2nd August 2013

New traffic arrangements for tonight's Limacol CPL clash at Guyana National Stadium

New traffic arrangements are in place for the Guyana Amazon Warriors/Jamaica Tallawahs clash tonight at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

The decision was made following the traffic jams which affected the East Bank Demerara highway on Wednesday night, as cricket fans travelled to and from the stadium for the first match between the Guyana Amazon Warriors and the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel. Fans are, however, still encouraged to make their way to the stadium early, as gates will be opened from 17:00h. Match begins at 20:00h.

Ticket sales continue at all Limacol CPL ticket outlets countrywide. (For more details, see page 12)

GPL downsizes staff

– Brassington says move linked to changes, investments

By Svetlana MarShall

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc has seen a reduction in its staff complement, Chairman Winston Brassington disclosed.

Speaking at the Economic Services and Natural Resources Parliamentary Sectoral Committee Meeting at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Brassington said: “The general direction of employment for GPL would be downwards.”

This downward spiral, he said, has been linked to a series of changes and investments made by the power company. “For example, within the next five years, we’d have more than doubled our capacity of Wärtsiläs [generators] and by the time, the Vreed-en-Hoop plant is commissioned, we would have moved from 44 megawatts of Wärtsiläs to 106 megawatts of Wärtsiläs,” he explained. These operations are outsourced and managed by the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) services of Wärtsilä Corporation.

Outsourced operations

“The majority of our power station today comes basically from outsourced operations,” the board chairman noted, as he pointed out that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) also supplies power to GPL.

Additionally, in 2011, GPL, with US$3 million in financing from the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), installed a Customer Information System. The com-

puterised system absorbed the functions of a number of employees.

In 2004, GPL had 1101 permanent employees; however, with the harnessing of technology, outsourcing and reorganising of the operations of the company, the permanent staff complement dropped to 779 in 2009. At the end of 2012, there was a slight increase to 810.

Brassington said over the years, the number of temporary and contracted employees has grown. At the end of 2012, there were 186 temporary workers and 179 contracted employees.

The company is, however, facing a serious shortage of qualified and skilled employees to occupy senior posts.

“Despite advertising, we are having difficulty finding and retaining key technical staff and so this is an issue for GPL,” the chairman revealed.

To boost its operations, GPL has garnered the support of IDB in the establishment of a corporate development plan.

According to Brassington, “We expect by the second quarter of next year, that through funding and through support from the IDB, we will have some support to the manage-

rial team; improving our managerial capabilities, improving the overall operations of GPL at every level.”

Addressing questions raised on the impact of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project on GPL, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds told the committee members headed by People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament Manzoor Nadir, that there will be a significant reduction in generation cost if the hydropower plant comes on stream.

According to Hinds, it will be reduced from an average of 23 cents per kilowatt hour (kWH) to less than 12 cents per kWh. “So when one takes account for the losses, the number could be 50 per cent more the reduction.”

Since the 1980s, there have been talks of reducing the tariffs to facilitate more industry, Hinds said, noting that the hydropower project will bring this dream to fruition. “Every customer group will have a reduction,” he added.

It was pointed out, too, that GPL loses $11 per kWh; however the Amaila Falls project would absorb this loss. According to Hinds, the project will not only clear the losses, but would reduce or remove the power company’s dependency on government’s subvention. “We don’t expect to call for support from the government anymore,” he lamented.

Hydro project

The prime minister also pointed out that Linden stands to reap the benefits of the hydroelectric project, since the transmission lines would run through the mining town. Additionally, a substation is slated for the community. “Right now, we are paying $62 per KWh to run the Diesel Generation Station... so apart from the price consumers would pay, we should see a reduction from $62 to about $24 per kWh,” the prime minister further explained.

However, remote communities such as Ituni, Kwakwani and Mahdia would not benefit from the hydroelectricity, he disclosed, since it would be uneconomical to provide electricity to those areas. The sectoral committee meeting was held in keeping with the 2013 Work Programme. The committee will continue to examine issues from a feasibility and viability standpoint while scrutinising the management and use of the country’s natural resources. (svetlanam@guyanatimesgy.com)

Editor: Nigel Williams

Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Reinforcing the message of breastfeeding

Breastfeeding Week will be observed in more than 170 countries from 1 to 7 August and, as expected, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its partners are calling for more support for breastfeeding mothers and the need to ensure they understand and appreciate the need to breastfeed their babies.

The Health Ministry in Guyana has over the years been pressing for the message of breastfeeding to be publicised more across the country and for health workers to encourage mothers in their care to ‘hit home’ the message that “breast is best”. It would be interesting to find out the latest statistics as it relates to the percentage of mothers who breastfeed their babies. This would not only give an indication as to how effective the various breastfeeding campaigns carried out by the ministry have been, but would also guide policymakers and health professionals in general as to whether there is need to modify their strategies.

That being said, there are many reasons why “breast is best” and the authorities here must continue in their push to have more mothers breastfeed their newborns, at least until they are six months old. Breastfeeding is a fundamental right of all children and research has proven that it is the perfect food for babies. For example, breast milk gives infants all the nutrients they need for healthy development. It is safe and contains antibodies that help protect infants from common childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea and pneumonia, the two primary causes of child mortality worldwide.

Further, breast milk is readily available and affordable, which helps to ensure that infants get adequate nutrition. Infant formula does not contain the antibodies found in breast milk. Additionally there are risks arising from the use of unsafe water and unsterilised equipment or the potential presence of bacteria or other contaminants in powdered formula. Malnutrition can result from over-diluting formula to “stretch” supplies. While frequent feeding maintains breast milk supply, if formula is used but becomes unavailable, a return to breastfeeding may not be an option due to diminished breast milk production.

Breastfeeding also benefits mothers. According to research, it reduces risks of breast and ovarian cancer later in life and helps women return to their pre-pregnancy weight faster.

So what is causing so many mothers not to heed the message? Is it a case of too much marketing of substitutes or lack of adequate information? According to a new WHO report published during World Breastfeeding Week, only 37 countries, or 19 per cent (of those reporting) have passed laws reflecting all the recommendations of the International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes.

It is clear that there is need for more of the right kind of information and guidance to mothers on a continuous basis so that they fully understand the importance of breast feeding. This point was highlighted by breastfeeding expert attached to the WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development Dr Carmen Casanovas, who said that nearly all mothers are physically able to breastfeed and will do so if they have accurate information and support. But in many cases, women are discouraged from doing so, and are misled to believe that they are giving their children a better start in life by buying commercial substitutes.

The report points out that mothers are often inundated with incorrect and biased information both directly, through advertising, health claims, information packs and sales representatives, and indirectly through the public health system.

Dr Casanovas argues that full implementation of the code is vital for reducing or eliminating all forms of promotion of breast milk substitutes, including direct and indirect promotion to pregnant women and mothers of infants and young children.

The aim of WHO and other partners is to increase the global rate of exclusive breastfeeding for six months to at least 50 per cent by 2025. To support this, WHO has developed courses which are used to train health workers to provide skilled support to breastfeeding mothers (including HIV-infected mothers), help them overcome problems, and monitor the growth of children, so they can identify early the risk of under nutrition or overweight/obesity.

Embracing your roots

Another good sign for housing development

Dear Editor,

I think that it is fully accepted that home ownership in Guyana is continuing to run away at an unprecedented level. I am also very sure that owning one’s own property in Guyana is probably easier than anywhere else in the world. I remember also reading the great advantage that Guyanese have over their regional counterparts in this very facet.

As for development, it

is great news again, as the 1000 home-turnkey initiative at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara is on stream.

It is actually ahead of schedule. The latest word on this is that construction of the homes is expected to begin as early as October. This particular project was launched just a few months back and there was a commitment to make it real in terms of a start before the end of

2013.

Well, to put this over as it is – the start is at the beginning of the last quarter of the year.

Already the cleaning process is on, and barring any inclement weather, this will be over with in another couple of weeks. I sometimes take this housing thing a little bit too lightly. Yes, Guyana is providing houses for its citizens, but I have to keep in mind the constant employ-

ment this affords so many. As a matter of fact, within the construction sector, many Guyanese have been able to find solid long term employment, hence adding even more stability to their family life. I think we all need to see this, as many are in the habit of complaining about a lack of employment

Yours truly, Lennox Bradshaw

Scholarship students should now be ready to serve

Dear Editor,

Just a few afternoons ago, I was listening to what the Cuba-Guyana collaboration did for Guyana in terms of education. It is truly amazing!

The actualities show that just recently, 99 students, the first of three batches who completed their scholarships to Cuba, returned home and are now ready to serve.

The picture is even better. It is really some 300 young Guyanese who are now qualified and very set to serve this country. Imagine the magnitude! Guyana is going to be having 300 plus new specialists. These returning sons

and daughters of the soil mean a better quality of life for all Guyanese – it translates into more qualified personnel on hand and more confidence.

I am very cognisant of a few special cases, at least in health, where outside dependency is still the norm, but hopefully that Specialty Hospital will be realised.

It is good to note too that those who have already been back, as more are still out there studying, will be moving forward even as they serve to post-graduate training. We will soon have our own

I do recall when scepticism rained on us for quite a while too. However, former Presidents Bharrat Jagdeo and his Cuban counterpart at the time, Fidel Castro, put together the governments of Guyana/Cuba Scholarship Programme that allowed for at least 500 students to be trained in Cuba in the disciplines of medicine, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, culture, sport, agriculture, and architecture among others. Since that time, Guyana has been able to move from that position of scepticism, to one of comfort and confidence in almost every facet of national development.

home-grown professionals.

That is how we must think. These in turn will be able to develop personnel right here, and in a generation or so, Guyana will be better positioned, even to the point of helping other nations. This is how the subject minister summarised it. I do laud the leaders of Guyana who think longterm and futuristically. We must avoid the dependency syndrome, and quick-fix is never the way to go. We must continue to invest in development.

Yours truly, Caroline Harmon

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Round-the-clock police presence needed

Dear Editor,

Why we waited this long I will never know. The police have disclosed that in light of numerous reports of jewellery being snatched around the Stabroek Market area, various ranks are at the location all the time.

It is necessary at times for the police to tuck away themselves and spy on potential thieves, who like to snatch and run. In fact, in many large shopping malls, all over the world, the police even act as decoys. There is nothing right or extenuating about criminals and their activities, so by all means, the police

should do as much as they can, in order to nab them. Nobody in his/her right mind will cast aspersions on the cops for making life easier for people, especially those who have to busy themselves with shopping. They want to feel safe. With this new move, I think that things will be better.

Within recent times, there have been too many incidents in which unsuspecting citizens were robbed of jewellery, especially gold, while traversing the busy spots. Victims are not only surprised by the snatchers, they sometimes belatedly fight back and end

up getting hurt. It is sickening to know too that the crooks are very well known.

In Austin City, police are now stepping up crime fighting, even traffic enforcement, via the decoy method. At key spots, plainclothes officers will act as decoys to catch criminals in just about any kind of act.

Mangalore, a city in India, is doing the same. It is time the tide be turned – let the criminals live on the edge. We must fatigue them into a change for the better.

Yours sincerely, Bryant Jones

Opposition comes even against obvious signs of good governance

Dear Editor,

No surprise at all for me as I read about the attitude of the opposition regarding what are the needs of the Guyana Fire Service. It is just ridiculous, even though not surprising. After all, the opposition is against something like the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project.

The news from the Home Affairs Ministry is that it categorically rejects the utterances and assessment regarding the fact that there is urgent need for improvement in the water supply in New Amsterdam and this has been drawn to the attention of the authorities concerned, since the highest standard for fire protection for the area cannot be a reality in view of the present risks and projected development until the present unsatisfactory condition is remedied.

Do we fight fire without water? Did our fire hydrants ever function? Now that firefighting is being professionalised, APNU is working up a sweat. In fact, the local fire service was like something

of an unnoticed entity. If money is needed to set systems in place, then so be it.

Guyana has been changing rapidly. The mere fact that we have so many more vehicles and out roads are so congested, it means that we have to put precautionary measures in place. This is where the firefighting aspect has to stay on top.

Recently, China boosted our local firefighting capacity and recently people were trained. The report is that we are having more fires. This stands to reason as we have more buildings and space is a problem in many areas. So it is quite in order for the local leaders in this sector to get the support of all, in order to make life safer for Guyanese. In all fairness how can we turn a blind eye to some great initiatives from the ruling administration in this area? Look at Berbice alone – three new stations; six fire tenders; and one bowser.

I think that it is obvious that there are positive steps being taken to implement new initiatives to bring

Road recklessness must be stopped

Dear Editor,

It is not nice to read about the death of elderly people via accidents. However, yet again another elderly person has been killed on our roads.

How about early last month? A La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara man was killed in a hit-and-run accident on a Saturday night.

In a Wismar case, police acted swiftly on information, arresting a man at Half Mile, Wismar, whose motor vehicle was found with damages that appear consistent with a road accident and may have been responsible

for the death of this pensioner. He is now in custody, assisting with investigations. I think that road safety is now nobody’s business. If we cannot show concern for the elderly, it is clear that we have gone to a new low. I also notice the dead-on-impact cases, and I cannot help but attribute this to excessive speeding. Can something be done even to the vehicles if possible so that their speed can be limited? All I know is that this recklessness must be stopped. Too many are dying.

Yours faithfully, Tamesh Mangal

Five-day workweek ruling easy to understand

Dear Editor,

The Labour Ministry is dead serious about defaulters when it comes to the implementation of the five-day workweek ruling.

What is important too is that the ministry is encouraging people to report those who are not in adherence.

Then the ministry itself will be sending visiting teams to check on what is happening.

The feedback so far is okay, except that some commercial entities have not yet implemented the new system.

The next two weeks will

see the ministry paying visits to businesses within the garment industry in order to assess the implementation of the agreement.

Later I hope that round the year checks would be made, so that no one will be in default.

This national five-day, 40-hour work week, which equals to eight hours per day, took effect from July 1. It was instituted by the Labour Ministry to protect some 31,000 workers.

This is what I mean by the whole purpose of this law. For too long, many have been exploited and I am happy that the government came to the rescue.

Yours truly, Jayden Hunter

We need a specialty hospital

about a better level of service to the nation.

Yours faithfully, Sarah Guishard

Dear Editor, The need for that Specialty Hospital is again on my mind. We need our own facility. I will vote for a specialty unit here.

I cannot understand why the opposition had to vote down this all-important venture in the country. Health issues are of paramount importance and

they know no face or place. Ill health can strike at any time to anyone.

Yours respectfully, John Barnwell

Page Foundation

10 YourSignsChild Wants to be Bilingual

By RuBy WRight

Our journey in being a bilingual family continues. Though our milestones are small, we celebrate every step of progress our children make. My children aren’t 100 percent bilingual – some would even say not even close to even being called bilingual. I am, however, very confident they will be soon.

I was recently asked if there were any signs that showed my children wanted to be bilingual. I never put any thought into it. I mean, our children were always exposed, but this year they did show more interest than ever before. It really wasn’t an option for them to choose to learn to be bilingual, because this was something my husband and I discussed about the way we’d parent from the start. However,

I did in fact notice a few things they had been doing that led me to believe that they are more than willing to be bilingual.

Here are a few signs your child wants to be bilingual:

1. Asking for words to be translated – On vacation, they kept asking grandpa to translate words in Spanish, for example: “How do you say ice cream in Spanish?”

2. Counting in Spanish –My son learned to count to 12 in Spanish. He did this all on his own. I was shocked and he has now gotten up to 15 by practicing every so often.

3. Speaking Spanglish – My daughter is known for saying “Hey I need to go to el baño.”

4. Calling you mama – My children have been calling me mama for as long as I can remember. I never knew they’d

call me that; I always assumed it would be mom. It does vary, but most days it’s mama.

5. Wanting books read in Spanish, or bilingual books – My children love bilingual books, so we do English and Spanish most nights for story time.

6. Asking to visit family in other countries, like Mexico – Since they learned that Tijuana, Mexico, was another country, they ask to visit constantly .They usually say “I want to visit uncle in Mexico.”

7. Wanting ethic foods like Mexican food tacos or agua fresca – My children love my cooking. I didn’t realise how much until I started sharing where foods came from or how I loved eating certain dishes as a child, and they really responded.

8. Distinguishing the language when spoken –We had a visitor speaking

Spanish to me this week. Though my daughter was already in bed, she asked, “who is speaking Spanish?” and “Are grandma and grandpa visiting?” It was amazing to hear that she distinguished the languages.

9. Knowing when the correct language is to be spoken with certain individuals – When visiting my parents, the children knew grandpa spoke Spanish, so they spoke to him in Spanish, and that grandma spoke English, so English it was with her. It was interesting to see them try to go back and forth in conversations, much like I do with my parents.

10. Asking to do things in Spanish – They like to ask for certain things in Spanish, whether its telling me they are thirsty or need to go to the restroom, I enjoy it and praise their efforts!

(Babble.com)

Bilingual children have a twotracked mind

Adults learning a foreign language often need flash cards, tapes, and practice, practice, practice. Children, on the other hand, seem to pick up their native language out of thin air. The learning process is even more remarkable when two languages are involved. In a study examining how bilingual children learn the two different sound systems of languages they are acquiring simultaneously, Ithaca College faculty member Skott Freedman has discovered insights that indicate children can learn two native languages as easily as they can learn one.

“At first glance, the process of learning a language can seem incredibly daunting,” said Freedman, an assistant professor of speech language and pathology and audiology. “Environmental input presented at a fairly rapid rate must be mapped onto detailed representations in the brain. A word’s meaning, sounds, and grammatical function all must be extracted from the incoming speech stream. Yet this potentially arduous task is typically executed with little effort by children barely a year old. In fact, studies show that children can learn a word in as little as one exposure.”

But how complex is the process when a child grows up learning two languages?

“It has commonly been debated whether a bilingual child has one large set of sounds from both languages or, conversely, two separate sound systems,” Freedman said. “A way of testing this theory is to measure a child’s language productions in both languages using some measure of complexity and then comparing the two languages.”

Freedman’s study measured complexity in terms of the word shape, such as the presence of word-final consonants and consonant clusters. He also measured the degree to which the children could approximate their languages. For example, if a child said “tar” for the word “star,” he or she produced three of four possible sounds, therefore approximating the word with 75 per cent accuracy.

“A hypothesis proposed several years ago predicts that, though bilingual children may differ in their productions between languages, they will nevertheless maintain a similar level of overall approximation,” Freedman said. “The hypothesis was confirmed in a study using an EnglishHungarian bilingual child, but no study to date has tested the hypothesis in Spanish, the fastest growing language in the United States.”

Freedman’s study compared the language productions of five English-Spanish bilingual children during a picture-naming task to the productions of five Englishonly and five Spanish-only speaking children. The results confirmed the hypothesis, with some added insights.

“While bilingual children produced more complex forms in Spanish than in English, they nonetheless approximated English and Spanish to the same degree. Perhaps while learning a language, some inner algorithm determines how much one needs to articulate in order to be understood regardless of the different kinds of sounds between languages. Otherwise, children should have been more easily understood in Spanish.”

In addition, Freedman found that no production differences emerged between the bilingual children and their monolingual counterparts in English or Spanish, indicating a sufficient amount of independence between a bilingual child’s two sound systems.

“Bilingual children manage not only to learn two sets of words at one time and keep these two systems separate, they even keep the two sound systems separate,” Freedman said. “This result makes a case against not exposing children to more than one language at birth because they might be confused or overwhelmed.”

The results of Freedman’s study were published in the December 2012 issue of the “International Journal of Bilingualism.” (Science Daily)

US$12.3M Linden water project moving apace – GWI

The US$12.3 million Linden Water Supply Rehabilitation Programme is moving a pace, Guyana Water Inc (GWI) Project Manager David Merrill told Guyana Times on Thursday.

Ahead of the 2014 deadline, approximately 77 per cent of pipelines have been laid in critical sections on the Wismar and Mackenzie communities. The replacing of the transmission and the distribution mains in the town will reduce the problem of polluted and discoloured water caused by antiquated pipelines. It is anticipated that water losses will reduce significantly. The pipe-laying aspect is slated for completion in September.

It is the first of three components of the rehabilitation programme. The second component includes the construction of two water treatment plants – one at Central Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie and the second at Wisroc, Wismar.

According to Merrill, work is progressing on the two treatment plants, with the foundations being laid. Complementing the two stations are reservoirs, which are being built at both sites. He said this aspect of the project is on stream to meet its deadline.

The final aspect involves institutional strengthening where a consultant has been hired to work along with GWI to fortify its human resource capacity in terms of their technical and managerial skills.

Quality improvement

Acknowledging the rapid growth in the region’s housing sector and challenges faced in communities within Linden, the Housing and Water Ministry, through the government, entered into the agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in July 2011 for the initiation of the Linden Water Supply Rehabilitation Project. The

objective of the project is to improve the quality, efficiency of delivery, and sustainability of the drinking water supplied in the mining town.

The rehabilitation project is the result of a promise made by then President Bharrat Jagdeo to improve the lives of Lindeners in the areas of health-care delivery, education, infrastructure, housing and water.

Subsequent to the signing of the multibillion-dollar agreement, GWI official Omar Bissoon had told Guyana Times that the project is a turning point for the mining town.

“Right now, Lindeners are not having 24 hour supply at the moment, so the new plants have been designed to provide 24-hour supply; secondly they are designed to supply World Health Organisation standard water, so that is like the best quality water anywhere, in any First World country,” he had explained.

Beware of housing fraudsters – Ali

Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali has issued a warning to the general public to beware of fraudsters who attempt to sell them house lots, which are only available through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

Minister Ali is urging persons to safeguard themselves and “to operate in an

honest way because when you do this and you are part of these schemes, you are also a part of the fraud”.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) release, the minister explained that the internal controls and system of the CH&PA have been strengthened “to the extent that we have been nabbing a lot of fraudsters and detect-

ing a lot of fraud in the system”.

He observed that those who were found are the fraudsters from outside of the system. “We have warned the public out there that there is only one way of conducting business with the CH&PA, and that is by coming into the ministry and dealing directly with the ministry,” Minister Ali stated emphatically.

He explained that one fraudster was recently nabbed trying to sell some of the turnkey homes.

Cecil Davis, also known as “Charlie”, was placed before the courts and was released on bail. His next appearance in court will be on August 12.

Minister Ali is also urging persons with additional information on anyone trying to sell turnkey homes to take the information into the ministry. He added that currently more than 13 cases have been investigated.

Construction on “1000 homes” initiative expected to begin by October

The “1000 homes” turnkey initiative at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara is ahead of schedule, and construction of the homes is expected to begin as soon as October, Housing and Water Irfaan Ali said Minister.

The ministry in June launched the project, with the promise that it will work aggressively to have construction start long before the end of 2013. Speaking on Wednesday at

the site, directly behind the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, Minister Ali advised that the ministry has started clearing the entire area earmarked for the homes. The expectation is that this process will be completed in the next three weeks, Minister Ali said, once there is no interruption owing to inclement weather, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

He explained that once

the land clearing is completed, the ministry will immediately take the project out to tender. The “1000 homes” initiative is the latest in the successful turnkey concept started by the ministry in 2011 – to assist low-income earners become homeowners. The initiative will see the ministry constructing two-bedroom homes for $4.9 million and three-bedroom homes for $9 million that will be sold to qualifying beneficiaries.

Women and Gender Equality Commission wants life extended

Despite the opposition’s move to reject a motion which sought to extend the life of the Women and Gender Equality Commission, its chairperson, Indra Chandarpal backed by her commissioners, remain hopeful that the unit will be given another opportunity to meet the needs of Guyanese.

Chandarpal told the press on Wednesday that the commission has not been formally written on the matter. “Whatever you heard in the press is what we have heard in the press, but we are continuing our work, as far as we are concerned, we still have a mandate and when we receive the cease order we will stop, but in the meantime, we are continuing with our work,” she said when questioned by Guyana Times

Five-year strategic plan

According to Chandarpal, the commission is hoping that the Alliance For Change (AFC); A Partnership for National Unity (APNU); and the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) can work together to preserve the life of the commission. “We are hoping before the year is out, we would be guided as to where we are in terms of our tenure,” she said.

Even as the commission faces closure, the dedicated commissioners have pledged to work in keeping with their five-year strategic plan, which was unveiled in April, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Organisational and institutional strengthening of the commission, women leadership and governance, economic improvement of women, and gender-based violence are the four thematic areas that will be covered extensively by the commission if granted the extension.

“The work plan committee would’ve

look at the strategic plan and the annual report and we have come up with activities for the commission in 2014,” the commission’s chairperson explained.

Already, the Women and Gender Equality Commission has met with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Dr Jacob Opadeyi. During the meeting, which was held earlier this year, the commission called on the university to boost the operations of the women’s studies unit, which appears to be dysfunctional. “We had also proposed to the vice chancellor the setting-up of a gender equality division at the university and we also talked about a leadership course for women and a number of other issues,” Chandarpal recalled.

Similarly, a high-level meeting was held with the Home Affairs Ministry to discuss domestic violence and the police’s reaction. The chairperson noted that the ministry was encouraged to provide a special section within police stations – “a safe room” – to hear the plight of victims of domestic violence.

Prior to the press conference, Chandarpal handed over the third annual report of the Women and Gender Equality Commission for 2013 to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman.

Recommendations

Chandarpal said in keeping with the 2013 Work Programme, the commission has executed nine outreaches in all the administrative regions with the exception of Region Eight. A team will visit that region in August. The findings and recommendations have been compiled into the report, the chairperson posited.

Amid many challenges including financial problems and a shortage of human resources, the commission continues to work.

“We still have to see the setting-up of the human rights commission that also poses a challenge,” Chandarpal said. The Human Rights Commission has the administrative responsibility over the other commissions.

Looking ahead...

...at PPP/C congress

The long-awaited People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Congress, scheduled for this weekend, is nigh upon us. No matter what spin is put on the event, whether by insiders or outsiders or even opponents, this Congress is going to have wider ramifications than usual. For one, while it’s been long in coming, the older leadership –whether from the founding generation or from their direct successors – are all either gone or going.

Change is “gonna come” this weekend – and not just for the PPP/C but the entire country. The PPP/C’s been a national institution from the day it was founded in 1950, and spawned every other subsequent political party of significance. Even the United Force (UF) of the 1960s was basically a right-wing reaction to the firmly left PPP/C. With the old guard out of the door and its old ideology marginalised as a quid pro quo for its return to power 21 years ago, a brand new party has to emerge.

While there are those who’re focusing on the tactics the new leadership might adopt so as to regain the majority it had become accustomed to securing for half a century (if sometimes masked by rigging), a more pertinent question is what long-term vision (we’re not going to use the more loaded “ideology”) will the party adopt to deal with the new realities – local and international.

But with all the old heads gone or going, who or which group will be capable of formulating such a coherent vision is maybe even more pertinent. Let’s face it – the brave new world that the neo-liberal juggernaut has plunged us into will need great agility at negotiating a whole range of new variables.

This demands a whole lot of experience. Whether you love him or hate him, you have to admit that one of the few men in the PPP/C who have that experience is former President Bharrat Jagdeo. Another would be President Donald Ramotar himself.

He’s negotiated our economy through the treacherous waters of debt cancellation and charted a new course for Guyana with the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) that has resulted in years of solid economic growth. In the past, he’s indicated that he may not want to become embroiled in the messy local politics characterised by innuendoes and slander. We hope that at this congress, he’ll be persuaded to become involved as a guiding “elder statesman”.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man?

...at Limacol CPL

Your loyal Eyewitness was so faithful to the demands of the trade that he had to look at the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ demolition of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel from the confines of his living room. Big-screen TVs and wide-angle cameras made the experience almost life-like. And your Eyewitness was able to see what the rest of the world saw of our arrangements in dear old mudland.

We looked very professional, that’s for sure. The corporate presence in cricket has definitely taken the arrangements to a whole new level. Everything ran like clockwork...and that is not easy when you’re putting on an all-West Indian extravaganza! The music was pulsating, the girls were gyrating, and the fans were screaming. What more could the fans want?

Good, swashbuckling cricket? Well, there was that also.... Oodles of that. The Indian Premier League (IPL) showed that T20 can be used to identify new talent and give old talent a chance to redeem itself. We had the former in 17-year-old Nicholas Pooran from the Red Steel who played a blinder of an innings. Then local boy Veerasammy Permaul made a good case that he still has a lot of cricket left in him. The first two games of the Limacol CPL proved that the Caribbean can compete with the best of the T20 leagues.

...to budget fight

The Alliance For Change (AFC) leader Khemraj Ramjattan complained he’s not been included in the discussion on next year’s budget. He’s surprised when he demands the Public Procurement Commission becomes part of budget preparations? Does he know what’s a budget?

Hydro project consultation

Sithe Global urges stakeholders to get on board

By Leana Bradshaw

The president of Sithe Global, the contractor for the multibillion-dollar Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, Brian Kubeck on Wednesday emphasised the need for the country, the parliamentary opposition, and policymakers in general to embrace the hydro project before a final decision can be made in going forward with further investment.

He pointed to the October 30 deadline for this decision to be made. Kubeck was at the time speaking at a public consultation on the project at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. Kubeck also sought to clarify the cost of the project, with a view to put misinterpretations to rest.

“The transmission line component of this project is much larger than what you have in a typical hydro. As a result of that, I think a lot of people have made some apples to oranges comparisons between costs… When you pull out the road and the generation and transmission line, the cost comes down to about US$3600 per kilowatt,” he explained.

Kubeck also pointed out that Sithe Global has invested some US$16 million into the project. “If you want to attract an institution like the IDB [International Development Bank], you have to have absolute top world-class engineering and environmental standards. We’ve sent hundreds of scientists to study all environmental impacts.”

Savings

Senior Managing Director of Blackstone, which is the parent company of Sithe Global, Sean Klimczak, noted that much work has been invested into the project after six years and now is the time for the people of Guyana to decide on going ahead with its construction.

He called for a “unified consensus view from all parliamentarians on the project”. Klimczak pointed out that over 100 years, the hydro project will save the country some

12 years and then that figure drops down in the last eight years,” he detailed.

Among other questions raised by stakeholders and the media were the awarding of Makeshwar “Fip” Motilall’s contract, feasibility studies on the awarding of contracts, and the repayment of funds borrowed to carry out the project.

In the first national stakeholders’ forum to discuss the project last week, President Donald Ramotar called on both the private and public sectors to embrace patriotism as he rallied support for the revival of the Amaila Falls project.

Benn inspects ongoing projects in Regions Four and Five

$17 billion or six years’ worth of Gross Domestic Product and will produce up to 165 megawatts of new power.

Highlighting some additional information which he hoped will convince the opposition of the project’s worthiness, he said the total cost of the entire project is $858 million to date. “Seventy per cent of cost is funded by debt, 30 per cent by equity. From the equity, Sithe Global will own 60 per cent and government will own 40 per cent,” he noted.

Guyana Power and Light Chairman Winston Brassington explained: “In 2009, we had a recession and the prices that came in then were more or less at the bottom end of the market, because of the long period to develop the project. Material cost, foreign exchange rate, all of those changed and the cost of the project went up…In 2010, US$700 million went up over US$150 million.”

However, he noted that the cost of power did not go up over the years despite a hike in fuel cost. The GPL chairman also added that “government is putting up a debt service reserve account for the project”. “With our lenders, we have to commit that GPL obtains financing, it needs to implement its development and expansion plan.”

He said part of the debt will be repaid within the first 12 years of the 20-year-period allotted. “We’re actually paying close to $110 million to $120 million in the first

The president said there was urgent need for Guyanese to unite for the realisation of the hydro project. He noted that government has been keeping the opposition and the private sector updated on the progress of the project, but the opposition voted against the hydroelectric bill and a motion to raise the debt ceiling that would create the financial architecture for the implementation of the hydro project.

The current cost of generating electricity would be reduced by 20-40 per cent with the advent of the project.

Cheap power for Linden Brassington noted that Lindeners will be paying 11 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour for electricity, a 21 per cent reduction from the current 30 U.S. cents (under government’s subvention). This amount is about 50 per cent of what citizens in other parts of Guyana pay. According to Brassington, a substation will be constructed in Linden and electricity generated to the community from the Amaila Falls hydro power plant when the facility is completely functional.

In addition, Brassington explained that because the Wärtsilä station can be operated automatically and some of the plants will only require two or one staffers, there will be no need for an entire staffing system. “Today, over 80 per cent of GPL’s power is generated outside of GPL, so the employees do not belong to GPL and they will have to make adjustments,” he said.

(leanab@guyanatimesgy.com)

IMF warns Caribbean of interconnection risks

Caribbean countries have been warned that while increased financial integration has facilitated the flow of funds and allowed regional countries to overcome scale constraints, the increased interconnectedness has also built systemic risks and increased the likelihood of contagion.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) working paper examining the “Financial Interconnectedness and Financial Sector Reforms in the Caribbean” notes that financial sector linkages have increased continuously in the Caribbean with cross border

capital flows and financial conglomerates dominating the financial system.

The paper said this has occurred largely through the dominant presence of foreign banks, mainly Canadian banks, foreign participation in insurance markets and pension funds, securities trading abroad, and direct borrowing of domestic firms in international markets.

However, it notes that most of these developments have been without any formal agreements, with the exception of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), where there is a common cen-

tral bank, and common stock and government securities markets.

Barbados, Jamaica, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and Trinidad and Tobago, also have an agreement to cross list securities on their stock markets. The authors of the paper, Sumiko Ogawa, Joonkyu Park, Diva Singh, and Nita Thacker said the increased systemic risks and likelihood of contagion were evident when the collapse of the Trinidad-based conglomerate CL Financial Group sent repercussions throughout the Caribbean region.

Ptoured the sites of a number of major civil engineering projects. The aim of the visit was to ensure that contractors maximise the prevailing good weather to keep abreast with project deadlines and the quality of work being done.

Been acknowledged, according to a Government Information Agency (GINA) release, that there has been criticism about the pace of work, which has been affected by the extended rainy season that ended in July. There were also problems with the supply of materials such as crusher run, aggregate and materials from the quarries.

With regard to the sea defence project in Georgetown, he stressed the cost-effectiveness of the structure, which can be relocated. While there has not been a recurrence of high tides that swamped several seaside communities, the hurricane

season has started and may cause storm surges that can arrive on the Guyana coast. “So we are monitoring the situation, and we are on the lookout for those to be able to respond as much as possible,” Benn said.

He added that as more of the wall sections are installed towards the end of August, the sandbags will be removed from along the East Coast road. In relation to the social gatherings on the sea wall, Minister Benn emphasised that there will be no liming there, because it has destroyed the embankment.

“The so-called lime will move back to the west where there is space, where there are no people living nearby, where the frolic could continue without much disturbance to the greater public,” he said. The minister is also calling on people who are encumbering the roadside to remove their vehicles and stalls.

Sea wall project

Senior District Engineer Maitland Stewart, in explaining the project being done on the sea wall, noted that the ministry came up with the wall design (a strobe wall) and before that, studies were done on the wave activity. “It wasn’t a case where the wave broke over the wall, it was collapsing on the wall, so we realised that building a short strobe wall (0.7 metre high) would be enough, not to completely prevent the overtopping, but to reduce that amount of overflow,” he said.

Further, the Force Account Unit, which is executing the project, intends to construct a one- kilome-

tre stretch of the strobe wall which will extend from Liliendaal (from the Health Ministry building) to Conversation Tree, and even a little further up heading to Sheriff Street.

The project is costing the ministry $19,000 per metre as against the use of a rock/ boulder alternative, which would cost $400,000 per metre.

While there has been concern about the added weight on the sea wall, it was noted that several prototypes were tested. It was then determined that a lightweight concrete with an incorporation of sea shells would be feasible to control the weight of the structure. Some of the other works being done in the district include the maintenance and repairs to sea defences and river embankments. These are also being carried out by the Force Account Unit. Additionally, continuous monitoring is done by rangers. The minister also visited two bridge projects at Kingelley and Tempe on the West Coast of Berbice, Region Five. Project Manager Sunil Ganesh explained that the US$2.6 million contract, which includes the construction of 11 structures – six culverts and five bridges, was awarded to Kares Engineering.

With regards to the bridge at Kingelley, Ganesh indicated that the project is 75 per cent completed. “We are on schedule,” he emphasised. These works are expected to enhance drainage within West Coast Berbice and also promote permanent accessibility along the route.

BBCI hosts emancipation programme

The Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) on Wednesday held an Emancipation Day programme during which it feted staff and other members of the public

The programme included opening remarks by BBCI Chief Executive Officer Omadat Samaroo; singing and drumming

from the Congo Nya Drummers; an emancipation speech from special invitees including Ras Leon Saul, writer, and director, and producer of Carib Feedback Productions; and “special thoughts” on emancipation were also delivered by directors Gillian Burton and Cecil Kennard. Tokens of appreciation

were also handed out to all long-outstanding Afro employees.

According to a release, the BBCI said it discharges its corporate responsibilities by playing an integral role in the development of education and sport in particular, and society in general across the country.

City Hall to hold public forum on Tuesday

The Mayor and City Council will be holding a public forum on Tuesday, August 6, at City Hall.

The purpose of the event is to discuss local government reforms and its implications for the work of the municipality.

The forum is geared at bringing citizens up to date with the current status of bills to facilitate reforms and what needs to be done. All citizens are invited to attend and participate in this event.

GAWU salutes postemancipation heroes

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) has saluted the descendants of those freed African slaves who became the post-emancipating pioneers in agriculture, mining, professional life and trade as well as the founders of the network of former plantations which became our vanguard village movement.

In a message to mark emancipation, the union said these were the true pioneers of freedom, independence of sprit, thought and action against the might of the plantocracy, the merchant class, and the colonial governments. In the face of sabotage of their new villages, against the divide-and-rule technique of the local colonialists (1839 to around 1900), the early Afro-Guyanese insisted and fashioned lives for themselves in the public sector and in self-employment – interacting as they had to, with the newer arrivals turned settlers.

Now, 175 years af-

ter emancipation, AfroGuyanese have a right to assess their current status as citizens of the republic. Political considerations are natural and pivotal to those considerations, GAWU feels.

Any meaningful assessment of the Afro-Guyanese condition today must take into account the effectiveness of those who held themselves out as leaders of that community. That is why GAWU respectfully suggests that Guyanese of African descent use this anniversary period to consult with their current leaders. Explore just what is needed to engage government, private sector, disaporic connections, and the rest of the Guyanese family right here, to negotiate and demand the fruits of the legacy that the emancipated pioneers of freedom planted 175 years ago.

GAWU wishes the AfroGuyanese community, hundreds of which it represents, an interesting, thoughtful and happy anniversary of emancipation.

Johnny P supervisor shot during robbery

Asupervisor of Johnny P Supermarket on Aubrey Barker Road, South Georgetown was shot to his abdomen when a lone bandit robbed the business of some $400,000 Wednesday night.

In a release, police said around 21:10h on Wednesday, Alfred

Fernandes, 63, was confronted by a man armed with a firearm who shot him to his abdomen and took away a bag containing $400,000 before escaping in a waiting motor car. Fernandes has been admitted to the hospital. Investigations are in progress.

OAS calls for more intraregional trade to tackle

hemispheric challenges

Organisation of American States (OAS) Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin called on ministers of trade and the private sector to take concrete measures to promote economic growth in the Americas, during the launch of a Miami Chapter of the Latin American Business Council (CEAL).

Speaking with top business leaders from Latin America during the event, Assistant Secretary General Ramdin said more intra and inter-regional American trade is critical for reaching the region’s economic growth potential. Intraregional trade in Latin America and the Caribbean accounts for less than 20 per cent of total trade, in contrast with 65 per cent in the European Union, 52 per cent in Asia and 50 per cent in North American Free

Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries. The senior OAS official added that these low levels of regional economic integration in Latin America and the Caribbean remain a challenge to creating and expanding businesses and jobs in the region.

“If we are more organised and integrated, our region has the potential to alter the economic and commercial landscape in this global era,” said Ramdin, who also advocated the creation of a space for dialogue where ministers of trade and the private sector are able to discuss regional and global value chains.

The OAS assistant secretary general emphasised the key role of trade and regional integration in successfully adapting to changing global economics, while maintaining focus on issues of poverty, prosperity, peace and stability in the Americas.

Producer, director, writer and television host Dr Tukufu Zuberi presented a copy of his film African Independence, a portrayal of African heritage and the movement for freedom and liberation that will premiere locally today.

The presentation was made as Dr Zuberi paid a courtesy call on the Guyanese head of state, Donald Ramotar in the company of Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony and African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) director, Dr Eric Phillips.

Aside from today’s screening at the Theatre Guild Playhouse from 17:00h, Dr Zuberi, an 11-year veteran of the PBS programme “History Detectives”, has

Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green, Public Health and Markets Committee Chairman Ranwell Jordan, and other councillors and officials met with vendors of the Kitty Market on Wednesday.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the future of that facility, a release from City Hall said. More than 40 vendors attend-

also been invited under the auspices of the Culture, Youth, and Sport Ministry to participate in a workshop for local filmmakers.

The founder of TZ Production Company said he was elated to be in Guyana for such an occasion that coincided with the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery and emancipation of enslaved Africans and the 50th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity.

The Oakland California native discussed with President Ramotar and his team a wide range of issues pertaining to history and present-day occurrences and the task ahead to create a better world.

Dr Zuberi said, “I’m very happy to be here to partici-

ed the meeting and shared their concerns about the state of the market and how it is impacting their trade.

The council is looking at several options: selling the facility, entering a partnership with the central government, or vendors, or the private sector.

The meeting also felt that there was an urgent need for the council to have an audience with the local govern-

pate in the festivities today and I look forward to learning from my brothers and sisters here in Guyana.”

Dr Zuberi was born Antonio McDaniel in the 1970s and changed his name to Tukufu Zuberi, in his quest to identify and make a connection with the “motherland”. “We (pan-Africans) have this old idea that we need to identify with Africa, philosophically, ideologically, and culturally as a way of reviving our own sense of self, not that we have to go back to Africa physically or we have to rename ourselves as I personally did, but that we do need to embrace a sense of African humanity,” he said in an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA).

ment and regional development minister.

Of immediate concern to the council is finding an alternative arrangement for vendors to continue to ply their trade.

The mayor met with a vendors and officials to prepare the appropriate documents to dispatch to the minister. The Kitty Market is in a severe state of disrepair.

Aman from East Canje, Berbice ended up in court on a charge of affiliation arrears of $645,900 and was granted bail in the sum of $40,000 when he appeared before Magistrate Rhondell Weaver in the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

The magistrate granted bail to Mukthakam Nabi after she was told that he had been living with the woman he owes the money to for the past three years. The accused, who appeared with his reputed wife, told the court that he did owe the money and begged the court for a chance to al-

low him to have a payment plan. “Your Worship, I only have $40,000 now. I will pay $10,000 extra every month. So it will be $19,000 Ah will give she,” he explained.

On July 9, 2010, Nabi was ordered to pay $3000 monthly to Venita Shivratian for each of their three children. He made his last payment on December 16, 2011. The couple had reconciled, but the monthly child support kept adding up and recently Shivratian took out a warrant for the money not paid.

Magistrate Weaver said the court could not go against the order and will have to determine the

The tragic incident in Bihar, India, where 23 schoolchildren died after eating a school meal contaminated with monocrotophos, is an important reminder to speed up the withdrawal of highly-hazardous pesticides from markets in developing countries, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said on Wednesday.

Monocrotophos is an organophosphorus pesticide that is considered highly hazardous by FAO and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Many developing countries’ experience shows that the distribution and use of such highly toxic products very often pose a serious risk to human health and the environment.

The incident in Bihar underscores that secure storage of pesticide products and safe disposal of empty pesticide containers are risk reduction measures, which are just as crucial as more prominent field-oriented steps like wear-

ing proper protective masks and clothing.

The entire distribution and disposal cycle for highly hazardous pesticides carries significant risks. Safeguards are difficult to implement in many countries. Among international organisations, including FAO, the WHO, and the World Bank, there is consensus that highly hazardous products should not be available to small-scale farmers who lack knowledge and the proper sprayers, protective gear, and storage facilities to manage such products appropriately.

FAO, therefore, recommends that governments in developing countries should speed up the withdrawal of highly hazardous pesticides from their markets. Nonchemical and less toxic alternatives are available, and in many cases, integrated pest management can provide adequate pest management that is more sustainable and reduces the use of pesticides.

The International Code

of Conduct on Pesticide Management, adopted by FAO member countries, establishes voluntary standards of conduct for all public and private entities involved in pesticide management. This code has been broadly accepted as the main reference for responsible pesticide management. It states that prohibiting the importation, distribution, sale and purchase of highly hazardous pesticides may be considered if, based on risk assessment, risk mitigation measures or good marketing practices are insufficient to ensure that the products can be handled without unacceptable risk to humans and the environment.

For monocrotophos, many governments have concluded that prohibition is the only effective option to prevent harm to people and the environment. This pesticide is prohibited in Australia, China, the European Union and the United States, and in many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

amount that is owed for the period the couple was not living together. “I will have to put you on bail so that you can go home with your wife and family,”

The 31-year-old Nabi told the court that he was out of a job for some time and so could not meet his legal obligations. Referring to the size of his family, the fisherman said, “Ah living with she, she three children and the one inside she belly.”

The matter will be called again on October 21 when the court is expected to say how much Nabi will have to pay.

Emancipation Day celebrations

Guyanese celebrate Emancipation Day 2013

Guyanese turned out in their hundreds on Thursday at the National Park, to celebrate the 175th anniversary of emancipation, as well as events that led to the achievement of freedom from slavery.

The annual Emancipation Day event, which was organised by the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA), was observed alongside the 250th anniversary of the 1763 Berbice Slave Rebellion and the 190th anniversary of the Demerara Slave Uprising.

According to ACDA Executive Director, Dr Eric Phillips, who gave the welcoming remarks, as the various anniversaries are observed, it is ACDA’s hope that Guyanese will be mo-

tivated to be more than free and independent as a nation.

“Today, in Guyana, our heroes of all races, cultures and creeds have fought for us to live the spirit and substance of our motto: One People, One Nation, One Destiny,” Dr Phillips said.

He also quoted the legendary Nelson Mandela who said: “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chain, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

During the activity, President Donald Ramotar, along with Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, other top government officials and Opposition Leader David Granger, took time to mingle with persons as they celebrated the momentous event.

Neal and Massy presents bursaries to employees’ children

The Neal and Massy Guyana Group of Companies presented bursaries to 21 children of employees who were successful at the recent National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) at a ceremony held at Neal and Massy Staff facilities, Ruimveldt.

According to a release from the group, Finance Director Trade and Distribution Inc (TDI), Troy Beharry, who spoke on behalf of Group Chief Executive Officer Deo Persaud, said the group was extremely proud of the students.

Beharry added that the group has been presenting bursaries for more than 30 years in recognition of the achievements of employees’ children who have excelled.

“We would like to congratulate you and encourage you to set higher goals as you embark on secondary education. We also applaud your parents for the role they have played in your development,” he added.

Beharry said the group will be celebrating 45 years of operation in Guyana, and the bursary award ceremony was one of the activities to coincide with the anniversary.

The parents of the awardees are employed at Associated Industries Limited (AINLIM); NM Services Limited (NMSL); CCS; NM Security Services; Demerara Oxygen Company (DOCOL); and TDI. TDI Human Resources Coordinator Rodrigues said the Guyana Group continues to give back and encourages young people to grow.

The bursary awardees are: Heimraj Resaul, Hema Davie Singh, Hakeem Paul, Jude Bouyea, Melissa Vandeyar, Joel Edmonds, Talisa Rawlins, Joshua Hines, Omari Tyrell, Allison Miggins, Nishani Linguist, Kirk Barnes, Angela Perry, Latoya Lachhman, Omatayo Moore, Akilah Spellen, Shadacia Luthman, O’Neil Carter, Krishna Paul, Jaheim Jaundoo, and Thakecha Ramkellawan.

Well-organised

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony commended ACDA on a well-organised event and pointed out that a number of the ministry’s institutions participated in the activities.

Among them are the National School of Dance and the Museum of African Heritage.

“We’re always pleased to participate in this event. We think it’s a way of helping people to bring awareness about the struggles of our ancestors”.

Dr Anthony also urged young Guyanese to learn about their history, “Because without it, you literally don’t have an identity”.

Later in the day, the government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and Guyanese from all backgrounds gathered on the tarmac and filled the stands of the National Park to witness rich cultural performances from a number of groups and organisations in the “Hello Africa Parade”. The groups on display all marched and gyrated to the sounds of drums played by the Hebrew Family, as well as other drummers from Linden and elsewhere.

The audience were informed that they would be the judge of the best put-together costume and display in the parade.

The show saw performances from a masquerade group, the Mystic Dancers, the Mocha cultural group, Flames of the Heart Cultural group and individual performances such as that of Guyanese singer Lisa Punch. She sang one of her original songs altered to be in keeping with the theme of this year’s emancipation, “Honouring our heroes of 1823”.

Neighbouring Suriname was also featured in the proceedings. Members of the delegation took the opportunity to greet President Ramotar as they passed.

The inhumane system of slavery was abolished on August 1, 1834 in all British colonies, including British Guiana – now Guyana.

While the British Emancipation Act was passed in 1833, it came into force in 1834. The Emancipation Act catered for a period of transition called the apprenticeship system under which the ex-slaves were still subjected to their former masters. This apprenticeship system lasted for another four years, 1834-1838, after which ‘full freedom’ was achieved, bringing to an end the atrocious system of slavery which, for centuries, had brought so much pain, suffering, and bitterness.

Caribbean to benefit from IDB, United Way Worldwide early childhood initiative

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and United Way Worldwide, the world’s largest privately-funded charitable organisation, have agreed to work together to promote programmes and projects aimed at improving early childhood development in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno and United Way Worldwide Chief Executive Officer Brian A Gallagher signed a memorandum of understanding on July 30 at the bank’s headquarters in Washington, DC. Latin America has made significant progress in extending public service coverage in health care, nutrition, childcare, and education for children ranging from newborn to six years of age.

Despite these advances, the poorest populations, including those living in rural areas, indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants, still live in precarious conditions. In at least seven countries in the region, between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of children suffer from chronic malnutrition.

Early childhood development

The IDB and United Way’s shared interest in improving the well-being of the region’s children in the region paved the way for establishment of this partnership. Both institutions believe in the impor-

tance of early childhood development through improved education, income and health – the building blocks for a good quality of life.

United Way Worldwide and the IDB already have been working together on activities such as the ALAS-IDB Awards in Early Childhood Development and Early Childhood Development training. However, this new alliance opens new collaboration opportunities for both institutions, which will leverage experience gained from publicprivate partnerships and the bank’s knowledge of social protection issues in the region.

United Way, a worldwide movement in 41 countries and territories, includes more than 1200 local organisations in the United States. It advances the common good by focusing on education, income and health – the building blocks for a good quality life. LIVE UNITED is United Way’s call to action for everyone to give, to advocate, and to volunteer to improve conditions in their local community. The IDB supports efforts by Latin America and the Caribbean countries to reduce poverty and inequality. It aims to bring about development in a sustainable, climate-friendly way. Established in 1959, it is the leading source of development financing for the region, with a strong commitment to achieving measurable results, increased integrity, transparency and accountability.

GGMC celebrates 34th anniversary with lunch, awards

The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) celebrated its 34th anniversary on Wednesday with, among other activities, a formal lunch and an award ceremony to show gratitude to the long-term employees, for their dedicated service to the agency.

Acting GGMC Commissioner Rickford Vieira highlighted that among the persons identified to receive awards is one employee who has been with the agency for 30 years, and about five who have been serving for 25 years. There are a few others who have been on board with the commission for five to 15 years.

He also noted that bursary awards were to be given to the employees’ children who recently sat the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examination and obtained

good grades.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud said, during a recent interview, that “an anniversary is certainly an occasion that one should give true significance, because it provides an opportunity to reflect, to contemplate on current issues and also to plan ahead”, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

Increasingly important

The minister noted that the GGMC’s role is increasingly important in the country’s national development and thrust, to modernise and expand its economic base and to develop its rich natural wealth in a manner that will bring about tremendous benefits to a wide cross-section of Guyanese. GGMC started very humbly and with the

growth of the mining sector, it has been able to develop its capabilities as the main regulator and facilitator of the sector –creating and allowing new opportunities and helping stakeholders to confront various challenges.

Minister Persaud said GGMC will always be a very dynamic state entity, in the sense that it has to be ready to look at new opportunities and also confront some of the existing and longstanding challenges. As is known, there are some real and pressing issues with mining that have to be addressed especially the environment, he said. The agency and the ministry are committed to developing the economy on a low-carbon growth path and ensuring it achieves that balance with the environment and address social issues.

Minister Persaud said over the years, GGMC has

been able to rise to the occasion, and he assured that it will continue to do so. The minister also said that the issue of GGMC’s anniversary being ‘cancelled’ was a miscommunication as no such action was taken. The ministry had proposed that the GGMC Anniversary celebrations and bursary awards be integrated into the upcoming Mining Week 2013 activities.

The Biennial National Mining and Quarrying Conference will be held during this year’s Mining Week activities. This event will highlight the importance of mining to the national economy. Participants will also illustrate the future development of extractive industries’ practices. This will further enhance the activities and give more organisational context to the anniversary celebrations.

Caribbean countries have been warned not to lose sight of the bigger goal of economic transformation and development even as they remain pre-occupied with overall economic growth.

Former deputy director of the Central Bank of TT Dr Shelton Nicholls said Caribbean countries “need to ensure that the strategies and that we are currently grap-

Ajury found former Goldman Sachs Group Inc vice president Fabrice Tourre liable for fraud for his role in a failed mortgage deal that cost investors US$1 billion, giving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a big victory.

Tourre was found liable on six of seven counts by a Manhattan federal jury, in the SEC’s highest-profile trial to spill out of its investigations into causes of the 2008 financial crisis.

“We are gratified by the

pling with to rekindle economic growth do not just address the immediacy of current challenges but really take us some distance along the road to achieving a sustainable development path”.

Addressing the Central Bank of Barbados Annual Review Seminar, Nicholls said while the pre-occupation with economic growth in the region is undoubtedly critical,

the Caribbean region should ensure that it does not lose sight of the bigger goal of economic transformation and development. He warned that “short-term tinkering alone “with our macroeconomic and financial environment while crucial for economic stabilisation may not give us the fillip that we really need to push our economies out of the current stasis (Trinidad Guardian)

Japan’s industrial output fell in June for the first time in five months, the government said yesterday as it released data highlighting the fragility of the recovery in the world’s number three economy. Manufacturing slipped 3.3 per cent from the month before in June and was 4.8 per cent lower than a year before, the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry said. Such indicators suggest weaker growth in China

may be sapping some of the momentum from the recovery. Meanwhile, household spending remained weak, despite a slight increase in incomes in June. However, other data showed the jobless rate edging down to 3.9 per cent, its lowest level since October 2008, when the economy was slammed by the global financial crisis. The jobless rate had remained at 4.1 per cent during the previous few months.

The most recent data have

officials questioning whether the government should go ahead with a promised sales tax increase that economists say could derail progress in restoring growth and breaking free of deflation. The central bank governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, said Monday he believes the recovery is strong enough to weather a tax hike, which is needed to help redress ballooning deficits that have taken Japan’s national debt to record high levels. (Trinidad Guardian)

jury’s verdict,” said Andrew Ceresney, co-director of the regulator’s enforcement division. “We will continue to vigorously seek to hold accountable, and bring to trial when necessary, those who commit fraud on Wall Street.”

After the jury was dismissed, Tourre raised his eyebrows to one of his lawyers. He and his lawyers left court without commenting on whether he plans to appeal, walking through drizzling rain followed by reporters and camera crews. U.S. District

Judge Katherine Forrest asked both sides to submit proposals by August 23 for what she termed “next steps.”

The judge will determine any financial penalties for Tourre.

The SEC had accused Tourre, 34, in a civil lawsuit with misleading investors in a product known as Abacus 2007-AC1 by failing to disclose that hedge fund billionaire John Paulson helped choose, and intended to bet against, mortgage securities underlying the 2007 deal.

(Reuters)

as rates held at 0.5 per cent

European Central Bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi has said there are some tentative signs of an economic recovery in the eurozone.

He said there may be “gradual recovery in economic activity in the remaining part of the year and in 2014”.

It comes as the ECB once again kept interest rates at a historic low level of 0.5 per cent. And Draghi has again said rates will remain at low

levels for the foreseeable future.

“The governing council confirms that it expects the key ECB rates to remain at present or lower levels for an extended period of time,” he said. His statement that rates would stay low is aimed at reassuring markets that the ECB is not ready to follow the US Federal Reserve towards withdrawing or “tapering” emergency stimulus. The rate decision comes

after some positive indicators this week, including a slight drop earlier in the number of people unemployed in the eurozone. It was the first fall for some 25 months, although the jobless rate remains at 12.1 per cent.

And on Friday, it was revealed that eurozone manufacturing activity grew for the first time in two years in July as factory output increased. (BBC News)

Dubai hotel revenues top US$3B in H1, up 18 per cent

More than 5.5 million tourists visited Dubai in the first half of 2013, representing an 11.1 per cent year-on-year increase.

The first half visitor number results, released by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) on Wednesday, show increases across all key indicators, including hotel establishment guests, hotel and hotel apartment revenues, room occupancy and average length of stay.

Revenues for hoteliers

and hotel apartment operators saw significant growth –with total first half revenues reaching AED11.62 billion (US$3.18 billion) up by 18.6 per cent.

The occupancy rate in the city also saw steady growth during the first half of the year. Hotel room occupancy averaged 84.6 per cent over the six month period, up 2.8 per cent from 81.8 per cent in the first half of 2012, while the occupancy rate for hotel apartments was 85.8 per cent, up 6.5 per cent from 79.3 per cent in H1 2012. This increase in occupan-

cy gains greater significance when viewed against a backdrop of the increased availability of hotel rooms – 16 new hotel establishments have opened since June 2012, bringing the number of establishments to 603 and adding 5484 rooms to the Emirate’s offer, which now totals 81,492. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai earlier this year announced a strategy to double annual visitor numbers to 20 million in 2020. (Arabianbusiness)

Kiwi dollar set to keep rising

The New Zealand dollar’s rapid rise against Australia’s currency is expected to continue, signalling a boon for holidaymakers heading across the Tasman but challenging times for exporters selling products into this country’s largest export market. The kiwi has gained almost 10c, or 11.6 per cent, against the Aussie since the middle of March and approached 89 Australian cents this morning.

After touching a new five-

year high of 88.98 Australian cents, the dollar recently traded at 88.87 cents, up from 88.30 cents at the 17:00h market close in Wellington Wednesday. Westpac senior market strategist Imre Speizer said the kiwi was expected to gain further and could reach A91c by the end of the year.

Accountant

When some people hear the word accountant, they groan. But an accountant earns a good living. Though busy year-round, many accountants make a large portion of their annual income from January to April (tax season). For the rest of the year, they often analyse, plan, evaluate and advise clients on successful tactics that enable them to maximise their earnings. Most firms (and discerning clients) will require a bachelor’s degree in accounting or related field. And, as is true of almost any field in finance, those hold-

The Australian economy is being hit by falling demand for its mineral exports in China, with speculation its central bank will cut interest rates next week, which could make the kiwi more attractive to traders compared with the Aussie.

“You couldn’t get a more divergent couple of economic and Reserve Bank trajectories [between this country and Australia] and that’s what’s driving the cross,” Speizer said. The economic outlook is rosier on this side of the Tasman, with Chinese demand for New Zealand’s food exports remaining strong. (NZ Herald)

Top five careers in finance

ing a master’s degree consistently earn more than their undergrad-only counterparts. Average salary is US$43,000 per year, with benefits and bonuses taking it as high as US$53,000 and up depending on locale and clientele.

Buyer If non-stop numbercrunching doesn’t appeal to you, a career as a buyer might. Buyers purchase the goods and services a company needs to operate, either for resale or use in daily operation. Enabling you to break away from the calculator, required as a central component in

many other finance careers, a buyer enjoys the opportunity to comparison shop between multiple products – a job function that also enables them to easily prove their worth when saving money on the bottom line. Depending on the company, educational requirements vary but a bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, business, economics or one of the applied sciences is often the standard.

On average, a buyer can expect to pull in around US$44,000 per year, and up to US$54,000 annually with benefits and bonuses.

SUDOKU

By Bernice Bede Osol

Persistence in pursuing important objectives is one of your most admirable assets, and chances are it’ll be the main reason for your success today. Follow your inclinations.

(June 21July 22) (Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Look for new ways to express your artistic and creative abilities. You could come up with something extremely worthwhile that will provide a deep sense of achievement.

The possibilities of fulfilling one of your secret ambitions look to be pretty good. It’s times like this that you should be acting on your ambition, not procrastinating.

Some of you single Leos might be in for a pleasant surprise when you discover you have a secret admirer. Oddly, it could be someone you always thought didn’t like you.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

(July 23Aug. 22) (Feb. 20-March 20)

If you believe you’re involved in something that could enhance your material security, stick to it until you get the desired results. Don’t listen to the naysayers.

(March 21-April 19)

Both your work associates and your friends will delegate the leadership role to you, regardless of what you’re doing. Make sure you keep a cool head and a strong hand.

(April 20-May 20)

Your perceptions concerning financial affairs could be especially acute today, so don’t underestimate your hunches when it comes to money matters. Keep your risk reasonable, and you’ll come out ahead.

(May 21June 20)

If things have been a bit slow for you in the romance department lately, don’t despair. You won’t find a better day to get out, circulate and meet new people.

Favourable financial trends are indicated for you during this present cycle, especially if it involves a second source of income. Invest most of your overflow if possible.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Partnership arrangements represent one of your primary comfort zones, and what is happening today will fit the bill. You’ll have the chance to form some solid social and commercial alliances.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Major achievements are possible if you utilise your talents and industriousness. There is a strong chance you’ll rack up an impressive financial or work-related score.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

This is one of those great days when it pays to be bold. If there’s someone to whom you’re attracted, let him or her know how you feel. The response should please you.

Christopher Martin added to international cast for

As Guyanese brace themselves for a fantastic August vacation, Hits and Jams Entertainment is busy finalising all arrangements for the hosting of Jamzone

Summer Break 2013 which intends to be steamy hot with at least 11 days of mad fun and excitement.

The massive events get underway on August 16 with the Regional Night Concert featuring some of the best in dancehall, reggae and chutney among others.

Then there is the highly anticipated International Night with the headlining act being International R&B Singer, R Kelly but it gets better with Jamaican Reggae crooner, Christopher Martin, being added to the line up.

The international super concert is slated for the Guyana National Stadium on

August 24. Among the others performing are KI and JMC 3VENI; Timeka Marshall and Jumo Primo.

Christopher Martin was made famous for songs such as “Take My Wings”; “Giving It”; “I’ll Be Your Driver” and “Real Friends” but more recently, he was largely recognised for “Buss a Blank”, “Still in Love”, “Chill Spot” and “Cheater’s Prayer”.

This artiste won Digicel’s Rising Star competition in 2005; a competition often referred to as the Jamaican version of American Idol, creating history when he became the first Digicel Rising Star Alumni to score a hit single on the charts in Jamaica.

for Aracari Resort on August 10

When the dust settles on Saturday evening, August 10 in the small village of Versailles, West Bank Demerara; laughter will erupt at the Aracari Resort. The resort will host the cast and crew of Guyana’s epic comedy show, “Chow Pow’s Comedy Jam”.

The show which is produced by Yolo Entertainment, is fresh off a sold out performance on June 1 at the Garage Bar and Grill.

Critics have proclaimed this to be the revolution of comedy shows in Guyana due to the fact that it has a no holds barred attitude and caters for an adult audience. It also highlights social issues in a satirical manner thus mirroring our society.

Also on show will be cultural ambassador Henry Rodney, Chris Gopaul and the new kids on the block “The Re-Actorz”.

The Re-Actorz are made up of the cream of the crop of actors in Mark Kasim, Mark Luke Ewards, Tashandra Innis, Leon Cummings, Sean Thompson and their writer/director Randy Critchlow, who himself hails from the mining town of Linden. Also performing on the night is Floyd Martindale and Carlvin Burnette.

For the first time after winning the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, Bollywood Segment of the competition, Bibi Halima Khan will be performing live at the event.

Advance tickets are on sale at Muslim’s Top Up in Linden for $800. Fans are encouraged to get their tickets early and avoid paying more at the gate. The show gets underway at 20:00h and tickets are available at the resort and Lucky Dollar.

He instantly shot to fame and became one of the most sought after performers on the Jamaican musical landscape. Christopher Martin supersedes many talents currently gracing

reggae music. There is no comparison to his vocal ability, outstanding stage performances and the star quality presence he seamlessly aerates to the world. He is more than just an artiste, he is a musical icon and the Jamzone committee is thrilled to have him in this year’s line up.

The sixth edition of the Guyana Fashion Weekend is slated for the Herdmanston Lodge, Lamaha and Peter Rose streets on Sunday, August 4 commencing at 19:00h.

Guyana Fashion Week really seems to be consuming the airwaves with its discussions on youth empowerment, actively pursued by the young designers and models themselves becoming spokespersons for the upcoming launch and its ongoing schedule of activities.

the truth being espoused by the beneficiaries of the interactive workshops instilling discipline, self pride and industry-specific knowledge, only serving to boost the burgeoning fashion industry and ready its personnel for the expectant rigours of the global fashion market.

GFW executives are in awe of the process, pondering and even

commenting aloud about the seemingly unusual methods being employed to access this new sense of self which would equip these aspiring models for the best possible creative execution on runway.

“I am elated by the widespread appeal of what we are doing for the industry, here in Guyana. Interests are coming in from far afield as India and Africa as well as from French and Dutch Caribbean countries.

It is heartening to be part of an all-inclusive process that is categorically history-making”, CEO, Sonia Noel stated.

The six edition of this mega event is hosted behind the backdrop of the underlying theme as the United Nation’s International Year of Water Cooperation is commemorated.

The organising body stated that in this land of many waters, it is incumbent that we acknowledge and associate with the concepts of sustainable management of fresh water resources while raising awareness on the potential for increased cooperation, in light of the growth in demand for water access, allocation and services.

This is how international recognition of our fashion wares is garnered by aligning with such international observances. For fashion has become a medium used to consolidate disparate interests.

Fashion is a fascinating mechanism of popular culture and hence drives many related industries forward by harnessing and honing inter-disciplinary strengths.

This is the first year of Guyana Fashion Week, chocked full of industrybuilding activity which would augur well for national pride; economic prosperity; youth empowerment; destination marketing; and fashion production/ manufacturing/marketing development as well as updating technological and intellectual fashion input.

Indeed, we are readying ourselves for exporting and presenting Guyanese capabilities to the world.

Twenty-one-year-old Kevin

William Bhagrat also called “Zico” was born to Patricia Bhagrat and Edward Bruce in Suriname and is one of four children. His other siblings are Vanessa Graham; Natasha Graham and Regilio Changle.

This young model spent his first years of childhood in his birth country, Suriname and later migrated to Guyana with his parents where he currently resides. He described childhood in Guyana as being wonderful and it is one he would not change if he had the opportunity to.

Bhagrat spent his first two years at Carmelita Nursery School in Campbellville but went to live with his aunt in Wakenaam where he completed his primary education after which he returned to Georgetown with his mom where he got enrolled at the Patentia Secondary, West Bank Demerara.

He is currently pursuing a Cambridge International Diploma in business studies at the Nations University. He first started modelling about three years ago when he met Melissa Payne, Miss Guyana Universe 2007 and had the opportunity to meet other models such as Soyini Fraser, Miss United Nations 2012 and Kiswana Jeffers.

During his years in the fashion industry, he bonded brilliantly with some fashion icons who have been contributing to young people in Guyana and affording them an opportunity to live their dreams. Two of those individuals are Richard Young who is a fashion guru in the Caribbean and judge on The Caribbean Next Top Model which is hosted by Miss Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam and Sonia Noel who is the founder and CEO for the Guyana Fashion Weekend. He intends to make studying his priority since he always sees education is one of the main keys to living a successful life. He will wait for the next seven to 10 years before he gets married and has children.

In any business he says challenges exist and as a young male model, one is being stigmatised since people believe that males who join the modelling/fashion industry are “gay”.

“I don’t think that should be, we as individuals shouldn’t judge everyone based on one person’s actions. I personally don’t believe in the cliché term (one rotten apple spoil the entire barrel) –that doesn’t have to be. That is just one of the many challenges we face”, the talented young man stated.

“Mardi Gras” at Club Monaco this Saturday

For the first time, Guyanese will be previewed to an event that will see everyone in attendance wearing masks as they get their freaks on.

It is the exclusive Mardi Gras style party which will see creativity at its best that entail all sorts of beads, costumes and a wide variety of masks that will blow your thoughts away.

Upon entry, patrons will all be given free masks and beads while the nightclub will be decorated to give you the full Mardi Gras experience. The 94.1FM DJS Gully Ras and selector Diamond will provide all the hottest hits while you dance under confetti and the club’s amazing lights display.

Partyholics will also be able to win tickets to Jamzone 2013. Entrance to the event is $1500 and ladies are admitted free before 22:00h. Follow the light in the sky this Saturday and party “Mardi Gras” style. This event is sponsored by Tennessse Motor Spares; 94.1 FM; Posh Boutique; and Jamzone 2013.

As he prepares for the United Nations Pageant in Miami in November, he is optimist of winning the pageant and be crowned as Mr United Nations.

At the forum, he will also use the opportunity to promote his beautiful country, Guyana, since he believes that we are “DE GEM” of the Caribbean. His mother tops off his list as a role model who is the epitome of a woman describing her as being strong both physically and mentally.

“She is the woman that has raised four gorgeous kids all by herself and the woman who raised me into the young man that I am today; a talented, charming, intellectual, compassionate and loving individual, and she has also taught me so many valuable life lessons that have brought

me through life up until now and lessons that will take me through the rest of my life and lead me into a successful man”, he added.

He loves bright colours but if he had to choose it would definitely be turquoise. As it relates to food, he loves Pepper Pot. His favourite movie is “The Vow”, directed by Michael Sucsy with Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Jessica Lange and Sam Neill.

Some past time activities he enjoys are spending time with friends and also spending time with his family, listening to music and looking at a good old movie. He also plays lawn tennis; cricket; volley ball and basic outdoor and indoor sports.

YELLOW PAGES

friday, august 2, 2013

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Tridents comfortably beat Hawksbills by 12 runs

Barbados Tridents comfortably won their second match of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League, defeating Antigua Hawksbills by 12 runs Thursday night at the Kensington Oval. Chasing 147 for victory, Antigua Hawksbills were restricted to 134-8 after they were stifled by Man of the-Match Shakib Al Haasan who took 1-16 from four overs. Off-spinner Ashley Nurse contributed 4-27 form three overs while Reyad Emrit chipped in with 2-25 from three overs.

When the Tridents batted, Shoaib Malik (33), Jonathan Carter (31) and Umar Akmal (30) were the principal scorers in their score of 146-8. Marlon Samuels and Sheldon Cotterrell took 2-17 and 2-36. respectively.

SCOREBOARD

Barbados Tridents innings

DR Smith c Thomas b Roach 8

J Carter c Thomas b Samuels 31

Shoaib Malik c Tonge b Mohammed 33

Shakib Al Hasan c Thomas b Samuels 1

Umar Akmal† c Roach b Cotterrell 30

K Pollard* c Thomas b Cotterrell 18

K Mayers c Samuels b Thomas 1

A Nurse run out (†Charles) 2

R Emrit not out 4

J Holder not out 6

Extras: (b1, lb2, w6, nb3) 12

Total: (8 wkts, 20 overs) 146

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-53, 3-61, 4-83, 5-116, 6-124, 7-132, 8-140

Bowling: K Roach 3-0-21-1, G Tonge 3-0-22-0, S Cotterrell 4-036-2, M Samuels 4-0-17-2, D Mohammed 4-0-24-1, J Kemp 1-0-8-0, D Thomas 1-0-15-1

Antigua Hawksbills innings

J Charles† b Smith 44

Limacol cPL fever hits guyana

The inaugural tournament has attracted a plethora of corporate sponsors, and one of them being SM Jaleel out of Trinidad and Tobago, through its Busta soft drink brand.

Managing director of the local subsidiary, Guyana Beverages Company, Robert Selman, said their investment in the Limacol CPL is money well spent judging from the success achieved so far.

“Everything was well organised and I appreciate it very much. It’s money well spent and I think it will grow from strength to strength. The Guyanese public came out in their full numbers to support the game and we at Busta are proud to be part of this and I know we will continue in years to come,” Selman promised.

Meanwhile, veteran

cricket commentator, Joseph “Reds” Pereira, is positive that Limacol CPL will bring tremendous benefits to Caribbean cricket.

Lauding the private sector’s involvement in the League, ‘Reds’ underscored the need for such a tournament in the region.

“I think the Limacol Caribbean Premier League has had a marvellous start; kicked off in Barbados and followed up in Guyana. I think this is a very good indication that this tournament has a lot of potential. It will expose a lot of players to the selectors,” Pereira noted.

He also added that West Indies cricket would become the ultimate beneficiary once the right choices are made.

“I hope the selectors are watching because they have not been very creative. They have not been giving oppor-

D Thomas c Pollard b Emrit 2

R Ponting c Nurse b Shakib Al Hasan 1 M Samuels* st †Umar Akmal b Nurse 23

B Rohrer c Pollard b Nurse 23

J Kemp not out 6

K Powell c Pollard b Emrit 10

D Mohammed st †Umar Akmal b

Nurse 2

K Roach c Mayers b Nurse 12

G Tonge not out 1

Extras: (b3, lb1, w6) 10

Total: (8 wkts, 20 overs) 134

Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-36, 3-68, 4-88, 5-105, 6-117, 7-121, 8-133

Bowling: J Holder 2-0-15-0, Shakib Al Hasan 4-1-16-1, R Emrit 3-0-25-2, K Pollard 3-0-170, DR Smith 4-0-25-1, A Nurse

2.5-0-27-4, Shoaib Malik 1-0-4-0

Limacol Super 6: Kieron Pollard (93m)

Digicel 4G Fastest Scorer: Umar Akmal (Run Rate)

MOM: Shakib Al Hasan

Captain Michael Clarke scored a vital century as Australia breathed life into their Ashes campaign by dominating the opening day of the third Test against England on Thursday.

tunities to a lot of people who have been knocking at the door. We’ve been playing the same players; we’ve been losing with those players. I think the Limacol Caribbean Premier League will expose a lot of players and I think it’s going to show the West Indies Cricket Board how you can go out there and find sponsorship. The organisers must be congratulated on the private sector’s involvement and I think the publicity and the crowd have responded brilliantly.”

The Limacol CPL will continue in Guyana this evening with another sold out crowd watching the Guyana Amazon Warriors against Chris Gayle’s Jamaica Tallawahs.

The first ball will be bowled at 20:00 hours. Gates will be opened from 17:00 hours.

Cracker expected between...

The 42-year-old added “We had a fantastic camp ahead of the tournament; we spent the short period to just fine tune the natural ability the guys have”.

“The fitness level is fantastic, so on the fitness side I am happy, everyone is fine and we are looking forward to the game tomorrow (today), opined Nixon”.

Meanwhile, Nixon said Gayle’s recent low form is not a concern to the team, in fact he said “Gayle is a high class player and he will bounce back with a bang”.

On the other hand, the Amazon Warriors are on a roll after their first game victory and would aim to continue the unbeaten run.

Gayle factor

Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan said that his team is keen to focus on its strengths, but is also hoping to dismiss Gayle early.

“We have to take him out before he takes us out. He is a dangerous player and we will have to get him early,” added Sarwan.

Sarwan also pointed out that his batsmen will have to find a way to conquer spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan.

“But rather than looking at the opposition too much, we’re trying to focus on our strengths and how we can execute a good game plan,” Sarwan explained.

Praise

Head Coach Roger Harper said he is happy with the performance of the team after their opening victory on Wednesday.

“I was very pleased with the way we bowled. We could have batted a bit better and fielded a little better, but overall it was a good team performance. It was good to get that first win,” said Harper.

“The bowlers stood out. I thought they did a very good job. They stuck to the plan and put the opposition under pressure from the start. The batsmen know what is required. It would be good for a couple of them to stamp our authourity with some big scores as we look ahead,

so I am very satisfied with the win and I thought generally the team played very well, but there are a few areas we need to look at but I am pretty happy with it and we look to build on it”, added Harper.

For today’s clash, gates will open from 17:00h.

Guyana Amazon Warriors: Ramnaresh Sarwan (captain), Sunil Narine, Mohammad Hafeez, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin, James Franklin, Christopher Barnwell, Krishmar Santokie, William Perkins, Steven Jacobs, Keon Joseph, Trevon Griffith, Narsingh Deonarine, Veerasammy Permaul and Martin Guptill.

Jamaica Tallawahs: Chris Gayle (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Carlton Baugh, David Bernard, Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Akeem Dewar, Danza Hyatt, Nikita Miller, Muttiah Muralitharan, Vernon Philander, Andrew Richardson, Jacques Rudolph, Andre Russell, and Chadwick Walton.

Trailing 2-0 and needing a win to have any chance of regaining the Ashes, Australia won the toss and reached 3033 by the close at Old Trafford, with Clarke unbeaten on 125 and Steve Smith 70.

The pair put on an unbroken 174 for the fourth wicket after opener Chris Rogers set the tone for Australia’s first successful batting display of the series with a positive 84.

Drawing on all his expertise against spin bowling, Clarke got the better of offspinner Graeme Swann in a fascinating duel on a wicket that turned from the start as he posted the first century by any Australian in six Tests.

But once again, in a series blighted by controversies, the day featured several contentious umpiring decisions, with both teams given reason to bemoan the decision re-

view system.

When Usman Khawaja was given out caught behind off Swann on the stroke of lunch – a decision upheld on review despite Hot Spot revealing no mark on his bat –even Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd weighed in on Twitter to criticise the call.

After the interval it was England’s turn to feel aggrieved. Bowler James Anderson, wicketkeeper Matt Prior and the slips went up in unison to claim a catch off the edge of Smith’s bat but umpire Marais Erasmus remained unmoved. Once again Hot Spot showed nothing and the umpire’s decision stood.

England used up their second referral when Swann’s lbw appeal to Smith was rejected, and were therefore powerless to overturn Tony Hill’s decision not to raise the finger when Stuart Broad trapped the same batsman in front of middle stump.

Amid the turbulence, Clarke remained a picture of calm. Purposeful in defence and attack, he drove el-

egantly down the ground and through the covers and twice crashed the ball over Swann’s head for four.

A nibble at an outswinger from Broad that almost caught the edge of his bat was as close he came to offering a chance, and when he brought up his 24th Test century off 169 balls in the evening session he was given a standing ovation by the 25,000-strong crowd. (BBC Sport)

SCOREBOARD

Australia 1st innings

S Watson c Cook b Bresnan 19

C Rogers lbw b Swann 84

U Khawaja c †Prior b Swann 1 M Clarke* not out 125 S Smith not out 70

Extras: (lb4) 4 Total: (3 wkts, 90 overs) 303 To bat: DA Warner, BJ Haddin†, PM Siddle, MA Starc, RJ Harris, NM Lyon Fall of wickets: 1-76, 2-82, 3-129

Bowling: J Anderson 21-4-720, S Broad 21-3-80-0, T Bresnan 20-5-51-1, G Swann 25-2-82-2, J Root 2-0-8-0, J Trott 1-0-6-0

Another all-too-easy victory for India

India have had little to complain about on this tour.

The series was sealed at the earliest possible opportunity, and their other target of trying out some fringe players is also working well.

Ambati Rayudu made a big contribution on his debut, another new face Jaydev Unadkat was the bowling star in the second ODI and the third India player to debut this series, Mohit Sharma, turned in an impressive performance as Zimbabwe were rolled over for 144 in the fourth ODI.

One of their minor gripes could be that Cheteshwar Pujara’s much-awaited bow in limited-overs cricket didn’t go to plan, with Pujara inside-edging Tendai Chatara for 13. They would have also liked this second-string squad to have been tested more by Zimbabwe, who have been disappointingly limp, rarely putting India under pressure.

In Harare, Zimbabwe’s batsmen could at least fall back on the excuse that the new balls curved around extravagantly in the first hour but

even against the easier conditions in Bulawayo they came up short. Zimbabwe’s troubles were highlighted by the first ball itself, as Mohit served up a beauty that beat Vusi Sibanda and zipped perilously close to the top of the stumps.

Mohit has played only six domestic one-dayers so far, but he showed no nerves in his

opening over as he delivered an inswinger, outswinger and a bouncer, all with superb control. He beat the inside-edge and the outside-edge regularly in his opening spell, and even showed off the back-of-thehand slower ball which served him so well in his spotlightgrabbing IPL season this year. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Zimbabwe innings

V Sibanda b Jadeja 24

S Raza c †Karthik b M Sharma 7

H Masakadza run out (Jadeja) 10

B Taylor*† lbw b Jadeja 0

S Williams b Unadkat 0 M Waller c †Karthik b M Sharma 35 E Chigumbura not out 50 P Utseya c R Sharma b M Shami 1 T Chatara c Jadeja b Mishra 1 B Vitori b Mishra 8 M Chinouya c Kohli b Mishra 0

Extras: (b2,

Limacol CPL fever hits Guyana

By Avenash Ramzan

Imagine 15,000 flag-waving fans, a dozen saucy cheerleaders, a pumped up disc jockey in the Grass Mound, a giant replay screen, fireworks and 22 of the finest players of the T20 format all within the confines of Guyana’s premier sports facility.

The inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League (LCPL), Guyana leg, had all of that, and then some, on Wednesday night at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

LCPL organisers had promised the biggest party in the Caribbean, and following the carnival atmosphere that enveloped the East Bank Demerara on Wednesday, it is clear Guyanese are determined to take the party to another level.

It was refreshing – just as a splash of Limacol – to witness Guyanese from all walks

of life dancing to the sounds of “Selector Diamond”, waving the Golden Arrowhead, and cheering the Guyana Amazon Warriors all the way to victory over the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel. Take nothing away from comedian Kirk “Chow Pow” Jardine. He kept the crowd entertained between overs, prompting them to wave their flags and cheer Ramnaresh Sarwan and the boys on, even with tournament mascot Bouncer providing its own bit of amusement with its unique dance moves.

Guyanese were surely starved for international cricket after a two-year hiatus, and following the successful staging of the two West Indies ODI matches against Pakistan ODIs in mid-June, the LCPL has whet the appetite with the franchise based set-up now gaining rapid popularity in

this part of the globe.

If the opening ceremony and first game between the Barbados Tridents and the St Lucia Zouks on Tuesday were electrifying, then Wednesday’s humdinger and exhilarating atmosphere beyond the boundary is testimony to the fact that T20 cricket offers unbridled entertainment and transcends all barriers.

Best place for cricket

Acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali said the massive support for the opening match of the Guyana leg is a clear indication that Guyanese have embraced the new concept of franchise-based cricket. He was elated that the Stadium was filled, especially coming on the heels of a period of dormancy when Guyana hadn’t hosted international or regional cricket.

Ali, who was one of the

persons clamouring for the return of international cricket to Guyana, was satisfied that the opening LCPL game here attracted a capacity crowd which was treated to a clinical victory from the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

“We’ve always said that Guyana is the best place for cricket. There is no other destination in the West Indies and the Caribbean that can deliver when it comes to cricket better than Guyana,” the minister boasted.

He added, “We just came out of back-to-back one-day internationals with West Indies and Pakistan and now we still have a packed stadium. This is just exceptionally good; our people are cricket lovers and this level of quality of cricket will also bring more people out.”

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, was equally pleased with the outcome of

the opening night of Limacol CPL in Guyana, noting that the victory by the Guyana Amazon Warriors is a solid platform for them to go all the way and win the tournament.

“I’m glad that the CPL has been initiated and has gotton off to such a fantastic start. Secondly, of course, I’m extremely pleased that the Guyanese team did so well. Obviously, I’m not surprised because the team is a strong one and they demonstrated that well. I’m also happy to see the Guyanese players on the team doing well; Sarwan did an extremely good job, so I’m hoping there will be many more victories and they can go all the way,” Singh commented.

After witnessing the match and being part of the massive crowd, Director of Sport Neil Kumar was adamant Guyana is the desti-

nation of choice for the ultimate cricket experience in the Caribbean.

“There is no other place in the Caribbean that you will see this kind of crowd support. And I’m saying all three matches will be sold out and Guyana will win; I have confidence in the Guyana Amazon Warriors,” an emotional Kumar related.

Chief Executive Officer of the Limacol CPL, Damien O’Donohoe, who also saw the opening game in Barbados, said the tournament is off to the dream start the organisers were hoping for.

“The last two days have just been unbelievable. We’ve been planning this for over two years so to see the whole thing come together is just spectacular and today [Wednesday] it just blew my mind to be quite honest,” O’Donohoe told this publication.

Cracker expected between Warriors and Tallawahs tonight

By Rajiv Bisnauth

Jamaica Tallawahs will get their first taste of action in the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament when they face the Guyana Amazon Warriors tonight from 20:00h at the Guyana National Stadium.

The visitors will be wary of taking on a home side that is currently brimming with confidence following their 19-run win on Wednesday evening against Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel.

However, Tallawahs head coach Paul Nixon is undaunted by the threat posed by his opponents and said tonight’s game between the two sides will be a “cracker of a contest”. Nixon summed up the mood in the team when he said: “It’s time to get going; this is what we’ve come here for.

“When you look at our team you can say we are well balanced. I know it is going to be a cracker of a game. We know Guyana is a very good team; it is going to be a very good game,” added the former England wicket keeper during a press conference on Thursday afternoon

Stadium.

Limacol CPL fever hits Guyana

By Avenash Ramzan

Can the Warriors conquer Chris Gayle?