuba or Mexico.

However, local importers are up in arms over the move, claiming that it would more favour large foreign companies, such as ANSA McAL. In fact, this newspaper was told that this new measure will now mean that the majority of generic medicines – from India, China

Mike’s Pharmacy’s Lakeram “Mike” Singh

and Brazil particularly – will now be banned from entering Guyana. This means the ordinary citizens would have to incur additional expenses since only costly “brandname” medicines will be permitted into the country.

When contacted on Wednesday, Mike’s Pharmacy Chairman Lakeram “Mike” Singh related that while he was not present at Tuesday’s meeting, he had a representative there and based on what was relayed to him, the new system “looks detrimental in the long run”.

Nevertheless, this publication spoke with the company’s Pharmacist, Radha Rooplall, who attended the meeting and she explained that one of their regular suppliers is an Indian company and with this new regulation, there are new criteria to obtain marketing authorisation.

“So that (new) criteria now makes it difficult for us to register our products from the Indian company, because it’s from India and we would now have to check to see if (those products and the Indian company) would meet those criteria,” she stated.

Another issue that Rooplall pointed out they now face is the uncertainty of approval for shipments of pharmaceuticals that are already on the way from those companies. She indicated that this issue was raised at the meeting, and they were

told that the marketing authorisation for some of those registered products would have to be reviewed.

“Remember we have been bringing in products from this company for many years, and we have already marketing authorisation for some of the products, so they are saying we can recall that and review it... So, I don’t know what will be the future in terms of importing drugs from India, but we would have to wait and see,” the pharmacist asserted.

Moreover, Rooplall went on to say that Cole had indicated to them during Tuesday’s meeting that the CRS would only be accepting drugs that were coming from the ABC countries, which would obviously be more expensive.

“So, we would have to work with whatever they are approving… If they don’t give us approval to ship those generic drugs from India, then probably we will have to seek alternatives,” she noted.

Meanwhile, MediCare Pharmacy Managing Director Aneesa Bacchus told this newspaper that her company would not be directly affected by the new system since it bought its supplies locally. However, she added that there would be a transferred effect if their suppliers (other local importers) were affected.

“We’re a retailer, so we wouldn’t be directly affected, but if the importers are adversely affected by this new measure, then we will also be in at the end. And cus-

tomers will be affected at the end too,” she stated.

Company favoured Meanwhile, Former Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, in a letter to the press, has pointed out that by design this new policy benefits Ansa McAl since this Trinidadianbased company represents several branded drug companies selling their products at exorbitant prices, which was publicly exposed in the recent Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) sole-sourcing fiasco.

Dr Ramsammy pointed out that not registering a generic medicine in America does not automatically mean that these medicines are inferior. “For many non-US, non-Canada, non-UK generic companies, the high cost of meeting the barrage of ever changing import barriers designed to protect American, Canadian, British pharmaceutical companies make marketing low-cost medicines in those markets uneconomical.”

He added that it is noteworthy that citizens from America, Canada, the UK, Europe and other countries travel to India to procure medicines because they cannot afford to purchase these medicines in their own countries.

The Caricom Ministerial Body for Health gave its approval to implement the CARPHA CRS programme in 2014. A few Caricom countries including Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago have refused to be part of this progrmme.

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Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Contemptuous of the Judiciary

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t is very clear Attorney General Basil Williams, SC, does not care where he draws the line between being the Attorney General (AG) of Guyana and being the ordinary criminal lawyer in private practice he used to be. Art 112 (1) says, “There shall be an Attorney General of Guyana who shall be the principal legal advisor to the government of Guyana and who shall be appointed by the President.” Mr Williams wears another hat by virtue of Art 185 (2) which states, “If the Attorney General is an elected member of the National Assembly at the time of his appointment or subsequently becomes such a member, he shall be a Minister by virtue of holding the office of Attorney General.”

The role of an AG is of great antiquity in the English system of governance which we have based our own practices. It harks back to the early 13th century from the “attornus Regis”, or “King’s attorney,” was both the legal representative of the King, the royal government as well as the “parens patriae”, or “guardian of public interests.”

The role of the AG should not be debased or brought into disrepute lightly or capriciously.

In his paper, “The Attorney General, Politics and the Judiciary”, the Hon. L.J. King AC QC declared: “Because of the difficulty of reconciling the impartiality and evenhandedness required for the proper discharge of the Attorney-General’s legal and quasi-judicial functions with the demands of partisan politics, there arose in England a notion described as “independent aloofness”. The notion was that the Attorney General should not be involved in questions of government policy or too closely in policy debates within government, should not engage in robust political debate except in relation to his own portfolio and should be generally reticent and non-confrontational with respect to party politics.”

Mr Williams has displayed anything but “judicial aloofness” during the past two years, where there have been a slew of decisions by the Court that has gone against him in his role as AG. This has raised deep concerns, especially in legal circles, as to whether the Government of Guyana is well served in its legal representation. The matter of the attempted expropriation of the land owned by the government’s Ambassador to Canada is only one case in point. If the advisory role of the AG is grounded on claims not based on accepted legal norms, but are rather emanating from a politised perspective that reflects the third hat worn by Mr Williams - that of Chairman of the PNC - then ultimately this will not only lower the standing of the government but bring it all too frequently in front of the Judiciary, which is a co-equal arm of government.

The AG’s recent decision to make public his legal opinion to President David Granger on Justice Holder’s letter to the Chancellor of the Judiciary concerning the incident in front of the Judge in his court illustrates the concerns on his suitability for his high office, and indeed his recent elevation to the rank of “Senior Counsel”.

The learned Judge’s mature decision to avoid an open confrontation with Mr Williams, because of his office, and thereby heading off a clash between the Executive and the Judiciary has now been churlishly, if puerilely, challenged by the latter on a claim of “Functus officio”. Mr Williams makes the elementary mistake of invoking a principle that concerns a decision already rendered, rather than simply withheld.

This is a perfect illustration of Mr Williams’ insistence on not only refusing to look at his wider responsibilities to the people of Guyana, but indeed the Executive of which he is a member and the President at whose will he serves. No one knows how the Chronicle was able to obtain a copy of Justice Holder’s letter to the Chancellor (ag) but it is clear that Mr Williams open salvo intends to muddy and possibly bully, the Head of the Judiciary as she contemplates a response to Judge Holder.

A man sells fresh goat milk at the back of a minibus in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China (Reuters)

Can President Granger justify his use of private planes?

Dear Editor, It was reported in the Tribune, a Bahamian newspaper, on March 2, 2017 that President David Granger and his select cohort arrived in The Bahamas for a three-day State visit by private plane. Thinking that there was an error with the report, since there was no possible justifiable reason to use a private plane instead of a commercial flight (whether first class or otherwise), my further investigation revealed that not only was this report of the use of a private plane accurate, but it was further evidence of insensitive profligacy and waste of taxpayers’ money

by President Granger.

The investigation revealed that not only three Ministers, one of whom is his son-in-law (Mr Gaskin, the Minister of Business), but a team of speech writers, bodyguards, assistants, and media personnel accompanied President Granger on this private plane and for whom daily stipends and ac-

commodation had to be provided at the hotel, the rates of which are about US$430 per night. In addition, a number of gifts were purchased and presented to the Bahamian Government all bought and paid for with taxpayers money. The total spent on this three-day trip was about G$18 million. The cost of the private plane alone was about G$8 million.

Two questions ought to have been asked by the media which holds the significant responsibility of being the fourth estate on behalf of the people of Guyana: 1) How could President Granger justify the use of a private plane instead of a commercial flight? 2) What investment did the three-day State visit garner for Guyana?

Of course, the media can be partially forgiven since President Granger assiduously avoids answering questions by dodging and not holding press conferences. But most sections of the media are also

complicit by neglecting to ask President Granger the hard questions when the impromptu opportunity arises, quietly hoping instead to receive the perks of free travel with the Head of State or his Ministers, while Guyana continues along a path of visionless high-tax submersion and wasteful spending.

With admittedly dwindling investment and a reduction in all of the productive sectors except for gold, it is now obvious why there has been this urgency to increase taxes and an emphasis on increased tax collection – the “good life for the government”. This, ironically, on the authority of a president who has collected over $50 million in salary since his assumption of office as President but pays not a single penny of tax on his income.

Guyanese are feeling the squeeze more than ever and struggling to make ends meet while our President displays his manifest insen-

sitivity to our circumstances in grandiose style by driving around in Lexuses with large entourages and security detail and travel internationally by private planes.

If the Bahamian newspaper did not publish the use of the private plane by President Granger, it certainly makes one question how would Guyanese ever have known about it or worse what else do we not know?

When times are hard, we expect our leaders to be sensitive to our struggles and not flaunt the “great life” in our faces. The famous Guyanese saying “he who feels it knows it” and with the “great life” the Government now enjoys it raises the question whether decisions can be made in the best interest of the Guyanese people, who need the support of a government who “knows it”. Leadership begins with responsibility, but lasting change happens by example.

Sincerely, Charles S Ramson

Conditions of the working class in 2017

Dear Editor, We are approaching another May Day, the holiday of the working people. It is a time when workers celebrate their achievements and contemplate their future. This year, unfortunately, the toiling masses of Guyana have nothing to celebrate and a lot of concerns for the future.

In just two years, the PNC-led APNU regime has done great damage to our economy. It is the working people who are feeling the brunt of the pressures as a result of the regime’s faulty economic policies.

Indeed, the conditions of life for workers have de-

teriorated drastically. What we are witnessing is an onslaught on the working class.

Thousands of jobs are being lost in the Private Sector. Many small- and medium-scale enterprises are closing their doors, leaving their labour on the breadline.

As if this was not bad enough, we see the massive attack on the sugar workers. The sugar industry is being decimated. The Wales Estate has been closed, leaving almost 2000 workers out of employment.

This is one of the direct consequences of the

Government’s action.

More people are affected as well. All the cane farmers in the Canals will be forced out, and the hundreds of workers whom they employ will also be added to the ranks of the unemployed.

We also see the massive preparations being put in place to shut Rose Hall and Enmore Estates. The regime announced also that Skeldon will have to go.

Thousands of sugar workers are facing a very bleak future. However, not only the workers and their families are going to suffer, but whole communities will become depressed. It will

also affect the country as a whole.

This is totally unnecessary. Sugar does not have to close. It has the possibilities to add value to its product and transform the industry from a producer of raw sugar to a complex, producing many products such as electricity, alcohol, ethanol, refined sugar, and other special types of sugar. That list is not exhaustive. The investments to do these things are not so great.

The Indian Government had offered assistance to recapitalise the industry and allow it to develop into a complex. continues on page 5

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Baksh is yet another victim of AG Williams’s political, sexist vengeance – Nandlall

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ttorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall has roasted Attorney General Basil Williams for playing a major role in the removal of acting Registrar, Azeena Baksh who is a victim of his “political and sexist vengeance”.

The following is a statement on the Azeena Baksh issue by Attorneyat-Law, Mohabir Anil Nandlall Azeena Baksh is yet another victim of Basil Williams’s political and sexist vengeance. Over a dozen professional women have been casualties so far. The list includes Sita Ramlall, Solicitor General; Prithima Kissoon, Deputy Solicitor General; Indira Anandjit, Permanent Secretary; Zanna Frank, Assistant Registrar of Deeds; over five (5) female State Counsel and several female secretarial and clerical staff. Azeena Baksh is the latest in the line.

The intention to remove

Azeena Baksh as Registrar of Deeds was expressed by the Attorney General within weeks after he was sworn in. However, and not surprising, he did not know that she was appointed under the Constitution, by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and that he can neither dismiss nor discipline her. He got a similarly rude awakening, when he attempted to remove Zanna Frank from the position of Deputy Registrar of Deeds. Zanna Frank took him to the High Court and the Court ruled against him. He had instructed that her salaries and benefits be withheld. The Court Ordered that she be paid all her benefits and confirmed that the AG cannot remove her from office.

By this time, he had already commenced his vindictive pursuit of Azeena Baksh, harassing, intimidating her and threatening to send her on leave or dismiss

Acting Registrar Azeena Baksh

her. She resisted him. She lodged a complaint with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

When this strategy failed, he begun a new method of attack, by concocting and fabricating financial wrongdoings on her part. His claim that the Legal Affairs Ministry has been requested to initiate the investigations by

Conditions of the working...

Indian companies have shown great interest in the sugar sector.

A healthy relation can develop between GuySuCo and those companies in India and also in Brazil. However, the APNU regime has so far ignored the Indian interests and has not pursued the Brazilian option.

The regime is not interested in saving the industry. They seem gung-ho to close sugar.

It is not accidental. This regime is anti-working people.

This is not just an attack on sugar workers; no, it is an attack on the whole working class.

By attacking the most advanced, the most militant section of the working class, they intend to weaken the trade union movement and working people as a whole. This will make the other contingent of the workers very vulnerable to future attacks by the regime.

Yet, the response from organised labour has been feeble.

This is because the leaders in the Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) have taken too much of a PNC/APNU po-

sition. Most of them see themselves first as PNC/APNU. They are more defensive of the regime than the workers.

True, we heard one or two statements from the body, but nothing else.

On the other hand, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) is bending backwards to prove that it does not have any political affiliations. It is, therefore, not seeking any political support to combat what is essentially a political act of this regime.

The disunity in the labour movement and its wrong tactics in not seeking alliances have contributed to the great damage to the working people of our country. The fundamental pillar of the movement – ‘solidarity’ has been seriously weakened.

All workers are now dangerously exposed to greater exploitation, discrimination and victimisation.

On this May Day, the TUC and FITUG need to do some serious soul searching if they are to become effective in defending the working and oppressed in

some department within the Deeds and Commercial Register Authority (DCRA) is utter rubbish. The complaint originated from him and he is simply using these machinations to give it legitimacy. Even the strategies that he is using are clumsy.

The allegations of financial improprieties made against Ms Baksh are as incredulous as they are nonsensical. The DCRA was established as an initiative of mine, as Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, by virtue of an Act of Parliament which received unanimous support when it was enacted in 2013, a time when the APNU and AFC held a majority in the National Assembly.

The intention was to merge the Deeds and Corporate Registries into a singular autonomous corporate unit, to be managed by a Governing Board. This unit is to operate without political inter-

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Guyana.

Their politics must be supporting and defending measures that promote and defend the interests of the working people, regardless of the personal political affiliations of the leaders. They must denounce the racial and political discrimination that is taking place. They must condemn the violation of human rights: they must defend the independence of the Judiciary, among other issues.

Failing to do so will only see the further decimation of the working class.

This May Day 2017, working people and their trade unions and other organisations must rethink their strategy and tactics.

All efforts must be made for unity of all working people.

Disunity in the face of the onslaught by the regime is allowing for the reversal of the gains working people have made in recent times.

This is my view.

What is yours?

Donald Ramotar Former President

ference; be able to raise and manage its own finances and hire and dismiss its own staff.

There was a long transformation process to transition the existing staff, who were then public servants, into employees of this new unit. Pension rights had to be protected; employees who were prepared to remain in the Public Service were transferred; those who migrated to the unit, did so on conditions that were not less favourable to that which they enjoyed as Public Servants; the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) was consulted.

In the end, every employee who migrated to this new unit did so with an increased remuneration package. Each employee continued in their respective position or was promoted.

They all became employees of the unit to be paid a remuneration package, which was

negotiated with them individually by a consultant who was hired for this purpose.

The individual and collective remuneration packages were then approved by the Minister of Legal Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and then

by Cabinet. Thereafter, the DCRA executed individual employment contracts with these employees and they were paid the agreed upon remuneration packages.

Azeena Baksh, as Registrar of Deeds, was part of this process. Whatever remuneration package she enjoys came out of this consultative process. Whatever remuneration package she received previously, was subsumed under this new arrangement.

The allegation therefore, that Azeena Baksh paid herself monies is absolute trash.

Her remuneration package was duly approved by the authorised agencies and personnel at the time.

Pope Francis on TED

Dear Editor, It is not surprising to me when Pope Francis comes up with innovative ways to reach out to people especially with his down-to-earth message of love and unity. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened TED Talks yesterday and saw him giving his message of unity, love, and tenderness.

The pontiff has been very creative in his approach to his pontificate by using modern mediums to communicate the Gospel message to the world. Hence, I would tend to think that Pope Francis rises to the modern times so that he can reach out to thousands of people in an effective and faster way.

Let me briefly express the message that he delivered to the world in his TED Talk. This message fits well with the Season of Easter. Firstly, he emphasised the need for unity and peaceful coexistence. “The future you” is his tagline to convey the message of unity, knowing well the atrocities which are divisive and done to the people in the world. This message is crucial as he prepares for a two-day visit to Egypt at the end of this week. It is crucial as experts on the country say he will face a series of difficult choices while he's there. The trip could be one of the most delicate yet of his fouryear papacy. For the Pope, “unity” has

been a key factor in his papacy.

Secondly, his message of love is communicated powerfully throughout his papacy. Although, the Pope himself promotes technology, he is well aware that technological innovations have blinded humanity to see our neighbour who is suffering. We watch the stars and planets orbiting in the far distance, but we also need to see people who are orbiting us to provide our help.

Thirdly, his message of tenderness is crucial for our times. He emphasises the use of our eyes and ears to see and listen to the children, the poor and those who are afraid of the future, and also to listen to our common home, Mother Earth. Tenderness is to use our hands and hearts to comfort others, to take care of them. The message of unity, love, and tenderness is important for our modern times, irrespective of religions. Although the Pope speaks as a Christian, this threefold message could apply to every individual and every country in the world, including Guyana, because our issues are similar with varying intensity.

Sincerely, Reverend Jerri Melwin Dias, SJ Diocese of Georgetown

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Foundation

Childhood Anxiety – gateway to all adult mental disorders

By William L Mace, PhD

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recently watched Charlie Rose interview a panel of three mental health experts. They found that, starting at age 4, 9 per cent of preschoolers presented with Childhood Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety by age 6, Generalised Anxiety Disorder by age 10, and with an overlay of Social Anxiety during this time period. There is evidence that these early anxieties build upon one another, becoming the gateway to Bipolar, Schizophrenia, and all adult mental disorders.

It was reported that one in every 5 young adults, ages 18 to 28, experienced an anxiety episode during the last 12-month period, preventing them from adapting to the challenges of adulthood. Although anxiety is a normal human emotion necessary to protect us against danger, the inability to cope with anxiety becomes greater over time, since any intervention must first deal with the maladaptive and often self-defeating coping mechanisms learned along the way.

Symptoms

The experts found no social stigma associated with Childhood Anxiety other than from parents who refuse to acknowledge it.

Children can suffer for 2 to 7 years before parents accept the problem, and then

guyanatimesgy.com

begin to comfort and overprotect the child, preventing the child from learning to cope. Childhood symptoms might be stomachaches before going to school, too much time spent on computer games, and avoidance of many everyday encounters.

But it was among the young adults that major problems occurred, such as academic decline, depression, and self-destructive behaviours.

The panel made mention that the brain’s hippocampus is instrumental in helping overcome anxieties, but did not allude to what may have precipitated Childhood Anxiety in the first place. I would venture to say that it could be an inability to cope in the face of an overwhelming fearful incident emblazoned within the brain’s amygdala, which can run the lifespan.

I am reminded of Audrey, a 27-year-old mother of two boys, the oldest being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. Audrey was on sick leave as teller from a major bank. Her husband was an office worker for a municipal electric company.

Audrey had been driving to her job one morning, after dropping off her oldest son at day care, when she suddenly felt a tension in her upper chest, her heart racing, and panic.

She was diagnosed with Panic Disorder and referred to me for psychotherapy.

Her husband was fully supportive and suggested that Audrey quit her job, that they could get by financially. But Audrey felt that she must work.

In therapy, it became evident that the precipitating factor for the panic was the bank manager, who insisted that Audrey work Saturdays.

Audrey was already at her limit, getting up in the morning and preparing her younger son for day care, while t h e older boy would talk back and act out. She would be docked and hassled by the manager if she were late for work, and she had to sit on the same stool, at the same window, recite the same sales message for loans to all customers, not leave her station, and take a late lunch.

Anger

Audrey was subsumed

with anger, yet she could not stand up to male authority. When probed, she related that when she was about five, her father, a prison guard, got drunk one night, took out his 38-cakiber revolver and shot at her mother’s feet, making her mother dance. Audrey’s father, when sober, was a righteous, hard-working man, who took his anger out on prisoners. Audrey took on her father’s work ethic and buried her anger at her father, along with the fear she had of him.

Audrey was not just afraid of male authority: she was afraid of her own rage, on which she felt she had to keep a tight lid for fear of killing someone, namely her older boy and her boss. The greater the anger, the more pressure she placed upon herself to conform to authority. There was absolutely no legitimate way to express her anger. When the stress became altogether too unbearable, she panicked.

Fortunately for Audrey, her father and mother were still living, although her father had recently suffered a stroke. Audrey had not seen them since her marriage, about 10 years before. Audrey and I arrived at a plan for her to return home for a visit and, while there, to confront her father face-to-face for having terrorised her as a young child.

Audrey initially objected because her father, she be-

lieved, would just belittle in incident. I role-played her father, however, and Audrey started telling “her father” what he had done to her life.

Audrey practised telling her father that she loved him, and would always love him, since he was her father, but that he had terrorised her as a child and that she was very angry at him for this. I, as her father, would answer, first denying the magnitude of the incident, then blaming the whiskey, then blaming Audrey for misunderstanding the situation, and finally by becoming angry and verbally abusive.

Audrey practised talking to “her father” for about three weeks before she was ready for the confrontation.

Audrey’s husband took the week off work and drove her and the boys south for the reunion.

When Audrey arrived, there would be additional conflict with the brothers and sisters who had not left home, but Audrey conspired with her mother to be alone with her father one afternoon. She was over-prepared, ready for almost any manoeuvre, yet also prepared to lose. Even if her father successfully turned

the tables on her, at least she would have told her father how she was terrorised by his repeated hostile behaviour toward her mother.

Audrey agreed not to try to change her father; he would still have his guns, still treat her mother in a demeaning manner and still rage on as ever.

Audrey and her father talked for over two hours.

She got everything she wanted to say off her chest and he apologised for having hurt her. Audrey re-established her caring relationship with her mother, inviting her to visit Pennsylvania. And, after seeing her brothers and sisters who had not left home, Audrey was able to see how far in life she had come.

Back home, Audrey was beset with only one panic attack, which followed her older boy’s talking back to her.

She had somehow “seen” the boy’s bellicose manner as reminiscent of her father’s.

Audrey returned to work at the bank, and was ready, if necessary, to confront the manager. The manager had since been transferred, however, for making improper sexual advances to female employees. (Psychologytoday.com)

Helping children deal with stress

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s a parent, you can’t protect your children from stress — but you can help them develop healthy ways to cope with stress and solve everyday problems.

Children deal with stress in both healthy and unhealthy ways. And while they may not initiate a conversation about what’s bothering them, they do want their parents to reach out and help them cope with their troubles.

But it’s not always easy for parents to know what to do for a child who’s feeling stressed.

Here are a few ideas: Notice out loud Tell your child when you notice that something’s bothering him or her. If you can, name the feeling you think your child is experiencing. (“It seems like you’re still mad about what happened at the playground.”) This shouldn’t sound like an accusation (as in, “OK, what happened now? Are you still mad about that?”) or put a child on the spot. It’s just a casual observation that you’re interested in hearing more about your child’s concern. Be sympathetic and show you care and want to understand.

Listen to your child Ask your child to tell you what’s wrong. Listen attentively and calmly — with interest, patience, openness, and caring. Avoid any urge to judge, blame,

lecture, or say what you think your child should have done instead. The idea is to let your child’s concerns (and feelings) be heard. Try to get the whole story by asking questions like “And then what happened?” Take your time. And let your child take his or her time, too.

Comment briefly on the feelings you think your child was experiencing For example, you might say “That must have been upsetting,” “No wonder you felt mad when they wouldn’t let you in the game,” or “That must have seemed unfair to you.” Doing this shows that you understand what your child felt, why, and that you care. Feeling understood and listened to helps your child feel supported by you, and that is especially important in times of stress.

Put a label on it Many younger children do not yet have words for their feelings. If your child seems angry or frustrated, use those words to help him or her learn to identify the emotions by name.

Putting feelings into words helps children communicate and develop emotional awareness — the ability to recognize their own emotional states. Children who can do so are less likely to reach the behavioural boiling point where strong emotions come out through behaviours rather than communicated with words.

(Excerpt from kidshealth)

To be continued

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thursDAY, APRIL 27, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Gold Board probe

GM asserts innocence in fiasco – denies any wrongdoing

GGB General Manager Lisaveta Ramotar

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uyana Gold Board (GGB) General Manager Lisaveta Ramotar has broken her silence on the allegations of fraud at her office, declaring her innocence of any wrongdoing.

Ramotar, who is the daughter of former President Donald Ramotar, along with a few other staff members of the GGB, was sent on administrative leave last week to facilitate a probe into what the Natural Resources Ministry said was their suspected involvement in money-laundering activities with embattled local businessman and gold dealer Saddiqi Rasul.

The Gold Board General Manager made her innocence known through a voluntary letter to the Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Sydney James.

In the letter, Ramotar said: “I wish to assert strongly

that I am absolutely innocent of any wrongdoings. I have discharged my duties at the Guyana Gold Board professionally and based on the important metric of declaration it was under my tenure that the Cooperative Republic of Guyana obtained its highest-ever declaration to date.”

She also sought to clear up a number of issues that were influencing the probe.

One such allegation was that Rasul sold gold several times per day using his mining company, indicating a washdown several times per day.

However, Ramotar explained that the Guyana Gold Board was required to buy all gold presented to the organisation.

“The Guyana Gold Board’s mandate is not to verify production. The organisation does not verify production. The current process at the Guyana Gold Board is such that those in possession of gold can either have a production sheet, which would be a sheet out of the production books issued by GGMC (the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission) or they may be given a permission slip, which is issued by the Guyana Gold Board.”

Ramotar said the Finance Department of the Guyana Gold Board would collect both production sheets and permission slips when the Department made payments to those selling gold. The production sheets and permission slips are uplifted daily

SOCU Head, Sydney James

by the GGMC, the body that regulates mining in Guyana.

As it relates to allegations that the company did not pay the two per cent tax, Ramotar said under a regulation which she has seen, mining companies are not required to pay the two per cent withholding tax.

“The Finance Department of the Guyana Gold Board is directly responsible for making payments to miners and, hence, has to get proof that in fact the seller of gold is a mining company. To this end, the Finance Department of the Guyana Gold Board must collect documents to support the non-payment of the withholding tax.”

The Gold Board was also accused of giving instructions to the Bartica Manager, to pay the higher of the two daily ‘fixes’.

“One of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) of the organisation indi-

cates that the time at which a client enters the client accommodation room determines the fix at which the client would be paid,” she explained.

Ramotar said some time in October last year, Rasul called the office to say that the employee selling gold on behalf of his company was at the Bartica Branch pri-

or to the changing of the fix, yet the employee received the second fix. Ramotar said she called the Bartica Manager to inform him about the SOP. turn to page 14

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thursdAY, APRIL 27, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Cane cutter arraigned for attempted murder

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he cane cutter who went berserk and severed one of the hands of the mother of his three children was arraigned on Wednesday for attempted murder when he made his appearance at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court on the East Coast of Demerara.

Warren Dennis was accused of maliciously wounding Alana Hazel causing her serious bodily harm on April 23 at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge when

Remanded: Warren Dennis

it was read to him at the Georgetown Magistrate’s

Court.

It was reported that on the day in question, the woman went to the man’s home and an argument ensued. It was during the argument that he picked up a cutlass and carried out the brutal attack.

In a bid to escape from the man, the injured woman jumped through a window and ended up in a nearby trench. As persons rushed to her assistance, the suspect was seen running into the nearby cane field with the cutlass in his hands.

She was picked up and

taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she was admitted as a patient in serious condition.

The suspect and the Police Constable attached to the Mess Hall had been separated for quite some time owing to his abusive behaviour.

Hazel reportedly moved on with her life, but would frequent the man’s house, claiming that she would visit her eldest son, who resided with the suspect.

Dennis was remanded to prison, and the matter was scheduled to be called again on May 8.

Partially burnt, decomposed body found

– at West Berbice

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he partially burnt and decomposed body of a male was found in a clump of bushes at the Onverwagt Foreshore, West Coast Berbice on Wednesday.

Based on reports reaching Guyana Times, the man appeared to be of mixed race and was probably murdered,

set on fire and left to die on the Foreshore.

The body was reportedly in a kneeling position, with its head covered with a jersey and a rope was tied around the neck. Additional information revealed that the man’s hands were bound and tied to a nearby tree.

A Police source con-

firmed that a member of the Community Policing Group received a telephone call informing them that a decomposed body was sighted in the vicinity of the Foreshore.

The Rural Constable in turn contacted the Police and upon searching the area, the body was found.

Members of the Crime Scene

Unit were called in and retrieved several pieces of items that were taken into their possession as evidence.

The identity of the body was not immediately known, but the remains were taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital Mortuary to await identification and a post-mortem.

Many ways…

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…to skin the pharma cat

hey say if you don’t succeed at first, then try and try again…and you’ll succeed at last. Well, your Eyewitness has to give a hat tip to the power-elite in the new dispensation who’re calling the shots on pharma importation. In the first year of the new PNC-led government they kept their promise to remove the most reliable - and least expensive supplier of pharmaceuticals to Guyana in the last 30 years. So what if they created so many shortages in the supply chain to the hospitals and medical centres, you didn’t dare to even get a headache!!

Denial, of course, became the order of the day until even their own sick supporters started screaming bloody murder! So, we had two initiatives to get what the doctors had ordered. The first - a warehouse that was a stone’s-throw away from the state-of-the-art one the old supplier used to provide free. They were going to exploit that Japanese “just in time” innovation!

This, as explained by the Prime Minister, was necessary because when the GHPC needed drugs, they could be delayed from the Govt’s Diamond Pharma warehouse by the traffic on the East Bank Highway.

The problems with that story - apart from the facts that there was actually NO warehouse and one had to be created with monies the Ministry of Health forwarded! - was eventually, when the warehouse went beyond storing condoms and the requisite lubricants, the drugs now had to be shipped TO Diamond and back!! Don’t even ask why!!

Anyhow, as the shortages worsened, the scandalous secret $605M contract to that Trini firm ANSA authorised by the new Health Minister who’d replaced the old Health Minister because of sticky fingers was revealed. This was the plot all along - even the warehouse was just preparation. Ansa, you see, doesn’t have a warehouse in Guyana - and this had helped prevented them from being “pre-qualified”. Trouble was…everyone screamed “Wasn’t me!!” so loudly, it seems Shaggy was back in town and the contract was held in abeyance. A repeat of the parking Metres?

Not quite! The Health Minister had another arrow in her quiver for her Trini friends. (Isn’t it great what a regionalist, she is??) Going back to a Caricom facility (CARPA CRS) created three years ago to test generics, the Minister mandated - without any warning - that only Brand Name Pharma (ANSA’s forte!) can be imported directly to Guyana!! All generics - which is more than ¾ of all drugs used by Guyanese has to be tested!!

So while the Pharma cat was skinned for ANSA, guess who’ll get it literally in the end??!!.

…to live it up

Your live and learn. It’s no secret your Eyewitness gives Pressie the benefit of the doubt, right? But who would’ve thought he’d pull a play straight from Burnham’s blotted playbook? Your Eyewitness is referring to the report revealing he and his entourage rolled into the Bahamas like those High Rollers who’re regularly jetted in by the casinos that keep THAT economy afloat!! Didn’t take Pressie for a high roller!

Burnham? Yes!! As a student of that Machiavellian one, your eyewitness remembers reading about Burnham showing up at some Third World meet on a specially chartered Boeing Jet. And not only that - but arrived with a French Chef who served a five course meal, from a gold embossed menu!! Meanwhile, back in Guyana, the economy was nosediving to reach Haiti as fast as it could, of course!!

But hey!! You have to keep up appearances, don’t you?

Especially when you’re proceeding to dear old Blighty to meet the Queen!! Hip! Hip! Hurray for Mons!!

…to curtesy?

Your Eyewitness doesn’t know about you, dear reader, but isn’t the Queen a dear? Even brought her handbag to meet Granger in her own house. Shouldn’t there have been a side table for it?

We must keep up standards, mustn’t we??

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

9 Small gold, diamond miners feel neglected by Govt news

thursDAY, APRIL 27, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

– unable to meet President in 2 years, despite numerous requests

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he Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) has indicated that since its establishment in 1983 it has shared cordial and respectful relationships with the different Presidents, dating all the way back to President LFS Burnham and up to most recently, President Donald Ramotar.

However, the Miners Association said the incumbent President, David Granger, and his coalition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration has ushered in a new dispensation or cordiality, the hallmark of which is premised on neglect.

According to the GGDMA, “it has been two years now that the APNU-led coalition is in Government and the Executives of the GGDMA have not been able to have a meeting with President Granger despite numerous requests to address current burning issues that are affecting the gold and diamond mining industry in Guyana.”

The full text of GGDMA’s statement to the media is published below:

The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) is disappointed in the manner it has been treated by the hierarchy of the APNU-led Administration.

The GGDMA was founded over thirty years ago in 1983. Since its establishment, it has been recognised by industry actors, successive Government administrations, and other stakeholders as the body representing the gold and diamond mining industry in Guyana, particularly small and medium miners.

The Association has an impressive record of achievements, and has worked collaboratively with Governments at all levels dealing with mining and related hinterland issues.

The GGDMA wishes to place on record that since its establishment, the Association has enjoyed excellent relations with the late President LFS Burnham. So

much so that Mr Burnham had then Prime Minister Ptolemy Reid’s portfolio expanded to be responsible for mining. Mr Reid himself later became a Patron of the Association. This continued under the presidency of the late Hugh Desmond Hoyte, where President Hoyte saw it fit for the first time to have a miner serve in Parliament.

Even when the administration changed in 1992, the GGDMA continued to enjoy excellent and cordial relations with Presidents Jagan, Jagdeo and Ramotar.

Sad to say, it has been two years now that the APNU-led coalition is in Government and the Executives of the GGDMA have NOT been able to have a meeting with President Granger despite numerous requests to address current burning issues that are affecting the gold and diamond mining industry in Guyana.

The previous leaders saw the immense contribution the Gold and Diamond Mining Sector was making to the nation’s economy. This continues to be so with the Gold and Diamond Mining Sector being the backbone of Guyana’s economy over the past 10 years with a failing agriculture sector.

With oil on the horizon, this administration seems to have forgotten all about the Gold and Diamond Mining Sector. How unfortunate, when it was the gold and diamond mining sector that was the backbone of Guyana’s economy over the past 10 years. Is it a case

A typical mining operation in Guyana’s interior

where the Government is: 1.

Forsaking tried and true [Mining and Agriculture] for the shiny and new [Oil and Gas] 2. Looking at all Miners as Tax Evaders 3. Branding all Miners as Criminals The GGDMA is frustrated over the new tax regulations that are being pushed to miners. As a result of Budget 2017, the GGDMA has the following concerns on these new tax regulations, which have been communicated to the authorities but to no avail. These being:1. Keeping of acceptable records – all of these operations are done in the interior locations where receipts and bills are often not obtained, especially by service providers.

2.

Application of

Threshold to Tributors – the Association is requesting that tributors be able to benefit from this threshold provision at the time that they are paid, where a provision can be made by the operation owner to deduct the 20% Tributors tax after the person has earned in excess of the $60,000 on a monthly basis. This would allow the Tributors to immediately start to benefit from this provision.

3. Tax Rate – the Association is requesting that there be a reduction of the 40% rate on the chargeable income for miners.

With regard to the off-thetop payment of 5% Royalty to the GGMC along with the 2% upfront withholding tax, the GGDMA feels that a provision can be made for payments at a lower tax rate for

miners and/or alternatively a sliding scale against the US Dollar off-the-top.

4. Filing of Returns – the GGDMA is suggesting that the deadline for filing of returns be extended from April 30 to a convenient later date given that many miners would need to make adjustments so as to comply with the new requirements.

The GGDMA continues to be frustrated in the manner in which the GGMC is conducting its business. The GGMC needs to be modernised as soon as possible.

Simple information requested from this agency seems to be an uphill task. One would expect that with all the royalty that is being collected, that a modern information management system would be in place at this agency; this is far from the case.

Simple information requested which in this technology era should take minutes, sometimes takes days.

The GGDMA would have submitted a list of 15 miners to the GGMC for a no objection for the allocation of duty-free fuel, which was already vetted by the GRA. It has been ***one month now*** that these documents are with the GGMC with no response.

The GGDMA finds this behaviour by the GGMC unacceptable and anti-business since the list of 15 was already cleared by the GRA. In addition, miners would have had to purchase their fuel outside of this concession for April operations since the month is almost finished. The GGDMA also wishes to bring to the Government’s attention that miners would have lost the fuel concession available during a period last year due to the inefficiencies of Government Agencies.

The GGDMA is open to meet with President Granger to address these and many other issues that are affecting its membership and the sector as a whole.

In light of the above mentioned, the GGDMA asks the question, “Is this the better life that was promised to our Miners, who make tremendous sacrifices and contribute so much to Guyana’s economy?” The GGDMA remains steadfast to promote and protect the rights, interest and welfare of all miners.

10 news

thursDAY, APRIL 27, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GMSA discusses areas of collaboration with US Embassy officials – among other critical issues

A

team from the United States Embassy in Guyana met with newly-elected President of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association Ltd (GMSA), Shyam Nokta, and

other officials of the entity on Tuesday at the Association’s office to discuss a number of issues and areas of collaboration.

The US Embassy team was led by Terry Steers-

Gonzalez, Deputy Chief of Mission. He was accompanied by Sandra Guzman, Deputy Counsellor, Political, Economic and Commercial Section.

Representing GMSA at the meeting was

US Embassy officials meeting with a GMSA team on Tuesday

Nokta along with Executive Members Ramsay Ali, Clement Duncan and Raymond Ramsaroop, as well as Secretary/Accountant Nerissa Thornhill.

Nokta took the opportunity to provide an overview of the GMSA’s mandate in the manufacturing and services sector inclusive of its various portfolios relating to agro-processing, trade and investment, services, export promotion, to name a few.

Cognisant of the sig-

nificant opportunities that Guyana’s emerging hydrocarbon industry presents, there was also discussion on how GMSA members can be better positioned to contribute to this new sector.

A statement from the GMSA said its team highlighted several areas open to cooperation at the bilateral level, including market access, joint ventures, training and capacity building, and trade and investment missions.

As it relates to access to US markets, the GMSA expressed interest in pursuing initiatives aimed at information sharing and training for Guyana’s manufacturers on the new US Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA) and sought the support of the US Embassy in this regard.

The meeting reportedly ended with a general commitment towards continued collaboration between the GMSA and the US Embassy in Georgetown.

UK education charity launches in Guyana

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he No Barriers Foundation, an education charity which works to improve schools in developing countries, is now partnering with schools in Guyana.

The charity, based in the United Kingdom, is providing books and materials to local schools and will be hiring teachers in the near future.

This work is being led by No Barriers’ Guyana Coordinator Isaac Ince, who said: “The schools we will be starting with are Diamond Special Needs School and the Bamia Nursery and Primary School on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway. What the schools lack in physical resources, they more than make up for in bright, talented pupils and we can’t wait to support them in their academic journey.”

No Barriers Foundation Director Kieran Roberts, who is a teacher in the UK, said: “We passionately believe that the most effective and sustainable route out of poverty is education, and access to it should not

depend on geography or gender. We’re really excited to be working with schools in Guyana to further this mission and any help in promoting and supporting our work goes a long way.”

More information including contact details for the No Barriers Foundation can be found on its website at nobarriersfounation. org.

11 Govt to review Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence Acts T news

thursDAY, APRIL 27, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

How charitable are you?

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here are all sorts of people in the world; some givers, some takers; some in need and others who just want; those too proud to ask or take and those too selfish to give. Our personalities or reasons for feeling or acting the way we do come from innate characteristics, as well as learnt or conditioned behaviour. So understanding Lorraine Ince-Carvalhal why some people are so willing to invest themselves in the support of others, and some are not, is difficult.

What makes a person decide to give for the sake of giving – either as an isolated act of kindness or donation of money to a long-term commitment like working for an organisation as a volunteer?

Giving can be for public benefit; altruism, or private benefit: when the giver gets something out of the giving.

Although some people may be altruistic when giving, it would be naive to think most giving is done in this way.

Aside from the obvious occurrences where giving is done in anticipation of what we will get back, the dominant motivation is the internal satisfaction individuals derive from the act of giving itself. There is nothing at all wrong with this. We feel good about giving because it makes us happy to have had a positive effect on someone else without any other reward than gratification.

When we choose to offer small acts of kindness the ripple effects can be far-reaching. Not only do we feel good about making another feel good, but that person is likely to then do something for someone else. Somebody who has just received a bit of kindness is elevated, happy, and grateful, making them likely to help someone else.

Everybody comes out feeling better!

Giving can come back in so many ways in fact. A good deed done for someone a long time ago is unlikely to be forgotten by the recipient or those close to them and opportunities often come up when it gives them great pleasure to give back, even to your children. There is no better feeling than seeing your child benefit from a good turn you have done, more so if the act derived from innocence.

Despite this win-win situation, and despite the general feeling of a sense of responsibility to help another in need, there remains an attitude in today’s society that people in need are to blame for their own situation and should help themselves. We are living in a time when many believe it is every man/woman for themselves and hearts have been hardened, compassion has been lost and love diminished.

How refreshing it is when we look around us and see among the despair, walk people with charitable hearts and minds. How inspirational to hear of people working tirelessly for a group of people on the other side of the world they have never even met.

How uplifting to see both young and old, of all races, classes and gender getting up in the morning with the purpose of making life better somehow for others, to the point of much more than simple acts but in a structured, committed effort. It is those who dedicate a part of their lives to giving we need to be applauding. It is them who go out into the world and see a need, find solutions and act.

If we are to be a progressive and successful society, we should want all our members to thrive. In order for this to happen, there will be times we must assist less fortunate members to enable them the opportunity to become valuable members of that society. When you consider the effects each person can have on another, as a mentor, a teacher, a guide, an ear or a shoulder, the power in support is recognised.

Whatever the reasons behind those members of our societies who continue to give of themselves, we need to be grateful that they do. Who knows if we will one day become a person in need who will be so glad that there are charitable people out there willing to help? More people should be of the opinion it is the duty of every human being to provide at least some assistance to those in need. We should all be ready to offer a helping hand when needed and if more of us did, many of the ills faced each day would diminish. How can you make a difference?

he Social Protection Ministry’s Sexual and Domestic Violence Unit is working to have the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Acts reviewed for better handling of sexual offences and domestic violence cases.

Sexual and Domestic Violence Unit Manager Akilah Dorris said the aim was to have the Acts in particular be more broadbased and concrete so that sexual and domestic violence would be taken more seriously in Guyana.

“We really hope that once we have the revised Act in place that it provides the instrumentation and severity of offences.

We want to deter perpetrators; we are really hoping that when families recognise that things aren’t going well, they can come forward and seek support rather than waiting until it escalates to a higher level,”

Social Protection Ministry’s Sexual and Domestic Violence Unit Manager Akilah Dorris

Dorris explained during an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA).

The Sexual and Domestic Violence Manager

further explained that the review was necessary since several sexual offences and domestic violence cases are not properly handled. She said the Unit recognised that there have been several gaps within the two pieces of legislation. Therefore, the Unit will be embarking on the review very soon.

“We would be identifying a consultant who will help us to revise the Act. We intend to have stakeholder consultations across the country,” Dorris noted.

Additionally, the month of April is nationally recognised as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Dorris pointed out that from April 24 to 30, the Unit would be intensifying efforts to raise awareness to further edu-

cate the public on the repercussions of sexual offences.

“We recognise that we need to intensify our efforts, to increase awareness in the area and we would like to know what’s been going on... so we have embarked on a week of activities where we would be interacting with the public through various forms of modern media,” the Sexual and Domestic Violence Manager emphasised.

The Sexual and Domestic Violence Unit is primarily responsible for ensuring and advocating for the creation and development of policies and programmes to address sexual and domestic violence in Guyana.

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thursDAY, APRIL 27, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Local cops to start speaking Chinese soon

– as 25 Police Officers start Mandarin course

Senior Superintendent and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum (second from right); Assistant Commissioner Paul Williams (second from left) along with Professor of the Confucius Institute, Janet Ma (far left), the 25 Police Officers who will participate in the Mandarin training course, and other members of the Guyana Police Force

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wenty-five officers from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Wednesday commenced a 90-day training course, “The Introduction of Mandarin”, at the Police Officers’ Training Centre, Camp Road and Young Street, Eve Leary, Georgetown.

The training will be conducted by tutors from Confucius Institute of China, which is based at the University of Guyana.

Mandarin is a group of related varieties of Chinese spoken across most of northern and south-western China.

Senior Superintendent and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said he was delighted that officers of the Police Force have been giv-

en the opportunity to learn a second language.

“Guyana is poised to become an oil economy, and definitely we are going to have an influx of many nationalities, so we are making a step in the right direction by having the facilitators from the Confucius Institute,” the Crime Chief stated.

Blanhum also urged participants to make full use of the opportunity, and become a member of the GPF that was fluent in speaking Chinese.

Assistant Commissioner Paul Williams said the training course being afforded to the officers would bear fruit. “I know definitely out of this training we will benefit, but then I want to see

that there is an initial gap or bridge being established rather than waiting for another engagement,” the Assistant Commissioner explained.

Williams said the course would also help officers to assist Chinese nationals making reports while awaiting an expert.

He stated, “I want to see this relationship blossom, get stronger and in terms of where we can be able to serve the Chinese community.”

The first phase of the course will run for four weeks, and upon completion, the officers will undergo an assessment. Those who are successful will participate in a summer camp in Shanghai, China.

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thursDAY, APRIL 27, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Assassination allegation

Police told to obtain phone records of persons involved

The complainant who claimed that two local businessmen hired him to assassinate President David Granger

to the Force’s Legal Advisor earlier in the day, but were told to obtain further evidence.

“She has indicated to us that the investigators need to obtain the telephone records of two individuals, so that is currently ongoing,” he disclosed when asked by Guyana Times for an update into the probe.

According to the Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), he has since contacted the phone companies and indicated to them the urgency of obtaining those records.

“I spoke to the telephone company and I indicated to them the urgency (of getting the records by the end of the day),” he noted. Blanhum added that the Department would then do its analysis and resubmit the case file to the Legal Advisor this morning.

nvestigators have been asked by the Legal Advisor of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to obtain the phone records of persons at the centre of the alleged assassination plot against President David Granger, according to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum.

He told reporters on Wednesday afternoon that investigators had returned the case file

Nevertheless, the Crime Chief pointed out that investigators have been taking the necessary steps to ensure the probe was expedited. In fact, he disclosed that the investigators have made certain recommendations based on their findings during the probe.

However, he opted not to get into details about what those recommendations were.

I

Recommendations

Guyana Times understands that the statements submitted by the complainant and the alleged witness, who was supposed to corroborate the assassination plot, do not coincide; hence, the Legal Advisor had previously advised that a confrontation be held to make certain clarifications. This was done on Tuesday.

This newspaper was told that during the confrontation, the alleged witness told investigators that the complainant had contacted him and offered him a sum of money to give a statement to the Police claiming that he was present when the two businessmen contacted him (complainant) about shooting the President.

According to sources, the complainant had only made the monetary offer after he informed the Police of the assassination plot.

The statements from the confrontation were submitted to the Legal Advisor on Wednesday morning.

Monetary offer

Furthermore, this publication was previously told that the complainant allegedly owed some businessmen, whom he accused, in excess of $8 million.

Independent investigations revealed that the man failed to repay the money and was confront-

the appropriate actions.

The Top Cop had pointed out that if the allegation was indeed true, the guilty parties involved could be charged for treason, but if it was a mischievous act, the person who made the allegation could be charged for providing false information to the Police.

TV interview

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum

ed by his creditors. Based on his inability to repay the money and more so, out of fear of what the men were capable of doing, he levelled the allegation against the businessmen.

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud told reporters last Friday that the Force’s Legal Advisor would have to determine whether there was substance to the allegation or if it was just a ploy to create mischief, and based on her findings, the Police would take

The investigation into the alleged plot to shoot the President was first brought to light by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, at last Thursday’s post-Cabinet press briefing.

Shortly after news broke of the investigation into the alleged assassination plot against the Head of State, the complainant, a wellknown barber of Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD), appeared on a local private television station to relate his story.

In that interview, the barber revealed that he was offered $7 million and given a “long black gun” by a businessman to carry out the job of assassinating the President, but he had declined the offer.

Reports indicate that he subsequently filed a complaint with the Police. The investigation has been ongoing for approximately three weeks. (Vahnu Manikchand)

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guyanatimesgy.com

thursdAY, april 27, 2017

News

Region 5 drug overdose fiasco

Opposition wants disciplinary action against RHO T he Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is calling for disciplinary action to be taken against the Regional Health Officer (RHO) of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Dr Steven Cheefoon for his alleged part in covering up for A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Councillor Carol Joseph.

Cheefoon has also been accused of having a direct hand in the immediate transfer of Nurse Sherylyn Marks from the Fort Wellington Hospital to the Bath Settlement Health Centre also in Region Five.

PPP Executive Member Collin Croal on Monday said that justice must be served to Nurse Marks, who spoke out against the corruption.

“We would like to recommend disciplinary action, both at the administrative level and because, from all information, the RHO was directly involved, following the refusal of Nurse Marks to act. We are also calling

Fisherman found hiding under bed with 2kg of cannabis

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The two bags containing in excess of two kilograms of cannabis found under the bed Region Five RHO, Dr Steven Cheefoon

Former APNU/AFC Councillor Carol Joseph

for the rescinding of the unjustified transfer of Nurse Sherylyn Marks,” Croal told reporters.

istration.

Nurse Marks, who filed complaints twice last year, said she refused to administer the 100 ml dose to Joseph, who would turn up daily to receive it. She said she received a letter of transfer from Regional Executive Officer (REO) Ovid Morrison, after he scolded her for going to the media with her complaints.

Some two days later, Joseph reportedly resigned from her post and the party.

(Alexis Rodney)

Marks, a nurse attached to the West Coast Berbice hospital, was transferred with immediate effect last week after she made complaints against the APNU/ AFC Councillor, who had been going to the Hospital for an excessive daily dose of the painkiller pethidine.

The nurse said she was targeted by the regional admin-

fisherman was on Tuesday evening found hiding under a bed in a house at Gym Yard, Albouys Street, Albouystown, Georgetown with two bags containing in

excess of two kilograms of cannabis.

Based on reports received, Police acted on information received and went to the house, where they carried out a search,

during which they found the 28-year-old fisherman hiding under the bed.

He was immediately arrested. The man is expected to make his court appearance later in the week.

Hicken now Asst Commissioner (Operations) of GPF

T

he Guyana Police Force (GPF) has announced that Assistant Commissioner Christopher Griffith has proceeded on pre-retirement leave on Tuesday and, as a consequence, A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) Commander, Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hicken has as-

sumed the post of Assistant Commissioner – Operations.

Further, C Division (East Coast) Commander, Assistant Commissioner Marlon Chapman is now in command of A Division, while his deputy, Senior Superintendent Kevin Adonis takes over the helm of C Division.

Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hicken

GM asserts innocence...

“He stated that one of Mr Rasul’s employees entered the Bartica office prior to the changing of the fix to sell gold on behalf of Mr Rasul.

The employee stated that he had more gold in his vehicle and was going to step out of the office to uplift it.

Subsequently, another of Mr Rasul’s employees entered the Branch with another set of gold selling on behalf of Mr Rasul’s company. The second person, according to the Branch Manager, en-

tered after the changing of the fix and, hence, received the second fix. When Mr Rasul was informed of the sequence of events, he continued to hold that his employee was there before the fix changed. I indicated to him that I would review the cameras and, in the meantime, the second transaction was paid at the second fix.

Since there was a dispute, I asked that the video recording of the event be brought to Georgetown for viewing.

from page 7

It was viewed and it was determined that indeed what the Bartica Manager stated transpired, occurred, and hence the decision to pay the second fix was upheld,” Ramotar stated in her letter to SOCU. On the issue of multiple visits to the Gold Board, Ramotar said all employees have been trained in anti-money laundering compliance and as late as the latter half of 2016, they were trained in identifying suspicious activities. She said front line employees were the ones interacting with customers and were, therefore, best placed to indicate if an activity was suspicious.

Ramotar, who has been serving in the GM capacity for some two years, said her duties at the Gold Board included implementing Board policies such as strategic and operational planning; coordinating activities for implementation; financial management: planning, budgeting and auditing; resource allocation; human resources management; information management; administration and external relations.

Also sent on administrative leave from the GGB are Deputy GM Andrea Seelochan and Legal Officer Suzanne Bullen.

thursDAY, april 27, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

15

News

GPSU moves ahead with elections T he Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has announced that it would be moving towards its elections today, a day after an injunction to have them postponed was dismissed.

The Union on Wednesday said that the elections would take place today at all locations, as was previously planned.

Last week, a Branch member of the GPSU secured an interim injunction blocking it from holding executive elections until an audit of monies utilised by the Union for the past 10 years was conducted.

A High Court decision on Tuesday saw the matter being dismissed.

The interim injunction was granted by Justice Nareshwar Harnanan on Thursday. The injunction sought to restrain the respondents or their servants or agents “from holding or attempting to hold an election for office bearers for

the Executive Council of the Guyana Public Service Union until the 3rd day of May, 2017 or sooner on the production by the respondents of the Auditor General’s report to the applicant and members of the Guyana Public Service Union and the audited treasurer’s report for the Guyana Public Service Union for the past 12 years to date”.

The application was made by Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes on behalf of Gregory Gaspar, who is the Chairman of GPSU’s Branch 72.

However, a statement from the GPSU on Tuesday said that the “application by Mr Gregory Gaspar of the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission has been discharged today, Tuesday 25th April, 2017”.

The statement continued that after hearing submissions by the Union’s Attorney-at-Law, Roysdale

Forde, and relying on evidence adduced by the Union, the Judge found that the allegations by Gaspar of the Union’s non-compliance with its rules and its obligations under the Trade Unions Act were erroneous and misconceived.

The Union’s Attorneyat-Law’s submissions included evidence of Annual Returns to the Registrar of Trade Unions which had Income and Expenditure Statements and Balance Sheets for the entire period up to December 31, 2016. Also presented was a statement from the Auditor General confirming the audit of the Union’s accounts up to 2005 and that Income and Expenditure Statements and Balance Sheets up to December 31, 2016 were in his possession.

According to the GPSU, both Gaspar and his “instigator”, Jermain Hermanstyne, were fully aware of these facts, but de-

GPSU President Patrick Yarde

liberately set out to publicly misrepresent them for “personal and petty reasons”.

The Union went on to point out that the duo also advocated that their backward views should supersede rights of members in accordance with the rules of the Union.

“Investigations would

reveal that both Mr Gaspar and Mr Hermanstyne were amongst the poorest performers and achievers as members in the Guyana Public Service Union,” the release from the GPSU outlined.

It was also indicated that the Elections Officer has been advised that the Union was now free to proceed with the elections.

The Elections Officer and supporting personnel are working assiduously to hold the elections on Thursday, April 27, 2017. The General Secretary has issued a circular calling on all members notwithstanding the obvious inconvenience caused to make every effort to discharge their civic responsibilities towards the Union and meaningfully participate in the upcoming elections.

Over the past weeks, a rift developed between the current Executive of the GPSU and certain branch-

es of the Union over various issues, including President Patrick Yarde’s longstanding appointment to the post and his inability to “effectively” represent Union members, as well as issues relating to transparency and accountable.

Yarde has been serving at the helm of the Union for over 30 years after consistently being re-elected to the post. However, some members are of the view that he is illegally in the position and is “holding a leash” to the post. To this end, a protest was held by several members calling for his resignation.

Moreover, front runners of the protest against Yarde, Hermanstyne and Karen Vansluytman had stated that the GPSU President had adopted certain “intimidation tactics” against members who protested against him. (Alexis Rodney)

14-year-old allegedly Meeting with Queen Elizabeth II brutalised by Police Granger pushes ‘green agenda’,

The teen showing a bruise on his skin as a result of the beating he got

Relatives of a 14-year-old boy are currently seeking justice after he was allegedly brutalised by a police officer at the Springlands Police Station in East Berbice, Corentyne on Monday.

The boy was accused of stealing and was taken into custody, along with a number of his friends, on the day in question.

According to reports, the boy, along with friends, was at the Springlands seawall early on Monday when a man reportedly lost a bag containing an expensive phone and an undisclosed amount of cash.

Guyana Times was told that the man reported the matter to the Springlands Police Station, and officers visited the home of the 14-year-old who was then taken to the Station for questioning. However, while there, the teen claimed that he was beaten by a pregnant police officer with a belt about his body and private area.

The boy relayed to family members that the Police Officer used a belt buckle to hit him to his face, back and arms.

He was then placed to kneel on bricks and instructed to put his hands above his head after which books were placed into them.

Pictures seen by this newspaper confirmed the bruises on the teen’s body and his face was severely swollen.

The sister of the boy spoke to this publication and said that she, along with other family members, visited the boy at the Police Station to take a meal for him, but were not allowed to see him. She alleged that her brother was placed in a cell where he was made to stay overnight.

That development prompted the family members to visit the Child Care Protection Agency in Berbice, which contacted the Whim Police Station, also in Berbice.

Only when the Whim Police Station contacted Springlands was the boy released into the care of his relatives on Tuesday.

His relatives are calling out for justice and stated that they needed to have the matter looked into urgently, as “we don’t want to see this happen to another child”. When contacted, Police Commander Ian Amsterdam said the matter was reported and an investigation has been launched.

Just recently in March, allegations were raised against ranks of the Guyana Police Force for reportedly beating a man accused of committing a robbery in front of the Finance Ministry.

Also, about seven years ago, two Police Officers were found criminally liable for burning a teenage boy’s privates in the Leonora Station lockups.

In the past, several law enforcement officials, including Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) ranks, have been accused of “taking the law into their own hands”.

During the latter part of 2016, Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine had asserted that there would be a zero-tolerance approach to corrupt practices and harassment of citizens from members of the Force.

says relations “becoming warmer”

– British State Minister to visit Guyana

P

resident David Granger on Wednesday met with the Queen of England, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England in a private meeting during which they discussed the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) – a network of forest conservation initiatives which involves all 52 countries of the Commonwealth.

These discussions were held in the context of President Granger’s “green state” development agenda.

The meeting marks the first time a Guyanese leader has met with Queen Elizabeth II in the United Kingdom.

Following the meeting, President Granger posited that relations between the two countries were “becoming warmer”, adding that the relationship between Her Majesty’s Government and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana has benefited immensely from the interactions during his visit.

The Guyanese Head of State further noted that the meeting was significant because, although he was not on an official State visit, he was able to meet with Her Majesty, who remained an influential world leader.

“The Queen is Head of the Commonwealth. When she adopts a programme, which is a ‘green’ programme, which is entirely consistent with Guyana’s ‘green’ agenda, it is very significant for Guyana and Guyanese, and, of course, she is a very influential person from a moral point of view; intellectual, philosophical point of view around the world…

I can say that it was of the utmost significance for me, and for Guyana that she, since 2015 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta, laid out this policy of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy…

As Head of State, it was an honour for me to meet the Queen and to share the vision of, not only a Green State, a Green Guyana, but also a

President David Granger addressing Tuesday’s reception as Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and Baroness Anelay listen intently in the background

Green Commonwealth,” he said.

President Granger went on to say that he would continue to promote the concept of environmental protection and preservation as Chairman of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), while ensuring Guyana’s commitment to becoming a ‘green’ state remained undiminished. “[The Queen] is convinced that this is the way to save the earth, to save the Commonwealth, to save our country and I’m in full support of her,” he added.

Moreover, the President also expressed Guyana’s gratitude to Her Majesty for Britain’s support on the implementation of the Security Sector Reform Action Plan in Guyana. In January this year, UK military officer Russell Combe arrived in Guyana to oversee the implementation of the Plan.

This matter was also emphasised during President Granger’s meeting with Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon Boris Johnson, Wednesday at the House of Lords.

The President said that these meetings have augured well for Guyana’s relationship with the UK at both a governmental and private sector level.

“The main takeaway is Guyana’s commitment to continuing as a mem-

ber of the Commonwealth and as a State that is attractive to investment from British investors; a State that is organised and administered on the principles of accountability and transparency and a State that is friendly to investors. And in meeting with Foreign Secretary Johnson, he is quite aware of the issues affecting Guyana and we saw eye to eye on those issues,” the President said.

Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns, DBE, has announced that she would be visiting Guyana from May 1-3, as part of a three-country tour which includes Trinidad and Venezuela.

The British Minister of State of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office made this announcement at the Caribbean Council’s House of Lords Annual Reception on Tuesday evening, where President Granger also delivered an address outlining Guyana’s abundant resources, investment potential and its strengthened legal and regulatory framework for the national and multilateral investors, who attended the event.

During her visit, Baroness Anelay will meet with the Guyanese Head of State; the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo; Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque, and members of the Private Sector.

16

THURSday, april 27, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

The dynamic duo of Samantha Sheoprashad and Narendra Nauth:

“Creating is not just a job for us, it’s our passion”

T

he dynamic duo of Samantha Sheoprashad, 26, and Narendra Nauth, 28, are aiming to take Guyanese businesses and those further afield to a higher level of productivity and profits through Trinfinity Solutions, providing innovative, customised business intelligence solutions. The kindred spirits’ first words to each other involved a passionate discussion of northbridge versus southbridge (the two chips in the core architecture of a PC motherboard) at the University of Guyana where they were studying computing. Their shared love of creative highlevel thinking and big ideas led to endless conversations during which they subsequently realised a deeper affinity and a relationship developed so organically that neither can tell you when they had their first date, though they agreed with smiles it was much later in their University life. The pair started out in business to keep Sheoprashad in University by helping classmates with

programming and coding.

Sheoprashad laughs “I don’t know if we should tell you this, but we were hustling…. helping classmates with their assignments”. She grew sober for a moment – it was a very dark period in her life as she battled leukaemia and depression, even ttempting suicide. “….we had no other way, no other financial resources to keep me in UG – we believe in education, not so much academics because learning is important”.

Nauth, who completed his degree in computing in 2012, nodded. The quieter but no less focused of the driven pair, he seemed to act as a grounding force for the ebullient, effervescent Sheoprashad, whose steely core was revealed for a moment as she said flintily: “I don’t like people telling what I can and can’t. I don’t like people telling you can’t do that” Her overcoming sickness, depression, multiple accidents, and negative voices and forces is clear evidence of her indomitable resolve.

She frowns darkly for a moment then airily waves away the thought. “I don’t want to focus on that. Tell her about the Japanese students,” she urges

her fiancé. It has been like that the entire time, they feed off each other’s energy and words,

Business News

Oil prices fall on lingering oversupply concerns

O

il prices dipped on Thursday, weighed down by a general sentiment of globally bloated markets, though traders said that prices seemed to have found support around current levels.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures were trading at US$49.34 per barrel at 0137 GMT, down 28 cents, or 0.56 per cent from their last close. WTI has lost around 8.5 per cent in value from its April

peak.

Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at US$51.58 per barrel, down 24 cents, or 0.46 per cent, from their last close.

Brent is almost nine per cent below its April peak.

Traders said that the falls in recent weeks were a result of a realisation that global oil markets remained oversupplied, despite efforts led by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

(OPEC) and Russia to cut output by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) during the first half of the year in order to tighten the market and prop up prices.

“It is clear that the world has plenty of oil in stock, making OPEC’s life that much harder ahead of its June production cut rollover date,” said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at futures brokerage OANDA in Singapore. (Reuters)

Market statistics Cambio Rates

Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board

Bank of Guyana Cur

Buying

Calculated at 94% purity, April 26, 2017

Selling

USD

$1285.00

GBP

$264.17

$267.53

Gross

$251,038

CAN

$151.61

$153.37

$233,465

$205.98

$208.44

Net

USD

$ 224.32

$227.20

EURO

Indicators as on April 26, 2017 Indicators

US$ per barrel

Crude Oil

$51.82

Price

USD

Rough Rice

$202.18/ton

London Sugar

$469.00/ton

Live Spot Gold

Change %

-0.28 Change %

+0.36 -0.04 USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1266.20

$1267.20

Low/High

$1260.00

$1271.40

Change

-2.80

-0.22%

Business Concept – Hedging A risk management strategy used in limiting or offsetting probability of loss from fluctuations in the prices of commodities, currencies, or securities. In effect, hedging is a transfer of risk without buying insurance policies.

Hedging employs various techniques, but, basically, involves taking equal and opposite positions in two different markets (such as cash and futures markets). Hedging is used also in protecting one’s capital against effects of inflation through investing in high-yield financial instruments (bonds, notes, shares), real estate, or precious metals. (Business Dictionary)

pushing the other higher – clearly the other’s biggest influence.

So as directed, Nauth speaks about his final-year project and how when he realised that his lecturers had limited knowledge of the particular area he was researching, he went online and looked for resources. Eventually, he found a group of Japanese students who were researching the same area, and despite them not speaking each other’s language, with the help of Google Translate, a collaboration was born.

“Tell her about the algorithm you wrote,” he then urges. It was the 2017 Queen’s Young Leaders awardee’s turn to describe one of philanthropic her endeavours.

Sheoprashad, who is also the East Coast Demerara representative of suicide prevention NGO The Caribbean Voice (TVC), explained that over six months she wrote and ran an algorithm that detected suicidal tendencies in persons by utilising linguistic processing and psychology. Facebook would not allow her access to run the algorithm over the network, so Sheoprashad did it manually.

That is the level of passion the Trifinity co-founders have for every aspect of their work. “I sometimes go days without eating and sleeping 24/7. The graveyard is a rich place because most people die and don’t live to bring their dreams and ideas to reality. A lot of ideas are in the graveyard,” Sheoprashad said in an earlier interview.

“…our skill sets complement each other as we are versed in areas that each other might not have that affinity with.

Working together in that regard allows us to simultaneously share a business and a personal commitment with each other and encourages us to bond,” Nauth stated as he explained how they functioned in business and as a couple.

The duo, who are determined to set a foundation for their life together and help others, have from the inception reached out a helping hand, setting aside the weekends to help friends free of cost.

Sheoprashad, an Enterprise, East Coast Demerara native, is also focused on making a difference in disadvantaged communities by helping young persons and women particularly to realise their potential – through her NGO – Enterprise Youth Development Group. The ambitious entrepreneur/graphic designer/mobile app developer/ website designer/… dreams of using her programming and other talents to revolutionise Guyana. Nauth, who was born and still lives in Craig, East Bank Demerara, currently is more focused these days on growing Trinfinity Solutions, and supporting his firecracker fiancée, whose experiences, she says, have forced her to never give up and push her limits.

“In the current Guyana economy, I see my business as gaining a stronger foothold as it seeks to revolutionise the way business is done. My company aims to merge technology and solutions systems, so that businesses are more efficient and effective. In Guyana, there is large scope for development

and thus, the business will seek to fill that gap and become the premier “go-to” business for digital solution systems in web and mobile apps,” he says. The five-member team has gained quite a reputation in Guyana and overseas for quality work.

Nauth added: “…In business, an entrepreneur needs not wait for something to happen for them, they make it happen…

My biggest inspiration is problems. Problems are what drive me to utilise my creativity in programming to ensure that they are amended.” The computing whiz, who says his dream mentor is CroatianCanadian businessman, investor, and television personality Robert Herjavec, stressed that a go-getter attitude and mindset is the most important trait of an entrepreneur.

Sheoprashad’s dream mentor on the other hand is Lyndell Danzie-Black, who she credits with “logically, scientifically and peacefully” leading her out of a “box of distasteful illusion” that had caused her to want to quit.

They called for more guidance and sharing of knowledge via forums and events to teach and empower entrepreneurs to be able to create sustainable businesses, and urged that budding business persons invest in education. “… work smart and not necessarily hard. Try to build a sustainable business that will strive without your physical presence, and not a job for yourself.”

Contact: http://trifinitygy. com; s.narendranauth@ gmail.com; 643-3119; n.samanthasheoprashad@ gmail.com; 653-1567 or via facebook

Investors’ Guide

Nasdaq closes above 6000 in earnings-fuelled rally, Dow climbs more than 200 points

U

S equities rose sharply on Tuesday as solid quarterly reports from several large-cap companies rolled through.

The Nasdaq composite jumped about 0.7 per cent, sending the index above 6000 for this first time ever.

“It’s certainly a psychological factor,” said Jeff Carbone, managing partner of Cornerstone Financial Partners.

“It took us many years to get back above 5000 and now we’re at 6000. But you’ve got to be careful.”

He noted that about 40 per cent of the index is being driven by five companies: Amazon, Facebook, Netflix, Alphabet and Apple. “If we see a downturn in those names,” the index could be in trouble. The Dow Jones industrial average rose about 230 points, with Caterpillar and McDonald’s contributing the most gains and briefly broke above 21,000. The S&P 500 advanced 0.6 per cent, with materials rising more than one per cent to lead advancers.

“I think we’ve come to believe that Q1 is soft because of some reason that economists or market analysts haven’t been able to pinpoint,” said Kim Forrest, senior equity analyst at Fort Pitt Capital. “That doesn’t seem to be happening now.”

“Earnings thus far have been good,” said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at First Standard Financial. “That’s a good sign that Corporate America is on a renewed path toward growth.” More than 190 S&P components are expected to have reported by the end of the week. Other big names scheduled to release quarterly results this week include Boeing, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft and General Motors.

The major US stock indexes soared on Monday after the first round of the French presidential election went as most investors expected.

Centrist Emmanuel Macron advanced to the runoff against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. The runoff is scheduled for May 7.

Nevertheless, investors also zeroed in on Washington, as President Donald Trump tried to avoid a government shutdown.

Government funding will end Friday unless Congress can agree on at least a temporary funding resolution.

The Trump Administration is also expected to release an outline to potential tax reform later this week. Tax reform expectations have been one of the key market drivers since the presidential election.

“Earnings and tax reform are the main story” in the market, said Bruce Bittles, chief investment strategist at Baird.

“For two months, we were in a consolidation phase and now we have the Nasdaq at an alltime high.”

Overseas, European equities rose broadly, with the pan-European Stoxx 600 index rising 0.21 per cent. In Asia, stocks closed mostly higher, with the Shanghai composite rising 0.16 per cent and the Nikkei 225 advancing 1.08 per cent. (CNBC)

news

17

thursDAY, APRIL 27, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

NYPD detective charged for crash that killed Guyanese – in Queens, NY

P

Killed: Vanessa Raghubar

rosecutors charged an off-duty New York Police Department (NYPD) Detective who killed a 22-year-old Guyanese woman in a booze-fuelled crash in Queens, New York with criminally negligent homicide during a brief hospital arraignment on Wednesday, officials said.

According to the New York Daily News, Neville Smith, 32, was also charged with vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving for crashing his 2010 Mercedes-Benz into Vanessa Raghubar’s vehicle on the Van Wyck Expressway near Rockaway Boulevard in South Ozone Park about 04:00h on Sunday, authorities said.

Moments after the accident, Smith told responding officers he was returning home “from a dinner function for an old co-worker” when he struck Raghbuar’s car, according to court papers.

Raghubar, a psychology student at York College preparing to graduate in June, suffered a massive head inju-

ry and bleeding on the brain, officials said.

She died of her injuries at Jamaica Hospital in New York on Monday, cops said.

According to NY Daily, the soon-to-be college grad was driving home from her sister’s birthday celebration when the fatal collision took place, heartbroken family members said.

Smith, a detective assigned to the 48th Precinct in the Bronx, was heading south on the Van Wyck Expressway at an unsafe speed when he rear-ended Raghubar’s red Honda

Her younger sister Maria Raghubar, 21, and her sister’s boyfriend, Justin Harricharran, 20, remained at Jamaica Hospital, where Maria has undergone four surgeries for a shattered pelvis, a shredded bladder and a broken arm.

Maria Raghubar was seated in the rear seat when Smith struck the car, officials said. Harricharran was sitting in the passenger seat.

Smith ploughed into a Jersey barrier after hitting Raghubar’s car, officials said.

He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital with serious, but

A judge ordered Smith held on US$300,000 bail, officials said. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison, prosecutors said.

“Drinking and then driving is a deadly combination,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement. “The defendant — a police officer bound to enforce the law — is now accused of breaking the law and with deadly consequences.”

Raghubar’s family has been calling for criminal charges against Smith since the fatal impact.

Neville Smith, 32, was also charged with vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving for crashing his 2010 Mercedes-Benz into Vanessa Raghubar’s vehicle on the Van Wyck Expressway (Marc A Hermann/For New York Daily News)

Accord in the centre lane, according to cops.

The collision sent Raghubar’s car careening across the highway onto a grassy shoulder, where it struck a tree and an overhead light pole, critically injuring her and her two passengers.

not life-threatening injuries, cops said.

Neville appeared drunk and reeked of alcohol, but refused to have a breathalyser test taken for several hours after the collision, forcing investigators to get a court order to draw his blood, officials said.

“He was a cop and he was drunk. We want justice,” Raghubar’s aunt Esther Mongul told the Daily News on Monday. “He was supposed to protect us, not kill us.” Attempts to reach Raghubar’s family were unsuccessful on Wednesday.

(Excerpts from NY Daily News)

Green MultiStakeholder Steering Committee set to meet on May 3

T

he first meeting of the Green MultiStakeholder Steering Committee (GMSSC) is scheduled for May 3, 2017, and will be chaired by President David Granger.

According to a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency, the initial meeting will set the agenda for ensuring the continuous engagement of all stakeholders, while mainstreaming Guyana’s REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) projects with national and sustainable development targets.

The President, in recognition of the need for an inclusive and participatory approach to national development, commissioned the GMSSC, which serves as an integral stakeholder mechanism for the elaboration and monitoring of the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) while addressing matters related to the agreement between Norway and Guyana.

The GMSSC is mandated to provide guidance on plans and proposals related to the

development of the GSDS, along with implementation activities which may include actions that fall under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

The Committee will also oversee the progress made on all national agreements, especially the Memorandum of Understanding between Guyana and Norway. It also provides guidance and oversight in the planning and execution of ongoing national stakeholder consultations to mitigate the need and use of ad hoc consultative platforms.

According to the Ministry of the Presidency, members of the GMSSC “represent stakeholders at all levels of society”. These representatives come from the Private Sector, Public Sector, the Opposition and civil society actors. The secretariat of the Committee is under the purview of the Office of Climate Change, with coordination assistance from the Department of Environment and Project Management Office in the Ministry of the Presidency.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

thursDAY, April 27, 2017

ARCHIE

Find out what’s expected of you before you agree to (March 21- take on a new project or posiApril 19) tion. Someone is likely to mislead you if you don’t ask direct questions.

ARIES

You’ll impress someone in TAURUS a position to influence your fu(April 20- ture. If you master your skills, May 20) success will be yours. Don’t take a chance when it comes to health and your physical well-being.

dilbert

Listen to what’s being said GEMINI or offered to you, but don’t feel (May 21obligated to follow the crowd.

June 20) Do your own thing if you want to gain respect. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you.

A partnership will undergo changes, but if you work as a (June 21- unit, you will come up with a July 22) workable solution that is fair for everyone involved. Share your ideas.

CANCER

Peanuts

Work on how you present

LEO yourself. Spruce up your appear(July 23- ance. A professional look will help Aug. 22) you advance quickly. Follow proper protocol and assume responsibility for your actions. Use intelligence and moderation instead of applying pressure to someone.

Calvin and Hobbes

Attend events that include VIRGO people who work in your in(Aug. 23Sept. 22) dustry. Networking will lead to information that can help you get ahead. Don’t let personal matters hold you back.

Do the legwork if you LIBRA want to bring about change.

(Sept. 23Improvements to your appearOct. 23) ance or methods will give you the boost you need to advance.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Socialize or make speSCORPIO cial plans with a loved one.

(Oct. 24Having something to look forNov. 22) ward to will give you the incentive to get things done and go out and enjoy life. Romance is encouraged.

One of your peers or superiSAGITTARIUS ors will be evasive or will with(Nov. 23- hold information that you need Dec. 21) to do your job. Protect your health and well-being. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Choose intelligence over discord.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Get together with peoCAPRICORN ple who have motivated or (Dec. 22inspired you to follow your Jan. 19) dreams. Attending a reunion or hosting a gathering at your place is favored. Avoid travel and impulsive people.

Keep your emotions out AQUARIUS of the mix when dealing with (Jan. 20friends, relatives or partners.

Feb. 19) A pragmatic approach to what you want to pursue will help you avoid failure.

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Use your imagination to PISCES come up with a plan that will (Feb. 20alleviate stress and ease your March 20) financial situation. Don’t donate, lend or borrow money or possessions.

thursDAY, aPRIL 27, 2017

Frustrated Foster denounces the state of local cricket

By Delvon Mc Ewan

H

ilbert Foster, CEO of Guyana’s leading sports club, Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) says Berbice cricket is in disarray due to the lust for power at the county and national level thus he is calling on those in the highest office of this land to intervene so that the sport could see brighter days.

At the time of his remarks he was addressing over 500 persons who were present at the annual award ceremony of the RHTY&SC, including Acting President of the Republic of Guyana Hon. Moses Nagamootoo, Director of Sports, Christopher Jones and many other bearers of high offices and prominent Guyanese.

“Only five years ago under the leadership of the RHTY&SC President (Keith Foster), Berbice cricket was the envy of the Caribbean with close to 15 tournaments per year and over 200 off the field programmes every single year.”

According to Hilbert, due to the performance of the Berbice

Cricket Board (BCB) a former president of Guyana described the BCB as a role model organization which should be followed by everyone.

However, in contrast to its glory days when the county’s cricket was operated structural it is presently in disarray and dysfunctional because of court proceedings among many other obstruction. “Today Berbice cricket is in disarray due to the love for power at the county and national level,” the CEO lamented.

Hilbert placed the blame on people who lack vision and are in high offices despite not being elected to govern the nation’s cricket. “People who have no vision, no capacity to manage are in charge despite not elected to do so.”

Hilbert said the country should take the onus to ensure Berbice and Guyana’s cricket is preserved for the future.

“We as a country owe it to ourselves to make sure that Berbice cricket and Guyana’s cricket is preserved for our next generation. We cannot afford to

lose the legacies of (John) Trim, (Rohan) Kanhai, (Basil) Butcher, (Ivan) Madray, (Roy) Fredericks, (Joe) Solomon, (Alvin) Kallicharran and (Mahendra) Nagamootoo, to be destroyed,” Hilbert expressed.

He agrees that Guyana has been successful in first class cricket, winning three titles but stated it was due to efforts of officials at several clubs, namely RHTY&SC, Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), Albion, Everest Cricket Club, Tucber Park and Young Warriors, who work diligently daily to make a difference.

He warned that if these clubs are removed then Berbice and Guyana’s cricket will die instantly.

According to Hilbert absolutely no cricket is played for club in Berbice, no coaching is done on and off the cricket field, unqualified coaches are selected to coach intercounty teams, five clubs move an illegal motion to remove a hardworking, dedicated and honoured senior administrator

CEO/Secretary of RHTY&SC, Hilbert Foster

while unqualified empires are used in practice and inter-zone matches.

He further stated that players are targeted because of

WICB President Dave Cameron

their clubs, coaches are told to leave certain clubs if they want significant coaching position at the county level while players are given ‘home made drinks’ and food with one small piece of chicken to survive for an entire day.

“Our players practice every

day with no cricket in sight and clubs depend on the RHTY&SC to organize tournaments.

Berbice and Guyana’s cricket cannot go on like this,” said a very concerned CEO. Hence he pleaded with the Hon. Nagamootoo and the government of Guyana to intervene in the situation before it is too late.

He went on state that the parliament of Guyana passed a cricket bill and it is a law of Guyana and unless it is overturn all parties should respect it.

The time to act is now!

The time to act is now! Foster exclaimed with heavy emotion echoing with every word.

He then went on to call on Hon. Nagamootoo to save cricket in this land: “Mr. Prime Minister from the bottom of my heart, as a fellow Berbician and as a proud uncle of one of our former Test cricketers, please assist us to save Berbice and Guyana’s cricket. Let it be your legacy and I’m sure that every Berbician, Mr. Acting President and Prime Minister, shall be proud of you.”

Foster’s philippic was not limited to the poor state of local cricket but was extended to question the scope of regional cricket.

“From the days of (George) Headley, (Garfield) Sobers, (Rohan) Kanhai, (Clive) Lloyd to the modern greats of (Brian) Lara and (Shivnarine) Chanderpaul, it has been the one factor that has kept us together. It has nade us proud to be West Indians and to let the world know that we

19

are the best. Sadly, however, we have fallen from grace and today we are the laughing stock of the world and a West Indies victory is as rare as a diamond.

Most people including me, who was once passionate about the game are now totally unaware when matches are played, who are the players and what are the results,” detailed the cricket enthusiast.

If you are unaware of the situation in Guyana, Foster has touched on every point. He is well regarded in Guyana and is at the helm of the club that won the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) club of the year award for 2016. He recently was honoured

by The Xercise, a rapidly emerging sport body made up of young professionals, for his contribution in cricket.

In recent years the GCB has been atop of discussion almost everywhere locally for the way the board functions.

Pundits and stakeholders have speculated the resignation of the President Dru Bahadur was due to infighting among executive members, however, he said it was mainly because of business commitments.

The chaos in Guyana’s cricket is vivid, it cannot be ignored and the President of Cricket West Indies Dave Cameron should intervene to solve this issue immediately. They should meet with stakeholders of cricket here and hear their views. The GCB have been failing and will continue to do so because they are not equipped to do otherwise.

India miss Champions Trophy squad submission deadline

I

ndia have missed the April 25 deadline to submit their Champions Trophy squad to the ICC. ESPNcricinfo understands the BCCI told the ICC that it could not submit the squad for “operational” reasons. The other seven countries have all announced their squads.

According to a BCCI official, the delay was inevitable. With the BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhury and CEO Rahul Johri attending the ICC meetings this week, and captain Virat Kohli playing the IPL, all concerned parties couldn’t be in one place at the same time to pick the squad.

“We have told the ICC the reason behind the delay,” the official told ESPNcricinfo. “We have told them we will announce it soon.”

However, the delay is being seen as a message from the BCCI to the ICC that it can still withdraw from the Champions Trophy should its demand to retain its share of revenue not be met.

The ICC had earlier initi-

ated reforms to undo the big-three revenue model, which could have brought the BCCI’s share down from $570 million to $290 million.

Earlier in the week, ESPNcricinfo revealed negotiations in the lead-up to the crucial ICC meetings, in which the ICC offered to raise the BCCI’s share to close to $400 million.

The ICC board meets on Wednesday and Thursday to ratify the proposed reforms.

These changes are part of the draft constitution, which comprises key resolutions like the latest finance model and the governance structure reforms devised by a five-man working group led

by ICC chairman Shashank Manohar.

Although the BCCI official denied there was any realistic chance of India pulling out of the Champions Trophy, there has been growing speculation that the BCCI might issue the threat. The ICC will not be perturbed at this juncture: the threat has to be presented in a written form, and neither of the BCCI office

India are the only team yet to announce their Champions Trophy squad

bearers attending the ICC board meeting has the power to renege on the Members Participation Agreement (MPA).

The Supreme Court has given that power to the Committee of Administrators (COA).

“To pull out you have to revoke the MPA, which is a legal document,” the board official said. “All the legal authority sits with the COA.

The office bearers will need to consult the COA. You can make a threat, but you have to follow it up with a letter to become a reality. Then if the COA approves then it will direct Johri, who is the only one authorised to sign such a letter.”

The ICC said it was “working with the BCCI to ensure that it meets its obligation under the MPA”.

According to the MPA, which has been signed by all eight participating teams, the squads had to be submitted - but not necessarily publicly announced - a month before May 25, which is when the tournament’s support period begins. During the support period, teams will play warm-up matches leading up to the start of the tournament proper on June 1.

Teams are free to make changes to their submitted squads until May 25. From then on, changes can only be made on medical grounds, and only after they have been approved by the event technical committee.

The April 25 date was not necessarily a deadline for boards to announce their squads publicly. The BCCI could have submitted a provisional squad to the ICC by April 25 without making an announcement. The main reason for the early deadline was to ensure the smooth completion of flight and hotel bookings, promotion, publicity and merchandising. This practice is similar to those carried out before other major world events.

In the past, teams have asked for extensions of a day or two, and have been granted that extension by the ICC, but the BCCI had not made such a request. There is no sanction or penalty if a member board fails to meet the deadline. The BCCI has not told the ICC when it will submit its team. (ESPNcricinfo)

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6

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursDAY, april 27, 2017

Guinness "Greatest of the Streets" Linden Zone…

more teams booted on day 2

The Linden leg of the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ continued on Tuesday evening at the McKenzie Market tarmac and six more teams were given the axe after failing to secure important victories.

Aroaima Colo were the first to go as they were defeated 2-0 via goals from Dexter Garraway (12th) and Travon Archibald (18th) while Coomacka won 2-0 on penalty kicks after they drew 2-2 with Mile Star.

In that engrossing fixture, Kerston Thom (5th) and Keron Dow (18th) scored for the winners while the pair of Donald (12th) and Brian Gomes (14th) gave hope to Mile Star.

Similarly, Cherokee Park won 3-1 on penalty kicks after they had scoreless draw with Hardknocks.

Deshwan Joseph 3rd minute strike stopped Goal Getters from getting going as Good Fellas won 1-0.

by Neil Kumar

T

The action continues to heat up as teams battle to stay alive in the tournament

Another match had to be decided by spot kicks since Young Stars jubilance helped them claw their way back against Attackers to draw 2-2 and eventually win 1-0 penalty kicks. Shaka Lewis (12th) and Denzil Pryce (15th) were the architects behind the trilling come back after R. Venture

Messi’s brace give Barca 7-1 win

(9th) and K. Boston (11th) gave the early advantage.

Running Guns and Train Line Warriors were locked at 1-1 at the end of extra time but the later won 1-0 on penalty kicks. Kelon Adams (2nd) had put the winners ahead before S. Jones equalised in the 7th minute.

In addition, Colwyn

Drakes 20th minute conversion lead Swag Entertainment to a 1-0 win over Magic Stars while Amazing won via a walkover against Bourda All-Stars who failed to show up.

The heated action will continue this evening at the Sliver City tarmac from 18:00h.

CCUSA aligns with high-level sport & marketing groups

Chairman of CCUSA, Mahammad Qureshi (left) and Marketing Manager Ramina Ashfaq (right) together with Jimmy Lynn and students from American University at the conference Messi’s two goals took his tally to 49 for the season in all competitions, from 48 games

L

ionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona extended their La Liga lead with a thumping win over bottom side Osasuna.

The defending champions are now three points clear of Real Madrid, who have played two games fewer and face Deportivo la Coruna later on Wednesday.

M e s s i ’ s 501st Barca goal opened the scoring, before Andre Gomes smashed in.

Roberto Torres gave the away side hope, but further strikes by Gomes and Messi, two from Paco Alcacer and Javier Mascherano’s first Barca goal followed.

After Messi’s 12th-minute opener, fans held up their shirts as they mirrored the Argentine’s celebration of a 93rd-minute winner his 500th goal for Barca - at Madrid on Sunday.

That 3-2 victory reopened the title race in dramatic fashion, but Barca must hope Madrid slip up in one of their six remaining matches if they are to

Sport View

defend last season’s success.

Osasuna’s defeat means they will be relegated if Leganes beat Las Palmas later on Wednesday.

After Torres curled past Marc-Andre Ter Stegen just af- ter half-time, they were buried by four goals within 20 minutes.

Messi’s second of the night was the pick of the bunch as he skipped past a series of challenges and fired home, shortly after Gomes had put Barca 3-1 up with his second, tapping in after Gerard Pique’s header struck the post.

Argentina forward Messi has now scored 49 goals this season in all competitions, from 48 games.

Mascherano’s first goal in 319 games for Barca was thumped home from the penalty spot after Messi had been withdrawn.

It was the 32-year-old’s third goal in senior club football, having scored twice during three years at previous club Liverpool.

C

ricket Council USA has aligned itself with some of the top sporting organisations and officials in the field of sport administration and marketing.

Recently, Chairman of CCUSA Mahammad Qureshi and Marketing Manager Ramina Ashfaq made the trip to Washington DC to attend a twoday conference that included speakers who are experts in both fields.

It was a conference that included speakers who are experts in the sports career fields. It included top decision makers from the NFL, NBA, Nascar, NCAA, ESPN, and etc.

Qureshi spearheading the effort along with Ashfaq was able to connect with the vice president of the Washington Redskins just to name one official and he was ecstatic to hear about US Cricket teams being available to purchase.

He is interested in purchasing and has NFL players interested in purchasing cricket teams.

CCUSA has now offered the sale of teams for their upcoming US Open in November and the opportunities are now endless for businessmen to come on board.

The meeting provided the necessary fillip for CCUSA in its ambition of taking cricket forward in the United States.

CCUSA officials were able to speak to everyone about CCUSA and its endless opportunities, and most individuals that they met were very interested in working with them to help develop cricket in the USA, as they are aware that it is the second largest sport in the world.

CCUSA was also able to connect with Jimmy Lynn, who was AOL sports strategic development vice president, is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University teaching Sports Marketing, and is also the Co-Founder of Kiswe Mobile. He was the one that introduced took the time and effort to make CCUSA visible at the event. Some of the important contacts he was made for the organisation were Tobias Sherman, who is the Global head of esports at WME IMG, professionals who helped develop major league soccer, Keith Scully who was the Global Brand Developer for Nike, has consulting agencies, worked with many other sport governing bodies in the USA, and also teaches sports marketing.

Cricket Council USA runs an annual t20 cricket tournament called the US Open in November which attracts a large number of international players including former and current West Indies stars.

he super performances of our athletes at the 2017 CARIFTA Games held in Willemstad, Curacao, have made all Guyanese extremely proud. The Athletes have made a mark on the international circuit and are deserving of every accolade and commendation bestowed, for their hard work, commitment, individual and collective efforts.

As they challenged and Neil Kumar fought for supremacy in various categories, many on the team displayed the potential and preparation to overwhelm their competing paramours;with character, grit and determination by spectacularly refusing to be outdone.

Compton Caesar the champion athlete from the Mining Town Linden, led the way with a magnificent win in the males 100 M sprint. Caesar won Gold with a magical time of 10.46 seconds as he held Barbados’s Jaquone Hoyte in second position (10.47 seconds); and the world sprint country Jamaica’s Jelani Walker in third with a time of 10.61 seconds. It was indeed a momentous occasion for Guyana.

Caesar after winning the 100 meters event went on to win a bronze medal in the 200 M event. Chantoba Bright won gold in the Long Jump and bronze in the triple jump.

Claudrice McKoy captured Gold in the 3000M event and went on to win bronze in the 1500 M event. Natricia Hooper won Gold in the triple jump while Anfernee Headecker won silver in the 1500 M event.

In our appreciation of the welcoming results, recognition of the efforts the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG), and other key stakeholders including the Guyana Olympic Association as well as Corporate support, must be highlighted.Let us also not forget the significance and the vision of the PPP/C Government towards the establishment of critical infrastructure to help in the development and preparation of our athletes. Relevant in this regard is the State-of-the-art Synthetic Athletic Track at Leonora for our Athletes to have access to and benefit from world class facilities to train and be fully prepared for winning at International events.

Further, it is the PPP/C that bought a ‘brand’ new thirty-seater bus to support the process, that is now in the hands of this Government to facilitate our athlete’s development. It is most encouraging to know that even the ‘dorms’ facilities that were built at National Gymnasium are also fully utilized for the development of sport in our country. Our athlete’s dreams are now coming as a consequence of the critical establishments when the PPP/C was in Government.

It cannot be denied that the powerful international athletics administrators who were invited to deliver pure and heavily motivated lectures to our Sport Administrators, Coaches and Athletes at the Guyana Sport Resource Centre are beginning to bear fruits. The likes of Jamaican Olympian, now Senior Sport Administrator Grace Jackson and Trinidad and Tobago Olympian Gold Medalist Ato Bolton along with several imminent Sport personalities, did deliver some highly motivated and inspiring lectures to our Guyanese stake-holders. Guyanese Sport personalities must make sure that the Sport Resource Centre develops into a National Sport Institute.

Now that we are beginning to see the fruits of our investment in sport we must recognized that it is imperative that we stop all the talking and walk the walk with our athletes. In Guyana we have the talent, all we need to do is to cajole and nurture them and our Golden Youths will bring us Gold medals.

Let me call on the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG), Guyana Olympic Association and the Government along with all other stake holders including our pride spectators and most valuable Sponsors to unite and work together for the immediate and further development of sports in Guyana. Let us work together to realize and maximize synergies, for we can produce the next Usain Bolt.

Forward with the AAG developmental programme for the next Olympic Games. Our sports developmental programme must repeat at a higher level-‘The Inspire Sport Management Workshop.’ Let us have the likes of Grace Jackson, Ato Boldon, and Cathy Rattray along with the American Kristi Castlin who went on to win a Gold medal at the Olympic Games in Brazil to repeat that training llecturers. The PPP/C indeed set the country on a path to world fame.

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thurSdAY, april 27, 2017

Balram Raghubir Inter-Service T20

Police lock up soldiers P

D

Police team with the winning trophy

espite a fine all round effort from Guyana Defence Force (GDF) player Leon Andrews, Guyana Police Force won the Balram Raghubir InterService T20 Tournament on Wednesday after defeating their arch rivals from the military unit by four wickets at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary.

Opting to take first strike, the military unit was restricted to 122-8 in 20

overs as the lawmen made scoring difficult for them.

Leon Andrews smashed a six and three fours for a top score of 44 and was supported by Isaiah Brijadder 19 and former national under 19 player Daneon Waldron.

Grisean Grant (2-13) and off spinner Jason Heyliger (2-32) were the main bowlers for Police, who was outstanding in the field.

The hosts, who defeated GDF in the round robin,

rushed to victory with 123-6 in 17.4 overs. O’ Donnel Hill made a responsible 32 and was assisted by Heyliger who remained unbeaten on 32. Andrews returned with the ball to claim 3-16 but that could not prevent Police from winning the match.

Heyliger was named man of the match for being instrumental in the win with his all-round brilliance.

WDCA T20

Zeeburg, Sawpit to clash in 2016 final ‒ 2017 tournament up & running

O

n Sunday West Demerara Cricket Association (WDCA) will host its Independence T20 Cup final at Joe Vieira Park. The clash will be between Zeeburg Sports Club and Sawpit Sports Club.

After being postponed on two occasions due to rain in the latter months of 2016 the final is one that is much anticipated and promises lots of excitement between the top two teams of the tournament.

Utesh Dhanpaul, Malcolm Hubbard, Richie Looknauth and Imran Khan are some of the marquee players expected to play in the match which is slated to get underway at 13:00h.

Prior to the final, MetenMeer-Zorg Sports Club and Rising Stars Sports Club will do battle in the third place playoff from 9:00h.

All cricket lovers will be

Richie Looknauth

Malcolm Hubbard

allowed free entry to watch the match.

Meanwhile, last Saturday, the association launched its T20 tournament for 2017 at Canal number Two. In the first match played Windsor Forest Sports Club defeated Number Two Canal Sports Club by 43 runs.

After opting to win the toss Windsor Forest compiled a mammoth score of 203/9 in 20 overs, with

Muneshwar Balgobin 82 and Deoram Chanderbir 44 being the principal scorers while Chabiraj Ramcharan 4/24 off four overs Parmanantd Raghunauth 3/20 were good with the ball for Canal.

In reply the hosts were restricted to 160/8 in 20 overs. Dharmendar Lackan and Yogendar Singh made 40 and 37 respectively while Randy Yahkana 4/30 Alim Mustapha 2/32 spearheaded the visitors’ attack.

Lara calls for end to Test cricket draws

W

est Indies batting legend Brian Lara believes rule changes to bring an end to draws in Test cricket could go a long way toawrds revitalizing interest in the sport.

Popularity of the longest format of the game has showed a steady decline in recent years, particularly with the advent of the highpaced three-hour Twenty20 format.

The 47-year-old, who played 131 Tests, is the format’s sixth highest runs scorer with 11,953 and holds the record for highest score in a match with 400. Lara, while commending the impact of T20 cricket on the sport, believes with alter-

ations Test cricket could be just as exciting.

“I played in a period when Test cricket was waning and the crowds were a bit smaller and I grew up in the 70s and 80s and lined up at five o’clock in the morning to watch a Test match with a packed house,” Lara told BBC. “T20 has brought a new spectator in.”

“One of the complaints by an American is ‘how can you play a game for five days and it ends in a draw?’

I would like to maybe see results in every single Test match,” he added.

“I know seventy per cent of the time the game takes

Brian Lara

its natural course and you get a result.

“Maybe find a way where you structure the game ... and come up with some formula that can bring a winner at the end of it.” (Sportsmax)

Pakistan call off Bangladesh tour

akistan will not tour Bangladesh this year as per schedule; the PCB said the series has been postponed indefinitely by mutual consent. Pakistan was to play two Tests, three ODIs and a T20I series in Bangladesh in July and August.

“We had spoken about the possibility of hosting them [Bangladesh in Pakistan] this year,” PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan told ESPNcricinfo.

“Pakistan have now toured Bangladesh twice without them reciprocating, and we feel we cannot tour Bangladesh for the third straight time. Therefore, we have decided to postpone the tour, and will explore another window in the next year or so.”

Bangladesh last toured Pakistan in 2007-08, for a five-ODI series. Since then, Pakistan have toured Bangladesh twice, in 201112 and 2015. The PCB had invited Bangladesh for a two-match T20I series this year, only for the BCB to rebuff the invitation.

On Pakistan’s last visit to Bangladesh in 2015, the PCB had reportedly taken US$ 325,000 and justified it by saying the series had “technically” been Pakistan’s home series.

This year the BCB rejected all such proposals to share revenue, though it was open to playing at a neutral venue if necessary.

The PCB, however, was not keen on that option. It is understood the Pakistan

board feels that hosting teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the UAE - its adopted home - is not financially viable.

Relations between the Pakistan and Bangladesh boards have been sour in the past. During the Zaka Ashraf regime, the PCB had stopped communication with the BCB and barred its cricketers - who had already been auctioned to various teams - from featuring

contingent deciding against travelling to Pakistan for the final.

In another development, members of the ICC board were briefed on the security situation in Pakistan.

According to Shaharyar, Giles Clarke, the head of the ICC task force on Pakistan, confirmed that Lahore would host a World XI in September.

“We wanted to share the series between Lahore and

Pakistan have visited Bangladesh twice, without being visited in return

in the Bangladesh Premier League.

Bangladesh were the fourth team - after West Indies, Ireland and Sri Lanka - to refuse to travel to Pakistan in the last two years. Nevertheless, the PCB is looking to build on hosting an incident-free PSL final in Lahore in March by inviting a team of international cricketers to play a T20 series in September. However, even the PSL final - touted a success - was marred by Quetta Gladiators’ entire foreign

Karachi but since the security assessment was focussed on Lahore only, it was decided to restrict the series to Lahore for now,” Shaharyar said. “The presentation about the PSL final was well received and all members understand that the World XI tour will further pave the way for major international cricket in the country. They were supportive overall and we are looking forward to host some of the top players of the world.” (ESPNcricinfo)

Sport Tourism Seminar scheduled for Saturday T

he development of Sports Tourism in Guyana is high on the agenda of the Department of Tourism in the Ministry of Business. Globally sporting events are driving tourism business as governments recognise the economic benefit of hosting international sports and are seeking to maximise the return on their investments in sports stadiums, tournament venues, track and field facilities, sporting arenas and other facilities. In this regard the Department of Tourism in the Ministry of Business has identified the development of a Sports Tourism Policy as one of its objectives for 2017. The theme for the event is: Improving sports through tourism; growing tourism through Sports.

The Sports Tourism Seminar/Workshop seeks to bring together all Sporting Associations, business and tourism entities, Regional Sports administrators, and the Diplomatic community in a constructive conversation aimed at identifying the Lines of Action needed in Guyana for a successful sports Tourism industry. From cricket and football to golf and athletics, from motor-racing and swimming to horse-racing and basketball, Guyana offers Sports Tourism opportunities that have so far been barely tapped. Hence the need for such a Seminar/Workshop.

The keynote address will be given by Sports Consultant Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira, while Dave Martins will chair the Opening

Joseph “Reds” Perreira

Session. Participants will include personnel from the Department of Tourism, the Guyana Tourism Authority, the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana, GO-Invest, the University of Guyana, the National Sports Commission, the Guyana Olympic Association, members of the Media, the Diplomatic community in Guyana as well as other celebrated figures in the domain of business and tourism.

Vice President and Minister of Education Dr. Rupert Roopnarine will give the Opening Remarks. Registration is from 08:30h and the event starts at 09:00h sharp in the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Hotel.

guyanatimesgy.com

thurSDAY, april 27, 2017

23

BCCI outvoted join YWCC Mash Cup A Ally & Sons showroom

‒ new financial model, governance structure to be ratified in June

T

he ICC’s new constitution moved a step closer to reality on a dramatic afternoon in Dubai, as cricket’s Full Members exercised their collective will to outvote the BCCI. The Indian board was the only Full Member to object against the new financial model, and was one of only two Full Members to vote against the new governance changes.

The finance model received a 9-1 vote in favour, while the governance structure was passed by an 8-2 margin.

Although the majority was overwhelmingly in favour of the new ICC constitution, it will be approved formally only after being ratified at the annual conference in June.

In the financial model that was passed in Dubai on Wednesday, the BCCI’s share of ICC revenue was only $293 million, a little more than half the amount the Indian board wanted. Apart from the BCCI, Sri Lanka Cricket was the other board to oppose the governance structure - the SLC wanted to see the changes that had been made after the ICC received feedback from the members.

The BCCI was alone in its opposition to the finance model, after its office bearers secretary Amitabh Choudhury and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry - had rejected the ICC’s settlement offer worth approximately $400 million on Tuesday. The Indian board wanted $570 million, the amount it was getting under the Big Three model.

The settlement offer was made to Amitabh Choudhury by the ICC chairman Shashank Manohar, the head of the working group that prepared the new constitution.

The BCCI then approached most of the major Full Members with a counter offer:

ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar was the force behind the new constitution

it gets $570 million but none of the other Full Members get anything less than what was stated in the new constitution.

The other Full Members rejected the BCCI’s offer, ESPNcricinfo has learned, leaving Choudhry and Chaudhry in a tight position hours before the ICC Board meeting on Wednesday morning.

“The alternative left for them was to adopt the middle ground,” a source said. The BCCI was told that it would do well to consider Manohar’s offer. “It is INR 700 crore, and they were told to consider hard before making a move.”

While presenting the finance model to the ICC Board for the first time in February, Manohar said his focus was an equitable distribution of revenues. Incidentally, the Committee of Administrators overseeing the BCCI on the Supreme Court of India’s instructions was happy with Manohar’s settlement offer when they met in March.

Manohar got to Dubai last weekend and is understood to have had lengthy meetings with the BCCI office bearers as well its chief executive Rahul Johri. The BCCI was asked to respond on Monday, as the ICC

working group was meeting to finalise the resolutions based on the feedback given by all Member boards including the Associates.

“Shashank was trying to get them (BCCI) across the line, but they declined,” a source said.

Some BCCI office bearers had previously blamed Manohar for harming its interests, but Choudhury did not take an aggressive stance during the ICC Board meeting. People present said Choudhury was “friendly and very charming,” and he said that though he wanted to find a solution he had to disagree with the finance model and the governance structure.

“He was restating the BCCI’s reservations expressed last month,” a source said. Neither Choudhury nor any of the BCCI administrators in India made a statement in response to the developments in Dubai.

According to PTI, the BCCI would call a special general meeting to decide on the next step.

The ICC agreed to remove one significant proposal from its new governance model - the reclassification of Full Member status to Associate membership if a set of criteria was not met when a board was evaluated.

Many Full Members including the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Zimbabwe Cricket and Sri Lanka Cricket were against it.

“Based on the feedback from the members, it was felt that there was a need to sustain the boards already there as well as grow the number of members,” a source said.

The ICC Board also approved an increase in the number of votes from 10 (Full Members only) to 15 - 10 Full Members, three Associates, one independent female director, and the chairman.

(ESPNcricinfo)

Stanton resigns as AAG Treasurer ‒ cites personal commitments as reason

By Akeem Greene

W

hile the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) may be have been savouring from the stellar performances from their athletes’ performance at the CARIFTA Games in Curacao just a week ago, they have been tight-lipped about the resignation of treasurer Niall Stanton.

Guyana Times Sport spoke to Stanton on Wednesday afternoon who revealed that he sent the resignation to the association since “around midFebruary, early March” but only recently did the association accept the resignation.

Quizzed as to why he handed in the letter, Stanton revealed, “I have personal commitments and things I want to achieve, there is also my health and my family.”

One of those commitments would be giving more time to his club, Super Upcoming Runners (SUR) since he recently became a certified coach.

Former AAG Treasurer Niall Stanton

The quandary over the resignation stemmed from the fact that only in January the Association which is headed by Aubrey Huston held its AGM and election of office bearers where Stanton easily won the post only to resign just weeks after.

Asked to as to why he believed the AAG would keep the matter secretive, Stanton contended that “I am good at what I do and sometimes nobody wants to lose somebody

that is good.”

He added that “the AAG is in a good place and would have done everything to the best of my ability and I have confidence in the persons that are there.”

Though he would have resigned from the executive body, he still will serve on the finance and the technical committees as well as doing public relations work for the association.

The former treasure explained that Kwabina Griffith who secured two votes as compared to his six at the elections could be the next person in line to serve as treasurer; according to sources close to this publication, Griffith is already acting in the position.

The remaining executive members of the association are: Vice- Presidents, Amanda Hermonstine, and Colin Ming, Elton Bollers, Assistant Treasure along with Council members Keith Campbell, Lyndon Wilson, Yvonne October, Silas Brummel and Busta Wright.

T

he highly anticipated Young Warriors Cricket Club (YWCC) Mash Cup is just three days away and the competition has once again attracted A. Ally and Sons Showroom of Sheet Anchor, East Canje, Berbice as a major sponsor for the one day event.

A. Ally and Son were with the mash Cup since the inception and have grown with the event which is now in its fourth edition.

The event billed for Sunday April 30 is used as a fund raiser for the club to execute their long programme for the remainder of the year. Other than cricket events, the club also make donations to religious and educational organisations as part of the club’s policy towards community development.

Eight teams from the East Canje and New Amsterdam area will compete in the action packed five overs aside cricket competition for prize monies of over $100,000. Betsy Ground Triple Stars are the defending champions.

There will also be two seasoned local Masters’ softball teams in action in a 15 overs a-side grudge match.

There will be added attractions for the children and the entire family with live musical entertainment and a well stocked bar.

During the sponsor-

Priya Singh (left) of A Ally and Son Showroom hands over sponsorship to Rafeek Kassim in the presence of CEO Waqar Sahid

ship ceremony, Managing Director of the Showroom, Waqar Sahid said that they are happy to be part of this event once more. He thanked the public for their support over the years and promised that he will continue to support this event and many others.

In response, President of the club Rafeek Kassim expressed gratitude to the sponsor for the faith shown in the club. He promised that the event will be well run and provide fun and entertainment for the entire family. He said that the

funds provided will be used as incentive for the competition.

Kassim called on the general public to support the popular business entity so that they can continue to support community development. He further stated that YWCC will continue to provide opportunities for the young boys and girls in the East Canje area.

Kassim said that the club is proud of its first test cricketer Shimron Hetmeyer and will work hard to maintain its short but rich history.

Colours Boutique, Ninvalle

ink 2-year sponsorship deal J

unior Sportsman-of-the year Kaysan Ninvalle and Colours Boutique will be aligned for the next two years under the Patrick sports apparel brand.

The 11 year-old Ninvalle who is also a National Table Tennis player continues to be in the limelight for his stellar performances since creating history for the country by winning Gold in last year’s Caribbean pre-cadet and cadet championships.

Ninvalle in speaking at the simple presentation on Wednesday at the boutique’s Robb Street location said he is grateful for the support since without such benevolence and support of coach Linden Johnson he would not have reached this far in his blossoming career.

Representative of the entity, Creanna Damon told the gathering that they will continue to support young Ninvalle in his endeavours as they spotting someone who continues to excel whenever they step on the court, attributes which align to their motto of striving towards excellence.

Meanwhile, Henry Chase, Ninvallle’s principal at the Chase Academic Foundation, contended that

(L-R) Colours Boutique representative Creanna Damon, Kaysan Ninvalle and Manager of the Boutique Robeson Brotherson at the presentation ceremony on Wednesday morning at the entity’s Robb Street location

his main aim is to be a part of the young sportsman development both with books and racket in hand. Only a week ago Ninvalle participated in the Caribbean Cadet and Junior Table Tennis championship held on home tuff

where he managed to win a bronze medal in the mixed doubles. Likewise, at the 2016 World Hopes Latin American Table Tennis Selection and training camp in Peru, he managed a bronze.

THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Balram Raghubir Inter-Service T20

Police lock up soldiers

Pg 22

Members of the two teams pose with their superiors after the pulsating final at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary

BCCI outvoted

‒ new financial model, governance structure to be ratified in June

Pg 23

A recent ICC Board Meeting in session

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