Guyana Times Daily - October 18, 2015

...systemic factors make recovery problematical

– Allegedly dismissed, embarrassed, chased by Vice President

- Top Cop urges them to serve with integrity, uphold office – “I never fired him” – Ramjattan responds

man killed by alleged drunk driver

186 weapons turned in; none linked to crimes ExxonMobil to recommence drilling early next year Reg 10 officials stumped by $12M spending Three in custody following piracy Corentyne attack SARU being used as political tool to settle personal vendettas

Gun amnesty ends

186 weapons turned in; none linked to crime

... armed robberies continue to rise

The Guyana Police Force is awaiting the policymakers to decide what will become of the ammunition and weapons that were handed over under the 2015 Firearm Amnesty Programme which came to an end on Wednesday last.

The extended Firearm Amnesty programme would have seen 186 weapons and over 1800 various calibre of ammunition being handed over to the Police. Of the total amount of guns handed in, a whooping 153 were shotguns, 13 pistols, 10 air rifles, nine revolvers and one AK-47 high powered rifle.

Speaking to media operatives on Saturday, Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud disclosed that a final report on the programme was prepared and sent to the office of Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan on Friday who will make public its findings.

Persaud stated that the amnesty programme was not burdensome to the Police, explaining that Police stations across the country are open 24/7 and as such, they were able to collect a significant amount of illegal firearms and ammunition.

The Police Commissioner also stated that ballistic tests have been conducted on a majority of the weapons handed in but none have been linked to any serious crime, further referring to his comments he made at a Berbice meet-

ing.

At that meeting he stated that 171 firearms that had been turned in so far “can no longer get into the hands of persons with criminal intent, nor can they be used to harm persons in moments of anger by persons who had possession of them”.

On this note, there is the belief that after six weeks, the amnesty programme should have seen

more weapons being handed in and more so, the ones that are being used by criminals.

While in Berbice, Persaud stated that the Police Force did not expect the criminals with illegal firearms to turn them in, yet the majority of the weapons collected were shotguns that were used mostly by persons hunting but more specifically, by Amerindians.

Based on statistics release by

the Police, during the amnesty programme, a whopping 10 per cent increase in serious crimes including armed robberies was recorded.

The recent Police statistics revealed that armed robberies had increased by four per cent. The gun amnesty programme was designed to have these criminals bring in their weapons but it has failed to achieve this end.

Nevertheless, the Police Commissioner stated that with regards the way forward, the Force can make recommendations to utilise the weapons that were collected but it has to go through a process.

“There are a number of issues... one, if the firearm ain’t good, we wouldn’t want it… the other thing is, we don’t know where they came from and next thing you know the Police Force has a firearm enlisted that might have committed a crime in another country. So there are a number of issues which we have to work with to strike a balance”.

Meanwhile, the proliferation of guns and ammunitions in the country has long been attributed to the borders, which are considered transhipment points. Individuals have even been busted with their guns shipped in crates, such as the arms cache of high powered rifles, pistols and ammunitions unearthed at a city wharf.

The gun amnesty programme undertaken was launched to combat crime in addition to the 2:00 am curfew that was imposed by Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan.

From all indications, both strategies failed to address the issue taking into consideration the high number of armed robberies, murders and more so, fatal accidents.

“Mr

Ramjattan is not honourable” – 24-year-old Lindener

– allegedly dismissed, embarrassed, chased by Vice President

BY MICHAEL YOUNGE

“Imean no disrespect to our Ministers and persons with the title “Honourable” attached to their names, but so far, from what have happened…I don’t think Mr Ramjattan should have the title “Honourable”. At this point, I think it was given loosely because there was no honour in what Mr Ramjattan did. His actions towards me, they were no actions depicting honour, integrity, transparency, accountability and these sorts of things. He’s there to serve

age that he is allegedly entitled to, having worked for Ramjattan’s law firm for over three years.

The young man says that following the May 11 Elections, Ramjattan changed and had the employees attached to his private law firm hanging in hyperspace as uncertainty loomed about their continued employment, given his appointment to the Executive branch of Government as a Vice President and Minister of National Security. In his new position he would be earning $11,135,164 annually.

and he didn’t act the way a person who has the Nation’s interest at heart, who has youths at heart and all these things”.

Those were the words of 24-year-old Alex Hilkin who hails from the mining town of Linden and says that Vice President and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan is “anything but honourable” as he told a horrifying story of how he was treated, embarrassed and chased by the public official after he stood up for his rights following a decision to dismiss him from his job.

Hilkin, speaking with Guyana Times on Friday during an exclusive interview, almost broke down in tears as he called on Ramjattan to pay him what he owes him as part of a severance pack-

He said that for over three months, the staff at the Chambers made several attempts to speak with Ramjattan about the operation of the law firm which was being neglected but were only told that their salaries would be paid up to a certain point as attempts are being made to have another lawyer assume responsibility for the office.

Hilkin said that another Attorney, Shonella Glenn was pinpointed to take over and had agreed to look after the affairs of the Chambers following a meeting with Ramjattan but soon after experienced severe difficulty in meeting the overhead and other operating expenses of the Chambers.

He alleged that given the conundrum that the staff en-

countered, they met with that Attorney and agreed on a formula for paying staff and dealing with other matters in the absence of Ramjattan’s presence and daily directorship of the affairs of his legal chambers.

The young man, who worked as Ramjattan’s Legal Clerk and Driver over a threeyear period and throughout the elections campaign, said he turned up the Monday after that discussion to find a letter on his desk informing him that as of August 3, his services were terminated as the Chambers could not afford to pay all the staff, particularly him.

He said he spoke with the Attorney and asked if this is how things were done and whether Ramjattan was informed about the situation.

“And she said ‘No Alex, I admit that I went about things the wrong way.’ But then she further went on to say that she spoke with Mr Ramjattan that morning of August 3rd as well as the day before, August 2nd, the Sunday. I asked her the question several times, ‘You spoke to Mr Ramjattan? He knows about this termination?’

Her words were, ‘He knows you are going to be terminated, but…. Mr Ramjattan instructed me that you are to call him. He has two vacancies at his Ministry, the Ministry of Public Security, he has two vacancies there

and you’re to call him regarding being placed somewhere there.’ I said, ‘okay then’, I left her office, stepped outside and the call was made to Mr Ramjattan.”

Hilkin, who now is unemployed since August and resides at Kitty, said he got the shock of his life when he placed the call to Mr Ramjattan upon the instruction of the Attorney.

“I said, ‘Good Morning Mr Ramjattan’. He said ‘Good Mornign’, and I said ‘I was asked to call you’. He said ‘About what?’ This is his exact posture and everything. I said, ‘I came in this morning, and I noticed a termination letter.’ He said, ‘Oh, yes... yes… the gyul she she cyan afford to pay both ayo.’ I said ‘okay, so what now?’ He said, ‘Well, yuh got to go look for a job.’ I said ‘okay’ and he said, “okay. Now take care, bye.” And that was it. No mention of him having any vacancy there at his Ministry, no encouraging words as to say, I’m going to try and find a solution to this. Because he knows, these things just don’t…I mean, they obviously happen, but it’s very strange that he was done”, Hilkin related.

He didn’t give up there. He was encouraged by his co-workers to go and meet Ramjattan face to face to have the matter clarified as everyone was in disbelief.

Sunday Editor: 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

The wages of Salarygate

The salary scandal precipitated by the Cabinet of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government’s enormous salary hike for themselves reveals a strong streak of moral cynicism by the members of that Cabinet, who, if the Minister of Governance is to be believed, all participated in the decision to enrich themselves from the public treasury. And this action was done in direct contravention of their policy on salaries as stated in their Manifesto:

Under the heading, “Industrial Relations and Labour Welfare”, the coalition criticised the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) for “the enormous widening of the gap between the haves and the have nots”, and committed to ”Establish an Independent Constitutional Salaries Review Commission to be responsible for the periodic review of salaries, pensions and other conditions for persons appointed to Constitutional Offices, including the President, Prime Minister, Judges, MPs and other special offices.”

The question arises as to why did the Government not appreciate that the 50 per cent increase on an already generous average $579,000 salary for Ministers, contraposed to their five per cent increase to public servants, which was a far cry from the promised 10-20 per cent, would stir outrage? Who was going to complain if the “differentiation” in pay scales, as first offered by the President as the rationale for the decision, was left to a Committee? While in Opposition, the present Executive had criticised the PPP for “extravagant” salaries and benefits.

In the United States, which is a model that many look towards in modern times since their economic system, including its incentive structure, has been adopted here and in most countries in toto, such a Committee is appointed by the President with the caveat that the Senate must vet and approve the appointees. The salaries of the President and all officers are fixed and graduated in five bands. A President in the US cannot raise his salary while in office; this means that only his successors can benefit from such an increase. Back in 2013, in solidarity with federal workers suffering from Budget cuts, Obama returned five per cent or US$20,000 of his salary.

Compared to the salaries of most top private enterprise Executives in the US, the salaries of their President and Cabinet Secretaries (as they call their Ministers) are far smaller. From the comments of the Guyanese President and his Minister of the Presidency, it is clear that their premise is that the salaries scales of the two groups must be comparable. However, this undermines the ideal of “public service” which undergirds the civic culture of even the most unabashed capitalistic Government in the US.

This is not an incidental point. Individuals seeking “office” who are simultaneously seeking “money” have an inbuilt contradiction in motives. As in the US, it should be expected that the “office holder” be facilitated to live comfortably, but beyond that, to show by their example they are willing to serve their country. This betrayal of the “self-sacrifice” ideal has been the major factor in the disillusionment of even the supporters in the Government.

It has been speculated that the Cabinet rushed into the decision because they felt that their incessant accusations of “corruption” by the previous regime, magnified by their gutter press allies, would have made the populace inured to their self-enrichment. But it is now clear that they miscalculated.

In fact, studies show that while in countries with high levels of corruption, ordinary citizens might all engage in the practice, they do so because corruption is a “frequency” phenomenon: people do it because they believe everybody else are doing it. But this does not mean they internalise it into their belief system: they know it is damaging to their communities and can be encouraged to protest.

The Government has been trapped by its own artifice; by convincing their supporters the PPP’s position on Ministers living well, was “corrupt”, their unseemly rush to double their salaries in the midst of austerities, has cost them a trust that will never be recovered.

NY Guyanese Hindus observing Navratri

Dear Editor Guyanese Hindus in America are in the midst of observing the auspicious festival of Navratri that pays obeisance to the universal mother. It began on Tuesday and will conclude on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. This is one of the holiest periods in the Hindu calendar that involves fasting and intense devotional practices coming right after Lord Krishna’s birthday (appearance on earth), Ganesh Chathurthi, and Pitri Paksh. People tend to pray during this current period with great fervour and devotion in much the same way that other faiths have their fasting periods.

As Pandits at various New York Guyanese Mandirs explain, Navratri involves purification of the minds and bodies. It is a time when Hindus perform special poojas at home and in the Mandirs during the day or night and particularly during the weekend. Hindus invite priests to conduct poojas in their homes and/ or to visit the temples where the Pandits narrate the thrilling episodes of the ‘Ramayana’.

Temples are packed with worshipers nightly during this period. Navratri is as-

sociated with the propitiation of the feminine aspects of the Almighty – Hindus do not discriminate among the sexes worshiping Gods and Goddesses. Shiva Temple, Prem Bhakti, and all the temples are hosting nightly discourses on Navratri.

Worshipers sit as Shrotas performing yajnas and sponsoring the nightly proceedings (Prasad and bhojan).At Trimurthi Mandir, the parents (visiting from Venezuela where they make their home) of popular Pandit Chunelall Narine celebrated their 64th blissful wedding anniversary; worshipers showered blessings on the lovely couple who were dressed like a raja and rani. Many Guyanese conducted special yajnas at home; this is a period when any kind of yajna can be conducted but the emphasis is on Goddess Durga – new jhandis (flags) of varied colours (assigned to different Gods or Goddesses) are seen fluttering in the wind.

As Pandits explain, in Hinduism, the lord is neither male nor female and can take any form or shape. Hindus pay obeisance to both male and female murthis representing their God or Goddess. But during

Navratri, Hindus focus on worshiping the Goddesses, particularly Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. And although Hindus pray to many Gods and/or Goddesses, there is but only one God who take on many names. Hindus believe they all represent the same one almighty who takes different appearances for different purposes and came on earth at different times with different names to model an appropriate lifestyle for humans. Thus, in Hinduism, Gods as well as Goddesses are worshipped; for every God there is a corresponding Goddess as his consort and devotees worship both so as not to discriminate by gender.

There are several meanings attached to the celebration of Navratri which is directly linked to other Hindu festivals like Ram Leela, Dussehra, Diwali and Karthik (Teerat) that are celebrated around this time of the year. And Navratri comes right after the 10 days Lord Ganesh Chaturthi festival and the mourning (14 days) period of Pitri Paksh honouring the ancestors. One meaning given for Navratri is nine nights which connotes worshiping of the Goddess Durga and her

two feminine (Lakshmi and Saraswati) transformations. Each Goddess is worshipped for three nights to offer protection, provide wealth and guide the devotee to knowledge, respectively.

According to Pandits, during Navratri, a devotee becomes conscious of his/her faults, limitations and internal enemies such as lust, hatred, greed and anger, and want to reform his/her life. People make sacrifices in their fast so they can become conscious of their faults and correct them, in much the same way of other faiths. By worshiping Durga and her sisters, these internal enemies are destroyed and are replaced by love, cheerfulness, compassion, kindness, and devotion. The person becomes a new individual recommitted to a different life of being good and engaging in kind acts that benefit humanity. Hence this is the reason for so many Guyanese and other nationalities visiting the dozens of temples in the greater New York area where special discourses are being held for the nine nights.

Yours faithfully

Vishnu Bisram

This is not what we voted for

Editor

First, even though it’s your right to vote for whichever party you choose, one must weigh all the factors in making that decision. For example, did the previous PPP/C deliver generally all the programmes in bringing better standard of living, improvements to education, housing, health care, transportation, tourism, mining, rice & sugar industries, small, medium and large businesses support. Many Guyanese became millionaires in those 23 years; the landscape of

Guyana was transformed from poverty to a developing nation. Yet all those greedy, short-sighted, narrow-minded and self-serving IndoGuyanese and others that voted for APNU/AFC should not cry now because PPP/C was not good enough.

An example, the people of Iraq are crying now because they had a better life under Saddam. This what happens when humankind thinks the grass is greener over the hill. “What you vote for you get, the palm stick in you youknow-what’. You can re-

deem yourselves by voting these arrogant, shameless, forked-tongue, self-serving APNU/AFC ABCs out of office by supporting a recount of May 2015 Elections. To all the Public Servants 2.5% increases is pittance compared to 50% plus increase for the de facto regime. Join the opposition and all likeminded groups in refusing to accept this abominable barefaced action.

Using the border issue to increase, enlarge and expand the army is a front to prepare the Army for rigging all future elections.

Increased Crimes, youth unemployment, economic decline, narco trafficking, rice and sugar industries troubles, dwindling foreign/ private investments are the many needed priorities, not spending $billions on the Army.

The de facto regime peddling that they were making more money in the private sector then serving your country and its citizens is not where you belong. Resign forthwith and run after the big bucks.

Sheik Ally

What will happen on October 27 when Cuba presents the draft resolution against the blockade at the UN?

Next October 27, Cuba will present in the United Nations General Assembly, for the twenty-fourth consecutive time, the draft resolution A/70/L.2 “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”.

What will the United States do this time? is the question many ask themselves today since last December 17 Cuban President, Raúl Castro and American President Barack Obama announced to the public the restoration of diplomatic relations between both nations, after the latter recognized that the isolation against Cuba has not worked.

Small islands, Palau and Marshall, which traditionally used to abstain, also restored relations with our country, so their vote must change. Others say that the great potency will abstain on this occasion.

Cuban President Raúl Castro Ruz has reiterated that as long as the genocidal blockade exists, the place occupied by the naval base at Guantánamo is not returned to Cuban sovereignty and also the illegal transmissions of Radio, TV and programs

against Cuba end, relations between our country and the US may not normalise.

As one of the greatest exponents of the Theology of Liberation, Frei Betto said recently in Cuba: “The US blockade against Cuba, even though it represents material hardships has not limited the spirituality of this country, on the contrary, it is a factor of resilience.”

During the current US government the blockade has worsened and intensified its extraterritorial application, by imposing 42 fines on US and foreign entities for the value of 13 thousand 279 million 148 thousand 196 US dollars.

The economic damage caused to the Cuban people, by this cruel policy imposed for more than five decades, from very conservative estimates and considering the depreciation of the dollar against the value of gold in the international market, is estimated at 833 thousand 755 million dollars, taking into account the reduction in the price of gold compared to the previous period. At current prices, over the years, the blockade has caused damages of more than 121 thousand 192 million dollars.

Considering the aforementioned, among other aspects, Cuba will maintain its claim for an end to the blockade.

The new draft resolution takes into account the current bilateral circumstances between Cuba and the United States by welcoming the restoration of diplomatic relations and recognising the will expressed by the US President to work towards lifting the blockade. These modifications respond to the expectations of the international community regarding this text.

The blockade against Cuba must stop.

It is the most unjust, severe and prolonged system of unilateral sanctions that has ever been applied against any country.

The mobilising role of the international community to lift the blockade imposed on Cuba is essential. The solidarity and international support received by the island during these long, hard years have played a major role in the change of the US policy towards Cuba.

Cuba reiterates its appreciation for the continued support of Guyana to the demand of the Cuban people to put an end to this illegal, genocidal and extraterritorial policy,

which will never prevent the Cuban people from defending their sovereignty and their right to freely choose their future.

The majority support in the votes in favour of the Cuban Resolution this coming October 27, which has been overwhelmingly supported each year, will represent for the Cuban people another resounding victory against the outdated and inhuman monster that is the blockade.

Once again, the Government and people of Guyana together with almost universal membership of the UN will stand firm by the Cuban people in this battle.

Julio César González Marchante Ambassador

Badal – The legal Wiz

Dear Editor

I noticed that accountant Robert Badal has offered some gratuitous legal advice to the Attorney General as to how he should proceed with the ultra vires request of SARU to prosecute former President Jagdeo for development of the plot of land at Sparendaam dubbed “Pradoville 2”.

Seeing as to how he has probably finished his studies at Hugh Wooding during his sojourn in Trinidad to oversee the transfer of funds from Guyana Stockfeeds to the company of the same name he established over there, maybe he can now finally answer the charges on the propriety, if not legality, made by Attorney Christopher Ram as to the nature of those transfers.

These have gone unanswered for years, as has the advice by the Guyana Security Council on Guyana Stockfeeds on the complaints of the minority stockholders that they never received divi-

dends in 2012 as stated in the Annual Report of 2012?

On the specific issue of acquiring assets through questionable means, maybe the now legal minded Mr Badal might also expand on how he diluted the shares of Guyana Stockfeeds to seize 88% of the shares so that he can treat the company as his “personal property”, in the words of Christopher Ram.

On the same note maybe Mr Badal, who can now lecture the Guyanese public on financial rectitude, would also reveal how much he actually pays on the 99-year lease for the Pegasus land, which has not been altered since the Pegasus was built in 1966.

With his knowledge of accounting, hopefully undimmed by his qualifications in law, maybe he can also reveal the net present value of his windfall.

Sincerely

Dave Ramballi

Page Foundation

Anu Dev

Whenever I hear the word ‘agriculture’, I usually start thinking about ‘Agricultural Science’ classes at high school. I think I learnt a tad more about poultry and cattle during those past five years than I had ever really cared to know. But as much as I whinged and whined back then about having to learn all of these supposedly ‘unnecessary’ things, in the back of my mind I still know that they were important.

It was agriculture that brought us all to this part of the world – even though the circumstances of that arrival turned a lot of us away from the thought of “returning to the land”; and although I never really considered a career in agriculture, it was for totally unrelated reasons. My dad tells me that my ancestors were agriculturally based and he would wax nostalgically ever so often about his exploits

Why not Agri as a career?

“The discovery of agriculture was the first big step toward a civilized life.” – Arthur Keith

on the family farm – now long gone.

But agriculture does play an enormous role in my life, and in everyone’s: we’d all be starving without food! And interestingly, even today to my surprise, some useful titbit of information from those Agri classes randomly pops into my mind.

But why hadn’t I ever considered a career in agriculture? Maybe it’s because throughout our schooling at Queens – even though almost everyone took the subject at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examination (CSEC), it’s never really been presented as an option. At our career days/ fairs, we’ve never had someone from the agricultural sector come in to talk to us, to get us all hyped up about a career in agriculture. We’ve had doctors, lawyers, medical transcriptionists, but no

horticulturalists, no biological engineers. So many of us left school not quite shaking off the faint odour of our history of exploitation in the agricultural fields.

Think of it: every year, thousands of 16-year-olds write Agricultural Science at CSEC –but with all that knowledge in their heads, how many of them actually put it into use in the fields?

And in everyday life, we go to the doctors to get a check-up, we go to the bank to deposit money, we pass Policemen on the road on our way to work or school. We have a good idea of what exactly these jobs entail; we get inspired to choose one of these careers. I’ve never met a genetic engineer, but I’m sure that the things they do have to

be pretty exciting – I mean, experimenting with plants at the genetic level, creating totally new varieties of plants? GMO’s anyone?

There needs to be some system in place in our educational system to get children more aware about the possible careers agriculture has to offer. Yes, there’s that little section in the syllabus that deals with that, but those careers are basically just words in a textbook. We need to have people in these agricultural careers come in and talk to us about what they do, about what their jobs entail, so that we can see that they’re real people and these are real careers that we can think about pursuing. We need regular field trips – not just to the poultry farm at President’s College.

Because we can have all the doctors, lawyers and economists in the world, but they won’t be of any use if we’re not producing food: we’ll just all starve to death.

My analogy is a bit drastic, I know, but we do have a bit of a disjunct. For a country with a comparative advantage of agriculture, not enough children are thinking about agriculture as careers.

Regional honours…

Guyana tops CAPE – secures 4 CSEC awards

As Guyanese students continue to excel academically at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE); Queens College highflier Cecil Cox topping the Region in this year’s examination.

Guyana Times was told by reliable sources that out of the eight awards up for grabs, Guyanese students copped a remarkable four. Cox had topped Guyana at this year’s CAPE with six Grade Ones and one Grade Three. He was also among Guyana’s top performers at CAPE last year. Additionally, in 2013 he secured 16 Grade Ones at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination and was among the country’s top performers.

At this year’s CAPE, Shonta Noel who attained six Grade Ones and one Grade Two was named CAPE’s Best Business Student. Efforts to contact Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and other officials from the Ministry to get a reaction were futile.

However, former Education Minister Priya Manickchand was quick to comment, expressing her joy at Guyana’s outstanding performance once again. She noted that Cox has again made Guyana proud and the envy of the Caribbean.

On the country’s behalf, Manickchand extended warmest congratulations. “Two years ago, he topped the Caribbean in Science at CSEC and now at CAPE. I know Cecil will continue to do well in whichever field he chooses and I know that people far wider than Guyana and the Caribbean will benefit from his brilliance soon enough. I wish him well in all his endeavours,” she told Guyana Times when contacted on Saturday.

According to the former Education Minister, she is pleased that Guyana copped four of the eight awards. She went on to express her appreciation

to the teachers and parents for their support and dedication to these students over the years.

“It is indeed sad that the present Government finds it so hard to celebrate and congratulate our students and teachers. It is disappointing that more than four days after receiving the information, the Ministers even with their massively improved salaries, which the nation was told will make them function better and more effectively, are yet to inform the nation of these results,” she added.

In addition, Manickchand also congratulated the following students who performed exceedingly well at CSEC: Joshanna Hopkinson –Best Humanities Student; Shannon Woodroffe – Best Science Student; Victoria Najab – Best Business Student, and Aaliyah Rasheed – Best Technical Vocational Student.

She noted “we are extremely proud of these students and wish them the very best in their future studies”.

An Antiguan lad of Guyanese parentage, Brandon Shand Judnarine, of Cassada Gardens, St John’s, Antigua, is said to be the Region’s top performer at CSEC this year with a whopping 22 subjects. He secured 21 Grade Ones and one Grade Two from the exams which he wrote at just 15 years old.

Mid-year report

Economy plummets by 2.5%

... systemic factors make recovery problematical

By Vahnu Manickchand

After months of citizens and business own-

ers crying out against an apparent flattening of the country’s financial system, it has now been confirmed that Guyana’s economy dipped during the first six months of 2015. Prices of most commodities produced by Guyana – rice, sugar, timber, bauxite, and gold – all continued to fall and this systemic factor along with lack of a stimulus programme make a recovery problematical in the near term.

According to the Mid Year Report released by the Finance Ministry, the country’s economy declined some 2.5 per cent in the first half of this year when compared to the same period in 2014. The report outlined that initially, Guyana’s half year growth was estimated to be at 0.9 per cent. However, with the passage of time and the benefit of actual first half performance in a number of sectors, the country’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) recorded a growth of 0.7 per cent in the first half of 2015, with non-sugar GDP recording a growth rate of 0.8 per cent.

In the report, the Finance Ministry stated that the contributory factors to Guyana’s low economic performance

during this period were the late presentation and passing of this year’s National Budget, which was as a result of the 10th Parliament being prorogued in November 2014 and its subsequent dissolution in February 2015, followed by the holding of the General and Regional Election in May.

The report further detailed that the delay in the Budget resulted in many of the Government agencies being unable to carry out their planned programmes for the year.

“Many new projects were held in abeyance while only a few projects which were ‘rolled over’ from the previous year attracted funding. At the same time, the atmosphere of uncertainty and tensions surrounding the holding of General Elections, led to investors postponing decisions in many cases,” the mid-year report detailed.

Nevertheless, the Finance Ministry pointed out that with the passage of Budget, economic growth in the country is expected to surge during the second half of 2015. Moreover, given the measures outlined in Budget 2015, it is projected that there will be a 3.4 per cent economic growth in the second half of the year.

However, the report stated that the though the economy’s first half performance was slower than desired, this was not unexpected given the

internal affairs of the country during the first six months. Going forward, the Ministry said the outlook for the second half of the year remains positive.

“The road forward is not without challenges. However, this Government remains confident that measures taken in the Budget 2015, along

view with the Government Information Agency (GINA), is of the belief that the economic slowdown, which he pointed out the country started to experience in 2014, will soon be over. He noted that “things will pick up by December.”

According to Jordan, there are several contributing fac-

with the vision for 2020, will place this country on a track for increasing growth, reducing poverty and advancing development. Budget 2015 contains a menu of measures, programmes and projects which when implemented will foster a vibrant economy and an improved quality of life for all our people across our 10 regions,” the reported noted.

On the other hand, Finance Minster Winston Jordan, in a recent inter-

tors to this alleged slowdown, both locally and internationally. “Things appear to be picking up based on some amount of statistical evidence and some of anecdotal evidence. Anecdotal in the sense that in speaking to the average man in the street, the taxi driver and so on, they have been telling me that things are picking up, they are not saying business is good but, they are saying things better than a month or two before,”

he told GINA.

Meanwhile, the following are the performances of the various sectors during the first half of 2015:

* Sugar production grew by 1.6 per cent to reach 81,271 tonnes

* Rice production in the first half of 2015 was 359,960 tonnes, 15.3 per cent over last year’s record high first-half production of 312,283 tonnes

* Other crops sub-sectors’ production rose by five per cent, which was as a result of the on-going support to the sub-sectors.

* Livestock industry grew by 15 per cent as a result of growth in poultry, egg, and mutton and milk production.

* The fisheries sector continued its downward spiral, contracting by 11.6 per cent. This is as a result of overfishing and possible under-declaration, combined with smaller fleets, lower harvesting in aquaculture, piracy and occurrence of sargassum seaweed.

* The forestry sector contracted by 9.8 per cent. This was due partially to unusual May/June rains which created conditions that were not conducive to harvesting.

* The mining and quarrying sector declined by 17.4 per cent. This reflects a fall in gold, bauxite, and stone production by 16.2 per cent, 18.6 per cent and 54 per cent respectively.

* Gold prices continued to fall, reaching a five-year low. This combined with extensive smuggling of gold, estimated to be as much as 15,000 ounces per week, led to a sharp drop in declaration.

* The bauxite industry also experienced declining international prices, which contributed to the 18.6 per cent decline in production in the first half of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014.

* Manufacturing output increased by 7.1 per cent, driven by a 15.3 per cent increase in rice milling as a result of the bumper crop.

* The service sector continued to expand, growing by 2.5 per cent. This was due to the expansion in all of its subsectors, except construction, which declined by 13.2 per cent.

With the seemingly faltering pace of Guyana’s economy over the past months, businesses across the country have faced the harsh realities of economic slowdown. Business owners as well as local commentators have stated that the health of Guyana’s economy is deteriorating and has called on the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Administration focus on unearthing way to stimulate the country’s economy.

Masked men rob, beat Bath businessman and wife; shoot son

Police in Berbice are looking for two men who they believe can provide vital information into the robbery of a West Coast Berbice family on Saturday morning.

In a release Police said that about 01:30h on Saturday, Umgrie Parmanand, 55, of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice), was aroused by the sound of persons in his home.

The release said the men, one of whom was armed with a firearm, had entered the home through an opened window and held up Parmanand, his wife Chandroutie, 54, and son Latchman, 26, during which Latchman was shot to his left foot.

The release added that the perpetrators took away an undisclosed sum of cash and a quantity of jewellery then escaped.

Speaking with Guyana Times, the businessman

who has been operating a grocery store for 15 years said by the time he realised the men were in his home, one of them was choking him and told him to get out of bed. “He drop two slap on me and then I stand up and ask he wha he want.”

Both of the bandits had their faces covered with hand kerchiefs.

The intruders demanded all the gold and money: “Me say me na gat gold and

money, and he take one baton and he start lash me on me head… An when me start holler me wife get up and they lash she one lash an she fall down.”

Parmanand had several sutured wounds to his head while his wife had one to the ear.

Meanwhile admits the noise, the couple’s son jumped over the wall, entered the bedroom and attacked one of the thieves by

hitting him and was soon in a scuffle. The other whipped out a fire arm and shot Latchman in his right thigh. The bullet went through and into his left thigh before exiting. “When I see me son get shoot I reverse back an tell dem to go in the wardrobe and take what they want. All what in there you can tae because I ent get anything in there,” the businessman related.

Moutar vs Guitar…

…on salaries

On May 5, 2015 – a rather auspicious day in Guyana, being “Arrival Day” and all, but just as significantly was the week before Election Day – David Granger, then Presidential Candidate for the People’s National Congress-A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (PNC-APNU/AFC) coalition spoke about wages of the public servants. “Given the present cost of living and the present problems facing the public servants, there will be a minimum of 10 per cent. But we have not set the ceiling and I’m sure that the GPSU is not going to be satisfied with 10 per cent; 10 per cent must be regarded as relief.” Twenty per cent was the most quoted figure for the “significant” raise promised in black and white in their manifesto.

Fast forward to the present. After voting them into office, public servants got a measly five per cent crumb – or $2500 on the most widespread salary ($50,000 monthly) – from the APNU/AFC Government. “What you gon do?” reasoned the loyal foot soldiers. “Deh ain’t got no money in de Treasury.” Forgotten (or forgiven) was Mr Granger’s explanation in the speech quoted above as to where he’d find the money for the public servants’ raise. “From all the money the PPP diverted and siphoned off!!” Duh!

Well, “Duh!” indeed. Finally, Pressie gave his most expansive defence of the 50 per cent or $290,000 increase on the most widespread salary of Ministers of $579,000 monthly. It might be apposite to remember that public servants don’t get the duty-free car allowances, housing allowances, electricity and water allowances, driver, first class airline tickets, etc. These add up to at least another $2 million monthly.

Forced on the back foot after a tsunami of outraged protests from even diehard PNCites, the President moved on from his initial bald explanation for the jawdropping raise – that it was just an innocuous “pay grade differentiation”. Seems that “most” of the Ministers were earning mega salaries before they took “Minister wuk”. And why should Guyana follow every other democracy in the world (like America) and accept that “public service” jobs aren’t “Private Sector jobs”. And the aspirants for public service jobs know that.

Well, we won’t be asking if say, Bulkan stopped drawing a salary from his company. All this Eyewitness asks for is Ministers show their income tax return for last year. Not for the past 10 years or so that’s voluntarily done in the US – just one year. Remember when Romney took flak for ONLY releasing the last two years?

Since our election has been endorsed by the US Embassy, and they’ve endorsed the democratic credentials of the government, maybe they can gently suggest that tax returns for one year be submitted. Wasn’t that taught in the LEAD programme?

It’ll just confirm what Pressie’s saying.

…on rice

Well, the other foot dropped in the (messy) rice bed: Venezuela signed the deal officially to source it’s missing 200,000 tonnes of rice from Suriname. Not that anyone should be surprised – Bharrat Jagdeo’s advise that diplomatic channels be kept going on separate parallel tracks from the border controversy was dubbed “unpatriotic”. This Eyewitness wonders what this Government thinks of revelations that the US was talking to Iran all along?

So while the Government just announced plans to plunk another $10 billion (at least) into boosting our Guyana Defence Force to kick Venezuelans’ asses, this Eyewitness is waiting to find out how many billions they’ve spent to find markets for the lost 200,000 tonne rice contract. With all their military be-wigs, they should know “an Army marches on its stomach”.

And if we don’t get foreign currency from exports like rice, it’s back to the days of no flour! (Forget dhall, Bisram!)Then soldiers will have to crawl all the way to the Venezuelan border!

…on mo’ jobs

Rather than just finding more ways to SPEND money, what happened to the manifesto promise to MAKE it?: “Manage the economy in such a way as to produce wider entrepreneurial and job opportunities and more equitable outcomes.”

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

ExxonMobil to recommence drilling early next year

US oil giant

ExxonMobil is expected to commence its second round of drilling for oil in the Stabroek Block as soon as the first quarter of 2016.

Jeff Simons, Country Manager of the oil company was quoted in a section of the media as saying that they are presently reexamining the contracts for the supply of material to set up the exploration well.

However, he could not give a specific date for the commencement of the second round of drilling but iterated that it will be early next year.

ExxonMobil has removed its oil drilling ship, the Deepwater Champion, from offshore Essequibo in June leaving the public to believe that the aggression from Venezuela might have influenced the decision.

Nevertheless, Government had failed to inform the Guyanese public of this development. It would have been following the departure of ExxonMobil’s rig that, for instance, Venezuela confirmed the cancellation of the PetroCaribe rice deal with Guyana.

It is believed that the arrival of ExxonMobil Deepwater Champion oil drilling rig/ship precipitated Venezuela’s latest revival of its controversy over Guyana’s western border.

Simons had told Guyana Times that the

Deepwater Champion had completed its course of operation and the ongoing border controversy between Venezuela and Guyana regarding ownership of the Essequibo and the waters off its shore did not pressure the company into removing the vessel.

In May, ExxonMobil announced its findings of more than 295 feet of highquality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs. Recent reports predict that this find could see Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) escalating to 12 times its current figure, which is transformational for any developing country.

Guyana’s GDP stands at around US$3.23 billion. In early March, the oil and gas company, one of the largest in the world, was warned by the Spanishspeaking nation to refrain

from going ahead with its planned exploratory drilling activity, on a concession awarded by Guyana offshore its Essequibo Coast.

Venezuela has repeatedly laid claim to the area being explored, ignoring an 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award, which was declared as the full and final settlement of the boundary between the two South American nations. Following the discovery of oil-bearing rocks in the area, Venezuela’s aggression grew stronger.

However, ExxonMobil assured that it will not be intimidated by the country’s claims and will continue its work in Guyana’s offshore waters. The multibillion-dollar oil exploration project, which is expected to be executed over 10 years, got underway in early March.

“Mr Ramjattan is not honourable”...

Chased, embarrassed

The young man related: “We got into his private room and we spoke. I handed him the letter and he just glanced at it and said, ‘Okay, yeah… this is wuh happening.’ So I said, ‘what now?’ Mr Ramjattan’s words to me were; ‘Well yuh gotta go look for a job.’

I said, ‘But Mr Ramjattan… what about severance? Is this the way things are done?’ Mr Ramjattan’s words were: ‘You have nothing to get.’ I said, ‘But Mr Ramjattan, before, you said to us directly that you don’t want to fire us because you know if you do, you’re going to have to pay us severance and you don’t want so we’re going to keep working. We’re going to see what happens and we’re going to keep working. Didn’t you say this?’ He said, ‘No, no, no…yuh ain’t entitled to no severance. Yuh gotta work fuh over five years’.”

Alex said that he decided to stand up to the new Vice President and again the situation took a turn for the worse.

“Throughout the campaign, it was me driving Mr Ramjattan, his son or whoever may have driven him a few times but majority of the time it was me. You could have seen this black face… I said, “But Mr Ramjattan, I was there with you throughout the elections. You stood on the platform and you spoke of job creations, helping, and employment of youths, transparency, accountability, and all these things. How is then that all of these things are happening in your office? Your own office?’

And I looked him directly in the eyes, with my posture quite calm, not disrespectful in anyway but direct, and said, “Mr Ramjattan, these are the things you spoke of. How is then that all of these things are happening in your office?’. At this point,

I guess I had no right to remind him of what he said or what he stood for , or I should say the things he said he stood for… apparently, I had no right to remind him.

Mr Ramjattan said, ‘Okay, this conversation come to an end now… leave my office.’ He proceeded to open his door… i said, “Mr Ramjattan… this… ”. He said, ‘No, no, no. Leave Alex, Leave my office!’ …about three or four times. He opened the door and said leave, and I calmly said okay and I said, ‘have a good day’ and I walked out. You could have seen his staff, as well as persons waiting there to see him… they were all shocked.”

The young man is claiming that he is owed over $200,000 in severance after visiting the Labour Ministry and speaking to someone there but he is scared that they will duck the matter and is unwilling to return.

He has retained a lawyer because he feels he was treated unjustly by Ramjattan and wants nothing but his entitlement.

“….without a doubt I made lots of sacrifices for him as my employer. I won’t base this in terms of working in the office as a legal clerk but on the weekends when he would have to go to places such as Orealla. We spent many days and nights in Berbice… Mr Ramjattan and I ate from the same plate… ate from the same pot. At his mother’s home in #47 Village I slept in the same home, on the chair, in the bed at his mother’s residence.… while Mr Ramjattan is asleep or nodding, I am up ensuring that he reaches home safely. At the end of it I didn’t ask him for anything cause I would have felt that I did my part. I felt that I was part of a movement that was going to make a difference… and I told him that. And a day like today, it is clear that all

these things were unappreciated and forgotten,” he said.

Ramjattan denies When contacted on Saturday, Vice President Ramjattan sought to refute the story told by the young man.

He denied owing Hilkin any severance and told Guyana Times that his private Chambers were handed over to a junior Attorney who became the proprietor.

“When I handed over my Chambers, he was still fully employed”, Ramjattan explained, and made it clear that he could not be responsible for the young man’s dismissal as it was the act of the new Attorney.

“I cannot say if he did something and was summarily dismissed. I do not know”, Minister Ramjattan offered.

He said that it was quite unfortunate that Hilkin was going around making accusations against him as the young man knows full well that he was not the one to terminate his services.

Asked if he chased or asked the Lindener to leave his office when Hilkin attempted to find out what was happening with his employment, Ramjattan replied, “No. I never chased him. That is not true. He wanted me to find a job for him and I told him that I do not run an employment agency”.

The Vice President said he was previously contacted by another Attorney on the matter and he was upset that it was still brewing.

He would offer no other comments on the matter.

Calls to the young Attorney’s mobile phone also went unanswered on Saturday. When other attempts were made after contacting Ramjattan successfully, her cell was turned off.

Mahaicony man killed by alleged drunk driver

AMahaicony man has become the latest road fatality for the year after he was struck down by a speeding motorcar on Friday evening at Huntley Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD). The accident occurred at about 19:30h.

Dead is Richard Watson, also known as “Joel”, age 30, of Lot 33 Airy Hall, Mahaicony, ECD. Based on information received, the now dead man was on his mobile phone and was standing in front of his mother’s shop when he was stuck by the car which was in the process of overtaking a minibus which had stopped for a passenger to disembark.

The young man would have sustained injuries and died on the spot. He was nevertheless taken to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The driver of the motorcar bearing registration number PTT 6818

was taken into Police custody and is assisting with investigations.

Rochelle Watson, a sister of the dead man, told Guyana Times on Saturday that she was at home when she received a telephone call at about 19:20h and was informed that her brother was involved in an accident. Upon arriving at the scene, she saw her brother’s lifeless body on the roadway.

The aggrieved sister stated that her brother would have sustained severe damage to his body and as a result, it is suspected that he died instantly. She noted that from all indications, the driver might have been under the influence when the accident occurred.

“He claim that he had one Guinness but that look like a case… he could hardly stand up on the road after the accident… He had to be travelling with speed…,” the woman stated. In addition, she stated that the Police returned to the scene on Saturday morning and took measurements which revealed that her brother was dragged 126 feet from the point of impact.

The driver has reportedly admitted to being responsible for the accident and as such, it is expected that he will be charged on Monday. Guyana Times understands that the young man only started to work at the Research Rice Mill in Burma, Mahaicony, ECD, a few weeks ago.

The young man has left to mourn his parents and three

siblings. A post-mortem examination will be performed on Watson’s body on Monday at the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary.

Recently, the Police disclosed that a total of 90 road fatalities from 76 accidents were recorded at the end of September, in comparison to 101 fatalities from 93 accidents for the same period last year.

Pedestrians were named the main category of road users affected in road fatalities, with 31 such persons having lost their lives at the end of September.

In addition, eight pedal

cyclists, 23 persons in motor vehicles, 13 motor cyclists, 11 drivers, three pillion riders and one person being towed on a bicycle also lost their lives.

Furthermore, the Police noted that speeding has been the major contributory factor to fatal accidents, causing 36 of the 76 fatal accidents unto September.

In addition, the Police traffic enforcement has resulted in a total of 43,071 cases for this year being made against errant motorists at the end of September 2015. Of this amount, 17,582 cases were for speeding, 1,666 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 489 for using cellphones while driving and 1156 for failing to wear a seatbelt.

Ask what your country can do for you...

Satiricus couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about on the salary increase the Government gave itself. The answer was clear as day, as to why it was done and Satiricus felt that if a dummy like himself could figure out why it was done – and why it was absolutely necessary – then everyone else should have seen it too by now.

“What was goin on? Well duh!” snickered Satiricus to himself. He just loved it when all the brain boxes couldn’t see the noses in their faces. Fact of the matter is that Naga Man and Rum Jhaat were finally exerting their power in the coalition. Everyone was looking at GrainJa…but the two wise men from the East were now calling the shots.

And when it came to political philosophy, it all boiled down to their mantra: “Ask not what you can do for your country; ask what your country can do for you!!”

So first of all, as soon as they delivered their 11per cent to the Pee-an-See they demanded the Pee-An-See bring back Vice Presidents. Why should they become regular Ministers? And the big time top-up on the salaries didn’t hurt! Mo’ money! Mo money! Mo Money! To buy Mo Bush rum!

But Naga Man and the Jhaat didn’t stop there: they had only began to work their mantra. While the Constitution forced then to also take “Minister” title, that didn’t mean they had to do “Minister wuk”. Naga Man cleverly manoeuvred TrotMan into taking over most of the wuk and kept only running the Kronic.

But he was so smart on that one that Satiricus had to shake his head once again. He arranged to buse out a reporter in public knowing that the President would force him not to “interfere” with the paper!! Easy street, budday!!

Rum Jhaat had done the same with HIS Minister wuk and spent his time “policing” clubs to close at 4am. Of course he couldn’t just sit around the clubs till then!! It was a dirty job… but somebody had to do it. And why not the Jhaat himself?

The Jhaat never backed down from a challenge involving rum drinking!

And it was Naga Man who’d insisted that his salary be raised above the AG!! How dare the Moustachioed One get (not earn!) more than him?

Satiricus gasped when he saw the move Naga Man had made on GrainJa when he said the salary jump would “look bad”. As soon as GrainJa landed back from his foreign trip, Naga Man flounced out of the country, without even a word exchanged!

Hell hath no fury like a Naga Man denied his raise!!

Police get 136 new ranks

– Top Cop urges them to serve with integrity, uphold office

With the Guyana Police Force said to be under strength by some 1500, it was given a relative boost in its compliment after four batches of new ranks completed an intense six-months training.

Initially, there were 139 recruits enrolled for the training programme however three did not make it to the end – one left on his own accord while two were dismissed on separate grounds. During the six months, the recruits underwent various training exercises.

They first completed basic training before moving onto probationary training, where they were assessed on how they apply the principles taught to them. After completing this stage, they then underwent advanced training.

Speaking at the passing-out parade on Saturday at the Tactical Services Unit, Eve Leary, the Force’s Training Officer Senior Superintendent Paul Williams, outlined some of the areas that the basic training was focused on. These include: exposure to physical training; police procedure and practices; selfhelp application; procedures to follow when responding to domestic violence reports; respect for human rights; and the use of minimum force.

“This basic training is the foundation for these young men and women to build upon now going into the world of policing. No

one of us at the senior level, including the Police Commissioner, would have escaped from this basic initial training but because of our discipline, respect for our seniors and peers and a commitment to serve the public professionally and unselfishly, we are still here,” he stated. Williams went on to challenge the new ranks to always conduct themselves in a professional manner when detailing with the public. Moreover he pointed out that they must be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of social media.

“Remember… the thing you love the most can become your nightmare,” the Training Officer warned.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud in his feature address told the new officers that they are now at the

launch of their career, one that can take them onto retirement. On this note, Persaud urged the ranks not to throw away the opportunity to serve and protect their country.

“Don’t throw it away by forgetting or not applying the laws, regulations, rules, procedures and tactics that you all would have learnt. Most importantly, don’t forget your Oath of Office – it is the lynchpin of your career as a Police officer,” the Commissioner urged.

Furthermore, the Top Cop informed the ranks that they will now be operating in a world that have many crises and lack political solutions: “Protracted conflicts and displacements are the new norms. In addition, global trends such as climate change, urbanisation, income inequality, food insecurity, and resource scar-

Ramsammy slams Granger’s justification of pay hikes

Former Minister of Agriculture Dr Leslie Ramsammy in a publication to Guyana Times launched on the offensive, completely discrediting President David Granger’s justifications for the obscene salary increases for Cabinet members.

from stealing and corruption.

city are increasing people’s vulnerability, and it is your job to keep people safe from harm,” Persaud stated.

From each of the four batches, various ranks were warded for outstanding performance in the categories of: Best Graduating Student, Runner-up, Most Improved, Best Drill, and Best Shot.

Back in September, the Top Cop had told this newspaper that the Force is severely under-strength by some 1500 ranks. However he noted that there are over a 1000 recruits waiting to undergo training but the programme can only facilitate 330 at a time, hence the backlog in recruits.

According to Ramsammy, at every opportunity that presents itself, the Government seeks to justify the irrational increases by offering outrageous explanations. He reflected on past incidents where the new Government would have criticised the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration for what they alleged were Ministers living in a “donkey cart economy with Cadillacs”, adding that the new Government has been presenting itself as “get rich as quickly as possible merry men and women”.

Ramsammy related that he is utterly disgusted by Granger’s statement that the salary increases were necessary in order to ensure efficiency and commitment. He added that Minister of State Joseph Harmon’s assertion that the increases were inevitable and designed to prevent corruption are quite questionable, as he is not aware that the Nation has to buy the commitment of people whom they appointed to Cabinet so as to deter them

“I thought that APNU/ AFC campaigned to become the government because they had among them committed, efficient and competent people, professionals who wanted to serve the people of Guyana. They went to the people and presented themselves as people of integrity, competence, and commitment to a better Guyana and better lives for our people. At no time did they inform the people of Guyana that we had to pay them enormous salaries in order for them to not thief, to carry out their duties with efficiency and with commitment. I want David Granger to show me an iota of evidence that he or anyone in APNU/AFC told the people that their service will not come cheap. “What does David Granger mean when he said we have to pay for competence and efficiency?” Ramsammy questioned as he affirmed that Government failed to prepare a proper Budget.

“Recall that the Budget did not meet the eligibility criteria of the Constitution for statutory bodies and did not meet the Fiscal Management and Accounting Act. How competent was the Finance Minister? But the whole Cabinet had to approve the budget and they gave full endorsement to a flawed and illegal document,” Ramsammy related.

SARU being used as political tool to settle personal vendettas

People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament, Charles Ramson Jr has lashed out at the Government for using the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) as a political ploy to settle personal political vendettas.

Ramson expressed this views in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times as he offered his response to the recent announcement by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams that he had received a copy of the completed report from the State Asset Recovery Unit which urged him to use his office to institute charges against former office bearers for allegedly obtaining State lands at an undervalued market price.

These former Government officials being accused of using their

office to gain benefits from the ‘Pradoville 2’ Housing Scheme some five years ago, include PPP General

Secretary Clement Rohee, Education Minister Priya Manickchand, Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford, Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaud, and head of the Guyana Sugar Corporation Board Sheik Baksh.

Ramson Jr stated that it is quite clear the new coalition Government has used SARU in an attempt to execute their vendetta as a means settling scores: “First of all, I think that it confirms what the Government knew all along. For the State Asset Recovery Unit to recommend that criminal charges be instituted, it means that without any degree of misapprehension… this has been used as a Unit that was established as a political ploy to settle scores and personal political vendettas,” the MP stated.

The MP, who is also an

Attorney, revealed that he found it quite disturbing that this Unit has recommended that such criminal charges be imposed on the former Government by the Attorney General, given that it is supposed to be impartial and well aware of its confines within the law, “even though the point has been made from the very beginning that the Attorney General cannot institute charges, it is the Director of Public Prosecutions whose sole responsibility it is to institute charges.”

Ramson Jr stated it is abhorrent that the individuals who comprise the Unit are unaware of these laws and would produce such a report to the Government, adding: “It causes me to question the competency of the persons who comprise this Unit. It also causes me to question their impartiality, their motive and if what they are doing is for the public’s benefit, or if they are just using this as a political opportunity to settle scores.”

Ramson Jr also revealed that the PPP/C is well aware of these underhand tactics being used against them by the Government, saying: “It is confirmed in our minds and the Government’s

mind that this is what it is about… it is a Unit that is being used to settle scores and for personal political vendettas by the APNU/ AFC Government.”

Ramson Jr also pointed out that given the Government’s history, these devices they are utilising do not come as a surprise to him or the PPP: “I don’t think I am surprised, given the nature of the beast, because this is the way that the APNU/ AFC, or I should say PNC,

has been conducting their affairs from the very beginning, and for a student of Political History as I am, and most persons who are aware of how the PNC, or how the APNU/AFC now that they’re the empowered Government, is pursuing particular courses of action, it has always been about maligning political individuals — and I don’t find this surprising at all.”

However, the young MP stated that it came as a surprise that the Government wasted no time in commencing their undermining activities: “I am indeed surprised that this happened so quickly because it usually takes some time for a leopard to show its true spots or for a tiger to show its stripes. However, now I don’t think that there has been any attempt to disguise this beast, or who these individuals really are, and the fact that they’d go by any means necessary to get at a particular individual.”

He stated that despite these many attempts at diverting the public’s attention from the Government’s misdemeanours by use of propaganda, the public is already starting to see through the guise being used.

Change for the worse $881.8M spent on housing, during first half of 2015

By Ryhaan Shah

Four months into the new Administration, Guyana is reeling from the shock and dismay of President David Granger’s arrogance and his contempt for the rule of law.

The coalition’s promised change is here and it is definitely a change for the worse. The issue for the country now is what can be salvaged from a bad situation.

The super-sized salaries that Government awarded itself drew outrage and condemnation from several quarters including Stabroek News (SN), Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) President Lincoln Lewis, Red Thread, and political activist Dr David Hinds, all of whom were fully supportive of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition winning office.

That Government will not get unconditional, sycophantic support for its every move does give hope. While it has censured Government on a number of issues, SN compromises its integrity by failing to act with regard to its columnist Anand Goolsarran who is an active participant in the Administration’s conflict of interest corruption.

If the SN wants to have a lead role in the critical days ahead, it must adhere to the ethical principles needed to play that part.

The Guyana Bar Association also stepped in with criticism over the secrecy of Granger’s pardon of 40 young offenders and referenced the legal requirements that were overlooked.

The President, however, is defiant and vows to pardon even more offenders next year. His joke about young men graduating from Camp Street School and Mazaruni University is wearing thin and is in extremely poor taste in a country where crime is out of control.

Anyone who breaks the law must face the consequences as established by our legal system, and the President’s message that robbery is a pardonable offence for our youths is a serious infringement of the moral conduct expected from a Head of State.

According to Hindu dharma, thievery is not only a matter of taking another’s property but includes the concept of someone taking more than their fair share or more than they need as, for instance, Government Ministers giving themselves huge pay hikes while public servants must make do, while rice farmers face financial ruin, and while sugar and bauxite workers are facing hard times.

The economy is stagnant partly because every project approved by the previous Administration has been quashed and there was no seamless transition that would have assured continued economic activity and jobs. Instead, the discriminatory firing of public servants, many without due process, added to the jobless count.

Government’s many Commission of Inquiries and audits give the appearance of busy work but earn no revenues. The only project the public hears about is the grand jubilee celebrations that will be held for independence next May. This will cost millions and Government’s jubilation over its jubilee is out of step with a country where many are worried about the economy and growing unemployment.

But Government seems unperturbed so they could well be planning to keep the country afloat on credit from expected oil revenues. They are certainly giving every attention to the burgeoning oil industry while ignoring established ones like rice.

From the time Granger took office, he disregarded the processes of consultation and transparency that were promised by the coalition. He unilaterally renamed buildings and Ministries and continues to flout the Cummingsburg Accord, especially as regards to the powers that were to be assigned to the Prime Minister.

The déjà vu of the 1960s cannot be helped. In the run up to the General and Regional Election in May, it was clear that the ABC countries wanted the PPP Government gone whether because of their alleged corruption or their unwillingness to be controlled by foreign interests.

All the players are back on the board. In the 1960s, the US and Britain meddled in our internal affairs because of the Cold War. This time around, the oil find off our coast could be the main attraction.

The new US Ambassador Perry Holloway comes with impressive credentials. He is no third tier diplomat, the kind that usually gets posted to “backwater” countries like ours. It is clear that Guyana is once again of strategic importance to the US and we should pay close attention to their presidential race. America’s choice could well determine our future in large measure.

The big question is whether the US will care at all whether Guyana is destroyed again by its chosen political partners as it looks after its own interests. Every one of us must be concerned about the answer to that question.

It is we who must stand defiant against the possibility that Guyana will be badly used again by politicians who care little for our country and its people.

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

– completion of access roads in Section ‘D’ Sophia among achievements

Government has expended over $881.8 million during the first half of the year on the housing sector. According to the Mid-Year Report, compiled by Ministry of Finance, this included current expenditure of $45.4 million and Capital Expenditure of $836.4 million.

Infrastructural works continued in housing schemes in areas such as Lust-en-Rust, Zeelugt, Windsor Forest, Providence, Farm, Diamond, Eccles, Enmore, Sophia and Cumberland.

In addition, 1514 land titles were processed, and 1908 titles were distributed also during the first half of 2015.

Meanwhile, the second Low Income Settlement (LIS) came to an end in June 2015. The Report noted that a number of achievements were attained under this programme during the first half of the year, including the

completion of the access road in Section ‘D’ Sophia, and upgrade of the electrical distribution network in Rechtdoor Zee and Amelia’s Ward. In the second half of 2015, the Report said, Government will complete 100 turn-key homes; allocate 200 new house lots in Perseverance; process an additional 500 land titles; and further distribute 900 land titles. (GINA)

Police nab alleged drug cartel in Essequibo

An alleged well known drug lord in Essequibo was on Saturday evening nabbed at a house in Perseverance, Essequibo Coast with 3.840kg of cocaine and 36 grams of cannabis.

The bust was made by a posse of Police who travelled to Essequibo Coast to conduct raids with the aim of getting rid of the criminal elements

on the Coast.

When contacted, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed that several persons were arrested following a raid on Essequibo Coast and were escorted to Georgetown where they will be further interrogated.

However, based on reports, Laurna Scott, known to Police popular on Essequibo

Coast, along with four men were occupants of a house when the Police swooped down on them.

During the raid Police unearthed several bricks of cocaine along with the cannabis. The occupants were questioned, cautioned and arrested.

The five are expected to appear in court on Monday.

One Mile Primary Rebuild Committee mystery….

Reg 10 officials stumped by $12M spending

As students of the One Mile Primary begin to settle in and enjoy the comfort of a newly constructed school, some Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice) officials continue to question how approximately $12 million which was collected by the One Mile Primary Rebuild Committee was spent.

The officials, including Regional Chairman Renis Morian, are placing focus on the abandoned partly reconstructed building still housed at the present school location, noting that they are not satisfied with what meets the eye. During the 2012 Linden unrest, the former school –which housed over 800 pupils – was reduced to ashes by suspected arsonists.

As such, Lindeners, under the guidance of then Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon, through the Committee, vowed to rebuild the school through self-help. The sum, in addition to construction materials were then accumulated through donations made by public spirited citizens across the country and in the Diaspora. Solomon along with then Member of Parliament Vanessa Kissoon spearheaded a team of officials who visited the United States, in an effort to garner the funds.

While little work was done to the former school structure, the community suddenly abandoned the idea of rebuilding the school through self-help, after then Education Minister Priya

Manickchand volunteered the then Government to complete the school. Shortly after, $170 million was approved by the former Cabinet, under the People’s Progressive Party Administration, for the reconstruction of the school. Since then, the partly-constructed building has remained deserted. Following the approval of the sum by the previous Government in 2014, Committee Chairman Maurice Butters had indicated to Guyana Times that the Committee would then focus on improving the school’s amenities, upon its completion.

However, former Regional Councillors, including Audwin Rutherford, had voiced concerns over the handling of the money by the Committee. For instance, Rutherford said an audited report was not made possible even after two years of the re-

ceipt of the cash. It was not until December 2014 that the information on how the money was spent was released, and according to information by Butters, several other projects were included apart from the One Mile Primary school, including the creation of research centres in Linden and the establishment of a Monument site park for three Lindeners killed in the unrest. The research centres are set up in already occupied buildings and there have been several donations of computers and other necessities for their upkeep.

So far, there has been little work done at the monument site since the spot has only been cleared and the former school building remains abandoned.

So far, there has been no report of the Committee – which was renamed the ‘Rebuild our Future Committee’ – on spending for the improvement of the school’s amenities at the newly constructed One Mile Primary School. In fact, Butters had indicated in December 2014 that a sum of $97,795 remained from a total of $6.5 million, which was aimed at rebuilding the school. That was the last known public disclosure made by the Committee. When contacted on Friday, Butters said he would provide information from the audited report.

Meanwhile, students have been accommodated at the new school since the commencement of the school term. There have been several complaints including

improper ventilation inside classrooms, lack of a proper back fence and the absence of guard huts. Guards at the school have complained of being housed in the open at the bottom flat of the school.

However, when Guyana Times contacted Clerk of Works Geral Whittington involved with the school’s reconstruction, he said he was aware of the complaints, but noted that the school was built “according to specification”. He added that some parents had indicated that they would purchase fans in an effort to deal with the heat situation. He added that there were lesser classrooms when compared to the former school, but opined that the deserted school building can be completed and re-used as additional classrooms. Former Education Minister Priya Manickchand had stated that the former school building was deemed unfit; hence the decision to have the new school constructed at its new location was approved.

Masked men rob...

From page 8

The men took $300,000 which Parmanand said he had saved to pay for on truck instalment.

It is still not known how much jewellery was also taken. According to Parmanand, it was all that his wife had owned and they are still counting to determine the value. “Me bin get one camera and some phone. All that they carry away. They carry away more thing; up to know me na know all wah gone.”

According to Parmanand, this was the first time robbers attacked him. He says the experience was very scary and painful. “Dem man put about twenty-five lash pon me head. When dem gone me feel nice because dem lash wha me get deh… When dem lash you is solid lash. Every lash me ah go down ah ground,” Parmanand said as he described the incident.

The ordeal lasted about twenty-five minutes after which the bandits left the same way in which they entered — by going through a space created by removing louvers from a window. He said he did not go behind them and could not say if any more were outside the house.

A close relative was called and shortly after Police arrived. The entire family was taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital, treated and released.

Police were able to retrieve one spent shell from the scene.

The bandits clambered onto a roof to get to the window, carefully avoiding a CCTV camera.

Police are investigation.

Younge’s Take

Boiling point

President David Granger’s defense of his Cabinet’s decision to increase its own pay by 50 per cent is another slap in the face of the Guyanese public, and citizens must not allow themselves to be fooled by the poor argumentation put forward by the Government on the matter.

The President’s defence was weak and ingenious, to say the least, given the widespread protestation of almost every key stakeholder in the country, including those who are People’s National Congress/A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change loyalists and opportunists.

It would have been far better if President Granger demonstrated that he was a “man of the people” that had the gumption to admit that the move was too soon and harsh, before announcing a decision to put the increases on hold.

Had President Granger taken this approach, he would have been admired and would have taken the side of the people who were outraged and felt discriminated against, as opposed to the 27 Cabinet Ministers who will be fattened with taxpayers’ monies over the next five years.

History will not be kind to President Granger’s Government given some of the decisions that he has approved while sitting at the head of Government since the May 11 General and Regional Election.

The President, who vowed to be far different from his predecessors, is not. He is showing his true colours and engaging in worse atrocities than those committed by previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Governments in some respects.

President Granger is not running a lean nor clean Administration and the public criticisms seem not be impacting his posture on these matters.

His Administration is already showing worrying signs of arrogance, nepotism and cronyism. Ministers behave as though they are untouchable with some of them employing close relatives at their Ministries and party hacks to boards and other important corporations.

Granger’s Government seems not to have an appetite for “inclusionary democracy” even though it has been the most used word by his Cabinet Ministers. There is simply no appetite for consulting the public and the Government is not concerned that this could backfire on it at the next election.

What is even more troubling is the fact that the Cabinet lied to Guyanese when they assured time and after time that Local Government Elections (LGE) would be held in 2015. The arrogant and Johnny-come-lately Minister Ronald Bulkan should be disciplined for misleading the public because even the Guyana Elections Commission warned that LGE were not possible this year.

In Parliament, the Government still has not defined its parliamentary agenda and appear to be pursuing things that are aimed at scoring political points against the PPP/C. There is no serious parliamentary discourse taking place on bills and motions which should be presented before the House because much of the Government’s attention is still on “going after the PPP” and “blaming the PPP” for everything under the sun.

From the look of things, much of Mr Granger’s tenure as President will be spent running behind the PPP in search of stolen assets, misappropriation of funds and malfeasance in office.

Nothing is wrong with this, if done with the right intention, but the Government needs to pay attention to the economy and the fact that it is going under. Guyanese expect that Mr Granger’s Government will come up with plans and solutions to address the bread and butter issues while designing and implementing policies to address the creation of wealth and reduction of poverty as well as the still prevalent levels of inequalities.

He cannot allow international matters, conferences and commitments, though important and part of his responsibility, to distract him from the plight of his people at home and the decaying domestic situation.

With gold, rice and sugar in serious trouble and crime on the increase, it is time for President Granger to stop the window dressing and announcement of five-point plans. He needs to “bring it” and deliver on the ostentatious promises that he made in line with the Government’s policy of giving Guyanese a good life.

The salary-gate scandal is just one of the excesses that Guyanese will endure under this Government. There are more to come and the Opposition PPP, though somewhat quiet, appears to have a plan to destroy the credibility of Mr Granger’s Government by using the ammunition that his Cabinet is providing each day through its own deeds.

october 18, 2015 |

Three in custody following piracy attack in Corentyne

Three men suspected to have carried out a daring attack on a group of fishermen at sea were arrested on Saturday at Crematory Seashore, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

According to informa-

tion received, four fishermen men were attacked by a group of alleged pirates who relieved them of their boat, engine, a quantity of seine and glue on Friday evening. The men were reportedly armed with cutlasses and a firearm.

After the incident, the

fishermen were reportedly transferred to the boat used by the pirates and left to sail.

Eventually, the men reached shore and made a report to the Police in Berbice who immediately launched an investigation.

However, Guyana Times understands that the suspected pirates abandoned the boat at sea after it got stuck and returned to shore. Two of the men were subsequently sent back to retrieve the outboard engine from the boat.

attack and told Guyana Times that as the men were bustling and hustling to take off the engine, they were spotted by another group of fishermen that was traversing the area at the time.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed the

He added that as the fishermen approached them, the suspects attempted to escape but were intercepted, apprehended and later handed over to the Police. The hijacked boat was towed to shore as police continue their investigations.

None of the attacked fishermen were injured.

SunDAY, october 18, 2015 | guYAnAtimeSgY.com

Govt to ban Styrofoam from January 1, 2016

The Government of Guyana, in its thrust to promote a green economy and environment is moving ahead with plans to ban the importation and use of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam, popularly known as styrofoam, as of January 1, 2016.

The Department of Natural Resources and the Environment has begun implementing a series of measures to address waste management and to promote the use of biodegradable materials. The proposed Expanded Polystyrene Ban Regulation is being finalised before the effective date to ensure the ban is legally enforced.

Cabinet has already granted approval for the immediate development of

a legal framework to implement the ban on the importation and use of polystyrene foam products, as well as a public awareness programme to educate on the

previously with industry operators, importers and other key stakeholders. However, more consultative sessions are planned for the duration of the year, before

consequences of its usage and the benefits of alternatives.

This decision follows a series of consultations held

the ban takes full effect in January.

It is hoped this initiative will see a significant reduction in the effects of poly-

styrene foam products on solid waste management in Guyana and its negative impact on the environment, while leading to the further development of new enterprises in alternatives. With the ban, Guyana will become one of few countries in the world to ban the product.

In Guyana styrofoam makes up about 2 to 5 per cent of the waste stream and is most popularly used in the food industry. The improper disposal of the single-use item has been and remains a threat to health and the wider environment, incurring cleanup and disposal costs in the sum of millions of dollars, a cost borne by the tax-paying public.

The Department of Natural Resources and the Environment will be collaborating with the Ministries of Business, Legal Affairs, and Finance via the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), to implement the ban.

Over 100 Linden volunteers selected as part of 50th Independence Initiative

Over a hundred youths from Linden turned out to the Amelia’s Ward/Wisroc bus park on Saturday to sign up for a volunteer- driven initiative, organised by the Ministry of Education, Department of Culture, Youth and Sport.

Acting Director of Youth Gillian Frank and Deputy Director of Youth Leslyn Boyce travelled from Georgetown to be present at the exercise. The aim of the initiative, which targets youths sixteen years and over, was to solicit volunteers to work on the 50th Observance of Guyana’s Independence next year. The volunteers were selected to work in variousfields includ-

ing ceremonial, academia, commemorative, infrastructure, entertainment, youth, Diaspora, heritage, and indigenous culture.

While 50 youths from Linden were targeted, over a hundred were selected on Saturday. The youths who turned out to the event also benefited from free blood sugar and blood pressure testing in addition to satellite tablets, which were set up at the location.

The volunteer initiative is ongoing and interested persons can uplift forms from inside the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) building on Republic Avenue, Mackenzie or from peer Educator Vernon Todd.

Children of slain Police Officers to benefit for Fund

ommissioner of Police

CSeelall Persaud has announced that children of those Policemen and women who were killed in the line of duty will be benefitting from a Fund that is to be established in the near future.

Delivering his feature address to a Passing-Out Parade of 136 new ranks on Saturday, Persaud disclosed that he is collaborating with a local businessman to raise money for the Fund, while adding that the faith-based committee will have supervisory oversight.

“I’m currently working with members of the Cops and Faith Community Network and a local businessman to establish a nonprofit organisation that will be dedicated to fund the education and general welfare of the children of those Police officers killed in the line of duty,” he revealed.

According to the Top Cop, this initiative is set to commence by the end of October. He noted that by this time, they will begin to distribute resources to those children whose situation are worse off than others.

Back in July, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan disclosed that records in the history of the

Guyana Police Force shows a total of 62 officers were killed in the line of duty as of that date. He pointed out that the increase of drug trafficking activities, possession of illegal guns and organised crimes have all contributed to these officers losing their lives, adding that the number is too high.

However, Ramjattan went on to say that this reality indicates that the number will grow as a matter of course. “The constantly changing nature of crime and the increasingly violent intent, methods and postures of perpetrators, make being a member of the Police Force an extremely dangerous profession. Therefore, due respect must be given to the many men and women who put

themselves in danger in the line of duty; and more so, to those who have paid the ultimate price for the safety and security of our citizens,” the Security Minister remarked.

Ramjattan’s descripton came through some two months later. In September, Constable Antonio Dawson, 28, was fatally stabbed during an attempt to arrest a man outside of Gafoors Houston Complex, Georgetown.

The man, later identified as Samuel James of Buxton, East Coast Demerara, took his own life by slitting his throat moments after stabbing Dawson. Police found varying quantities of cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy in James’ pants pockets.

Back in July, Constable Edison Williams, 19, of 32

Public Road, Number 53 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, was killed in a freak accident at Providence, East Bank Demerara. According to reports, the young officer was at the Providence Access Road offloading and setting up barricades for a Hits and Jam event when a sand truck passed. The barricade hooked onto the external rear-view mirror on the right side of the vehicle, dragging Williams to the ground and under the truck, and was run over by the back wheels.

Meanwhile going back a few years to April 2013, Police Corporal Romein Cleto was fatally shot after he and two other officers on patrol came under fire by an armed man, who they were tracing. Cleto of 42 Bent Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, was shot in his face while his colleagues were injured.

A few months later in November, a miner and licensed firearm holder, Derrick Kanhai, went berserk, killing five persons, two of whom were Police officers: Lance Corporal Sherwin Pantlitz and Lance Corporal Michael Forde, who were first responders to reports of Kanhai fatally shooting three persons.

Essequibo Coast Leo Club chartered

The Leo Club of Essequibo was on Saturday chartered in the presence of the organisation’s members, joining its parent club, Lions Clubs International which is the world’s largest service organisation. The Lions Clubs, thus far, has been recorded in the sponsorship of approximately 5800 Leo clubs in 140 coun-

tries. One of the aims of the organisation is to help others in their community, while the Leos, who are the chartered members, develop leadership skills and experience teamwork in action.

The youth arm of the club, which is open to persons between the ages of 18 to 30 years old, was sponsored by the Lion’s Club of Essequibo

Coast. The initiation ceremony was conducted by Council Chairperson Lion Maxine Cummings and was witnessed by District Governor, 60A Lion Joyce Uden; Second Vice District Governor-60A, Lion Sean Noel; Region Chairperson, Lion Denise Bentinck; Zone Chairperson, Lion Lynette Baird; GMT Coordinator, Lion Dr Sarah

Gordon and members of the Lions Club of Essequibo Coast.

Leo Sanddy Bowen who was installed as the Charter President, in her presentation during the ceremony stated that great things will be seen from the Leo Club of Essequibo Coast. Also installed as Board members for the fiscal year 2015-2016 were Leo Yasoda Chowtie as Vice President, Leo Thareshme Persaud as Treasurer, Leo Bibi Wazeefa Latiff as Secretary, Leos Davie Ramawad and Rajshri Mansaram as Directors and Leo Jayamani Sooragpaul as Leo Tamer.

The other charter members initiated were Leo Rohine Chowtie, Leo Nathan Gorsira, Leo Kerry Persaud, Leo Chandi Dyal, Leo Keen Persaud, Leo Michell Assad, Leo Reenica Mansaram and Leo Mohabir Persaud. Other charter members not at the ceremony were Leo Chandrashekar Sharma, Leo Radha Mansaram and Leo Yagesh Rabbylall.

Xi pledges to remove poverty in China by 2020

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday vowed to lift the remaining over 70 million people in the world’s second biggest economy out of poverty by 2020, which amounts to a million people a month.

Chinese Government will enact more support policies to lift the country’s 70 million poor people above the poverty line by 2020, Xi pledged ahead

of the 23rd International Day for the Eradication of Poverty held on Saturday. In the past 15 years, China has lifted more than 600 million people out of poverty, accounting for about 70 per cent of those brought out of poverty worldwide, Hong Tianyun, deputy director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation

and Development of China told the media.

Despite this, China still has 70.17 million people in the countryside living below the country’s poverty line of 2300 yuan ($376) in annual income at the end of last year. It was the first developing country to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target of reducing the population living

Education as a source of empowerment

Education is one of the pillars of a healthy society.

It is why throughout history, Governments worldwide found it easy to manipulate uneducated masses. Hence the saying “information is power”.

One of new trendy words employed by policy makers today is “empowerment”. To what extent the meaning of the word is actually understood in policy making is another question. Education however, can be a veritable step to empowering people in Guyana, and it is undeniably clear that the country’s education sector has extensive room for improvement. While this is so, it must be acknowledged that Guyana has made significant progress in improving education over the years, and in eliminating illiteracy, accounting in 2014 for a literacy rate of approximately 91 percent.

Yet, in terms of the quality of education, the availability of resources and access to tertiary education, we are most certainly lagging behind in the region. This is visible through the quality of content of some of our outdated school books, such as The Making of Guyana where the pejorative term “negro” is still employed and a significant portion of our history is omitted. It is also visible at the University of Guyana, where high tuition and administrative fees often cannot account for a quality education, causing many graduates who have to compensate for insufficient credits, to upgrade their UG degrees abroad. The fact that the University of Guyana to date cannot provide a complete training in fields such as law and medicine leaves those who cannot afford foreign universities, frustrated. Additionally, one may question the lack of commitment of the UG administration to our students who are seldom encouraged to enroll in courses such as History, which, due to lack human and financial investment perhaps, do not attract a full enrollment.

Financial investment and visionary leadership at the university level may be at the source of most of the problems students face at the University of Guyana. Take for instance the Amerindian Research Unit overseen by archaeologist Louisa Daggers and anthropologist Jennifer Wishart. A recent visit to the unit revealed a severe lack of funding which hampers the practical experience of students enrolled in respective Humanities courses such as anthropology. Funding for field experience is quasi inexistent, yet, a substantial amount of time in an archaeologist’s career, is spent on the ground. In terms of reading and research material, the Amerindian Research Unit also lacks sufficient resources and depends on whatever contributions are submitted by professors, partners, well-wishers and students themselves. Considering that the University itself lacks a proper medium for exchanging with the public on the development and research of its different departments, the work of the Amerindian Research Unit remains relatively unknown to the general public, and as such can hardly optimise the enrollment of students on the coast, much less the Hinterland.

While funding for the Amerindian Research Unit is insufficient to meet the basic standards and requirements of such an academic department, the treatment and condition of our national archives tell a tale of negligence. However, it is often these archives on which depend young researchers of our University. The Parliamentary Library for example, is supposed to be the custodian for legal archives, documents often dating back to as far as the 1800s. A visit to the library would reveal what appears to be a diminished, poorly kept collection of documents in dire need of reparation and preservative measures to maintain the dry, crumbling pages. Beautiful books guarding remnants of our past legal history, allowing to assess the evolution of our rights and structure of our society since colonial times are at risk of disappearance due to neglect. A visit to the National Archives would reveal the same.

in poverty by half ahead of the 2015 deadline. While striving to reduce poverty at home, China has also actively supported the cause in other developing countries. Over the past 60 years, China has provided 166 countries and international organisations with nearly 400 billion yuan ($66 billion) in assistance. (Excerpt from Times of India)

It is no wonder that work of some of our most distinguished researchers such as R.S.M Mary Noel Menezes, are shipped abroad for preservation in foreign institutions. The successive Governments and the management of the University of Guyana have in their complacency and neglect of our history and heritage, created an unreliable structure for academics and higher learning in general, which, if not remedied, cannot substantially contribute to our advancement as a nation. Guyana in its mere 49 years cannot afford to lose whatever remains from its history, if we are to ensure that our past mistakes are avoided at the profit of our future.

(Please send question and comments to sundayarrow@gmail.com)

Carib Beer T20 Competition…

DCC seal title with 30-run win over GCC

In front a fair-size crowd, host Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) comprehensively whipped the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) by 30 runs to claim the Carib Beer T20 title on Saturday.

The target of 171 was always a huge task, and GCC lost wickets regularly against a steady bowling attack, which benefitted from the sluggish nature of the pitch.

GCC eventually reached 140-8 when their allotted 20 overs expired.

Man-of-the-Match

Sherfane Rutherford (2-8) led the attack, while Dennis Squires (2-27) and Ashmead Nedd (2-26) provided good support.

Barbadian Raymond Reifer (38), Erol Fernandes (21), Robin Bacchus (20) and Raj Nanan (17) were the only batsmen to offer any sort of resistance with the bat for the losing team.

Opting to bat first, DCC made a competitive 170 all out in 19.4 overs. Kevon Boodie led the way with a 42-ball 46, while Rutherford stroked his way to 37off 19 balls, and Kemo Paul smashed a swashbuckling 36 off 13 deliveries. The home team was 43-3 in the ninth over, after Brian Sattaur was run out for 10,

North Georgetown Inter-zone...

while Jamal Hinckson (01) and skipper Christopher Barnwell (10) were removed by left-arm spinner Devon

Yaw, Samuels impress; Zone 1 wins title

By TreisTon Joseph

outh American Youth

S400-metre record holder, Jason Yaw, dominated the North Georgetown Inter-zone Championships that concluded on Friday at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.

Yaw won a sprint triple in the Male Under-20 category 100, 200 and 400 metres to be the most outstanding male athlete.

Avon Samuels was the outstanding female in the Under-18 category with a sprint triple, winning the 100, 200 and 400 metres.

Claudrice McKoy topped the Female Under-16 category with wins in the 800, 1500 and 3000 metres, while Jeremy Garrett ran away with the 400, 800 and 1500 metres.

Matthew McKenzie was also in top form with wins in the Boys Under-20 1500 and 5000 metres, while Catyann Jones won the Female 100

Jason Yaw won a

Lord and pacer Ronsford Beaton respectively.

Boodie and Rutherford joined forces and scored briskly with some elegant stroke play. The left-hander, Rutherford, however, had slightly different ideas and struck three giant sixes in the 12th over off left-arm spinner, Anthony Adams. His obvious talent was on full display as he also struck a similar number of fours.

Boodie on the other hand, refused to remain in the shadow of Rutherford and played his part in a partnership of 66 runs in six overs.

Courts

Pee Wee…

The right-hander struck three fours and two sixes in his innings.

However, both batsmen fell in the 15th over to Leon Johnson (2-29), but their dismissal didn’t stop the righthanded Paul to unleash his fury.

Johnson was carted for 16 runs in the 17th over as Paul smashed a four and a huge six, and to cap it off, Jahron Byron sent one into the stands at long-on.

Johnson turned to Reifer, but Paul greeted him with a four and a six. Beaton returned for the penultimate

over to remove both Byron (10) and Paul, but not before the West Indies Under-19 player ended his innings in a flourish, spoiling Beaton’s figures (3-38), with a four and his third six.

At the presentation ceremony, President of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA), Roger Harper congratulated both teams on reaching the final.

Harper thanked Ansa McAl Trading for their continued support towards the development of the game in Georgetown. (rajivb@guyanatimesgy.com)

St Angela’s crush School of the Nations 10-0

By AvenAsh rAmzAn

Fresh off their 9-0 drubbing of Sophia Primary in round two, St Angela’s continued with their goal-scoring spree on Saturday by crushing School of the Nations 10-0 in the third round of the annual Courts Pee Wee football competition at the Banks DIH ground, Thirst Park.

The St Angela’s lads emerged as the standout on a sun-baked day, which produced 38 goals from 10 of the 12 games that were possible. Keyon Douglas led the offensive effort for St Angela’s, breaching the defence of the goalkeeper on four occasions.

Douglas scored in the 11th, 15th, 16th and 32nd minutes, while Antonio McArthur (7th and 18th) and Nickone Dover (12th and 20th) tucked in a double apiece.

Kenroy Cadogan and Seon Carto netted one each in the 13th and 39th minutes respectively to complement

their more successful teammates.

St Margaret’s and St Pius were also in a mood for lots of goals, both teams netting six each without conceding any.

Makhi Adams (3rd, 5th, 20th, 32nd) scored a helmettrick and Josiah King (7th and 28th) were on target for St Margaret’s over St Ambrose, while Sherwin Nelson (13th and 25th), Sherwin Jones (14th and 34th), Brandon Selman (7th) and Kishawn Fraser (40th) scored for St Pius against Rama Krishna.

The West Ruimveldt boys were 4-0 victors over J.E. Burnham, with Justin Persaud (10th), Michael Oie (15th), Delon Eastman (30th) and Tyrese Payne (38th) getting on the score sheets, while Enterprise Primary disposed of St Gabriel’s 3-0. Scoring for Enterprise were Martin King (26th), Garfield Caeser (27th) and Seon Archibald (28th).

St Agnes, on the back of goals from Daniel Pollard (6th) and Mwange Smith (23rd),

defeated Smith’s Memorial 2-0, while Tucville Primary got a similar margin of victory over Sophia Primary with Rayheem Marques (33rd) and Shaquille Sargeant (35th) scoring.

In other results, F.E. Pollard edged Marian Academy 2-1; Stella Maris needled Winfer Garden 1-0; and South Ruimveldt scored the lone goal of the game against St Stephen’s. Comenius Primary and North Georgetown got full points without breaking a sweat after their opponents, East La Penitence and St Sidwell’s respectively, failed to show up at the venue. The competition, which is sponsored by Courts (Guyana) Inc., with support from Banks DIH Limited, and coordinated by the Petra Organisation, will continue on Saturday with another 12 games in round four at the same venue. (aramzan@guyanatimesgy. com)

Sri Lanka v West Indies, 1st Test, Galle, 4th day…

Magical Herath spins Sri Lanka to innings win

Rangana Herath picked up his fifth 10-wicket match haul in Tests as Sri Lanka wrapped up victory by an innings and six runs inside the second session of day four. West Indies, who began the day two down for 67, lost eight wickets on the fourth day for the addition of 160 runs, and as in the first innings, a number of their batsmen failed to capitalise on starts. Their only consolation came from Jermaine Blackwood, who added a fleet-footed 92 to a string of eye-catching recent performances that have marked him out as a definite investment for the future.

Three of Herath’s five ten-fors have now come in Galle. Perhaps no one has understood this surface as well as him. Even Muttiah Muralitharan, who ended his career with a staggering 22 ten-fors, only achieved the feat four times here.

The pitch for this match was slow even by Galle’s standards, and none of the other spinners from both sides found a way to remain a wicket-taking threat. By attacking the stumps relentlessly and giving the batsmen no breathing space, Herath made every ball count - every subtle variation of pace and trajectory. Batsmen were in trouble nearly every time they went forward instead of back or back instead of forward, or played for turn when there was none.

West Indies began the fourth day two down, facing a deficit of 166. Perhaps they may have given themselves

hope by imagining a scenario where their nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo hung around long enough to irritate the Sri Lankans while one or two of their specialist batsmen made hundreds. As early as the fifth over of the morning, Herath knocked those visions out of their heads.

First, he sent back Bishoo, who nicked an attempted square-cut to slip. In came Marlon Samuels, and out he went first ball, but not before calling for one of the most needless reviews in the history of the DRS. Staying on the back foot to a ball from Herath he should have been on the front foot to, Samuels shouldered arms. The ball slid in with the angle and

pinged his back pad. Maybe Samuels believed the ball had struck him slightly outside the line - even then, he was offering no shot. In the event, it had struck him in line with off stump, and was destined to hit middle stump, three-fourths of the way up.

Nuwan Pradeep who had a mixed Test, was cranking up good pace and bowling a few good balls and a lot of poor ones. In the eighth over of the morning, he bowled his best ball of the match. Going around the wicket, he hit a good length in the corridor and got the ball to straighten a touch. Darren Bravo, pushing half-forward to defend, could only edge it to the keeper.

Though Sri Lanka took

four key wickets in the session, they showed evidence of a troubling over-reliance on Herath, with their backup spinners leaking runs to Jermaine Blackwood and Denesh Ramdin when the left-arm spinner left the field briefly. But the West Indies batsmen did not show the greatest appreciation of which balls to go after, and failed to make that over-reliance hurt Sri Lanka in any way.

Towards the end of day three, Kraigg Brathwaite and Darren Bravo had capitalised on Herath’s absence to take 39 runs from 11 overs bowled by Pradeep, Milinda Siriwardana and Tharindu Kaushal. Now, Siriwardana and Kaushal bowled a series of full-tosses and short balls to concede four fours in two overs to Ramdin and Blackwood.

Blackwood, looking in smooth touch, continued batting with freedom over the next few overs, using his feet to get down the track to launch Kaushal over mid-on for six and drive Siriwardana inside-out for four.

But just when the partnership was giving West Indies the merest glimmer of hope, Ramdin drove loosely at Siriwardana and nicked to second slip. Blackwood almost followed Ramdin to the dressing room in Siriwardana’s next over, edging him while trying to make room and drive despite not getting to the pitch of the ball. But Angelo Mathews, who was uncharacteristically generous at slip in this Test

Chase, Tappin to head Futsal, Beach Soccer associations

Henry Chase and Rollan Tappin have been elected president of the Guyana Futsal Association (GFA) and the Guyana Beach Soccer Association (GBSA) respectively following elections on Friday. At the GFA elections, Chase secured seven of the eight votes to win against Otis James.

Kenrick Noel will serve as first Vice-president, while the second Vice president is Mark Younge. Andrew Major is the Treasurer, with Rawle Adams performing duties as Secretary. Guyana Football Federation (GFF)

GBSA, Tappin will have Dwallon Alleyne as his first Vice-president and Adrian Alleyne as the second Vice-president.

Rashauna Rollins and Lashaun Martindale will serve as Secretary and Treasurer respectively.

Urling congratulated the executives and pledged the federation’s support to help develop the sport. Presently, Guyana’s lone established Beach Soccer facility is based in Linden

Normalisation Committee Chairman, Clinton Urling, believes the newly elected body has a huge task ahead to bring the format of Futsal to an organised

state.

Urling pledged the GFF’s support in helping the recently named elected association off the ground. Meanwhile, at the

match, spilled the deflection off Kusal Perera’s glove.

Blackwood survived through to lunch, and reached his half-century soon after. Jason Holder hung around long enough to add 36 with him for the seventh wicket before he was run out in slightly unfortunate circumstances.

Stepping out to whip Herath into the leg side, he played across the ball which deflected off his pad to Mathews at slip. Spotting Holder out of his crease, he threw down the stumps direct.

Herath then removed Kemar Roach in a replay of his first-innings dismissal. An enticingly loopy delivery, dropping just short of the batsman’s reach, a big heave and miss, and an alert Kusal Perera whipping the bails off with the batsman’s back toe on the line. When Dhammika Prasad trapped Jerome Taylor with a full,

straight ball in the next over, West Indies were nine down, with 44 still to get to avoid innings defeat.

Blackwood had only one option left - farm the strike and try to get West Indies as close as possible. Out came the dancing footwork, and he hit Herath for two fours and two sixes, all down the ground, in the space of nine balls. Rattled for once, Herath sent down a short ball, and Blackwood flat-batted it to the cover boundary. He could only do so much all by himself, though. Batting on 92 with all nine fielders on the boundary, he ran down the track to the third ball of Prasad’s over, and only managed to pick out deep extra cover. Perhaps he could have waited a couple of balls, for the field to come in and try to keep him on strike. It would have only delayed the inevitable. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka 1st innings 484 West Indies 1st innings 251 West Indies 2nd innings (following-on)

KC Brathwaite lbw b Herath 34

SD Hope b Siriwardana 6

DM Bravo c †Perera b Pradeep 31

D Bishoo c Mathews b Herath 10

MN Samuels lbw b Herath 0

J Blackwood c Silva b Prasad 92

D Ramdin† c Silva b Siriwardana 11

JO Holder* run out (Mathews) 18

KAJ Roach st †Perera b Herath 5

JE Taylor lbw b Prasad 5

ST Gabriel not out 7

Extras (lb-3, w-2, nb-3)

Total (all out; 68.3 overs) 227 Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Hope, 9.6 ov), 2-60 (Brathwaite, 23.3 ov), 3-74 (Bishoo, 31.1 ov), 4-74 (Samuels, 31.2 ov), 5-88 (Bravo, 34.6 ov), 6-136 (Ramdin, 47.1 ov), 7-172 (Holder, 59.6 ov), 8-178 (Roach, 61.2 ov), 9-189 (Taylor, 62.4 ov), 10227 (Blackwood, 68.3 ov) Bowling: KTGD Prasad 9.3-3-282 (2-nb, 2-w), HMRKB Herath 22-5-79-4, N Pradeep 14-1-281, TAM Siriwardana 12-1-60-2, PHT Kaushal 11-3-29-0 (1-nb)

8

and according Tappin, the association will be aiming to spread the sport throughout Guyana.

Marian Academy...

Over at the Enterprise ground on the East Coast of Demerara, Annandale Secondary came up against Balden Hall Multilateral. Bladen Hall Multilateral won the toss and elected to bat first, but was only able to manage 119 runs off 21.3 overs.

Bhaskar Yadram was caught at short cover for 25, while Reaz Ali and Vikash Mangru made 15 runs apiece. Bowling for Annandale Secondary, Mike Persaud took 3-8 and Tameshmar Motiram grabbed 3-17.

In reply, Annandale Secondary made heavy work of the target, reaching 122-7 runs off 21.3 overs. Mike Persaud contributed 27, and Kenduce Kooper made 16 runs.

However, Bladen Hall Multilateral greatest challenge in the field was extras, having conceded some 52, an aspect which greatly assisted Annandale Secondary to attain victory.

At Thirst Park, Houston Secondary won the toss and inserted Friendship Secondary to take first strike. Friendship Secondary made good use

from page 20

of batting first on the pitch by amassing 268-9 off the allotted 25 overs.

Orlando Ghisiawan hit 57, Lorenco O’Neil made 51, while Sunil Tulsidas supported with 39. Bowling for Houston Secondary, Shaquelle Theusdee took three wickets, while Travis George took two.

Chasing 269 for victory, the Houston Secondary lads were well placed on 106-2 at the end of the 10th over, with Paul Thomas and Jermaine Scott putting on a third wicket partnership of 75.

However, Houston Secondary was eventually dismissed for 181 in 20 overs. Paul Thomas smashed 63 and Jermaine Scott made 35.

Bowling for Friendship Secondary, Dhanpaul Bissoon grabbed six wickets to remove all hopes of a successful batting chase by Houston Secondary.

The GCB/ Banks DIH/ Digicel National Secondary School Cricket League will continue on Tuesday in the West Berbice District and on Wednesday in the Georgetown, East Coast and East Bank Districts.

England fall short in exciting draw

England had to settle for a draw after an extraordinary final session on the fifth day of the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan seemed to be cruising to a draw before debutant Adil Rashid - who returned 0-163 in the first innings - turned the match with five wickets.

Needing 99 to win, England sent out Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes in the top four.

But they were eventually beaten by the fading light, finishing 25 runs short of a famous victory on

Adil

GCB/Banks DIH/Digicel NSSCL…

74-4.

The tourists could not find the boundary frequently enough before the umpires brought the teams off, with Joe Root 33 not out.

However, this was a hugely impressive performance from England and one that will fill them with confidence ahead of the second Test in Dubai, which begins on Thursday.

After England concluded their innings on 598-9 in the morning, Pakistan looked assured at 113-3 shortly after tea, leading by 38 with seven second-innings wickets remaining.

But the match turned when veteran batsman Younis Khan, playing in his 102nd Test match, mistimed a wild heave to give Rashid his first Test wicket - caught at point by Stokes.

Rashid - whose figures in the first innings were the worst ever by a debutantthen quickly added a second victim, having Asad Shafiq caught behind for six.

The door was opened for England, and Rashid and Moeen Ali barged through it as they polished off the last five wickets for 14 runs.

Pakistan skipper Misbah ul-Haq - who had played

Marian Academy, Annandale and Friendship record wins

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) inaugural National Secondary School Cricket League (NSSCL) sponsored by Banks DIH’s Coco Cola and Rainforest Water, along with Digicel, commenced on Friday with Marian Academy, Annandale and Friendship recording victories.

At the Everest ground, Marian Academy won the toss and sent Kingston Practical Instruction Centre (PIC) into bat. The

Kingston PIC opening batsmen got off to a steady start, reaching 50 runs before Meshack Sofleigh was caught at cover for 24.

Shortly after his opening partner Keon Williams followed suit when he was caught at short midwicket for 20. The two dismissals were the genesis of a batting collapse as Kingston PIC was bowled out for 75 in the 16th over.

Bowling for Marian Academy, Jonathan Mangru took 3-20, Joshua

with restraint for his 51inexplicably aimed an uncharacteristic slog at Moeen and was bowled. Moeen then removed Wahab Riaz caught behind, before Rashid claimed the final three wickets - all superbly caught at first slip by James Anderson. England sensed an unlikely victory, but their re-organised batting order could not score quickly enough as Pakistan’s tactic of spin from both ends and fielders on the boundary brought them regular wickets. (BBC Sport)

SCOREBOARD

Sarfraz

Riaz c

Zulfiqar Babar

c

Anderson b Rashid 1 Rahat Ali not out 0 Imran Khan c Anderson b Rashid 0 Extras (b-3, lb-2, nb-2) 7 Total (all out; 57.5 overs) 173 Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Shan Masood, 2.1

85

Bairstow

b Wahab Riaz 8 BA Stokes b Shoaib Malik 57 JC Buttler† c Asad Shafiq b Zulfiqar Babar 23 AU Rashid b Imran Khan 12

Broad not out 17 JM Anderson not out 3 Extras (b-7, lb-7, w-3, nb-11) 28

Total (9 wickets dec; 206 overs) 598

Klauty 2-13, and Arvinda Gainda 3-2.

Marian Academy, set 76 to win, reached their target comfortably in the 10th of their allotted 30 overs.

Opener Mangra contributed with 29, before being bowled by medium-pacer Joel Best. Captain Gainda had a good all-round performance in the match, finishing the contest with a six to end unbeaten on 37, as Marian Academy finished on 78-1.

Fall of wickets: 1-116 (Ali, 40.2 ov), 2-281 (Bell, 105.3 ov), 3-285 (Wood, 107.4 ov), 4-426 (Root, 152.2 ov), 5-443 (Bairstow, 161.3 ov), 6-534 (Stokes, 184.1 ov), 7-549 (Cook, 190.1 ov), 8-563 (Buttler, 193.5 ov), 9-590 (Rashid, 202.4 ov) Bowling: Rahat Ali 28-1-86-1, Imran Khan 27-7-74-2, Zulfiqar Babar 72-17-183-1, Wahab Riaz 373-125-3 (11-nb, 3-w), Asad Shafiq 7-0-19-0, Shoaib Malik 35-4-97-2

Pakistan 2nd innings

Mohammad Hafeez run out (Stokes) 34

Shan Masood b Anderson 1 Shoaib Malik c Bairstow b Anderson 0 Younis Khan c Stokes b Rashid 45 Misbah-ul-Haq* b Ali 51 Asad Shafiq c †Buttler b Rashid 6

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WI v Pakistan, 1st Women’s ODI, St Lucia…

Javeria 90 lifts Pakistan women to easy win

Javeria Khan’s 131-ball 90 guided Pakistan Women to a comfortable six-wicket win against West Indies Women in the first ODI in St Lucia. Chasing 223, Javeria combined with three top-order batsmen to form substantial partnerships, as Pakistan gained a 1-0 series lead.

West Indies got off to a solid start after being asked to bat first, but lost both their openers - Kycia Knight and Hayley Matthews - in quick succession. A 37-run thirdwicket stand between captain Stafanie Taylor (27) and Deandra Dottin (19) stabilised the innings, before the hosts lost another clump of wickets as they were quickly reduced to 96-5.

However, wicketkeeper Merissa Aguilleira brought West Indies back into the match with a patient 67, and in the company of Britney Cooper, took the score past 150. The hosts managed to score 66 off the last 75 balls to end with 222-9. Four Pakistan

bowlers contributed with two wickets apiece.

The visitors began the chase smoothly, as Javeria and Marina Iqbal put on a 54run opening stand in 83 balls before Marina was bowled for 23. However, Javeria stayed firm and put up stands of 49 and 79 for the second and third

(21) and Nain Abidi (31) to guide her team closer to the target. Javeria was eventually caught off the bowling of Stacy-Ann King in the 41st over, but Nida Dar and captain Sana Mir sealed the victory with 11 deliveries to spare. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Bowling: Asmavia Iqbal 6-0-30-0 (3-w), Sania Khan 10-0-37-2 (2w), Anam Amin 8-1-33-2 (1-w), Aliya Riaz 1-0-8-0,

16 HK Matthews c †Rabiya Shah b Anam Amin 14

5-96 (Kyshona A Knight, 26.3 ov), 6-156 (Cooper, 37.3 ov), 7-205 (King, 45.6 ov), 8-205 (Mohammed, 46.2 ov), 9-211 (Smartt, 47.5 ov)

Mobile Wizards 10/10 opens today

The highly anticipated Mobile Wizards 10/10 softball tournament, which is set to ignite softball lovers in the West Demerara district, will open today at the Leonora Primary School ground.

The tournament will be declared open by Regional Chairman Julius Faeber, while welcoming remarks will be delivered by President of the Guyana Softball League Halim Khan. Also in attendance will be Vide-president Dev Hira, Executive Secretary Leonard Harprashad and representatives of the tournament sponsors.

competition started, as four teams will be chosen and pitted against each other. Teams are asked to be at the venue at 09:00h.

coming major tournament by GSL. Teams are reminded to be properly attired. Meanwhile, Georgetown and Linden have named their female team for the opening encounter.

Georgetown: Abena Parker (Captain), Amanda Bobb-Semple, Haseena Mohamed, Ceylon Daniels, Averita Larose, Joann Van Sertima, Shaneeza Saywack, Latoya Smith, Renika Isaacs, Zola Telford, Susan Davenand and Monique Benn. Linden: Remona Stellingburg (Captain), Romona Stellingburg, Zanette Da Silva, Lavern Cornelius, Basmattie Ramdeo, Sharlene Stellingburg, Dianne Cornelius, Ashanh

Linden’s females will be coming strong against their city counterparts

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The first and second matches will feature an exhibition game between Georgetown and Linden females, followed by a clash between two school boy teams in Leonora Primary and MeterMeer-Zorg Primary.

It is the third and fourth matches that will officially get

The tournament, which has attracted 31 teams so far, is seen as the revival of softball cricket in the West Demerara. The tournament will see some $100,000 in prizes, and it offers the winning team a chance to represent West Demerara in an up-

Stellingburg, Shenessa Cornelius, Sharon Cornelius, Lucila Da Silva, Kelly Porter, Shavine Joseph, Verna Lorrimer, Lyhn Cornelius and Shenika Chattergoon. (akeemg@guyanatimesgy. com)

GBC, RHTY&SC launch Busta Champion of Champions

By Rajiv Bisnauth

With the aim of high-

lighting the rich talent in the Ancient County of Berbice and the promotion of sport as an avenue for youths to be meaningfully engaged, the Guyana Beverage Company (GBC) on Friday launched the Busta Champion of Champions cricket competition at the company’s head office at Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

The tournament is organised by the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), and sponsored by the beverage company under its Busta soft drink brand.

The event, in its 12th year, is regarded by many as one of the more popular cricket events in Guyana.

At the launch, RHTY&SC CEO/Secretary, Hilbert Foster, commended the beverage company for continuing its dedication to the sport. He added that the event this year marks a special relation-

ship between the club and the GBC.

“The RHTY&SC, since its formation in September of 1990, has been blessed to be surrounded by a dedicated group of sponsors who stood by our side in and out of season, with one of them being the Guyana Beverage Company, under the dynamic leadership of Robert Selman,” Foster said.

He added, “Busta’s sponsorship clearly reflects the confidence that the company has in the organising skills of the club and it also shows the remarkable bond between two outstanding organisations.”

Representing the GBC, Managing Director, Robert Selman, said that the company was pleased to sponsor an event controlled by a committee that displays good organisational standards.

Selman informed the media that his company has confidence in the administration of the RHTY&SC, hence the continued partnership.

“This club is a model that people should look at and see how they organise their programmes and conduct themselves and if they take one page from this club they can improve the way they operate,” Selman opined.

The Managing Director said the sponsorship is part of giving back to the people of Guyana.

The tournament, as is customary, will involve eight teams. However, seven teams, namely West Berbice, Police, Blairmont Community Centre, Tucber Park, Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets, Young Warriors and Upper Corentyne, have confirmed their participation.

boss, Robert Selman, presents a jersey to President of the ECB Fizul

other

Matches will be played on a knockout basis.

The tournament will bowl off on November 14, and the winner will receive $100,000, while $50,000 will be given to the runner-up. Several individual incentives will also be up for grabs.

The company on Friday also renewed its partnership with the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) and Enterprise Busta Sports Club (EBSC). Selman disclosed at the conclusion of the three tournaments, the winning teams will play each other in a tournament at the Enterprise Community Centre ground. (rajivb@guyanatimesgy. com)

Commander Hicken is new GFA President

“A” Division Commander of the Guyana Police Force, Clifton Hicken, was on Saturday elected to head the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) following the Annual General Meeting at the Sleepin International Hotel on Brickdam.

Hicken was up against former Guyana Football Federation President, Christopher Matthias, who cited discrepancies in the voting process and withdrew his slate.

After being elevated to the post, Hicken expressed gratitude to the affiliates for allowing him to serve as head of the body.

“Today I want to express my appreciation to the football clubs that expressed confidence in me and elected me to the helm of the Georgetown Football Association,” he said.

Hicken added, “I’m not a boss; I’m a leader and I promise that collectively we will make decisions towards the development of the sport.” Meanwhile, Matthias said his decision to withdraw from the process came after he realised the process was flawed. The former GFF head claimed that four clubs had breached Article 14 of the GFF Constitution, and he wished not to participate in the process.

National volleyballers return from SA Championship –

The national Men’s volleyball team recently returned from the Senior South American Volleyball Championship in Maceio, Brazil, where they failed to record a victory against the teams in Group B before losing their seventh place playoff encounter against Peru.

Having returned to international volleyball after more than a decade, the local men matched up respectably against the more seasoned teams in their group, opening their campaign against Argentina, who is currently rated sixth in the world.

Despite losing all their matches in straight sets (30), the Guyanese managed to return respectable score lines in most of their games, even managing to show from time to time that they were capable of defeating some of the lower rated teams.

In their third group match against Uruguay, there was very little separating the levels of the two teams as Uruguay was made to fight hard for every point before Guyana eventually stumbled just before the finish line in two of the sets that they lost

25-23 and 25-21.

In their seventh place playoff match against Peru, the storyline was quite similar as the Guyanese again pushed Peru to the point that the frustration was evident on their coach’s face as he struggled to make the correct substitutions to finally overcome Guyana.

Expressing his overall satisfaction with the team’s performance at the tournament, President of the Guyana Volleyball Federation, John Flores, explained that he understands the difference in the levels of play and exposure between Guyana and all the other volleyball nations in South America.

Flores said that to witness the Guyanese stand up commendably against teams who are funded to the level that they are able to train and compete at multiple international engagements every year, gives him hope and motivation that in the not so distant future, Guyana will be able to be more competitive at high level international tournaments.

He also used the opportunity to thank the government

and all other persons and entities that contributed along the way to ensuring the team’s participation at the tournament, as he urged corporate Guyana to begin throwing its weight behind local volleyball. Flores also made mention of the relationship his Federation has developed with Tradewind Tankers, through the Guyana Oil Company Limited (Guyoil), whom he commended for their continued contribution to local volleyball.

Tradewind Tankers is the shipping company used by Guyoil to transport fuel to Guyana and this year, for the fifth consecutive year, they have committed to sponsoring the biggest volleyball tournament on the Guyana Volleyball Federation’s calendar.

For the past three years, the tournament has brought top clubs from Suriname, Trinidad and Brazil to Guyana for the year-end event. This year’s Tradewind Tankers tournament is expected to be launched this week where all the details will be revealed to the public.

sunday, october 18, 2015

Guyana Softball Cup 5…

Steve’s Jewellery continues tradition with MVP prizes

One of Guyana’s leading jewellers, Steve’s Jewellery, has renewed its commitment to the country’s premier softball competition, the Guyana Softball Cup, by once again providing the much soughtafter Most Valuable Player prize.

Two beautiful gold and diamond bracelets, which have become quite iconic of the Guyana Softball Cup, will once again be at stake in the fifth edition of the tournament, owing to the generosity of the Church Street-based jewellery establishment.

The MVP of both the Open and Masters categories will have their wrist adorned with the intricately crafted pieces, which were presented to officials of the competition’s organising

body, the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA), by proprietor of Steve’s Jewellery, Steve Naraine, on Saturday.

According to Naraine, the two bracelets have been created using Guyana’s finest minerals, and the lucky players can be assured of being in possession of a quality piece of jewellery.

A former president of the GFSCA, Naraine said his company will continue to support the Guyana Softball Cup, which will be held from October 30 to November 1 this year, featuring top local and foreign teams.

He wished the players well in their endeavours to cop the coveted MVP award, while he also expressed confidence that the tournament will be another huge success.

Michael Parris to be honoured in Russia

Guyana has tremendous sporting talent, but in some cases those persons are not recognised for their efforts.

One such person is boxing champion Michael Parris, Guyana’s lone Olympic medallist, who will be travelling to Moscow, Russia, where he will be honoured by the World Olympic Association and the Russian Olympic Committee.

While in Russia, Parris will also attend the World Olympians Forum (WOF).

The Minister within the Ministry of Education, Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, Nicolette Henry met with Parris on Friday at her office. While there, the Minister hailed Parris’ accomplishment.

Thirty-five years ago, Parris won a bronze medal at the 1980 Olympics held in Russia, competing in the bantamweight boxing category.

Minister Henry shared some of the plans for Guyana’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations, which will see a special feature on Guyana’s outstanding sport personalities.

They also discussed Parris’ participation as a

The two gold and diamond bracelets that would be up for grabs month-end

GFSCA executive member Dharam Persaud said the association is extremely grateful for the contribution from Steve’s Jewellery, noting that such a prestigious MVP prize can only serve to inspire the players to perform to their full potential.

Persaud noted that the Naraine has always been a staunch supporter of softball cricket, and the Guyana

Softball Cup in particular, ever since its inception in 2011.

The GFSCA official also used the opportunity to encourage members of the public to witness the games, adding that there will be lots of giveaways for spectators on the day of the finals, November 1, at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground, Queenstown.

Meanwhile, Vicepresident of the GFSCA, Ricky Deonarain, in giving an update on preparations on Saturday, pointed out that all systems are falling into place, and another successful competition is in the making.

He revealed that a total of 24 teams will compete in the two categories, including top teams from North America, who are expected to arrive in Guyana shortly.

The Guyana Softball Cup commenced in 2011 and instantly became a hit with players and fans alike, attracting massive crowds and also putting some hard earned cash in the pockets of those who entertain with bat and ball on the field.

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

The champion team in the Men’s Open is guaranteed a whopping $800,000 first prize and a huge trophy, while the losing finalist will have to settle for $200,000 and a trophy. In the Masters’ division, the winning team will pocket $600,000 with the runner-up assured of $150,000. The Man-of-theMatch in both finals will receive a trophy.

On the day of the final, apart from three return tickets to Barbados, compliments of Survival Travel Agency, there will be lots of hampers and giveaways for spectators.

Wolf’s Warriors and Floodlights are the defending champions of the Open and Masters categories, while the previous champions were Trophy Stall (Open) and New York Better Hope (Masters) in 2013, NYSCL New York (Open) and Savage Masters in 2012 and Cotton Field Wild Oats (Open) and Regal Seniors (Masters) in 2011.

role model and mentor to Guyana’s youth. In this regard, Minister Henry assured that she will be engaging him in the promotion of positive lifestyles.

Earlier this year, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) honoured Parris by naming its nursery after him.

With regards to the WOF, Parris noted that assistance will be sought for those Guyanese Olympic veterans, who are in need of support to improve their wellbeing.

The WOF, which is scheduled for October 2022, brings together 143 Olympic Associations, Olympians, representatives of the International Olympic Committee together with the Olympic family, governments, and other key stakeholders to share best practices and discuss the topics of greatest concern of Olympians.

The forum is also a platform that brings together the key figures from the Olympic family to promote the Olympic values and to discuss and debate the key issues for Olympians and the Olympic Movement around the globe.