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Government displacing legitimate farmers

Attorney General ‘flipflops’ on local law school – PPP/C

National Assembly Speaker meets with civil society

Excise Tax on alcoholic beverages under review – High-Security Excise Stamps to be introduced

Hindus begin Navratri observances today

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tuesday, october 13, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Attorney General ‘flip-flops’ on local law school – PPP/C

By Kristen MacKlingaM

The A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government’s Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams is being blasted by the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) with regard to his recent statements surrounding the establishment of a law school in Guyana.

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee, during a press conference on Monday, posited that the Opposition has noted the “flip-flopping” of the Attorney General on the matter.

“Apparently Williams did not hear, or is pretending he didn’t hear the instruction from President Granger, who said that the time is ripe and steps should commence as soon as practicable to have a law school established here in Guyana,” Rohee said.

The PPP/C said that the AG had previously declared that a feasibility study spearheaded by himself was underway to ascertain whether the establishment of a local law school would

be a viable option. According to the Opposition Party, Williams had elaborated that the Government was “looking at the question of the viability of setting up a local law school through publicprivate partnership” and it was decided that there would be the establishment of a Committee to explore that possibility.

However, the APNU/ AFC pendulum swung in another direction, reinforcing the long-held view that there was confusion and conflict in the camp of the coalition, said Rohee.

“Williams made an unbelievable somersault which in effect scuppered his President’s commitment to establish a law school in Guyana. And though this was not enough, he tried to implicate the PPP/C in his shenanigans to secure his ‘get out of jail’ card. At his first press conference, Williams confessed that establishing a law school in Guyana is not a priority in this type of economy that his Government had inherited,” he explained.

Guyana Times was told that Minister Williams, however, did not elaborate on what he meant by “this

type of economy” and the Opposition was contending that “surely he could not have meant Guyana’s economy”, which up to the time that the PPP/C was in office was the fastest-growing economy in the Region characterised by steady annual growth rates and with foreign reserves never seen before in the country’s history.

The PPP General Secretary told reporters that the Opposition Party must thank the Attorney General for ‘exposing the incompetence’ of the APNU/ AFC coalition Government

and for admitting that the present administration was not up to the task as described by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall.

It was further noted that this task by Nandlall was that Guyana must continue the work started by the former PPP/C Government to fulfil the ‘dream’ of having a local law school established in Guyana.

According to Rohee, President David Granger and State Minister Joseph Harmon, along with others in the APNU/AFC coalition, like to project this Government as having the

“best brains in the country”, especially since there were several lawyers in the Cabinet.

“Above all, the sumptuous pay rise recently gifted for, among other reasons, was for them to work hard in their respective sections. Here is a project for the well-paid-to-work-hard at getting the law school off the ground,” the General Secretary said.

On October 7, the Attorney General had said that the establishment of a local law school in Guyana was not, at the moment, a priority of the new Administration.

Williams, who was addressing journalists at his chambers during his first press conference since becoming Minister, debunked claims by former AG Nandlall that the new Government had backpedalled on the promises it made in its 2015 manifesto, which included the establishment of a law school here.

“The APNU-AFC manifesto for the just-concluded 2015 General and Regional Elections lays out on page 16, the “Legal Measures” we asserted in our campaign we would implement

during our five-year term,” Williams said.

These legal measures, the new AG said, are to determine protocol to break the deadlock over the appointment of a consensually agreed Chancellor and Chief Justice; the operationalisation of the Family Court, managing the succession and training arrangements within the judiciary, to ensure that a sufficient pool of persons are available to be drawn on to appoint Judges and Magistrates.

Added to those, the AG informed, Government had committed to implementing measures to eliminate the back-log of cases, reduce the high incidence of persons on remand for extended periods, and ensure speedy trials, and implement fasttrack mechanisms for submitting Appeals to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)

“It should be noted that there is nothing listed there about establishing a law school in Guyana, as erroneously contended by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall,” the AG had said. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)

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

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, October 13 – 16:40h-18:10h and Wednesday, October 14 – 17:00h-18:30h.

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

Monday, October 12, 2015

Increases for Govt Ministers were ‘transparent’ – AG

...civil society leaders disagree

The A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change coalition has come in for much criticism over its secretive decision to raise the salaries of its Ministers but according to Attorney General Basil Williams the process of increasing the salaries was ‘transparent’.

Williams made the comment on Monday following a plethora of questions from the media with respect to the process and decision by the Government to give itself a pay hike. The AG told reporters that the Government was “transparent in its process to raise the salary” of Ministers and Vice Presidents by 50 per cent.

“It can’t be something hidden because it’s something that has to be laid in Parliament… It must be approved by Parliament,” he outlined. The pay increases for Ministers and Vice Presidents has already been published in the Official Gazette on September 25, 2015.

Meanwhile, Williams refused to answer any further questions on the issue, stating that his colleagues have already dealt with it.

Last week, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon confirmed and defended his Government’s decision to raise the salaries of all Government Ministers. This also includes three Vice Presidents and all Junior Ministers. Since the announcement, several key stakeholders in society have indicated their disappointment in the Administration.

Speaking with

Attorney General Basil Williams

the Guyana Times on Saturday, President of the Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI), Calvin Bernard, condemned the move by Government, saying it was too soon for a raise and more so such a “very excessive” one.

“This increase, like the modification at the level of Ministries, was not part of the party manifesto for the elections so it begs the question, how did it become such a priority? The way in which they were done suggest that there was hope that they would go unnoticed. One of the first things we learned from the new Government was that the treasury was near broke when they took office. If we are near broke, how do we afford these increases? We should, therefore, be given a clear explanation on how they will be funded,” Bernard questioned.

Political commentator Ramon Gaskin is also of the

Market vendor robbed, shot by pedal cycle bandits

Avendor of Bourda

Market is now nursing a gunshot wound to her right foot following a robbery on Sunday evening while she was conducting business. The injured woman has been identified as Sewdassie Jagmohan, who hailed from Parika, East Bank Essequibo but now resided in Kitty, Georgetown.

According to information received, about 23:30h on Sunday, Jagmohan was reportedly attacked by two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun, who demanded cash.

Jagmohan reportedly put up a fight, but the gunman discharged a round, hitting her to the foot and relieved her of $300,000 which she had in her possession. The men then jumped on their pedal cycle and escaped.

Guyana Times understands that the woman would normally sell cash crops and selling wholesale customers when the attack occurred. The woman has been plying her trade for quite some time and was known around the market area.

Vendors in the area recalled seeing the two young men, but thought that they were shopping as were the other customers. It was not until they heard the woman scream and the sound of a gun that they became aware of the robbery.

Jagmohan was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she remains a patient. Attempts to contact her proved futile. Police are proceeding with their investigations.

view that the salary increase Government is too excessive when compared against the meagre five per cent hike given to Public Servants.

Gaskin pointed out that in addition to a salary, Ministers also get a host of other benefits that would rack up to over a million dollar per month each. “When you add all of these benefits up, the cost for them is way too much along with their salaries,” he stated.

He mentioned duty-free vehicles, electricity subventions, insurance, free travel allowance, among others.

Gaskin further opined that it was too early in the game for anybody to get any increases. “It’s like you are setting and giving yourself a salary… You need an independent committee of professional persons to determine this… Ministers should be paid properly, but should not be allowed to set their salaries themselves,” Gaskin underlined.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress, (GTUC) Lincoln Lewis on Friday also expressed his displeasure at Government’s recent decision.

“You cannot say that Ministers are not being paid properly because they are making much more than what the normal public servant or miner is making, but what I am saying to you is that if you want to get rich then go into the Private Sector,” Lewis said on Friday during a press briefing.

According to Lewis, if any elected official does not want to serve in the post that he/she has been tasked with, and which oaths were taken to do so, then the official should venture into the business sector to obtain profits.

“Public service is not the money that you receive that matters, it is what you can do for the people who have elected you… we have lived to get rid of the People’s

Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the new coalition has come into power and they are doing almost the same thing,” the GTUC General Secretary noted.

In addition to these persons, organisations such as the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), and Red Thread have also spoken out against the massive pay hike.

When Guyana Times broke the story two months ago, the Government denied having intentions of implementing significant increases in the salaries of Executive Members and instead said that it was only being “considered”.

On September 25, following the Minister’s budgetary presentation in the National Assembly, the Government gazetted the increases without being forthcoming with the media and public that it had indeed worked out the scale, quantum and criterion for the increases which many believed were not going to be pursued within the new Government’s first months in office.

In the official Gazette published on September 25, it is stated that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo will be benefiting from over $20 million per annum, while the other Vice Presidents will each receive $11,135,064.

Under the APNU/AFC Government, a Cabinet Minister will be given a hefty sum of $10,439,124 – annually – more than $300,000 over previous Ministers and a Junior Minister or a Minister within a Ministry will be paid $8,346,492 per annum.

In addition to the increased salary for Prime Minister Nagamootoo of $1.7 million monthly, an increase of over $200,000 each month, he will be drawing vacation benefits and perks totalling more than another $500,000.

Editor(ag): Michael Younge

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

Responsibility for the nose-diving economy

The main challenge facing Guyana is for the Government to stop fiddling while the economy crashes and burns. What is immediately needed is a directed intervention to stimulate the economy via all the monetary and fiscal tools at the disposal of modern government’s and deployed routinely by the US and other “free enterprise economies”. The other is to catalyse a stratum of entrepreneurs and businessmen who will be willing to take the necessary risks to establish service or production companies that can compete in the global economy.

Even if our population and internal markets were not so small and continuously pruned by emigration, as billion plus China showed, we either export or perish. This is the lesson of the last fifty years from developmental economics and comparative world growth figures. England kicked off the industrial revolution with a business class that was facilitated by laws to encourage international trade (eg ‘free trade” laws) and for reducing the exposure of businesses to the inevitable risks being undertaken (limited liability companies, for instance). In all of this, it was accepted that the Government would encourage the growth of businesses because this ultimately benefitted the entire country.

This process was imitated by the USA, then Germany and the rest of Europe. By the time Japan joined the party, governmental involvement was augmented to push exports as laws were amended to allow banks to invest directly in businesses. Japan accomplished in fifty years what it had taken the European and US economies one hundred years to achieve. This synergy between governments and businesses was the characteristic feature of the ever increasing rates of growth achieved by the Eastern Tigers. Its culmination (up to now) is China, which is poised to overtake the US as the largest economy in the world: there the government actually controls the businesses and banks.

We have taken this long detour to place in perspective a very unhealthy development unfolding in Guyana in reference to the oft-announced national goal of higher growth rates. The Government has continued with its old opposition tactic to insidiously undermine the premise underlying every successful business entity and indeed every successful economy – the imperative to generate profits. There was an even longer detour taken by the USSR and her allies to sustain economic growth without the profit incentive: it ended in abysmal failure.

While the successful Chinese business model theoretically is controlled by a “Communist” government – the profit motive has been given centre stage. As the founder of the Chinese model Deng Xiaoping puts it: “It doesn’t matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice.”

In Guyana, the Government has committed to the proposition since 1989 that businesses shall be “the engine of growth”, but the new Administration is proceeding as if the “engine” does not need rails to pull the economy forward.

“Successful businesses” mean that those businesses will have to generate profits and this means the owners, whether individuals or shareholders, will become wealthier. Businesses should not have to apologise for this. Secondly, we have pointed out the nexus between governments and successful world-class companies in the modern highflying, export -oriented economies. Even in the US, the role of Wall Street is acknowledged. This is inevitable: how can the engine and driver not be in communication and be responsive to their mutual needs? The rice industry cannot be thrown under the bus under some misguided notion that “governments cannot intervene in marketing”. Rice is exported and export means foreign currency to develop the country.

It is axiomatic that business must be regulated to further the overall societal good. But businesses cannot then be castigated for legally making profits within those regulations. The business community has been surprisingly apathetic and unresponsive to the refusal of the Government to both stimulate the economy and to foster entrepreneurship for export-led growth.

Striving for excellence

Jagdeo spoke of Opposition support for Government on border issue in New York

Dear Editor, I refer to comments made by Frederick Kissoon about Bharrat Jagdeo, in a column titled, “Jagdeo in New York: His Venezuelan Remark” (KN 10/07). He wrote: “Finally, Jagdeo is treading dangerously with his rhetoric on Venezuela... Jagdeo told his audience that APNU+AFC Government jeopardized the rice deal with Venezuela because of the government’s hostility to Venezuela….”

As he noted, Kissoon was not there. I was. The event was recorded. As such a tape exists to refute much of what Kissoon wrote, which is significantly incorrect and arrogant.

Regarding Venezuela, the former President said the Opposition will support the Government on all border issues. He reiterated what has already been stated in the press, as well as what was conveyed during his meet-

ing with President David Granger.

Further, Jagdeo argued that while Guyana works to resolve any border issues, it should do so while maintaining good economic relations with its neighbours. Accordingly, he noted that the regime’s decision to refuse a Venezuelan plane to land in Guyana because of an alleged outstanding bond of US$250,000 was unwarranted as it compromised a lucrative rice contract between the neighbours, which favoured Guyana tremendously.

He stated a figure, which I do not recall. But reporters in Guyana can get that from him, as some are bound to argue about profit and loss regarding Venezuela. After all, Guyana is now a loser, as the Venezuelans will buy rice from others, maybe the Surinamese.

Also, it is unnecessary for the supporters of any political

party from Guyana, here primarily from the PPP, to be demonised as “flawed human beings” because they exercised a right to associate by attending a political event at which Jagdeo was guest speaker.

New York law was not violated. Yet, someone in Guyana is trying hard to say East Indians, by virtue of choosing the PPP, are automatic enemies of the state of Guyana. In all this talk of Venezuela and the enemy without, the first foe may very well be the PPP and its supporters, namely the enemy within.

If Kissoon or his New York source believes that a cause of action can be satisfied from statements made by Jagdeo in New York about Venezuela, then let them file a petition with the court. It is what nationalists would do.

If not, I point them to rhetoric made on or about March 17, 2015 by the leader of

the coalition, now President Granger, when he said Guyana was a nation of jaguars led by jackasses. His statement may have been clever for the coalition’s campaign, but it was not a remark a potential commander in chief would say publicly, as a jaguar is not a foremost symbol of strength, unlike a lion. Nor is a jackass a symbol of intelligence. Said another way, this APNU/AFC coalition’s statement must have encouraged both Venezuela and Suriname regarding their recent land claims, because it openly portrayed Guyanese as weak and stupid. It further disrespected the Rastafarian community, as surely there must be at least one lion of Judah in Guyana, ready to do battle for love of country.

Sincerely.

Rakesh Rampertab

GuySuCo – an emerging debacle

Dear Editor,

In media letters on October 4, Oditt Narine, a former Chairman of GuySuCo opined that recent letters and statements in the press had inferred a doomed fate for the Corporation and therefore he felt obliged to participate in a Moray House Trust Seminar on the Sugar Industry to present participants with several of his viewpoints which if implemented could enable it to return to profitability.

In 1993 Narine a little known businessman but politically well connected was appointed Chairman of GuySuCo by the then newly elected PPP/C Government. A supportive Board and senior management staff politically loyal were appointed to his team. Ten years later he was relieved of his duties as his poor performance and lack of management capability to manage Guyana's largest Corporation caused GuySuCo to incur large an-

nual losses during his tenure thus failing the mandate of his appointment which was to return the corporation to profitability.

In his missive Narine concluded that GuySuCo must be run as a business and free from political interference if it is to return to viability through increased production and productivity. He however seemed oblivious to the old adage," he who pays the Piper calls the tunes" and therefore the Government as owner had the obligation of oversight of the industry. Whether it had the right people and adequately devised strategic plans in place to make GuySuCo viable is another matter as ultimately it was responsible to its constituents for the performance of the Corporation. Privately owned businesses run into trouble too if they are not managed well.

Some of Narine's proposals such as co-generation of

power from bagasse for the national grid and the development of value added products to increase GuySuCo's revenue stream and hence its profitability should have been considered and implemented during his tenure. GuySuCo missed the opportunity for its economic growth and profitability years ago when investments should have been made to increase production and productivity, mechanize field operations, improve worker skills and provide adequate support for research and development to increase yields.

Brazil, the world's largest sugar producer manufactured 38.4 million tonnes of sugar last year and is expected to produce 36 million tonnes this year while it has the largest stockpile in 35 years which is depressing sugar price. This will be so until existing stocks are drawn down and production decreases further and/ or demand increases. 90 out of 300 of its sugar mills have

closed since 2005 and onefifth of those functioning have sought relief for unpaid bills and debt payment. 10% of Brazil's sugar workers have lost their jobs in the past two years and there are more in line waiting to let go. Given this scenario it is no small wonder that the English-speaking Caribbean countries as well as Mauritius, formerly a large sugar producer in the Indian Ocean, have given up on sugar cultivation. The Commission of Inquiry (CoI) Report on the viability of GuySuCo is expected on October 17. It is hoped that the stark realities facing the industry will be honestly conveyed to its workers therein. After all, Yesu Persaud, former Chairman of DDL is reported to have said, "Sugar is what brought us all here". Will its subsidies continue to flow to keep us here? I hope so.

Yours faithfully, Charles Sohan

Region 10 Chairman wants Government intervention in workers’ issues

Chairman of Region Ten Rennis Morian on Monday said major issues such as ill treatment of workers, mainly at mining operations in the Region, must stop.

In an interview with Guyana Times on Monday, Morian said that after over forty (Russian Aluminum Company) RUSAL workers were terminated without severance pay, some of the affected continue to look to the Administration for answers since nothing has been done regarding the situation.

He called for ministerial intervention into some of the issues, noting that “enough is enough.”

“There is no resolution… we are still waiting on closure on that matter. Now we have a new Government, I feel it is time that there is a robust intervention from the Ministry of Labour and all the relevant ministries to make certain that the residents in Region 10 receive the benefits that they ought to receive. This has been going on for too long… I think at this time the kind of ‘powder puff’ way that we are approaching these agencies (with) need to stop. I’m saying that if the current Government is not prepared to deal with these companies then it might necessitate people’s action to deal with the incompetencies… I’m saying on behalf of the people of Region 10 that the government needs to act… we don’t want to hear that they are acting. We want to see it,” Morian said.

Making further reference to such issues, the Regional Chairman added that he was

recently made aware of some issues involving Metalica Company which has been operating at Blueberry Hill, Wismar, Linden. He said workers had complained of not being paid on time.

“It is alleged that they came to do gold operations but they seem to be involved in stone and other things that I don’t know about. I visited the site. Management was at my office and we agreed on a course of action that the workers would be paid on time.”

Another issue, according to Morian, involves Indonesians who were “illegally” brought to Burnham Drive, Wismar, to work.

“They were living in Linden, Region 10 and hadn’t in their possession the prerequisite documents to say that they were legally in Region 10… They said a company brought them in. Some said they weren’t being paid and they wanted to go back home… the conditions that they were living under were like prison. They were sleeping on the floor.

Morian added: “We want to see Government’s intervention, a robust intervention, that we know what is happening, and the residents of Region 10 get what they are supposed to.”

Toucan Call Centre

Morian said he learned by way of newspaper that some workers were paid but he is not aware of the statistics. He called for proper workers representation in the Region and the relaying of relevant information to his office in such cases by the relevant authorities.

“We can’t continue to op-

Chairman of Region Ten

Rennis Morian

erate in a vacuum. There is need for more interagency collaboration on matters like these at all times so that we work together. As it is right now, Region 10 is still waiting to see our workers being treated better.”

Bosai

The Chairman also related that there are issues at Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated (BMGGI), referring to the recent retrenchment of workers. He said workers who were intended to work an 8-hour shift following retrenchment have since been put to work the 12-hour shift.

Morian stressed that there is need for justification regarding that matter. He further stated that foreign companies have been taking advantage of Region 10 over the years and should observe the rules of law governing the country. He emphasised that the Region is willing to work with such companies, however under a level playing field where workers also enjoy the benefits.

Aggressive marketing campaign to come on stream shortly – GTA

Recognising the need for an effective and aggressive broadbased marketing campaign to achieve its objective of making Guyana a must-see tourist destination, Government is currently crafting its marketing approach, as the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) continues to attend international events promoting Guyana.

Speaking to the media recently at her office, Minister of Tourism Cathy Hughes unveiled several plans which she intends to implement soon. Among these is the establishment of a website. These plans she stated will see more persons becoming better aware of Guyana’s tourism sector, its potential, and what it has to offer.

“There are also plans to establish a space within the Ministry, where all our literature can be easily accessed by the public, where you

would have a few computer monitors that people who have come for a visit, can sit down and go online, and so see the kinds of places they can go. Then we can put the people directly onto the specific company or tour operator they will have selected,” Minister Hughes was quoted as saying by the Government Information Agency (GINA)

The Minister believes this is necessary since it is important there is a location, strategically in the centre of the capital where persons can garner information. In the meantime, Minister Hughes noted that persons who are interested in sourcing information on Guyana and its tourism products can visit the GTA website, www. guyana-tourism.com.

“The GTA has a website, a Facebook page and several of the other new technologies, and we also have good relationships with several of the social media groups

Skeldon, New Amsterdam hospitals get new ambulances

Two fully equipped ambulances were donated to the Berbice Regional Health Services (BRHS) by the Public Health Ministry.

The vehicles, outfitted with modern equipment, including monitors, stretchers, beds, and oxygen lines, were then presented to the Skeldon and New Amsterdam Hospitals.

The ambulances were handed over by Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton, and will add to the two facilities’ transport capacity. Skeldon and New Amsterdam were chosen because both function as ‘receiving hospitals’. They do not only attend to persons in their catchment areas, but also those referred to them, from other villages, including Orealla and Siparuta.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Minister Norton pointed out that the vehicles were procured through collaboration with the Turkish Government, to whom he expressed great appreciation.

Further, the Minister stated that this was a fulfilment of one of the promises made to the people of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), with regard to improving the quality of health services of-

fered to them.

He emphasised, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported, the importance of ambulances, detailing that the Ministry has recognised this aspect of health care as very important, and hence it was undertaking to acquire them.

The Minister highlighted that while the ambulances were important, training for medical personnel was equally vital, and to this end, Government has begun training for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).

He pointed out that 52 EMTs have been trained, 16 of whom are employed by the Georgetown Public Hospital

Corporation (GPHC). Thus far, these have responded to 33, 500 calls, and also have conducted three enroute deliveries. The other 36 are currently in the employ of the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Police Force.

The Minister urged the representatives of the various hospitals to ensure that the ambulance drivers were well-trained and exercised caution on the road.

Meanwhile, Region Six Chairman David Armogan, along with Regional Executive Officer Veerasammy Ramayya both expressed gratitude to the Administration for the undertaking.

and sites that we support, and therefore we are getting our message out,” Minister Hughes stated.

Meanwhile, Hughes indicated her intention to relocate the GTA to a more central and accessible location, noted that: “One of the things we are doing is that we are looking at the utilisation of the space here (Ministry of TourismColgrain House), and it seems as though we may be able to accommodate everybody here. We are looking at a very central location that we hope we can get refurbished and we can include the GTA in that office.”

Minister Hughes committed the GTA towards creating more awareness of Guyana’s Tourism product, and she firmly stated that her Ministry will promote ‘Destination Guyana’ as a premier Nature and Adventure must-see tourist package.

Page Foundation

Teaching children decision-making skills

BY Gina Stepp

“EPart 1: Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo

eny, meeny, miny, mo, catch a tiger by the toe; if he hollers let him go, eeny, meeny, miny, mo!” There are numerous variations on this childhood playground rhyme, but whatever form it takes, it is essentially a rudimentary decision-making tool. Children around the world use this or similar counting rhymes to decide who will be their teammates, which chocolate they will eat, or who among their siblings gets to push the elevator or lift button.

But inevitably the decisions children face will become a bit more complicated, and so will the consequences for making bad choices. Choosing homework over video games can mean the difference between good grades and bad; choosing one friend over another could mean the difference between being exposed to risky behaviours or mind-expanding, positive experiences. In fact, just about every aspect of our children’s well-being depends on how adept they become at making wise decisions.

By the time we are parents, we understand that the consequences of a single bad choice can reverberate for years, so we want to help our children become competent decision makers. But what skills are required, and how do parents instil them? Should we teach them to weigh costs against benefits until they reach the “only” rational option? Or should we teach them to “trust their gut”, or to get the mind out of the way so the heart can lead, as some self-help gurus advise? And how do children learn to judge a particular choice as good or bad in the first place?

The values used in such judgments come to children initially through their parents, but if parents are ignorant of the processes they use in their own decision making, they run the risk of passing down habits that work against the values they are trying so hard to instil. Knowing something

about how people make decisions can give us an advantage as we teach our children but also as we work to ensure that our own decision making offers an appropriate model.

Decision-making basics

Many theories have arisen over the years and have become finely tuned as advances in neuroscience illumi nate what actually occurs in the brain during the decision-making process. It is now known that, much like other critical skills such as selfcontrol , deci sion making requires us to use automatic as well as con trolled process es. Depending on their theoretical approach, researchers might describe these as intuitive, experiential, System 1 or emotional processes working alongside logical, analytic, System 2 or cognitive processes. For centuries the two systems have been seen as at odds with one another. Plato, René Descartes and Sigmund Freud are among a long line of thinkers who held that the most highly evolved society would be one in which logic conquered emotion. If we could become truly Spock-like, our progress would no longer be hampered by anything so primitive as human sensibility. It can be difficult to discard this notion. As neuroscientist C Daniel Salzman of the Kavli Institute for Brain Science points out, “if you think about our own decision making, we

might fool ourselves into thinking we’re perfectly rational beings, but of course that is far from the case. Clearly emotional factors affect how we make decisions all the time.”

Rhodes Scholar Jonah Lehrer underscores this point as he distils some of the findings of neuroscience in his How We . “The simple truth of the matter is that making good decisions requires us to use both sides of the mind,” he writes.

“Sometimes we need to reason through our options and carefully analyse the possibilities. And sometimes we need to listen to our emotions.”

In fact, neuroscientists insist that much of our decision making employs varying degrees of both styles of thought in tandem. Both systems can be fooled though, so it is important to be aware of how we use them, whether we tend to favour the use of one over the other, and how they work together best.

In other words, says Lehrer, “We always need to be thinking about how we think.” This skill is known as metacognition, and according to developmental psychologist Paul Klaczynski, metacognitive ability, the understanding of our own thought processes, is the key to avoiding many of the pitfalls and fallacies that trip us up in decision making.

Experience: a fallible teacher

Most people can readily name some of the fallacies that fool our logical processes. But our emotions can

also be fooled, despite the impressive efficiency of the brain’s dopamine system. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in helping us make emotional predictions based on experience. When we encounter a novel experience, the dopamine system kicks in and lets us know that something unexpected and potentially important has happened. It can induce fear or pleasure, but either way the experience is filed away for future reference. Much of the data it encodes from our environment is subtle; we are often not even aware we are registering the information, but as it accumulates it forms the basis for our gut feelings and enables us to make fairly accurate onthe-fly decisions in certain situations. This comes in handy when we need to make a split-second decision behind the wheel of a car or on a sports field. However, Daniel Kahneman, who won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his work in decision making, points out that this doesn’t always work out for us. When there are no recent experiences to reference, he says, our emotional processor (which he calls “System 1”) goes on to more distant memories, often jumping to its conclusions without even alerting us that any ambiguity was present, and we remain blissfully unaware that any doubt was called for.

It is easy to see why emotional biases and faulty “rules of thumb” can affect our judgment if left unchallenged by our more controlled thinking, but another problem is posed by the randomness we encounter. Because the dopamine system works by imposing patterns on our experience, the downside is that even when there are no patterns to be imposed we may still be driven to see meaningful trends where there are none. This is one of the reasons people trust quack health interventions on the strength of a few testimonials, or see grand conspiracies in a random collection of events. (Excerpt from visionjournal.org)

Family disruptions

No matter how harmonious you may want your family life to be, some disruptions and disturbances are inevitable. When they occur, they can be stressful for every member of the family. Here are some of the most common events and circumstances that can interfere with the normal course of family life.

Illness and Injury

Whether it is a parent or a child who becomes ill or injured, the entire family is affected. While even a shortterm illness like the flu can disrupt the normal activities of a family, a chronic disease (from cancer to epilepsy) can create lengthy and even permanent disturbances in the way a family functions.

For a youngster in middle childhood, reactions to illness depend on a number of factors, including the nature of the illness (its severity, course, and treatments), her previous experiences with medical problems, overall ability to cope, and the support received from the family.

You may need to do some adjusting to the illness as well. With a short-term disease you might feel stress and annoyance until the condition disappears. With a chronic illness your reactions may be more severe. You might experience guilt, fear, anger, helplessness, and hopelessness. You may need to set aside time for treatments as well as conferences with physicians and other health-care professionals. You will need to learn as much as possible about the illness and its care.

Also, with a chronic or long-lasting disease, you need to comfort your child. Explain the condition as honestly and fully as possible, and what she can expect by way of treatment and cure.

Be realistic; do not make promises that can’t be kept. Encourage your youngster to express her feelings, too; not only should she feel free to talk with you about anything on her mind, but she should be able to trust her doctor.

Discuss how to communicate about the illness with friends, classmates, and teachers. If it appears that your child is having strong emotional reactions or troubling behaviour, she might also benefit from some counselling. (Excerpt from www.healthychildren. org)

Region 5 farmland repossession

Government displacing legitimate farmers – PPP/C

– should push for more regional markets for rice

The decision by the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA) to repossess farmlands leased to rice farmers in Region Five is being strongly condemned by the Opposition Party, which posited that this is an ‘arbitrary and politically motivated action’ orchestrated by the Government.

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Clement Rohee on Monday during a media briefing, stated that the move to the Court to revoke leases through the MMA/ADA follows the publication of Notices in the local media giving notice of the cancellation of all the leases granted to farmers.

“No notices were served personally to the farmers. They were notified by the media, which is a slap in their faces and a mark of disrespect towards them. Almost immediately following the notice in the newspapers APNU+AFC activists began invading and occupying farmlands already under cultivation at high costs,” he explained.

Guyana Times was told those who invaded the farmlands began staking out plots for themselves with the aim of occupy-

ing the land permanently, resulting in the displacement of farmers who were legally there before.

Rohee stated that the Government’s policy appears to be one aimed at displacing legitimate farmers who produce and to discriminate in favour of the politically connected who own hundreds of acres but prefer to rent and to produce.

“The PPP/C notes that this arbitrary action by the Granger coalition Administration and executed through the MMA/ ADA is wrongful and shortsighted and will deprive Guyanese farmers of their legitimate rights to do the work they love dearest,” Rohee said. He added that the

MMA/ADA’s actions will prove disastrous for Region Five in particular, and will result in another ‘blow’ to the agricultural sector in Guyana.

“Guyanese should not remain silent on this travesty executed by a creeping authoritarian regime,” the Party’s General Secretary posited.

It was also emphasised that the PPP/C is of the view that land has become “a tool” for dispensing political patronage to persons closely associated with the APNU/AFC coalition and those who helped “bankroll the coalition to gain office.”

According to the former Administration, the destruction of the rice industry has started once again as was the case in the 1970s/1980s.

The party also stated that the Nation is still to hear from Agriculture Minister Noel Holder as to whether or not he sought Caricom Agriculture Ministers’ collective cooperation and efforts in finding solutions such as access to Regional and extra-Regional markets for Guyana’s rice at the just concluded Council for Trade and Economic Cooperation (COTED) meeting.

“Was the assis-

tance of the Caribbean Agricultural and Research Development Institute (CARDI) sought is keeping with Article 3(a) of the Agreement establishing the Institute? Was the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) assistance sought in keeping with Article 2(g) of the objectives establishing the Agency? Was the assistance of the Caribbean Food Corporation sought in keeping with Article 3(c) of the Agreement establishing the Corporation and, was the assistance of COTED Ministers sought as provided for in Article 15(b)?” Rohee questioned.

This newspaper was reminded that at this junc-

ture in Guyana, the rice industry in particular can be deemed as a sensitive industry and a disadvantaged sector respectively.

Rohee added that the APNU/AFC Administration must take “urgent steps” to request support from the Regional Development Fund, which forms part of the Special Regime for Disadvantaged Countries, Regions and Sectors.

“In addition, the Government of Guyana must press for the further opening up of Caricom countries’ markets for increased quantities of Guyana’s rice and for the imposition of the Common External Tariff (CET) and quantitative restrictions of a temporary nature on extra-regional rice imports,” Rohee added.

The PPP/C is of the view that contrary to claim by the Granger- led APNU/ AFC Administration, the Government is obligated to finding solutions for the rice industry, using the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas; the Regional InterGovernmental Agreement to facilitate the free movement of goods and services between Member States of the Caribbean Community, Rohee added.

Last week, the affected

rice farmers from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) took the Government to court over their claims that the Administration’s move to cancel their leases was unlawful.

During the latter part of 2014, former President Donald Ramotar had issued a number of leases to rice farmers in the Region. The farmers began utilising the respective acres, planting rice. However, following the change of Government, farmers complained that they were being forced off their lands. They are crying foul over the situation, which they say paints a very dim picture for their future.

The farmers are adamant that the move by Government to take away their lands is inhumane, particularly because they learnt of the revocation through an advertisement in a local newspaper.

The farmers, failing to get any clarification on the issue, moved to the High Court through former Attorney General Anil Nandlall. The decision made by the Chief Justice on Thursday quashed the cancellation of the leases on the ground that the decision is unlawful. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy. com)

tuesday, october 13, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Lodge man charged for rice farmer’s murder

ADurban Street, Lodge, Georgetown, resident was on Monday remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged for the murder of rice farmer Hardat Kissoon.

Paul James also known as Crack, 34, of 59 Durban Street was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which read that on June 1, at the University of Guyana Road, East Coast Demerara, while in the company of others he murdered Hardat Kissoon during a robbery.

a passenger in the bus requested to disembark.

It was while he was exiting the bus that he allegedly grabbed Kissoon’s bag that had $500,000.

However, reports stated that Kissoon held onto the bag and James allegedly shot him and threw the bag out the window, where an accomplice was waiting on a CG motorcycle. Kissoon was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

James made a telephone call.

Police identified James as a known character who was previously charged for robbery under arms. He was subsequently found and arrested Monday.

Eyew tness What’s going down…

…with UN and Venezuela

Your Eyewitness has been getting fidgety with the attention the UN’s been showering on our border controversy. Specifically he’s been asking whatever in the world are the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the team that’s arriving hard on the heels of the big enchilada himself – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Now while like the Pope, the SG mightn’t have any “divisions” (do military peacekeepers count?) he still carries some clout. Maybe not as much as the Pope, but “some.” As we’ve been at pains to point out (and maybe with some pain to you, dear reader) when the controversy was placed in the hands of the SG, it wasn’t for his to do as he pleases. The Geneva Agreement rather clearly enumerates his remit – summarised by Art 33 of the UN Charter.

According to reports Kissoon boarded a minibus at the East Coast Bus Park, in Georgetown at about 14:45h and as the bus was in the vicinity of University of Guyana, James who was

It was reported that the deceased had gone to a bank in the city to change a cheque and was returning to his Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara home when he was attacked and killed.

According to information, Police recently secured the surveillance footage from the city bank’s camera where Kissoon had gone to transact business. The surveillance footage allegedly shows James following Kissoon after which

Two men, Kurt Clark, 32, of Charlestown, Georgetown and Sherwin Trotman, 32, of 45 Section D, South Turkeyen, Georgetown, were already charged for the murder of the rice farmer. After several weeks on the run, Trotman was arrested at the Princess Hotel.

One other person is still wanted in connection with the robbery/murder.

The case will continue on October 26 at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.

Couple on $1.2M bail for manslaughter

Acouple was on Monday placed on a total of $1.2 million bail when they appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan charged with manslaughter.

Karen Reece, 42, and Charles Browne, 41, who are both shopkeepers of 71 Durban Street Lodge, Georgetown, were not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on January 4, 2015 at Pakutout Landing, Mazaruni River, they killed David Marks.

Police Prosecutor Corporal Deniro Jones told

the court that on the day of the incident at about 17:30h, Reece secured her shop and left with the second accused, who is her husband. They returned some time later and discovered that the shop was broken into and during a search of the surrounding area they found the deceased sitting close by. Browne proceeded to inflict several lashes and raised an alarm.

This led to other individuals arming themselves with bottles and cutlasses and attacking the deceased. Afterwards they reportedly dumped the unconscious

man into a nearby trench; and his body was found some days later floating along the trench. The matter was reported and an investigation launched.

Attorney for both the accused Gordon Gilhuys stated that the duo is out on station bail. He explained that several persons have been charged with the said offence as it was during a brawl that the deceased lost his life.

He stated that they have been reporting to the Police Station as ordered for several months. He also revealed that due to the par-

ticulars surrounding the charge, the Director of Public Prosecutions advised that the case be treated as manslaughter instead of murder.

He thereby made an application for bail which was objected to by the Prosecutor who cited the gravity of the offence and the penalty it attracts.

The objections were overruled and the Magistrate granted bail in the sum of $600,000 each. She also ordered that the duo be placed on a bond of good behaviour until the completion of the Preliminary Inquiry.

Miner on bail for discharging loaded firearm

Aminer was on Monday placed on $25,000 bail by Magistrate Ann McLennan when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with discharging a loaded firearm in public and threatening behaviour towards a Police officer.

Lennox Dettering (27) of Mahdia, Region 8, pleaded not guilty to the offence, which stated that on October 8, at 111 Miles

Stevedore

AMahdia, Potaro Road, he unlawfully discharged a loaded firearm in front of Sunil’s Grocery Store.

The man also denied the threatening behaviour charge. It is alleged that he made use of threatening behaviour and language against Police Constable 21675 Rodney by pointing a firearm at him and saying, “yuh want it? Come fuh it... if yuh think yuh bad, come fuh it”, thereby causing a breach of the peace.

Attorney for the accused Gordon Gilhuys told the court that on the day in question, the accused along with friends were returning home from his birthday celebration early in the morning.

The lawyer said the men lit several firecrackers, which were mistaken for gunshots and the Police was summoned. According to the lawyer, the Police conducted a search on the accused but no firearm was

on $50,000 bail for

West Ruimveldt, Georgetown resident was on Monday placed on $50,000 bail when he appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan in Court Two of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding his reputed wife. Dwayne Harcourt, 39, a stevedore of 61 West Ruimveldt pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on Tuesday, October 6 at La Penitence Public Road, Georgetown, he wounded the Virtual Complainant (VC), Yonnick Harcourt.

discovered.

The attorney challenged the threatening behaviour charge, while telling the court the story was fabricated. He then made an application for reasonable bail, stating that his client has no previous or pending charges and he has been in custody since October 08.

Bail was granted in the sum of $25,000 and the matter transferred to the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court for October 19.

unlawful wounding

The accused’s Attorney Gordon Gilhuys stated that the two were living together, and share four children, but due to an argument, the accused removed from their shared dwelling house at Charlestown.

This, he stated, infuriated the woman and led to allegations being made.

On that note, he made an application for reasonable bail, which was not objected to.

The Magistrate granted bail of $50,000 on condition the accused stay 50ft away from the VC.

The matter was transferred to Court Five for October 26.

“The parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, shall, first of all, seek a solution by negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their own choice.”

Now there are disturbing signs that contrary to what has been the position of the last Administration and the announced one of the incumbents – to move the process from the doldrums of the “good offices of the SG” where it has languished for decades to a “judicial settlement” – that the UN team is coming down to “negotiate a settlement”. The question of course, “a settlement of what?”

Our position is that the controversy doesn’t go to the substance of the 1899 Arbitral Award which set the present borders for all times, while Venezuela’s bootstrapping on some cockamamie ex-post facto claim that the Award is null and void. This is all that needs to be “settled” and the only change from a judicial settlement would be for one of the parties to drop their contention. And that, dear reader, ain’t gonna happen.

Venezuela early on had been open to negotiating for “an opening to the Atlantic” meaning the sliver of land contiguous to Point Playa. Now while the square mileage might be small, that’ll confer rights over a vast area of the sea. So we hope the present lot of Burnham’s heirs don’t follow in their mentor’s path and fall for that bait.

Barring that, don’t think we need the Venezuelan consent for the judicial settlement option. Art 33 continues: “The Security Council shall, when it deems necessary, call upon the parties to settle their dispute by such (above) means.”

And we have a friend on the Security Council, don’t we?

…with AFC and salaries

On the disdainful and odiferous matter of the Executive’s “salary increase” it’s clear that the matter won’t blow away – as its instigator Moses Nagamootoo hoped for when he scampered for a two-week leave abroad. He was to return yesterday and if he hasn’t extended his stay (free hotel rooms are so tempting!) he has a lot of questions to answer.

These questions aren’t from the PPP, who Nagamootoo thought would’ve sounded like Christmas “blow-blow” with their protests. No sir!! These protests are from within the bosom of the PNC and its partners – but from outside the Government. Not from the AFC supporters, of course, who’re hoping to ride the gravy train in the fashion of their leader. Ramayya?

As we revealed yesterday, the matter of the raise wasn’t approved by the entire Cabinet. This Eyewitness believes that now is the time for all upright men and women in the Executive to speak their piece. Or when the tsunami of anger from their supporters hit them, they might have to forever do so.

Payback can be a bitch!

…the Skeldon Co-Gen plant

Seems like a shell game’s being played with the GuySuCo’s Co-Gen plant between SEI, GPL and GuySuCo. Now you see it, now you don’t…

WHERE’S THE US$19M?

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

tuesday, october 13, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Division E working to curb truancy, child neglect

EDivision working to curb truancy, child neglect

The issues of truancy and child neglect are posing some concern in Linden, as the authorities continue to work in close collaboration with Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs), the Education Ministry, Welfare and Probation Departments of Region 10, and the Social Protection Ministry.

In an invited comment, Commander of E Division (Linden-Kwakwani) Calvin Brutus told Guyana Times the Division is also working collectively with these agencies in an effort to assist.

According to reports of E Division, so far for the year only one parent has been charged for neglect, which led to truancy. Nevertheless, he said the issue of truancy continues to pose a problem. Brutus related that in cases where a child under the age of sixteen or who has not completed secondary education is skipping school for specified reasons, the authorities are tasked with intervening.

He also indicated that only last week, a video of a fourteen-year-old student surfaced on social media in Linden where a student was chasing another with a firearm. While the firearm was not apprehended, he said investigations were carried out and the student and parents interviewed.

“It’s a multistakeholder approach; they (other relevant agencies) take the lead role and we support them in executing their tasks. We make sure that the peace is maintained; that they are not harmed in any way. We also assist by detailing the persons, making contact to the parents or guardians and have them come in so that we can have the inter-

views done, make the necessary records and submit our information up to higher command”, Brutus said.

He said the issues are of concern, adding that there are perceived reasons leading to their cause.

“We find a lot of persons who are not going to school in the Division. Those who are of school age and who should have been in school and many of them are doing chores or work to support the family.”

Some students during school hours, Brutus highlighted, are found during routine exercises at various game shops and other unsavoury places. In such cases, parents and guardians are counselled and warned about the children’s behaviour.

“I think it has to do a lot with the parents and their circumstances. Some are single parents who have to be at work and don’t have anyone there responsible enough to check on them. I urge parents to find ways of checking on their children. Ensure that they are at school. Exchange numbers with the class teachers and headteachers. Call and ensure that your children are attending school… coupled with talk to them when you have the opportunity, when you’re at home. Check their school books to ensure that they are working and

are attending school,” he urged.

While the country-wide truancy campaign has ended, Brutus said occasional checks are still made at schools in Linden and Division officers are asked to accompany officials from various relevant authorities.

The Commander also encourages parents to take advantage of youth programmes which are available at some Divisions throughout the country. He said activities such as sport including football, tours, arts and craft, among others, are carried out. Brutus said these activities keep the youths meaningfully occupied while equipping them with life skills.

Pastor awaits justice after being beaten, robbed

Almost two weeks after being beaten and robbed in her Essequibo home, Pastor Doreen Edwards is yet to receive the justice she is seeking, as the lone bandit who terrorised her is still on the loose.

As such she is calling on Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan to intervene in the matter in which Police in her area are handling the case. She said she is far from ‘satisfied.’

The woman, who is still very traumatised, told Guyana Times that when the perpetrator entered her home in the wee hours of the morning on October 1 and robbed her of an undisclosed sum of church funds, he also attempted to rape her before he escaped.

Edwards, who belongs to the El Shaddai Pentecostal Church, Walton Hall, Essequibo, stated that she

lives alone and when the incident took place she was asleep in bed.

This was around 02:30h when the neighbourhood was very quiet.

Guyana Times was told that the man “sprayed” something in her face and she subsequently fell unconscious. However, when she regained consciousness it was then she realised she was being choked by the bandit.

The Pastor recalled that she felt a hand “suddenly grab my neck” and began choking her as the man demanded that she hand over the church’s money.

At that point she felt vulnerable and thought she would die as the bandit continued to choke her.

Edwards told this newspaper that the bandit “tried with my feet” in an attempt at rape but was unsuccessful as she tightly kept her

feet locked, thereby preventing him from doing so.

“I was choked almost four times by the bandit’s fat hand. I kept calling for Jesus to help me. This I can never forget" she related. It was only after the ordeal had ended and the bandit had escaped that she discovered her house ransacked and the bag with church funds missing.

The front door to her house was opened and it was only then she also realised that the perpetrator had removed the steel grille along with the louver windows to gain entry.

As a result of the incident, Edwards was hospitalised at the Suddie Public Hospital due to severe injuries to her neck.

Guyana Times understands that the matter was reported to the Anna Regina Police station but to date no one has been arrested.

Govt yet to sign agreement with India for ECD/EBD bypass road

ome ten months af-

Ster acquiring a Line of Credit (LC) from India to construct a bypass road linking the East Bank Demerara with East Coast Demerara Highways, Guyana is yet to finalise the agreement with the Indian Government to get the funds.

During a visit to India in January, former President Donald Ramotar secured the loan to build a bypass road from Ogle, ECD, to Eccles, EBD. The agreement was made between Ramotar and India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi during a meeting held on the sidelines of the 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at Gandhinagar. The LC for this project is to the tune of US$50 million.

In an interview with Guyana Times on Monday, Indian High Commissioner to Guyana Venkatachalam Mahalingham said the project is in progress. Mahalingham explained that he is working along with the new Administration on the best procedure to follow in executing the project.

The High Commissioner explained that Government just over a month ago had submitted the proposal for

the bypass road project, which is currently with the Indian Government.

However, he noted that in order for the process to move along or the money paid, the agreement has to be signed between the Guyana and Indian Governments.

“The agreement is with the Government of Guyana and they have to make the decision because it’s a new Government, and the project was proposed by the previous Government. So the new Government has to take a view whether they would like to pursue this project and when would they like to

purse this project,” he outlined.

Nevertheless, High Commissioner Mahalingham outlined that should the Guyana Government sign the agreement, the next step would be for the appointment of an Indian Consultant to oversee and facilitate the execution of the project.

According to the Diplomat, as part of the agreement an Indian company will have to be awarded the contract for the road link project. However, he noted that like in the case of the Specialty Hospital Project, which ever company is awarded the contract it will also have to solicit the help of a local contracting company.

Efforts to contact Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson on Monday for an update on the agreement proved futile as the Minister is overseas.

But, Patterson had previously told this newspaper his Ministry will have to review the agreement documents and then consult with his Foreign Affairs and Housing colleague Ministers in order to decide on the way forward.

Repeated efforts to contact Finance Minister Winston Jordon were also unsuccessful.

In the 2015 National Budget presented in August

by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition Government, it was outlined that the Administration intends to create a bypass road linking Diamond with Ogle.

“The new road will open up unutilised lands to support a modern housing scheme for 1,100 households, while creating new jobs for Guyanese, as well as establish a more efficient link between the country’s two international airports,” Minister Jordon had stated in his Budget Presentation speech.

In an effort to reduce traffic congestion on the East Bank Demerara, the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) regime was working on constructing an ‘East Coast to East Bank’

bypass road.

In fact, a feasibility study for this link was completed and discussions were ongoing.

Farmer found dead in Pomeroon River

The body of Nicholas Jacobus, 58, was discovered floating in the Upper Pomeroon River on Sunday after he had been reported missing by relatives. He was seen floating by passersby who called the Police.

Police in G Division (Essequibo Coast/Islands) have since said they are treating the man’s death as a hit and run accident.

Guyana Times was told the farmer was last seen on Friday by family.

Speaking with this newspaper the dead man’s wife, Rita Jacobus, said she was visiting her daughter in Georgetown when she received a call informing her about her husband’s death.

“I left to go to spend time with my daughter in Georgetown, I didn’t know anything, till Sunday I got a call that his body was found floating, I was shocked,” the tearful wife related.

Jacobus related that her husband was a known

farmer in the community of Kabakaburi but he would sometimes do joinery or carpentry to provide for them. She described the father of seven as a very kind and cooperative individual.

She further related that she is eagerly awaiting an autopsy to determine his cause of death.

Meanwhile, Police investigations have revealed that Nicholas Jacobus had left a shop in the Pomeroon River for his home in a paddle boat on Friday.

Restaurant owner robbed at gunpoint

– one in custody

The proprietor of the popular ‘Delicious’ Chinese Restaurant on Cummings Street, Queenstown, Georgetown was robbed at gunpoint on Sunday morning.

Reports are that three gunmen pounced on Chan Zhang Liang and relieved him of $300,000 and the keys to his business and car.

Guyana Times was told that Liang was returning home at 03:00h when he was confronted by the three armed men in front of his home.

At the time of the incident, he was in the company of a friend but the friend too was held up by the gunmen.

Guyana Times understands that two of the three men were partially masked.

This newspaper was told that some hours after the robbery, Liang saw one of the gunmen in the area and the Police was summoned.

The man was taken to the Alberttown Police Station where he was questioned.

A close associate of the businessman told this newspaper that Chinese nationals have now become targets for gunmen.

To date, the Police have failed to charge anyone for the murder of Zhenjz Su, also called “Black Chiney”, who was chopped and shot to death during a robbery at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, two months ago.

Su, owner of Jade Stone Restaurant, was beaten and chopped when

bandits invaded his business place. His wife Fei Su, was also beaten.

Two days after that incident, Hua Kang Huang, 30, a Chinese national, and owner of the Wisdom Supermarket of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara was shot to his thigh during a brazen robbery.

It was reported that about 20:30h, two men walked into the Supermarket and held up Huang, demanding money, but the owner refused to cooperate. In retaliation one of the men shot him to the left thigh and took away about $100,000 in cash.

As they were leaving, two of tem collected a bottle of Skyy Vodka each and then escaped. Again, no one has been charged.

Excise Tax on alcoholic beverages under review

Gunmen rob MetenMeer-Zorg Church

–

High Security Excise Stamps to be introduced

An appraisal of the Excise Tax on alcoholic beverages is being conducted by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) with the aim of streamlining the regime in accordance with Regional and International ‘best practices.’

Guyana Times understands that the Finance Ministry has given the green light to GRA’s proposal for this review which would include changes to the application of the tax from Ad Valorem (a tax based on a fixed percentage of the product value) to Specific (a tax calculated based on alcoholic strength) among other things.

According to a statement from GRA on Monday, assessments have revealed that several other Caribbean Community (Caricom) States are collecting Excise Tax based on the Specific Tax. As such it is the GRA’s view that the same should be adapted by the local administration.

In this regard GRA plans to meet with local manufacturers and importers to have discussions about the impending changes and most importantly, the im-

plications of the reform process on those who will inevitably be subjected to the tax.

Meanwhile, as efforts continue to curtail smuggling and establish greater control of the flow of imported tobacco, spirits and beer imports, plans are in the making to introduce highsecurity Excise Stamps.

The GRA said it is in partnership with a foreign company to facilitate timely and successful introduction of the stamps and accompanying legislation, software and other support initiatives required.

The stamps will target mainly tobacco and spirits, making the job of inspection by enforcement and customs officers much easier, and address concerns about

public health and counterfeit products,” the release stated.

Guyana Times was reminded that Excise Tax, is an indirect tax levied on alcoholic beverages, motor vehicles, tobacco, and petroleum products produced or sold (domestic and foreign) within Guyana.

“Additionally, it should be noted that as a result of the Caribbean Court of Justice ruling on the recently repealed Environmental Tax, a policy decision has already been taken to replace the said tax with a more comprehensive tax addressing the issue of nonbiodegradable packaging for all food items, produced locally and imported,” the GRA said. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)

National Assembly Speaker meets with civil society

Some 40 members of civil society on Monday met with Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland to discuss matters of nation-building.

The luncheon meeting, which was held at the Parliament Building, was coordinated by the Guyana National Civil Society Council Inc (GNCSC).

The GNCSC had proposed Dr Scotland to the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government as well as the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Opposition for the post of Speaker of the National Assembly.

Those in attendance were representatives of the GNCSC; Merundoi; the Guyana Planned Parenthood Association; the Private Sector; Georgetown and Berbice Chambers of Commerce; Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA); trade unions; religious bodies; youth groups; Amerindian Peoples Association (APA); the National Toshaos Council (NTC) and GOIP among others.

Prior to the Speaker’s arrival, GNCSC Chairman, Dr Phillip Thomas briefly enlightened the media on the agenda for the meeting.

Some of the areas that were discussed included the hosting of Local Government Elections, the constitution of the Ethnic Relations Commission, subventions for civil society, monitoring of international trainings and a proposal for a nationbuilding corps.

In addition, civil society also brought up the issue of them addressing the National Assembly on major political matters. They also discussed youth involvement in decision-making process and civil society’s role with the new Government in implementing the new Sustainable Development Goals.

– cart off cash, computer, phones

Abandit was caught Sunday evening after he and an accomplice held up several members of the Universal Church at Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara and carted off cash, laptop and mobile phones.

Reports reaching Guyana Times are that at about 20:00h Pastor Dillip Bikhari was in the process of closing the church when he, along with Andrea Santos of Brazil and two others, were attacked and held up by three men armed with handguns.

The men ordered everyone into the building where they held them at gunpoint and demanded cash and other valuables.

The members claimed they did not have money on them but the gunmen insisted that the pastor hand over the church offerings collected earlier in the day.

The men then ransacked the place where they found G$400,000, US$1000 in the pastor’s office in a canister. They took away a laptop computer and mobile phones.

Moments after the men left, the pastor raised an alarm, and members of the community gave chase.

The Police were called and one of the men got arrested a short distance away.

Upon his arrest, an unlicensed .357 magnum revolver, one of the stolen cell phones and the stolen laptop computer were found in his possession.

He is in Police custody assisting with investigations.

tuesday, october 13, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

High Court Registrar posts to be examined

Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams took a tour of the Supreme Court in Georgetown on Monday during which he commented that efforts will have to be taken to substantively fill the posts of Registrar, Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrar.

According to the Minister, his Government is concerned that the posts of Registrar, Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrar are vacant.

The Minister explained that while his office is not responsible for the day-today operation of Supreme Court, the delivery of effective and efficient services to the public is important to the Administration. However, he noted that the appointment of such personnel will have to be done by the Judicial Service Commission and adding that Registrar and Deputy Registrar appointees must be lawyers.

“We don’t know what caused the previous Administration to allow a situation like this to develop, where you have no Registrar, no Deputy Registrar and no Assistant Registrar. It’s something

that needs to be remedied quickly,” he stated.

Currently, Rashid Mohammed has been acting as Registrar of the Supreme Court. His contract, however, has recently ended. The Legal Affairs Minister explained that Mohamed had retired as a judicial officer a

about three years ago. Ali replaced former Registrar Evelyn Sita Ramlal, who was forced to demit office when she was charged for forgery. The charges however were dismissed in 2011.

According to Williams, there are some persons who do not want the deficiencies of the system to be highlighted, however he noted that his Government will be as transparent as possible in executing its duties.

matters in the judicial system is interfering with the judiciary.

few years back, after spending decades in the sector, but brought out back and given a three-year contract to act as Registrar of the Supreme Court.

However, that contracted ended as of October 10, the Legal Affairs Minister pointed out.

Prior to Mohammed, Bibi Ali was acting as Registrar before resigning

“People can’t call for transparency in one area and don’t want transparency in another area, so we will continue to ensure that we have JUSTICE system…This one of the most highly irregular situations that you could have, where there is no succession plans, where there is no provision made to have an early and smooth transition and structure,” he noted.

Furthermore, the Minister said he does not believe that he wanting to iron out administrative

“We don’t know what was happening with the appointments of Registrar and Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrar, so this is how the country must function? When the contact expires everything becomes headless?... In so far as the Chancellor and members of Judiciary are doing their duty in dispensing Justice in the court room and on the bench, we can’t interfere with that but as the persons who get blame for different things that happen that is why you have a Minister of Legal Affairs,” he highlighted.

Williams noted that the Minister of Legal Affairs is the one answerable to Parliament and Cabinet for the Judiciary, so he noted that he along with Government reserves the right to be able to guide and make pronouncements in the Justice System, especially if it is affecting the citizenry.

Barama expresses continued interest in working in Guyana

Barama Company Limited on Monday reaffirmed its commitment and interest in continuing to do business in the country.

Guyana Times understands that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company Thomas Apun accompanied by Barama’s General Manager Mohindra Chan made this declaration during a visit to State Minister Joseph Harmon.

According to a statement Apun revealed that the company’s investors

are also keen on moving the process of contractual agreements and renewals forward, given that further investments are under consideration so as to enhance the level of production, employment and economic contributions toward Guyana.

Barama has been operating in Guyana for 24 years and provides employment for over 800 Guyanese.

Meanwhile, it was noted that Minister Harmon reminded of Government’s position of being open to foreign direct investment in

Guyana as he assured that the Administration has recognised the importance of the investments the company have made thus far.

“We want to see that you continue to grow under this Administration. We will always try to do our best to ensure that the right atmosphere and environment is created so that business can flourish and you can employ more Guyanese,” Minister Harmon stated. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)

Region 9 youths benefit from shoes, sporting gear from Govt

Hundreds of students attending schools in Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) benefited from new footwear and sports gear from the Social Cohesion Ministry over the course of the weekend.

According to a press release from the Ministry of the Presidency, this move was in keeping with a promise made by President David Granger and saw students from the Parishara village, Region Nine receiving footwear.

Additionally, sporting gear was handed over to the Kurupukari community in the same region to promote social cohesion.

Guyana Times understands that the Social Cohesion Minister, Amna Ally, spearheaded the distribution process in these villages.

It was noted that the school shoes were provided by Sanjay’s Jewellery Store and ties in with the President’s push of ensuring that all school age children are not hindered from attending school due to the lack of access to basic needs.

In keeping with President Granger’s promise and agenda in this regard, Minister Ally handed over 300 pairs of footwear to the Parishara village on Sunday last.

It was reminded that

during the campaign season before the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) took office, President Granger, who was the then Opposition Leader, had visited the area and found that most of the children who were attending school were doing so ‘bare footed”.

Minister Ally stated that with the President’s focus on education, the provision of the shoes had to become a reality.

“When we were here, we saw that many of the children did not have footwear and we had vowed that we will pay attention to that as one of the things to be done. And so, we thought that one of the first places we should go is to Parishara and provide the footwear for the children,” she explained.

Guyana Times further understands that Sanjay’s Jewellery, which was the private business entity that donated these shoes also ensured that they were transported to Region Nine, thus sealing the “public-private partnership.”

In light of this donation, Minister Ally vowed that the village would not be neglected as she reiterated her Government’s developmental plans for the people of that region.

Upon her visit to Kurupukari and during the handing over of the sports gear, Minister Ally had also noted that the purpose of the activity was to begin to involve citizens at the community level in the “promotion of togetherness and national unity”.

This, she explained, was one of the primary mandates of her ministerial post.

“The first set of people I am targeting is the young people. Our young people must have the opportunity to have equipment and materials to play games and socialise like those in Georgetown. Let it be used in the community, let it foster social cohesion, let us learn by playing games, to start the togetherness,” she had told the residents of Kurupukari. (kristenm@ guyanatimesgy.com)

President meets with differently-abled persons

PDavid Granger met with a group of differentlyabled persons on Monday at the Ministry of the Presidency. The group was headed by Omar Cooper who explained that during one of the group’s meetings, the decision was taken to approach the President to discuss their concerns and challenges.

“We have encountered

some problems with some high officials, although we paved the way for cooperation and understanding, so that is why we decided to come to meet the His Excellency,” Cooper said. Currently, the group which does not have a fixed office location, has been holding its meetings at the Muslim Youth Organisation building. Cooper is of the view that the National

Commission on Disability should provide office space for the group. This issue was also raised with the President.

The group, which has a membership of approximately 70 persons, receives assistance from the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana, Food for the Poor Guyana and benevolent members of the Muslim community.

tuesday, october 13, 2015 |

Hindus begin Navratri observances today

Hindus throughout Guyana will be observing the auspicious festival of Navratri (nine nights) which is dedicated to the worship of the Hindu Goddess Durga in her nine forms.

This special festival commences today as is customary each year to begin on the first day (Pratipada) of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of “Ashwin”.

It is believed that during the Navratri season Goddess Durga had killed the mighty demon Mahishasura and ever since, this victory of good over evil is celebrated by Hindus across the globe.

worshipped in the form of “Shailputri” and after the self-immolation as Goddess Sati, Goddess Parvati took birth as the daughter of Lord Himalaya. In Sanskrit “Shail” means the mountain and due to this, the Goddess was known as “Shailputri”, which means the daughter of the mountain.

It must be reminded that ‘Mother Shailputri’ rides the bull and she is depicted with a Trishul in the right hand and the lotus flower in the left.

Lord Rama, after being advised by Lord Brahma, invoked the Goddess and sought her blessings before waging war against the demon Ravana.

On the first day of Navratri, Goddess Durga is

Those who commemorate this festival also believe that Lord Rama had also worshipped Goddess Durga during the period of Navratri.

She is also known as Hemavati and Parvati and similar to her previous birth as Goddess Sati, Goddess Shailputri got married to Lord Shiva.

Regional

Guatemalan Mayor lynched by crowd over attack on rival

The Mayor of a town in western Guatemala has been lynched by a group of locals who accused him of ordering an attack on his political rival.

Mayor Basilio Juracan died after being beaten and set alight in Concepcion, Solola Province, on Sunday.

The residents believed he was behind an earlier attack in which two women were killed and five other people injured.

Guatemala is one of the most violent countries in Latin America and gun crime is rampant.

However, the lynching of an elected official is unusual.

Last month, Juracan de-

feated Lorenzo Sequec in the mayoral race in Concepcion, 100 kilometres (62 miles) west of Guatemala City,

After losing the election, Sequec accused Juracan of

Julian Assange: Police end guard at WikiLeaks founder’s embassy refuge

Police will no longer be stationed outside the Ecuadorean embassy in London where WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange has sought refuge since 2012.

Met Police officers had been there since Assange sought asylum to avoid extradition to Sweden over a rape allegation, which he denies.

The Met said it had cost £12.6 million and was “no longer proportionate” – but it would still try to arrest him.

WikiLeaks said the decision did not change Assange’s situation.

Scotland Yard said that “resources are finite” and there were “so many different criminal, and other, threats to the city”.

“The Metropolitan Police Service has to balance the interests of justice in this case with the ongoing risks to the safety of Londoners

and all those we protect, investigating crime and arresting offenders wanted for serious offences, in deciding what a proportionate response is,” it said.

However, the force also said it would be deploying “a number of overt and covert tactics to arrest him”.

WikiLeaks Spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said he had spoken to Assange about the Met decision, and he agreed it did not change his situation.

“They will still arrest Julian if he steps outside the Embassy so there is no real change to the situation, other than the removal of uniformed police officers,” he said.

The Australian sought asylum to avoid extradition to Sweden, because he feared he would then be sent to the United States and put on trial for releasing secret US documents. (Excerpt from BBC News)

mismanagement and demanded an investigation into the town’s finances.

On Sunday morning, Sequec and members of his family were travelling along

a local road when they were cut off by another car.

Unidentified gunmen stepped out of the car and opened fire on Sequec’s car.

His 17-year-old daughter and 16-year-old niece were killed and Sequec and four others were injured.

After news of the ambush spread, a group of angry residents searched for Juracan, whom they suspected of ordering the attack.

After setting alight a number of homes belonging to relatives of Juracan, they tracked down the Mayor at his house.

They dragged him out, beat him and set him alight.

Police arrived too late to save Juracan. (BBC News)

Trinidad: Audit of State lands coming – Minister

Trinidad and Tobago Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat revealed that his Ministry would be conducting an audit of State lands.

In an interview Sunday, Rambharat said the audit would also include lands occupied by squatters and under agricultural production.

He said he planned to go on an outreach programme once the budget debate was over and would focus on a human resource review in the Ministry. Rambharat said he also planned to review the operations of the ADB, Namdevco and EMBD.

President of the Agricultural Society of T&T (ASTT), Dhano Sookoo said she welcomed the audit.

She said, “We are the one who always call for audits, including an audit on the ASTT. We are prepared to present all our audit-

ed books at anytime to the Ministry.”

Sookoo said most of the land throughout T&T under production was untenanted or what would be termed as being occupied by persons squatting.

Most of these land, she added, were lands once farmed by Caroni (1975) Limited and owned by the State.

“We support the Minister in his audit of Namdevco, ADB and Caroni Green. The ASTT supported the Minister when he terminated the contracts of personnel because many of these services done by contract workers should have been done by public servants already employed by the Ministry. We would like to see any extra funds go towards infrastructure development for the industry,” she said.

(Trinidad Guardian)

Cable & Wireless Chairman quits

Cable & Wireless Communications, PLC (CWC) announced the departure of former Chairman of LIME Jamaica Chris Dehring.

Dehring, who was also a member of the company’s senior management team, has decided to return to entrepreneurship after six transformative years with the company. His exit was effective last Wednesday.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors and the management and staff of CWC I want to thank Chris for his outstanding contributions to our business during his time with the company,” said Phil Bentley, CWC’s chief executive officer.

“Chris has been a key leader in our business, spearheading the largest market in the Caribbean for over six years as Chairman, and building a solid foundation to drive growth and profitability in one of our most important markets.

“His outstanding reputation throughout the Caribbean and strategic acumen proved invaluable to the success of the merger with Columbus and we thank him for his leadership, and wish him well in his future endeavours,” Bentley said.

He added: “On a personal note, I’d like to thank Chris for working so closely and effectively with me on gaining the support across the Caribbean for the acquisition of Columbus – this has been a game changer for CWC.” Dehring was instrumental in reviving the LIME brand (now FLOW), and business with innovative marketing.

Commenting on his tenure, Dehring said: “It was an honour to serve with so many outstanding colleagues at Cable & Wireless Communications and to be able to close this remarkable era of my career by playing such an integral role in finalising what undoubtedly is a transformational merger with Columbus.” (PR) (Excerpt

Suspect in massacre of family in Jamaica in custody

One of the men Police suspect shot up a house occupied by 10 members of a family, before firebombing it, is now in custody as Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller condemned the perpetrators of the “evil act”.

Lawmen are seeking others in connection with the murders that occurred in the rural parish of Hanover last Thursday.

Linett Bloomfield, 62 and her children Mark Bloomfield, 40, and KerryAnn Bloomfield, 36, and nephew Brian Mangaroo, 29, and Kerry-Ann’s children Alliah Mahabee, 17, and Davian Mahabee, 15, were killed in the shooting and arson, while four other occupants of the house have been hospitalised, including Linett’s husband and the teenagers’ father.

Police say about 23:30h Thursday, the attackers called out the names of two

men who lived in the wooden house before opening gunfire and then setting fire to the residence with the family inside.

When the fire was extinguished, the charred remains of six people were discovered. The other four were still alive and rushed to hospital.

During a visit to the community that has recorded 54 murders so far this year, Commissioner of Police, Dr Carl Williams confirmed that the incident stemmed from a dispute that occurred a few weeks prior.

“I am not going to speak on the details of them now, because those matters are still under investigation, but suffice it to say we have a very good sense, based upon our investigation, on what led to these killings here and we are going to use it to aid us to catch the perpetrators,” he said. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Caribbean faces social unrest unless world treats it better – J’ca Minister

Finance Minister, Dr Peter Phillips has warned that the Caribbean population will lose patience with the international community unless they provide the resources to modernise infrastructure.

According to emergingmarkets.org, the Minister called for the international community to pay urgent attention to the Caribbean’s economic troubles, or face grave social consequences as the Region is facing a particularly difficult situation.

“I have a real concern that if there is not a marshalling of global attention on the Caribbean to address the debt overhang and need for significant inflows of resources, then what we will see is a kind of failing, or political economy risk,” Phillips said.

He noted that without improvement, “populations will lose patience with ex-

isting institutions, and that brings the risk of a further setback, such as social disturbance and discontent”.

He argued that resources were needed across the Caribbean to revitalise and modernise infrastructure, and set the platform for a growth rebound.

“Time and time again in the Caribbean people become willing to spend massive resources after the problem has festered rather than use a little more foresight and will to deploy much smaller resources and prevent the emergence of the problem,” he said.

The financial publication reported that Phillips said in regards to marshalling the initiative, he would look to the “main historical and trading partners of the Caribbean” such as the United States, Canada and United Kingdom, as well as multilateral institutions.

Turkish PM blames Ankara bombing on Islamic State

The Islamic State (IS) group is the prime suspect in the Ankara bombings that killed nearly 100 on Saturday, Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu has said.

No group has said it carried out the attack, but the Government believes that two male suicide bombers caused the explosions, hitting a peace rally.

The official death toll is 97, but rally organisers have put the figure at 128.

Funerals for more of the victims were held on Monday, with some mourners expressing anger at the Government.

Saturday’s twin ex-

plosions ripped through a crowd of activists outside the main railway station in the Turkish capital.

They were due to take part in a rally calling for an end to the violence between Turkish Government forces and the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

There is anger in Turkey that authorities were unable to prevent such a major attack – and some scepticism from Opposition groups about the government’s claims.

Davutoglu said authorities were close to identifying one of the suicide bombers, using DNA tests, and that this would help to pinpoint

Around the world

More stabbing attacks as violence grips West Bank

Aseries of stabbing attacks have resulted in the deaths of two alleged Palestinian attackers and resulted in several more Israelis and Palestinians being injured as violence intensifies in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Israeli Police Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed at least three stabbing attacks in Jerusalem on Monday.

Late on Monday, a stabbing attack in Pisgat Zeev, a Jewish-only settlement in occupied East Jerusalem, resulted in two victims being seriously injured. “An

which group was responsible.

He had previously said that IS, the PKK and far-left groups were all capable of such an attack.

The situation in Turkey was tense even before the Ankara bombings.

The ceasefire with the PKK had broken down and there had been clashes between the militants and security forces, killing at least 150 since July.

Some local media have implicated the brother of a man who carried out an IS bombing in the southern border town of Suruc in July, which killed more than 30 people. (Excerpt from BBC News)

British academic awarded Nobel economics prize

ritish academic

BAngus Deaton has been awarded the Nobel economics prize for 2015 for his analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare. The 69-year-old Princeton University professor said he was delighted to have won the prize.

Professor Deaton described himself as “someone who’s concerned with the poor of the world and how people behave, and what gives them a good life”. His research focuses on health, well-being, and economic development.

Torsten Persson, Secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences award committee, said that Professor Deaton’s work has had “enormous influence”, particularly in India where the Government had reshaped its measurement of poverty. It had also been very influential in the academic community by reshaping various branches of economics, he said.

While Professor Deaton expected extreme poverty to continue decreasing, he did not want to be “blindly optimistic”, because “tre-

mendous health problems among adults and children in India” still existed.

Professor Deaton said that half of Indian children were still malnourished: “For many people in the world, things are very bad indeed.”

The academy said that individuals’ consumption choices must be understood before economic policy aimed at reducing poverty could be formulated.

“More than anyone else, Angus Deaton has enhanced this understanding. By linking detailed individual choices and aggregate outcomes, his research has helped transform the fields of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and development economics.”

The work for which Professor Deaton has been honoured revolved around three questions:

How do consumers distribute their spending among different goods?

How much of society’s income is spent and how much is saved?

How do we best measure and analyse welfare and poverty? (Excerpt from BBC News)

Israeli teenager was seriously injured and hospitalised, as was a 24-year-old [Israeli] man,” Rosenfeld said.

Police shot and killed one of the alleged Palestinian attackers and injured the other.

Earlier in the day, a Palestinian woman was detained and taken to the hospital after reportedly stabbing an officer near a police station. Just hours before that, Mustafa Adel al-Khatib, an 18-year-old Palestinian, was fatally shot while trying to stab an Israeli Border Police Officer.

Protests over Israeli settlement expansion, harsh

restrictions and Israeli incursions into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem has boiled over into violence earlier this month.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Parliament is holding an emergency session to pass a bill to call 1400 reservists in the Border Guard Police amid rising violence. As unrest continues to spread, at least 26 Palestinians, among them suspected attackers, have been killed by Israeli forces since October 3. Another 1990 have been injured, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Health. (Excerpt from

Delhi Police question two men after girl of four raped

Indian Police are questioning two men in connection with the rape of a four-year-old girl in the capital, Delhi.

The city’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Vijay Singh, told the BBC that no arrests had been made yet.

The child is in intensive care after being found unconscious by railway tracks on Friday night. She had surgery for extensive injuries, doctors say.

The attack raises fresh questions over women’s safety in Delhi after a 2012 gang rape and murder shocked the world.

The girl, who was found near her home in a poor neighbourhood in the north of the city, was slashed and had severe injuries on her body.

Her family allege she was lured with an offer of food or sweets by a group of men.

Delhi Commissioner for Women, Swati Maliwal, who visited the child in hospital, described her injuries as “horrific”.

The gang rape and murder of a student in 2012 in Delhi led to protests and new anti-rape laws in the country.

However, brutal sexual attacks against women and children continue to be reported across the country.

In 2014, a Delhi woman alleged that she had been raped by the driver of her Uber taxi.

In July, police arrested a man who confessed to sexually assaulting and murdering 30 children from in and around Delhi.

More than 1500 cases of rape have been recorded by the Police this year, but there are believed to be many others which go unreported (BBC News)

No charges for Cecil the lion killer, says Zimbabwe

The US dentist who sparked an international outcry after killing a lion in Zimbabwe will not be prosecuted because he had obtained the legal authority to hunt, officials say.

Walter Palmer admitted to killing Cecil the lion in July, but has always denied that he acted illegally.

Zimbabwe’s Environment Minister Oppah Muchinguri said he could not be charged as all his “papers were in order”.

Muchinguri said Zimbabwe would now review how it issues hunting licences.

The Environment

Minister had previously called for Palmer to be extradited and face prosecution. However, it appears that Palmer broke no laws when he killed the lion using a bow and arrow.

“We approached the Police and then the Prosecutor General, and it turned out that [Walter] Palmer came to Zimbabwe because all the papers were in order,” Mrs Muchinguru said.

Meanwhile, the trial against Palmer’s Zimbabwean guide, Theo Bronkhurst, is due to continue on Thursday.

Bronkhurst denies the charge of “failing to prevent

an illegal hunt”. After his name was revealed by the press, Palmer’s dentistry practice and home were targeted by protesters. He has now returned to work after a twomonth break. The 55-year-old is believed to have paid US$50,000 (£32,000) to hunt the lion in Zimbabwe’s largest game reserve.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the incident last month, he told the Associated Press and Minneapolis Star Tribune that if he had known who the animal was he would not have killed it. (Excerpt from BBC News)

tuesday, october 13, 2015| guyanatimesgy.com

President awards top CSEC student

– STEM subjects important to Guyana’s development

President David Granger has awarded Guyana’s top Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) student, Victoria Najab along with other outstanding performers of the Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) Secondary School.

At the school’s graduation ceremony on Sunday,

the Head of State reminded students that they were at the beginning of another stage of a long process of learning.

The privately operated learning institution, in

Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), continues to produce outstanding students and this year captured the top two spots at the CSEC examinations. Najab gained 21 Grade One passes, counting her double award in Agricultural Science, while runner-up Vamanadev Hiralal gained 19 Grade Ones and a Grade Two.

In delivering the charge to the students, the President spoke of the rapid changes that are taking place around the world and the need for them to be on par with a technologically driven world. He also underscored the need for more students to gravitate to the fields of science, technology and mathematics in order to meet the needs of a developing country.

The Head of State also presented the President’s Award for the best graduating CSEC student, Najab, and declared that in addition to the award, he would be presenting her with $100,000 to assist with her Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) studies.

Najab, who wants to become a petroleum engineer, spoke of how honoured she

and fellow students were to have kept the school at the top of the academic pedestal. “Today we are not only celebrating our own success, but we are making a great achievement for our country. We are children of this nation and our efforts are Guyana’s fortune and our accomplishments are Guyana’s triumph,” she said.

Giving recognition where it was due, Najab said undoubtedly, the teachers were “the most valuable players”, as they went beyond the call of duty to make the school the phenomenal one it is today.

“The SBAs we cried to complete; they had to go over it 50 times. If our teachers did not guide our intellect, we would not be as happy as we are today,” she said. Najab’s parting advice to the graduating class and students of SVN was, “Honour your teachers, honour your parents, before you can honour your God.”

With 64 CSEC and seven CAPE students graduating, SVN Principal Swami Askarananda congratulated the students for their outstanding performances. However, the Principal

Insurance company distributes bursary awards

The Demerara Mutual Life Assurance

Society Limited on Monday distributed 10 Bursary Awards to children of the company’s most valued policyholders who wrote the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) this year.

At a simple ceremony held in the commercial building on Robb Street, the children gracefully received their monetary awards in the presence of their parents and members of the organisation.

Demerara Mutual Human Resources Manager Denise Lambert told the

gathering that it marked the 18th year that the company has awarded bursaries to young men and women in the same manner.

She added that as the students continue to excel in their new schools, Demerara Mutual will continue to monetarily assist them.

Acting Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr Leslie Chin, told the young men and women that they have achieved more than many were able to accomplish. He added that education was many things to many persons, by for him, it was an opportunity to

get out of poverty. He also told the awardees that with an education, persons were able to think on their own and find solutions to various problems in life and he hoped that they would take advantage of the opportunity given to them.

The awardees are Idris Allen, of Queen’s College who was also awarded for being the group’s most outstanding student, followed by Natonya Hartman of Bishops’ High School, Jade Fraser, Jaafar Pinder, Joshua Ceres, Alesha Sookram, Kezia Case, Varun Singh, Tianna Gordon and Ariel Haynes.

called on his students not to become complacent, as there was room for improvement.

Pointing to the national overall pass rate for English and Mathematics, which is now just about 50 per cent, Swami Askarananda reported with pride that the students at SVN have continuously been raising the bar. “While at the national level and in the region, the pass rate at English and Math are around 50 percent, at SVN, in these two

subjects, we have consistently produced the highest pass rate, with English at 86 per cent and Math 92 per cent,” he said.

Of the 12,600 students in Guyana who wrote the 2015 CSEC examinations, 47 students passed with 11 grade ones or more, and of that number, 23 per cent were SVN students.

Another notable point raised by the Principal was the hard work of the teachers who worked with students, some of whom

entered the school with average marks at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA). Fourteen students with marks in the low 400s at the NGSA graduated with 12 subjects or more at CSEC at the institution.

This, Swami Askarananda said, is a clear indication of the exceptional work done on the part of both teachers and students. The Hindu Secondary School was founded in 2002 by Swami Aksharananda of Guyana.

Another young lawyer admitted to Bar

Recent graduate of the Hugh Wooding Law School, Nirvana Singh was on Monday admitted to the Bar at a simple ceremony at the High Court. Making her petition was Senior Counsel Edward Luckhoo to Justice Dianna Insanally.

The new Attorney-atLaw spoke of her delight in being admitted to the Bar. Singh comes from a family with deep roots in the legal fraternity, as her father, the late Vejai Singh was a former Attorney-at-Law. Her sister Ravina Singh is also a lawyer.

Singh graduated from the University of Guyana with

distinction in her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in 2013 for which she received the McKay and Moore Prize for second best graduating law student at the University of Guyana.

She then attended the Hugh Wooding Law School and was awarded a Certificate of Merit for her outstanding performance. While at law school, Singh received several academic prizes including the Phelps and Co Prize for Best Performance in Civil Procedure and Practice I, The Cameron & Shepherd Prize for Best Civil Procedure and Practice I and II by a Guyanese

Student among many other prizes. She also served as Secretary of the Student Representative Council 2014-2015 and is also a member of the Hugh Wooding Law School Hindu Students Society. Singh completed her inservice training in 2014 at the Attorney General’s Chambers and Legal Affairs Ministry and at the firm Luckhoo & Luckhoo.

The young lawyer said she currently planned to practise in the field of family law and would be willing to serve the public to the best of her ability in this prestigious profession.

Praedial Larceny Bill for Parliament

… as Agri Minister commits to further develop livestock sector

Agriculture Minister

Noel Holder has reassured hundreds of farmers and agriculture stakeholders that efforts are on stream to further develop the livestock sector, through addressing some of its challenges to meet international export requirements.

This was announced Sunday and the Agriculture Minister added that efforts will be intensified to have a Praedial Larceny Bill taken to Parliament very shortly.

Speaking at the opening of the eighth Annual Livestock Exhibition of the West Berbice Sheep and Goat Farmers Association (WBSGA), held at Norman

the industry, with respect to meat alone, at close to US$30-$40M, with mutton accounting for most.

In a release from Agriculture Ministry, it was noted that Guyana is one of the countries with the greatest number of sheep within Caricom, however, weight and other production parameters lag those of its Caribbean counterparts. It is against this background that emphasis is being placed on bringing Guyana up to acceptable international standards, the Minister noted. However, he pointed out that he has been advised of some of the challenges and constraints

is a priority, specifically for the livestock sector.

The Ministry, through GLDA and the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) has been distributing livestock to farmers, along with training farmers on the animals’ maintenance, growth and development.

Meanwhile, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative to Guyana, Rueben Robertson, who also delivered remarks, the FAO is fully supportive of the development of the small ruminants sector. He pledged continued sup-

Singh Memorial Turf Club, No 6 Village, West Coast Berbice, on Sunday, Minister Holder told the gathering that sheep and goat rearing is not only a traditional activity for Region Five, but also an opportunity to earn additional income, as there is a demand for the meat.

“I have noted with pleasure the range and quality of the animals being exhibited. It remains impressive, and is a testimony of the potential of our country, to become a major player in the production, consumption and trade of livestock,” Minister Holder stated.

The Minister believes that the exhibition has the potential to not only market livestock to consumers in and around the community, but can serve as an important vehicle for farmers’ education and the general citizenry.

“We must view what we do beyond sufficiency of domestic production; we must look at Caricom and the regional consumption of sheep and goat meat. The region is highly dependent on imports from New Zealand and Australia, with imports (being) approximately 75 per cent of our consumption,” he advised.

A Regional study of 2006 estimated the total value of

affecting the sector’s development:

“Cattle rustling – I know efforts have been made in the past, through collaboration with the Guyana Police Force, to have this addressed. I am announcing today that efforts will be intensified to have a Praedial Larceny Bill taken to Parliament very shortly.”

The issue of allocation of suitable lands for grazing is another constraint. However, this is expected to be addressed shortly by the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), as a portion of land will be opened at Onverwagt and be handed over to the Association.

The quality of the breeds provided to the famers is yet another constraint in meeting the internationally acceptable standards, and to this end, the Ministry of Agriculture will be boosting its AI (artificial insemination) programme, and will also be looking to make available the Texana breed to farmers.

In the Government’s thrust to diversify the livestock sector, emphasis is not only being placed on ensuring food security or internal consumption, but also on export. As part of the agriculture diversification strategy, genetic improvement

port to the WBSGA and its members, and to work with Government to implement initiatives for the sector’s further advancement.

Acting Chief Executive Officer of GLDA Dr Dwight Waldron, advised that the Ministry is working with stakeholders both locally and internationally to have the small ruminants’ sector on par with international standards. This is being done with the objective of Guyana selling its livestock on the international market.

Region Five Chairman Vickchand Ramphal encouraged more famers to get involved in the livestock sector as he believes the Region can become the model for the rest of the livestock producing areas. He noted that over the years this sector has grown tremendously in Region Five.

Chairman of the WBSGA Clyde Mc Almont explained that the organisation which started nine years ago has a total of 78 farmers from Plantation Profit to Rosignol with 35 women who are single parents. The association has benefited and continues to benefit from collaborative efforts with NAREI, GLDA, and the Rural Enterprise Agricultural Development (READ) Project.

tuesday, october 13, 2015

Gunman arrested during attempted robbery on churchwomen

Alone gunman was arrested on Sunday morning after he attempted to rob two females who were on their way to church at Waini Street, Meadow Brook, Georgetown.

According to information the armed man con -

fronted the two women and demanded they hand over their cash and jewellery. The women put up a fight and in the process raised an alarm which saw persons rushing to their rescue.

The Guyana Police Force has released the identities of six more drivers who have admitted to driving while under the influence of alcohol.

As part of Police’s traffic enforcement activities, persons who are found to be above the legal lim-

it in terms of alcohol consumption are “named and shamed” in order to deter them and other drivers as well from repeating this action.

Viswanath Budram of Number 67 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, was stopped and tested with a breathalyser on August 15, while driving motor vehicle HB 6188 on the Number 62 Public Road, Corentyne. He was found to be above the legal limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol and charged. He appeared two days later at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court where he pleaded guilty and was fined $7500. In addition, his driver’s licence was suspended for one year.

On August 19, Zahir Ally of Lot 68 Anna Regina Public Road, Essequibo Coast, was also sentenced to pay $7500 after he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alco-

The man was arrested by public spirited citizens and was subsequently handed over to Police.

At the time of his arrest, an unlicensed .32 pistol with one matching round was found in his possession. Charges are expected to be laid shortly.

Court fines six more drunk drivers

hol. According to reports, Ally was driving motor vehicle PTT 581 when he was stopped and tested with a breathalyser. He was found to be above the legal limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol; hence, the charge was instituted and he subsequently appeared at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court.

Richard Pearce of Lot 27 Annandale, Essequibo Coast, was stopped and tested with a breathalyser on August 14 while driving motor vehicle PKK 484 on

the Reliance Public Road, Essequibo Coast. He was found to be above the legal limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol. He was charged and appeared at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s

Court two days later where he pleaded guilty and was fined $7500. His driver’s licence was also suspended for six months.

Lakeram Balgobin of Lot 121 Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, was found to be above the legal limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol, when he was stopped and tested with a breathalyser on July 26, while driving motor vehicle PLL 1583 on the Cotton Field Public Road, Essequibo Coast.

Balgobin was charged and appeared at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court the following day, when he pleaded guilty and was fined $7500.

Additionally, Janordara Narine of Lot 6 Sparta, Essequibo Coast, was stopped and tested with

a breathalyser on August 9, while driving motor vehicle BTT 259 on the Devonshire Castle Public Road, Essequibo Coast. He was found to be above the legal limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol; as such, he was charged and appeared at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court on August 11, where he pleaded guilty and was fined $7500.

And finally, Cayron Brijganand of Lot 59 Cotton Field, was stopped and tested with a breathalyser as he was driving motor vehicle PMM 1682 on the Cotton Field Public Road, Essequibo Coast, on July 26.

He was found to be above the legal limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol. Brijganand was subsequently charged and appeared at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court two days later, where he pleaded guilty and was fined $7500.

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

Lady Luck is in your corner. If you play by the rules, you can expect monetary gains through investments or games of chance. It is vital that you not neglect your health.

Younger family members or acquaintances will cause distress. Contain your temper. Reiterate the rules to get your household back on track. Romance is highlighted. Make special plans for two.

Don’t limit yourself to the old familiar routine. Spice up your life by taking part in recreational or educational activities. A long-lasting friendship will result from events you attend.

You will be pleasantly surprised by an unexpected change. Being inflexible or rash will limit your options. If you let matters unfold naturally, you will enjoy the outcome.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

A big break is heading your way. Let everyone know what you have to offer. Your passionate approach will put you in the running for an employment opportunity.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

You won’t make any progress if you wait for others to help you. Do everything yourself so you can take full credit for what you achieve.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

This is an ideal time for a short getaway or vacation. You may feel restricted by your circumstances, and a chance to take a break and think matters through would do you good.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Don’t allow anxiety or doubt to stop you from making the most of your skills. Your confidence will get a boost when you receive a positive response from your peers.

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

A chance encounter with an old friend will give you valuable insight into your financial future. Listen and learn from those who’ve experienced a similar journey.

(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Someone will try to take advantage of your sympathetic nature. Offer advice, not money, when you are approached for a handout. Minor differences will plague a romantic relationship.

AQUARIUS

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

You are extremely loyal, but it’s time to free yourself of associates who are making you look bad. Constantly bailing out careless or inconsiderate people will hurt you mentally and physically.

A rash decision will cause regrets. Make sure you fully understand what is expected of you before you make a commitment or sign a contract. Don’t agree to something that might jeopardise your security.

Ruthless England complete perfect 10

England became only the sixth team to end a European qualifying campaign with a 100 percent record when they beat Lithuania 3-0 in their final Group E match on Monday.

England, showing eight changes from the team that started Friday’s 2-0 win over Estonia at Wembley, put themselves into a commanding position after scoring two goals which went in off the same right-hand post inside the opening 35 minutes.

The first, after 29 minutes, was a powerful longrange strike from Ross Barkley that took a deflection off a defender before flying into the net.

Six minutes later another well-struck shot from Harry Kane hit the post and struck the back of keeper Giedrius Arlauskis who conceded an own goal as the ball rebounded into the net.

Alex OxladeChamberlain blasted England’s third at Arlauskis’s near post after 62 minutes as they became the only team in this qualifying competition to win all their matches.

England coach Roy Hodgson said he was proud of his squad’s achievement, but was not getting carried away with far tougher opposition to come in next year’s finals.

“Of course to get 10 wins out of 10 in these qualifying groups is never easy so we have to satisfied with it and be proud, it was a nice way to end what has been an excellent qualifying campaign for us,” Hodgson told ITV Sport.

England have tough friendlies organised against European champions Spain, Euro hosts France and world champions Germany before the finals.

“We know by going to France we will come across much better opposition, teams that are more capable of causing us problems and we will see how we will deal with that,” Hodgson said.

England sealed their place at Euro 2016 last month and never remotely looked like squandering the chance of joining France (1992 and 2004 qualifying), Czech Republic (2000), Germany and Spain (both 2012) as the only countries to achieve a perfect qualifying record.

The victory, on a chilly night and on an artificial surface in the Lithuanian capital, meant England finished the campaign with 30 points, followed by Switzerland 21, Slovenia 16, Estonia 10, Lithuania 10 and San Marino one. (Reuters Sport)

Rio 2016 Olympic Games face major financial cutbacks

Olympic organizers, faced with the reality of a country deep in recession, are trimming costs to keep their budget balanced.

To keep spending in line, officials say they will cut back on printed material, reduce staffing at dozens of test events and trim costs for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.

“This is a very strict budget,” said Sidney Levy, the organizing committee’s chief executive officer. “There’ll be no excess, but we are not going to compromise the essentials.” Levy has said often over the past few months that he will trim costs and cut non-essential purchases.

News of the budget austerity comes as hundreds of journalists from around the world are in Rio this week

visiting Olympic venues and talking with organizers about how the games will run when they open Aug. 5, 2016.

The organizing committee’s budget remains at 7.4 billion reals ($2 billion), which is for putting on the games themselves. It does not include building venues, subway lines and highways to help stage the games.

Operating income is from ticket sales, local sponsorships, merchandising and licensing, with the largest contribution from the International Olympic Committee.

Brazil hosted the World Cup last year with yearlong protests leading up to the event. Now the Olympics are causing a strain.

Brazil’s currency has lost 70 percent of its value against the dollar in the last year and inflation is running at 10 percent. The economy

is expected to remain in a steep recession through the games, and there are calls to impeach President Dilma Rousseff, partly driven by a $2 billion bribery scandal involving state-run oil company Petrobras.

Olympic organizers face other problems.

The venues for sailing, rowing, canoeing, triathlon and open water swimming are heavily polluted with viruses and bacteria with only stopgap measures possible to contain the problem. Organizers have said athletes are not at risk, though some athletes have openly questioned competing in the dirty water.

An Associated Press study published on July 30 showed high levels of viruses in all of Rio’s water. Organizers say they are looking at viral testing but do not plan to move any venues. (ESPN)

Platini provided ‘no evidence’ for payment from Blatter

Uefa chief Michel Platini produced no documentary evidence for the 2m Swiss francs (£1.35m) payment made to him by Fifa, the BBC has learned.

Fifa’s ethics committee is looking into the “disloyal payment”, made nine years after Platini carried out consultation work for Fifa president Sepp Blatter.

Platini, a Fifa vicepresident, and Blatter are serving 90-day bans while corruption claims are investigated.

In September, criminal proceedings against Blatter began in Switzerland.

BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent Richard Conway says a written contract did exist for Platini’s work for Fifa between 1998 and 2002, according to sources. A total of SFr 1.05m (£710,000) is believed to have been paid to the Frenchman.

It is an additional SFr 2m (£1.35m) that was paid in February 2011 that is under scrutiny - and for which no written contract is said to exist.

Both Platini and Blatter are believed to have told investigators the addition-

al payment was an oral agreement for SFr 0.5m to be paid for each of the four years (January 1999 to June 2002) the Uefa president was employed by Fifa.

In a statement this month, Platini said “the remuneration was agreed at the time”.

It is understood the men claimed an agreement to delay payment was reached at the time due to Fifa’s then financial position.

Under Swiss law, an employee cannot seek to have a contract paid up after five years have elapsed irrespective of whether it was written or oral.

Both men have denied any wrongdoing, have ap-

pealed against their bans and believe they will be exonerated.

Uefa, which meets in Nyon on Thursday to discuss the issue, has said it has “full confidence” in its president and “stands fully behind him”. However, one Uefa executive committee member, Allan Hansen, has been quoted by Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet as saying “we can no longer support him” - if no contract exists. Meanwhile, Fifa has banned Thai football chief and former executive member Worawi Makudi for 90 days for an ethics breach and indicated he could face further punishment. (BBC Sport)

Former FIFA executive committee member Worawi suspended for 90 days

Former FIFA executive committee member Worawi Makudi, the current head of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), has been suspended for 90 days pending a full investigation, the ethics committee of soccer’s governing body said on Monday.

Worawi, who was on the committee in December 2010 when it voted to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar, will now face a formal investigation, the ethics committee said in a statement.

“The decision was taken... on the grounds that a breach of the Code of Ethics appears to have been committed and a decision on the main issue may not be taken early enough,” said the statement.

“The case is now the subject of formal investigation proceedings.”

The 63-year-old was due to stand for re-election as FAT president on Oct. 17 against former national team manager Vanasthana Sajakul and

regional police chief Pisan Jundilok, and was considered the favourite.

He won the FAT election two years ago against Virach Chanpanich but, amid controversy, Worawi was given a suspended 16-month sentence by a Thai court in July for falsifying documents to amend the FAT statutes ahead of the vote.

Last week, South Korean Chung Mong-joon, who also sat on the executive committee in 2010, was banned for six years, while Jack Warner, another member of the committee at the time, was banned for life on September 29.

Switzerland’s attorneygeneral has opened an investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, which was also the subject of a FIFA ethics probe conducted by former chief ethics investigator Michael Garcia.

Garcia’s report has not been made public but a summary by FIFA’s ethics judge

Hans-Joachim Eckert said there was not enough evidence to award a re-vote. FIFA has been in turmoil since May 27 when 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives were indicted in the United States as part of a criminal investigation into the allocation of media, marketing and sponsorship rights for soccer tournaments.

On Thursday, FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini were handed 90-day suspensions pending a formal investigation.

The probe followed reports of a payment of two million Swiss francs (1 million pounds) from FIFA to Platini in 2011, nine years after he completed a spell working for Blatter as an adviser.

Worawi had been on the FIFA executive committee for 18 years as one of the Asian Football Confederation’s representatives until he was voted off earlier this year. (Reuters Sports)

Joint Services Sports… GDF, Police showdown set to start today

100m the hottest race of the meet

By TreisTon Joseph

In what has become the battle of the titans, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will try to wrestle the Inter Services Athletics and Swimming Championships title away from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) when action on the track and field commences today at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora.

GDF who are the defending champions will have to make up ground on the Police men and women who took a 47 point lead at the end of the swimming championships on Sunday which was held at the National Aquatic Centre.

While both sides will duke out in the track and field events as both teams

seem on even keel at the moment, the team that likely falls down in their usually strong areas will lose the championships.

However, while eyes will be on the points tally, the track will come alive especially for the men’s 100 metres which will feature Guyana’s fastest men.

With the army boast a strong trio in sprint ace Rupert Perry, AKeem Stewart and Davin Fraser, the GPF will counter with Olympian Winston George, Kevin Abbensetts and Tevin Garraway.

Looking at these six speedsters while it is hard to call a definite winner, once thing is for certain, if you blink you might just miss the event.

The men’s 100 metres fi-

nal on which will be on the last day of the event, being Friday has all the makings of Guyana’s fastest local 100 metres and the man that has the best start might just win this one.

Nevertheless the field events will also have some top performances as it is said that high jump specialist out of the army, Natricia Hooper is in brilliant form and came close to the Olympic qualifying standards during training, eyes will be on the tall lanky field event athlete who will also feature in the women’s sprint events.

Javelin national record holder Leslain Baird will also be in action and after having few chats with the GDF athlete, Baird has given Guyana Times Sport that his aim is to throw for

Olympic standards. Also in field events action, the big burly Julio Sinclair out of Police will also be in action as he is the defending champion for the event.

Switching back to the track, eyes will be on Andrea Foster who recently returned from the World Championships in Beijing as well as Cleveland Forde who has been phenomenal over the last two months by winning a number of 10k events.

While these are just a few events and athletes to watch, the event commonly known as the Joint Services Sports will definitely provide some of Guyana’s best track and field action in a long time. (josepht@guyanatimesgy.com)

Khan takes dig at Mayweather, eyes Pacquiao fight

Floyd Mayweather Jr was concerned he would be given “the biggest problems in his career” by Amir Khan, according to the Brit. Amir Khan is optimistic he can take on Manny Pacquiao and claimed Floyd Mayweather Jr “chickened out” of fighting him before retiring.

Khan had made no secret of his desire to enter the ring with Mayweather, but the American ended his glittering career after beating Andre Berto last month.

The 28-year-old Briton has expressed his frustration that he was unable to lock horns with Mayweather, who he believes was there for the taking in the twilight of his boxing career.

Khan has instead turned his attention to taking on Pacquiao in what he believes will be a fight to remember.

He told Boxing News: “The Pacquiao fight, basically my team’s taking care of everything. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. I’m one of those guys, I’ll fight anyone.

“Whoever’s in front of me. Pacquiao is a fight I’d like to have because styles make fights. Me and Pacquiao used to train together as well, used to spar together, we are friends but sometimes friends have to fight each other.

“At this moment in time

I think it can happen, it’s all about just doing the little things, contracts and stuff. I’ve left it to my team. My team takes care of it. It’s a good fight for me.

“I wanted the Floyd Mayweather fight. Floyd in a way, he chickened out, he didn’t give me the fight. Three years he was saying he was going to give me the fight, then he didn’t give me the fight.

“So obviously Manny Pacquiao I believe after Floyd Mayweather is the best fighter. So I want to fight the best names.”

Khan taunted Mayweather by taking a dig at the 38-year-old, who quit with a perfect record of 49 bouts without beating beaten to equal the record set by Rocky Marciano.

“If you look at when he fought against Berto. He was making a few mistakes, he was getting caught a lot, something I’ve never seen before. Mayweather normally is a sharp fighter and never normally gets caught,” he added.

“But you could see him, maybe the age is getting to him, maybe that’s why he’s called it a day and maybe that’s one of the reasons why he didn’t fight me.

“Because he knew that Amir Khan’s going to give him the biggest problems in his career.” (Digicel Sportsmax)

Wet October casts shadow over teams in flux

In October, the northeast monsoon begins to creep in from the Bay of Bengal and turns Sri Lanka into a vast network of closely-spaced puddles. This is excellent for the nation’s paddy farmers, whose fields are made fit for replanting. It is less good for cricketers, whose fields are made fit for marine exploration. Spectators are advised to take umbrellas to any match in Sri Lanka, but going by the history of series scheduled for this time of year, snorkeling gear might not be unwise either.

The teams have come to understand they are in for a wet series. In addition to having much of the two most recent weeks indoors, they have also shared a rich and storied history of being holed up in dressing rooms. West Indies’ first ever Test in Sri Lanka in 1993 was so beset by bad weather it barely entered its third innings. Their most recent Test on the island did not make it past the first.

That 2010 tour saw more hours of rain than cricket. The groundstaff were also fitter than the athletes by the end of it. Maybe it’s the knowledge that the coming series

will probably go the same way that this West Indies side barely turned up for the threeday warm-up match, in which they were comfortably outperformed.

a positive response than asking the ICC for help with adjusting the cricket schedule. Internationals would ideally be played from January to March in Sri Lanka, but as

creasingly hemmed in by T20 tournaments. West Indies could have toured in the drier month of September, for example, but a large chunk of that month had been reserved

The SLC’s only remaining solution to this recurring issue may be to demand mother nature stop scheduling monsoons in cricket season. Even this seems more likely to evince

most teams are engaged in the southern hemisphere at that time of year, this rarely happens.

Instead,the SLC finds its international window in-

for the Champions League T20. As it turned out, that tournament did not even happen this year.

It will be a pity if the weather dominates as ex-

pected, because the teams appear to be evenly matched. Sri Lanka will feel they have edge in home conditions, but with both sides in flux, nothing can be taken for granted. The hosts have relied on spin to defeat West Indies on previous tours, but though they have a proven matchwinner in Rangana Herath, their batsmen had been vulnerable against the turning ball in series against Pakistan and India. In Galle, especially, West Indies’ fortunes may turn on the potency of Devendra Bishoo’s legspin.

Inexperience abounds in both top orders. West Indies have the likes of Shai Hope, Rajendra Chandrika and Shane Dowrich on tour, who have six Test appearances between them. Sri Lanka will likely field a top seven containing Kusal Perera, who has played one Test, and Milinda Siriwardene, who is uncapped in the longest format.

Both teams are also without a permanent coach. The WICB has suspended Phil Simmons, who awaits HR trial for suggesting team selection had been subject to “interference from outside”. The SLC, meanwhile, has recently conducted their annual coach

cull, and are now overseen by their eighth head coach (including interim appointments) in five years. Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers at Hogwarts serve longer terms, on average.

The series may be a chance for young captains to mould the teams they will lead for the foreseeable future.Angelo Mathews is some way down that track already, having been captain for more than two years now. But this is the first series in which the most prominent leadership figures of the past decadeMahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara - are absent from the dressing room. Jason Holder, meanwhile, takes on his first assignment as Test captain, and does so with a view to marking out other young talents who may form the core of his side in the future.

For the moment, both sides are just hoping the skies clear in time for the cricket. Training on Monday was hampered again by rains in Galle. Sri Lanka’s meteorological department has forecast showers all week, which given its track record, is as hopeful a sign as any. (Cricinfo)

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Bolt is poetry in motion claims film star Danny Glover

World’s fastest man Usain Bolt can add film star Danny Glover to his list of admirers and the Hollywood legend had little problem in naming the Jamaican as the greatest sprinter ever.

The 69-year-old American actor has seen plenty of track and field talent in his time, among them sprinting legends Carl Lewis and Jessie Owens. Glover, however, believes Bolt’s unique

physical abilities puts him in a different class.

“I don’t think there’s been an athlete like that.

There’s never been a sprinter with the gifts... and the area that he covers in a short period of time.

It’s amazing. It’s poetry, it’s beautiful to watch.

Poetry in motion,” Glover told Jamaican new publication Jamaica Observer.

Bolt recently faced down another noted American sprinter, Justin Gatlin, at the Beijing World

Championships. The double world record holder had been caught short on form heading into the championships, but still did enough to hold off the inform Gatlin over both the 100m and 200m events.

Gatlin has vowed to return stronger for next year’s Rio Olympics but the Lethal Weapon, and The Color Purple star’s money will still be on Bolt.

“I think he will win in Rio, and he will win at [age] 32 as well,” Glover said.

“I’m a big fan of his,” Glover added. “He’s the greatest runner ever, without a doubt.”

vettori to work with emerging English spinners

Daniel Vettori has been roped in to work with the England Performance Programme spinners next month in Dubai. The former New Zealand left-arm spinner and captain will join the EPP batting and spin group, led by Andy Flower, for 10 days in November, and work with Surrey allrounder Zafar Ansari and new Sussex signings Danny Briggs, Tom Westley (Essex) and Stephen Parry (Lancashire).

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Ravi Patel (Middlesex), Will Beer (Sussex) and Matt Carter will also be a part of the squad in a net bowling capacity.

Vettori, who retired from international cricket after the World Cup this year, signed on a three-year contract with Brisbane

Heat in the Big Bash League in April. He also coaches Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.

“Daniel has been one of the most successful and respected spinners in world cricket for almost two decades, so we are delighted to add his considerable experience to the England Performance Programme this winter,” Peter Such, EPP’s lead spin bowling coach, was quoted as saying in an ECB press release.

“I am sure that the players will benefit from working with him for the 10 days that he is with the EPP in November.”

In a separate programme organised by the EPP, legspinner Scott Borthwick will travel to New Zealand to play club

cricket. Apart from that, he will also practise and train with the Wellington side, where he will be mentored by offspinner Jeetan Patel. Twelve more young English spinners will be travelling overseas this winter, either with England’s Under-19s in Sri Lanka or on ECB-led placements to Australia and New Zealand. Such said ECB was looking to provide its spinners with more “match play overs.” “We are looking to expose our spinners to cricket overseas during the off season, for the experience of competing overseas, taking more personal responsibility and also to continue their development by bowling those much needed match play and practice overs,” he said. (Cricinfo)

Stag Elite League… Pele the dominant team to date

At the completion of five rounds of the Stag Elite League, Pele FC have emerged as the dominant force, both as a team, as well as individual exploits.

Currently on top the leaderboard, Pele FC have scored the most goals by a single team in the tournament, 10, five of which have come from the competition’s leading scorer, Gregory “Jackie Chan” Richardson, Pele’s lead striker.

Six players have scored from Pele FC, the most by any team, while the Club is one of three unbeaten teams in the League – Alpha United and Bakewell

Slingerz FC being the others. Not surprisingly, Pele FC have the most wins to date, three.

A total of 20 games have been played so far, with 48 goals being scored, making it an average of 2.4 goals per match.

Of that figure, 29 goals have been scored in the first half, while 19 have come in the second half.

On the individual score list, Richardson is followed by Delroy Fraser of the Guyana Defence Force with three goals, while eight players have scored two goals each.

They are Kwame La Fleur of Fruta Conquerors; Eusi Phillips of the Guyana

Defence Force; Delon Lanferman of Alpha United; Kithson Bain of Alpha United; Dennis Edwards of Fruta Conquerors; Domini Garnett of Bakewell Slingerz; Travis Henry of Monedderlust; and Kevin Cottley of Monedderlust.

While Pele FC have the most goals by a single team, Monedderlust have conceded nine, the most in the competition. Bakewell Slingerz have conceded just one, the least in the tournament.

Buxton United with two goals have scored the least amount of goals in the eight-team League.

Five players each have scored from Bakewell Slingerz FC and Alpha United, while Fruta Conquerors, Guyana Defence Force and Georgetown Football Club have four players each who have found the back of the net.

Each team have conceded a goal, and have won at least one game to date

The boys from Pele FC hold the distinction of being the only team to take the lead twice – at the end of rounds three and five. Monedderlust held the lead at the end of round one; Fruta Conquerors at the end of round two; and Alpha United at the end of round four.

The teams with the most drawn encounters were Bakewell Slingerz and Alpha United with three each, while Buxton United’s four defeats have been the most suffered by a single team in the League.

Guyana Franchise 4-Day practice game….

Stag Elite League… Round 6 action to commence tonight

B

Action in the Stag Elite League will continue tonight at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Ground, Camp Ayanganna with two of the top three teams taking the field.

Alpha United will do battle first against Buxton United at 18:00h, while Slingerz FC will do battle with host GDF from 20:30h.

The game’s first matchup will see Alpha United looking to take the lead against a Buxton team that has lost four out of their five games played while languishing at the bottom of the League standings.

Alpha are clear favourites to score a full three points from this encounter especially since the East Coast side has a knack of making defensive errors in every game.

Alpha United has the ability to control the game with their passing as well as boasting one of the better counterattacking

sides in the league; with Buxton’s inexperience as well as inability to stay knitted as a defence, it might turn out to be a long night for the East Coast side.

Meanwhile, in the second game of the evening, Slingerz FC will have their hands full with a fit and hungry GDF squad.

With GDF being in the bottom third of the League, a win for them will be crucial to their title hopes.

However, an improving Slingerz squad that is finding form at the right time will be in their way as they look to possibly take a shot at League leaders as they were tied for second with Alpha United on nine points.

Slingerz, who started the tournament a bit sluggish, are seemingly improving with each game and their rhythm during games especially in their attacking build-ups is smoother.

Nevertheless, both squads can easily play to a draw since GDF will play a physical brand of football.

Johnson, Singh hit half-centuries on opening day

B y R ajiv B isnauth

Half-centuries from skipper Leon Johnson and Vishual Singh propelled Johnson’s XI to 238-5 at the close of day one of the Guyana Franchise fourday practice game at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Ground.

Singh stroked an attractive, unbeaten 76 and Johnson, 61. The diminutive Singh has so far batted for 228 minutes, faced 146 balls, inclusive of four boundaries.

When stumps were drawn after 84 overs, Christopher Barnwell was the other not out batsman on 16.

Deciding to bat first, Johnson’s XI were cautious in the opening exchanges, with openers Assad Fudadin and Tagnarine Chanderpaul barely playing a forceful shot.

There was little help for the fast bowlers either through the air or off a hard, true Bourda pitch, and the pair was able to survive for most of the first hour of play.

However, Fudadin, the out-of-favour West Indies batsman, was unfortunately run out for 12 at 23-1.

Johnson walks in to join young Chanderpaul at the

other end, whom for most part resisted the temptation to go after balls outside off stump.

Johnson’s intent was clear from the start, hitting a flurry of boundaries, included a six off left-arm spinner, Raj Nanan. This positive intent rubbed off on Chanderpaul as well, and the left-hander started to blossom, hitting pacer Paul Wintz for back-toback boundaries.

The first session of play yielded 78 runs at

the expense of one wicket. Johnson was unbeaten on 35, while Chanderpaul was on 20.

Javon Searles returned after the lunch break and got instant purchase from the pitch.

Just when it appeared that the two left-handers would build on their 59-run partnership, Chanderpaul was bowled for 22.

Johnson, meanwhile, kept going at the other end in Singh’s company. He reached his half-century

with a boundary off Nanan. However, Johnson showed a lack of resolve to be dismissed soon after. He was caught and bowled after mistiming a pull shot off left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie. Johnson’s innings lasted for 112 minutes, facing 84 balls, with nine fours and a six.

Veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul joined Singh, and the pair made steady progress up to the interval. The duo comfortably rotated the strike,

and in the process collected the occasional boundaries. At the interval, Chanderpaul, West Indies most capped Test player, was unbeaten on 32, while the diminutive Singh was on 24.

However, upon resumption the pair’s good progress was eventually halted within the first half-hour of play when leg-spinner Steven Sankar removed the 41-year-old Chanderpaul. The West Indies second highest Test runs scorer made an 82-ball 37, off 93 minutes, with three boundaries.

Raymond Reifer, one of two Barbadians secured by Cricket Guyana Inc for this season, joined the GCC players, who was particularly fluent, timing the ball sweetly and at the same time, he was more content on grafting and capitalising on the ‘bad balls’. Singh eventually recorded his half-century from 116 balls, but soon after Reifer was run out for four at 198-5.

The pair of Singh and Barnwell took their team to the close without further difficulty. Play resume today at 09:00h. Admission to the venue is free. (rajivb@ guyanatimesgy.com)

Guyana Softball Cup 5… Preparations moving apace, says GFSCA head

By

Guyana Softball Cup 5 is sizing up to be the biggest yet, and the

organising body, the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA), is leaving no stone unturned in its desire to maintain that

billing.

The October 30 to November 1 competition is set to once again attract top softball teams from Guyana and North America, and GFSCA President Ramchand Ragbeer is confident the body can pull off another successful threeday event.

According to Ragbeer, preparations are at an advanced stage, and soon the GFSCA will be announcing the final list of teams that will compete in the Open and Masters categories. From all indications, Guyana Softball Cup 5 is expected to attract the largest number of teams ever in its five-year history.

“Right now preparations are coming along fine, and once again we’re hoping to have another exciting tournament,” Ragbeer said.

While the on-field rivalry has always been riveting, spectators’ participation at the Guyana Softball Cup has always been a top priority for the GFSCA, and this year would be no different.

In 2015, three return tickets to Barbados, compliments of Survival Travel Agency, are up for grabs, an increase from last year when the company had put forward two return tickets

North Georgetown Inter-schools championships…

Queens College win zone 1

– Yaw, Andrews, Garrett, James dominate

By TReisTon Joseph

An intense day of action on Monday saw some of Guyana’s top junior athletes putting on a show at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary when North Georgetown (District 11) held their first of three zonal inter-schools championships.

Queen’s College managed to amass 389 points to run away with top honours in zone one. Chase Academy finished second on 343 points; Kingston High School third with 306 points; Richard Ishmael came in

the 100, 200 and 400 metres.

Jeremy Garrett made his events look easy winning a triple as well in the boys’ Under-16 400, 800 and 1500 metres.

A new kid on the block also got into the thick of things as Sasha James won the girls’ Under-20 100, 200 and 400 metres events.

Meanwhile, national squash star Larissa Wiltshire displayed her versatility with wins in the girls’ Under-18 400 and 800 metres for Queen’s College.

National distance star Matthew McKenzie looked in great shape with wins in the boys’ open 5000 metres as well as in the boys’ Under-18 1500 metres.

Samuel Lynch also looked in great shape for Chase Academy with wins in the Under-18 400 and 800 metres.

fourth on 269 points, while Marian Academy rounded out the top five on 232 points.

Jason Yaw who made a move from the East Coast to North Georgetown dominated the Under-20 category with a sprint triple in the boys’ 100, 200 and 400 metres to be the Government Technical Institute’s most successful athlete.

Yesenia Andrews was also in top form in the girls’ Under-14 category, running away with a sprint triple in

National youth star Claudrice McKoy displayed her ability with wins in the girls’ Under-16 800 and 1500 metres, while Orin Prince won the boys’ Under-20 800 and 1500 metres events.

With the first day of action already heating up the competition for Friday’s Inter-zones championships, zone two will have their chance to impress today at the said venue. (josepht@ guyanatimesgy.com)

to Aruba.

During the day of the finals, fans will also benefit from huge giveaways from the sponsors.

“We’re not forgetting the fans, because their support is very important. There will be lots of giveaways for them,” Ragbeer mentioned.

First held in 2011, the Guyana Softball Cup became an instant hit with players and fans alike, attracting massive crowds , putting some hard earned cash in the pockets of those who entertain with bat and ball on the field.

This year promises to be even better, as the GFSCA is aiming to surpass the achievements of the previous four years in terms of spectators’ involvement and the handsome rewards at stake for the players.

The champion team in the Men’s Open is guaranteed a whopping

US$800,000 first prize and a huge trophy, while the losing finalist will have to settle for $200,000 and a trophy.

In the Masters’ division, the winning team will pocket $600,000, with the runnerup assured of $150,000. The Man-of-the-Match in both finals will receive a trophy.

As has been the case in the past, the Most Valuable Player of each category will become the proud owner of a softball bracelet, made of gold and diamond studs, compliments of Steve’s Jewellery. Wolf’s Warriors and Floodlights are the defending champions of the Open and Masters categories. (aramzan@guyanatimesgy.com)

Franchise 4-Day practice game….

Johnson, Singh hit half-centuries on opening day

By Rajiv Bisnauth

Half-centuries from skipper Leon Johnson and Vishual Singh propelled Johnson’s X1 to 238-5 at the close of day one of the Guyana Franchise fourday practice game at the Georgetown Cricket Club Ground.

Singh stroked an attractive, unbeaten 76 and Johnson, 61. The diminutive Singh has so far batted for 228 minutes, faced 146 balls, inclusive of four boundaries.

When stumps were drawn after 84 overs, Christopher Barnwell was the other not out batsman on 16.

Deciding to bat first, Johnson’s X1 were cautious in the opening exchanges, with openers Assad Fudadin and Tagnarine Chanderpual barely playing a forceful shot.