Guyana Times Daily - August 13, 2015

“PNC taught me to kill” – Sean Hinds alleges

– confesses to involvement in a series of alleged State-sponsored murders

Govt has no crime-fighting plan – citizens concerned over ad hoc actions to date

New Hugh Wooding fees… Caricom States to approach School to shelve increase

Suspect in sex worker's murder for court today More finances needed to combat mental health issues – Minister Norton Jagdeo supports $23B rice allocation

Narine still under investigation for CrumEwing’s murder

Two prisoners break out of NA Prison

thursday, august 13, 2015 |

New Hugh Wooding fees…

Caricom States to approach School to shelve increase

Several Heads of States across the Caribbean have taken a stance against the sudden rise in the tuition fees to attend the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) in Trinidad and Tobago and will soon be approaching the school’s administration and the Council of Legal Education to explore the possibility of putting a hold on the increases for now.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon, during a postCabinet press briefing on Wednesday at the Ministry of the Presidency, announced that Guyana, among other Caribbean Heads of Government, believe that the sudden increase in tuition fees is arbitrary, and as such, will soon be taking a diplomatic approach to correct the situation.

“The Cabinet felt that this increase without notice was not one which can be supported, having regard to the fact that when students enter an institution, they would have an expectation of what fees they will be paying and they would have bud-

geted for that… Cabinet was advised by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams that several other countries have taken the position that the increase was arbitrary and ought to be put on hold,” Harmon told media operatives.

He added that the Guyana Government is already in receipt of a letter from the Prime Minister of Dominica and is currently engaging other Prime Ministers in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) regarding this situation. He further added that the Governments will soon take a common approach to the HWLS’ Board and the Council of Legal Education to request that the increase be put on a hold until careful evaluation is done.

In July, the HWLS announced that fees will be increased by some 30 per cent. This applies to students pursuing the two-year Legal Education Certificate programme.

Students graduating from the University of Guyana (UG) and looking to further their studies at the Law

School will now be required to pay an increase of some TT$50,000. This is equivalent to some G$1.6 million.

Reports also indicate that students are now required to pay the full tuition at the beginning of the September semester each year, as opposed to 50 per cent in September and 50 per cent in January of the following year as previously obtained.

In addition, students will also need to factor in another $3 million for accommodation, food and other expenses for the two-year period.

With a new semester slated to commence in mid September, many are hopeful that the regional heads succeed in getting the administration to put a hold on the increase.

As part of a longstanding agreement between the Council and UG, every year, 25 automatic places are reserved for Guyanese students at the Law School.

It was understood by this publication that the original agreement had initially expired in November 2012, but at the request of the Government of Guyana, it was extended until 2013. Negotiations were scheduled to take place to facilitate the 2014 batch of students. However, this discussion never took place until the matter arose last year. Although provisions have been made for 2015, current UG law students remain concerned over the future relationship between the University of Guyana and the Hugh Wooding Law School.

Eight-year-old girl launches book at National Library

An eight-year-old girl

Anaya Lee Willabus on Wednesday launched her book, “The Day Mohan Found His Confidence”, at the National Library’s Conference Room in the presence of Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes and Education Minister Rupert Roopnaraine.

Willabus, who was previously recognised by the New York State Assembly Chambers as the area’s youngest published author, was inspired by her vacation in Guyana to write the book. Her book tells the story of a young boy named Mohan and the many difficulties he experiences at home and at school.

The aspiring teacher was born in Brooklyn, New York to Guyanese parents Dimple and Winston Willabus who hail from Georgetown.

On June 9, 2015, the young writer was recognised

by Guyanese-born New York State Assemblywoman Roxanne Persaud, and received a proclamation recognising her work. Willabus has been invited to over 10 different events locally and internationally for book signings and a bigger initiative, which is to promote reading and giving back. She hosted her first book signing event at the Bergen Beach Youth Organisation in Brooklyn, New York.

The eloquent young woman, in her address to the gathering, thanked everyone for the support that she has received in her journey as an author. She emphasised that focus needed to be paid to the development of literacy. “I stand before you not only to promote my book, but a greater initiative... reading and giving back. It’s important to read since reading helps in your comprehension skills and opens

doors beyond your imagination,” she stressed while addressing the large gathering of children who were present at the activity. She applauded the Education Minister for “sharing her vision to promote reading”.

Minister Hughes, in her address, commended young Willabus on her achievement while encouraging other youths to utilise their ‘gifts’ of independence of thought , integrity, respect and discipline. “You must be the change you wish to see in Guyana,” she stated while urging young people to develop their ability to choose wisely while shaping their destiny. “Never doubt your ability as a young person to start to change the world..... never doubt your ability to change Guyana,” she implored in closing.

Minister Roopnaraine, in his address to the audience, spoke of the importance of literacy as well as the need for improvements in the education system in Guyana. He has launched a Commission of Inquiry into the education system in the country. He stated that there was still much to be done and as such, he urged all stakeholders involved to be fully cooperative in the process. He also revealed that he would be making music and sports mandatory subjects in school as he believed that they play a vital part in the development of rounded individuals. He iterated that parents play a vital part in setting the foundation of their children’s education and as such they should pay keen attention to ensure that their children read and read often.

Guyana can be a safe haven for yacht harbours – Tourism Minister

With the drastic change in weather conditions in the Caribbean, the little country of Guyana is becoming more and more ideal as a safe haven for yacht marinas.

This was expressed by Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes who was the guest speaker during the postCabinet press briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency on Wednesday.

“When it comes to yachting, we have a tremendous advantage that we haven’t explored, we know that it is a small niche market but the reality is, given the challenges of climate change… the locations within Trinidad and Tobago (oth-

er Caribbean countries) are finding that they are dealing with extreme weather conditions and therefore Guyana has the potential to be a safe haven for individuals whot have yachts and are looking to park them in a safe location,” the Minister envisioned, noting that this development would transform the tourism sector in the country.

In fact, discussions are already underway regarding the construction of a marina in the Essequibo River.

Minister Hughes will be delivering a presentation to the yachting community in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday and she will use this opportunity to continue dis-

cussions with two investors who already expressed interest in developing the marina.

If this project comes on stream, Hughes noted that many opportunities will become available for Guyanese.

“We will be able to handle yachts in terms of storage, the cleaning, the refurbishing and all the different services that go with maintaining yachts,” she stated.

Guyana has already been dubbed as an ideal destination for small cruisers and yachts, having to boast the Majestic Kaieteur Falls, over 850 species of bird and 6000 species of plant among other amazing attractions.

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Director Indranauth Haralsingh already expressed that

Guyana has enough potential to develop a marina for yachts.

Within the next three weeks, another flotilla of yachts will be coming to dock in Guyana.

Meanwhile, Hughes reaffirmed her commitment to continue to enhance the tourism sector.

Already, six individuals from hotels in Guyana have been selected to travel to Barbados where they will stay for three months to be trained in important aspects that relate to hospitality and customer services.

Another initiative on the table is the establishment of a Hospitality Training School in Guyana.

Government is currently in the process of designing a structure for the school and is examining different models that exist in the Caribbean. The Caribbean Development Bank, Hughes said, already allocated funds for this project.

Moreover, Hughes said Guyana will continue to pay special attention to the niche markets to develop strategies to aid in its promotion.

“The bird watching is an important niche market we have been successfully exploiting and visitors have been coming to see the wonderful arrays of birds in Guyana,” she noted.

thursday, august 13, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Thursday, August 13 – 14:30h-16:00h and Friday, August 14 – 05:00h-06:30h

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

Thursday, August 13 – 16:05h-17:35h and Friday, August 14 – 16:40h-18:10h

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery showers can be expected throughout the morning and into the early afternoon, while heavy to light rain showers are expected in the late afternoon and early evening hours. Thunderstorms can be expected in the late evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East to East North-easterly between 1.34 metres and 3.57 metres per second.

High Tide: 03:29h and 15:54h reaching maximum heights of 2.49 metres and 2.45 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 09:28h and 21:43h reaching minimum heights of 0.71 metre and 0.74 metre respectively.

New explosive recording surfaces... “PNC taught me to kill” – Sean Hinds alleges

–

confesses to involvement in a series of alleged Statesponsored murders

ays after turning himself over to law enforcement ranks, a new recording of self-confessed death squad member Sean Hinds has surfaced in which he alleged that the People’s National Congress (PNC) taught and trained him how to kill innocent people, while sponsoring his involvement in several extra-judicial killings and criminal activity aimed at agitating political confusion in the country.

The recording which has been circulating on social media features Hinds making a series of jaw-dropping allegations and again implicating several of the top-brass serving and retired members of the PNC political directorate who were in power for 28 years and now serve as part of the recently elected A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change coalition Government.

Hinds appeared to be shocked at how the political directorate within the then Opposition and the hierarchy of the Guyana Police Force are treating him as result of some of the unlawful activities that he has been involved in over the past four decades.

“…I was designated bodyguard way back in the PNC time, all that they said I do and I know, they taught me these things, they taught me to kill people,” he said in the recording.

He also alleged that the PNC orchestrated criminal activity in the country while the People’s Progressive Party/Civic was in power with the aim of making Guyana ungovernable and creating instances where racial hostility and divisiveness soared.

“I could remember incidents of when the PPP was in power back then when they (PNC) wanted a commotion along with senior people…. in this government… (PNC) asked me to go outside with a machine gun that was given to me by Carl McPherson who is now deceased, to shoot out Congress Place to cause a commotion so they can go kill…people by the Buddy place on Sheriff Street,” he calmly alleged.

“When we was going out the night to murder, to shoot out Buddy’s place, we were confronted by Fraser and Gangster…that time and we had to head back to the thing because we had a lookout people saying that them man coming in the street,” he also alleged.

Hinds, a convicted criminal and ex-Policeman, also confessed on the new recording that he was closely associated with at least two high-

Sean Hinds

ranking officials of the PNC before deciding to walk away because they failed to represent him and look into his needs with a sense of urgency.

“You understand, so all these things that they saying I do and don’t do is out of their camp I come. They never gave me a tricycle; they never gave me a bicycle…When I asked “Corbin” a night for $100 because I had to go home to come back for 6 o’ clock to report for duty, I ask him for $100 to catch transportation, you know what he turn and tell me, “When you drinking milk, you drinking milk.” That’s what Corbin turn and tell me “when you drinking milk, you drinking milk.” So I don’t know what’s it now. Is them teach me everything I know”, he insisted.

The man has also alleged he was involved in a plot to take the lives of innocent Guyanese at Parika, Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara).

“When they send me with machine in the backdam to kill all them…people in the backdam down in Parika with PJJ 4041, a pickup with a guy who dead now named Bustop and an old Police Sergeant at Eve Leary and they drive away and left me with a guy named Bacchus who died now, and another one name Peter Woodman who alive now and could testify to this, when we go and kill the coconut man, the coconut man, and two other people in the yard, they drive away and left me when the shots fired,” he recalled as he continued his allegations against the PNC.

Hinds said that he and the others involved had to camp out in the village until the next evening as the Police were patrolling the area.

“Corbin I aware of this, Aubrey Norton is aware of this because at that time they used to control the place, there was a guy named Skeete, he was a soldier and he was aware of this….Them was the people who taught me things. Them is the people who train me….Them is the people who send me to train. So why they targeting me, all I doing is making

a living, killing people is not my action, I just want a living, it’s a means; it’s somewhere I can get a money to maintain a family and pay my mortgage. That’s all I want to do,” he alleged during the 17-minute recording.

Police’s alleged involvement Hinds, who is no stranger to controversy and known members of the underworld here, has also taken another jab at the Guyana Police Force alleging that many of its past and senior members benefited financially and otherwise from the spoils of serious crimes.

Explaining that is why he is upset, Hinds alleged too that while the political directorate of the PNC were the intellectual authors behind some of the criminal activity he was involved in, the Police were part of the execution plot which saw them turning a blind eye and failing to apprehend or prosecute anyone leaving many murders and robberies unsolved for years.

Saying that he had nothing to do with Courtney Crum-Ewing’s death and some of the other crimes allegedly pinned on him, Hinds said “the Police know, they are fully aware of who do these crimes”.

He suggested that it was surprising that the new

Government took office and was managing to pinpoint people and pin crimes on them despite the fact that the types and nature of crimes increased and changed since last year and over the past few weeks more recently.

“Every time you hear about a robbery you hear somebody died. First was robbery and a man would be alive, but now is a robbery with murder. Anytime you get a robbery, people killing”, he said before noting that “it simply mean that Police sheltering these people all the time. They are in with these people on certain things because in the end they get a money.”

Further, he confessed to being part of a squad of policemen who would be told about criminal activity, but would bargain with the criminals and receive as much as one-quarter of the loot in order to allow the crime to go unsolved. If criminals acted without the Police knowledge or refuse to agree to the terms to commit the unlawful act, he said they would be killed.

“I was a part of that squad, so I know what I am talking about… way back in Fraser time, since in Carl Boyce time, you understand what I mean, so these people know what I am doing,” he said.

Over the last few weeks, Hinds has been at the centre of controversy as he has made sweeping allegations against the Guyana Police Force and implicated to a lesser extent politicians on both sides of the divide in criminal activity here.

He was recently questioned after turning himself over to Police so that they can probe a number of allegations and matters concerning him, but he refused to cooperate in the investigations. He was let go without being charged.

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

For a Guyana Law School

Surely one of the surest staples of journalism in Guyana is the annual report on whether the top 25 graduating students from the UG law programme will be admitted automatically to the Hugh Wooding Law School (HELS) to complete their legal training for admission to practice at the bar. This year, with a new Government ensconced, the tradition held true as the new Attorney General made frenzied visits to Trinidad and UG to finally announce that our latest batch of graduates had been spared.

So are we to replay the drama next year? A year ago, as the then Opposition's "shadow" AG, Basil Williams made it clear that he was firmly in favour in establishing our own law school that can take our students to the end of the line. This is not a new promise, but it appears that the institutional memory in this area has developed a lacuna. More than a decade ago, then Attorney General, the late Doodnauth Singh, reported to the nation that after discussions with the Council for Legal Education (CLE) in Barbados, and of which he was an ex-officio member, as were all AG's of Caricom, that body agreed that a law school would be established here under their imprimatur.

This would have been in place in 2003 since our Government had been planning since the previous year for this eventuality. At that time, former President Bharrat Jagdeo had been Chairman of Caricom in 2002 and had raised with his peers the larger question of whether the overall legal needs of the region were being satisfied by the CLE arrangements. It is eerie to listen to the same arguments being regurgitated in the present crop of leaders. Where has been the CariCom Secretariat that should have been tasked with coming up with a proposal to solve the problem?

This law school in Guyana would eliminate the need for our lawyers-in-training to proceed to HWLS. When the CLE had been established Guyana had been one of the signatories and as such had to subsidise the fees for its students at the St Augustine campus. Reimbursements had lapsed for a substantial period and after paying off a US$500,000 in 2002, the decision was made that having a local law school was a more feasible option. Matters had proceeded as far as identifying a building at Parade Street to house the law school.

There were going to be any number of benefitslower fees than that charged by St Augustine, lower living expenses, the possibility of a larger student enrolment etc. While some had questioned as to whether Guyana would be able to absorb so many lawyers, it was pointed out that not every graduate would necessarily be practicing before the bar. In the developed countries such as the USAF and Britain, the analytical and research skills imparted from a rigorous law programme prepares individuals for careers in almost every field of endeavour. The present AG's concern that legal education was becoming "elitist" would also be addressed.

But we cannot continue to look backward in anger. Our intent in raising the old proposal is that our dilemma on legal training had been taken very far down the road. Issues such as pay scales to bring our school to attract teachers from the region had already been raised and addressed. Let us not reinvent the wheel nor our own law school. The solution, as has been proposed by some, is not to return to the old arrangement where Guyana subsidises the tuition expenses of our students. It has been made pellucid that the facilities in Trinidad are just not large enough to accommodate our students and Trinidad's. But why pay to expand there?

The only way forward is for us to return to the old "Jagdeo proposal" and create a law school here that will cater for the development of our minds that wish to have legal training.

Children shouldn’t suffer because of Government’s political games

Dear Editor,

With reference to the letter written by Mohammed Khan, captioned “Against Government Assistance”, I wish to advocate for the “Because We Care” voucher, given the depth and breadth of poverty in this country. One can’t deny that the poor now in limbo will benefit from this, especially as the new school year approaches. Most, Guyanese, including myself have experienced a rough ride in life similar to Mr Khan’s, largely because our Governments have repeatedly shafted us. Unquestionably, financial assistance of any magnitude from Government would have made our lives easier and helped us to realise our dreams. Moreover it is the moral obligation of society to help the less fortunate. As such, I strongly recommend that Government should continue this program - even if it is a pittance. I am sure we are all familiar with the adage that “even a penny will help”. Programs like these are priceless. They help citizens grow to their fullest potential so that they become productive members of society. In

this country we banish such programs mainly because of politics. But financial programs aimed at helping citizens is an integral element of the dynamic necessary for building progressive nations. As such, the PPP/C needs to be applauded for such an initiative and others such as the “One Laptop Per Family” program. If the APNU/AFC Government is operating on its full bearings then it should strengthen such programs and implement others.

So why is this coalition hell-bent on cutting off a paltry $10000 voucher system, even though there’s a dire need? Is this Government killing this programme, even if it means that the poor will suffer? It seems as though the Granger administration is keen on destroying the legacy of the PPP/C administration, and unarguably, this is a clear case demonstrating how Government places politics above the welfare of its people. Government is bluffing when it says that this voucher is unsustainable, but if this is so, then how can salary increases be sustainable? Has it hired so many Ministers and is consider-

ing salary increases at the expense of the voucher? Are these many overseas trips being funded at the cost of the vouchers? It seems as though the Government is more preoccupied with its own welfare than of the poor. Undoubtedly, there is a huge financial cost associated with sustaining this huge coalition Government. However, the Government needs to trim its own expenditures to allow dollars to flow to the poor.

This situation shows that our welfare is being abused by politicians and may continue unabated under this Government. As a citizen of the country, I am appealing to Government on behalf of the poor to continue the ‘Because We Care’ programme. This is possible and if there is enough money in the treasury to sustain a large Cabinet, then there is enough money to sustain the voucher system.

Such a gesture will show that the Government is placing the interest of its people before its own interests. It will show that the Government is concerned about struggling parents.

The Government needs to

stop indulging in petty politics and controlling the purse string of the country to the detriment of its people. It is responsible for attending to our welfare irrespective of who we are. So Mr Khan, even though your parents were able to raise many children without Government assistance, I am sure additional dollars would have helped. Mr Khan I urge you and others who are against the programme to change your minds and advocate for it, in consideration for the lives it would be helping. Children do not need to suffer because of the narrow views of adults and Government. As human beings, don’t they have needs like the people in Government? Don’t they desire a life like the people in Government? Remember that the Government should not disappoint and stifle dreams for political gains. Its moral obligation is to help lives. Until, we genuinely cater to the poor and stop looking after ourselves, our war against poverty in this country will be unwinnable.

Yours sincerely, Cecil Dilipkumar

Still awaiting NIS payments

Dear Editor,

As a recipient of NIS benefits, I have not received payment for the past three months and when these payments will be made possible still remains unknown to me, much to my suffering and inconvenience.

My NIS number is functional since as far back as

2005.

I made no less than 12 useless visits during for the past three months to get my payment vouchers at the Anna Regina office, with six hundred dollars per return trip being thus wasted.

The information I keep receiving from the office is that the vouchers have not

yet been processed and until such time that this is done payment would not be made. I was also advised to keep checking which I cannot afford to do any longer due to financial constraints.

No time frame could have been provided as to when this would be done de-

spite the unbearable and unacceptable situation. My wife is very sickly and bed ridden. This money is my only source of survival and will help to alleviate my predicament.

Yours faithfully, Ramanand Persaud

Looking forward to Dr Jagdeo’s leadership

Dear Mr Editor, I am elated to see star Politician, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo in the lime light again. He gives us hope in this dim and uncertain period. He is a super star, a true leader, a brilliant mind, a visionary and a caring man. His supporters and admirers need him more now than any other time before. He must rise to the challenge and not be bothered by unfair and preju-

dice critics. Yes, they are merciless critiques have helped him to be more ready, determined and resolute.

Now, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo and his team must move to Parliament and begin constructive dialogue on all national and international issues, including the 2015 budget, the crisis of rice, sugar and gold, the Venezuela border controversy and the “Petrocaribe”

Guyana needs that Specialty Hospital

Dear Editor,

Agreement. We will join in support for Dr Bharrat Jagdeo as together, we strive for a better Guyana in respect and appreciation for one and all.

As such, let us together give the new Government a fair chance.

May God bless Guyana.

Hana Mohamed

Dr Ramayya should have known better

Dear Editor,

The August 11 edition of the Guyana Times carried a story of AFC’s powerful organizer for Berbice, Dr Veerasammy Ramayya, expressing huge disappointment. This is an understatement considering the many blunders committed by the APNU/AFC Government, leading to his resignation.

Ramayya’s revelations to a Guyana Times reporter are not to those in Berbice, surprising at all. These developments were expected given the kind of politicians we’re dealing with. It’s interesting to note some of the concerns Dr Ramayya mentioned such as being paid “$180,000 to sit in an office in Georgetown and take complaints from people and report to Khemraj [Ramjattan]”.

There are a few dimensions to this story. How is this money budgeted for? Is this part of the “lean Government” that was promised Guyanese? Isn’t there another way that Ramjattan could do his work? Isn’t this a waste of tax payers’ money?

One would note that in the history of Guyanese Governments, never has there been so many confusing names for Ministers and Ministries. If the adults

are confused, think about the Grade 6 students who have to do study on government as part of their curriculum?

Dr.Ramayya indicated that he wanted to work to serve the people of Berbice. He claimed that this request was denied by the coalition. I remember writing, after the 2015 elections, that is was unfair for the coalition to choose Charandass Persaud as the Berbice representative over Ramayya after all the groundwork the latter did. No one spoke on behalf of Ramayya. Even Freddie Kissoon who shared the studio with Ramayya for the coalition programme on D.T.V 8, did not speak on behalf of him. But Ramayya should have known better. It is definitely an unfortunate turn of events for the him but with all due respect, he should have known what kind of politicians he’s dealing with. Ramayya claims that he never supported the merging of the coalition. He must be truly vindicated in his view now!

The most damning of all the revelations that Ramayya made was that the AFC office is now empty “because all the boys get Minister jobs and big positions with some Ministry”. He also

noted that most of the senior positions in Government have gone to persons of one particular ethnic group which he thinks is unfair. Is this what the thousands of Indo-Guyanese voted for?

While Ramayya’s anger and disappointment are understandable, the Guyanese people need to speak up against this weak and malicious coalition Government for accountability. Former President Ramotar also wrote about ethnic cleansing by this Government. In his letter, “More Ominous Signs” he noted that hundreds of Guyanese have been dismissed and many more resigned because of the difficult working conditions imposed by the Government. As such, Dr Ramayya has concurred with what the former President has stated.

Dr Jagdeo also observed this disregard directed against East Indians for which he came under a lot of unwarranted criticism. But wasn’t he was telling the truth?

It was great to see former President Ramotar reaching out to Dr Ramayya. All is not lost in Guyanese politics.

Yours faithfully, Rakesh Singh

Foreign companies should not drown out local construction companies

Dear Editor, I observed recently that foreign construction companies especially Chinese companies, mostly powerful state owned entities, have been bidding for construction contracts in Guyana and are being awarded the big contracts. This is a very disturbing trend and something needs to be done about it by the new Government as early as possible.

I believe that a huge road project was recently awarded to a Jamaican company.

There are many Guyanese construction companies who can successfully implement road construction contracts so this came as a surprise. Also I am not aware that the Jamaican Government is willing to entertain Guyanese companies to build roads in Jamaica. We have to ensure that we do not go back to the days when Taylor Woodrow, Gilfi and other foreign companies

crowded out local companies that were now trying to develop capacity.

It must be a major priority of the Government to build capacity in Guyana. This means facilitating an environment where financing is available to local companies and ensuring that the funding agencies do not place difficult obstacles in the way of locals. Very often many companies cannot bid because the bar is set unnecessarily high in terms of the requirements for past work done.

In one case an agency demanded that local bidders must have previously done a job in excess of $3,000,000,000. What is more useful would be a criterion of annual sales volume.

In order to build capacity, the education system must produce the Quantity Surveyors, Engineers and technical staff etc. at various levels to be able to handle the needs of the indus-

try.

There are many big jobs on the horizon including a new Demerara Bridge and we need to make sure that the labour is not imported for these jobs. A limit must be placed on foreign labour.

With the rice, sugar and gold industries facing difficulties and uncertainties, we urgently need to build capacity in construction so as to guarantee its contribution to the economy.

While we build capacity we need to ensure that the funding agencies do not place obstacles in the way of local companies. After all, it is the people of Guyana who have to reimburse these loans, Guyanese workers and businessmen demand fairness.

I hope that the Government looks into this matter early.

Sincerely,

Bazil Egan

Recent news in the last few weeks remind us that Guyana is in dire need of a Specialty Hospital, and Medical Tourism or the catering for people from other nations is at this point irrelevant. The issue at stake here is that of valuing people’s lives. Now that we know that the coalition Government has abandoned the Specialty Hospital project, one may assume it has a ‘cap’ on human worth, probably a visionless Government. Back in 2011, PNCR Presidential nominee, the late Dr Faith Harding, supported the construction of a Specialty Hospital in Guyana. In doing so, she had emphatically stated that “it is a shame” the then Opposition decided to cut the budget for the hospital, since health tourism in Guyana is a necessity in propelling the country into the 21st century. She had also elaborated that “Modernising and improving health services, upgrading specialist skills, uplifting confidence in the population, bringing about resourcefulness and boosting the economy” were among the benefits of such a project.

Dr Harding had actually met with doctors from a pediatric hospital in the US, and they had promulgated the idea and highlighted that Guyana has the ideal natural environment to aid recovery of patients. She had also highlighted the transfer of technical skills to Guyanese as another benefit of the facility.

Dr. Harding piqued a lot of people when she asseverated that she was very proud of former President Jagdeo for his insight and was especially heartened, when he inked the deal for the hospital with the Indian Government back in 2009.

Around this same time, the Government of Jamaica announced it was moving to construct a US$200 million Specialty Hospital, with the aim of tapping into the medical tourism sector.

Having a Specialty Hospital is not just about a number of good things; its realisation will always call for prudent envisioning, national entrepreneurship, and political savvy, traits which seem alien to the current Government.

This Government must accept that Specialty Hospitals offer doctors an alternative with benefits that extend directly to patient care. A specialty hospital affords doctors more choices to build and maintain a profitable practice. Profitability fosters improved patient services on many levels that include highly trained specialists and advanced equipment.

Many different types of specialty hospitals have existed for decades reflecting the medical trend of the period, such as pediatric and rehabilitative centers. However, the current Government, would rather scrap the Specialty Hospital project and try to redirect the funds towards the improvement of the local primary health care sector. The act was symptomatic of a force that wanted to prove, above all else, that nothing good was ever done, nor even attempted by the previous PPP/C administration. However, it must initiate and not just scrap, rethink and remodel projects on the verge of being implemented.

The refusal of the Indian Government to redirect the funds, shows the limits of the present Government in negotiation and good ideas.

The Finance and Health Ministers must conjure up plans to make health care work, even at the most rudimentary level. So Finance Minister Jordan’s prognosis where rice is concerned is in synchrony with the Specialty Hospital Project.

With regards to the LCDS, the present Government is also failing. Norway currently withholds US $40 million pending discussions with the new Government. Again it is stated that “elements of the deal are being reassessed.” So now “It is now up to the new Government of Guyana, whether they still want to go forward with the Low Carbon Development Strategy,” says Elisabeth Brinck Sand at the Norwegian Climate Ministry. It appears as though the LCDS, just like the Specialty Hospital, will be killed by this Government.

Yours truly, Rose Bacchus

Page Foundation

BY DEBBIE PINCUS MS LMHC

Over-empathising with your child?

It’s easy for parents to overempathise with their children and project their own feelings on to them. “I feel so bad that Shari can’t go out with her friends – she must feel worried that she won’t be included next time. Maybe just this once I will let her off the hook even though she didn’t finish her homework.” Instead of worrying that your child will fall apart, have faith that she can manage her own disappointments, pain, and hurt. Know what your pain is and what it is not. Letting your child experience these difficult feelings with your empathy, not your over-empathy, will help her learn from experience and face reality.

Before we go any further, I want to assure you that we all

cross boundaries with our children at one time or another – we’re only human! The important thing is to be aware of it when it happens and to refrain from making it a fixed pattern or a way of life.

So how can you set good solid boundaries with your children? Here are four tips that will help you get there:

Define your boundaries. To develop boundaries for yourself, you have to know what you value, think and where you stand. This is not always easy to define, but it’s so important that your child knows who you are and what you believe. This doesn’t mean you should be rigid; it means you communicate your personal values and stick to them. If your value is to be hon-

est, for example, then talk it and walk it. Children are guided in life by watching what you do, which often makes more of an impression than what you say.

Make your expectations known. Make a list of what you expect for yourself in relation to your children. Think about what you can and can’t live with; think through what matters most to you. Is it responsibility, loyalty, respect? If it’s helpful for you, write it out. Tell your children what your guiding principles are. Notice in coming up with this list that you are not attempting to control your child but rath -

er, you are taking charge of yourself. If one of your principles is “respect” and your son is frequently rude to you and calls you names, let him know the consequence he can expect from you each time that happens. Let him see that you respect yourself and will follow through. This is different than trying to “make him” speak the way you want him to. You’re giving him the choice, but you’re holding him accountable. Get your focus on yourself instead of your child. When your child is acting poorly and not listening to you, think about how you can more clearly communicate what you expect –and hold her accountable when she doesn’t listen. Try to say things in a way that conveys that you mean business; expect to be listened to and taken seriously. As difficult as it is to look at yourself openly and honestly, it will help you to stop doing the impossible – which is like hitting your

head against the wall as you try in vain to control your child. Instead it will open you to the possibility of taking charge of yourself. By doing this, you will be continuing your own growth. Your own self-knowledge and maturity will help lead your children to find theirs.

Let your child feel the impact of a crossed boundary. Help your children experience the impact of crossing boundaries so that it becomes part of their reality. Admit when you have crossed someone else’s boundary and apologise for it. And when your children cross one, let them know and hold them accountable. Let’s say you promise your child that you’ll drive him to the movies after he does his chores – but he plays video games instead. If you follow through by not driving him, your child will experience the consequences, and will come to understand on a deep level what you expect for yourself. He will know that you respect yourself and mean what you say. Eventually, he will learn good boundaries for himself and how to respect others, as well.

Don’t beat yourself up

Sometimes parents have a hard time holding on to themselves and their boundaries even though they know it’s in their children’ best interest. This can happen because we are simply worn out. You’re having a difficult time staying “separate” from your child. We all have hard times, moments when we give in. Nobody – and no parent –is perfect. Instead of beating yourself up for this, you might have to let yourself off the hook for letting them off the hook. Simply try your best not to make it a pattern. You may have inadvertently programmed your children to get you to finally give in out of exhaustion. Or you may have to consider that you are so wiped that it’s not possible for you to hold on to yourself. In that case, you may have to work on building up your resilience through exercise, getting more sleep, and getting more involved in your own life and goals.

Final word: When you know where you stand, you’ll know what you will and won’t put up with from your child. Define your boundaries and try to stick to your principles rather than reacting to your moment-tomoment emotions. If you let your thoughts and principles drive you, you won’t be so apt to let your emotions determine your parenting –and both you and your child will be happier for it. (www.empoweringparents.com)

Govt withdraws GPL subventions

– Linden to get over $1B in subsidies

The future of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Incorporated is still unclear especially with the most recent setback of no provision of any subventions in Government’s 2015 Budget estimates.

A senior official at GPL told Guyana Times on Wednesday that this move by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration was not one the company expected.

He stated that GPL will now have to adjust its 2015 budget so as to not reflect any capital works and that any capital works to be done will have to “come from GPL’s savings”.

“Obviously we will have to get advice as to what to do now and prepare a fiveyear development plan of some sort. There will be need for many discussions based on how we at GPL will now fund our capital projects. We will basically have to determine where the funds will be obtained from,” the GPL employee noted.

On Monday, Finance Minister Winston Jordan in his Budget speech made no mention of the utility company receiving any subvention, despite the fact that GPL had received billions in past years.

In 2014, under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Government had budgeted for a $3.8 billion subvention for the State-owned company.

In 2013, a sum of $10.2 billion was budgeted for the power and light company; however, only $5.2 billion of

that amount was approved in the National Assembly by the majority Opposition at that time.

According to former Prime Minister Samuel

nies in the country are being provided for.

The LinMine Electricity Company is listed for a $1 billion subvention even though the previous

ingness on the part of some residents to pay more feasible rates.

Attempts by the then PPP/C Government to implement a phased increase

The Moruca Power and Light was awarded a $10 million subvention, and the Mahdia Power and Light is slated for $15 million.

Meanwhile, the Port

Hinds, over $40 billion has been spent in subventions for GPL since 2003.

This was as a result of the consortium comprising the Electricity Supply Board International (ESBI) of Ireland and the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) of the United Kingdom pulling out of the 50/50 equity deal with the Guyana Government.

However, in spite of GPL not receiving any subventions in the 2015 national budget, other power compa-

Agri Minister returns to work

– after being hospitalised

for heart trouble

Following his discharge from the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI), Agriculture Minister Noel Holder has resumed duties at his Ministry.

Guyana Times understands that Holder had complained of chest pains on Sunday and was rushed to the St Joseph Mercy Hospital and then transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for treatment.

It was reported that the Minister was hospitalised at the CHI after suffering some ailment of the lungs and heart.

He was unable to attend the presentation of the 2015 National Budget which was the first budget of his Government because he was hospitalised and kept under

observation.

Minister Holder had undergone tests and had been monitored for a heart rhythm disorder before his release.

Government argued that it cannot continue to subsidise the rates at Linden as there was much wastage of electricity and an unwill-

of the tariffs lead to unrest after APNU and the AFC while in opposition instigated protests within the mining town.

Kaituma Power and Light and the Matthews Ridge Power Company are both budgeted for $10 million subventions each, com-

ing under the Office of the Prime Minister, while under the Public Infrastructure Ministry $15 million will be allocated for the Port Kaituma Power and Light. Under the Infrastructure Ministry, the Lethem Power Company will receive a $35 million subvention while under the Prime Minister’s Office, it is slated for $70 million in subvention.

Also under the Infrastructure Ministry, the Kwakwani Utilities Inc is slated for a $99 million subvention and the Hinterland Electrification Company Inc is listed for $31 million in subvention.

It was reported that Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has posited that GPL will be able to and can sustain all of its operations using its own revenue.

The Minister explained that this is made possible because of the decreasing costs of fuel on the international market which would result in lower production costs for the power company.

Minister Patterson was quoted as saying “It (GPL) doesn’t require any subsidies; it is sound enough to fund itself”.

thursday, august 13, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Kennedy in court again for assaulting officer

Themica Kennedy is once again in court for assaulting a Police Officer after injuring the finger of Police Constable Shondell Bentick.

Kennedy, who is said to be a Commercial Sex Worker from 55 East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was found guilty months ago of assaulting a Police Officer when she was at a Police station. The charge read against her on Wednesday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts is quite similar.

The charge against her stated that on August 10, at the East Ruimveldt Police Station, she assaulted the Virtual Complainant (VC)

who was acting in the execution of her duties. Kennedy was also charged for behaving disorderly. In court, Guyana Times heard that on the day in question she went to the Police station to report on a matter against her sister. However, she got upset and was about to leave the station when Constable Bentick stopped her with an arm on her arm. Kennedy did not take kindly to this, however. She grabbed the officer by her clothes and pushed her into the wall, causing the VC’s finger to receive injuries.

She let loose a string of expletives and did not desist when she was asked to

Themica Kennedy

do. She was thus arrested and charged for the two offences.

Kennedy was also charged for unlawful assault as her sister had made

a report against her at the East Ruimveldt Police Station. It was reported that her sister and herself usually find themselves at odds with each other. On that particular day, the accused and her sister had an argument after Kennedy had verbally attacked her grandmother.

Kennedy was given the chance to give her side of what happened in both cases but got upset when the Magistrate remarked on her guilty and not guilty plea. She issues another string of expletives towards Magistrate Alex Moore. She was remanded to jail and is expected back in court on September 28.

Duo gets bail for electricity theft

Two men were granted bail in the amount of $10,000 each after appearing before Magistrate Alex Moore on Wednesday charged with electricity theft.

The duo – Tariq Kerreth, age 20, and Rashad Mohamed, 25 – told the court that they were not guilty of stealing electricity. They were charged for fraudulently and maliciously diverting electricity from the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), to their premises between August 7 and 8.

Police Prosecutor

Simmonds told the court that on the day in question, the Police and staff of GPL were conducting an exercise at 72 Barrack Street, Kingston Georgetown at about 10:45h when it was revealed that the building was illegally powered with electricity from GPL.

Both men claimed ownership of the building thus they were both charged and arrested.

Magistrate Moore granted bail and ordered that they return on August 21 for their statements. Their trial is expected to start on August 31.

Miner remanded for gun possession

AMiner from Essequibo was refused bail by Magistrate Ann McLennan after he failed to provide a good reason for carrying an unlicensed firearm.

Gary Boucher of Blueberry Hill, Wismar, Linden made an appearance in Court Two where Magistrate Ann McLennan presides.

He is alleged to have been caught red handed with an unlicensed 12 gauge single barrel shotgun on August 10 while walking along the

North Fork Backdam in Konawaruk, Essequibo. He is also charged for being in possession of the corresponding round of ammunition that was found in the firearm.

The Police stated in their report that they were on a trail in the vicinity of North Fork when they saw the accused carrying the gun in his hand. They stopped him and asked him about the gun, its licence and where he may have gotten it. Upon being told that he is not the holder of a fire-

arm licence, the officers told him of the offence he had committed and arrested him, taking him to the Mahdia Police Station.

However, while in court, Boucher stated that he has the gun for protection as he owns a dredge in the interior that he works. He pleaded not guilty to the charge, nevertheless.

Magistrate McLennan refused bail and transferred his case to the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court where it will be tried.

4-year sentence for narcotics trafficker

Four years in jail was the sentence handed down to narcotics trafficker Roger Gill on Wednesday in Court Two of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Gill, a Market Vendor at Bourda Market in Georgetown, was placed in handcuffs for the second time since the start of his trial, after Magistrate Ann McLennan declared him guilty of narcotics possession with the purpose of trafficking.

Magistrate McLennan sentenced the young man after finding him guilty of being in possession of 426 grams of cannabis sativa (marijuana) after he was busted with the drug in a calabash at his stall on May 8.

The Police had received a tip on May 8 about the suspected marijuana and went to investigate. They found the illicit substance at Gill’s stall, displayed ‘for sale’, while more of the substance was found in a black bag in the back of the stall. One of his arresting officers testified about hearing Gill explain about some extra cash he needed and thus he sold the drug at his stall.

Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones presented his witnesses after which he presented his submission to the court, with the confidence that he had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Gill was guilty of the charge. He added that every element of the offence had been proven to indicate Gill was in control of the marijuana and had knowledge of it. Jones also discredited the testimonies of the wit-

ness of the defence as they are friends of the accused.

With his friends’ testimony, Gill also gave his account of what happened on May 8. He stated that nothing was found when the Police searched his stall. Even so, he said the officers still arrested him, along with another person who was subsequently released later.

His Attorney’s submission two Mondays ago also disclosed this piece of evidence. Attorney Clive Forde stated that the other had control of the illegal substance at the stall at Merriman’s Mall and not his client. He said he had proven this during the trial and asked the court to consider that it presented doubt in the prosecution’s case against his client.

However, Magistrate McLennan obviously disagreed. With the fouryear of imprisonment, she fined Gill $639,000. The sentence was deemed remarkable by several observers as it is rare that a 426 gram marijuana trafficker is dealt such a harsh sentence.

Eyew tness

For self...

..not country?

Ramaya of the AFC might or mightn't have resigned from the party of "change". But they do say "the more things change, the more they remain the same", no? His plaintive wailings about how he was used and discarded like a condom, reminded your humble Eyewitness about the case of Gomattie Singh, who'd slaved for the AFC at the other end of the country - Essequibo, and then gotten "wood".

This was back in 2006 and the stories are depressingly similar. Two Indian Guyanese AFC leaders use their money and time to bring out the rural Indian vote - but when it's time to be appointed to office - that's reserved for the Georgetown African Guyanese members. In Gomattie's case, then leader of the AFC Raphael Trotman, gave an MP slot to "his friend" Chantelle Smith after he'd promised Singh the position. Smith left the post a year later - never to be seen or heard of again.

So here we have it - whether Ramaya was explicitly promised a MP's seat or not - he certainly expected one and was justifiably miffed to be given some perfunctory "gofer" position to Moses Nagamootoo. Now we aren't too surprised since the morality of politics isn't usually much higher than a snake's belly. But what came afterwards from Ramaya's two leaders is still jaw dropping.

Right off the bat, Ramjattan jumped on his high horse and allowed that folks shouldn't be in politics for the reward - but rather to serve their country! He barely stopped short of declaiming: "ask not what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country". Really? So Ramjattan's not concerned that he hasn't done a darned thing for his country - even as the land has become one, big killing field? All he's done is to cower under his desk, and draw his million-a-month salary for being the "National Security Minister". And don't forget that duty-free Land Cruiser that's on its way from Japan.

Then there's Ramaya's fellow villager from Whim, Nagamootoo who also exclaimed that money and position wasn't "the thing". So why doesn't he reject the $200,000 raise being contemplated on top of his $1.5M salary? Maybe he can donate it to some Region 5 schoolchildren to cross the Berbice Bridge to Region 6?

But these two "Berbicians"Nagamootoo and Ramjattan - who haven't lived in Berbice for over 40 years - are full of it. And we all know what "it" is.

Fact of the matter is that they've both had their cojones cut off under the anaesthesia of fat salaries and perks.

...and the battle ahead

The conversation over the next month's gonna be the Budget. And if politics is 'war by other means" then this will be war at close quarters. We're talking hand-tohand, knuckle-in-eye and combat knives in action. The PPP's returning to Parliament as the Opposition under the leadership of BharratJagdeo. And even his worst enemy concede that this battle's gonna be fought on a terrain in which he's most formidable.

And the terrain's a perfect trope for what this Government has in mind for the country for their term of office. While a budget's for a single year, a fella with Jagdeo's analytical skills can deconstruct the premises underlying the document and project the tragedy that'll unfold over the next five years.

Take the nonsense that the Finance Minister peddled to the nation as to why they're removing the billions (30 to 60 depending to your sources) from Commercial Banks: that they want to finance their Budget Deficit with it.

Even their in-house economist Tarron "Donkey Cart" Khemraj called their bluff.

Jagdeo has to be rubbing his hands in glee.

Lambs to the slaughter!

...and currency

China just devalued its currency. This means its goods will be cheaper to foreigners. So why's the U.S. complaining since they're China's biggest customers?

The ways of free trade are mysterious indeed!

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

PPP/C Councillor calls for curfew, increased patrols at Charity

–

says human trafficking and drug use prevalent

RPolice arrest allegedly innocent Grove youths

– relatives furious, call for justice

SCouncillor

egion Two (PomeroonSupenaam) People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)

Beatrice Rozetta

Mittelholzer has called for an increase in Police patrols as well as the implementation of the 02:00h curfew at Charity.

Mittelholzer was at the time speaking to her fellow councillors at the first Regional Democratic Council (RDC) meeting for the month of August at Anna Regina.

Explaining the need for an increase in patrols in the area, Mittelholzer said that there has been a significant increase in youths using drugs and loitering at Charity.

The Councillor noted that boys and girls could be seen late at nights on the sea bridge and sometimes in the Charity extension scheme using drugs and misbehaving, highlighting one instance where the teens were involved in “nude” dancing.

This “lawless and careless behaviour”, she said, should be stopped, as the community of Charity, which has been earmarked from township status, was quickly developing and night activities have increased.

“Charity is an area

earmarked for township; it has at least four hotels, many small rum shops and the children are being involved in illegal activities; this must stop!” Mittelholzer said.

She added that human trafficking was very prevalent at the night clubs.

The Councillor called for necessary security protection in the area and for programmes to be implemented for youths to be meaningfully occupied.

Region Two Chairman Daveanand Ramdatt said that he was happy that the Councillor had informed him of such and he would be sending a letter to the Commander of G Division (Essequibo Coast and Islands), Kevin Adonis informing him of the concerns.

everal angry mothers and relatives have lashed out at members of the Guyana Police Force who went into the Samatta Point, Grove, East Bank Demerara area and arrested a group of young men on Tuesday evening claiming that they were involved in criminal activities.

Several young men between the ages of 14 and 19 were reportedly taken from their homes on Tuesday evening after a member of the community who is an ex-Police Officer reported that his house was broken into and a number of items stolen.

One such young man has been identified as Shane Singh of Lot 26 Samatta Point. He is employed at the Demerara Distillers Limited. He was arrested moments after returning home from work and taken to the Ruimveldt Police Station after which he was

transferred to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at Eve Leary, Georgetown where his fingerprints and photograph were taken and placed in a file.

He was subsequently released the said evening but was asked to report to the Ruimveldt Police Station on Wednesday morning. His sister, Sonovia Singh told Guyana Times that she was on her way home when her mother informed her that her brother and several other youths, including her cousin, were arrested and taken to Georgetown.

Based on information she received, the men stormed the family’s twostorey house without a warrant claiming that they were instructed to search the premises for guns, ammunition and drugs.

The woman stated that the house has several apartments occupied by several relatives, including

a Police rank who was not at home and a serving member of the Guyana Defence Force. As the Police carried out their search, the GDF rank identified himself as a soldier, but the ranks did not believe him, so he made contact with his superior who confirmed that he was indeed a soldier.

Based on that fact, he was not taken into custody. However, Singh is of the opinion that the Police ranks acted in an unprofessional manner. “They come in the house, ransacked the place without anyone around. If they had plant something illegal and implicate all of us now?” the woman stated.

She added that as she arrived at CID headquarters, she was confronted by a Police rank who was very hostile. As she enquired about her brother, she was told that he was not at the location, but one of the young men who had a phone

on him unbeknownst to the Police confirmed that they were at Eve Leary.

As she went to the back, she saw the Police loading the young men into a vehicle and upon seeing her, one of the young men screamed that they were going back to Ruimveldt. The furious sister stated that after making several calls, her brother was released.

She is upset claiming that her brother is innocent and he was wrongfully arrested by the Police. She recalled on Wednesday evening last, she was heading home when the Police had two young men up against a fence searching them for drugs.

“There are ways things are done … the Police have to treat people with some respect and more so, re-examine the way they conduct their jobs,” Singh stated. She is calling on the relevant authorities to look into the matter.

Female Traffic Rank busted in sting operation

Afemale Constable whose name was only given as Fraser is under close arrest after being caught during a sting operation demanding money from a motorist on Monday, August

10. According to information received, the Constable is attached to the Traffic Section, Brickdam Police Station and was caught in a sting operation by ranks from the Criminal

Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters after she demanded a sum of money from a motorist to forgo prosecution in relation to a traffic offence.

This newspaper understands that the rank requested $4000 to settle the matter. Guyana Times also understands that the virtual complainant in the matter do not wish to proceed with the matter.

Jagdeo supports $23B rice allocation

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday said he was pleased with the proposed $23 billion allocation to the rice industry, and hopes that Government will honour its promise to rice farmers.

While on the campaign trail, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition had promised rice farmers a massive increase, somewhere between $6000 and $9000 per bag of paddy. At the time, farmers were bitterly complaining of the $2600$3000 paid per bag of paddy.

Finance Minister

Winston Jordan during his budget presentation on Monday stated that some $23 billion has been set aside for the further payment of over 7000 rice farmers across the country. The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) had previously received $800 million to assist in this regard.

At a meeting with journalists on Tuesday, Jagdeo said the Opposition fully supported the move and hoped that Government would honour the pledge it

had made.

“I hope that it’s real money, because it will allow APNU/AFC to pay the $6000 and $9000 bag per paddy they promised the farmers. We will support it. We hope that it is real money and beginning next week , we will have the disbursement of $23 billion to the farmers. We are in support of that.”

He said if the proposed allocation was not true, if

it was a “dummy” transaction, it would again be a plan to dupe the people. Jordan, during his presentation, had said the PPP/C Administration had targeted a 1.6 per cent decline in production relative to the 635,238 tonnes achieved last year. He said the half-year outlook revealed production to be in line with this rationale, since the output of 300,569 tonnes was 3.8 per cent

less than the first half of 2014’s.

Based on the latest reports, however, a record second crop is anticipated, resulting in a revised production target of 703,462 tonnes of rice in 2015, an increase of 10.7 per cent. With the recently revealed information that the Venezuelan market would not be extended beyond November, and the more recent disclosure that Venezuela has halted, until further notice, further rice shipments from Guyana, resulting in over 200 containers of rice being stranded at local ports, this record output is bittersweet.

Billions outstanding Government had in early June allocated the $800 million to the GRDB to begin paying millers, who would in turn pay rice farmers.

Millers had reportedly owed rice farmers across the country some $6 billion

for the supply of paddy.

Several rice farmers recently complained to Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) PPP/C Councillor Sobodh Kishore about being owed monies. Kishore said many farmers were still owed millions by prominent millers and commercial banks were calling those farmers who took loans for repayment. Kishore said the situation was very frustrating and called on Government to assist the farmers.

The millers in Guyana seem to be developing a reputation of failing to pay rice farmers on time. Owing to the millers’ constant failure to pay rice farmers over the years, the amount owed had grown to some $6 billion, which they were unable to settle because of the outstanding amounts owed to them by the Government.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder had explained that the money owed to the millers by the Government

was not a “stop and wait” situation as monies were constantly coming in to pay them. Holder explained that the amount owed was constantly fluctuating, because when the Government received money from the markets and paid off the millers, the outstanding amount decreases. Whereas when the Government collects rice from the millers on a credit basis to supply to the markets, the outstanding figure increases.

For years now, many have been complaining of the exploitation of the rice farmers at the hands of the millers. They argue that the millers continuously ignore the Rice Factory Act, which stipulates that rice farmers should be paid in full within 42 days of receipt of produce and, if not, the miller is bound by law to pay farmers interest that is two per cent higher than the going interest rate of the Bank of Guyana.

Suspect in sex worker’s murder for court today

Forty-two-year-old Ron Forde, also called “Andel”, of Lot 19 Meadow Bank, Georgetown, who was wanted for the murder of male sex worker Nephi Luthers will make his first court appearance today at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The man who was on the run was arrested on Sunday evening at the Linden/Georgetown Bus Park in the mining community and was transported to Georgetown to be interrogated. Guyana Times understands that the file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack who advised that charges be instituted against Forde.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told this publication that investigators were in possession of in-

formation regarding the whereabouts of the second suspect, 24-year-old Kanand Ojha of Lot 2 First Street, Meadow Bank, Georgetown. He is confident that the Police will make an arrest shortly.

Luthers, 20, of ZZ Durban Street, Wortmanville, was shot once to his chest during a confrontation with Ojha and Forde.

It is believed that on the night of the shooting, Ojha paid a sex worker in the vicinity of St George’s Cathedral, $5000 to perform a sex act.

During the act, he was reportedly relieved of his personal belongings. After the act was completed, he left in his motor car, but subsequently realised that his phone and cash were missing.

Ojha, from reports re-

ceived, collected Forde and went back to the location where they confronted Luthers, but he denied doing business with the man, which resulted in an argument.

During the argument, Ojha reportedly told Luthers, “You have to give back the thing”, but in response, the commercial sex worker said: “Me ain’t been with you”. At this time, Forde pulled out the gun and pulled the trigger, shooting Luthers to his chest. The sex worker fell to the roadway and the two men fled the scene. Luthers’ colleagues picked him up and rushed him to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. From all indications, Luthers was mistaken for someone else.

Narine still under investigation for CrumEwing’s murder

Days after Regan Rodrigues was arraigned for the murder of ex-soldier Courtney Crum-Ewing, the former bodyguard of ex-Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, Rajput Narine, is still being questioned in relation to the murder.

This was according to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum who stated that the former bodyguard was placed on bail and was instructed to report to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at Eve Leary, Georgetown. While Blanhum refused to comment further on the issue, Guyana Times was told that Narine only visited the CID headquarters on Tuesday.

This newspaper was also reliably informed that the file which was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on the Crum-Ewing execution has to be resent with additional information requested by the DPP.

A source told Guyana Times that the additional information requested by the DPP is expected to be included into the file by the end of next week.

After his release from detention, the bodyguard said that he never participated in the planning, or-

Mganisation or execution of Crum-Ewing who was cut

explaining that he never knew “Grey Boy” personally and was never part of any plot to assassinate Benschop or Crum-Ewing.

“I am surprised at these allegations,” he stated before saying that he never participated in any criminal activity in his past as he “is not a person like that”.

Asked whether he knew Crum-Ewing before his death, Narine responded, “I never knew him. I never saw him. I never met him before.” He maintained that the allegations made by “Grey Boy” were false and an attempt on the part of the known criminal to frame him and implicate him in the mix of things

down in a hail of bullets at Diamond, East Bank Demerara back in March.

The main suspect, Rodrigues, also called “Grey Boy”, who was arrested and then charged for Crum-Ewing’s murder after Police conducted a raid at his home and apparently found a pistol which matched the one used to kill the activist, has recently alleged that Narine contracted him to do a “hit” on social and political activist Mark Benschop.

But Narine recounted a totally different story

with the hope of securing some plea deal with the Police and Government.

Crum-Ewing was gunned down on March 10 while encouraging residents of Diamond New Housing Scheme, to cast their vote in the May 11 General and Regional Elections for the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change coalition.

As Police continue their investigation into the murder of the political activist, they are hoping to discover the “intellectual authors” behind the execution.

inister of State, Joseph Harmon on Wednesday at a post-Cabinet media briefing said that Cabinet has offered ‘no objections’ to two key contracts. The contracts are as follows:

More finances needed to combat mental health issues

– Minister Norton

In order to effectively battle the prevalent issue of mental health in Guyana, more finances need to be made available to the Public Health Ministry.

This is according to Public Health Minster, Dr George Norton, who in a phone interview with Guyana Times on Wednesday said that the issue of mental health in the country was a major focus for him in the upcoming months.

“Mental health is in trouble in Guyana. We need as much help in terms of personnel, finance and infrastructure. My ministry will try every effort to put plans into action with focus on the suicide prevention strategy, but these things can only be successful if we have enough personnel and finance to execute them properly,” Minister Norton stated.

He explained that one of his plans was to establish a National Psychiatric Institute which will be run by mental health staff, including a mental health coordinator, and, will of course, have a trained and experienced psychiatrist.

Presently, there is one female volunteer doing the ground-work for this initiative in terms of setting things in place.

“In spite of her qualifications she is doing voluntary work and this is a very good thing. We are working along with two psychiatrists and I am anxious to get the programme up and running. While it is being done in stages it will eventually roll out in all the regions

in Guyana,” the Health Minister noted.

This publication was told that community involvement is essential to tackling the issue of mental health which has a direct link to the escalation of the suicide rate in the country.

“Right about now we are focusing on trying to train our health care workers so that they can be able to detect persons who are suffering from mental illness and appear suicidal. These workers will be able to refer these persons to the skilled psychiatrists who can help them. They will be able to get counselling and an opportunity to be treated,” Minister Norton emphasised.

For the establishment of such a unit/institute, the Public Health Ministry is still trying to streamline plans, location, funding and personnel.

“We need to do this be-

cause everyone wants to help, to come on board, as mental health is a very, very sensitive area. Because of the nature of the issue, we need as much expertise as possible. While there is no definite time as to when these plans will take off; we are currently working on them,” he further stated. With regard to the suicide rate in Guyana, Minister Norton posited that it was discovered on many occasions that persons who attempted to commit suicide and those who actually did were never properly counselled.

“We have found out that many times, in a majority of the cases, the persons were not counselled. They did not have the opportunity of being counselled or having one session of counselling. I believe that this counselling would have helped a lot of them,” the Public Health Minister added.

thursday, august 13, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

International Youth Day 2015 PYO calls on Govt to respect, include youth in developmental plans

– slams dismissals, lack of emphasis on constituency

The Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) on Wednesday was the first youth body in Guyana to call on the new Government to show respect to young people by including them in all levels of decision-making that will affect their livelihoods and the future of the country which youths will inherent.

As Guyana joined in celebrations to mark International Youth Day 2015 under the theme “Youth Civic Engagement”, PYO Chairman Irfaan Ali in a statement to the media, said the organisation was disappointed with the manner in which the new Government was handling the affairs of Guyanese youth since coming into office back in May this year.

He said that it is clear from the levels of youth participation witnessed during the last election that youth wanted to be part of the decision-making processes of their country and wanted to determine, like all other citizens, which path Guyana must follow in order to become more developed over the next five years.

“They participated in these elections in a big way by having their voices heard about issues that affect their overall development while calling on political parties to carve plans and policies, with their involvement, that could serve to eliminate many of the social ills that are acting as barriers to their immediate, short-term and long-term growth”, Ali said in the statement.

He explained that time and time again, promises have been made by sociopolitical leaders to involve young people when key decisions are being made within the State apparatus that would have redounding negative effects on youths.

Ali, who is a former Government Minister, pointed out that previous People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Governments worked very hard to ensure that young people were part and parcel of the development of their communities and country at a macro level.

He explained that that Party while in office had launched scores of youth orientated skills programmes aimed at improving the lives of out of schools youth and those who are less fortunate.

“This Party for almost two decades created thousands of jobs for young people in every sector of the economy, with emphasis on creating platform where youths could drive the country’s development, particularly in the areas of information communication technology, sport and entertainment, creative arts

and agriculture”, he posited, adding that under the PPP/C Governments, the Ministry of Youth worked tirelessly to reduce the levels of youth unemployment and crime while focusing on building communities that would serve as homes to students who completed their nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary education.

He made it clear in the statement that the Party, while in Executive Office, appointed several Ministers who were considered young given their age to key portfolios in Government demonstrating high levels of confidence in their competence and ability to lead various sectors successfully.

The PYO Chairman said that the new Government

appears to be headed down wrong road and disinterested in the affairs of youth.

“The new Government firstly locked youth out of both the Executive and Legislative branches of Government, treating them with disdain and disrespect, even though a large portion of those who voted in favour of the coalition party were from this constituency… Promises made on the campaign trail by the Alliance for Change and A Partnership for National Unity to young people are being now downplayed and abandoned. Key decisions are being made about the future of young people without their involvement and consent”.

Ali also offered that recent announcements about the reintroduction of the National Service and a plan to blacklist UG students who have not repaid study loans are troubling develop -

ments that continue to depict this Government’s lack of interest in consultative democracy.

“The mass ethnically and politically motivated dismissals and firings of young people must also be condemned strongly as Guyana celebrates International Youth Day. Thousands of youths are on the breadline as the officials in the de facto Government continues to speak about reducing youth unemployment and crime”, the PYO head said.

He said that the PYO has even noted the way young people where viewed and treated by the Finance Minister in his budget presentation speech with “just cursory mentions and no proper plan to set aside key projects and plans that could over the next few months benefit this consistency”.

Added to that, Ali said “It is shameful too that the Education Ministry merely “facilitated” and “supported” events planned today to mark the importance of youth and failed to pull off any event of its own to speak to the state of youth in Guyana or its plans for youth”.

The PYO called on Government to demonstrate higher levels of respect for Guyanese youth and to end its political charade.

“It must now engage all youth organisations in discussions about its plans and policies for Guyanese youths over the next few years. Young people must no longer allow themselves to be used, abused and then refused by the Granger Government. In the name of Civic participation, they must demand more”.

This year, he reasoned that the International Youth Day theme was selected to place emphasis on the need for young people, the world over, to play an active role in the decision-making processes of their respective communities and to lead various civic reforms that would benefit their lives in the long run.

International Youth Day is also seen as an important vehicle that could create the change young people yearn for because more often times that not, the opportunities for youth to engage politically, economically and socially are low or non-existent.

Guyana to boost cybersecurity, tackle crimes

As the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) continues to be a more integral part of the day to day function of various organisations, the risk of cyber attacks has become more overhanging. Hence, the Government of Guyana is looking to boost cybersecurity awareness and implement initiatives to tackle cyber crimes.

To this effect, the Public Security Ministry in collaboration with the Guyana National Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT) and the Organisation of American States (OAS) Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE), is hosting a twoday sensitisation workshop that is focused on examining Guyana’s legal framework, as well as the need for a national cybersecurity strategy. The workshop commenced on Wednesday and will conclude today.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan pointed out that ICT is an integral part of the day to day operations of many organisations.

Improved efficiency needed

He noted that while the ICT sector has developed in Guyana over the years, with citizens now having access to services such as online banking, there is still more that can be done to improve efficiency for all Guyanese while at the same time, ensuring the security and confidentiality of information.

“There is a need then to develop a comprehensive strategy for making all of Government’s key services online for easy access to all citizens of Guyana. This need arises too when the underlining ICT infrastructure is going affected in the future whether by unintentional human error or malicious actors or by natural disasters. Cybersecurity as a result of these three causes will be destructive for an economy like Guyana,” he declared.

Ramjattan referred to a tripartite survey done by the OAS, Inter-American Development Bank and the Oxford University done here, which shows that since 2013, Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean recorded an increase in cyber attacks by malicious attackers. Consequently, he noted that in August 2013, Guyana established its National CIRT, referred to as CIRT.GY to tackle cybersecurity related incidents.

However, he explained that CIRT’s scope is limited as a result of the absence of a national cybersecurity strategy or cyber defence policy.

The Public Security Minister noted that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force probe the incidents of cyber attacks and while they

more works needs to be done ensure that Guyana is protected against such attacks. She delivered a presentation, informing stakeholders of the key functions and services CIRT.GY offers.

Khan acknowledged that while there cannot be 100 per cent security, she noted that they can at least manage the risk. The Guyana National CIRT Head said she wants to partner with organisations and individuals to strength infrastructure, improve knowledge and promote safe cybersecurity practices.

Workshops strengthen cybersecurity

Meanwhile the OAS country representative, Jean Ricot Dormeus, pointed out that such workshops are integral as they promote and strengthen the country’s cy-

may be successful in catching the perpetrators, prosecutors in the Judiciary are inadequately trained to handle electronic evidence.

The Second Vice President noted that reports outline which state that while legislative drafts are an additional rule of law, Guyana has some procedural laws for dealing with computer evidence but lacks substantive cyber crime laws or legislation relating to privacy and data protection.

On the other hand, Head of the Guyana National Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT), Sandra Khan, stated that while they have had some successes in tackling cyber incidents locally,

bersecurity, which constitutes an invaluable contribution to sustainable development and modernisation of the country. “It is not that the Information and Communication Technologies are powerful for e-governance, which in turn boosts efficiency, economic growth, citizens’ participation, education innovation, competitiveness and transparency at all levels,” he stated. The OAS representative noted that such a vital tool deserves continuous attention and protection especially in the face of potential threats to Governments and businesses.

Turn To page 16

Essequibo businessman beaten and robbed

ARegion Two (PomeroonSupenaam) business-

man is counting his losses after he was beaten and robbed of his jewellery and an undisclosed amount of cash by a lone bandit on Sunday. According to reports, no one is in Police custody for the crime although the thief was allegedly identified and law

enforcement officers are continuing their investigation.

The businessman Aaron (only name given) was at home alone in his two-storey house when he was attacked. He related that a man approached him and asked for some water.

Aaron, who recently returned from the United States

where he underwent surgery, said he got up and went into the kitchen for the water but he was followed and attacked.

The businessman, who is the owner of Aaron Enterprise filling station and grocery, said the thief choked and beat him into unconsciousness.

The upper flat of the home was ransacked.

The thief got away with a gold band, other gold jewellery and an undisclosed amount of money.

Residents saw a strangelooking man in the neighbourhood walking with a carton box on his head, but did not realise he had robbed someone. They also saw the said man swimming the Better

Hope trench nude. The identified thief was also seen by residents catching public transportation. Residents of the village are calling on the Police to take stronger actions in hunting and capturing the thief who is well known in Essequibo.

Govt has no crimefighting plan

– citizens concerned over ad hoc actions to date

By Alexis Rodney

The David Granger-

led A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) Government has come under severe criticism for its failure to define in detail the significant measures to be taken to counteract the increasing crime wave across the country.

While Government, upon its ascension to office, had laid out some security mechanisms to be taken to address crime, Guyanese, particularly those who continue to feel the brunt of criminal activities, are yet to see if those initiatives have been implemented, and if so, to what good.

Weeks into office, President Granger had summoned his top security officials, including Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan and Brigadier Mark Phillips, Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), and had laid out a five-point action plan that the security sector would use to battle the crime wave, which at that time, had been rising at an alarmingly fast rate. The plan, however, was more of a strategic nature than immediate actions to address the crime wave.

Together, the group had suggested the beefing up of security at borders across the country. Coupled with that move was the resuscitation of the Police’s marine wing to provide Police Officers with flexibility and greater access to inland waterways along with the use of animals, including horses and dogs, to go after criminals.

Focus was also to be placed on the Police administration itself and the requirement to identify criminal activities across all 10 regions of Guyana, to deter-

mine, where the activities are being committed and to decide on the strategy to deal with them on a national basis.

The next element of the security plan was to involve Police organisation and training and the way in which the Police Force is organised. A directive was given by the Public Security Minister that more Police Officers needed to be put on the streets to carry out patrols to get out of the offices, where they are performing non-core functions.

Questioned on the status of the initiative, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon on Wednesday told media operatives that the draft plan was currently with the Security Minister for review before any information is released to the public. However, the security force is utilising elements of the plan in the meantime. He related that there was a weekly meeting of the National Security Committee which comprises the Army Chief-of-Staff , Police Chief Seelall Persaud, Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams, himself, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, and Crime Chief

Wendell Blanhum. The group, he said, reviews the crime statistics, the methodology used by the Police to fight crime, and allocate resources to the Police to deal with the crime situation.

“Because crime is such a serious thing, you just can’t wait until the master plan is put out before you start responding to things on the streets. You will know that there is a greater level of coordination between the law enforcement agencies with the sharing of information and with the other measures that are to be put in place when the other measures are unveiled, will get to the root of the situation,” Harmon told the media.

He said Government is also receiving international help as several training programmes were currently ongoing with foreign officials dealing with the handling of crime scene situations.

But the criticisms were not just on the public’s inability to see the progress thus far in this area, but Government’s apparent lack of vision for the sector, particularly after coming into office.

Critics say the APNU/ AFC Government, which

had made many promises about its ability to tackle crime while on the campaign trail, has failed to deliver. They say they were of the opinion that Government would have implemented its blueprint upon its assumption to office, instead of seeking to draft a new strategy.

Just recently, soon-tobe Opposition Leader and former President Bharrat Jagdeo who said he had left a slew of crime-fighting strategies when he demitted office, had called on the current Government to rework its strategies, which he said, have done little to lessen the rising incidence of crime.

He said the new Administration, which is replete with security personnel, has not been able to effectively tackle the spiralling crime situation.

According to him, the Administration has failed to honour the promise it made while on the campaign trail to address the crime situation in a more favourable manner than was previously done by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration.

“To my surprise, when the crime rate escalated, I saw the President convening a meeting to tackle crime. But I thought they had that. They duped the electorate. They do not have strategy,” Jagdeo argued. What came out of the meeting, he said, was the organisers determining that they needed to get horses and dogs to fight crime.

“Our approach has been very different. We recognised it was a tough issue and not at all times we had performed well. But we set about to systematically change things in the Police Force, so we needed a new generation to fight crime,” Jagdeo informed.

thursday, august 13, 2015 |

CSEC, CAPE results out today

Weeks of waiting in anticipation will end today for hundreds of students and their parents as the Education Ministry is expected to announce the results of the 2015 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) today.

The announcement will be made at a news conference scheduled for 11:00h by Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine. The press conference will be held in the auditorium of the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD) and will be streamed live on the Ministry’s website www.education.gov.gy.

CSEC uses a six-pointgrading scheme, which is used to report on the performance of the candidate under six overall and profile grades as follows: Overall grades – I, II, III, IV, V, VI; and Profile grades – A, B, C, D, E, F. CSEC subjects are examined for certification at the General and Technical Proficiencies, which provide students with the foundation for further studies and entry into the workplace.

Guyanese students have been performing exceptionally well at these examinations over the years, having produced the top student for the past few years. Only last year, were three Guyanese girls and one boy were awarded for their performance at CSEC.

They were Elisa Hamilton, Aliyyah Abdul Kadir, and Ryhan Chand of Queens College, and Kishan Critchlow of New Amsterdam Multilateral School. They were among 13,721 students were enlisted to sit the CSEC examinations in 2014. Some 12,366 candidates would have written Mathematics and 11,484 English.

At the examination, one student wrote 20 subjects; two wrote 19 subjects; four wrote 18 subjects; 16 wrote 17 subjects; 18 wrote 16 subjects and 2500 students wrote between seven and eight subjects. Meanwhile, 795 candi-

dates wrote CAPE last year. The highest subject entries were Caribbean Studies with a total of 365 entries and Communication Studies with 400 entries. CAPE is designed to provide certification of the academic, vocational and technical achievement of students in the Caribbean who, having completed a minimum of five years of secondary education, wish to further their studies. Last year, Guyana dominated the CSEC examinations, picking up five of the eight top awards. Topping the list of awardees was Yogetta Persaud of Anna Regina Secondary School, who was presented with an award for Overall Outstanding Achievement. Rafeena Mohammed from the Saraswatie Vidya Niketan School copped the award for Most Outstanding Student in Humanities; Cecil Cox of Queen’s College for Most Outstanding Student in Sciences; Sasha Woodroffe of Queen’s College for Most Outstanding Student in Business Studies; and Zimeena Rasheed of Anna Regina Secondary School for Most Outstanding Student in Technical Vocational Studies. The other awards were in the areas of Visual Arts–Two-Dimensional Work, Visual Arts–ThreeDimensional Work and Short Story Writing.

Budget 2015 receives mixed reviews from Private Sector

The long, anticipated wait for the presentation of this year’s budget finally came to an end on Monday when Government made public its plans and programmes for the citizens of Guyana.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) in a press release on Tuesday stated its pleasure that several recommendations were taken on board in the crafting of the budget, especially those which would stimulate the economy.

It said that with the allocations being awarded to the rice and sugar industries, they would be able to “regroup and recover” so as to make significant contributions to the economy.

With regards to assistance being provided to the smalland medium-scale miners, it is hoped that this move will

allow the industry which has produced the bulk of Guyana’s exports, to “adjust to the new reality” of lower gold prices.

Guyana Times understands that the PSC believes that the allocation of funds in this year’s budget for roads, bridges, air and river transport and particularly the rehabilitation of hinterland airstrips will definitely boost the integration of hinterland communities into the economic life of the coastland.

“The PSC is also particularly pleased about the allocation of financing for the dredging of the Demerara Harbour, the siltation of which has for years led to increased shipping costs and therefore impacted the competitiveness of our exports and the final prices of imports,” the statement read.

However, the PSC noted its disappointment with

the decision to terminate the Amaila Falls Hydroelectricity Project.

The Commission is urging Government to seek alternative renewable energy sources as the high cost of energy continues to be a stumbling block in the way of the production of value-added goods and the growth of the manufacturing sector.

Meanwhile, Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association (BCCDA) President Ramroop Rajnauth, stated that it seems to be a fair budget for the remainder of the year but was disappointed that there was no reduction in the Value Added Tax (VAT) even though there were a few more items added to the ‘zero-rated’ list.

During a telephone interview with GuyanaTimes on Tuesday, he explained that

although there were some increases in certain areas he is hopeful that these would be revisited in the upcoming 2016 budget and possibly reviewed every year.

“Although there was an increase in the uniform voucher section I don’t believe that parents are satisfied with it moving from $1500 to $2000. I mean, they have disregarded the $10,000 voucher which parents used to get and many persons would have expected that something more would have been done to replace that or make up for it. I believe that a lot of parents are going to see this as a major setback,” Rajnauth said.

He emphasised the need for Government to review this area, as well as the pension increase that it is going to work with for the remainder of the year.

“The increase in the pen-

sion is welcomed of course but it would be even better if it is revisited especially for the retirement age, when people can no longer work, if they become disabled or physically impaired and such.

For example, persons still have so much more wealth of knowledge then and that they can still offer. If the Government looks at the allocations for pension and such annually or so it would be a great thing as well,” the BCCDA President said.

This publication was also told that while it is a good move to have increased the minimum salaries and wages of the public servants, it would also put some pressure on the business community.

“In the Private Sector, there has been a fall in business for this year and businesses have suffered a reduction in sales. The increases

in Government workers’ salaries will have an impact on private business. The businesses will have challenges in finding extra money to pay their staff,” Rajnauth said. However, the BCCDA President noted that the raise in the salaries by Government can also impact the Private Sector significantly and held the businesses to address their challenges in terms of profits.

“While it will be a challenge in paying staff and such especially after the hard time many businesses have had to face for the past months especially the raise in Government salaries can boost the economy. These increases can boost the spending power. With more money available more people will spend more money and this will have a positive impact on businesses,” he added.

Two prisoners break out of NA Prison

The Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) Unit was called into action after two men considered to be dangerous criminals broke out of the New Amsterdam Prison in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) on Wednesday night.

The men have been identified as Lennox Patterson, 26, of Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara and Marvin Samaroo of the “Scare Dem Crew” gang from Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam. Patterson was on remand after being charged with committing the recent armed robbery at M Ali and Sons Supermarket in New Amsterdam. The Samaroo brothers are said to be the leaders of the notorious “Scare Dem Crew”, which last year was implicated in a brawl at the prison. Details of the jail break remain sketchy. However, members of the SWAT Unit were busy in New Amsterdam late Wednesday night. A six-man team from

the Unit had arrived in the town, where several armed robberies have been committed recently, on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, an officer attached to the New Amsterdam Prisons was arrested in a sting operation shortly after he received a sum of money to make a purchase and take an item to a prisoner unknown to prison authorities.

Earlier, prison authori-

ties during routine checks in the prison, discovered a cellular phone in a cell which upon further investigation was used by a prisoner who was awaiting trial for murder to contact the officer who was arrested.

Some of the text messages in the phone suggested that the prisoner and the officer had an ongoing arrangement. A Police Officer then sent a text message from the said cellular phone to the Prison Officer asking for another of the previous arrangements to be made. The Prison Officer turned up as arranged and took a sum of marked money from an undercover Police Officer. He was arrested moments later by an Assistant Superintendant of Police (ASP).

Prison authorities in New Amsterdam have been battling to keep illegal items out of the prison. Knives, cutlasses, phones, and illegal drugs are just a few of the items found within the New Amsterdam Prison during internal raids.

CAL admits to reviewing London route

Caribbean Airlines on Tuesday remained non-committal on whether it was withdrawing its London service from next year. However, it admitted to reviewing its options on the type of aircraft being used to fly the route.

In a press release, in response to recent media reports, the airline will pull out of London and return its Boeing 767 fleet to its leaser early next year in a cost-cutting measure, the airline assured its customers that as of now, it continued to service the route.

It added, however, that

it had been conducting a detailed review of its network profitability and after intense consultations with Lufthansa Consulting and ICF International (formerly SH&E), two of the world’s leading aviation consultants, certain strategic initiatives were recommended consistent with the current competitive environment.

CAL said the issue was not primarily the profitability of the London route but the operations cost of the Boeing 767 aircraft, which affected other prime routes. It said any decision to stop using the Boeing 767s would

favourably impact its profitability in direct and overhead costs by reducing the number of fleet types and the unique support resources required for each. However, it said, arrangements were still in the process of being finalised.

CAL said whatever the outcome of the deliberations, its intention would be to implement alternative network solutions to ensure connectivity to/from London for customers. In this regard, CAL said it would communicate the final decision on the route in a timely fashion to the public. (Trinidad Guardian)

Barbados’AG addresses issue of human trafficking

Barbados is doing its best to retain the passing grade it has received from the US State Department, for its efforts at preventing human trafficking.

Antigua and Barbuda diplomat calls for strengthening of OAS to keep it relevant

Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the Organisation of American States (OAS), Sir Ronald Sanders, has told high ranking representatives of Western Governments that they have to strengthen the organisation to make it relevant and meaningful.

Ambassador Sanders made the remarks as he presented credentials to Secretary General Luis Almargo Lemes at the OAS

headquarters in Washington on Monday.

At a ceremony attended by Ambassadors of Canada, the United States of America and Latin American and Caribbean states, Sir Ronald declared: “There has never been a time in mankind’s history when our planet has been faced with common challenges of greater magnitude than now.”

He identified those challenges as climate change and threats to the existence of is-

land states; terrorism, both within and across borders; communicable diseases; drug trafficking; organised crime; and high youth unemployment.

Saying that the OAS could contribute to solving these problems in collaboration and cooperation with other multilateral and international organisations, the Caribbean diplomat called on member states to “commit to strengthening the organisation to play its fullest role in our hemisphere and in the wider global community”.

“Notwithstanding that the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean has projected that for 2015 Antigua and Barbuda will have the highest growth rate of all Caribbean countries at 5.3 per cent, my Government welcomes the priority being given in the OAS to mitigation of natural disasters, facilitation of foreign investment and wealth distribution, and inter-connectivity in transport and information technology,” Sir Ronald said. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Turks and Caicos deputy AG appointed as Eastern Caribbean Judge

Deputy Attorney General in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), Wynante Mary Adrien-Roberts, has been appointed as High Court Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and has been assigned to Grenada. She assumes office on September 1, 2015.

“I am delighted that Ms Adrien Roberts’ elevation to the High Court bench in the Eastern Caribbean has now been announced,” said TCI Attorney General Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles.

“She is a terrific example of a well-developed legal mind and in her short tenure in my Chambers, colleagues have benefited tremendously from her many years of Public Sector legal experience. We are sorry to see her leave but also very

the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the capacity of deputy Attorney General. I will always cherish the time that I spent here in TCI in particular at the Attorney General’s Chambers.

pleased for her good news. I congratulate her on attaining the pinnacle of the legal profession and wish her well. She will be a very good Judge.”

When contacted, AdrienRoberts stated, “I am very thankful for the opportunity, albeit brief, to serve

El Salvador gangs:

“I was blessed to be part of the stellar team comprising of legal and administrative staff led by the honourable attorney general. I thank them for embracing and supporting me.” Adrien-Roberts holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of the West Indies, a Master of Laws Degree from the George Washington University Law School and the Certificate of Legal Education (LEC) from Norman Manley, She is a former President of the Dominica Bar Association. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Attorney General and Home Affairs Minister Adriel Brathwaite, called attention to the issue, while speaking in the House of Assembly on Tuesday, on a resolution to borrow the sum of Bds$76 million from the National Insurance Board, to finance construction and repair works for various Police stations across the island.

While noting that a journalist had contacted him while he was overseas recently to enquire

In the 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report, US officials gave the island a Tier Two rating – the same grade it received in the 2014 report. Tier Two countries are those whose Governments do not fully comply with the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance.

about negative information in the 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report, he suggested that he was more concerned about the positive side of the report.

The Attorney General went on to state that given how the Trafficking in Persons Report is compiled and given our legal structure, it may be difficult for the country to move to Tier One. Tier One is reserved for countries whose governments fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards. (Excerpt

Arrests of members ordered

El Salvador’s Attorney General has issued about 300 arrest warrants for gang members suspected of “terrorist acts”. Last month, gang members paralysed public transport when they ordered drivers to go on strike. They torched buses and killed at least seven drivers who did not comply.

El Salvador has one of the highest murder rates in the world, much of it caused by violence between two rival gangs. Following a truce between the Mara Salvatrucha and the Barrio 18 gang, brokered in 2012,

the murder rate dropped by 40 per cent.

But as the truce crumbled, the number murders rose again.

So far in August, 24 people have been killed on average every day, Police said on Monday. Attorney General Luis Martinez said the gangs had “gone too far, they attack the Police and prosecutors, they intimidate the population and force people to leave their homes”.

This year alone, 41 Police Officers, 14 soldiers and a prosecutor have been killed. Martinez said the arrest

warrants were part of “a new strategy to impose order”.

The crackdown follows July’s gang-imposed public transport strike which paralysed the capital, San Salvador.

The gangs called the strike as a means of pressuring the Government into including them in talks on how to reduce urban violence. President Salvador Sanchez Ceren has ruled out negotiating with the gangs. There are an estimated 70,000 active gang members in El Salvador.

(Excerpt

Turkey, Iran help broker rare truce in Syria

Syria’s warring parties declared a 48-hour ceasefire in two frontline areas on Wednesday after unprecedented mediation from Turkey and Iran, signalling a new approach by some of the main regional backers of the opposing sides. The ceasefire halted fighting between insurgents on the one hand, and the Army and its Lebanese militant Hezbollah allies on the other, in the rebel-held town

of Zabadani and in a pair of Shiite Muslim villages in Idlib Province.

The two areas are strongholds of each side under ferocious attack by the other. Sources familiar with the talks, which have been under way for weeks, said the truce could be extended to give time for ongoing negotiations aimed at evacuating civilians and combatants.

Three officials close to Damascus described the truce as a result of me-

Around the World

UN peacekeeping chief in CAR forced to resign

diation by Turkey, which backs rebels fighting against President Bashar al-Assad, and Iran, whose support has been vital to his survival.

It adds to recent signs of new efforts in the region to end diplomatic deadlock over a conflict that has killed a quarter of a million people, made 10 million homeless, left swathes of Syria in the hands of Islamic State militants and divided the countries of the Middle East on sectarian grounds.

After four years in which diplomats made no headway toward peace, countries that support Assad and his opponents have been quietly discussing ways to end the war and tackle the common threat from Islamic State. But Assad’s fate remains a major obstacle to the new diplomatic effort.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Damascus on Wednesday and met with Assad. He was expected to discuss a new peace plan for Syria. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Julian Assange case: Sweden to drop sex assault inquiry

Swedish prosecutors will drop their investigation into sexual assault allegations against Julian Assange on Thursday because of the statutes of limitation, the BBC has learned.

The WikiLeaks founder still faces the more serious allegation of rape.

But prosecutors have run out of time to investigate Assange for sexual assault because they have not succeeded in questioning him.

He denies all allegations and has said they are part of a smear campaign.

The Australian journalist and activist sought asylum in the Ecuadorian em-

bassy in London in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden.

Under Swedish law, charges cannot be laid without interviewing the suspect.

Prosecutors had until today, August 13 to question Assange about one accusation of sexual molestation and one of unlawful coercion, while the time limit on a further allegation of sexual molestation runs out on August 18.

The more serious allegation of rape is not due to expire until 2020. An official announcement from the prosecutor’s office is expected this morning.

Assange has always denied all the accusations and says he fled into the Ecuadorian embassy because he fears being extradited from Sweden to the US and put on trial for releasing secret American documents.

He has said in the past that he will not leave the embassy, even if the accusations of sex crimes are dropped.

The woman who accused Assange of sexual molestation and unlawful coercion –who is identified in legal papers only as AA – is said to be relieved that the case is now behind her. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Jeb Bush blames Clinton for Iraq turmoil

Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush wants Americans to know that the current unrest in the Middle East is Barack Obama’s fault – and, by extension, that of Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

In a 40-minute speech on Tuesday night at the Reagan Presidential Library in California – hallowed ground for conservatives –Bush outlined an argument made by many of the current Republican candidates. By executing a “premature withdrawal” of all US forces in Iraq in 2011, he said, the Obama Administration

and then-Secretary of State Clinton committed a “fatal error”, destabilising the nation and setting the stage for the rise of Islamic State militants.

“So eager to be the history-makers, they failed to be the peacemakers,” Bush said of Obama and Clinton. “It was a case of blind haste to get out and to call the tragic consequences somebody else’s problem. Rushing away from danger can be every bit as unwise as rushing into danger, and the costs have been grievous.”

Rushing into a dangerous war, of course, is the cri-

tique often laid at the feet of Bush’s brother, President George W Bush, the man who oversaw the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

When your last name is Bush – and not, say, Walker or Rubio – talking about Iraq is always fraught with peril. In May, he was ridiculed for struggling to say whether he’d have approved the Iraq invasion “knowing what we know now”.

At first, he said he would, then he said he wouldn’t engage in “hypotheticals” and finally he announced he wouldn’t have authorised the invasion. (Excerpt from BBC News)

The head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic has been forced to resign over the force’s handling of a series of sexual and other misconduct allegations.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told reporters on Wednesday he had accepted the resignation of Babacar Gaye of Senegal.

“I will not tolerate any action that causes people to replace trust with fear.

“Those who work for the United Nations must uphold our highest ideals. Yet the outrageous and indecent actions of a few people tarnish

the heroic work of tens of thousands of UN peacekeepers and personnel.

“Every allegation must be thoroughly investigated,” Ban said in the press conference. It comes a day after Amnesty International accused UN peacekeepers in CAR’s capital of killing a 16-year-old boy and his father and raping a 12-yearold girl in separate incidents this month.

Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo, reporting from the UN headquarters, said that Ban is going to call a special session of the UN Security Council today or Friday.

“Ban also announced that he will hold an emergency video conference call with all of his force commanders from all 16 peacekeeping missions to discuss what’s going on and to get better informed about all of this.

“Clearly Ban Ki-Moon is taking this very seriously,” Elizondo added.

That follows allegations that UN peacekeepers had sexually abused street children in Bangui and a separate allegation of child sexual abuse against a peacekeeper in the eastern part of the country. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Massive explosion in China’s Tianjin

Amassive explosion has hit China’s northern Tianjin with scores of people injured, reports say.

The explosion reportedly occurred at about 23:30 (15:30 GMT) at a petrol

storage station at Tianjin’s Binhai New Development Zone. The cause is unknown.

Pictures and video footage shared on social media appear to show a number of people wounded by the blast.

Tianjin is a major port and industrial area to the south-east of the Chinese capital, Beijing. (BBC News)

Several nearby tower blocks are without power, according to the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

India sues Nestle for nearly US$100M over food safety

India’s Government is seeking damages of nearly US$100 million from Nestle India for “unfair trade practices” after the food safety regulator banned its hugely popular Maggi noodles brand in June for containing unsafe levels of lead.

The Government said on Wednesday that it has filed a suit with the country’s top consumer court, National Consumer Disputes

Redressal Commission (NCDRC), for 6400 million rupees in damages from the Indian arm of the Swiss food giant.

“Our complaint is over their unfair trade practices and the court will now issue them notices to hear their response,” G Gurcharan, additional secretary at the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, told AFP news agency. In April, laboratory

tests ordered by some State Governments found the noodles contained far higher levels of lead than legally allowed. The tests also detected the flavour enhancer chemical monosodium glutamate, or MSG, which is not mentioned in the product’s list of ingredients.

In a statement on Wednesday, Nestle said the company has “a stringent programme” to test the ingredients in its noodles.

“In recent months, we had over 2700 samples of Maggi Noodles tested by several accredited laboratories both in India and abroad. Each one of these tests have shown lead to be far below the permissible limits,” the statement said.

Nestle India is challenging the ban on Maggi noodles in the Mumbai high court, which is expected to deliver its verdict on Thursday. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

16 NEWS

thursday, august 13, 2015| guyanatimesgy.com

Indian High Commissioner wasn’t aware of illegal nationals

IndianHighCommissioner Venkatachalam

Mahalingam said that he was not aware of the eight Indian nationals who were detained for almost two weeks after being denied entry into Guyana.

Speaking exclusively to Guyana Times, Mahalingam said that they were “completely unaware” of the incident until it was reported in the local media. He added that neither him nor the High Commission were contacted or informed of the matter by any local authorities; hence, they could not have met with the stranded nationals.

The High Commissioner disclosed that he has conveyed to the Foreign Indian Office that the nationals were here for two weeks without their knowledge. He further stated that a message has been sent to the Indian Embassy in Venezuela which oversees operations in Curaçao to find out the purpose of the eight nationals’ visit to Guyana and about their immigration documents.

Mahalingam said, however, that they have not received any feedback from their counterpart in the neighbouring country and was not sure if the authorities were able to meet with the nationals in Curaçao. “I doubt they were able to meet them,” he stated.

The High Commissioner

went on to point out that the nationals were in Brazil and a host of other countries so there is a chain of destinations they have travelled to and he did not believe Guyana was their final destination.

“This is the first time we have come across an incident where such a large number of people have come and were sent back, and to my mind it does not appear Guyana was not the final destination for them, they were going somewhere else, but we don’t have any information about why they came to Guyana,” he said.

Asked whether Indian nationals usually seek the High Commission’s assistance in regularising immigration papers after arriving in Guyana illegally, Mahalingam not-

ed that they never have had such cases. He further disclosed that he was not in possession of any reports from the formerly Home Affairs Ministry or the Citizenship Ministry to say otherwise.

The Indian High Commissioner disclosed that they are awaiting information from the Embassy in Venezuela on the matter to be more updated on the incident, since efforts to acquire details from the Immigration Office proved futile.

“We tried to get in touch with Immigration, but they said they will not be able to provide us any information on this. We wrote to Foreign Minister but have got no response,” he indicated.

Review

However, Citizenship

Minister Winston Felix subsequently told Guyana Times that he was not informed of the matter until August 4 after he received a lawyer’s letter requesting him to release the Indian nationals or have them deported at the soonest time possible.

Nevertheless, the Minister said that a report was sent by the Police Commissioner to the Public Security Ministry and is expected to be forwarded to the Foreign Affairs Ministry and then to the Indian High Commissioner.

While he was not involved in the matter from the incep-

PPP/C will not be intimidated by threats against its leaders – General Secretary

As the public awaits the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the killings which occurred in Guyana between 2000 and 2008, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has emphasised that this inquiry must see the re-introduction of the tape recording which includes two Ministers of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government.

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee on Monday stated that the said tape recording includes the voices of Citizenship Minister Winston Felix and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams.

“The PPP is of the view that any inquiry into that period must see the re-introduction of the tape recording in which Felix, the former Commissioner of Police and now a Minister and Member of Parliament, and Basil Williams, the now sitting Attorney General and Minister of Justice were in conversation with each other discussing diverting attention from the PNC [People’s National Congress]

with respect to its involvement in the Agricola massacre and the planting of drugs on an outgoing passenger at Timehri,” he said. It was explained that the Opposition Party welcomes the establishment of any Commission of Inquiry into the said events provided that its Terms of Reference are broad enough to take into account the involvement of the PNC. Also, how its operatives supported the criminal enterprise resulting in the people and the village of Buxton being put un-

tion and the procedures followed, Felix explained that he intended to have the system changed regarding the handling of such matters. He noted that while they were in the process of formulating the changes and exploring options, one of the things he would be looking into is the speediness in which the matter is reported to the authorities including the local office of the countries the detained nationals are from.

“We are looking at whether we may have to send a

provisional notice to these authorities just to inform them of what is happening and then maybe later send them the more detailed report,” he said. However, the Citizenship Minister outlined that before making the changes, he will have to consult with his colleague Foreign Affairs Minister.

On the other hand, Felix disclosed that there were a lot of questions raised from the issue, noting that when the Indian nationals arrived on July 19, they had no return tickets hence were denied entry into Guyana. He noted that from this moment Immigration was in contact with Insel Air to have the men transported out of the country.

The Minister said that Insel Air indicated that the men were scheduled to leave on a Copa Airline flight but when checks were made, Copa did not have any such records. “So from then on – for the two weeks – Immigration was interacting with Insel Air, trying to make arrangements to have the people returned to Curaçao ‘cause that’s where

they came from,” he declared. Felix went on to disclose that on August 6, the men finally produced a ticket to Immigration; however the ticket had no name attached to it. “You see we had all this going around and coming around…we couldn’t send them back on the same flight they came on because that flight left the morning while we were still trying to confirm the information Immigration was being provided with,” the Citizenship Minister stated.

Furthermore, Minister Felix stated emphatically that there was no victimisation against Indian nationals or Asians as a matter of fact. He pointed out persons of various nationalities are constantly being detained and denied entry into Guyana, referring to an incident on Tuesday where other foreign nationals ,including Russians, and persons from Haiti, Colombia and Cuba were refused entry into Guyana after their documents were found to be fake and in some cases they did not have the required documents.

Govt to launch CoI into State education system

Tder siege by the criminals; the killings, kidnappings, the disappearances and other sordid events during that period, Rohee further stated.

According to the General Secretary, his Party wishes to remind that several members of the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) who were “directly” and “actively” involved in operations and who led investigations during that period (2000-2008) are currently serving in the present Administration. They are in Cabinet and in the National Assembly representing the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

“The PPP is keenly and equally interested in exactly what took place in that era … The PPP will not be intimidated by threats against any of its leaders by the de facto Granger Administration. The PPP unlike Granger and the PNC, who chose to shut down the Rodney Commission of Inquiry for fear and exposure, is always committed to full and complete disclosure of any event considered to be of national importance to the Guyanese people,” Rohee added.

he A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government will be launching another Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the public education system in Guyana to gather data, assessment the current delivery of education in the public domain and make recommendations to enhance and improve the sector.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, addressing media operatives during a postCabinet press briefing on Wednesday, at the Ministry of the Presidency, disclosed that Cabinet approved the appointment of a CoI when it met on Tuesday.

He explained that the Commission, like all the other commissions the Government has launched

since it assumed Executive Office, will be mandated to enquire into the present state of the sector and provide strategic guidelines for its betterment.

The CoI will comprise one chairperson and two vice chairpersons; however, Harmon did not disclose the identities of these individuals.

He noted, however, that representation will come from nursery schools; primary schools; secondary schools; tertiary institutions; the Teaching Service Commission (TSC); the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU); the Private Sector Commission (PSC); the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C); religious bodies, and youth organisations, among others.

“You would recall that

Guyana to boost...

Dormeus believes that this sensitisation workshop will benefit Guyana in its efforts to mitigate cyber threats. He outlined that the OAS through CICTE has been working with Caribbean Governments on issues of cyber securities and cyber crimes for over a decade. He added that the OAS has mandated CICTE to engage member states on cyber issues, into comprehensive Inter-American cybersecurity strategy adopted in 2014.

“This strategy aims at

ensuring that countries have the ability to protect, response to and prevent cyber incidents,” he stated. According to Dormeus, since the strategy was adopted, CICTE has assisted many Governments to establish Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CIRTS).

Moreover, the OAS representative outlined that there are about three billion Internet users worldwide, of which 322 million are from the Caribbean and Latin American region. He

in the Minister of Finance’s (Winston Jordan’s) budget presentation, he alluded to the fact that the Government will look very carefully at the delivery of education, the way in which our children are actually educated and whether that education they are receiving from the public system is really preparing them for a future in Guyana,” Harmon explained.

The National Budget 2015 saw the education sector slated to receive $33 billion from the Government.

“We must ensure that our children benefit from affordable access to the best learning resources that are available, that our teachers are equipped to teach and inspire them,” Jordan had told the National Assembly on Monday.

from page 12

went on to say that with the increase number of Internet users comes the risk of becoming a victim of cybercrimes.

On this note, he disclosed the annual cost to the global economy for cybercrimes is pegged at some US$445 billion. Dormeus highlighted that workshop such as these have proven to be effective in raising awareness of the cyber risks as well as encouraging Internet users to take the precautionary steps to protect their information.

Jimmy Carter reveals he has cancer

ormer US President

FJimmy Carter says recent liver surgery revealed that he has cancer and it has spread to other parts of his body.

The 90-year-old statesman underwent surgery to remove a small mass in his liver earlier this month.

He said he would reveal more “when facts are known, possibly next week”.

Carter will undergo treatment by physicians at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta.

President Barack Obama wished Carter “a full and fast recovery” in a statement released on Wednesday.

“Jimmy, you’re as resilient as they come, and along with the rest of America, we are rooting for you,” Obama said.

Leaving the White House in 1981, he has remained active carrying out humanitarian efforts with his Carter Center in recent years.

He founded the Center, which focuses on humanrights efforts and political

mediation, soon after he left office.

He was later responsible for negotiating a 1994 nuclear disarmament pact with North Korea and has visited Syrian President Bashar alAssad in recent years.

A Democrat from Georgia, Carter was elected president in 1976.

He won the Nobel Peace prize in 2002 for his commitment to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, his work with human rights and democracy initiatives and his promotion of economic and social programmes.

The BBC interviewed Carter in February about his efforts to eradicate guinea worm disease and in the South Sudan and Mali and river blindness in both Africa and Latin America.

He said then he was happy to still be travelling and doing work across the globe.

But in May, he returned early from a trip to observe elections in Guyana because he was “not feeling well”.

Carter has been recently promoting his latest book, “A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety”, which was released in July. (BBC News)

Advocates, activists and affirmation agents to be honoured

In keeping with its mandate that “Suicide Prevention is Everybody’s Business”, the Caribbean Voice has launched the El Dorado Awards, aimed at honouring advocates, activists and affirmation agents on the social landscape.

These awards were recently launched by the New York-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and aim to build connections between these individuals and organisations and the business community. Additionally, they aim to foster collaboration and facilitate a concerted approach to tackling issues such as suicide, abuse, sex crimes, alcoholism and drug abuse.

In a release, Caribbean Voice Managing Director Bibi Ahamad stated, “the reality is that there is a plethora of individuals and organisations, local and Diaspora, engaged in making a difference and qual-

itatively impact the lives of Guyanese, especially the powerless and disadvantaged, while tackling the social issues that negatively affect lives. The El Dorado Awards provides a space to recognise the efforts of those so involved so that they can connect with each other and begin a conversation that would enhance the collaborative approach within a national framework.”

Eight awards, named after important Guyanese symbols, landmarks and icons, will be given out this year.

The categories are Lifetime (Pakaraimas Award); Public Service (Kyk-over-al Award); Private Sector (Canje Pheasant); Humanitarian (Victoria Regia Award); Culture (Maticore/Queh Queh Award); Community Building (Umana Yana Award); Business (Greenheart Award) and Youth (Arapaima Award). The awards ceremony

is to also feature a cocktail reception and a cultural interlude along with the presentation of awards. This year’s honorees are individuals and organisations from throughout Guyana and the Diaspora, who will be honoured for activism, advocacy and affirmation efforts.

The First Annual El Dorado Awards will be held at the Woodbine Room, Cara Hotel in Georgetown, on Saturday, August 22 from 15:00h to 17:00h, and is sponsored by Sueria Manufacturing Inc, Metro Office & Computer Supplies and Cara Lodge Hotel.

In a report issued in September last year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) listed Guyana as the country with the highest estimated suicide rate for 2012. Suriname was named the sixth-highest.

This matter was examined during the 60th Caribbean Public Health Agency Research Conference held last year.

Road from Siriki to Tapakuma to be upgraded – Region 2 Chairman

Region Two Chairman Daveanand Ramdatt has announced that the rudimentary road from Siriki, New Haven Housing Scheme in the Upper Pomeroon River area to Tapakuma, St Denys Amerindian community in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) will be upgraded into a roadway.

Ramdatt was at the time speaking at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) statutory meeting for the month of August. Addressing the councillors in the boardroom of the RDC at Anna Regina, Ramdatt said that the road project was included in the region’s proposed budget for 2016. The road, which was basically a trail, was the main link-

age between Siriki and Tapakuma.

The Chairman said the project was geared primarily at increasing agricultural production between the two communities and other areas along the

Pomeroon River. Meanwhile, supporting the initiative was former Toshao of Tapakuma and People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP\C) Councillor, Doreen Jacobis, who welcomed the project in her community. The Councillor said the road linking the communities was very important and residents would benefit, alluding to the fact that farming would be done alongside the road. She said once the road was upgraded, residents within her community would clear and open up lands for further cultivation. Improved access will also enable greater opportunities for trade with persons outside the area and region and other economic activities.

Charity residents calling for urgent work on river dam

Residents of Charity in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) are calling on the Public Works Ministry to conduct immediate works on the deteriorating river defence dam in the community.

Villagers voiced their concern, saying nothing was being done despite several complaints to relevant authorities. Since mid 2014, residents have been expressing concern over areas of slippage occurring along the dam owing to the construction of a huge concrete wharf and gas station along the river edge near the dam.

According to residents, the shoulders of the road atop the dam which are predominately occupied by vendors and boat builders have started to wear away. The road had suffered major damage after the businessman started construction of the gas station.

Residents are calling on the Government and the Public Works Ministry to urgently address the situation before the road/dam further sinks and is overtopped by the Pomeroon River. Already, the road is underwater whenever there is a high tide.

Region Two Chairman Daveanand Ramdatt, like his predecessor, visited

the area and found it was indeed vulnerable and needed urgent repairs. He reported at the statutory meeting for the RDC that the dam protected the commercial and residential areas at Charity from the Pomeroon River and already it had sunk by some 12 inches. Ramdatt said he had listened to residents’ complaints on the issue while he was on site.

Then Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud in June 2014 had said he had received numerous complaints about the matter. Persaud had said he had informed the Public Works Ministry and sent letters to the various agencies, but had not received a response, according to media reports. He explained that the Regional Administration did not have much control of the dam, because it fell under the control of the Public Works Ministry’s Sea Defence Department and permission was given for the construction of the wharf. He then called for an investigation to be launched as to how permission was given for the construction of such a heavy structure near to the dam.

Corentyne cambio dealer shot by bandit

Police are investigating the shooting of a Corentyne cambio dealer by an armed bandit on Wednesday. Reports are that Anil Sookraj, 25, of David Street, Rose Hall Town was in the vicinity of Demerara Bank where he plies his trade on a daily

basis when the incident occurred.

Details are sketchy on the incident, but one eyewitness told this publication that he was parked in the area waiting on a passenger when he heard a gunshot. According to the eyewitness who asked to remain anon-

ymous, when he looked into the rearview mirror of his car, he saw a man running away who disappeared into a street. He said a passenger then brought to his attention that a man was lying on the road. “When I look, I see is ‘Fat Man’ an he trying to call me because he know

the car.”

The eyewitness noted that he quickly went to render assistance and took the injured man to his car and headed to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

“When he in the car he tell me that he get rob.”

Sookraj was hit in the left

forearm and the bullet exited and went into the right side of his chest. “When we reach by Anamayah Hospital he tell me that he can’t make it to reach till to New Amsterdam so I turn in to the hospital and a doctor come out and help me to get him on a trolley…”

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the bullet was lodged in the vicinity of the spine. Up to press time, Sookraj’s condition was said to be critical.

This is the third time Sookraj has been shot in a robbery related incident. Police are investigating.

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

CANCER

You will be the focus of positive attention today. Others will be glad to listen to your ideas. This is a great time to drum up support for a new venture.

You will face a frustrating challenge. Things will not go as smoothly as you had hoped unless you are prepared to slow down and take one step at a time.

Written and verbal communication will come into play as you sort through some disturbing problems. A focused effort will bring resolution to any personal or professional issues that arise.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

AQUARIUS

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

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

Use your energy wisely. Take on a physical challenge that will pump you up and get you motivated to expand your interests. Staying at home will make you restless and edgy.

Someone will be reluctant to divulge important information. Be prepared to dig deep in order to get the answers you are looking for. Don’t get talked into financing an untested venture.

You are brimming with confidence and innovative ideas. If you speak up, you will leave a favorable impression on someone interested in what you are doing. Networking will pay off.

If you aren’t happy with your current situation, make a change. Consider picking up the skills you will need to move to a vocation that suits your current mindset.

Focus less on what others are doing and more on your own tasks. You can get a great deal done if you refuse to let anyone interfere. Your hard work will pay off.

Look over your personal financial plan. You will receive a tempting offer, but make sure everything is on the upand-up before you sign on the dotted line. Financial woes are evident, especially if you are handling other people’s affairs. Make sure all the paperwork is complete and accurate before you proceed. Preparation is your key to success.

Protect your assets. Revealing too much personal information to a new acquaintance will turn out to be costly. Don’t do anything that will leave you in a vulnerable position.

Your outgoing personality and natural charm will lead to an unexpected offer. Your thirst for knowledge will send you in a new direction that will allow you to fulfill your dreams.

WICB Women’s Super50…

South Windwards beat Guyana by seven wickets

South Windward Islands defeated Guyana by seven wickets on Wednesday in the fourth round of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Women’s Super50 at Gilbert Park, California, Trinidad.

Shemaine Campbelle stroked 49 not out in Guyana’s inadequate 158-7 off the allotted 50 overs with Stacy-ann Adams and Afy Fletcher claiming two wickets each.

Cordel Jack then stuck 83 not out as South Windward Islands responded with 1593 from 47 overs. Rachael Cyrus chipped in with 30.

Below are the summarised scores from the other two games.

Barbados defeated North Windwards by 181 runs in

Couva. Barbados 201 all out off 44.2 overs (Kyshona Knight 65, Malissa Howard 62; Roylyn Cooper 5-31)

North Windwards 20 all out of 12.1 overs (Shakera Selman 6-10, Shamilia Connell 4-8).

Bahamian McDonald arrives for Boyce/ Jefford Classic

Jamaica defeated Trinidad and Tobago by 19 at the National Cricket Centre in Couva. Jamaica 181-4 off 50 overs (Stafanie Taylor 67, Chedean Nation 58; Stacyann King 2-37) Trinidad and Tobago 162 all out in 45.1 overs (Felecia Walters 40, Britney Cooper 39, Leeann Kirby 21; Vanessa Watts 3-24, Chedean Nation 2-37).

The final preliminary round will take place on Friday with Guyana playing Jamaica at Gilbert Park, South Windwards coming up against North Windwards at Exchange and Trinidad and Tobago tackling Barbados at the National Cricket Centre.

The top two teams at the end of Friday’s games will clash in Sunday’s final at the National Cricket Centre.

Haddin to miss final Ashes Test

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin will not be part of Australia’s squad for the final Ashes Test at The Oval after he returned home for family reasons. Haddin, 37, played in the first Test but missed the

second for personal reasons and was replaced by Peter Nevill, who has since kept his place.

Cricket Australia has yet to announce who will replace Haddin in the squad.

Matthew Wade has been named as Haddin’s succes-

sor in Australia’s squad for the one-day and Twenty20 games in England.

Wade, 27, who has been playing on Australia A’s tour of India, could also come into the Test squad as a replacement for Haddin, who retired from one-day cricket after Australia’s World Cup triumph in March and was not expected to be recalled for the final Ashes Test starting on August 20.

England regained the urn by taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series with victory at Trent Bridge last week.

Australia have also named all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, spinner Ashton Agar and batsman Joe Burns in their ODI squad, who face Ireland in Belfast on August 27 before the five-game series and single Twenty20 match against England.

All three will be making their debut if they play in the series.

Steve Smith will lead the one-day side, which will be without bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood, who have been rested.

The squad also features the return of bowler James Pattinson, who joined Australia A in India after recovering from a string of injuries, but there

is no place for all-rounder James Faulkner, who was not considered as he serves a team suspension for being convicted of drink driving in England last month.

Australia one-day squad: Steve Smith (captain), Ashton Agar, George Bailey, Joe Burns, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Patrick Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Shane Watson, David Warner, Cameron Boyce (T20 only). (BBC Sport)

Petra McDonald of the Bahamas has arrived in Guyana for this weekend’s Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic, slated for the Mackenzie Sports Club ground in Linden.

The Bahamian sprinter, who trains regularly for 100m hurdles, will compete in the Women’s 100 and 200m events at the sixth edition of Guyana’s most prestigious athletics meet.

McDonald while at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary on Tuesday afternoon for a light workout, noted that she is here to “race and have a good time.”

“I’m just here to run. Everyone is a winner regardless of what place they

get. I’m very optimistic because I have been running long enough,” McDonald mentioned.

McDonald, who has competed in every major event except the World Championships and Olympics for the Bahamas, will challenge some of Guyana’s top female sprinters over the 100 and 200m events, which have attracted 36 entries, according to the organisers of the event.

McDonald, who last represented the Bahamas at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mexico last year, will be one of the biggest challenges to the local females in the 200m that is dubbed an international event.

GFF, Beckles matter settled

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and former Secretary of the Bartica Football Association, Carlton Beckles, have been able to settle a long-standing matter, according to GFF’s Director of Communications, Rawle Toney.

This publication was reliably informed that Beckles, in the company of marshals, swooped down the GFF office in Campbellville on Monday

last and proceeded to seize items in exchanges for monies owed him. Among the items were television sets.

Sometime ago, Beckles received a favourable judgment in the High Court, after he sought outstanding balances close to $1.5 million for rental of the Bartica office, stipend for staff and outstanding sums for transportation. It is understood that the fees were outstanding since the Colin Klass administration.

Toney, in an invited comment on Wednesday evening, said the matter with Beckles has been settled, noting that this was an issue the FIFA- installed Normalisation Committee inherited.

Toney added that the Normalisation Committee has since honoured the ruling, and the items are expected to be uplifted from Beckles today.

Being relieved of keeping was the best thing – Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara has said being relieved of the gloves in Tests was the “best thing” that happened to his career.

“I didn’t like it when they stopped me keeping,” Sangakkara said. “But the selection committee spoke to me and said: ‘What we’re trying to do is improve your batting and to get you scoring more runs for the team. We are asking you to do this. It will be better for the team and better for you.’ At the time, I thought: ‘That’s not true. I can do both.’ But when I look back on it now, that was the best thing to happen to me. It’s great that they took that decision for me, without letting me take it. That has hugely influenced the runs that I scored, and the centuries I made.”

Sangakkara had begun his Test career behind the stumps, as Romesh

Kaluwitharana’s replacement. Even though he had some success with the bat in the early years, averaging 46.90 in mid-2006, the Ashantha de Mel-led selection committee believed he would be more valuable to the side as a specialist batsman. Sangakkara had by then become Sri Lanka’s regular No. 3 batsman, raising concerns that he would be too fatigued to excel at both roles.

A nine-year boom in his batting output has followed the decision to play him as a batsman only. In 84 Tests as a specialist batsman, Sangakkara has hit 9188 runs at an average of 68.05. That average is only second to Don Bradman’s for nonwicketkeepers who have scored more than 1000 Test runs.

Sangakkara admitted he regrets not having won a World Cup after playing in

two finals, but took particular pleasure from Sri Lanka’s performances in major tournaments. Sri Lanka’s inability to win Tests in Australia and India had also grated, but the team has general-

Sri Lanka v India, 1st Test, Galle, 1st day…

ly fared better in England. They drew 1-1 in 2006, then defeated England 1-0 last year.

“I remember going to England with the team last year, and beating England

1-0 in that series was the best overseas tour I have been on,” he said. “In that 2006 series when we drew, we also won the one-dayers 5-0.

“All the wins we have had, especially away from home, have been special. Beating Australia for the first time in a one-day series in 2010, the World T20 which we won it - all of these have been really standout moments for me. But also, once Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu, Chaminda Vaas, Aravinda de Silva all of these guys left, I’m happy to have been part of a set-up that produced cricketers like Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Upul Tharanga - and the one guy who has been outstanding and who is never spoken about - Rangana Herath.”

Though his batting is often called attractive,

Sangakkara said he does not consider himself a stylist.

“I used to have these arguments with Thilan Samaraweera in the dressing room about who had had the best looking forward defensive shot in the Sri Lankan side. He always told me that I had the ugliest forward defensive shot he had ever seen in his life and Mahela Jayawardene and Marvan Attapattu had the nicest,” Sangakkara said.

“They always say the left-handers were extremely graceful. I watched Brian Lara, then Upul Tharanga and Lahiru Thirmanne from the younger lot, and feel they are much more pleasant to look at. Whenever I play the cover drive, with the back knee bent and head back, I just say to myself: ‘How can that be stylish?’ But I’m glad with the amount if runs I’ve scored and how effective I’ve been.” (Cricinfo)

Ashwin six-for puts India in charge

Sri Lanka is not a place where you want to lose the toss as an opposition captain. Over the last 14 years, only two visiting captains have managed to win despite losing the toss. Virat Kohli raised the possibility of becoming the third after R Ashwin registered the best figures for an India bowler in the first innings of an away Test to bundle the hosts out for 183. India stumbled in response initially, but Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli steadied

from the other end - Dinesh Chandimal’s half-century was a charmed innings and included a drop on 5 - as Ashwin ran away to his fastest five-for in Tests, also his second in two Tests and the best figures by an Indian in Sri Lanka. Had India taken all their catches - to go with two excellent ones by KL Rahul and Rohit SharmaSri Lanka would have been bundled out for much less.

It took Ashwin only 63 balls to reach his fifth wicket, and left-hand batsmen

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka 1st innings

FDM Karunaratne c Rahane b I Sharma 9

JK Silva c Dhawan b Aaron 5

HDRL Thirimanne c Rahane

b Ashwin 13

KC Sangakkara c Rahul

b Ashwin 5

AD Mathews* c RG Sharma

b Ashwin 64

J Mubarak c Rahul b Ashwin 0

LD Chandimal† c Rahane

b Mishra 59

KTGD Prasad lbw b Ashwin 0

HMRKB Herath b Ashwin 23

PHT Kaushal c RG Sharma

b Mishra 0

N Pradeep not out 0

Extras: (b-1, lb-1, nb-3) 5

Total: (all out; 49.4 overs) 183

Fall of wickets: 1-15

will also be glad that by the time he came on to bowl in the 12th over, India’s quick bowlers had already softened Sri Lanka up. It did not start all that well for India, though, as ordinary slip catching reared its head again, with Dhawan dropping Kaushal Silva at first slip in the fourth over. Kohli will be glad his quick bowlers responded with pace, bounce and hostility to send back the openers.

Dimuth Karunaratne edged while fending a bouncer from Ishant Sharma, and Silva was given out caught off the arm guard as he went to hook Varun Aaron. Dhawan redeemed himself with a diving catch, but DRS would have made for an interesting decision.

ing round the wicket, often too straight, Kohli showed remarkable patience as Mathews and Chandimal added 79.

(Karunaratne, 6.5 ov), 2-15 (Silva, 7.1 ov), 3-27 (Sangakkara, 11.3 ov), 4-54 (Thirimanne, 19.4 ov), 5-60 (Mubarak, 21.3 ov), 6-139 (Mathews, 41.3 ov), 7-155 (Prasad, 43.3 ov), 8-179 (Chandimal, 48.1 ov), 9-179 (Kaushal, 48.2 ov), 10-183 (Herath, 49.4 ov)

them with an unbroken 100run partnership. On a pitch that offered turn and bounce as early as the first session, this toss was all the more important to win, which is what will rankle the home captain Angelo Mathews the most. Not only did he win the toss, he also showed the others with his 64 that it was possible to bat on this pitch. There was little resistance

Bowling: I Sharma 11-330-1 (3-nb), VR Aaron 110-68-1, R Ashwin 13.4-246-6, A Mishra 6-1-20-2, Harbhajan Singh 8-1-17-0 India 1st innings KL Rahul lbw b Prasad 7 S Dhawan not out 53 RG Sharma lbw b Mathews 9 V Kohli* not out 45

Extras: (lb-6, w-2, nb-6) 14

Total:(2 wickets; 34 overs) 128 Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Rahul, 2.6 ov), 2-28 (RG Sharma, 9.3 ov)

Bowling: KTGD Prasad 7-0-221 (1-nb), N Pradeep 8-1-32-0 (2-w), AD Mathews 4-1-12-1, PHT Kaushal 8-0-41-0 (5-nb), HMRKB Herath 7-1-15-0

in particular were easy pickings for him. He took out four of them, including Kumar Sangakkara for 5 in his penultimate Test, in 30 balls. As well as Ashwin bowled, a six-wicket haul in 82 balls for a visiting spinner on day one should worry the batting side.

Ashwin, who has been through tough times in away series in the last two years, will gladly take it. He

That brought in Sangakkara in the eight over. At the end of the first hour, Kohli went to Ashwin, and the procession continued. In his first over, Ashwin beat Sangakkara in the flight before a freak

fast towards Rahul at silly point. Rahul stayed low, pushed his hands in the general direction of the path of the ball, and it stuck in his fingertips. This was no edge, and nor did it come off the pad to soften the impact.

Lahiru Thirimanne looked to block, and captain Mathews - playing his 50th Test - looked to hit a few shots to get the closein fielders out of his face.

dismissal sent the celebrated veteran back. The third ball that Ashwin bowled was short of a length, and drew a defensive shot from Sangakkara, which went

Having come together at 27 for 3, they doubled the score before Thirimanne fell to an Ashwin beauty. Until then Thirimanne had faced only four balls from the offspinner, and had looked re-

ally comfortable facing only one of them. The fifth one, though, was perfect: nicely flighted, dipping short of Thirimanne’s reach, and then turning away to take the edge on a tame push. Poor Mubarak got to face only Ashwin, and the seventh such delivery did not turn, bounced and resulted in a bat-pad catch. Mubarak’s duck made it 60 for 5, and the only consolation for the hosts going into lunch was that their last recognised pair were both right-hand batsmen: Mathews and Chandimal.

Soon after lunch, the consolation ended. Ishant bowled beautifully and drew Chandimal’s edge with one that held its line, but Wriddhiman Saha dropped an absolute sitter. What is more disturbing for India is that Saha is showing a bit of a tendency to drop the easier ones.

That was not the only time India took the eye off the game. Ashwin, 6-1-15-3 now, was taken out of the attack for the other offspinner Harbhajan Singh. It would have been okay to give the fifth bowler a chance had Kohli not persisted with Harbhajan for too long.

While Harbhajan showed no patience, often bowl-

While Chandimal’s effort was charmed, Mathews played a calculated and clever innings. He attacked only to get the fielders out, and then picked the ones and twos easily. Finally Kohli gave in, and gave Ashwin the end he had taken the three earlier wickets from. The pay-off was immediate, but it needed an exceptional catch from Rohit. In his second over back, Ashwin got one to dip on Mathews, but the bat-pad looked destined to loop over forward short leg’s head. Rohit, though, sprung up, got a hand to it, and ended up deflecting it back towards the wicket. He then dived back against his momentum, and took it onehanded.

The floodgates now opened. Only a breezy 24-run stand between Chandimal and the adventurous Rangana Herath - who scored 23 off 24 - resisted India’s march. The innings ended when Herath had had one slog too many, but his real job was only about to begin.

Before Herath and Tharindu Kaushal were asked to do their job, though, Dhammika Prasad and Mathews got rid of Rahul and Rohit. The rest of the bowling, though, failed to test Dhawan and Kohli for long enough. Dhawan and Kohli were prepared to defend and wait for loose balls, which Kaushal in particular provided readily. Dhawan, who scored a hundred in his last Test, went past 50 by stumps, and Kohli looked set to do so. More importantly, India could entertain thoughts of batting only once. (Cricinfo)

thursday, august 13, 2015

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Women’s Ashes Test… England crumble as Australia seize control

Australia seized control on the second day of the Women’s Ashes Test as England crumbled to 168 all out in their first innings at

ship between Natalie Sciver and Lydia Greenway lasted 21 overs, in which time they scored just 32 runs, with half of those coming from boundaries.

Canterbury.

Megan Schutt took 4-26 and Ellyse Perry 3-38 as no England batter passed 40.

Earlier, debutant Jess Jonassen was dismissed on 99 as Australia reached 274-9 declared in their first innings.

A win in the four-day Test will put Australia, who lead by four points to two after the three-match ODI series, on the brink of regaining the Ashes.

Having lost four early wickets, England needed to rebuild but fear seemed to overtake the hosts as their innings almost ground to a complete halt.

The fifth-wicket partner-

It came in stark contrast to the sixth-wicket partnership on day one between Jonassen and Alyssa Healy - with Australia in similar trouble on 99-5 - that brought an impetus to their innings.

When Sciver fell lbw for 35 to the exciting Schutt it saw a collapse of three wickets for four runs in just 22 balls for England - with the fast bowler producing a spell of 4-4-0-2.

In all England played an astonishing 436 dot balls of the 513 deliveries the team faced, with Anya Shrubsole recording a 46-ball duck.

The one player to go against the grain was tail-

ender Katherine Brunt, who made a belligerent 39 off 73 balls.

Having reached 95 not out overnight, all-rounder Jonassen was aiming to become the eighth Australian and 13th overall batter to reach a century on debut.

But after taking four singles the Queenslander fell lbw to Katherine Brunt, whose figures of 2-60 did not do justice to a number of superb bowling spells on Tuesday.

An overnight left calf strain for Kristen Beams hampered her abilities to run twos on a couple of occasions - potentially costing Jonassen a century.

With Australia having been looking to declare after passing 250, final batter Holly Ferling somewhat comically came out to face just a single ball before Meg Lanning called time on her side’s first innings at 274-9. (BBC Sport)

Caribbean man...

He pointed out, “I need to really try and solidify the Caribbean membership. We’ve been underdeveloped, when you look at the infrastructure throughout the Caribbean; it’s still as it was 25-30 years ago.”

Nakhid disclosed that he has been traversing the Caribbean, holding discussions with a number of footballing administrators.

“We have to try to change that mentality that has prevailed, whereby we cede to somebody from outside,” he insisted. “When you look at the candidates mentioned, for a global position, there is no one mentioned from the Caribbean region because we don’t see ourselves in that light.”

Warner’s lengthy stay Referring to Warner’s

lengthy stay in FIFA, which lasted for three decades, Nakhid said, “We thought that we sat at the table, with the past leadership, and then realised we never sat at the table. Someone sat at the table and pursued his own agenda, not the agenda of the Caribbean as a whole. We need to shift the paradigm in a positive direction and let people know that the Caribbean is here and [we] can take things forward. We have to shift FIFA from that Euro-centric look.”

He admitted, “People would be surprised, because they know David Nakhid as a football player. I’ve been an activist for most of my life. I’ve been critical of the past leadership in the Caribbean, before it was in vogue to be critical of it, and I’ve suffered the consequenc-

es of it many times over.”

Asked what difference he will bring to FIFA if elected, Nakhid replied, “I’ve played in all the confederations that you can think off. I speak five or six languages. I have the academic background that is needed for FIFA, more so than any of the others that have put themselves forward.”

However, he knows that his pathway to FIFA will not be smooth sailing.

“It’s about votes,” said Nakhid. “It’s about securing nominations, the official nominations which require five Federations. We sincerely hope that we can really put someone from the Caribbean forward. We have to get that nomination before October 26, and that gives us about five months to campaign.”

DCC camp geared to nurture talent, says Nedd

By Rajiv Bisnauth

ational cricket coach

NGarvin Nedd on Wednesday said this year’s Demerara Cricket Club’s (DCC) cricket camp will be used to nurture talent and at the same time mould them into disciplined players.

The camp, which began on Monday, has catered for over 70 children from ages 4-17, participating in various aspects of cricket, and benefitting from lecture on self-esteem, etiquette and teamwork.

The camp is scheduled for two weeks and Nedd, who took 29 wickets from 14 First-Class matches between 1994 and 1999, stated that he will be seeking to focus on the technical aspect of cricket for the first week, while turning attention to the social aspect in the second week.

“Basically, I am looking to strengthen the fundamentals of the game as much [as we can]; we have a lot of talents here we still want to ensure we strengthen the fundamentals in terms of batting, bowling and also the fielding as-

pect,” Nedd, who is also the national Under-17 Coach, pointed out.

He added, “Also the main objective here is to start looking at talents and start nurturing them. We also will be looking at various topics of interest so that the participants can become better rounded individuals.”

The camp, which began in 2009, is part of the club’s developmental programme, and over the years the club had benefitted tremendously with a number of players going on to represent Guyana at various levels.

Further, Nedd stat-

ed that upon completion of the camp, an Under-13 team will be selected to play against a Tobago Cricket Association Under-13 side, which will tour Guyana later this month.

Former West Indies, Guyana and DCC batsman Travis Dowlin, who played six Tests, 11 ODIs and 85 First-Class matches, is providing assistance to Nedd during the two-week camp. Nedd also noted that some past stalwarts of the game are expected to grace the camp and speak to the youngsters from time to time.

Recreational Park to be commissioned in Cotton Tree

Abandoned for over three years, the Cotton Tree Recreational Park, now dubbed the C3 Recreational Park, will be recommissioned on the weekend of August 22-23, making it a family-oriented park and cricket ground.

A new committee was established earlier this year to oversee the resuscitation of the venue, which is located just off the public road in Cotton Tree, West Berbice.

The committee comprises individuals from the community, namely Chairman Bhoomeshwar Shivnarine, Vice-chairman Goorprasad Budhu, Treasurer Tage Singh and Secretary Vickram Singh. There are also six committee members.

According to information reaching this publication, the C3 Recreational Park will be used to host cricket matches and other functions and will be developed into a friendly familyoriented venue with benabs, platforms, club house, paved walkway, wi-fi centre and a mini water park.

On August 22, an exposition and West Berbice family night event will be hosted by the committee.

Patrons can expect to view and indulge in vending booths, international bars,

food court dining, all games and inflated rides for children, while cartoon characters Barney, Dora, Diego, Sponge Bob and Mickey will be in the house to entertain the children.

A live domestic band will be in attendance, featuring Bunty Singh, Aaron and Sandella, King Murphy Invasion One man band amongst other performing artiste, alongside 71 Sounds System. Special entertainment packages will in store for children from ‘Tons of Fun’ party service.

A release from the organisers stated, “This will be the first time in West Berbice that an expo and family night are promoted with a difference with the children being the focus of interest.”

On the following day, the atmosphere will be transformed into a party-like village for a grand cricket extravaganza featuring the mighty Albion

Cricket Club, Young Warriors, West Berbice and East Coast Demerara.

There will also be a feature game between Trophy Stall Girls and Karibee Rice female team. The games are set to commence at 09:00h.

The event has been significantly supported by the Ansa McAl Trading and fans can expect a big treat from the company as there will be giveaways and a special party stand will be set up to ensure at the atmosphere is electric.

Others major sponsors onboard include Ram and McRae, Romell Jagroop Construction Services, Baljit Supermarket, Silver Lining Tyre Shop and Auto Rental, Berbice Bridge Incorporated, Trophy Stall of Bourda Market, Mohamed Shariff (Nanku) Horse Racing Stables, and Zaheer Shariff Rice Farms.

RHTY&SC/Assuria Insurance cricket set for August 23

The Cricket Development Committee of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) has set August 23 as the new date for the hosting of the Assuria Insurance 5-overs knockout Second Division tournament. The tournament was

first set for June 21, and then on Caricom Day, but both days were washed out due to the rainy season.

Club Secretary/CEO, Hilbert Foster, announced that the tournament would now be played at the Area “H” ground and will involve twelve teams. The RHTY&SC will be playing two teams - Rose Hall Town Bakewell “A” and “B”, while 10 teams have been invited and they are Blairmont, D’Edward, Number 43, Port Mourant, Yakusari, Young Warriors, Police, Courtland, Tamarind Root and Cotton Tree.

The winning team will take home $70,000 and the championship trophy, the losing finalist $30,000 and a trophy while, third place will carry away $20,000 and trophy. Foster stated that the tournament is being organised under the RHTY&SC “Say No the Drugs and Suicide Programme” and the messages will be promoted throughout the tournament.

He expressed gratitude to the management of Assuria, especially General Manager Yogindra Arjune for the company’s sponsorship of the tournament. Assuria re-

The deadline for the submission of entries for the Forbes Burnham Memorial 10/10 knockout softball cricket competition is Friday. According to a release from the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc. (GSCL Inc.), the competition will commence on Sunday in Regions 2, 3 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10 with the winners from each area qualifying for the playoff in Georgetown on August 29.

Entrance fee is $10,000 per team and the winning team will receive a trophy and $500,000, the runner-up a trophy and $300,000, and third place and fourth place a trophy and $100,000 each.

Teams are asked to provide balls for the preliminary games and are asked to make contact with the following persons in their respective areas for information on registration.

Raghubar (Essequibo Coast and Pomeroon) 612-

3973, Ravendra Ramgobin (West Coast Demerara) 693-2429, Mark Ernest (West Bank Demerara) 6659851, Virendra Chintamani (Leguan) 629-0013, Nazeer Mohamed (Wakenaam) 662-9256, Longsford Klass (Georgetown) 6267259, Shafeek (East Bank Demerara) 656-2300, Rafman Alli (Lower East Coast) 654-2233, Herman Persaud (Upper East Coast) 643-3033, Rabindranauth Saywack (West Berbice)

cently opened a new branch in Williamsburg, Rose Hall Town, and the tournament will be used to promote the work of the entity.

Below is the composition of three teams that will participate in the competition.

Rose Hall Town

Bakewell A: James Fraser (Captain), Khemraj Mahadeo, Vihal Crandon, Delbert Hicks, Brandon Prashad, Collis Butts, Shemaine Campbelle, Erva Giddings, Mark Papannah, Sylus Tyndall, Mark Fernandes, Roydel Lewis, Joshua Wilson, Justin Gobin and Michael Hicks.

Rose Hall Town

Bakewell B: Simon Lawson, Kumar Jeet Joseph, Jason Anderson, Denzil Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Keith Sinclair, Seeindra Marimutoo, Azad Khan, Surendra Kissoonlall, Joshua Gobin, Calvin Jeffrey, Surendra Budhoo, Matthew Pottaya, Clement Brusch and Joel Pike. Blairmont: Nick Ramsaroop (Captain), Shabeer Baksh - player/ coach, Avishkar Sewkarran, Mahendra Singh, Zameer Inshan, Javed Karim, Parmanand Ramdhan, Derrick Cadogan, Waqar Hassan, Philburg Wilburge, Rameshwar Somwaru, Chandradatt Veerasammy, Nigel Trotz, Ramesh Boodram and Azad Isahawk. The remaining clubs are asked to submit their squads by Sunday to email: foster_hilbert@yahoo.com.

660-0049, Randolph Latcha (East Berbice) 646-7401, Ishwar Dass (Region 7) 6415175 and Mortimer Danny (Linden) 639-0057. Teams that encounter difficulty in contacting their area representatives can call the GSCL Inc. on 225-4802 or 226-4205, Longsford Klass on 6267259, Rafman Alli on 6542233 or Mahendra Hardyal on 623-2704. The competition will culminate on August 30.

NSC evaluation 11-race programme set for Saturday

By AvenAsh RAmzAn

Young riders of the annual “Teach Them Young” cycling programme will have a chance

to measure their progress on Saturday when the National Sports Commission (NSC) stages its yearly evaluation 11-race programme at the inner circuit of the National Park.

The “Teach Them Young” programme, which has been facilitated by long-serving national coach Hassan Mohamed with exclusive sponsorship from the NSC for the past 39 years, is the training ground for young, aspiring cyclists. It is the longest running nursery in the Caribbean.

The 2015 programme started on July 7 and will conclude on August 29. During the eight-week activity, young boys and girls are tutored on the fundamentals of the sport.

Mohamed said on Wednesday that Saturday’s event will give him a fair idea of the progress made the riders over the past weeks, some of whom came to the course without prior experience of riding a bicycle.

The cyclists will be tested in the various BMX races for the different age groups, namely 6-9, 9-12, 12-14 and Open. When the little ones are done, the senior riders will take centre stage in the different categories of races.

In 2014, Michael Anthony overcame a heated midday sun to capture top honours in the feature 35-lap School Boys and Invitational race.

The Lindener won the gruelling race in a time of one hour, 19 minutes, 17 seconds and also pocketed two of the eight sprint prizes on offer. Hamzah Eastman and Robin Persaud occupied second and third respectively, while Paul DeNobrega, Marlon Williams and Alanzo Greaves rounded off the top six in that order.

Other winners of the day included Sherwin Sampson (BMX Boys 6-9 and 9-12), Rashidi Ceres (BMX Boys 12-14), Shamar Dass (BMX Open), Rakeem Blair (BMX Boys and Girls 12-14), Junior

chunilall spins ogle to victory over Paradise

Diminutive spinner Alex Chunilall spun webs around Paradise Sports and Cultural Club of Trinidad and Tobago to lead Ogle to a comfortable 22-run victory in a feature T20-match last weekend at the Ogle ground.

The match, the final of the Paradise tour of Guyana, was hosted in memory of the late Hajji SM Yaseen, a former manager of the Ogle club.

Man-of-the-Match Chunilall bagged 5-12 from three testing overs as the visitors were dismissed for 83 in 18.4 overs after being set a target of 106. For the win, Ogle lifted the Hajji SM Yaseen memorial trophy.

Paradise’s reply got off to a terrible start when Romain Mangra dismissed the opening pair Nathaniel Ramcharitar (04) and Steve Sookdeo at 6-2. Kevon Charles (13) and Daniel Hampton (09) kept the Ogle bowlers at bay with a third wicket stand of 40 before they were both removed by Chunilall.

Skipper Fareed Ramjohn then struck three fours in a top score of 26, but his efforts were not supported down the order as Mangra and David Harper finished

with two wickets each. Earlier, Ogle decided to bat and openers Soopaul Sanichar and former first class batsman Azeemul Haniff added 26 for the first wicket before Sanichar was taken off Hampton for 13. Haniff and Khemraj Dindyal then took the score to 43, but in an effort to increase the run rate, Haniff was caught at mid-wicket off Kawall Dhanraj for 19 who later trapped Dindyal lbw for 10.

Ogle was never allowed to score freely as former national all-rounder Harper followed shortly for 10. But

Devraj Chunilall propped up the total in the latter stage by slamming two fours and one six in scoring 26, while Ashmul Ali was left not out on 10.

Paradise’s MVP Ramjohn claimed 2-13 and Dhanraj 2-26, while there was one each for Hampton and Anand Ramlochan.

At the presentation ceremony, which was attended by Hajjin Nazmoon Yaseen, both teams received trophies and exchanged plaques, while each young player who took part in the game was given a medal, compliments of the touring team.

No date confirm for Digicel Classic

By RAjiv BisnAuth

No date has yet been confirmed for the return of the Digicel Classic horse race meet, according to Digicel Events and Sponsorship Manager, Gavin Hope.

Hope revealed that the communication giant is working feverishly in putting all arrangements in place for the return of the one-day event in the near future.

“We are yet to fix a date. Like I said, we know the importance of the event and we know the importance to be a part of horse racing fraternity. We know the benefits towards the horse racing fraternity and we want to be a part of the development of horse racing, so you can look forward for the return of Digicel Classic,” Hope said.

Complex and Race Track had planned separate horse race meets for July 27, but Digicel ended the partnership, claiming that as a corporate entity, the company wishes to stay clear of conflicts.

Niles (Veterans U-50), Linden Blackman (Veterans O-50), Maurice Fagundes (Veterans O-60), Michael Anthony (Juveniles) and Adrian Sharma (Mountain Bikes).

Representatives of the NSC are expected to witness the races and later assist in the presentation of prizes.

The Port Mourant Turf Club (PMTC) was expected to host last year’s fourth Digicel Classic, but separate horse-race meets between the PMTC and Budhan’s Memorial Sports Complex and Race Track had forced the telecommunication company to pull the plug on its sponsorship deal with the PMTC.

Both the PMTC and Budhan’s Memorial Sports

The Digicel Classic was first held in 2011, and the Norman Singh Memorial Turf Club, located on the West Coast of Berbice, had played host to the telecommunication service provider for that year, as well as 2012. In 2013, the Bush Lot Corentyne-based Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC), which is Guyana’s oldest horse racing club, hosted the third edition.

DCC camp geared to nurture talent, says Nedd

GFF Elite League to kick off in September

By AvenAsh RAmzAn

The highly anticipated Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) Elite League is set for a September kick-off, providing the necessary framework falls into place, says Technical Director Claude Bolton.

Bolton, in giving an update on the League on Wednesday, said the federation is aiming to commence the eight-team tournament in the new month once they can tick all the boxes in the coming weeks.

Bolton, who was appointed this year by the FIFA-installed Normalisation Committee on a four-year contract, said the GFF is currently in negotiation with a prospective title sponsor. While preparations have been generally smooth, Bolton pointed out that he is a bit disappointed that they are yet to secure corporate commitment for the League.

He added that the GFF has been meeting almost

on a weekly basis with the general managers of the teams to finalise the finer details of the League, which is intended to transform Guyana’s football landscape.

Earlier this year, the GFF, in keeping with the new mandate issued by the regional governing body, CONCACAF, invited ap-

plications for Elite Club License from all member associations to be submitted by May 12.

According to the GFF, as per CONCACAF guidelines, a First Instance Decision Making Body was established to review and pronounce on these applications. It was agreed that no Normalisation

Caribbean man wants to be FIFA President

Ex-Trinidad and Tobago football team captain and assistant team coach, David Nakhid, has thrown his hat into the ring as a presidential candidate for the global governing body for football, FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association).

The 51-year-old Nakhid, as well as veteran TT jour-

is taking place within FIFA, within CONCACAF and, by extension, CFU. We’ve been looking at that over the last few months and we feel now is the time for someone to step up from this part of the world, in a positive light, very much different to what it has been before, and take us forward.”

Declaring his candidacy,

Committee Members of the GFF would sit on the body.

Following the review process, all 11 applications were approved for Elite Club License. The Competitions Committee of the GFF then met with the view of choosing eight of the 11 clubs to participate in the Elite League.

The selection process was guided by four criteria that were established long before applications were received. These criteria were (1) Elite League License (which all 11 clubs satisfied); (2) Budget and Financial standing; (3) Competitive results over a 3-5 year period; and (4) Geographic proximity of the club.

Following a thorough review based on the criteria outlined, the following eight clubs were invited to participate in the inaugural GFF Elite League: Alpha United, Guyana Defence Force, Slingerz FC, Pele, Fruta Conquerors, Georgetown Football Club, Buxton United and Monedderlust FC.

nalist Josanne Leonard- a member of his campaign team- were speaking to renowned Barbados broadcaster Julian Rogers on Tuesday morning during a live interview at Rogers Radio Caribbean (94.1 FM) in Antigua.

The presidential vacancy arose on June 2 when the 79-year-old Sepp Blatter of Switzerland resigned amidst the recent FIFA corruption scandal, which saw various officials, including ex-TT football honcho Jack Warner, accused by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.

The elections will take place on February 26, 2016, at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.

Other notable names to announce their desire to run for the hot seat are legendary midfield trio Michel Platini of France (the current UEFA president), Diego Maradona of Argentina and Zico of Brazil, as well as Musa Bility.

Nakhid stated, “We are looking at the Caribbean and we’re seeing a certain vacuum in leadership, especially with the turmoil that

Nakhid, who has 35 international caps for Trinidad and Tobago between 1992 and 2005, said, “We do it in a positive way, which shows the Caribbean in a real light. With everything in mind, to explore and to definitely optimise the Caribbean’s potential.”

Midfielder

Nakhid came to prominence as a midfielder with St Mary’s College during the early 1980s before playing for American University in the United States between 1985 and 1987.

He played for a number of clubs- Grasshoppers in Switzerland (1988-92), KSV Waregem in Belgium (1992-94), PAOK Saloniki in Greece (1994-95), Al Ansar in Lebanon (1995-1996 and 2000-03), Joe Public (1997), New England Revolution in the US (1998), Malmo FF in Sweden (1999), Al Mabarrah in Lebanon (2003-04) and Caledonia AIA (2005).

Nakhid is currently the founder and director of the David Nakhid International Football Academy in Lebanon, which gained international fame recently for providing opportunities for previously rejected young Palestine footballers.