Chronicle 03 27 2016

No. 104503

SUNDAY MARCH 27, 2016

Happy Easter

Price: $140

(VAT Inclusive)

to all Guyanese

Establish cottage industries ‒ PM urges West Coast Berbice P.2

Rupununi Rodeo

The team that led a march of vacqueros (cowboys) at the start of Saturday’s activities of the Rupununi Rodeo, an annual event put on during the Easter weekend

BV – the community Deeds Registry ‘Life in Dog that has won the right needs to be Point is no walk digitized to govern itself in the park’ Local Gov’t elections…

P.13

P.3

See story in the Pepperpot

2

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Establish cottage industries

‒ PM urges West Coast Berbice RESIDENTS of Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice), farmers and agricultural producers were on Saturday night urged to learn how to convert raw materials into semi-finished and finished products, and to establish the cottage industries which are necessary to maximise the great agricultural potential of the region. Prime Minister Moses

Nagamootoo made this appeal to exhibitors and visitors at the start of the twoday Business Exposition and Trade Fair in Region Five, held by the West Berbice Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WBCIC) at Bath Settlement. He said Region Five had great potential for production of wealth, but lacked the existence of a vibrant agro-industry.

He said: “Bath Settlement produces the best eschallot in the country, but I am yet to see a nicely illustrated bottle with eschallot named ‘Bath Eschallot’. “The same goes for salted fish; I am yet to see a nicely-packaged brand-name salt fish that can be exported regionally or internationally,” he said. He said those were the kinds of value-added activ-

ities which would generate wealth and create jobs for the unemployed within the region. He urged the visitors to see the Expo as an eye-opener to the possibilities that exist for acquiring loans and machinery to develop the badly needed agro-industrial sector. He said: “This Expo should be historically an eye-opener for Region Five and West Berbice, in that you can also look at what others in other regions are

producing -- what they have canned (and) what they have bottled -- and you can also tell yourself that you can do the same and can do better.” He said the Expo is being held at the same time that Guyana is observing its 50th anniversary of independence, and should be seen by all producers as a new beginning for commerce and industry in Region Five and in West Berbice. Speakers at the opening session, chaired by Sandie Ross and Pradeep Bachan, in-

cluded Dominic Gaskin, Minister of Business; Mr Vickchand Ramphal, Regional Chairman of Region Five; Mr Roderick Edinboro, Regional Executive Officer of Region Five; and Mr Imran Saccoor, President of the WBCIC. The Exposition and Fair is being held under the theme “Transforming Region Five for a Better Guyana”, and also honours the 50th Independence Anniversary. It ends today. (Clifford Stanley)

Kite-shopping around Georgetown Photos by Cullen Bess-Nelson

3

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Deeds Registry needs to be digitized THERE is great need for the records of the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority (DCRA) to be computerized, properly stored, and be backed up, a forensic audit into the operation of the registries has found. The audit, done by D. Bahadur and Company, called on the board of the DCRA to “urgently document its archiving policy” with the aim of having the staff of the two registries adhere strictly to same. In its report, the firm said, “Archiving of documents is important for the efficient and effective performance of the registry function, and can be used as a revenue earner, as indicated above.” It was noted that while there may be issues currently affecting the digitization of the documents, those issues need to be addressed urgently. Additionally, it was recommended that an interim progress report of work be done to ensure that the process is done in the required format and be of benefit to the DCRA. “The Deeds and Commercial Registry should exploit their information database as a marketable resource to generate revenue by charging a fee for information which is available on request,” the report stated. Additionally, it was recommended that the DCRA should develop a live website with the pertinent information, to make access easier for both stakeholders and shareholders. “The installation of a computerized function to automatically send a numbered notice to companies and businesses that their registration needs renewal” would be one spin-off benefit. The archiving and storage of information was difficult because of limitation of space and technology was not embraced earlier. “Both of these limitations are being addressed, an additional building was acquired to house the Commercial Registry, steel density cabinets are to be installed in the various registries, and contracts were awarded to digitize the document of the registries.” However, pending completion of these works, the major concerns currently are that vital information or documents can get lost or stolen; and in the event of any major disaster, such as fires or floods, vital information or documents can be destroyed or damaged. “With efficiency and

mation be disclosed in the Auditor General’s Report. A report on the balance and movement of the accounts should be done on a monthly basis to the Board.

Workers inside the Deeds Registry, which still mostly uses a paper-based system

easy retrieval, more persons/companies will rely on the DCRA to provide various information or documents that will generate additional revenue, since on a daily basis reliance is placed on the DCRA to provide certified copies of documents for day-to-day transactions,” the report added. It is believed that there needs to be a public awareness campaign on the services provided by the Registry, and it was suggested that this be done via the traditional medium of television, newspapers and radio. A review of the fees charged for services provided must be done as a matter of priority, so that the fees charged and collected are sufficient to cover the basic cost associated with the service required. According to the auditor, the fees currently charged for processing various transactions seem inadequate to cover the required expenses to process the transaction. The fee for processing trademarks has been given as $200., with the registration of same being valid for seven years. There is a strong possibility that transports and other conveyances could have the same number, resulting in duplication and thereby compromising the

retrieval system, which ultimately leads to incorrect communication of data. “The Business Index is not computerized at all locations; therefore, to check for a specific business name means manually checking through as much as five large books, which is very time consuming. There is no adequate system in place to easily identify the number of registered businesses in the past, how many need to be renewed or re-registered etc., [and/or] the names that have become available because of non-renewal,” the audit report said. Equally important is the need for employees of the DCRA to make random visits to businesses, to determine whether they are operating under a business name and whether they have registered to use the said name. It is believed that the DCRA could be losing revenue due to under-valuation of assets, as revenues are collected on the basis of the valuation of assets. The auditor has recommended that the two bodies work together to bring about improved systems and generate greater revenues. “The DCRA and the relevant Government agencies, such as the Valuation Office, should collaborate in ensuring that the appropri-

ate valuations are presented for registration (as in the case with the GRA and the Deeds).” Additionally, the auditing firm believes that the installation of a computerised function to automatically send a numbered notice to GRA and NIS of the formation of a new company is needed, since these agencies can work together to generate greater revenues for each other. FINANCIAL BOOKS AND RECORDS The policy of recording revenue on an accrual basis should be changed to cash basis, which is in support of the current recording method, the report stated, noting that bank reconciliations should be prepared and reviewed monthly. There is a Demerara Bank account in the name of the Deeds and Commercial Registries. However, the funds do not belong to the Registries, the account is an Escrow Account established as a result of court order #173-CD. “Based on confirmation received from Demerara Bank Ltd and credit advices seen, Bosai Mineral Group Guyana Inc. was depositing both interest and principal loan repayments as per the court order and debenture. The balance on this US$ a/c

suggests that the loan has since been repaid, due there being no further deposits to the A/c.” According to the forensic audit, there is no evidence of any reconciliation being done, neither any monitoring of the account. It was therefore recommended that the Escrow Account be reconciled and monitored on an ongoing basis. It is recommended that this matter be brought to the attention of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, since it also involves CLICO. “The Ministries of Finance and Legal Affairs should be informed of the following for their action in relation to the Escrow Account and Act of Deposit Account: The conditions under which these accounts operate; the balance on the accounts as at the date of the forensic audit; the steps taken by the Deeds to effect a reconciliation of the Act of Deposit Account with the aid of available bank statements and court orders; the results of this exercise; and the unresolved balance on the account; and advise on how to deal with the balance within the legal framework.” Additionally, it was suggested that the records be digitized to provide greater information, and that infor-

INTERNAL AUDITOR AND REGISTRAR OF COMMERCE D. Bahadur and Company has recommended that the vacancy for an internal auditor be filled immediately to address many of the matters affecting the DCRA, including the missing receipt book that saw a former cashier, Kayren Booker, being fired for fraud. Booker had utilized a receipt book (sequence # 36751 - 37000) outside of the existing sequence at the time, during the period June – September 2012. The matter was reported to the police and the cashier was dismissed. However, a copy of the police report was not retained by the Deed Registry, nor did the Deeds Registry undertake an internal investigation to establish the amount of funds that went missing. To date, no further investigation has been done regarding this matter, and the amount missing is still undetermined. “The unused receipt books are now being kept in the Registrar’s office for safety, and CCTV has been installed to improve security.” With the absence of key employees, internal reviews were not done to provide independent assurance that the Authority’s risk management, governance, and internal control processes are operating effectively, the report added. Additionally, there was a vacancy for a Registrar of Commerce. Currently, Registrar of Deeds Azeena Baksh holds the post of Registrar of Commerce, but the auditor believes that her dual role can result in “work overload and oversight”. “Additionally, without the appointment of a Registrar of Commerce, various functions of this department can be backlogged; e.g. the registration of trademarks has been significantly delayed, and this may be one of the prime reasons,” the report stated. A number of other key positions, including Assistant Registrar of Commerce, Field Auditor, Audit Clerk and Stores Clerk have to be filled to reduce inefficiencies at the DCRA.

4

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Belgium charges airport suspect, calls off Brussels ‘march against fear’ (REUTERS) BELGIAN prosecutors charged three men on Saturday with terrorist offences over the Brussels bomb attacks and authorities called off a planned ‘march against fear’ in the jittery capital to relieve pressure on an over-taxed police force. The suicide bomb attacks targeting Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train on Tuesday killed 31 people, including three of the attackers, and injured hundreds more. Islamic State has claimed responsibility. Amid increasing signs that the attacks were carried out by the same militant network

that was behind bombings and shootings in Paris last November that killed 130 people, German lawmakers said Europe urgently needed to improve the way its security agencies share information. Of the three men charged on Saturday, Belgian prosecutors named one as Faycal C. Belgian media identified him as Faycal Cheffou and said he was the man wearing a hat and a light-colored jacket in last Tuesday’s airport CCTV footage that showed three men pushing baggage trolleys bearing luggage. The two others in the picture are believed to have blown

A young man in a hat caught on CCTV pushing a luggage trolley at Belgium’s Zaventem airport alongside two others who, investigators said, had later blown themselves up in the terminal. (REUTERS/Belgian Federal Police) themselves up. Cheffou was charged with taking part in the activities of a terrorist group, and actual and attempted terrorist murder.

DATE: 26/03/2016 H 07 14 19 18 17 24 23

26/03/2016

10

12

17

21

22

26/03/2016

0

The other two charged on Saturday, Aboubakar A. and Rabah N., were accused of terrorist activities and membership of a terrorist group. Rabah N. was wanted in connection with a related raid in France this week that authorities say foiled an apparent attack plot. Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur told Le Soir newspaper that Cheffou, who said he was a freelance journalist, was “dangerous” and that he had been detained a number of times at a park where he sought to encourage asylum seekers camped there to turn to radical extremism. BRUSSELS MARCH With Brussels still on high alert, organizers called off a “march against fear” planned for Sunday after officials including the city’s mayor urged people to stay away in order to spare the over-taxed police force. “The security of our citizens is an absolute priority,” said march organizer Emmanuel Foulon. “We totally agree with the

8

9

26/03/2016

authorities’ request to delay this plan for a later date. We in turn ask citizens not to come to Brussels this Sunday.” Officials said 24 victims from nine different nationalities had been identified so far from the attacks in Brussels, which is the headquarters of the European Union and NATO. Four people remain unidentified. Sweden’s foreign ministry confirmed the death of a Swedish woman in her 60s who had been missing since Tuesday. It said one Swedish citizen was still unaccounted for. Highlighting the jittery national mood, the murder this week of a security guard employed at a site in Belgium holding radioactive materials has stoked debate about the risks of militants attempting some kind of nuclear attack. On Saturday prosecutors denied media reports that the security guard had had his access badge stolen and the implication it could have been a motive for his murder. On Thursday, French language newspaper DH (Derniere Heure) had reported the suicide bombers who blew themselves up on Tuesday originally considered targeting a nuclear site, but a series of arrests of suspect militants forced them to speed up their plans and instead switch focus to Brussels. Late last year, investigators found a video tracking the movements of a man linked to Belgium’s nuclear industry during a search of a flat as part of investigations into the Islamist militant attacks on Paris on Nov. 13. In a gesture of solidarity with Brussels on Saturday, the Lebanese capital Beirut - itself often the target of bombings lit up one of its landmarks in the colors of the Belgian flag. The Pigeon Rocks are striking natural rock arches by Beirut’s seashore. “We say to everyone, quite simply, that life must triumph over death,” Beirut governor Ziyad Chebib said.

04

10

14 15 16 18

20

5

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Trump’s tariff plan could boomerang, spark trade wars with China, Mexico DONALD Trump’s threats to slap steep tariffs on Chinese and Mexican imports may have won him votes in Republican primaries but they would likely backfire, severely disrupting U.S. manufacturers that increasingly depend on global supply chains. The Republican presidential front-runner’s campaign pledges to impose 45 percent tariffs on all imports from China and 35 percent on many goods from Mexico would spark financial market turmoil and possibly even a recession, former trade negotiators, trade lawyers, economists and business executives told Reuters. “I don’t mind trade wars when we’re losing $58 billion a year,” Trump said in a Feb. 25 debate, referring to the 2015 U.S. goods trade deficit

with Mexico. Economists dispute the idea the United States is “losing” money as the trade deficit is simply the difference between what the United States imports and what it exports to a country. “Imposing tariffs or putting up trade barriers may sound good, but it will hurt our economy and credibility,” said Wendy Cutler, the former acting deputy U.S. Trade Representative who helped lead U.S. negotiations in the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal last year. Among those hardest hit would be the U.S. auto industry, which has fully integrated Mexico into its production network. Some $118 billion worth of vehicles and parts flowed north and south across the border tariff-free last year, according to U.S. Commerce

Department data. A 35 percent tariff would

raise costs for Ford Motor Co’s U.S.-assembled F-se-

A factory employee is seen working in the plant of General Motors in the city of Silao, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. (REUTERS/Henry Romero/File)

ries and medium-duty pickup trucks that use Mexican-made diesel engines, one of its most profitable vehicle lines. (Graphic on U.S.-Mexico auto and parts trade: tmsnrt. rs/1UN3wun) Ford CEO Mark Fields on Wednesday defended the company’s investment strategy, which includes $9 billion for U.S. plants over the next four years, saying, “We will do what makes sense for the business.” Buyers of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s popular Ram 1500 pickup trucks assembled in Saltillo, Mexico, could see their $26,000 base price pushed up by $9,000 if the tariff is fully passed on to consumers. A Chrysler spokesman declined to comment on Trump’s statements. Trump’s campaign said in

a statement that U.S. trade policy constitutes “unilateral economic surrender” and needs complete change because it allows foreign competitors to shut out U.S imports, devalue their currencies and unfairly target U.S. industries. “I don’t think he does our issue any favors by making it so incredibly jingoistic and bombastic,” said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a group that allies domestic steelmakers and other manufacturers with the United Steelworkers union. “But I believe there’s widespread agreement ... that there is something amiss with our economic relationship with China and it’s past time that our government pushes back a little more forcefully.”

Handful of nations see many unintended pregnancies despite sex with contraception (THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION) - NATIONS from Brazil to Egypt and Turkey are among developing countries with the highest rates of contraceptive failure, according to research released on Thursday on unintended pregnancies. Some 74 million unintended pregnancies occur each year in developing nations, a third of

which are due to failed contraception, said the New York-based Guttmacher Institute which studied 43 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Exceptionally high rates of contraceptive failures were found in Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Paraguay and Turkey, it found.

The study by the research institute, which focuses on sexual and reproductive health, did not determine the precise causes of the particularly high incidences and said that would require additional analysis. Withdrawal and rhythm methods were most likely to fail, while longer-acting methods such as intra-uterine

devices (IUDs), subdermal implants and injection were least likely to do so, it found. “Many factors, such as the quality of contraceptive services, availability of a range of methods, and the continuous availability of contraceptive supplies in that country, may contribute to this finding,” Chelsea Polis, lead author of the study, told

the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Overall, the researchers found the lowest contraceptive failure rates in East Africa and South Asia. The research pointed out that unintended pregnancies put women at risk of seeking abortions that are unsafe and illegal in many developing nations.

Separate research by the Population Council has found that the highest proportion of unintended pregnancies occur in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Guttmacher researchers cautioned about the data quality from West Africa and stigma in some cultures as potentially affecting their analysis.

6

Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Sunday Editor

Neil Marks

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial

The night court THE establishment of the night court to address the backlog of cases, some languishing for years, is a welcome sign that, at last, the society is conscious that justice delayed is justice denied. While the society is aware that this court came about after the loss of 17 lives in an overcrowded and congested prison that had inadequate facilities, and the refusal over the years to act on recommendations emanating from several Reports, it has to be seen that the various groups in the administration of justice are prepared to put systems in place to ensure that never again must this happen to citizens who are under the care of the State. As the introduction of this new facility is being put in place, the nation’s priority must be centred on the benefit that the people can collectively derive from same. In the society’s effort to ensure justice, emphasis must be placed on addressing accusations made against any individual or group, and same must be dispensed with with alacrity and in a just manner. Night court ought to be the first step in improving the administration of justice, for there are a number of measures that can be considered in reducing the backlog, addressing penalties, and assisting prisoners with reintegration into the society after long periods of incarceration. There are penalties on the nation’s statues that may not be in consonance with what is taking place in this society and the world over. Even as the nation marks 50 years of political independence, there remains work to be done in the development of laws consistent with our economic, social and cultural realities. For instance, there is legislative work to be done to create a modern parole system that takes into consideration the building of inmates’ capacity to subsequently reintegrate into society with required skill-sets and social services guidance to lead sustained and productive lives. The intent of the night court is not only to reduce backlog, but to also create a positive impact in the lives of citizens and the society at large. Thus the training of a cadre of competent parole officers, buttressed by a competent team of social work professionals working together in collaboration with other networks can help in making the court’s intent a reality. The court is not only there to say, “a second chance is given, go and sin no more.” Other institutions and services are needed to assist the court in its thrust towards ensuring a society in which justice and

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Full UG registration comes only after requisite fees are paid Dear Editor, MARCUS’s entry into the arena on the denial of grades to students-atlaw (Cox, Marcus and Mustapha) warrants a response, if only to debunk Marcus’s misrepresentation of what is “full registration”. At the University of Guyana, a student becomes eligible for full registration only when he or she has paid the requisite fees. It therefore stands to reason that based, on the information provided by Marcus, one can only conclude that they were not fully registered and not entitled to write examinations, and/or receive results for examinations which they were not entitled to write. The registration process required three acts by the University: recommendation by the Department, endorsement by the Assistant Dean, and approval by the Assistant Registrar, Admissions. Only after all three of those sequential acts are completed can a student be deemed to be fully registered. The first two acts focus on the academic preconditions for registration. They seek to determine the student’s eligibility for the courses for which he or she proposes to be registered. The Assistant Registrar confirms the correctness of the recommendation and endorsement, and, upon the determination and payment of the requisite fees, approves the registration. The latter act never occurred in their cases. Marcus further argues that they were never told that they could not, or should not, have written the examinations which they were clearly not entitled to write, though they had not completed payment and consequentially were not registered. To write a final examination at UG, one is required to be issued with an examination slip which clearly indicates the examinations which one is entitled to write; and that slip is the

basis for entry into the examination. They were never issued such slips. In addition, the University published, in prominent places and on official notice broads around the campus, the prohibition that “no one who had not completed registration and had not been issued an examination slip should present him or herself for any examination”. They cannot claim ignorance of these stipulations, since they had all previously completed programmes at the University and would have undertaken and met those requirements umpteen times. In fact, it is because of their prior attendance at, and graduation from, the University and their non-compliance with the loan repayment schedule that they were being denied access to new loans for new programmes. The bottom line is they did not pay their fees, which they indicated they would have paid by way of loans. The case of Cox will be used as an actual illustration of what occurred. Cox is a former government-sponsored student-at-law who failed to graduate from the UWI-UG law programme. He subsequently completed a BA at UG. He then applied and gained entry to read for a degree in Law. He proposed to pay by loan, and, upon application to the Loan Agency, was granted a loan on condition that he paid monthly installments either for an outstanding loan or the current loan, since he might have passed the statutory age for accessing a loan. He defaulted on that agreement, hence he was not granted a loan in his second year. He approached the Assistant Registrar, who gave him an extended deadline to pay his fee. He defaulted on that arrangement, and, for the two latter academic years of the programme, never completed registration, including the non-payment

fair play are hallmarks. The court in itself cannot stand alone, given that the prison population includes first offenders and repeaters who are members of society. It is said that circumstances at times contribute to criminal activities, and while some may be first offenders, they return to a life of crime because of the absence of support services that can assist their survival within the framework of the laws. It is interesting to note that, on the issue of drugs, it has been shown that the trafficker in 50kg of cocaine attracts the same penalty as one caught smoking marijuana. What may be absent are institutions and laws that can help in interpreting the problems that confront the court, so that the decisions made are more societally driven. Another factor is that some offences, once considered criminal today, fall within the realm of rights and choices, and it is time they be reviewed toward decriminalising.

of fees. He, however, in defiance of all of the University’s lawful notifications to all students on the stipulations with regard to being registered as a perquisite to attending examinations, and in the face of his own prior experience and knowledge, proceeded to sit examinations, with the facilitation of officials who were well aware of their wrongdoing. At the end of the third year, when the Examinations Division refused to release the grades for examinations unauthorizedly/conspiratorially sat, Cox approached me for a resolution to the matter. He was offered advice on a payment arrangement that the University was prepared to entertain, but never responded to the offer. He, however, kept badgering the University for the release of ill-gained grades; and some three years, after the University had closed the case, came forward with a belated letter from Mr Rekha (Finance Secretary) to the effect that the Loan Agency was then prepared to issue loans retroactively. The University had already determined -- and had maintained -- that the case was closed. The circumstances of his colleagues were pretty much the same in principle. Marcus and Mustapha had respectively less and lesser degrees of interaction with the University as they pursued their cases in the political corridors and piggy-backed on Cox’s pursuit, as is the case even now. I have avoided being judgmental in this missive. I have laid the facts bare, and will continue to rely on the chips falling where they may, be it administratively or juridically. I derive no joy from the foolhardiness of this matter. VINCENT ALEXANDER Registrar (rtd) University of Guyana

This society, having emerged from the colonial era, has since developed its own value system. And while there may be laws inherited from that period, it ought to be remembered that those laws were developed and instituted in a bygone era. This is even moreso with the advancement of the right to self-determination that independence brought, and Guyana being a member of international institutions that have established declarations, conventions and charters. These advancements and values need to be enshrined in local laws, and need to be reflected in the justice system. The night court must be given every support to make sure it succeeds. Resources must be made available in every facet of its work. This is a novel idea within recent times, to give the justice system an opportunity at modernisation. The failure to make this court work will be seen as a reflection that the society is lacking the will and commitment to take its rightful place in the 21st century.

7

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Pushing the boundaries of possibilities at the Mayor and City Council Dear Editor, OVER the last eight months, we have witnessed the swift transformation of the City of Georgetown; but we need to push the boundaries of possibilities at the Mayor and City Council for sustainable development of our local communities and city. Ugly, smelly, flies-infested garbage heaps, clogged waterways, dirty alleyways, unkempt parapets, and impassable roadways have disappeared from most of our local communities. Our environment is breathing again, and the threat to our public health posed by certain nuisances and environmental negatives has been almost eliminated from our local communities. Georgetown is now an amazing place, and its beauty continues to unfold as we continue to clean and green every part of it. Of course individuals with their own agendas will continue to find fault and be critical of our efforts; it is part of the democratic process, and we appreciate it. Nonetheless, our responsibility at City Council is to stay resolutely on course, to be professional and to be mindful of our commitment to deliver quality service to all citizens of Georgetown. That is our mandate. However, assertive collective actions by the City Council have facilitated important changes in the city. These were necessary to reverse the negative trends which were restricting the socio-economic and cultural development of this great city, and depressing the morale of staff at the municipality. All of our municipal buildings were dilapidated, in some cases unsafe; that has changed. The buildings in City Hall Compound which allow the operations of our Engineers and their technical staff and the City Constabulary have been restored. These works have significantly enhanced the operations of those departments and sections concerned. As a result, it is anticipated that revenues from those departments will increase by about four percent. We are now working on repairing the accommodations for the attendants at our sluices. This is a vital service area. Also, we are repairing the building that facilitates our public health clinic for hundreds of mothers and infants in Albouystown. Our engineers are repairing the Municipal Training Complex, and will shortly begin works on the Mayoral Complex. Within another two months, we will begin to construct a new building at City Hall compound to house and facilitate

our administrative and some operational departments. This is necessary to permit the commencement of works on City Hall Building, and to organize and coordinate the specific and general operations of the Georgetown municipality. In our commercial areas, our technical teams have been engaged in building works at the Kitty Market. This has several benefits, including: community reputation and image, enhancement of local cultures, social interactions and economic development. In addition, it is anticipated to increase market revenue by a modest six percent when that market is reopened in another few months. So it is an investment by the council. We are also working to make ‘Bourda Green’, at Bourda Market, a double-decker Municipal Business Centre with allowances for drive-through arrangements and parking; and to refurbish East Ruimveldt and La Penitence Markets. These are likely to increase overall market revenue by more than twenty five percent, and total revenue of the council by a noticeable percentage. On the soft side, we have been restoring open green spaces, playgrounds and recreational facilities for our children, youths and senior citizens. These spaces facilitate social enhancement, cohesive community development, and promotion of cultural and sporting activities. We are now restoring our Promenade Gardens, repairing its bandstand and reactivating all of its fountains. We are creating a space second to none in this city for environmental health and beauty. Going forward, the administration believes that the city needs to see its operations to deliver quality service to citizens from two frames -- the ‘new green thinking’, and globalization. Perhaps the single most significant phenomenon that is influencing this green thinking is global warming and climate change. This has ushered in unprecedented and very troubling challenges to our environment and public health. Shifting patterns of rainfall and other unpredictable and unprecedented climatic conditions are affecting ways in which homes, local communities and cities are organized, and even how individuals carry out basic routine chores on a daily basis. Rainforests are releasing more CO2 as regions become drier; oxygen-poor ocean zones are growing; very serious and extensive vegetation die-offs are occurring as a result of warmer droughts and ocean acidification, and there are heavy negative

impacts on marine ecosystems, with threat to fish populations. These are just a few of the new environmental situations which are affecting our lifestyles. These changes are affecting the way human society interacts with the natural environment. This has encouraged studies into linkages between environmental conditions and certain public health problems. There is an increase in mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, and there is increased heat stress in humans and other mammals, with consequences on personal health. However, global warming has also facilitated interest in exploring new possibilities. This phenomenon presents opportunities to discover new and different ways of organizing and developing the city. In the area of energy, for example, we can contemplate ways of reducing our dependence on and consumption of fossil fuels, and promote technologies that can help us to harvest energy from the sun, wind and water, which we have in abundance. Moreover, our city can offer incentives to our engineers and architects to come up with drawings, designs and models of energy-efficient building materials, buildings and other structures. Instead of insipid big concrete structures in every part of the city, our engineers can come up with energy-smart buildings suited for our climatic conditions. Also, we can promote urban agriculture: grow more of our own foods. This could reduce import bills; save foreign exchange; reduce the use of fuel to import foods grown elsewhere; and enhance environmental, personal and public health. Again, it can provide employment and significant economic benefits to local communities. Then with the serious challenge of sea rise due to global warming and the fact that Georgetown is four feet below the normal high tide and additional two at spring tide, drainage is for us particularly vital to a safe and health city. But this allows us to be innovative, and to discover new approaches and methodologies to effectively and efficiently manage our fragile drainage system and to use it for the benefit of communities. Understanding that climate change and global warming are driven by certain human activities, including excessive patterns of consumption and waste generation, the city needs to be more innovative in this area of its responsibility. An integrated solid waste management system

is perhaps the best approach to utilizing the opportunities from climate change. Waste prevention, recycling, reusing, and composting can bring enormous benefits to the city. For example, most of the organic waste from our markets and supermarkets can be recycled for animal foods. Other organic waste can be composted for soil enrichment and plant growth. These two approaches immediately reduce waste and provide environmental and economic benefits to the city. The second frame is globalization, which is facilitated in large measure by information, digital and communication technologies. All the innovations we are thinking about can be managed efficiently and effectively by information technologies. We must use information technologies to enhance performance and quality of service we offer to make the lives of citizens better. Globalisation, with its interconnectedness, driven particularly by the Internet, can assist in urban planning. Council must explore ways of using space -- physical and virtual -- for sustainable development of the city. For example, the Internet can be used as a tool for such planning. Geographic Information Systems, chat rooms, and other interactive forums such as virtual worlds and computer games, which encourage thinking outside of the box, allow public participation in how community space and resources can be mobilised, organized and utilised for sustainable development of local neighbourhoods. Again, the Internet makes data on space and resources accessible to those who are involved in such planning and to the general public. Moreover, globalisation facilitates interconnection among cities. This has huge benefits in information and knowledge sharing on best international practices in growth management and city development, direct foreign investments and international migration. It is clear that, as we go forward, the sustainable development of our city would require more than good management and local politics; increasingly, it demands national, regional and global interventions. We must rise to the challenge and push the boundaries of possibilities at the Mayor and City Council. Can we do it? Yes we can! ROYSTON KING Town Clerk City of Georgetown

8

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

The Forensic Audit Reports…

Transfer of State resources has serious consequences THE results of the recent Local Government Elections have once again confirmed what we have long known: that Guyanese generally vote along ethnic lines. One may not like Mr. Jagdeo’s politics, but he is the first PPP leader to say openly that the PPP is an East Indian party whose first line of action is to secure its ethnic base. Not even Dr. Jagan was so blunt about it. In fact, given Dr. Jagan’s socialist rhetoric, he could not bring himself to say so even if his political practice reflected that truism. Jagdeo does not have that burden; he has never been a prisoner of socialist rhetoric. But more importantly, Jagdeo knows from actual practice what the intentional merging of ethnic politics and governance means for consolidation of ethnic support and marginalization and co-option of the ethnic opposition. I am contending that Jagdeo and the current PPP took ethnic politics in Guyana to a new level. Their method was no so subtle, but it was methodical. First, they took advantage of a society that under-

stands the danger of ethnic domination, but, led by their leaders, are reluctant to speak openly about its racial consequences. The PPP, during its 23 years in power, successfully criminalized any discourse about ethnicity and its racial consequences. They got rid of any such discourse in the Indian-Guyanese community by shutting down Ravi Dev and ROAR, and eventually co-opting them. They employed the full weight of the State on Freddie Kissoon, who was the single Indian public person who exposed their racism. Other Indian Leaders criticized the PPP, but never indicted them for racism. Freddie was, and is, alone in that regard. They criminalized those of us who pointed to African-Guyanese marginalization, and separated us from the so-called mainstream African-Guyanese leaders. And they eventually co-opted many of those leaders, both at the national and local levels, with inducements of material benefits. This writer and others were very often called racists by African-Guyanese lead-

ers who accommodated themselves to the PPP regime in exchange for gifts and limited privileges. The PPP played to what they saw as the weaknesses of the African-Guyanese communities. They used State resources to make entertainment a way of life in that community, and bribed selected individuals and groups. When one adds the age-old phenomenon of fear to the mix, they, in the end, succeeded in depoliticizing the community and silencing any widespread protest. I say all of the above to get to a short discussion of the reports of the forensic audits that hit the media this past week. The revelations are startling. As I have argued before, the PPP’s action represents a crime against all Guyanese; but I want to take this discussion to another level. Yes, the PPP gave away State resources to their friends and members; that is crystal clear. But context matters. In what context were these resources transferred? What was the mindset that informed these transfers? What was the expected outcome of these wholesale trans-

fers of land, potential and actual wealth and broadcast licences? The PPP leaders may be challenged in many ways, but they are rational people; there had to be rational reasons behind what they did. Such transfers, if left untouched, would lead to a permanent imbalance that would retard development and the advance of joint nationhood in Guyana. None of our other leaders, from Burnham to Hoyte to Jagan, engaged in such wholesale transfer of State resources into the hands of a small private clique. I believe that these leaders understood the consequences of such transfer. And I believe that Mr. Jagdeo and his leadership understand those consequences, yet they went ahead with the transfers. As the forensic audit reports are showing, the overwhelming majority of those resources were transferred to the elite of one ethnic group. Although the masses of that group do not benefit directly from this unlawful concentration of resources, in our ethnically divided environment, the symbolism has far-reaching consequences for

ethnic balance. So we now have a Guyana in which ownership of common resources is disproportionately in the hands of one group. That should not be allowed to stand. I am opposed to the rape of State resources from a social-class standpoint. Denying the poor while enriching the rich is wrong and ugly. I oppose those actions from a purely political standpoint. Governments should not facilitate corruption; it’s undemocratic. I am opposed to using government for unfair ethnic distribution of State resources. It is ugly, dangerous and morally wrong. Guyanese and poor people of all races have a duty to press this government to recover those resources, and to put measures in place to ensure that what the PPP did does not ever happen again. (More of Dr. Hinds ‘writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his website www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.com. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com)

City Council implements revenue software to enhance services THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is rolling out its tax and revenue-generating software programme that will assist the entity in making payments more accessible to all. According to the designer of the project and CEO of Innovative Systems Inc., Richard Langford, a new software, titled ‘Revenue collection management system’, has been developed to

CEO of Innovative Systems Inc., Richard Langford

assist the M&CC. “The scope of the software is not only about revenue collection; it covers expenses, and some of the outstanding features include the ability to store images of properties to assist with tracking inspections. The web-based application will eventually be rolled out online,” he said. Langford explained that persons will eventually be able to make payments via

the internet using the services of PayPal and GTT, among others. Langford said the software encompasses the full accounting cycle, and has other modules that can be linked to it; these include human resources and payroll. FULL ACCOUNTING CYCLE “The software will be able to track all the business

processes, starting from the entry point right through to the end point,” he disclosed, as he explained that the council is on a drive to generally improve its services, and because the database is very deficient, the new software will allow multiple users to speed up transactions. He explained that balances and budgets can be done much quicker with

the system, since it’s a full accounting cycle. According to M&CC PRO Debra Lewis, the software programme will allow the M&CC to have a more integrated approach, which would alleviate the burden of having persons visit the council personally in order to make payments. She said the programme will also assist in accountability.

9

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Towards a Good Life in a Green Economy

With Corretta Sam

Some ideas on green tourism THE United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) defines ‘green tourism’ as tourism activities that can be maintained, or sustained, indefinitely in their social, economic, cultural and environmental contexts. In Guyana, because of our tropical climate, green tourism, if properly promoted, would be of maximum benefit to our country's growing green economy, especially if it is aligned to the broad objectives of UNEP. President David Granger, in 2015, made clear his intentions to ‘green’ Guyana one step at a time, starting with Bartica as a model town. In this context, I consider it important that we explore all possible options available to improving our tourism product, and to ensure that sustainable methods are employed to accomplish this goal. It could be argued, rightly or wrongly, that Guyana is a developing country and is slow to adapt, but we have to start somewhere in order to put an end to constantly

being in the “present continuous” and to actually move forward and make greening a success, even if it causes us to implement some unconventional methods to drive the message home. Either way, this has to be done, and quickly! We must also remember that tourism in Guyana should not be viewed primarily as an eco-product. Eco-tourism is but one key tourism product that Guyana has to offer in terms of attractions -- appreciating that green tourism is much more diverse, and ever evolving. Recognizing that there has been a rural-to-urban population shift over the years, Guyana, notwithstanding, has lots of open spaces that can be used as green spaces in the urban areas -- such as Georgetown -- as tourists do pass through these spaces on their way to nature resorts. Our parks and other areas, such as community playgrounds, could be transformed into green spaces which will allow people to relax and enjoy nature.

Teaching our youths about conservation and preservation of the environment is a good way to cultivate an appreciation thereof, and to emphasise the benefits to be derived from co-existing with nature. Nature, in this regard, represents not only our forests and ecosystems, but a space where someone feels comfortable and at peace. Due to changing times, environmentalists, hospitality industry professionals, and other stakeholders should now marry their ideas, especially when dealing specifically with the issue of greening. In an article titled "A strategy To Increase Green Tourism Competitiveness In Developing Countries”, Alexander Kasterine spoke about opportunities for job creation in the green tourism niche in developing countries, and the work of information communication technology (ICT) in this field. This fits neatly into Guyana’s ICT project that will connect the poor, vulnerable and all other citizens throughout communities, villages, districts and

‘Save Abee’ Foundation funds playground for Shaheed girl’s orphanage SINGING sensation Terry Gajraj through the “SAVE ABEE” Foundation is assisting with the development of a playground and other facilities at the Shaheed Girls Orphanage, Oleander Gardens, East Coast Demerara. SAVE ABEE, is a non-profit organisation registered in the USA, and currently is in the process of obtaining non-profit status in Guyana and Canada. In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Gajraj said to fulfil and continue the dream, we need all abee (all of us) to come together and contribute to children’s development. He explained that a playground with floodlights and developed structure will be constructed at the girls’ orphanage to assist with their extra-curricular activities. Gajraj said establishment of the Foundation is based on the principle of giving the children of Guyana the skills required to operate in society. SAVE ABEE primarily fo-

Terry Gajraj

cuses its efforts on the rural regions of Guyana, where the lack of transportation and computers is a problem. To spread the word, SAVE ABEE will go to four villages in each county (Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo) and prepare meals for the underprivileged. At this gathering, attempts will be made to establish relationships with business associates who may be willing to provide a home or land, with which the Foundation can extend its project to that village.

“As the children continue to excel in computer courses, our Foundation will grant a scholarship, (or scholarships, based on the availability of funds) to the children so they can further their academic studies.” According to secretary of the board, Hakeem Khan, the playground’s completion is being funded by the Save Abee Foundation and the entire concept was started several years ago, but funding was prioritised based on the needs of the children. “Over the past two years, the board made two important decisions. Firstly, we brought in our own bus for the children; secondly, because we weren’t satisfied with the quality of education in the public school system, we enrolled them into private schools which developed their academic standards,” he explained. Khan said Guyana Goldfields is supplying play equipment and a tarmac will be built.

towns in the government’s drive to green Guyana. Tourism should not be seen as a negative to the environment, but rather as a positive to development. At the same time, we are aware that emissions through air travel present negative consequences to the environment. In this regard, Guyana should consider implementing policies to reduce such impacts to our environment. Hotels and resorts can also develop innovative ways to implement green systems into their businesses through small steps to make their spaces environmentally friendly. People are usually adaptable. Tourists, in particular, come for the local experience, and are likely to mimic our locals. In this context, behavioural change is the key to ensuring a smooth transition from the current norms to new norms that are necessary for green tourism. We are too rich to be so poor. We should continue to embrace the concept of sustaining the environment in a green state by utilising

the resources we have at our disposal; the result can be none other than significant economic development. Let us introduce new, sustainable ideas to build a green tourism industry for the benefit of the environment and people of Guyana. (Ms. Corretta Sam is the Green Tourism Officer within the Ministry of The Presidency. She holds a B.A in Tourism Studies and a Certificate in International Relations from the University of Guyana. She recently completed an extensive MASHAV training programme in Green Growth, Policy Measures and Implementation Tools in Israel. This programme placed specific emphasis on Green Growth and Local Sustainable Economic Development (LSED) Project Design, among others. Her strengths include advocating for the poor and the powerless, research, and implementing ideas until fruition. Comments can be sent to: towardsagoodlife@gmail.com)

World Water Day essay winners receive prizes THE Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) has presented prizes to the three winners of the recently concluded Essay Competition held in observance of International World Water Day at its head office at Vlissengen Road and Church Street, Georgetown. The winners are Joyann Cruickshank, whose placement has secured her the primary prize of $100,000; Anjalie Maraj, whose second placement secured her $50,000; and Jessica Narine, the third place winner who was presented with $25,000. The essay competition was for children between the ages of 9 and 11, and the essays were in observance of International World Water Day 2016, being celebrated around the world on March 22 under the theme ‘Water and Jobs’. The children were asked to describe actions they and their families could take to save water at home, work and school, given the current prolonged dry season. The length of the essay

The winners of the essay competition flanked by Minister Dawn Hastings, GWI CEO Dr. Van West Charles, GWI PRO Timothy Austin, and two of the three judges -- Shevion Sears-Murray and Marlon Daniels

had to be no less than 150 words and no more than 300 words, with a flair of creativity and a bit of descriptive writing. Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings, who delivered the feature address at the prize giving ceremony, told the gathering that, in Guyana, we can easily conclude that all jobs in all sectors depend on an adequate and safe supply of water, not only on the coastland, but in all regions

of Guyana, be it in the agricultural sector, the developmental sector, tourism, health, mining or transportation (riverine transportation). In fact, the current El Niño situation in Guyana exacerbates the intricate relationship between water and jobs. “You may be aware that Region 9 has a striving agricultural sector that is suffering because of the current water scarcity,” the minister reminded.

10

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

EASTER MESSAGES

A family making kites on Saturday for sale (Cullen Bess-Nelson photo)

“Let us not now dwell on the pain of the past” ‒ Gov’t says in Easter message AT THE culmination of this Holy Week, on Good Friday, we reflect on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ; and on Sunday, we celebrate His triumphant Resurrection. As we gather in our churches, homes and communities, we will recognize that Easter is not only the oldest observance of our Christian community, but, indeed, it is the most important; it is at the core of Christianity. Easter heralds renewal, revival and redemption. These tenets of the human spirit are ones which we, as Guyanese, in this the year of

our Golden Jubilee, the Year of Renaissance, recognize as being strong in the Guyanese being. The iconic story of Easter centres on Jesus Christ dying on the cross for the sins of humanity. The lesson of sacrifice for better, for redemption, is timeless. As a nation, we have gone through much difficulty and pain; as a people, we acknowledge that we are poised at the dawn of a new day. It is time for us to plod forward, not in discord, but harmoniously, even as we capitalize on the strengths of our diverse cultures. As His Excellency, Pres-

ident Brig. David Granger, implored in his January 14 address to the National Assembly, “Let us not now dwell on the pain of the past, but look with faith to the future. Let the sacrifice of those who struggled and died inspire us today and guide generations to come tomorrow and beyond.” The Coalition Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana wishes all Guyanese, particularly our Christian brothers and sisters, an enjoyable Easter season. We implore all to celebrate responsibly and engage in safe kite-flying.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

Reflect on the significance of Easter - PPP

THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) extends Easter greetings to all Guyanese, in particular our Christian brothers and sisters. Easter is a special time of the year; it symbolises the Resurrection of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross. The occasion is observed by prayers and thanksgiving; and the flying of kites, which adds to the festivity of the season. People from all walks of life engage in kite flying, which creates a festive and picnic-like atmosphere in several areas of the country. The PPP takes this opportunity to call on Guyanese to reflect on the significance of Easter, which is: The honouring and rec-

ognition of the Resurrection of Christ, and His glorious promise of eternal life for all. As Guyanese continue to suffer at the hands of an uncaring APNU+AFC administration, the message of Easter becomes all the more relevant. The PPP takes this opportunity to condemn those modern-day Judases in our midst who are prepared to sacrifice their souls for the biblical few pieces of silver. But, like the soaring kites, the spirit of the Guyanese people remains high, unbroken and strong in the knowledge that a better day beckons. Once again, a happy Easter to all citizens.

‘Tis the season Time to let your spirits soar of hope ‒ IAC high ‒ GAWU THE Indian Action Committee (IAC) joins with our Christian brothers and sisters in commemorating the festival of Easter. This auspicious occasion not only marks the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, but is also the season of hope. The IAC urges all Guyanese citizens to pay heed to these important messages brought to us on the occasion of Easter: To work together co-operatively and harmoniously for the economic development and growth of Guyana, and for the National Unity. May the lessons of Easter encourage all Guyanese to build greater family values; promote peace, brotherhood and unity; and eradicate animosity among our peoples. The IAC extends a peaceful and Happy Easter to all our Christian brothers and sisters, and to all Guyanese.

THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) joins our Christian community in observing and celebrating the annual event that is Easter. Easter is a time when the Christian community the world over commemorates the crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. But the story of the life and trials of Jesus Christ reverberates to our day. Forces to which Christ stood up and preached against are still among us, and are working

against the simple and poor peoples. Jesus Christ embraced the poor, imparting into them hope and faith; for this He was hounded, persecuted, and crucified by the then dictators. This was the reality of His time, hundreds of years ago; yet, such parallels, with differences, abound in our world of today, and Guyana is no exception. For Christians and non-Christians, Easter focuses on an exemplary life that epitomizes unflinching courage, unwavering faith

and humility; and empathy and care for the poor are inspiringly illustrated. These qualities, coming to us over the ages, are today sorely needed worldwide as we engage today’s Caesars and their authoritarian henchmen to bring about an alternative social and economic order. GAWU urges serious reflection at this time, as we see much significance in the cleansing season of Lent; as we recognise that Easter is a time when hope springs eternal. It is also that time when kites soar high. We in Guyana must continue to strive to let

Komal Chand

our spirits also soar high with fresh achievements and new victories for the poor and voiceless. The GAWU wishes all Guyana a happy Easter.

11

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Nation and government must not fall for Jagdeo’s bluster on revelations & recommendations in audits

WHAT is passing as political leadership in Guyana today, when subject to scrutiny, is found to be wanting. The APNU+AFC administration, on its ascension to office, responded to public calls that the excesses and intransigence of the Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar governments must be addressed, and those found in violation of the policies, laws and standard practices be held accountable. This call pushed the administration to commission forensic audits, during which there appeared scandalous headlines in the media. The revelations, in many instances, confirmed what the people knew, and in other instances were downright shocking. At the conclusions of these audits, there was a period of silence and a cut-off of information as to the results and what actions will be taken. During this period, Jagdeo challenged the administration to make the audits public. At his 2nd February 2016 press conference, he said: “Release the audits, give it to everyone; give it to the newspapers, the TV stations, to everyone. Put up a website and put it there, since we are calling for transparency.” Now that several audits have been made public, he who joined with the public and encouraged their release has somersaulted and is now claiming that the intent of the

audits is to damage professionals. Jagdeo had served as head of government and had sworn to uphold the laws, yet he recklessly claims that the auditing of state entities is witch-hunting and damaging to professionals. Conveniently, he ignores that professionals in state entities are paid by the people to manage their business within the confines of laws and standard practices. This nation is reminded that, during Jagdeo’s presidency, he had a personal hand in taking away the subventions/grants from the Guyana Trades Union Congress and the Critchlow Labour College (CLC). On this matter, he masked his vindictive and discriminatory stewardship of the State on false public claims that the books were not audited. Though there was no problem with the auditing of our accounts -- and these are not state institutions -- it should be said audited accounts were never a pre-condition for receiving State grants. This has been a practice applicable to other non-governmental organisations as well. The CLC is established to play a role in workers’ training and education -- past, present and potential -- equipping them with requisite skills and knowledge to be productive in their endeavours. The educational and economic dispossession Jagdeo’s govern-

ment brought on these categories of workers/ citizens that relied on CLC for empowerment is dastardly. The withdrawal of the grant, which helped in offsetting overhead cost, significantly affected students from lower income brackets and state employees who comprise the majority of our intake. When Jagdeo was presented the CLC’s audited accounts, he pivoted from the position of lack of audited statements justifying the withdrawal to yours truly accusing his government of economic genocide in the African community, a position I stand by. Now that his and Ramotar’s administrations have been put under the microscope of audited statements and found wanting, he is moving the issue from accountability to that of personality. Professionals are bound by the laws, rules, policies and standard practices governing the organizations for which they work. These principles are universal; and where lower-level staff members are held accountable for violating them, so, too, must professionals. So the argument Jagdeo is making -- that the current administration is attacking professionals, given the revelations in the audits and recommendations to hold them accountable -- is his effort to continue the lawlessness that has characterised his and Ramotar’s stewardships.

Professionalism, which is important to good governance in the public service and state entities, can only be realised when lawlessness is not condoned. This society can progress only when there is strident effort to stamp out lawlessness. We, the people, and moreso the APNU+AFC administration, must not be cowered by bluster and attempts at playing the divisive game. As we pursue good governance, we must be guided by our laws and internationally-acceptable conventions, buttressed by time-honoured principles. In February, when Jagdeo was questioned by the media about the criminal charges against Dr. Jennifer Westford, he had this to say: “But as it unfolds, let me make it clear (that) if the investigations are done professionally, then any member of the PPP who has to face the court for any alleged wrongdoing, they have to face the consequences, once the investigations are done professionally.” In principle he is correct, but correctness must not be selectively applied; it must be universal. We, the people, to whom the country and resources belong, must not take our eyes off, nor silence our voices on, matters of accountability, which are important to ensuring we live the quality of life we deserve.

Police support Best Village library THE Region Three community of Best Village, West Coast Demerara, recently benefited from a library of books and two footballs, compliments of ‘D’ Division Commander Stephen Mansell, who is seeking to help out-ofschool and unemployed youths. The Best United Community Group, headed by Antonio Paul, reportedly has about 120 members, including youths and adults, and these have all been exposed to some form of training. Paul explained that these members have launched a mini-library in an act made possible through Police ‘D’ Division Commander Stephen Mansell. Paul told the Guyana Chronicle that the aim of the

group’s members is to empower residents in the community. The group conducts remedial classes and gets the youths to participate in sporting activities. In addition, Paul said, they have been engaged in clean-up campaigns around the village since the group’s establishment last November, and have registered with the Department of Culture, Youth and Sports. Paul said the members are mostly self-supported through their many fund-raising activities, but the group receives donations of cash and kind from others. He added that they want to continue to partner with others, and that is why they have requested help of the ‘D’ Division Police, who have responded in a timely manner and made the donation

at Paul’s residence, which houses a makeshift library. Paul said that community is focused on working closely with the police and others to reduce crime. Commander Mansell told this newspaper that the police purchased a quantity of books, obtained some from the Ministry of Education, and also bought the footballs which, like the books, have all been donated to the group. Region Three Executive Officer Denis Jaikaran has since pledged his support to this group, and has identified a plot of land for the construction of a skills training centre in the community. He was represented by Region 3 Engineer Shanganand Singh, who said he was pleased to be a part of the

Commander Mansell of the Police ‘D’ Division handing over the books and sports gear to Director of the Best United Community Group, Antonio Paul

Tuesday afternoon presentation, which residents had gathered to witness during the handing over ceremony. Also present was Police Community Relations Officer Inspector Andre Grant, and Pastor Derek Anderson of the Cops and Faith Ministry/Assembly of God.

The Best United Community Group has embarked on the social crime prevention programme which targets youths for self-development. The group has, however, been invited by Commander Mansell to visit the Leonora Training Centre to participate in the 6-week computer

training programme. Meanwhile, 10 women were also invited to participate in the food and nutrition programme which will be done at Medina Restaurant at Meten-Meer-Zorg, also on the West Coast of Demerara. (Story and Photo by Michel Outridge)

12

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

GuyOil audit shows conflict of interest, breach of procurement policies A FORENSIC audit of the operations of the Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil) done by Nigel Hinds Financial Services for the period November 1, 2011 to May 31, 2015 has shown that GuyOil General Manager Badri Persaud failed to disclose his close relationship to persons who had been granted contracts. The audit recommended that Persaud be “disciplined for non-disclosure of conflicts of interest” for awarding contracts to his brother and a nephew; and for abusing his authority and breaching the procurement policy. Persaud was fired at the end of February this year. It was discovered that, over the period of review, Persaud awarded transportation contracts worth $62M to his brother Indarjeet Persaud, and a construction contract valued at $860,000 to his nephew Avinash Persaud. The audit found that apart from the initial sole-sourcing contract to Indarjeet Persaud, there were no subsequent contracts issued between GuyOil and Indarjeet Persaud, but he continued to provide services beyond the stipulated contractual period without any written agreement to so do. Another side of the charge of conflict of interest was highlighted when Badri Persaud decided to become a candidate on the People’s Progressive Party Civic’s (PPP/C) national list for the May 11, 2015 General elections. “Adherence to the decisions of a political party concurrent with managing a state-owned corporation creates conflict of interest issues that have negative implications for employee morale, use of (GuyOil) resources and the image of (GuyOil),” the audit report stated. It was found that the morethan 30 dealers attached to the company were “poorly managed”, and more often

than not, the company had no record of Identification Cards (ID), Tax Payer Identification Number (TIN), Transport, Lease, Tenancy Agreement, or relevant Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) licences and insurance coverage for those dealers. Additionally, the forensic auditor found that Article VI of the contracts between GuyOil and the dealers was breached to the extent that some dealers received fuel on credit without a bank guarantee or security bond. Also, “major irregularities” in the charge system used for fuel sales to customers were found. “A 10% sample of 758 charge customers was conducted, and our findings revealed that over fifty percent were irreconcilable and improperly managed.” The report found that a credit limit of $5,000,000 was granted to Mohamed Bacchus to buy fuel from GuyOil, but no bank guarantee was provided by Bacchus. Bacchus is the brother-in-law of Leonard Khan, who served as the manager of the Castrol Brand. Khan had signed as guarantor, stating that there would be “non-default” by his brother-in-law. “Mr. Badrie Persaud, MD, breached the Board Sub-Finance and Audit Committee decision dated February 18th 2008 on requirements for a bank guarantee by approving a credit limit of $5,000,000 on 09.17.2013 to Mr. Mohamed Fawaaz Bacchus, who is the brother-in-law of Mr. Leonard Khan - GASI Manager (Formerly GOCL Castrol Brands Manager).” The auditor recommended that Bacchus’s credit limit of $5,000,000 be cancelled immediately. There was no documented policy for the granting of credit purchases for customers, including wholesale, duty free, employees and government

Badrie Persaud

agencies. It was also noted that prepaid customers were monitored manually in ledgers at respective locations, instead of using the company’s accounting system - ACCPAC. “The risk here is that an existing prepaid customer may have exhausted his payment and then fuel is delivered without payments being made,” the audit report stated. It was discovered that there was a breakdown of internal control systems of credit sale of fuel and lubes by the service stations, which resulted in unapproved credit sales. An attempt by the Forensic Audit to reconcile a sample of 77 of 758 credit customers proved difficult, since 54,458 transactions did not reconcile with the approved vehicles in the customers’ files. Contributing to the differences seen were “cashiers entering inadequate information” regarding full vehicle registration numbers on charge bills; delivery to customers by attendants at service stations was done using the Customer’s Purchase Order, which was submitted without checking the Management Memorandum detailing approved vehicle(s) for credit customers; and submission of statement of accounts for payment to National Sports

Commission for vehicles not approved by GUyOil, such as vehicles PRR 1219, PRR 9222, PSS 2332, PLL 1734. It was found that substantial numbers of local and overseas suppliers were not pre-qualified; the selection of suppliers was not supported by documentation evaluation. Three modules related to the procurement of goods, services and construction were purchased at a cost of 10.5 million dollars over the period March 2013 to March 2015, but these modules were never used by the company. It was also found that the tender process was “often abused, as contracts were awarded based on single-sourcing.” This was evident when purchases exceeding $60M were made by Manesh Seeram, an Information Technology supplier to Guyoil. “Purchases were frequently singled sourced from Powercompu, breaching the Tender Board requirements. Powercompu is owned by contractor Mr. Manesh Seeram, who is also (GuyOil’s) accounting local solutions provider from ACCPAC. The procuring was handled by the IT Control Officer, Network Administrator, Finance Manager, Managing Director. Payments to date at 08.07.2015 for Mr. Manesh Seeram are $90,854,911.” The Guyana Oil Company does not have a credit card facility, and in order to obtain goods from overseas, sums of money for purchases on behalf of GuyOil were transferred to the account of Mr. Azaad Hassan, IT Network Administrator, the report said. “This allows Mr. Hassan to benefit directly from using his credit card on behalf of GOCL, through concessions and interest savings.” The auditor recommended that the use of Hassan’s card be discontinued immediately, noting that such prac-

tice exposes the company to self-enrichment schemes. “It is a poor financial decision, and should be discontinued immediately.” That aside, the failure of GuyOil to establish a corporate debit or credit card facility, inherent weaknesses in this method of purchasing unnecessarily expose the corporation to opportunities for fraud by insiders, the report stated. Aviation Refuelling Insurance of 13.6 million dollars was paid to Marsh NST Limited without any bidding process. The money was paid on behalf of Guyana Aviation Services Inc., a subsidiary of GOCL. $4.8M were paid to Panorama Media Ltd on May 26, 2014 based on a handwritten invoice from Panorama. The payment was for the placement in the Miami Herald of an article captioned: Guyana Panorama “A Land of Opportunities”, the audit stated. Some $94.5M were used for the purchasing of fuel from Deodat Dhanrajh during the review period. Dhanrajh has been described as a “major fuel transportation contractor” for GuyOil. It was noted that established fuel suppliers like Rubis and SOL Guyana Inc. were bypassed in the process. The amount paid to Dhanrajh could have been less had the fuel been purchased from an established supplier. Without bidding or signing a contract, Dhanrajh was also paid $199.8M for the shipment of fuel during the period in review. The report said that on 05.04.2015, GuyOil purchased from Rubis 238,481 litres for $47,457,719 subsequent to the purchase of fuel from Deodat Dhanrajh on 05.06.2015 at the same price. “Indicating the staggering splitting of a full order to facilitate ordering from Mr. Deodat Dhanrajh, the fuel could have been sourced at a lower negotiated price based

on the volume of purchases from Rubis. (GuyOil) wholesale price in effect at the time was $172.30 effective 03.05.2015 and was subsequently changed to $198 on 06.05.2015,” the report stated. Additionally, no documented policy for changes in the fuel prices at GuyOil was found, and the absence of such a policy requires immediate corrective measures due to the national implication of such a decision, according to the auditor. An examination of the records of Guyoil indicated that there were several instances of duty-free customers being charged higher rates than GuyOil’s published duty-free charge. GuyOil’s profit before taxation was seemingly understated by $340 Million in 2011, and by $532 Million in 2013. Efforts by the auditor to have Finance Manager Hans Manohar explain the seeming discrepancy were unsuccessful. Fuel valued at $31 Million was loaned to Guyana Power and Light Inc., Sol Guyana Inc. and Bauxite Company Guyana Inc. without any loan agreement. The loaned fuel was still owed to the company as at May 31, 2015. In addition, the timing of the return of the fuel during a period of low fuel prices could cause significant losses to GuyOil. Additionally, the functions of Operations Assistant Manager Robert Lynch were examined, given that his roles included preparation of engineering cost estimates, designing specifications, and monitoring contracts; but Marcel Gaskin & Associates Ltd were paid $77.9M during the review period to perform his functions. The auditor believes that additional in-house personnel could have been hired at a substantially lower cost, if needed.

The GuyOil gas station at Palmyra, East Coast Berbice

13

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Local Gov’t elections…

BV – the community that has won the right to govern itself

Oswald Rodney points to the jungle that has taken over agricultural lands aback BV

Executives of the 8th of May Movement

By Neil Marks SOME 177 years ago, 62 freed African slaves learnt that the owner of the East Demerara plantation of Beterverwagting was about to sell the land, and they decided to make the gutsy move to buy it. Quickly, they summoned the one who would save their money in a hole under a tamarind tree to see if they had enough. They did! And so, they took a wheelbarrow and loaded up the 52,000 Dutch Guilders to effect the transaction on May 8th, 1839. Just two decades later, they would take another bold step – form a council to govern the village. Forty of the village’s proprietors met at the train station (now the base of a taxi service) and,

on August 31, 1857, formed what would become the first village council, giving birth to the notion of local democracy in this country. Now the Baronians (a name they call themselves in honour of Baron Van Groniegen, the Dutch plantation owner from whom the village was bought) have once again taken power back into their own hands. In this year’s Local Government Elections, held on March 18, 2016, residents chose the community group called the ‘8th of May Movement’ to take control of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council that governs Beterverwagting (called BV for short) and its sister community of Triumph. The movement won 12 of the 18 seats that were up for

Firsts for BV/Triumph ● In 1864, BV/Triumph was the first village to be drained using a steam-powered drainage pump, and so was the first to have drainage canals running north to south…and as a result BV/Triumph was the first community to have housing lots running from east to west. ● The first community high school to be built in Guyana was built in BV/Triumph. ● Donald Jackson, the First Chief Justice of the colony of British Guiana, was from BV ● BV is the only village to have produced three ministers of education, namely Ceciline Baird, Vibert Mingo and Dr Henry Jeffrey

grabs, with the opposition PPP taking five seats, and an independent candidate taking the other seat. Their win is significant, given that in perhaps most of the other Local Authorities, citizens chose to go with a political party. “We decided to go this as a village movement, because if we had belonged to a party we might have been asked to toe the party line, even if it is not in the best interest of the community,” Leyland Harcourt, chairman of the movement, told the Chronicle this week. “And so we believed that, as a community group, we are in a better position to call the shots for the development of our community.” Harcourt and a group of other villages formed the 8th of May Movement in 2003 to ensure that the cultural and social history of BV is preserved. The Baronians never thought they would get involved in politics, but the poor state of the community -- clogged up by thick vegetation, streets with potholes, high unemployment among young people, and sprawling agricultural lands that are now but a jungle –- forced them to run for office. “In my opinion, the village was kind of lost, and so we decided to take back this village. And we have the kind of people within our

group that we feel can do it; the people believe in us,” said Mr Oswald Rodney, one of the original members of the 8th of May Movement. Indeed, the Movement is made up of a blend of young and experienced individuals, together with a balance of males and females who come from various social and educational statuses. Shelly Burrowes, who sells clothes, sees the need for “building up, fixing up, mending up” BV. “Really, the people didn’t want a party; they wanted a group to represent them. So that is why I think they voted for us,” she said. Oscar Glasgow, Director of Academic Affairs at the Guyana School of Agriculture, says the way to create jobs in the village is to make use of the 10.5 square miles of agricultural lands that were abandoned over the years due to poor infrastructure, such as the lack of a proper access road, and clogged drains. “We intend to undertake massive projects at the back which will involve using some young people,” Glasgow said. He acknowledged that many young people are not attracted to agriculture because they see it as back-breaking labour, but he said the projects the Movement will undertake will use the latest affordable technology available. “So rather than persons going in there slugging it out, we are going to use more technology. We want to get into, in a big way, agro-processing and fishing in this village. Before end

of the year, you will see the progress.” Dennis Griffith, 62, a retired prison officer, contested the constituency called “The Gulf” in the south of the village, closer to the abandoned agricultural lands. “I was down in The Gulf, and 90% of the youths there will go into the agricultural ventures,” he said. The second in command of the Movement is young economist Latecia Frank, 27. She believes that young people hold the key to BV’s development. She pointed to the fact that the village houses big corporations – beverage and distribution giant ANSA McAL Trading, Qualfon call centre, telephone company GTT – but many of the young people may not be able to take up positions with those firms because of lack of education or training. “It hurts my heart to see these young people not being aligned to job opportunities,” she said, noting that once sworn into office at the village council, her priority would be to develop entrepreneurial and skills training programmes. Delmar Abrams, 27, an Information Technology technician, also believes that there should be a focus on youth empowerment. But before doing anything, he believes that there must first be social cohesion. “As a community, we can’t expect to get a lot done if we don’t have the support of the people. There is need for open conversation.” Eustace Hamilton who, at age 13, appeared in a village play as an African

slave, values the importance of people participation in development. When he tried to get involved in Council meetings in the past, he was seen as a nuisance and was even once kicked out of a meeting. “Some people don’t like opposition,” he said, “but you need various ideas from the people to ensure the community works well.” He spoke to this newspaper while seated on an abandoned fridge next to a building that was meant to be a resource centre for the village. It was built many years ago under the so-called President’s Youth Choice Initiative (of former President Bharrrat Jagdeo) but is now dilapidated. The 8th of May Movement is now seeking to restore the building and have it serve its intended purpose, but the community needs more that a resource centre; it needs a place where Ronella Callender, 35, can dance and not fear that she will pass through the floor! A cook by profession, she is part of the BV Uprising Dance Group, and she hopes to be able to advocate for the restoration of the community centre, which, apart from a faulty floor, has just a few of the windows still on. Carol Bollers, a housewife who is also part of the 8th of May Movement, couldn’t agree more. She pointed to the fact that the community’s majorettes had no choice but to use the streets to practise their moves for the upcoming national independence celebrations.

14

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Good Friday fire leaves Linden family homeless GOOD Friday turned out to be not so good for a family whose members were left homeless after an early morning fire gutted their home at Cinderella City, Amelia’s Ward, Linden. The three-bedroom upper flat wooden house was completely engulfed in a matter of minutes, and everything within the building was destroyed. This newspa-

per understands that the fire reportedly started at about 7:50 hrs, and the Fire Service responded fifteen minutes after being summoned. When the Guyana Chronicle arrived on scene, firemen were still fighting to contain the blaze, while neighbours were in the yard trying to console Nadia Johnson, who had left her home to sell eggs not far away from the

house. Her three children, aged 4, 3 and 2, were at home at the time of the fire, but managed to vacate the house unharmed. One neighbour said the fire started in the middle bedroom, and she immediately alerted the neighbourhood, as she knew the children were home alone. “I saw when the mother left the yard, and in five min-

utes’ time I hear when the children call out, ‘Mommy! Mommy!’ So I said probably the mother come back; so I buss my bedroom window and I see the children coming down the step, and when I raise my head, I see the second bedroom on fire and I holler out ‘Fire! Fire!’,” this neighbour related. She said persons tried to save some furniture but were unsuccessful as the heat was unbearable. The house was built about three years ago, and was fully furnished; hence the estimated loss is about $2M. Home occupant Nadia Johnson had to be rushed to

What remains of the house following the fire

the hospital, but was subsequently discharged and is being monitored by neighbours and family members as she mourns her losses. “Nadia, these are material things. You will rise again! Let God take control,” neigh-

bours and family members have encouraged her. Nadia’s husband, who returned to work in Suriname only Wednesday, is unaware that the fire occurred. It is not yet known what might have caused the fire.

15

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Bonasika Creek kids get kites, football from GPF, Regional Administration pil Ramsamuj. He said the police will assist in training the pupils and youths in that community in the use of the computers. REO Mr Jaikaran said that for the past two months the Region has engaged the Police in ‘D’ Division to enhance the lives of youths and the unemployed. He pointed out that the Regional administration has donated a

Commander Mansell presenting kites to children of Bonasika Creek

POLICE in ‘D’ Division (West Demerara) and the Region Three Administration teamed up on Saturday to support youths in the Essequibo riverine community of Bonasika. Scores of residents showed up at the community centre ground where kites and footballs were distributed. There, the Youth Club, the Men’s Club and the Women’s Club were launched by the visiting team, which included Police ‘D’ Division Commander Stephen Mansell; Region Three REO Denis Jaikaran; Parika Station Sergeant, Bridgemohan; Pastor Victor Grimmond of Cops and Faith Network; Police Community Relations Officer, Inspector Grant; and other ranks.

Commander Mansell told the large gathering that, having teamed up with the REO of Region 3, the Police Division has embarked on a series of youth programmes targeting school drop-outs and unemployed youths. He said those interested can benefit from the one-year diploma programme at the Leonora Technical and Vocational Institute, and the young ladies from age 14 and older can participate in a six-week cookery class at Medina Restaurant, West Coast Demerara. Commander Mansell said two computers will be donated to the community, and arrangements will be made for them to be housed at the school under the stewardship of Headmaster Ka-

Dredge owner shot dead POLICE are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of 30-year-old dredge owner Feroze Khan of Bartica. According to a police report, on Thursday, miner Shawn Sandy of Alexander Village, Georgetown allegedly found a handgun and was showing it to Khan at King Buoy Hole, Mazaruni, when a round was discharged. The Guyana Chronicle understands that the round struck Sandy to his right hand and Khan to his abdomen. Khan was pronounced dead on arrival at the Bartica Hospital, while Sandy has been admitted a

Dead: Feroze Khan

patient there and is under police guard.

building to the Police for use in skills training. The REO explained that the two agencies are interested in offering a helping hand so young people can be gainfully employed. He said that despite the location of Bonasika, they decided to visit and talk to residents, to understand their needs and offer relevant assistance.

REO Jaikaran pointed out that the partnership between the police and the Region will ensure all is done to foster education and self-development of youths in that riverine community. A date will be set for a fun day, and the Women’s Group has been urged to have a fundraiser for that club. (Story and photos by Michel Outridge)

16

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Canada-based Guyanese cricketer Sunil Dhaniram turns to softball By Frederick Halley

CANADA-based Guyanese Sunil Dhaniram remains one of the most underrated cricketers to have emerged from his homeland, Guyana. Over the last few years, he has been concentrating on campaigning at the Masters level in the Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Clubs’ (OMSCC) tournaments, and he has been doing this quite effectively. Few, both in Guyana and in his adopted country Canada, are aware of his exploits in the sunshine game, culminating with him representing the latter country at the 2007 International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup. Before migrating to Canada, he represented Guyana in the prime years of West Indies cricket, playing in 12 First Class matches from 1993-95, and making his highest score -- a gritty 57 against Leeward Islands in 1994. A year later, he called it quits as far as Guyana cricket was con-

cerned, with low scores in his final game versus Barbados. Dhaniram immediately rose to prominence in Canada,

and in 2003 he was selected as an all-rounder in the national side. The left-arm spinner made an immediate im-

pact with figures of three for 15 in an impressive 10-over spell against the Windward Islands in a List ‘A’ match.

Flashback: Sunil Dhaniram collecting three trophies at the OMSCC’s annual presentation ceremony after slamming three centuries in the 2014 season representing Guyana Sports Club

Batting at number four, he failed to impress, being undone by current West Indies T20 skipper Darren Sammy, and falling for 18. His First Class debut was also a nightmare, he being dismissed for a second-ball duck against the USA. Dhaniram, however, recovered to score an unbeaten 65 in the second innings. The next few years saw the diminutive all-rounder recording consistent performances, including a five-wicket haul against Cayman Islands, and a fine unbeaten 141 versus the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In what he still considers a dream come true, Dhaniram was part of the Canada team which participated in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup staged in the Caribbean in 2007, albeit with moderate success. Canada failed to record a victory in any of the matches, but Dhaniram turned in several useful performances, including an unbeaten knock of 34 versus Kenya, in which he also bowled an economical nine overs for 34 runs while claiming one wicket. Dhaniram went even better against England in the second game, grabbing three for 41 in an excellent 10-over spell. His victims included world-renowned batsman Kevin Pietersen, and according to Dhaniram, the memory still lingers. He completed an excellent game by scoring 30. Injury forced him to retire in the final game against New Zealand, when he was batting well on 17; but he didn’t fare that well in the bowling department, his eight overs costing 72 runs. Dhaniram was subsequently named captain of the Canada Team for the Intercontinental Cup matches against Kenya and Namibia following the completion of the World Cup, after Ashish Bagai stepped down due to work commitments. Despite leading from the front, with some fine per-

formances, Canada lost both matches. Dhaniram shone with both bat and ball, including hitting a top score of 78 against Kenya. Dhaniram was also at the helm in 2008 when Canada hosted Sri Lanka and Pakistan and Zimbabwe in a T20 tournament. The Canadians again found the going tough and failed to win any of the matches. While enjoying some respectable outings in the fourteam tournament, Dhaniram was quite outstanding against Bermuda, picking up his third five-wicket haul, ending the year with 26 wickets across all formats. The consistent lefthander, now in the twilight of his career at age 39, was one of six players awarded central contracts by Cricket Canada in 2009. His age was no deterrent, as he went on to achieve his highest score: 144 versus The Netherlands in a drawn encounter. Dhaniram wasn’t finished yet as, a year later, at the age of 40, he slammed 130 against Afghanistan in a losing effort. A year later, he decided to call it quits after playing his last game against Ireland, ending what he considers to be a satisfying and rewarding career. Dhaniram has since turned his attention to softball cricket, and now represents Our Own Sports Club in the Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Clubs (OMSCC). In 2014, while playing for Guyana Sports Club, he totalled 499 runs, including three centuries in eight matches, which included an amazing knock of 146. Born on October 17, 1968 in Berbice, Guyana, Dhaniram made his Canada debut in October 2003 playing against the Windward Islands. Three years later, he played the first of his 44 One Day Internationals versus Zimbabwe, and has also been involved in seven ICC Intercontinental Cup games.

17

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Mighty Sparrow for Legends

in Concert tonight GUYANESE are in for a special Easter treat this evening with calypso legend the Mighty Sparrow set to perform at the Pegasus Hotel. His performance is part of the fourth instalment of Legends in Concert produced by Dexter Pembroke. “Over the years visiting Guyana, I noticed that there were no events that catered to the mature at heart,” Pembroke told the Guyana Chronicle. “There was no place that they could put on a proper suit and tie and come out and mingle and have intelligent conversation.” And so Legends in Concert was born. Previous shows featured Dobby Dobson, Boris Gardiner and Ernie

Smith. With each concert being just two months apart, Pembroke said, the response has been great so far, with tickets being sold out every time. Tonight the Mighty Sparrow will grace the stage, and is expected to wow his Guyanese fans with memorable hits from his longtime career. As time draws nearer to Guyana’s 50th anniversary celebration, the shows will keep coming, culminating with a grand ball in May with a surprise artiste -- a surprise which Pembroke said Guyanese will gladly welcome. Tonight’s show will take the form of a buffet dinner and show, with dinner starting at 20:00hrs and the show starting promptly at 21:00hrs.

Tickets are available at the Pegasus Hotel and cost $15,000 for couples and $10,000 for singles. The show will be hosted by Ron Robinson and will also feature an opening performance by local calypso artiste Young Bill Rogers. Legends in Concert is sponsored by El Dorado, Fly Jamaica, Sanna Spaces and awee50.com. The Mighty Sparrow will also be at the Palm Court today from 11:00hrs for a meet-and-greet. Fans are encouraged to come out and interact and take photographs with the legendary artiste. Slinger “The Mighty Sparrow” Francisco is a Grenadian calypsonian with an award-winning career that spans over 40

years, and is referred to by many as “The Calypso King of the World.”

THE MIGHTY SPARROW

Minister Allicock says Nappi complaints being checked

-Villagers say private land owners restrict their fishing, hunting THE Ministry of Indigenous Affairs is currently investigating numerous complaints made by residents of Nappi and its satellite communities of Hiowa and Parishara over their being restricted from hunting, fishing and farming by private land owners. Speaking with this publication on Saturday from Lethem in Region 9, Subject Minister, Vice President

John Alfred, former toshao of Nappi, Hiowa and Parishara Sydney Allicock, told the Guyana Chronicle: “I have received the complaints, and we are trying to ascertain the critical nature of the complaints.” The Minister said his Ministry has been engaging representatives of the National Toshao Council (NTC) on the issues. “I am going to be visiting the location as soon as is possible,” he said, noting that the complaints made by the residents of the three communities were also made by other Indigenous groups in Regions 1, 7, and 8. Minister Allicock said he and a team will first be visiting communities in the South Savannahs of the Rupununi, and then work their way across to the areas affected. “We have had some issues we need to clear out…. As it relates to Amerindian land titling, my staff are investigating,” he informed. He said that based on the

investigations being carried out, the Indigenous Affairs Ministry would be in a better position to “take the necessary action.” He made it clear that action cannot be taken unless all of the relevant facts and information is before him. The residents of the indigenous communities located to the front of the Kanuku Mountains have argued that their only means of survival is being restricted. On February 26, the frustrated residents protested the restrictions being placed on them. They say their fundamental rights as Indigenous peoples must be respected at all times. The Makushi people have been seeking extensions to their titled village lands, and have since written the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs on the issue, but, to date, have not received an official response from that Ministry. The road the villagers use to go fishing, hunting, and gathering resources has been ploughed up by the holders of private land leases. Residents of the three conjoined villages are allegedly being prevented from “passing through the area.” “Our fishing pools have become stagnant because a huge dam was built across the creek where we fish. We are asking the minister to please tell us about our request for land extension, and how this will be dealt with, given what is happening now…this area being titled to others,” John Alfred, a former toshao, told Guyana Chronicle in February. According to Alfred, the residents of the three communities were formerly able to hunt, fish and farm without restrictions, but since private land leases have been issued, they are being restricted. Signs have been erected that state “no trespassing, no hunting, fishing or shooting”. Contacted on Saturday, Alfred said that while he is pleased that the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs is investigating the complaints, he

wants to see a written acknowledgement of the complaints made to that ministry. “If they are taking steps on that, I will be grateful,” he said noting that he was in communication with the Ministry of the Presidency and was informed that “they are looking into the matter”. “We want this information in writing from the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs,” the former toshao said.

Vice President Sydney Allicock, Minister of Indigenous Affairs He called it strange that the issues are being investigated but the toshao of the communities, Walter Henrico, has not received word of this. “We haven’t gotten any answer from anybody in the form of a letter,” he said, noting that for the people of the three satellite communities, the upcoming 50th Independence celebrations will be noting to celebrate. “We won’t celebrate; we won’t smile unless our issues are resolved,” Alfred said while acknowledging the significance of the 50th Independence celebrations. “The 50th Independence celebrations are great, but how far (progressed) are we as Amerindians? Has the government been looking into our affairs?” he asked. He maintains that the rights of Indigenous peoples ought not to be restricted so as to facilitate the needs of “big wigs.” (Ariana Gordon)

18

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Seventh-Day Adventists in Camporee 2016 THE Seventh-Day Adventists camp site at Loo Creek on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway is currently alive with activity as more than 2,000 Pathfinders, Master Guides and Pastoral Representatives from some 85 clubs around Guyana meet for the hosting of ‘Camporee 2016.’ The four-day activity which began on Thursday concludes on Easter Monday. Special presenter was Guyanese-born Pastor Nichola English Newsam, who

Members of the church display First Aid skills (Adrian Narine photo)

New members of the Seventh- Day Adventist faith were baptised on Saturday (Adrian Narine photo)

currently resides in Trinidad and was specially invited to the Camporee to inspire young people with her teaching of inspiring testimonies. By day three (Saturday), following her presentation, scores were baptised at a nearby Loo Creek estuary. Other distinguished persons attending the Camporee and lending tangible support to the youths were Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Karen Cummings, who is herself a decorated Master Guide and worships at Victoria on the East Coast of Demerara; Pastor Richard Eart James, President of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists; Assistant Min-

istries Youth Director with responsibility for Youth in the SDA Church, Lennox Jason; Director of the Youth Ministries and Chaplaincy, Department of the Guyana Conference of Seventh- Day Adventists, Pastor Marvyn Smith and others. Camporee 2016, according to Jason, is about the largest Camporee since 2014. It is a display of talent among Pathfinders (aged 10-15) and Master Guides (16 and older), who are sworn to give service of leadership to the Pathfinders. In the clubs, members are taught various skills and hobbies ranging from nature to survival, art and craft and Turn to page 19 ►

Man found hanging from tree at Houston

AT approximately 10:30h on Friday, March 25, the decomposing body of a so-far-unidentified man of East Indian ethnicity was found hanging from a tree at Houston Backdam, East Bank Demerara. A police report confirmed that the man is fair in complexion and was clad in a grey vest, a yellow short pants and black underwear. The body is at the Lyken Funeral Home as investigations continue.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Seventh-Day Adventists...

19 From page 18

Pastors of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Pastor Richard Eart James is fourth from left

Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings and Youth Director, Pastor Marvyn Smith

skills such as first-aid. During Camporee, such skills learned will be demonstrated by the various groups and incentives will be awarded on the basis of merit. Last evening, during a social held at the camp site, several campers were awarded for impressive displays of skills learnt in various categories over the last year. Today will be games day and Pathfinders and Master Guides will perform intriguing stunts such as crawling under logs, climbing through tyres, Tug-O-War and water games. According to Jason, the theme for this year’s Camporee is ‘CLIMB’, highlight-

ing the need to C- Connect, L – Live, I- Ignite, M- Model, and B- Become. Said Jason: “It is hoped that at the end of the Camporee, the campers would have achieved a relationship with God that would take them from point ‘A’ to being clos-

er with Him. “We hope to inspire them, to move them from where they were, to where God expects them to be.” Camporee, the Youth Pastor said, is open to every single young person. It’s not only for Sev-

enth- Day |Adventists. ‘‘In our midst we have many pathfinders who are not SDA and many of them have come prepared to give their lives to Christ. They are people who just love the club, the values and the principles that the club teaches or portrays.

20

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Sunday, March 27, 2016 - 05:30 hrs Monday, March 28, 2016 - 05:30 hrs Tuesday, March 29, 2016 - 08:30 hrs

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

21

22

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

23

24

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

25

26

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Suarez scores on Uruguay return in 2-2 draw against Brazil By Andrew Downie SAO PAULO,(Reuters)-Luis Suarez ended his ninematch biting ban in fine style on Friday, grabbing the second-half equaliser that gave Uruguay a 2-2 draw in an enthralling battle with Brazil in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Playing his first competitive international since being banned for biting Giorgio Chiellini in the 2014 World Cup Finals, Suarez, along with striking partner Edinson Cavani, dragged Uruguay back into the game after they went 2-0 down after 25 minutes. “As always, we showed character,” the Barcelona striker said after the game. Playing in front of a capacity crowd at the Pernambuco arena, Brazil took the lead after just 39 seconds thanks to Douglas Costa. Willian whipped a cross in from the left and the Bayern Munich striker nipped in between two defenders to poke the ball home with the sole of his boot. Brazil got a second 24 minutes later thanks to Renato Augusto. Defender Mauricio Victorino could not quite cut out a long pass from Neymar and the loose ball fell to the Beijing LUIS SUAREZ Guoan midfielder who wrong-footed the goalkeeper with a sublime dummy and knocked the ball into the empty net. The home side were dominating the game but Uruguay got back into the match after 31 minutes when Carlos Sanchez headed a ball down to Cavani and the Paris St Germain striker hammered home from 10 yards out. Uruguay came out for the second half looking the hungrier of the two sides and Suarez got the equaliser with the help of slack marking by David Luiz. Luiz stood off the striker and allowed him to fire home an angled drive that Alisson got a hand to but could not save. Suarez, who was booked for stamping, almost grabbed a winner with five minutes to go when a loose header from Luiz left him free on goal but Alisson got down well to save with his feet. “I think that when we were winning 2-0 we had the game in the hand but we let them get back in the game,” Renato Augusto told reporters. “And when they scored they closed us down and played on the counter attack. Our big mistake was conceding the first goal.” The result means Uruguay retain second place in the 10-team South American qualifying group three points behind Ecuador, who lead with 13 points. Brazil are in third place with eight points. The top four teams qualify for Russia 2018 and the fifth place side go into an intercontinental play off. Brazil now go to Asuncion to face Paraguay on Tuesday, and will be without captain Neymar, who was booked. Uruguay will be at home to Peru.

Jamaica off to fast start at CARIFTA Games …T&T’s Horsford breaks javelin record

JAMAICA’S Shiann Salmon opened that country’s 32nd defence of the CARIFTA Games with a gold medal in the Under-18 Girls High Jump as competition began in Grenada yesterday. Her teammate Lamara Distin claimed the silver medal. Jamaica has won the CARIFTA Games every year since 1984 and are expected to successfully defend their title again this year, having sent in a 78-member squad. Meanwhile, Aoki Jones, who won the Girls Class 3 shot put at the ISSA-GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Championships last week, won a bronze medal to give Jamaica their third medal of the day. Trinidad’s Tyriq Horsford did what was expected and won the javelin in a new record. Salmon, who attends Hydel High in St Andrew, Jamaica, opened the competition at 1.55m and went on to produce a personal best 1.79. Her previous best was 1.78m. She then cleared 1.82m to seal the gold medal. She had three attempts at the championship record of 1.86m set by Akela Jones of Barbados in 2010. Distin cleared 1.77m for second, while Sakari Famous, whose best jump was also 1.77 finished third on the countback. Distin had clean rounds leading up to her clearance of 1.77, while famous had one foul at 1.74m. Jones’ bronze in the Under18 Girls shot was earned with a best throw of 14.32 metres, well off the 15.03m she won with at Champs 2016. Lacee Barnes of the Cayman Islands copped the gold, throwing 14.90m to finish clear of Trinidad’s Ianna Roach, who threw 14.49m. In the Boys’ Under-18 javelin, Horsford broke his own CARIFTA record en route to a gold medal. The outstanding Trinidadian threw 73m breaking the mark of 70.73m he set at last year’s games. The silver medal was won by Dominica’s Keyon Burton (64.87m), while Adrian Thomas won bronze with a throw of 60.97m to give the host country its first medal.(Sportsmax.com)

SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Scottsville 08:45 HRS Sister Cosmos 09:20 hrs Trip Tease 09:55 hrs No Worries 10:30 hrs Royal Zulu 12:05 hrs Roy’s Roll’s Royce IRISH RACING TIPS Cork 09:10 hrs Finding Touch 09:45 hrs Crystal Pearl 10:20 hrs Freeway Space 10:55 hrs Ice Cool 11:30 hrs Paper Lantern 12:05 hrs Fine Rightly 12:40 hrs Thekingofconnemara FAIRYHOUSE 09:00 hrs Volvalien 09:35 hrs Mighty Concorde 10:05 hrs Jessber’s Dream 10:40 hrs Acapella Bourgeois 11:15 hrs Outlander 11:50 hrs Balnagon Boy 12:35 hrs Narcissistic ENGLISH

RACING TIPS Plumpton 09:15 hrs Royal Vacation 09:50 hrs Slidecheck 10:25 hrs September Blaze 11:00 hrs Dormello Mo 11:35 hrs Authorized Too 12:10 hrs Krackatoa King 12:45 hrs Loves Destination SWDGEFIELD 08:50 hrs Maxie T 09;25 hrs Runswick Relax 10:00 hrs Attention Seeker 10:35 hrs My Friend George 11:10 hrs Ryedale Racer 11:45 hrs Optical High 12:20 hrs Copt Hill WOLVERHAMPTON 09:05 hrs Point North 09:40 hrs Bromley Cross 10:15 hrs Dominance 10:50 hrs Velvet Revolution 11:25 hrs Moonday Sun 12:00 hrs Buying Trouble 12:35 hrs Veeraya 13:05 hrs Diatomic

27

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR IN the history of Test cricket, spanning 140 years and involving 2824 players in 2202 matches, a select band of 29 have experienced the agony of being dismissed in the 90s in their very first game. Of these, only two -- Paul Gibb for England against South Africa at Johannesburg in 1938-39 with scores of 93 and 106 followed by Gordon Greenidge for the West Indies against India in Bangalore in 1974-75 with scores of 93 and 107-- were able to carve out centuries at the second time of asking. Even more painful is the fact that three of them fell just one run short of the magical three-figure mark while one of this tiny lot had to be contented with his debut 99 being his highest Test score. The first player to be dismissed on Test debut for 99 was the Australian Arthur Gordon Chipperfield, when the Aussies came up against the English at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, in the first Test of the 1934 series. He was a right-handed, middle-order batsman and a useful leg-spinner, whose selection for the tour of England was a bit surprising, given the fact that he had played only three first-class innings at the time. However, the 28- year-old had cracked 152 for Northern Districts at New Castle against Douglas Jardine’s 1932-33 MCC side and 84 on debut for New South Wales against Queensland. Once Chipperfield got to England, he got going in his first match with a career-best 175 against Essex and an unbeaten 116 against Hampshire the fol-

lowing week, which led to his inclusion in the team to contest the first Test. Australia batted first and on the first day Chipperfield joined the batting ace Stan McCabe with his team in a spot of bother at 153 for five. At the close of play the two

ROBERT CHRISTIANI were still together at 207 for five with McCabe on an exact 50 and the debutant on 17. On the second morning, Chipperfield batted beautifully, combining a sound defensive technique with some lovely shots on both sides of the wicket and was principally responsible for the visitors adding a rapid 148 runs in the first session for the loss of two wickets as they lunched on 355 for seven. For his part, Chipperfield had reached 99 at the break and no doubt was looking forward to nudge a single somewhere soon after the interval but it never happened. In the first over after the resumption, bowled by the right-arm fast medium practitioner Ken Farnes, he

edged the third delivery to the wicketkeeper Les Ames and trekked back dejectedly to the pavilion -- gone for 99 -- an innings spanning 200 minutes, taking up 208 deliveries and including nine fours. The match ended with a comprehensive 238-run win for Australia, in spite of Farnes’s match haul of 10 for 179 as Bill O’Reilly’s 11 for 129 trumped him. Chipperfied ended up playing 14 Test matches in a four-year period, averaging a respectable 32.47 runs per innings and had the consolation of scoring a Test hundred – 109 -- against South Africa in Durban in 1935-36. The second player to suffer this fate was the Guyanese West Indian Robert Julian Christiani against England at the Kensington Oval, Barbados, in 1948. He was a versatile cricketer who began his first-class career in 1938, principally as a wicketkeeper and lower-order batsman but was a remarkable close-to-thewicket fielder and a cunning right-arm leg-spinner. The tall, bespectacled, languid right-hander dominated the local arena during his time (1938-1954), contesting 88 matches and aggregating over 5000 runs with 12 centuries and 27 fifties at an average of 40.50 runs per innings. It was Christiani’s batting exploits at the local and regional levels that earned him a place in the team for the first Test of the 1948 series, after he had narrowly missed out on selection for the tour to England in 1939, shortly after which, war broke out. The West Indies batted first and totalled 296 on the

Inside

Edge

With Edwin Seeraj heels of Gerry Gomez’s 86 and the opener Jeff Stollmeyer’s 78. The debutant made his entrance at number six in the order and was trapped leg before wicket to the “King of Spin”-- Jim Laker-- for a single. Laker finished with seven for 103. England responded with 253 in their first effort and the West Indies declared at 351 for nine in the second innings. The top-scorer was the “new boy” Christiani, leg before wicket for the second time in the game -- this time to the rightarm fast medium bowler and captain, Ken Cranston -- for 99. Set 395 for victory, England closed their second innings at 86 for four in the drawn encounter. Christiani, however, booked a place to India in 1948-49, but although he played in all five Tests, he suffered from batting too late in the order in a strong lineup that included the likes of Alan Rae, Jeff Stollmeyer, Clyde Walcott and Everton Weekes. In fact, in the first Test in Delhi, he batted at number eight, but still managed to strike his first and only Test

ton (107) in a mammoth West Indies total of 631. In doing so he became the first Guyanese to score a Test hundred and the first West Indian to do so from that position. Between 1950 and 1954 he played 22 Tests against England, India, Australia and New Zealand finishing with 896 runs at an average of 26.35 per innings. His international career ended in front of home fans at Bourda when he registered scores of 25 and 11 against England in 1954. The only other man to be dismissed for 99 on Test debut to date is the left-handed Pakistani Asim Kamal who did so against South Africa in Lahore in 2003. A batsman who depended more on nudges and patient spells of batting than on flair, Asim played five full seasons of domestic cricket before he was rewarded with his Test cap at the age of 27. The South Africans batted first and were bowled out for a commendable 320 at the end of the first day’s play , to which Pakistan replied with 275 for four at the end of day two. Asim had arrived at the middle at 160 for three and

survived a massive leg before wicket appeal from the aggressive fast bowler Andre Nel -- first ball-- but by the close was unbeaten on 49 in company with Shoaib Malik on 27. On the third morning he lost the opener Taufeeq Umar (111) and Shoaib Malik (47), yet he moved easily into the nineties getting to 99 in 314 minutes with the aid of 11 sweetly timed fours and a solitary six. Facing his 246th delivery, bowled by Nel, he edged an indeterminate steer on to his stumps as he looked for the run that would have taken him to the coveted hundred. Pakistan were eventually dismissed for 401 and shot out the South Africans for just 241 second time around, setting themselves a target of 161 for victory. They romped to an eight-wicket win with more than two sessions to spare. Asim played 11 additional Tests, his last against England in Lahore in 2005, but though he got into the nineties one more time -91 against India in Mohali in 2005 -- his debut 99 remained his highest Test score.

‘Media XI to clash with Everest in grudge match’ EVEREST Cricket Club ground, Carifesta Avenue and Camp road will be the place to be when the Media Men take on the Everest Masters in a 25 overs a-side feature match at 13.00 hrs today The occasion is Everest Cricket Club’s annual Easter Sunday Family Fun Day. The action will begin at 9.00hrs with Everest U-15 “A” team taking on the “B” team in a 25 over a side match. Here, the

youngsters from the club’s excellent nursery system will get an opportunity to show their skills in front of their parents and spectators who will also flock to the ground for the traditional finger licking BBQ. Additionally, the ICC T20 World Cup matches will be shown in the club’s main pavilion when West Indies play Afghanistan and India battle Australia for a spot in the semi-finals. The feature match will

see a star studded Everest Masters looking to impress against the talented press men. Everest Masters will be lead by West Indies most capped Test player Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Some of the other names include Rabindranauth Seeram former Guyana middle order batsman and coach, Rohan Sarjoo former Guyana hard hitting opening batsman, Hemraj Garbaran for-

mer Guyana Youth player and Saheed Mohamed who represented the Cayman Islands in the Stanford T20 tournament in 2008. Any hopes of an upset will rest on the shoulders of Media top order batsmen John Ramsingh, Ravi Persaud and Sharukh Imran while Rene Stoby and Keon Blades will have their work cut out with the pink ball. Trophies will be awarded to the winning team,

best junior batsman and junior bowler, and player of the match in the feature match. These will be donated by . Hafeez Ali of Rockaway Auto Sales. Rockaway Sounds will provide the musical entertainment throughout the day while BBQ chicken will be on sale for $1,000 from 12 hrs. Everest Cricket Club is inviting members of the public to come out and enjoy cricket and whole-

some family fun today as they continue with their fund raising efforts to upgrade and maintain the 101 year old club. Media XI: John Ramsingh, Ravi Persaud, Shahrukh Imran, Rene Stoby, Keon Blades, Mertyl Semple, Calvin Chapman, Mark Ramoutar, David Mohamed, Divesh Ramjattan, Esan Griffith, Kizan Brummell, Sheik Mohamed, Jermaine Neblett and Dwayne Pereira.

28

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Yorkshire members vote against Boycott bid to rejoin the county’s board GEOFFREY Boycott said he was “disappointed” that Yorkshire’s membership have voted against his bid to rejoin the county’s board. The former county captain and president’s candidacy was rejected by 758 votes to 602, it was announced at the club’s annual general meeting.

Yorkshire chairman Steve Denison had asked club members not to vote in favour of the ex-England opener. “I’m disappointed - but nothing’s changed,” said Boycott. “I’ll be here for the first match of the season,” added the 75-year-old, who played for the club from 1962-1986.

Despite posting a posttax profit of £368,000 for 2015 - their first profit since 2009 - Yorkshire are still more than £20m in debt, and Boycott had expressed concerns about how the club was being run. “I didn’t put up to win or lose, I thought I could do some good for the club. I just wanted to put some points of Yorkshire legend Geoffrey Boycott view, some opinions to help,” he added.

Denison had said the board needed “individuals with skills that can guarantee the survival of the club”, and members’ committee chairman Stephen Mann had also described Boycott as “out of touch”. However Denison said that Boycott, who acts informally as an overseas ambassador for the club, remains a key figure in the club’s plans. “He’s a legend of the club and we want to see him at Headingley at every possible opportunity. He’ll always be welcome here so

let’s hope that’s what happens going forward.” Three other candidates vice-chairman Mark Arthur, chief executive Robin Smith and tourist board Welcome to Yorkshire CEO Sir Gary Verity - were all voted on to the board at the club’s annual general meeting. Boycott’s long-time Yorkshire team-mate John Hampshire has been voted in as the club’s new president following the two-year tenure of former player and umpire Dickie Bird.(BBC Sport)

Australia and New Zealand into Women’s World T20 semis

NEW Zealand and defending champions Australia have qualified for the semi-finals of the Women’s World Twenty20. Australia thrashed Ireland, who were already eliminated after losing their first three group games, by seven wickets in Delhi. But they needed New Zealand to beat South Africa to clinch their place in the last four. The White Ferns duly recorded a seven-wicket victory to top the group with four wins from four matches. Australia finished second and could face England in the semi-finals on Wednesday if England beat Pakistan in their last group game in Chennai tomorrow. England lead Group B with six points, while West Indies and Pakistan have four each and India have two. Ireland’s openers failed to score from the first 11 deliveries as Australia bowled a tight line. Clare Shillington broke the shackles with a six and then hit three successive boundaries before falling for 22. Cecelia Joyce hit three fours in her 22, but the Irish managed only two boundaries in the last 15 overs. Kim Garth top-scored with 27, but took 46 balls to do so, and in total there were 65 dot balls in Ireland’s 91-7. Ciara Metcalfe dismissed Australia’s Alyssa Healy for six, courtesy of a superb one-handed catch by skipper Isobel Joyce. Garth saw off Meg Lanning, the top-ranked inter-

ELLYSE PERRY

national women’s batter, but Elyse Villani stroked six boundaries in her 43 from 35 balls, before being well caught by Lucy O’Reilly off Garth with just seven required. Ellyse Perry finished unbeaten on 29 as Australia eased home with 40 balls to spare. In Bangalore, South Africa were bowled out for 99 after being sent in to bat by New Zealand, with Sophie

Devine and Leigh Kasperek grabbing three wickets each. The White Ferns replied with an opening stand of 57 between skipper Suzie Bates, who hit 29 off 25 balls, and Rachel Priest, who smashed a run-a-ball 28. Both openers fell in the space of two overs, but Devine hit an unbeaten 27 with three fours and a six to complete a dominant allround performance.(BBC Sport)

Notable Dates GUYANESE female bantamweight boxer Shondell `Mystery Lady’ Alfred received her first defeat on home soil on March 27, 2004. Alfred lost by Unanimous Decision to skilful Jamaica-born USA resident Alicia Ashley at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. Ashley was 36 years old at the time, a whopping 15 years older that Alfred. One month before, the `Mystery Lady dropped a Unanimous Decision to Brazilian Alexandra Matheus in Denmark. Alfred would later bounce back to win the vacant WIBA world title in September 2009 following a points decision win over Corinne Van Ryck DeGroot. The diminutive boxer has not been in the ring since defeating Olga Julio on November 6, 2010 at the Princes Hotel and Casino. The mother of two was set to make a comeback in November 2012 against Mexican, Zulina Muñoz, for the World Boxing Council (WBC) female Super/flyweight title. However, in a bizarre twist the fight was cancelled when doctors performing medical checks hours before the bout, discovered that the Guyanese was more than two months pregnant.

29

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Ruthless Kiwis crush Bangladesh by 75 runs KOLKATA, (Reuters)-New Zealand crushed Bangladesh by 75 runs in a World Twenty20 Group Two match at Eden Gardens yesterday to maintain their 100 percent record and ensure their opponents exited the tournament without a win in the Super 10 stage. New Zealand won the toss and skipper Kane Williamson, who opted to bat on a very dry pitch, struck five fours and a six in his 42 off 32 deliveries to guide his side to 145-8. Williamson, whose captaincy and team selection have been one of the highlights of the tournament, brought in Nathan McCullum as an extra spinner in place of pacer Adam Milne, and watched his side stroll to an emphatic victory. “I think going into each game we look to read the wicket as best we can, the opposition as best we can and pick the team that’s best suited,” Williamson told reporters. “That’s what we’ve done today and we’re going to look to try and continue that.” Paceman Mustafizur Rahman made life difficult for the Black Caps, taking five wickets for 22 runs, including two off consecutive deliveries in the final over, but ultimately Bangladesh had no answer for New Zealand’s prowess in the field. Colin Munro set the tone in the second over, running out the in-form Tamim Iqbal on three with a direct hit from short third

man and New Zealand picked up wickets at regular intervals to dismiss Bangladesh for 70, their lowest total in Twenty20 internationals. Mitchell McClenaghan bowled Iqbal’s strike partner Mohammad Mithun for 11 and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner took the wicket of the dangerous Shakib Al Hasan to leave Bangladesh struggling at 31-3 in the eighth over. Santner saw off Sabbir Rahman with a well-judged catch off a Nathan McCullum delivery in the next over, before Ish Sodhi and Grant Elliot took three wickets apiece to bring the contest to a speedy conclusion. Leg-spinner Sodhi got Soumya Sarkar stumped on six and deceived Mahmudullah with a googly on five, before getting tailender Al-Amin Hossain out for a duck. Medium-pacer Elliot used the slower ball to good effect, bowling Mushfiqur Rahim for a duck and getting Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza lbw for three. Rahman was caught behind by Luke Ronchi immediately after hitting the only six of Bangladesh’s innings. “There is no doubt that New Zealand have always been a tough side, especially in the World Cup. They have already proved it in their last three matches and I just want to wish them luck in the semi-finals,” Mortaza said.

Left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman finished with figures of 5 for 22 for Bangladesh.

England hold nerve to reach World T20 semis By Amlan Chakraborty NEW DELHI, (Reuters)-England held their nerve to beat Sri Lanka by 10 runs in a thrilling World Twenty20 Group One match yesterday, reaching the semi-finals and knocking the defending champions out of the tournament. Jos Buttler struck a blistering unbeaten 66 to power England to a commanding 171-4 after they had made a slow start. The 2010 winners returned to blow away Sri Lanka’s top order before Angelo Mathews battled a hamstring injury to drag his team back into the match with a brilliant unbeaten 73. Sri Lanka’s defeat also dashed South Africa’s hopes of qualifying for the last four. Put in to bat, England lost Alex Hales in the second over but Jason Roy (42) and Joe Root (25) added 61 runs in 8.3 overs to steady the innings. Leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay dismissed both batsmen but Buttler capital-

ised on the foundation, hitting eight fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 37-ball blitz to punish the Sri Lankans. England skipper Eoin Morgan made 22 before being run out and Ben Stokes faced the final delivery of the innings from Thisara Perera which he hit for six. Sri Lanka made a dismal start in their pursuit of a victory that would have kept their semi-final hopes alive. Openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal were dismissed inside the first eight deliveries and the top order caved in as Malinda Siriwardene and Lahiru Thirimanne fell off successive deliveries. Mathews and Kapugedera revived the chase, however, mixing caution with aggression and smashing three sixes off an Adil Rashid over that produced 21 runs. Perera scored 20 quick runs down the order but Mathews looked tired by the end and could only score four of the 15 runs Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath is bowled as England closed in on victory.. required from the last over sent down by Reuters/Adnan Abidi Stokes.

WOLF’S Memorial Challenge Cup softball to start April 3 IMRAN Hussain, owner of Wolf Furniture World of Lot 27 Leonora, WCD, and also owner of one of Guyana’s foremost softball teams Wolf Warriors, is sponsoring the next nationwide softball tournament. This male/female tournament will be managed by

the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association and will be called the ‘WOLF’S memorial Challenge Cup. ‘ . This competition is being held in honour of Emaam Hussain, the father of Mr. Imran Hussain who passed away 21 years ago in the

year 1995. The ‘Wolf’s memorial Challenge Cup will be played in three categories, Male/Female Open, and Male Masters- 43 years and older, born 1973 or before. The tournament starts April 3. Open and Masters is Trophy + $100,000 for winners, while runner-up is

trophy + $25,000. Female is Trophy + $50,000 for winner, while runner-up is Trophy + $25,000. There will be Trophy + $5000 for players of the tournament, while players of the finals will also receive trophy + $5,000. For further information, all teams in Berbice and De-

merara and who are interested in playing, can call GFSCA organiser Wayne Jones @6501790 or 685-6908, while Essequibo will be handled by Khalid Baksh- 618-1905. The “Wolf Memorial Challenge Cup “ softball tournament was launched at the Fort Lauderdale Cricket stadium on

March 13th , the day of the finals of Florida Cup 2016. One of the GFSCA official teams “Floodlights” won the Masters of Florida Cup 2016, while Floodlights Legends and GFSCA Wolf Warriors did not make it to the play-off in the Open.

30

National Junior badminton players reach semi-finals in Suriname tournament THE Guyana National Badminton Junior Team currently at the Suriname International Junior Easter Tournament which is being played at the Kwatta Sports Complex from March 25-27. Reaching the semi-finals on day one play offs were: Sunburst Champion Narayan Ramdhani in Under-19 Singles, Doubles with Jonathan Mangra & Mix Doubles with Priyanna Ramdhani. Priyanna Ramdhani was also in the Under-15 Girls Singles Semi-Finals and Under-15 Mix Doubles Quarter-Finals with Tyreese Richards.

Windies women in precarious position ahead of India clash THE West Indies women are up against it, as they go hunting for a semi-final berth in the Women’s World T20. Today, the West Indies will be seeking a turn around after a close game against England ended in defeat earlier this week. That defeat, means the West Indies have to win against India to give themselves six points, but this still does not guarantee a place in the last four. The West Indies will also hope that the form table holds true in Group B, and hope for England to beat Pakistan in the other Group B game. If that does not happen, the West Indies will find themselves in a three-way tie with Pakistan and England, net run rate then becoming the tie breaker. While the West Indies won their first two games, against Pakistan and against Bangladesh, in both instances, the regional side’s bowling bailed out fairly ordinary batting, with skipper Stafanie Taylor, a picture of consistency, with two scores of 40 and 35 in the loss to England. According to the skipper, if her team are to win against India tomorrow, that is the key. “The bowlers, they have played so well, and I think we need to help out the bowlers by putting some runs on the board,” said Taylor.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday March 27, 2016) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)

Answers to Friday’s quiz: (1) Meg Lanning-44 (Australia) (2) 27 matches

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Who was named ‘Player of the Match’ in the WI first game of the Super 10 round of the current ICC Men’s T20 World Cup? (2) Who was named ‘Player of the Match’ in the WI first game of the current ICC Women’s T20 World Cup?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

All systems in place for Guyana Cup Fever horse race meet By Rajiv Bisnauth WITH entries topping the 80-horse mark, the principals of the Guyana Cup Fever have already put all systems in place for today’s horse-race meet, scheduled to be staged at the Rising Sun Turf Club. Chief organiser, Nazrudeen Mohammed Jnr., said yesterday that turfites can expect a truly entertaining day, since the majority of the country’s race horses have confirmed their participation for the seven-race programme. A day at the Easter Meet is also a great opportunity to catch up with friends and entertain guests in excellent facilities with a fantastic atmosphere. Included with top-class racing will be music and family fun; the annual Easter Sunday event which has been a staple over the years is definitely not to be missed. With the Jumbo Jet conglomerate holding the reins as the official sponsor,

An action-packed day is anticipated this lucrative race meet with in excess of $8M up for grabs will surely be a hit. The highlight of the day will be the feature A1 and Lower race for a winning take of $1.2M and a combined purse of $2.2M over 1400 metres. The F1 and Lower event has a winning total prize of $1.1M with the winner set to receive $600 000 and a trophy. There is an event for West Indies-bred three-yearold animals, for a total prize

of $750 000 and a top prize of $400 000 and a trophy. The G2 and Lower event has a combined purse of $750 000, with the top stable to receive $400 000 and a trophy. The Guyana-bred threeyear-olds will have their chance at competing for a total prize package of $575 000 and a trophy. The event for H3 and Lower animals will be racing for a winning package of $250 000 and a trophy. The final race for ani-

mals classified J1 and Lower will be for a total purse of $200,000. The races will be held under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. Race time is 13:00hrs. Admission is $1500 for adults, while children under 10 years will be admitted free. The Guyana Cup Fever is the brainchild of Jumbo Jet Auto Sales, and has become the largest horse-racing event since its inaugural staging eight years ago.

EBFA / Ralph Green U-11 League

Craig School and Grove Hi Tech draw, both into semis

CRAIG Primary School and Grove Hi Tech battled to an exciting 0-0 draw in the final group match of the Ralph Green-sponsored East Bank Football Association (EBFA) Under-11 League yesterday at the Grove Playfield. With the result, Grove topped Group A with four points, having won their first match against Diamond 2-1; the latter ending with a single point from their two matches, Craig securing two points from two draws to end as the second-placed team in the group. Watched by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Technical Development Officer, Lyndon France, both teams played fearless football even as they are learning the fundamentals of the sport. Both had flashes of dominance during the 30 minutes of exchanges, chances were created at either end but no goals materalised. The match ended in drenching rain and when the final whistle was sounded by Referee Shawn Singh, players from both teams threw their hands up in the air suggesting that the time was too short as they were now enjoying themselves.

Craig School Under-11 Team However, both teams have booked places in the semi-finals, which will be contested on Saturday at the same venue. Debutants Friendship topped Group B and is the only team to have registered two wins, defeating defending champions Herstelling Raiders 2-0, while gaining a walk-over from AgriTeams Group A Grove Craig School Diamond Group B Friendship Agricola Herstelling

cola, the other team advancing from the group as Herstelling missed the cut. Agricola showed up for battle on Saturday last and registered a 3-1 win over Herstelling, the largest margin of victory by any team in the competition so far. A new champion will be

crowned on April 9, but first, teams will collide in what is anticipated to be two exciting semi-final encounters this Saturday. Grove Hi Tech will come up against Agricola Red Triangle in the first match at 10:15hrs with the second semi-final between Friendship All Stars and Craig School.

P

W

L

D

GF

GA

GD

Points

2 2 2

1 0 0

0 0 1

1 2 1

2 0 1

1 0 2

+1 0 -1

4 2 1

2 2 2

2 1 0

0 1 2

0 0 0

4 3 1

0 3 5

+4 0 -4

6 3 0

31

SUNDAY CHRONICLE March 27, 2016

Hinds wins easily to continue dominance in National Park programmes

TEAM Evolution’s Orville Hinds continued his dominance of the National Park cycle programmes by registering his second consecutive victory in as many weekends when he won the 3rd Annual Star Party Rentals feature 35-lap race at the venue yesterday. Hinds who won the Diamond Mineral Water sponsored feature 35-lap race last Saturday at the National Park, followed up yesterday to win the Star Party Rentals event over the same distance in a time of one hour, 16 minutes 31.71 seconds. While he (Hinds)dominated the latter stages, his efforts was not enough to prevent his team mate Michael Anthony, the eventual second place finisher from capturing all eight of the prime prizes that were up for grabs. The other top four places were occupied by Junior Niles, Akee4m Wilkinson, Paul Cho WeeNam and Mark Harris respectively. Hinds’ performance eclipsed the time set by last year’s winner Hamza Eastman who clocked one hour 17 minutes 34.27 seconds for the same course and distance. From the start of the race, Hinds went to the front along with Raphael Leung,

Winner of yesterday’s Star Party Rentals feature 35-lap cycle race, Team Evolution’s Orville Hinds (center with trophy) and other prize winners of the various categories strike a pose with race organiser Hassan Mohamed (extreme right). but after the first lap w3as completed, Anthony joined the duo and subsequently surged ahead, opening a sizeable gap. It was not until the 20 th of the 35-lap event was completed that Hinds broke from the main chasing pack that included

Cho-Wee-Nam, Raymond Newton, Junior Niles, Akeem Wilkinson and Kemuel Mosess that Hinds connected to Anthony, and the team mates worked in tandem and opened an unsurpassable lead to the end. Coming to the finish line,

CARIFTA Games

Phillips, Devine, Shaw, Julien through in the sprints PARKER Devine of the British Virgin Islands is the fastest through to the final of the Girls Under-18 100 metres at the 2016 Carifta Games in Grenada yesterday. Devine won Heat 4 but will be challenged by Heat 2 winner Kenisha Phillips of Guyana (11.82) and Jamaica’s Kimone Shaw (11.83). Shaw ran a personal best 11.40 at the 2016 ISSA-GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girs’ Champs 2016 last week Friday. Also in the finals is St Lucia’s Alfred Julien from St Lucia, who came away from Champs 2016 in Jamaica with a pair of silver medals. Julien advanced to the finals with a time of 11.89s, winning Heat 3 in the process. Joella Lloyd of Antigua and Barbuda (11.85), Jessie Zali (11.86) from Martinique, Michae Harriott (11.95) from Jamaica and Kaelle Bourguignon from Guadeloupe are also through to the finals. Earlier in the day, the host

Hinds jumped Anthony from approximately 200 metres from the finish and though Anthony tried to fight back, his efforts were unsuccessful. In the race for the other top four places, Niles attacked the main chasing pack with about 125

metres remaining, and opened an approximately six bicycle lengths ahead of Wilkinson which he maintained to the end. In other results, Raphael Leung returned 26 minutes 18.85 seconds in winning the 10-lap race for juveniles. His time was much slower than

last year’s winner Andrew Hicks who had clocked 22 minutes 34.89 seconds. Briton John was second and Deeraj Garbarran finished third. Keon Thomas who stopped the clock at 15 minutes 14.87 seconds in winning the five-lap event for mountain bikers last year, made a successful defence of his title yesterday by winning in a time of 11 minmutes 55 seconds. Richard Charles and Ozia McAually placed second and third respectively. Shay Sue Hand won the two lap race for BMX boys 6-9 years old ahead of Ajanil Culley and Aqueala Lerwis respectively. The veterans’ over 50 five-lap race was won by Raymond Newton. Linden Blackman placed second and Tosloys Congrives third. Niles won the five-lap race for veterans under 50 years of age. Warren McKay was second and Marc Sonoram third. Jeremiha Harrisonb was the winner of the BMX boys three-lap race. Second was Zab james and finishing third was Shay Sue Hang. Harrison however had to settle for third in the 12-14 BMX boys’ threelap race which was won by Adealie Hodge ahead of Tarran Garbarran.

Under-16 boxers warm up THE Guyana Amateur Boxing Association yesterday commenced the first of several training camps leading up to next month’s International Schoolboys and Junior tournament.

A number of the nation’s top Under-16 and junior boxers turned up at the Andrew `Six Head’ Lewis gym to begin fine tuning skills for April’s important competition.

... Taylor in 400m final

Guyana’s Kenisha Phillips came out tops in Heat 2 yesterday. country’s Amanda Crawford was fastest through to the finals of the Under-18 Girls 400m. Crawford clocked 54.88 seconds to be fractions quicker than Jamaica’s Stacy-Ann Williams (55.05) and Bahamas’ Britni Fountain 55.43s. Also through were Ju-

dine Lacey of the BVI, 56.56, Sanique Walker of Jamaica, 55.60s, Avon Samuels of Guyana, 55.91, Tiana Bowen of Barbados, 56.34s, and Shafiqua Maloney of St Vincent and the Grenadines, 56.51s. In the boys’ equivalent, 2015 World Youth Champion Christopher Taylor easily advanced to the finals with a time of 49.60s. Taylor, who has a personal best 45.27s, was one of three automatic qualifiers that also included Martinique’s Wardhy Harpon 49.67 and Barbados’ Antoni HoyteSmall 48.55s. The remaining qualifiers were Colby Jennings from Turks and Caicos (49.80), Kaze Poitier of the Bahamas (49.82), Daniel Williams of Guyana (48.72) and Onal Mitchell of Trinidad and Tobago (49.21).(Sportsmax. com). (Sportsmax.com.)

In this photograph Under-16 fighters warm up under instruction of head coach Sebert Blake.

Dizzy Nadal retires in Florida heat (REUTERS)-Spaniard Rafa Nadal said dizziness prompted him to retire from his second-round match against Damir Dzumhur at the Miami Open yesterday. Sporadic boos greeted the 14-times grand slam champion when he called it a day during the third set in typically humid conditions in south Florida. The 94th-ranked Dzumhur led 2-6 6-4 3-0 at the time, with the Bosnian 30-15 up on serve.

The last time Nadal quit during a match was in a quarter-final against Andy Murray at the 2010 Australian Open. “Everything was fine until the end of the first set,” Nadal said. “Then I started to feel dizzy, not very good. It was getting worse and worse. “I wanted to finish the match, but I seriously could not. It was tough, because I felt I was playing well. I stopped because I was concerned for my health.”

Jamaica off to fast start at CARIFTA Games See story on page 26

India Women’s captain Mithali Raj

Windies, India captains call for equal pay and perks for women

AHEAD of their crucial group match in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20, India captain Mithali Raj and her West Indian counterpart Stafanie Taylor called for an equal pay and perks. India and West Indies go into today’s game having lost to England. However, the West Indian eves are better off having notched up two wins from three matches as against just one by India. “As for me personally, I feel the game is the same, the rules are the same. But

yes, when you see how many people turn up to see men’s game because they look up at it as an entertainment package. A lot of people come to watch, so the revenue input is more than women’s cricket,” Mithali said when asked if women cricketers deserve equal pay package. She added, “People are still trying to catch up with women’s cricket. So, maybe down the lane, in a year or two, when women’s cricket does very well and starts attracting more crowd, then I feel it

deserves same (pay) or at par with men’s cricket.” When the question was directed at Taylor, she said, “You have actually hit me in the head there. We would love if we get the same pay as the men because we think we are working just as hard. Coming back to the match, Mithali said they will need to improve their batting. “As a unit we will have to perform together. We expect better performance from the batting unit,” Raj said.

West Indies Women’s captain Stafanie Taylor

She pointed out in the last two games against Pakistan and England, during crunch situations, the performance has not been upto the mark. “We want better performance from the bowling attack also. Fielding has been good, but in patches, consistency is not there,” she said. On the other hand, Taylor said they may have lost narrowly to England in Dharamsala, but they had put the loss behind and were looking ahead to Saturday’s tie.

UG preparing for UWI Invitational Meet By Stephan Sookram

UNIVERSITY of Guyana students are in preparation for next weekend’s West Indies (UWI) Track and Field Invitational Meet set to take place on Saturday, April 2. The meet, which will feature some of the top Jamaican athletes, will see the University of Guyana sending a 15-member team to participate during the meet, which is set for the UWI/ Usain Bolt Track. Speaking recently, the university’s sport organiser, Lavern Fraser, said that her team of athletes have trained hard for the meet and expected to deliver hardware, adding, “the team basically is gelling.” “I’m really quite happy about the kind of prepa-

The University of Guyana team that will attend the UWI/Mona invitational (Delano Williams Photo) ration we have put in for our participation and I’m certain that we will certainly be able to give a good

account of ourselves and we will bring back some medals,” continued the sport coordinator.

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216.

According to the sport organiser, the unit is a seasoned one that is seasoned in travelling, saying, “Most of

the athletes I can say are seasoned University of Guyana athletes, because they have travelled before as a group.”

She added, “They have been practising well. Last year they went to the Cave Hill meet in Barbados, and they were able to bring back 10 medals, so we’re really looking forward to a really good performance.” Since its inception in 2001, the UWI invitational has over the years attracted top names, such as Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, with participating countries in this year’s event featuring the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago. The team members are Emanuel Archibald, Kezia Bess, Kleon Spellen, Cleveland Forde, Floyd Phillips, Dane Johnson, Vanessa Shelto, Ameer Yussuf, Salim Yussuf, Owen Adonis, Delroy Austin and Travis Poole

SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2016