Guyana Times Daily

SBDF to disburse $500M in loans this year

The Small Business Development Finance (SBDF) Trust Inc is looking to increase its loan disbursement this year to over $500 million as it seeks to help another 70 families

in starting up small enterprises, which it said are gateways out of poverty.

Speaking at the body’s 11th Annual General Meeting on Monday, SBDF Chairman Sattaur Gafoor said the Trust has been able to generate in excess of $30 million over the past year and all their debt payments are up to date.

“There is no doubt, therefore, that SBDF has grown into a strong institution with the capacity of honouring its financial and developmental responsibilities.”

For 2013, the Chairman said the company’s performance can be termed as reasonably good with almost 600 loans dispensed to the value of $440,204,000. In moving forward, the Chairman said the company’s vision for this new year is to help another 700 families to the tune of $550 million. “This would empower small men and women to gain confidence, think ahead, and live with dignity and economic security.” In addition, Gafoor said the company has developed a strategic plan for the next five years dur-

ating for the past 11 years, and has been providing financial assistance to persons for the expansion and opening of small and medium-scale businesses.

Delivering the feature address, President Donald Ramotar congratulated the management and staff of the SBDF for achieving yet another successful year. “I want to thank them for their committed services they provide to their clients, including small producers, retailers, and consumers in Guyana.”

The President said in providing these services, the Trust contributes greatly in supporting the economy and the general development of Guyana. “For too long, the contribution of economic growth and development of small enterprises and mediumscale enterprises has been overlooked or not acknowledged in many places, including our own country. Today, I wish to record the Administration’s appreciation for the continuing role of the small enterprise sector in our economy.”

According to President Ramotar, in today’s soci-

“Job creation has been the most signal contribution of small and medium-scale enterprises to economies of many countries. In the European Union, as much as two-thirds of the workforce is employed in small and medium-scale enterprises.”

The President highlighted the many benefits of small businesses, noting

tant as major pull factors, but for the sustainability of economic development, it has been proven that it is in the hands of small and medium-scale businesses.

“The economic function that small businesses serve is that they are incubators of entrepreneurial talents; for instance, if you look at some of the huge wealth that exists in our

ing which it hopes to help 4000 families, to develop their capital resources and human resources with suitable technologies. The SBDF has been oper-

ety there is a proliferation of small businesses and small enterprises that are producing goods, services and creating employment for thousands of Guyanese.

that it is this very same sector that is currently playing an integral role in the economic recovery of the United States of America.

“This is the vital role small businesses play both in the good and challenging economic times, they are extremely important and very valued. Another economic benefit of small businesses is the contribution they make to sustaining economic growth.”

However, the President said while small and medium-scale businesses play their role, all businesses are important as all activities contribute to the creation of wealth and improving services. Big businesses are very impor-

world today, some of them started out in garages… it also shows that with technology and with some assistance provided by some organisations like this one (SBDF) can leapfrog from being very small to being extremely huge.”

Complacent

The Head of State called on the owners of small and medium-scale businesses to keep up the good work, but implored them not to become complacent and to ensure quality by maintaining high-quality services and products. “Do not allow quality to slip, the need for maintaining quality and to build a reputation is important to any business, do not compromise on quality.”

In addition, the Head

of State noted that while the country and its industries are progressing, he is of the opinion that much more can be done.

“Small businesses, therefore, have a crucial role to play in any economy. They are the drivers of employment and they help greatly in sustaining growth, they incubate entrepreneurial talents and they reduce economic exclusion.

They are vitally important to economic development, yet if you examine the loan portfolio of many commercial banking institutions, you will find that there has always been a strong emphasis on lending to corporate and largescale investors. However, that trend is beginning to change and many commercial banks now are tapping into small-scale lending such as offering retail loans and loans to small and medium-scale entrepreneurs.”

The President spoke of the need for the application of modern science and technology in the business sector and this is where micro-financing agencies come in. “You need to access finance for those small businesses that will either remain unfinanced or underfinanced. This access to finance or those who often find themselves outside of the reach of the commercial banks is an important contribution that micro-financing institutions play within an economy. He said may be the time has come to look at how other financing institutions can form partnerships.

Support for small businesses

President Ramotar said Government has long recognised the constraints to small business development, hence the piloting of a Small Business Act in 2004, which provides legislative architecture to develop the small business sector.

Then there was the establishment of the micro small enterprise development project, which is funded under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and which is aimed at providing financing and support, including grants and support for collateral for micro and small businesses.

“We have, therefore, been engaged in promoting small business development, as well as in assisting those institutions that do the same and will continue to do so; our doors are always open for more ideas and more cooperation with institutions.”

BRIDGE OPENINGS

Witness alleges at Rodney CoI

“30 executed”

... by PNC-era death squad

By Tajeram mohaBir

The third session of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI) opened on Monday with former Policeman Robert Gates disclosing that around 30 persons were executed by a death squad that operated under the Guyana Police Force (GPF) during the 1977-1980 Forbes Burnham-led People’s National Congress (PNC) Administration.

Taking the stand and speaking to a rapt audience, Gates continued his testimony from the second session during which he had told the Commission of his involvement in a plan to kill Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Co-founder, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, the involvement of Gregory Smith to kill Dr Walter Rodney, and Smith’s escape plan. The former Police Constable revealed that killings were carried out by the Execution Branch of the Death Squad.

The witness, who was a member of the Execution Branch, said about 12 of the executions were extra-judicial killings, contending that the deaths of WPA activists Edward Dublin and Ohene Koama were politically motivated.

According to Gates, it was likely that the instructions to kill particularly the two WPA activists were the orders of then Crime Chief Cecil “Skip” Roberts, who most likely was executing the instructions of then President Forbes Burnham, as both Roberts and then Deputy Police Commissioner Laurie Lewis reported directly to Burnham.

He said both Dublin and Koama were under intense surveillance by the Burnham Administration as they were believed to have been accumulating arms and ammunition to overthrow the PNC Government.

Gates told the Commission that by 1980, the Intelligence Unit of the GPF had evolved into a Special Unit, gathering information against the political Opposition. The witness, who said that in the line of duty, he was required to report to Lewis from time to time, noted that the WPA was seen

as a special interest group of the PNC Administration and various state agencies furnished information to Lewis. He related that back then, the GPF and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) planted moles to infiltrate Opposition political parties, noting that Gregory Smith, the GDF Sergeant accused of assassinating Dr Rodney, was a mole of the Army.

The moles, he said, were required to plant eavesdropping devices in the homes of opponents and key Opposition political activists. He revealed that one of these devices was placed by him in Dr Roopnaraine’s car and another was placed in the conference area of the WPA office. Gates said the devices were provided by a former KGB Officer, a Caucasian man with an accent, whose name was given as Brazhned. The devices were not available in local stores.

Technical consultant

The KGB Officer, who stayed at the Pegasus Hotel, was hired by the PNC Government as a technical consultant, Gates said, and both him and Smith met with the Russian agent on several occasions to discuss their plans. Their meetings with the KGB Officer lasted for three months and happened on a

“need-to-know basis”.

He said Smith was instructed to infiltrate the WPA as a radio technician, probably because Dr Rodney had an interest in a long-distance communication instrument. Smith, he reiterated, was in constant contact with Lewis and Army Chief-of-Staff Norman Mc Lean and the goal was to carry out the assassination by “blowing off the head of the victim”.

Gates was instructed to kill Dr Roopnaraine in a similar manner during a shooting exercise, but he scuttled the plan, because of his close association with the WPA leader. The plan to kill Dr Rodney was executed, through a walkie-talkie, which was given to Dr Rodney by Smith, who was provided with the instrument by the KGB agent, Gates said.

Dr Rodney’s brother, Donald, was subsequently implicated in his brother’s death, and charged for possession of explosives. According to Gates, Donald Rodney was charged by Detective Constable Leslie Stafford, who was doing the bidding of Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ignatius McRae, who was in charge of the investigations. Gates told the Inquiry that McRae, who was the brother-in-law of “Skip” Roberts,

reported directly to Roberts. He said Donald Rodney was made a scapegoat in his brother’s death, and he strongly believes that Dr Walter Rodney was killed on the instruction of President Burnham and the command was carried out by Lewis and Roberts.

Meteoric rise

Roberts, he said, was entrusted with a lot of extraordinary duties, and because of his loyalty to the then PNC Government, he enjoyed a meteoric rise in the Force. Gates also told the Commission that contrary to what was said by Mc Lean, he (Mc Lean) met Smith, and Smith was not a deserter, but a serving member of the Army at the time of Dr Rodney’s death.

He said too that a Police Officer named Chichester, also called “Chico”, provided him with a salary for his infiltration activities, and when he enquired where the money came from, he was told by Chichester that it came through the National Development Ministry.

Gates, under cross-examination by Attorney Keith Scotland, who is representing the interest of Donald Rodney, said he was paid separately for his infiltration activities, in hard cash, while still a contentious member of the Police Force.

He clarified that at the time, he was given a bogus dismissal letter, which was not signed, largely because he was carrying out the infiltration bidding of his Police “bosses”. Under sharp probing by Attorney Scotland, Gates said the Police Force then was in the habit of issuing false documents.

The witness said the nature of his job prevented him from visiting the Police Station to collect his pay, but noted that as a Constable, he was paid an extra $500 on his $350 monthly salary, which together was equivalent to the salary of a Superintendent.

Editor: Nigel Williams

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

The US in Iraq

To use an American expression, the US is between a rock and a hard place in Iraq. After a decade of fierce fighting that took thousands of American lives; tens of thousands of mangled bodies; and a trillion dollars expended, last week President Obama committed 300 new “advisors” into the country and deployed naval forces that will be able to carry out “targeted and precise” strikes. If it sounds eerily like the beginning of the Vietnam War, then there are a host of folks that believe the similarities are too close for comfort.

In his speech announcing the manoeuvre, President Obama reiterated the US’ interest in bringing “stability” in general to the Middle East and, in particular, establishing an “inclusive” Government in Iraq. These were practically the same goals that President Bush articulated when he went on to extend the war from its initial goal of removing “weapons of mass destruction” from the country. Bush had been somewhat less precise in calling for the establishment of “democracy”.

It would appear that with the successes of the forces ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) – Obama referred to them as ISIL – Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), at least one of the nuances of the Middle East – its multiethnic and multireligious nature has been discovered as needing attention.

ISIS/ISIL is a Sunni agglomeration that is successor to Al Qaida and one that has the support of vast swathes of the Sunni population of Iraq that feel marginalised and dominated by the Shia-dominated Government that was backed by the US Government.

That ISIS/ISIL is also heavily infiltrated and influenced by the remnants of Saddam Hussein’s Baathist political and military forces, and is not an inconsequential factor. Their stunning success, however, unlike what the alarmists are trumpeting, will not result in the fall of Shia dominated and controlled Baghdad or other Shia majority areas. But what it does appear to presage is the achievement of ISIS’ goal to obliterate the “artificial” boundaries imposed on the old Ottoman Empire, by Britain and France.

The present Government will not be able to dislodge ISIS/ ISIL from its Shia conquests including oil-rich Mosul. Most believe that Iraq will fission into Sunni, Shia and Kurdish enclaves, held together at best by a weak Federal State, or at worst, independent states. Syria has already been fissioned into Shia (Alawite) and Sunni areas and there now is the distinct possibility of the reinstatement of the Caliphate stretching from the borders of Iran to the Mediterranean.

The same hawks who encouraged Bush to invade Iraq to eliminate the non-existent “weapons of mass destruction” are pushing for another massive invasion of Iraq to eliminate ISIS/ISIL. They are also the same crowd that supported the forces against Assad in Syria. What the hawks ignore is that such a strategy would require the Americans to support Shias in Iraq and Sunnis (whose veterans dominate ISIS/ISIL) in Syria. The hawks have not yet learned to appreciate local nuances.

But this large-scale invasion option is very unlikely, since the vast majority of Americans are opposed to it. What remains then is the partition/federalism option. But the fly in this particular option is it would need the blessings of Shia Iran, the sponsor and backer of the Shia cause in the entire Middle East. After the failure of the talks on Iran’s push for nuclear capabilities, it was a surprise to many to learn that the US has already been speaking to Iran on this topic.

While Iran remains a touchy subject in the US foreign policy establishment – not least because of the powerful Israeli lobby that is adamantly opposed to Iran – it would appear that certain inevitabilities are beginning to be recognised. One of these, as we stressed earlier, is that in the end, local concerns will trump external ones.

UG’s top 25 law graduates and a local law school

Dear Editor,

Our great son of the Caribbean, Grenada-born economist and former Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Sir Meredith Alister McIntyre said that “the idea of integration is the most persuasive idea in developmental policy since the Second World War”.

That integration was seriously tested in recent months especially when University of Guyana (UG) students at law learnt that they would not be offered places at Hugh Wooding School of Law (HWLS) this year.

A letter from Dr Ralph Gonsalves, the Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community to the Chairperson of the Council for Legal Education (CLE), Jacqueline SamuelsBrown read, “It is also of tremendous concern that, in the current scenario, admission to the practice of law in the CLE member countries is restricted to the graduates of one institution.”

However, we were of happy consequence when a few days ago we learnt that UG’s top 25 law students would be allowed automatic placements for 2014. The Government of Guyana no doubt had spared no effort in ensuring the decision of the last few months was reversed and the arrangement of old even saw gains in the additional 10 automatic places being offered to our students of the Caribbean Community who study law with us.

A big ‘thank you’ to Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall and our very own Head of the Department of Law at UG, Sheldon McDonald; and all the other personnel for the tireless efforts that you all brought to bear on the task.

However, even as we celebrate the moment, and a special moment it is to quell our frustrations and set us on our chosen career course, deep thought must turn to those who will not be able to go to HWLS though holders of a Bachelor-of-Law Degree from UG this year and over the years.

This is because the system put in place to administer legal education in the Region instead seeks systematically to restrict access to their institutions even by entry examination requirements, noting also that there has been no mention in this dispensation of the fate of the 2015 and 2016 batch of law students at UG. This is the age of integration but instead “quotas” and “available places” and “space requirement” rule the day.

This is unacceptable. It cannot be business as usual. The Honourable Errol Barrow of Barbados articulated it elegantly in the era of 1953 when our Constitution was suspended and in the words of our late great poet Martin Carter, “the shining sun was hidden in the sky and red flowers bent their heads in awful sorrow”.

Prime Minister Barrow said, “No nation, however powerful, can draw up an indictment against an entire

people.” I dare say no institution, however powerful, should be allowed to do the same either.

I find myself again in concurrence with the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago whose position is clear that, “The failure of the institutions to anticipate and meet the demand for legal education has seriously prejudiced the legal systems of the Caribbean and has seriously disadvantaged the current generation of young aspiring lawyers.”

Even as UG reconsiders the rate at which its tuition fees is offered and engages in the many changes being embraced in the many quarters of the institution, it is more than ample time for a national discussion about the place of our beloved intuition in our society and its many academic offerings including legal education.

The distinguished Simeon CR McIntosh, Professor of Jurisprudence at UWI, Cavehill, on the subject of legal education and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) says that, “We must concern ourselves with the form of intellectual, legal and political culture in which the university might function at its best. And this begins with the postulation of an ideal conception of legal education, a notion of its essential purpose and its distinctive excellence.

“But to conceive of the study of law, not as a form of apprenticeship as in years gone by, but rather as a university discipline, is to locate the university itself at the centre of society and to

inquire as to its essential purpose in the life of the nation.

“In other words, following Professor Charles Anderson of the University of Wisconsin, we should begin our query about legal education by thinking broadly about the work of the university as a whole, about what holds it together, about what comprehensible sense of central mission can conceivably integrate its diverse activities and this very quest, it is submitted, is an exercise in practical reason: a matter of being acutely self-conscious about our ideas of the purpose of a human enterprise and about the practices we institute to achieve them.”

The salacious idea of a local law school is not one, with all the signs of the times, which can be too long resisted. A local law school should never mean we are anti-integration but instead such a school is to better prepare us as citizens of the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

Until that day when we believe again that our own children have a right like the integration movement to go from potential to performance, and we as a nation retake our rightful place in this process, refusing to delegate the responsibility of our own education.

The dreams our children conjure and the hopes we harbour of the greatness of our people will remain but a fleeting illusion to be pursued but never attained.

Sincerely, Sherod Avery Duncan

A public example should be made of this man

Dear Editor,

A father and his son from North Road, Georgetown were reportedly last week’s latest drug busts at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Timehri. At the time of their arrest, they were outgoing passengers bound for the lucrative North American drug market.

The USA destination in recent times has become a haven for drug smuggling activities with persons doing practically anything conceivable to sell the white stuff. In this case, a father utilises his son to transact “business”. Not even delving further into the matter, I would forthrightly recommend a stiff penalty of not less than 20 years for this father, if found guilty.

A public example should be made of this man to send a clear message that you cannot as an irresponsible adult live a normal life by destroying that of your son. It will also have the dual effect of putting the perpetrators or masterminds behind these ghastly acts in their rightful places.

I guarantee you this was not the first time this father has used his son as a courier

to perpetrate his nefarious activities. Of course the youngster was kind of uncomfortable with the idea of going it alone on other occasions, but this time must have impressed upon the father to accompany him.

He would have been tired of the risks taken before knowing fully well that his entire life can be shattered at any time if only a keen drug enforcement official had laid hold of him. Now that the mastermind is in custody then, we should let him spend the maximum time in prison.

Ironically, at a time when we are celebrating the gift of fathers – is this the “best” gift this father has for his son?

If I were the presiding Magistrate, I would double the father’s time of incarceration, 10 years for himself and another 10 for his son; for destroying his future and poisoning the young impressionable mind of the youth.

This father should face the full brunt of the law. A youthful mind can be easily influenced, and forcefully so by his own father. So I rest my case.

Now let me relate to you a similar situation that occurred

some years ago at a Miami airport.

A Jamaican teenager was intercepted at the American airport trying to smuggle a large quantity of cocaine into that country. She was a mere schoolgirl of 16 years caught in the act when she should have been in school.

You see, the drug barons of the day were taking advantage of the closeness of Jamaica to the USA – one can make a trip to the USA and return to Jamaica within hours.

At the same time, he was utilising the services of some gullible schoolgirls who wanted to live the “high life” of drug smuggling. She was not so lucky this time because the anti-narcotics agents in Miami caught her red handed.

Try fancying the thought of the parents receiving a call from immigration officials that their daughter had been charged for trafficking drugs in another country.

The parents of the youngster could not believe what immigration officials were telling them of their daughter being in Miami when they knew for a fact that their daughter was supposed to have been at

A word to my fellow road users

Dear Editor, In light of the recent mayhem that has been occurring on our roads, accidents have claimed the lives of approximately 52 persons and have seriously injured a number of persons thus far for the year of 2014.

In this regard, the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) is once again appealing and urging all road users to be more responsible in our day-to-day activities on our roadways to help put an end to this pandemonium. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of serious road accidents in and around the city, in outlying areas and in other regions of our country, mainly due to speeding, recklessness and Driving Under the Influence (DUI), which reflects total neglect of our traffic laws. Another habitual blunder by

many vehicular drivers and motorcyclists is total disregard for the five Cs: Care, Courtesy, Consideration, Caution and Common sense

Blatant disregard for traffic laws and traffic advisories are the major contributing factors for road accidents which we, as responsible

school in Montego Bay.

However, they had to admit the fact as the truth gradually settled in. The most distressing part of this story is the fact that the schoolgirl could not reveal the name of the guy she was working for, reasons being those parents would have been dealt with swiftly as they say in Jamaican parlance “awe dust the gaal family”; “dust” meaning kill as in “dust to dust” used at funerals. In this regard, she had to suffer the consequences alone.

The Guyana situation is different, we have the father who is the mastermind and he should face the full weight of the law. On the other hand, I would have his son enrolled in community service and a rigorous counselling programme.

A sterner punishment would have been classified as wasting the years of an otherwise productive youth at the behest of a hardened criminal father. This is the time for the court to exercise its better judgment by exploring the possibilities of leniency and compassion.

Sincerely, Neil

Adams

Fellow road users, please be advised that the reduction of road accidents can only be achieved with your input. So again, the GNRSC is pleading with all road users and responsible Guyanese to join with us in our campaign to help stop the road carnage by

No one asked any question about gay marriage

Dear Editor, The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) is grateful for the media coverage of the panel discussion on mental health issues held on June 17, as part of our 10th annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) film festival, Painting the Spectrum 10.

However, I am writing to correct an inaccurate section of the report titled, “Gays more prone to commit suicide – Dr (Faith) Harding,” which appeared in Guyana Times newspaper dated June 19.

The report stated firstly that the following question was posited: “Were you President of Guyana and a Bill to legalise gay marriage…” and secondly that: “One member of the audience, who sprang to his feet, passionately declaring that it is wrong for the Government or any constitutional body to deny the LGBTI (I= inter-sex) community the right to marriage when the same right is afforded to heterosexual couples.”

We wish to state that neither of these statements were made during the panel discussion.

The discussion centred on mental health issues, particularly depression and suicide, and how anti-LGBT laws contribute to Guyana’s repressive environment which causes these mental health issues.

The discriminatory laws which were discussed are the laws criminalising samesex intimacy and cross-gender dressing. No one asked any question about gay marriage nor did the panel or any member of the audience comment about gay marriage in their contributions to the discussion.

SASOD is happy to make available an unedited audio recording of last Tuesday evening’s panel event should any media house require it for accurate reporting of the discussions as they transpired.

Yours faithfully, Schemel Patrick Advocacy and Communications Officer SASOD

Shortage of public health services in Region Two

Dear Editor,

when using the roads. Major accidents have resulted in loss of lives and serious disability to persons involved. Almost all accidents impacted financially on our economy and have distressed all parties involved, both emotionally and physically. Also, serious accidents have significantly disturbed the social welfare of all the affected families.

Guyanese, are desperately trying to reduce substantially.

Pedestrians and cyclists are also to be blamed for their carefree and sloppy attitudes when using the roadways. These behaviours should be discontinued immediately to put an end to some of these needless road crashes and deaths. These victims didn’t deserve to die.

correcting the careless ways we use our roads and by adhering to the road safety and traffic laws to make our streets and roads safer.

Road safety is everybody’s business. Remember, if it is important to you, you will find a way, if it is not, you will find an excuse.

Sincerely, GNRSC

Citizens must demand more effective leadership

Dear Editor,

The failure to pass the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Finance of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill exposes a glaring lack of effective political leadership and validates concerns about the country’s pernicious political leadership crisis.

One would have assumed that after all the gamesmanship, posturing and rhetoric our political policymakers, at both the executive and legislative levels, would have buckled down to pass this important legislation. After all, it is only our country’s international reputation and economic and social well-being which are endangered.

We could not have been more wrong as a people, as this

whole episode solidly confirms why one should never make assumptions. In a few days, Guyana will be hit with sanctions and countermeasures by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and a series of actions detrimental to the overall health of our financial and economic systems will follow.

Days after the announcement of the international ‘blacklisting’, the propaganda and rhetorical thumping machineries of both the Government and Opposition political parties will become loud and the finger pointing will go as far as to poke each other in the eyes.

While this theatre plays out, ordinary citizens will be left to ponder what the eventual consequences will mean to them. Regrettably, some will

be sucked into the blame game and choose sides based on whose argument they believe.

However, the truth is that both the Government and Opposition are to blame for this failure. The Government, through the Office of the President, should have demonstrated an ‘at-all-cost’ spirit to negotiate and offer concessions to the Opposition to ensure a middle ground solution was arrived at, but in the end, the blame game emerged more disturbingly as the more desirable route.

The Opposition also deliberately squandered the moment. Holding the majority in Parliament, it could have moved the Bill from the Select Committee level, passed it on the House floor and sent the

Bill to the President for his assent.

This was made easier when the Chairwoman and the Executive Director of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) offered to lend any technical assistance to the Bill’s sponsors to ensure the finished product would have complied with FATF standards.

This suggests that our political leaders are failing in their leadership responsibilities to get things done in the people’s best interest. It is time our citizens take the floor in demanding more effective leadership.

Sincerely, Clinton Urling Blue CAPS

I wish to apprise you of a condition and a breeding ground for the Chikungunya virus which exists at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast (address provided). A resident has cultivated her complete yard with canes, which are now infested with mosquitoes and flying insects.

Several complaints were made to the health officials at Suddie, the Anna Regina Interim Management Committee (IMC), and the Regional Administration of Region Two, but no one seems interested.

The municipality is responsible for public health matters in the township of Anna Regina, but there has been no interest shown by the Regional Administration and councillors of the IMC.

With no fogging being carried out, there is a desperate shortage of conventional public health inspector services in the region, and possibilities for Chikungunya infection are high. As with all forms of drugs like DDT, preventative care is important against the disease.

Yet, many health inspectors and the Health Ministry at Suddie do not have access to the drugs, a fogging machine and other treatments that could prevent illness and death, which are threat-

ening the lives of my family and two babies.

The presence of Chikungunya disease has severe implications. My children have high fever. Increased incidence of this disease is very possible.

With the burden of a parent handicapped by not getting help from the relevant authorities, the family and the community at large are always enormous. Whether the matter be a physical or mental one, it always ends up being an emotional and financial drain.

Statistically, the population of infested mosquitoes is growing and the health inspectors are turning a blind eye to this serious disease. Guyana and Essequibo can ill afford this situation. From the date of my complaints, I have been in a constant battle to get help from these health inspectors.

Specifically, I was taken through a lengthy and frustrating period with the regional public health officials at Suddie and Anna Regina to get someone to visit this infested yard and take the appropriate action.

Yours faithfully, Rita (only name provided)

A parent’s guide:

Coping with your child’s scoliosis

BY

Have a positive attitude

It’s long been a scientific fact that a patient’s attitude strongly affects their recovery. Pessimistic attitudes may prolong the recovery process, render it more painful and more frustrating, both for the patient and for the caregiver. A positive attitude will also give the patient the will to accept their situation and hasten recovery from whatever treatment is required.

However, it’s not just the child’s responsibility to be positive. You, as their parent, must maintain a good attitude and be as patient with them as possible. When your child is feeling down, as is very normal, it’s your job to uplift them and encourage them. Being patient with their mood swings will help them regain a positive attitude, and you being positive sets a good example.

Encouragement

Encouragement is different from being positive. Encouraging someone assures them that they’re doing well and gives them hope for more progress later. When your child is feeling as though he’s not making any progress, point out how far he’s come. Talk to them about specific things that they can do now, that they couldn’t do before. Many children are encouraged by the positive aspects of their scoliosis surgery such as the fact that they are tall-

er, and they no longer have a big bump on their back. Taking some photographs before surgery and looking at the result afterwards is helpful. Reviewing di ary entries from before the surgery may help them relive the difficul ties they were having before, and compare them to their current situation.

Have an appropriate sense of humour

Scoliosis surgery is not a laughing matter. However, a bit of humour is a great way to lighten up your child’s moods if they’re feeling down as long as you’re sensi tive. Even well intentioned remarks can be misinterpreted. It’s emo tionally trying coping with scoliosis or its treatment, without everyone mak ing jokes at their expense. However, it is always a positive experience if you can find a bit of humour in an otherwise difficult situation.

Coping with the prospect of surgery “It came as no surprise after seeing the X-ray that Michelle would need surgery,” remembers Laureen. Rather than accept the idea without question, Michelle and her mom began to read

recorded everything that she learned about her condition. We collected pictures of her back, her X-ray, relevant printouts from various websites that we found helpful. We read books from the library and our surgeon lent Michelle a book written by a teenager with scoliosis, and this was helpful in broadening her understanding of her condition.” In this way, Michelle’s own story

ly felt very prepared to face her upcoming surgery. When the day of surgery arrived, many of their fears about surgery had been addressed by their search for credible information about scoliosis.

Surgery

The day for surgery arrived before they knew it, but they felt prepared. “I was pretty nervous when I arrived at the hospital,”

“Reaching

new heights through integration and partnership with education and social sectors”

Vocational Training focuses on equipping persons with disabilities with viable skills and education in order to be self-reliant in society. These skills involve technical, scientific and traditional cottage orientation inclusive of electrical and automotive repairs, Information Technology, carpentry and sewing that all allow individuals to earn an income.

Entry to the vocational school for persons with disabilities:

* Are you 16 years and over and have a disability?

* Want to learn a skill?

Enrol now at the Open Doors Centre Health Ministry compound C Field Sophia, Georgetown.

Courses being offered:

* Information Technology (IT)

* Garment construction/craft

* Carpentry/joinery

* Electronics/electrical installation

For more information, please call telephone numbers 219-2738 or 219-2753.

recalls Michelle, “but they gave me some medicine that made me feel pretty goofy. The only time I remember being really scared was when they wheeled me back into the surgery room.”

Laureen remembers going into the waiting room with all of the other parents who had children having surgery. “This was comforting to me; that I was not alone. Although the four hours that Michelle was in surgery seemed like a lifetime, the nurse came out every now and then to let me know how things were go-

ing. My preparation made me feel confident that she would be okay. Fortunately, there were no real problems during the surgery and everything went well. I was very glad when it was over.”

Recovery

“When I remember waking up in my hospital room, my mom and dad were there with me at my side,” recalls Michelle. “She seemed really sleepy, and her face was pretty puffy,” says Laureen. “I was glad that she seemed to be pretty comfortable, because I expected a lot of pain.” “I slept most of the time. I was so tired that I don’t remember a lot about the first day. It was sure nice that my mom or dad could stay in my hospital room with me every night. In my room was a love seat which made out into a bed, and that’s where one of them would sleep at night,” remember Michelle.

This is the main type of support that children need immediately after surgery. Knowing that their parents are there seems to relieve most of the fears about being out of control of their situation. The presence of a parent during those first days after surgery is so important to speeding the recovery of the child.

Laureen is emphatic that “the nurses were terrific. Some of the nurses even stayed late after their shift was over to make sure that Michelle was okay”, It is very important to let the nurses do their job. Nurses are professionals who usually have more experience with this period of recovery than most parents. Conflict often occurs when parents see their child in pain, or are concerned that moving them in bed is more painful than it should be. (www.iscoliosis.com)

Rodney

CoI hears…

Inmates allegedly killed for throwing faeces on officers

By Tajeram mohaBir

The Walter Rodney Commissioner of Inquiry on Monday heard how two inmates at the Brickdam Police Station lock-up were allegedly killed because they had thrown faeces on two Police Officers.

Amid the tense atmosphere that became the norm of the day, one of the star witnesses of the CoI so far, Roberts Gates, a former Policeman, spoke about being incarcerated in October 1980 by members of the Police Force’s Special Branch Unit, who had accused him of treason. Gates, who told the Commission that he was never formally charged, said he was blindfolded and taken to the Police Force’s Special Branch Unit, where he was detained for 30 days.

Detention

He said during his detention, he was interrogated about 20 times per day and was accused of working for the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), among other things. Relating the harrowing experience, Gates told the Inquiry that he did not recognise any of his interrogators, but surprisingly on the 30th day, when he was taken out of his cell for interrogation, he was not blindfolded and did not have to face the wall.

Gates said this development caused him much worry as he believed that it was “Judgement Day” for him, but much to his astonishment, he was released and taken to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters, where he met Crime Chief Cecil “Skip” Roberts, who told him that he had no part in his arrest and detention.

He said Roberts told him

that it was Deputy Police Commissioner Laurie Lewis who gave the instructions. Upon his release, Gates told the Commission that he went to his mother’s home, at 19 Hadfield Street, Lodge, Georgetown, who related the ordeal she endured to get him released.

Too small

According to Gates, his mother told him that she went to then Commissioner Lloyd Barker to get him released, but after some telephone calls, Barker told her that he was too small to handle the matter. He related that she subsequently told him that she went to then Home Affairs Minister Stanley Moore, who also, after several inquiries, informed her that he too was too small to intervene in the matter. Gates, whose mother is now dead, said after hitting the two dead ends, a neighbour advised her to visit Hamilton Green, who was then Deputy Prime Minister responsible for Housing and Planning.

The witness, who said he believes that the instruction to arrest and detain him came from President Forbes Burnham, said after his mother raised the matter with Green, he picked up the phone, made a few calls, and within 30 minutes, he was a free man.

On the advice of his mother, Gates said he went to thank Green, who in turn apologised to him, and offered him a job in the advanced security section of his Ministry. The job entailed him securing the safety of locations Green intended to visit, but he declined the offer, saying that he needed time to think and relax.

He said during that time, he felt that he was still under the illegal surveillance carried out by various

UG wants tuition fee increased to $200,000 per year

The University of Guyana will today embark on four days of extensive consultations with the anticipation of gaining the nation’s support to adjust the current tuition fee from $127,000 to approximately $200,000.

state agencies, because after he applied and gained employment as a Special Investigator at private security firm GEB Security, he was terminated within three months.

GEB Security at the time was responsible for securing all Canadian, British and American premises, he said, and on an eventful day, the Chief Operations Officer (COO), Courtney Layne called him up, and when they met, he was told that Layne was in receipt of a letter from Deputy Police Commissioner Laurie Lewis, who said that Gates was a threat to national security and his services should be terminated.

Three weeks later, the witness said, he was able to secure a job as an Insurance Agent at the American Life Insurance Company (employment lasted for three months). However, on the first day of the job, he was told by a secretary of the company that some men in shirt-jacs were looking for him.

Fear

Gates said he became afraid and went home, but the Special Branch Officers subsequently visited his home and told him that they were interested in conducting a search as they had information that he was working for the CIA to overthrow the People’s National Congress (PNC) Government.

He said during the search, they found a US telegram document, with no letter head in a telegram box under his bed and tried to make that a connection with him working for the CIA, but he explained that the paper was collected to write reports, as even stationery was a scare commodity in those days.

In 1994, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government had set the tuition fee at US$1000 which was equivalent to G$127,000. The exchange rate at the time was G$127 to US$1. While the tuition fee will not increase from US$1000, the University’s Administration under the leadership of Vice Chancellor, Dr Jacob Opadeyi is hoping to adjust the fee to the current exchange rate in which G$205.9 (Bank of Guyana figures) is equivalent to US$1.

One day ahead of the four-day consultation, Dr Opadeyi told the media that the increase is long overdue, pointing out that while the prices of goods and services have increased drastically over the years, the tuition fee has remained stagnant.

Adjusting the fee to be equivalent to US$1000 at the current exchange rate is a necessity, if the University of Guyana is to elevate itself to an internationally recognised institution of excellence, the Vice Chancellor said.

“It is something that is critical to the survival of this University... the increase in tuition fee is not just because we want more money, but because we want to raise the bar,” he told reporters while sitting in the Education Lecture Theatre at the Turkeyen Campus.

Academic programmes

According to him, the increase in tuition fee will be accompanied by an expansion in academic programmes, a higher quality of education delivery, enhanced environment, and greater independence.

It is the hope of the University’s Administration that following the four days of consultations with staff, students, the public, political directorate, and the private sector, a road map will be established for the process of implementation once

there has been national consensus.

It was also explained that during these consultations, a determination will be made on whether only new students would be affected by the increase or all students attending the institution or whether the increase will be done through process of gradualism and selectivity.

If the tuition fee is increased, Dr Opadeyi said, no one will be left behind in the process due to their inability to pay such an increase. “We are going to show our human face and it is not going to be strictly business… we will have systems in place for those among us who cannot afford the cost to attend the university, we are going to sit down with those persons and work out a plan,” he said. As a result, he is of the opinion that the institution will not experience a decline in admissions.

Today, the Vice Chancellor and his highprofile academic team will meet with the staff and students of the University, while Wednesday has been dedicated to the public sector and the political directorate.

On Thursday, the University Administration will consult with the private sector and non-governmental organisations before the process is concluded at the Tain Campus on Friday.

Guyana to soon begin testing for Chikungunya virus

Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran on Monday disclosed that there has been no other confirmed case of the Chikungunya virus in the country, pointing out that the number of persons infected remains at 19.

Speaking at a press conference at his Brickdam Office on Monday, Dr Ramsaran stated that the Ministry has sent just over 150 blood samples to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CPHA) and will soon receive the results.

The Minister attributed the freeze in infection to the extensive preventative measures being implemented by his Ministry across the country, while noting that contrary to reports in some sections of the media, the virus has been confined only to Berbice.

“The disease has been confined to restricted areas in Berbice, namely Canje, Cumberland, Canefield, Port Mourant and New Amsterdam. We have concluded the first phase of our fogging exercise, but the second phase will soon begin and in Georgetown, we have already carried out some fogging exercises while the Ministry of

Local Government had undertaken the task of cleaning up the city to avoid having breeding grounds for the mosquitoes,” he related.

Dr Ramsaran noted too that the Ministry is pushing to have residual spraying become an extensive exercise since it is not only more effective, but more suited for the current weather pattern.

“With the current weather patterns, the fog will be washed away but with the residual spray, particularly indoors, it will remain, proving to be more effective, so

we are looking at this,” the Minister said.

Meanwhile, the Minister also disclosed that the country will soon begin conducting its own tests for the Chikungunya virus since it has the laboratory (Public Health and Reference Laboratory), the necessary equipment, and testing kits, and is currently engaged in discussions to solicit the required training for the testing process.

“We can do the test right here in Guyana. We have the lab, we have the equipment, and the testing kits are in the country so what we need now is the necessary training. We have approached the Pan American Health Organisation to see if they can facilitate the training for us and the head of that organisation here in Guyana is currently pushing for it. So we are hoping that this process can soon begin,” Dr Ramsaran said.

The Health Minister noted too that Guyanese should be counting themselves lucky, as only 19 cases of the vector borne disease has been confirmed here while hundreds of cases are being reported in other Caribbean countries.

“This is because we

didn’t wait until the disease came here. We began taking preventative methods like our fogging exercises since last year and that is why we have such a low number of cases while the other countries are reporting large numbers of cases.”

On the other hand, the Minister said that while the Health Ministry and other stakeholders are playing their part in trying to confine the disease to one area, citizens must ensure that their efforts are not taken for granted and they too should play try to get rid of breeding grounds for the larvae.

“Do not leave water in your home for too long; get rid of empty receptacles and containers around the home because these will provide breeding ground for the mosquitoes which can hinder the efforts we are making,” he said.

Inmates allegedly killed...

from page 7

Nevertheless, he said he was arrested and taken to the Brickdam Police Station, where he was incarnated for 10 days in a cell with dangerous criminals, two of whom he identified as “Christmas Pig” and “Tucker”.

Gates told the Commission that both “Christmas Pig” and “Tucker” were armed with instruments, and was told by the Police Officer “to deal with him (Gates)”.

The witness related that as the men approached him, he became fearful for his life, and begged the two inmates not to harm him, as the Police Officers were trying to “set them up to kill him”, so that they could have solid ground to “kill them.” He said he also brokered a deal with the inmates telling them that his mother would soon come to visit the lockup and would bring him roti and curry, which he would share with them.

Gates said after he began sharing his roti and curry with the men, they began to like him, and protected him much to the dismay of the Police Officers. He said while in lock-up, two officers who went into the cell were attacked by “Christmas Pig” and “Tucker”, who threw faeces on them. Gates said the lock-up was subsequently cleared and “Christmas Pig and “Tucker” were executed”.

He said he was subsequently released from the lock-up following the intervention of Attorney Benjamin Gibson.

Eyew tness

Contingent...

...spending

The Opposition has their drawers in a knot because the Finance Minister submitted what he spent to keep the Government and its programmes going – after their budget chops. They claim that Minister Singh shouldn’t be spending from the “Contingency Fund”. What a crock!!! The Constitution (Art 221) declares most clearly that the Finance Minister “can make advances from that Fund if he is satisfied there is an urgent need of expenditure for which no other provision exists”.

Well, the Minister was jolly well “satisfied” that there was an “urgent need” for the expenditures he authorised.

In fact, it was the actions of the Opposition in chopping the Budget back in March that made the spending necessary and urgent. Why the heck would the Minister have placed the items on the Budget if he didn’t think they were necessary? While at the time of the preparation of the Budget, the spending mightn’t have been “urgent”... well, the year has already reached the halfway point.

There’s a whole lot of projected spending from the Budget that’ve now become full-blown emergencies. And if the Opposition don’t hurry up...they’ll be more! One fella who failed at the Auditor General’s job – and only leveraged it to get a cushy overseas posting – claimed that, in addition to the aforementioned Constitutional stipulation (in typical slipshod manner he referred to Article 220 rather that the correct one – Article 221), the enabling FMA Act provides further clarifications:

“Section 41(3) states that the Minister may approve of an advance from the Contingency Fund if he is satisfied that an urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen need for expenditure has arisen for which: (a) No moneys or insufficient moneys have been approved by Parliament; (b) It is not possible to reallocate funds from the approved budget to meet the expenditure and; (c) The expenditure cannot be postponed without injury to the public interest.”

Well duh!!! What’s his goddam point? The slacker quoted HIMSELF to declare that the “Contingency Fund cannot be used to meet routine expenditures”. He seems to feel that only floods, famine and pestilence are not “routine”. Well, let’s educate him: if the spending wasn’t done, then floods, famine and pestilences were nigh upon us!

What the dullard (un)scrupulously avoids is that the Judiciary – the arbiter of the Constitution – already declared the chops by the Opposition illegal. And like they did the last time (we’ve precedence, even), the Opposition would be wise to make amends and pass the blasted supplementaries.

...mercenaries

The Donkey Cart Economist and his trusty sidekick, Flower Boy are it again. Having jumped from one (political) limb to another, the mercenaries finally ended up at the end of the line – APNU. You can’t sink lower than that, can you? Especially when the price of admission demands they recant every position they espoused while on other limbs.

Such as now nominating Desmond Hoyte for beatification after they’d denounced the Silver Fox for inciting ethnic riots in Georgetown. And for persuading the PPP/C never to trust the PNC, when he had two years cut from their term – after a supposed “Accord”.

Anyhow the soldiers of fortune are now bent in rehabilitating Hamilton Green. They claim the PPP/C used Hamilton Green to “further a race based narrative about incompetence and corruption”. Two problems with this outlandish assertion; First Hamilton Green’s prior record of “incompetence and corruption” in various ministries and as PM in the PNC Government needs no embellishment from the PPP/C.

Secondly, it was the PPP/C that believed the PNC and Green could be trusted to hand over the Mayoralty when their turn came. They were the ones betrayed.

...supplies

Looks like the Stabber and Muckraker refuse to accept you can’t have every fly-by-nighter schlepping pharmaceuticals into Guyana in shopping bags. No need for demanding financially sound suppliers!

We doubt even the reports of fake malaria drugs will convince them otherwise.

Govt says suicide victims are often beyond reach

… announces crafting of National Mental Health Plan

While the number of suicide-related deaths in Guyana is climbing to alarming numbers, Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran has disclosed that a National Mental Health Strategic Plan is also being drafted to address the issue of suicide in Guyana.

Speaking from his Brickdam office on Monday morning, Dr Ramsaran related that the plan is not only a general one to deal with mental health patients, but also the increasingly number of suicide cases in Guyana.

He noted that these have not gone unnoticed by the administration, but at the same time, his Ministry could not have, in most of the cases, intervene until it was too late.

On this note, he advocated for neighbours, friends and religious organisations to become involved too since it is an issue which affects all.

Dr Ramsaran refuted claims which he said were made by some that the Ministry was doing nothing for the victims and persons at high risk of committing suicide. He said that the Ministry has been doing all it could, but, most times, the victims are beyond its reach.

Outside the box

“Sometimes the Ministry just cannot intervene. We do not know what is going on in the homes of these victims. We cannot identify the victims until they reach the hospital or the morgue and by then it’s too late. So everyone needs to start getting involved. It’s not just the Ministry of Health’s business; suicide is an issue for all of us and we must all get involved; it’s everyone’s business,” he reiterated.

It is on this note that Minister Ramsaran said the Ministry began to think outside of the box of ways in which it can work to reduce the number of suicide cases which are reported each year, and has managed to formulate a National Strategic Plan with the help of two overseas-

based consultants, whom he identified as Dr Balasero and Dr Birohari, both specialists in the field of mental health.

In giving a brief outline of what the strategic plan entails, Dr Ramsaran explained that the Ministry will first begin the nursing schools, incorporating mental health in the curriculum of the schools in Berbice, Linden and Georgetown on the suggestion of the students and teachers.

He related that after this, the Ministry will seek to extensively train its doctors and already qualified nurses in mental health, and counselling, after which the programmes will be integrated into the primary health care sector at the level of health centres and even dispensaries across the country.

Extensive education is also expected to be undertaken by the Ministry following the launch of the strategic plan. The drafted plan is expected to be launched by October of this year.

Meanwhile, the Ministry will also be launching its Presidential Commission for Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in September.

Dr Ramsaran said that NCDs, which include mainly diabetes, hypertension, cancers (prostates, cervical, skin, etc) and asthma, for long have been placed on the back burner by the Ministry, but given the increase in these cases in recent times, the Ministry will be ramping up its campaign to ensure a reduction.

While treatment exists for all of the listed diseases, the aim of the Commission

is reduction and prevention through education of healthy eating habits and exercise.

Only recently, the main Opposition, the A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) said any “half-baked” approach to tackling the scourge of suicide would not be enough, and the Government needs to analyse the root causes of the problem and develop public health initiatives for persons who are likely to be affected.

Strategy

APNU Chairman, Brigadier (retired) David Granger said part of any strategy must include the provision of recreational facilities so that young adults can be meaningfully engaged.

He said it is time the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government act with a comprehensive plan to alleviate this public health issue. The Opposition Leader said the Government must “end its indifference and inaction towards the ‘contagion’ of juvenile suicide which seems to be plaguing Guyana. The PPP/C Administration’s complacency towards suicide has been a contributory factor to the continuation of the crisis. It must now demonstrate the leadership needed to curb the spate of suicides in this country”.

Granger highlighted that although several projects were implemented by the Government to tackle the issue, they were woefully inadequate, in that the programmes did not operate to capacity and failed to carry out their remits.

APNU ‘skirting’ establishment of Security Oversight Committee – Rohee

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said the main Opposition, the A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) has been deliberately avoiding the establishment of a parliamentary Oversight Committee on the security sector.

According to him, the motion by APNU for the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to investigate the shooting of a group of APNU protesters back in 2011 by ranks of the Guyana Police Force was another attempt to prevent the establishment of the much needed committee.

“Our party wishes to state that the tabling of this mo-

tion is another deliberate and calculated attempt by the Opposition to avoid having security-related matters come under the purview of the National Assembly in which a motion was passed for the establishment of a parliamentary Oversight Committee on the security sector,” Rohee told reporters at a People’s Progressive Party (PPP) news conference at Freedom House on Monday.

While the establishment of the parliamentary Oversight Committee is considered the “best mechanism for the resolution of security-related issues, Rohee, who is also General

Adjusted LEAD Project back on track

The stalemate between the Government of Guyana and the US Embassy over the US$300,000 Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) Project seems to have been resolved somewhat, as the project which is aimed at supporting stakeholders’ efforts to promote effective and responsive democratic institutions, is now back on track.

US Embassy in Georgetown Public Affairs Officer Tabitha Fairclough disclosed to Guyana Times that the decision was reached over a week ago between President Donald Ramotar and Ambassador D Brent Hardt, who had met privately. She said the onus is now on the Head of State to make the decision public.

Early last month, Ambassador Hardt and Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon made a joint announcement to members of the media at the Office of the President, that the project, which had been in the pipeline since 2009, would be put on hold.

The Guyana Government had publicly chastised the US for pursuing the LEAD Project despite its strong objections. The Government had posited that the project’s design and implementation was unacceptable and that the action taken by the US Ambassador was a clear departure from protocols and conventions governing interstate relations, and deserved full condemnation.

But despite the criticisms, the US Ambassador had

claimed that the project still had as its main concern, the interest of the Government and the people of Guyana. He noted too that the objectives towards Government’s participation were vital, pointing out that the US Government was looking forward to a constructive dialogue, and was hopeful that at the end of the day, both parties would be able to find a way forward in the tradition of their long bilateral relationship.

At the meeting, both Dr Luncheon and Ambassador Hardt could not say how long the project would have been on hold. The announcement by the two Government representatives was made days after Guyana had also revoked the work permit of LEAD Project head in Guyana, Glen Bradbury, who it said had violated the country’s immigration laws and regulations. Soon after the decision to halt the entire project was withdrawn by President Ramotar, who had indicated that there was room for further discussions on the way forward.

The Ambassador had said

that the US Government had already indicated its preparedness to make modifications to the project. Those issues regarding the designs and implementation of the project were raised with the US Ambassador in almost every meeting he had with the Government. During the last meeting between the two in April, Ambassador Hardt had promised that the issues raised would have been communicated to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) representative. The controversy surrounding the USAID LEAD Project began in late 2013 when Government rejected the project, stating that it was not consulted when it was being drafted and further when the Washington, DC-based International Republican Institute (IRI) began implementing the project here. Government had subsequently made several calls for the project to be halted; however, that was not done until they revoked the work permit of the project head.

Secretary of the PPP, opined that the Opposition has been avoiding the establishment of such a body because it is mandated that the committee be headed by a Minister of Government.

“The Opposition is fully aware that if such a committee is to be established, they would not have a free reign to launch their continuous attack on the PPP Government and the Ministry of Home Affairs on security matters,” he said. According to him, the APNU and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have developed an obsession for dominance.

Region Nine Toshaos discuss issues affecting communities

In anticipation of the upcoming National Toshaos Council (NTC) meeting, the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Nine held a Regional Toshaos Conference to address issues affecting communities and satellite villages in the region.

The conference was held on Thursday and Friday last under the theme “Overcoming challenges through good governance” at St Ignatius Village and the Toshaos were addressed by Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai.

Issues dealt with included the roles and relevance of the Community Support Officer (CSO), the impact and effects of the 2014 National Budget cuts for hinterland development, and good governance.

Minister Sukhai, in her presentation to the regional conference on Friday, said while the Government in playing its role by investing is community development, it is equally important for the communities and their leaders to play their part effectively.

She implored the Toshaos to make use of the investment resources and support provided by the Government to their villages and communities with the aim of further developing them in the best interest of the residents.

The Toshaos were encouraged to ensure that in the execution of all community projects, there is proper accountability. Meanwhile, the Minister called on the village leaders to be better examples to their communities and the people whom they have been elected to lead.

Minister Sukhai, speaking on the matter of the CSOs, explained that the Youth Entrepreneurial and Apprenticeship programme (YEAP) is a direct result of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic’s (PPP/C) manifesto commitment to address the concerns of youth development, and the many calls of the village leaders on behalf of youths who they reported were in the community with nothing to do.

Opportunity for vulnerable youths

Sukhai stated that much consideration was given to the establishment of the YEAP, which offers an opportunity for vulnerable youths and residents in the villages to be involved in meaningful activities at

the village level in support of community development. The Minister noted that “youths” participation in nation-building is not just an idea “we the administration came up with overnight, it is something that propelled the Government to provide approval for this programme, which is geared at supporting youths in their communities”.

Funding for YEAP was approved by the National Assembly in April of last year, the Minister stated.

“You would recall that in June of last year, the Ministry and its team conducted regional launches across the hinterland regions of One, Seven, Eight and Nine, where we invited officials, health, education and other sectors, and everyone made an input.”

The YEAP includes a component for youth training in areas relevant to their attachment so as to enhance their capabilities and capacities as apprentices in the respective sectors. At the time of recruitment, the young villagers were provided with a range of sectoral areas relevant to the village development from which they selected to serve as CSOs.

The Minister stated: “Youth development is not only about recreation, the level of investment that the Administration has made, has brought about transformation, in terms of opportunities in education, health, cultural development, tourism, ICT [Information Communication Technology] and other sectors in their communities.” The disapproval of the allocation for the YEAP in the 2014

budget has affected more than 1300 CSOs, the Government Information Agency (GINA) had reported.

A solid waste walk out a solid waste meeting

It comin back to that time of de year when GT people gon suffer terrible again. Is more rain and more flood and more of de Mayor-fuh-Life Green Ham. Add that to King Kong who brukkin up every ting and another good fuhnutten-Green and see what yuh got. Is sheer garbage in de s.ity council and sheer garbage in GT.

Is no wonder so many people sellin out dem property and movin out. Every day yuh check de papers is some body sellin out whah dem got in GT and goin some where else. Even some of de business people sellin out lock, stock and barrel. And according to dem, any where else is better than GT.

Some of dem promise to come back when GT getta new Mayor. Well, at this rate dem gotta long time to wait. Guvament look like dem friken local guvament elections and de Mayor-fuh-Life ain’t goin any where any time soon…apart from goin to Sober fuh gas money. By now Sober should give he a different kinda gas.

So year in and year out, is de same problem at this time of year fuh de people in GT. De more rain is more tings floatin in de flood. That is why GT gotta big solid waste problem. And de Earth Man and some other Guvament people who not so earthly call a meetin to deal wid de solid waste problem.

Imagine de Mayor-fuh-Life get invite to de meetin to talk bout solid waste. One reporter who attend de meetin thought de meetin was about de Mayor-fuh-Life, because he is de biggest solid waste in GT.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! But then de Mayor-fuh-Life get up and walk out. Well, accordin to de reporter, that was de biggest solid waste ever in GT walkin out of a solid waste meetin. Is no wonder GT can never get rid of solid waste.

APNU ‘skirting’ establishment of Security Oversight...

The National Assembly back in 2010 had passed a motion giving the go-ahead for the committee to be constituted and become operational. In the process of the motion being adopted, the Government then had rejected proposed amendments by late People’s National Congress Reform – One Guyana (PNCR1G) Shadow Home Affairs Minister Deborah Backer to widen the ambit of the committee and to have its chairmanship rotated between the Government and the Opposition.

The motion, which was piloted by Prime Minister Samuel Hind,s had come 14 months after the House had passed a constitutional amendment to establish the Oversight Committee in keeping with an agree-

ment made in March 2008 by national stakeholders after consultations on security following the Lusignan and Bartica massacres.

The committee has been tasked with responsibility for the policies and administration of the disciplined forces. According to the motion, the Standing Committee shall consist of not less than six members and no more than 10 members, while the representation on this committee will be proportional to the seats held by the political parties in the House.

All members of the committee will be required to take an oath of secrecy.

The motion also stipulates that the committee “in the discharge of [its] functions shall examine the policies and administration of the

from page 9

entities in the security sector based on the gazetted ministerial responsibilities for entities in the security sector under the purview of the Standing Committee,” and shall have the authority to perform several tasks. These include defining the areas of Government policy and administration for its scrutiny, assessing the performance of the disciplined forces vis-a-vis established targets/programmes and requesting the provision of oral and written information about any specific area of policy and administration of entities in the security sector. The committee’s authority will not include an examination of ongoing operational matters of the disciplined forces.

PPP wants bigger intake of Guyanese at Hugh Wooding

Uniform vouchers will be ready from July 1

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General

Secretary Clement Rohee applauded the Council of Legal Education’s decision to admit the top 25 Guyanese Law Students to the Hugh Wooding Law School at the start of the 2014/2015 Academic Year.

However, he said, while this was a step in the right direction, there should be an expansion of the existing quota to meet the demands of the growing population. “The People’s Progressive Party would like to call on the Council of Legal Education and the Hugh Wooding Law School to facilitate our students by making it possible for more Guyanese to gain entry into the law school beyond the exiting quota,” he told reporters on Monday during his weekly press briefing.

Rohee said too that President Donald Ramotar and Attorney General Anil Nandlall ought to be applauded for championing the cause of the students of the University of Guyana’s Law Department. He said the PPP/Civic Government continues to place a high premium on education in Guyana in its quest to foster national development. Rohee expressed the hope that one day, a law school will be established in Guyana, eliminating the country’s dependency on the Hugh Law School in Trinidad and Tobago.

Expansion

More than a week ago, it was confirmed that the top 25 students from the University of Guyana’s Law Department would be admitted to the Hugh Wooding

Law School, bringing an end to months of uncertainty after the Council indicated that the Trinidadian law school was experiencing a shortage of space. The students’ acceptance was conditional upon Caricom accelerating plans to expand the Trinidadian-based institution.

As part of a longstanding agreement between the Council and UG, every year, 25 automatic places are reserved for UG students at the Hugh Wooding Law School. The agreement had initially expired in November 2012, but, at the request of the Government of Guyana, it was extended until 2013. Negotiations were scheduled to take place to facilitate the 2014 batch of students. However, this discussion never took place until the matter arose some months ago when the Council took the decision that UG’s 2014 batch would not be guaranteed places.

But though provisions have been made for 2014, current UG law students remain concerned over the future relationship between UG and the Hugh Wooding Law School.

Caricom has requested that a review be undertaken on the provision of legal education in the Region with regard to the increased need for legal services in the Caribbean. A review of the system was last undertaken more than 40 years ago.

Essequibo PYO conducts computer training at Mashabo

The Essequibo arm of the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) on Sunday successfully hosted a computer training session for youths in the Amerindian Community of Mashabo.

According to PYO Essequibo Coast Chairman Parmesh Persaud, the community had access to computers; however, was not equipped with the knowledge to operate them. He said he consulted with the Toshao of the community, Joseph James, and the training was planned and executed at the community centre.

The training team consisted of teachers from various secondary schools on the Essequibo Coast, who are part of the PYO steering committee.

Books and other reading materials were also donated by the PYO to the community.

Toshao James said he was thankful that the team visited his community, sharing their knowl-

The Toshao said he will be sending one person to be trained in Information

Technology, so that his community will continue to benefit.

The Education Ministry has said that preparations for the 2014 distribution of uniform vouchers are well underway and distribution should commence soon.

Distribution of 165,000 vouchers to the various departments of education in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven and 10, along with Georgetown have begun. Parents, guardians and secondary school students with a national identification card will be able to begin uplifting vouchers as of July 1. Every child attending a Government school is

entitled to uniform assistance under the National Uniform Programme. On the coastland, that assistance is administered by the Education Ministry and given by way of voucher, that is used to make purchases at accredited stores.

According to the Education Ministry, in the hinterland, the programme is administered through the Amerindian Affairs Ministry and the assistance takes the form of actually providing fabric that is sewn by various women’s groups in the villages. A complete list of vendors where vouchers are

redeemable will be posted at the Regional Education Offices and at every school. Vendors who have indicated an interest in redeeming vouchers are advised to be ready and are encouraged to make their prices competitive. The Education Ministry is inviting parents to uplift their vouchers as soon as it is available, as it is the Ministry’s aim to have every child sufficiently outfitted for the new school year, which commences on September 1. Vouchers must be uplifted before closure of the current school year, which ends on July 11.

PPP/C asks GECOM to reopen registration process

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has written the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) requesting an extension of the Sixth Cycle of Continuous Registration, saying that no one should be left behind.

The sixth cycle concluded on Saturday, June 21. Speaking at a Freedom House news conference on Monday, PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee said the Party has information suggesting that more than 8000 transfers are yet to be conducted due to the establishment of new housing schemes across the country, primarily in the coastal regions. “During the last

five cycles of registrations, transfers were not done; however, this was accommodated in the sixth cycle of registration,” Rohee told reporters. He said too that GECOM was unable to accommodate everyone who might have had a change in address (transfer).

During the Sixth Cycle of Continuous Registration, GECOM reportedly recorded approximately 13,000 new registrants and 1600 transfers, with more than 2300 corrections being done.

According to Rohee, the Party’s activists have indicated that there are 140 transfers to be done in Region One, 220 in Region Two, 2140 in Region Three,

2940 in Region Four, 324 in Region Five, 2170 in Region Six, 75 in Region Seven, 60 in Region Eight, 70 in Region Nine, and 250 in Region 10.

The PPP/C has long stressed the need for mobile units in new housing schemes to increase GECOM’s ability to have greater coverage across Guyana. Rohee said the Party is encouraging GECOM to ensure that no one is disenfranchised whenever elections are called. Asked about the Party’s readiness for local government polls or an early General Election, the General Secretary said: “Whichever election comes, we are ready; we are ready.”

Shot money changer dies

Three days after America Street money chang-

er Wendell Liverpool was shot during a robbery at Front Road, West Ruimveldt, he succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital early Monday morning.

Liverpool reportedly took his last breath at about 03:00h in the Intensive Care Unit of the medical facility. It was only on Sunday, doctors at the hospital pronounced him “brain dead”. Bernice Liverpool, the dead man’s mother, told Guyana Times on Monday that they received the news of her son’s death at about 03:00h.

Upon receiving the news, she added that her visiting daughter from the US rushed to the hospital only to see her brother’s motionless body being taken to the mortuary. The woman, during the telephone interview, said that her son never got into trouble and described him as quiet.

However, the Police are still to make an arrest in connection with the shooting. A source told Guyana Times that the gun men were wearing masks.

Dead money changer

Wendell Liverpool

Liverpool, 44, of Lot 453 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, was shot four times by three gunmen who invaded a popular drinking spot at West Front Road on Friday evening. After the attack, the gunmen relieved Liverpool of four gold chains, two diamond rings, a hand band and several other pieces of jewellery, along with cash.

Based on information received, Liverpool had returned home on Friday even-

ing and left as normal to visit a close friend’s shop. This is a normal “weekend thing”, his mother said. It was while there that the three men who rode up on bicycles entered the shop and carried out the attack. The woman added that her son’s movements might have been monitored by the attackers.

He leaves to mourn his four children, four siblings and his mother among other relatives. A post-mortem examination is expected to be performed on Wednesday. Less than five months ago, Bridgelall Persaud also called “B Boy” of Eccles Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara was gunned down in the vicinity of Builder’s Lumber Yard, Lombard Street, Georgetown after he was attacked by two gunmen.

The robbers then made good their escape with a bag containing at least $1 million. According to information received, the man was in his blue Toyota Raum, and as he approached the truck park at Lombard Street, two men armed with handguns exited a white car that was parked some distance away, walked up to Persaud’s vehicle and

C RNER CCJ

Free movement for Caricom nationals

By Deshon J Griffith, faculty of law, uwi cave hill

In the case of Shanique Myrie v State of Barbados [2013] CCJ 3 (OJ), the Caribbean Court of Justice declared the law on an important aspect of Caribbean Integration. It made clear the existence and scope of the right of free movement within the Caricom regime.

The case involved a Jamaica national, Shanique Myrie, who was denied entry into Barbados by border officials at the Grantley Adams International Airport. She claimed that she was subjected to a painful and humiliating body cavity search and other ill-treatment, detained overnight in an insanitary cell, and subsequently deported. Myrie claimed that the treatment to which she was subjected amounted to a violation of her right to free movement within the Caribbean Community by the State of Barbados.

Executed money changer

Bridgelall Persaud

opened fire. One bullet reportedly struck the man in the head while the others hit him in his legs and abdomen.

After shooting the businessman, one of the men reportedly reached into the man’s car and removed the bag containing the money. They then made good their escape in a waiting car, which went into Princes Street. No one has been arrested for the man’s murder.

Harmon to represent ex-servicemen at Rodney CoI

Attorney Joseph Harmon has announced that he will now be representing the interests of the X-GDF Association, withdrawing from representing the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) at the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) investigating the death of Dr Walter Rodney.

On Monday, minutes after the commencement of the third session of the investigation into the death of Dr Rodney, Harmon told Commissioners Sir Richard Cheltenham (QC), Jacqueline SamuelsBrown (QC) and Seenath Jairam (SC), that because of the numerous allegations being made by witnesses, the lives of persons who had served in the disciplined forces have been tremendously affected. Moreover, Harmon said he thought that his party was adequately represented by its remaining two lawyers, Basil Williams and James Bond. Harmon, who himself was a serving member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), said he was approached by the ex-servicemen of the Guyana Police Force, GDF, Guyana People’s Militia, and Guyana National Service (GNS), seeking his legal exper-

Attorney Joseph Harmon conversing with ex-servicemen at the Rodney CoI on Monday

tise. Evidence emanating from the Inquiry continue to tie the security forces and their members during the 1970s and 80s to the then ruling Government. Reports are that the military institutions were all at that time submerged by the Government and were required to carry out activities, including vicious attacks, on the political Opposition.

Witnesses have also testified that

the heads of these military organisations had been prompt in their yearly journey to Congress Place to pledge allegiance to President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham. A section of the Commission’s Terms of Reference seeks to ascertain if the security forces, during the period leading up to the death of Dr Rodney, were tasked with carrying out any surveillance activities on the political Opposition.

The Court found that the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and a 2007 Decision of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom gave a valid and binding right of free movement to Caricom nationals. This right, the Court said, includes an entitlement to ‘an automatic stay’ or ‘a definite entry’ of six months upon arrival.

However, there are exceptions to this right, the CCJ declared. The Court indicated that Member States have a right to refuse entry to ‘undesirable persons’ and persons who could become ‘a charge on public funds’. The Court went on to state that the denial of entry is an exception to the rule of free movement and so, where a Member State exercises its right to refuse entry, ‘it would be reasonable, given also the sense of belonging that the 2007 Conference Decision seeks to instil in these nationals, to allow refused visitors the opportunity to consult an Attorney or a consular official of their country, if available, or in any event to contact a family member’.

The decision of the CCJ was that Myrie’s right to free movement was violated. The right was breached by the denial of entry, the treatment to which she was subjected, the conditions under which she was detained, and her unjustified deportation. In the end, the State of Barbados was ordered to pay to Myrie damages amounting to Bds$75,000.

Father

jailed, son remanded for cocaine in suitcase

The paternal half of the father-and-son duo accused of cocaine trafficking was jailed for three years after he pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking on Monday. Darren Owen, 41, was convicted of having 1.454 kilograms of cocaine in his possession. He was also fined $30,000 by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry when he made his court appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

However, his son, Darren Harris, 19, of D’Urban Street, Lodge, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on Friday, June 20, he had in his possession 1.176kg of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Harris, who was remanded to prison, will make another court appearance on June 26. The two men were on Friday last inter-

cepted at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) with a quantity of cocaine in their suitcases. Based on information received, they were outgoing passengers on Caribbean Airlines Flight, BW 528, destined for John F Kennedy International Airport, New York, when the cocaine was detected in the handles of their suitcases. It was reported that while the suitcases were being scanned, a strange object was detected, resulting in a member of the Police Narcotics Branch pulling the said luggage. At this time, a decision was also taken to pull all luggage belonging to the two men.

The Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) was contacted and assisted in the search, which led to the discovery of the cocaine. The case was prosecuted by CANU Prosecutor, Oswald Massiah and Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru.

High-level meetings on Climate Investment Funds underway in Jamaica

More than 500 participants including climate innovators, policymakers, entrepreneurs, financiers, social advocates, and researchers are meeting in Jamaica for a twoday international Climate Investment Funds (CIF) Partnership Forum, which opened on Monday.

The forum is being held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. Co-hosted by the CIF Administrative Unit and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and under the auspice of the Government of Jamaica, this will be the fifth staging of the event.

CIF, which is a US$8 billion pilot, will bring together donor and recipient countries, Multilateral Development Banks, private sector, civil society, and other entities in a concerted effort to trigger climate smart investments. Its primary objective is to highlight emerging knowledge and learning on low-carbon, climate resilient development.

According to CIF Programme Manager Patricia Bliss-Guest, “We are delighted to welcome so many climate practitioners and thoughtleaders to the Partnership Forum. I look forward to an enriching and inspiring two days.”

Co-host of the event and the implementing agency for CIF-funded projects (totalling US$757.22 million in 2013), in Latin America and the Caribbean – the IDB operates as a strategic ally of governments and the private sector in Latin America and the Caribbean in their efforts to tackle the effects of climate change with cost-effective, sustainable solutions.

“It is a pleasure for us to co-host this event in Jamaica, a champion in climate change adaptation” says Hans Schulz, Vice President for the Private Sector and Non-Sovereign Guaranteed Operations of the IDB.

The forum will provide the Government of Jamaica

with an opportunity to highlight what has been achieved through the CIF within the broader context of the country’s climate change strategy and objectives. Portfolio Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Robert Pickersgill outlined that “as a Small Island Developing State that is extremely vulnerable to the effects of Climate Change, Jamaica is pleased to host this Climate Investment Fund Partnership Forum”. The Minister added that “the forum is an opportunity for the building of partnerships to generate investment and foster strong, programmatic action on climate change”.

Some 48 pilot countries and 14 contributing countries from CIF will participate in the discussions. The Partnership Forum takes place every two years and provides governments, stakeholders and others with the opportunity to learn, share, and network.

Regional trade officials sign off on gender mainstreaming document

The four-day seminar on Gender Mainstreaming in Caribbean Trade Policies ended on Friday with participants signing off on a Position Paper that signalled their commitment to including gender sensitive approaches to their work.

The event was hosted by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the International Trade Centre (ITC).

According to a CDB release, the Position Paper, drafted and submitted by the ITC, made four key recommendations, including the application of gender analysis in trade policy design at the national level; advocacy among the wider stakeholder groups; capacity-building within agencies and organisations in the respective territories and the infusion of gender sensitive analysis in the national budgeting process.

tuesday, june 24, 2014

“Rising Star” Lisa Punch storms into second round

Guyanese singing sensation, Lisa Punch on Sunday evening proved to the rest of the world that she is a force to be reckoned with when she appeared on ABC’s reality vocal show “Rising Stars”.

Singing Whitney Houston’s “How will I know”, she managed to amass 80 points to raise the wall of the international television song competition which indicated that she qualified for the second round.

The Charlotte Street, Georgetown girl will again be performing in two weeks in the next round of the competition. In Sunday’s premiere, she used her main tool, her vocal abilities, mixed with emotions, to rock the audience with her saucy presentation that led to a standing ovation from not only the audience but also the judges. Starting like a ballad and bursting with and energetic bubbles of freshness, her overall presentation won the hearts and the additional seven votes each from the three judges.

After showcasing her life’s reality in Guyana and the USA on international tel-

evision, Punch recalled that before hitting the stage, she was nervous but afterwards she became more confident as she performed. “After a while, I put the nervousness aside, went on stage and performed to the best of my ability and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I will raise the walls”.

The natural performer, who ensured that Ludacris pronounced Guyana correctly, further added that after then, she began singing and

drew strength emotionally from her family’s circumstances in Charlotte Street and the apartment that she now shares with 12 others in Brooklyn, New York. “After I started to sing, all I thought of was my family, Guyana and New York”.

Although super-excited after her performance, Punch said persons were critical about her “nerves being heard in her voice” which resulted in Brad Paisley telling her that she deserves her own tour bus. As she heads into the other round, she said that she will definitely step up her game, noting that she expects fiercer competition. She told Guyana Times that it was indeed “a dream come true” for her and that while she expects more competition in the coming weeks, she will make Guyana proud. She thanked her many fans who voted her and those who have showed her much love before and after her presentation. Guyanese were glued to their television screens Sunday evening to watch the young woman performed.

Stabbed teen may need another surgery

Seventeen-year-old Matthew Jack, who was allegedly stabbed on Friday evening by his cousin, may need another surgery since doctors believe that he sustained injuries to a section of his heart.

The feedback from delegates was applauded by the CDB’s Director of Economics, Dr Justin Ram, who reaffirmed CDB’s own commitment to the gender process. He told participants when country and agency loans are put to the Board, they are based on strong gender analysis and designed with measures to address gender disparities that may affect the achievement of the outcomes of the interventions.

Both sexes will benefit

As the seminar came to a close, the ITC’s Senior Officer for Millennium Development Goals advised the trade policymakers that if the Region wants to use trade for development, it must include more stakeholders in the process to effectively inform the policies.

The CDB’s and ITC’s comments were further supported by the seminar’s special guest and Justice advocate, Senator Marlene Malahoo Forte who told the delegates, “The people of the Region are depending on you…Gender mainstreaming will not just

The proposals were reviewed, amended, and agreed to by the 30 participants, including senior trade policymakers from across the Region. The delegates also commended the seminar organisers for their efforts and committed to taking back their newfound knowledge for use in their development of trade policies and programmes.

CDB’s Director of Economics, Dr Justin Ram

benefit girls, our boys will benefit as well.” The seminar ran from June 16 to 19 at the CDB’s Headquarters in Barbados.

The CDB is a regional financial institution established in 1969 for the purpose of contributing to the harmonious economic growth and development of the member countries in the Caribbean. There are 19 regional borrowing member countries, three regional non-borrowing member countries, and five non-regional, non-borrowing member countries. As of December 31, 2013, CDB had total assets of US1.45 billionn.

This was according to Stacia Jack, a sister of the injured teen during a telephone interview with Guyana Times on Monday. She related that her brother had already undergone surgery for his kidneys. The woman explained her brother’s kidneys were punctured and the outer layer of his heart pierced during the stabbing. Jack, of Lot 372 Section A, A Field, Sophia, was stabbed twice to the shoulder, once to the chest and once to the temple by his cousin during an altercation at his Sophia home on Friday last.

His sister said while he remains stable, his life is still in danger as long as the injury to his heart is not corrected. Jack also confirmed that the suspect,

Royan Mentore, 28, of B Field, Sophia, was arrested on Sunday afternoon at his mother’s house and is assisting with the investigation. The Police, she added, are still to take a statement from her brother before charges are instituted.

Mentore was recently released from prison after spending a short period there for maliciously wounding another man. He was placed on $100,000 bail, which he was able to post.

According to information received, on the night of the stabbing incident, Mentore allegedly went into the home of Jack and removed several articles, including a music system, with the intention of selling them. It was during a confrontation that he became annoyed, pulled out a knife from his waistband, and stabbed the teenager.

IDB seeks 15 most innovative start-ups in Caribbean

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has announced the launch of a competition to select 15 start-ups from Latin America and the Caribbean to take part in an innovation seminar that the Bank will hold in Washington, DC, December 1-3.

As part of this seminar, the candidates selected will have access to disruptive content and a series of events, workshops, inspirational lectures and networking among other features. For instance, over the course of two days, they will work under the Fly

Garage model, an innovation incubator developed by Mondelez Internacional to be part of a social, collaborative and creative experiment for start-ups.

Candidates for the IDB competition must be between the ages of 18 and 35 and be founders or co-founders of start-ups with a minimum of one year of activity and a maximum of two. The companies must also feature a technological focus in one of these categories: Social Change, Cities and Climate Change, Health and Wellness, Education and Open

Knowledge, Government and Citizen Participation, Gaming for Social Change, and Technology in Financial Services. Applications should be submitted on or before July 16, and must be done through the website www. iadb.org/DemandSolutions. Candidates must send a video lasting a maximum of two minutes in which they introduce themselves and explain why they think their startup should be picked. Winners will be notified by email in mid-September.

Polio virus sample found in Brazil

Astrain of the polio virus has been found at an international airport in Brazil, but there are no human cases, the World Health Organisation has said.

A WHO statement released on Monday said the virus was found in samples taken from sewage at Viracopos International Airport in Sao Paulo state in March.

It said the local population’s high immunity to the disease “appears to have prevented transmission”. Brazil has been polio-free since 1989 and has high vaccination coverage.

The virus was found in “sewage only” and subsequent analysis of similar samples have either been negative or only positive for “non-polio enteroviruses”, the organisation said.

Three Brazilians die in shootout in Rio shantytown

Three people have been killed in a shoot-out between Police and alleged drug traffickers in a shanty town in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Two youths and a Police officer died in the incident in the Complexo do Alemao shanty town, local media reported.

Another officer and a youth were injured in the shooting, which happened in the early hours of Monday. The shooting comes as tens of thousands of football fans are in Rio, one of the venues for the 2014 World Cup.

Brazilian security forces moved into Complexo do Alemao in force in 2012 in an effort to wrest control from criminal gangs. With a population of 100,000 people, it is one of the largest favelas in the Brazilian city and has become something

of a tourist destination for visitors wanting to see the poorer parts of Rio.

Police said they had been fired at while on patrol in Complexo do Alemao. The officers alleged that the two dead youths had links to drug trafficking.

“They use radios to tell each other where there’s a patrol and when they spot a small group of officers, they give orders to attack,” a local Policeman told O Globo.

Shootings continue to be frequent in the area, despite the fact that the Complexo do Alemao was among the first favelas to be “pacified”.

Soldiers first moved into the shanty town in 2010, and in 2012 a permanent Police presence was established in the area. (Excerpt from BBC News)

The WHO said the sample was a close match with a recent strain isolated in a case in Equatorial Guinea. The risk of the polio virus spreading from Equatorial Guinea is described as “high” by the UN agency, but it said the risk from Brazil remained “very low”.

Polio invades the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours. There is no cure for the disease but it can be prevented by immunisation.

Brazil’s last national immunisation campaign was conducted a year ago and coverage in Sao Paulo state has been higher than 95 per cent, the WHO said.

(BBC News)

Two Kingston Police officers arrested for robbery, abduction

Observer Online has learnt that two Police constables were arrested for reasonable suspicion of robbery and abduction in Kingston on Sunday, June 22.

Reliable sources say that the two officers stopped and searched a motor vehicle in downtown Kingston where they robbed the driver of an undetermined sum of cash then bound his hands and placed him in the back of the car.

According to reports, the man was able to free himself and jumped from the moving vehicle into the path of a Police unit along Spanish Town Road.

The two officers continued driving before aban-

doning the vehicle further along the road. They attempted to make their escape in a waiting motorcar but the vehicle was intercepted along Prince of Wales Street in Kingston, the source said.

The victim positively identified the two men who were later confirmed as Police constables assigned to the Denham Town Police Station.

When contacted, the Police Corporate Communications Unit refereed Observer Online to Superintendent Steve Brown for details. However attempts to reach Brown by phone on Monday morning were unsuccessful. (Jamaica Observer)

The Bahamas opens new embassy consular annex in Washington

Declaring that “this office has good reason to be here,”

Fred Mitchell, Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister, officially opened the new Bahamas Embassy Consular Annex in downtown Washington, DC, on Thursday.

“There are three people that I had hoped would have been able to be here,”

Mitchell told guests packed into the suite of offices on the third floor of an office complex at 1025 Vermont Avenue. “One is the Prime Minister and the other is the Deputy Prime Minister. They both had thought that it might have been possible to attend if one could not have. Unfortunately, the exigencies of the parliamentary schedule made it im-

possible for them to attend. Yesterday [Wednesday] the Prime Minister gave his final budget address in this present debate and both are required to be in Parliament to answer the questions of the Parliament on the allocations of the funds estimated in the budget. I regret therefore that they are unable to be here.” Mitchell said he also

wanted the Opposition’s spokesman on foreign affairs “to be here as well but for a different reason.” “The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister would have done the honours, but I wanted the Opposition spokesman to see this place since he has indicated that he is opposed to the establishment of this office,” Mitchell said.

Heart disease the number one killer in TT

Out of every 100 people who die each year in TT, 37 die from heart disease.

The figures are alarming. However, interventional cardiologist and consultant with the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA), Dr Colin Nath said the NCRHA and the Health Ministry have been trying to get patients who suffer with non-communicable diseases to change their unhealthy diet and exercise on a regular basis in order to live longer, happier and healthier lives.

Though the task has been daunting, Nath feels if patients heed the advice, the country’s heart disease rate could be significantly reduced. “We have to put measures in place to deal with the country’s number one killer disease. We can’t continue with this growing trend,” he said.

Nath was at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) where he spoke about the work of the team of Sathya Sai Baba surgeons who had partnered with local interventional cardiologists to perform 100 charitable heart procedures at the hospital in the last few months. Director of Health at the NCRHA, Dr Rodney Ramroop paid tribute to both local and foreign doctors who performed the procedures.

Last year, Ramroop said 68 adult patients were recipients of coronary angioplasty performed by doctors, nurses and vascular technicians from the Sathya Sai International Medical Committee. Nath, a consultant cardiologist, along with doctors Tricia Cummings, Camille Greene, Sheldon Olton and Ronan Ali were part of the local team. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Barbados says Myrie has been paid but lawyer says they haven’t received payment

Attorney General, Adriel Brathwaite, says the money owed to Jamaican, Shanique Myrie, stemming from a ruling by the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruling has been paid, but the woman says she has not yet received the money.

Brathwaite said that the Bds$75,000 in nonpecuniary damage and Bds$2240 (One Barbados dollar =US$0.50 cents) in pecuniary damages were paid through the Barbados Central Bank Thursday and should have been credited to the account of Myrie’s lawyer a day later.

“We gave our word. We kept our word. Barbados remained committed to the CCJ. We always had every intention of complying with its judgment,” Brathwaite said Friday.

The CCJ had in October last year ruled that Myrie be

awarded the damages after she had alleged that when she travelled to Barbados on March 14, 2011 she was discriminated against because of her nationality, subjected to a body cavity search, detained overnight in a cell and deported to Jamaica the following day.

Myrie also claimed that she was subjected to derogatory remarks by a Barbadian Immigration officer and asked the CCJ to determine the minimum standard of treatment applicable to Caricom citizens moving around the Region.

Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs Minister AJ Nicholson last week told the Senate that the ball was in Myrie’s court to lodge a complaint to the CCJ about Barbados’ lack of compliance despite a promise by the country’s Prime Minister Freundel Stuart three months ago that payment would be made.

Egypt court sentences Al Jazeera journalists

Two Al Jazeera English journalists have been sentenced to seven years in jail and one to 10 years by an Egyptian court on charges including aiding the Muslim Brotherhood and reporting false news.

The guilty verdicts were announced by a judge on Monday against Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy, and Baher Mohamed. Greste and Fahmy were sentenced to seven years in prison, while Baher Mohamed was sentenced to an additional three years for possession of ammunition. Mohamed was in possession of a spent bullet casing he had found on the ground during a protest.

Other Al Jazeera journalists who were tried in absentia, including Sue Turton and Dominic Kane, were sentenced to 10 years. Al Jazeera has strenuously rejected the charges against its journalists and maintains their innocence.

Kerry

The defence maintained that the journalists were wrongly arrested and that the prosecution had failed to prove any of the charges against them

Greste, Fahmy, and Mohamed were arrested in December in Cairo as they covered the aftermath of the army’s removal of Mohamed Morsi from the presidency in July. The prosecution said Greste, Al Jazeera’s East Africa correspondent, and his Egypt bureau colleagues

promises ‘intense and sustained’ support

Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday promised “intense and sustained” US support for Iraq, but said the divided country would only survive if its leaders took urgent steps to bring it together.

Hours before Kerry arrived in Baghdad, Sunni tribes who have joined a militant takeover of northern Iraq seized the only legal crossing point with Jordan, security sources said, leaving troops with no presence along the entire western frontier which includes some of the Middle East’s most important trade routes.

US President Barack Obama has offered up to 300 American advisers to Iraq but held off granting Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki’s Shi’ite Muslim-led

for Iraq

Government’s request for air strikes to counter the two-week advance by Sunni militants.

Officials have meanwhile called for Iraqis to form an inclusive Government. The insurgency has been fuelled largely by a sense of marginalisation and persecution among Iraq’s Sunnis.

“The support will be intense and sustained and if Iraq’s leaders take the necessary steps to bring the country together, it will be effective,” Kerry told reporters in Baghdad.

He said Maliki had “on multiple occasions affirmed his commitment to July 1” as the date to start the formation of a new government bringing in more Sunnis and Kurds to share power, a move Washington is keen to see. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Syria hands over remaining chemical weapons for destruction

Syria on Monday handed over the remaining 100 tonnes of toxic material it had declared to the global chemical weapons watchdog, but the country cannot be declared free of the weapons of mass destruction, the organisation’s chief said.

The chemicals, roughly eight per cent of a total 1300 tonnes reported to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), had been held at a storage site which the Government of President Bashar al-Assad previously said was inaccessible due to fighting with rebels.

The security situation in the area has now improved and the containers of chemicals were taken by truck to the Syrian port of Latakia and loaded onto a ship to be destroyed at sea on a specially equipped US vessel, said OPCW chief Ahmet Uzumcu.

“A major landmark in this mission has been reached today. The last of the remaining chemicals identified for removal from Syria were loaded this afternoon aboard the Danish ship Ark Futura,” Uzumcu told a news conference in The Hague. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Sudan frees woman sentenced to hang for ‘converting’

ASudanese woman who was sentenced to death on May 15 for apostasy has been freed, one of her lawyers said on Monday. Meriam Yahia Ibrahim gave birth to a baby girl while in prison late last month.

A Sudanese court sentenced Ibrahim to hang for abandoning the Muslim faith of her father, despite having been raised solely by her Christian mother and identifying herself as a Christian.

“Meriam was released just about an hour ago,” Mohanad Mustafa told AFP.

aided the Brotherhood and produced false news reports of the situation in Egypt.

The Brotherhood, which supported Morsi, was listed as a “terrorist” organisation by the interim Egyptian Government shortly before the accused were arrested. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Under sharia law, which has been in force in Sudan since 1983, conversions are punishable by death. A Muslim woman also cannot marry a non-Muslim man and any such relationship is regarded as adulterous.

“I am a Christian and I never committed apostasy,” she told the judge at her sentencing. Ibrahim’s husband

China charges former senior official with graft

China on Monday formally charged a former deputy head of its top planning agency with corruption, paving the way for his trial as the Government pursues a highprofile campaign to root out graft.

Liu Tienan, who was sacked in May last year and thrown out of the ruling Communist Party in August, will be the first ministeriallevel official to face a probe after Xi Jinping became Communist Party head in late 2012 and announced a crackdown on corruption.

The case came to light after Luo Changping, deputy Editor-in-Chief of investigative magazine Caijing, posted accusations of Liu’s involvement in illegal activities on his microblog.

Liu is accused of abusing his Government positions and taking bribes,

China’s State Prosecutor said in a statement. He had been deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, a powerful body that sets broad economic policies and approves major investments, and also head of energy regulator the National Energy Administration.

Liu “sought benefits for others, illegally received an extremely large amount of valuables from others and should accept criminal responsibility according to the law for the crime of taking bribes”, the prosecutor said.

The brief statement provided no other details of the charges against Liu. He is certain to be found guilty as the Communist Party controls the courts, which do not challenge party accusations, especially in graft cases. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Daniel Wani, a Christian and a US citizen, has also said that Ibrahim identifies as a Christian and was never Muslim, and therefore could not have abandoned the faith.

The court gave her three days to “recant” after her trial but sentenced her to death when she refused. It also ordered her Christian marriage to be annulled and sentenced her to 100 lashes for adultery. Ibrahim’s case sparked international condemnation, with British Prime Minister David Cameron denouncing the “barbaric” sentence. (France24)

Putin calls on both sides in Ukraine conflict to lay down arms

Vladimir Putin has called on both sides in eastern Ukraine to lay down their arms and compromise, giving his strongest backing yet for the peace plan announced by Ukraine’s new President, Petro Poroshenko.

“The fact that President Poroshenko has declared a ceasefire is without question an important step towards reaching a final settlement, and perhaps is one of the most important conditions for this to happen,” said the Russian President on Sunday after taking part in a memorial ceremony to mark the anniversary of the day that Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union during the second world war.

“Russia will certainly support these plans.”

Poroshenko announced on Friday that there would be

a week-long unilateral ceasefire from pro-Kiev forces, which will end at 10:00h local time this Friday. During that time, he said, fighters would be able to cross safely into Russia or lay down their arms and go back to normal life. Poroshenko added that there was a “Plan B” in the case that the ceasefire did not work, presumably involving a renewed military assault.

Fighters on the ground in Donetsk, east Ukraine, did not appear eager to surrender. They also claimed that Ukrainian forces had broken the ceasefire. In recent weeks, the violence has claimed hundreds of lives, including those of civilians caught as Ukraine’s army shelled some residential areas. Thousands of refugees from the conflict zone have crossed into Russia.

India to seek ‘black money’ details from Switzerland

India has said it is writing to the Swiss authorities, seeking details of Indians who have parked untaxed wealth in Swiss banks. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s comments came after reports that Switzerland was sharing with Delhi a list of Indians holding “black money”.

The Swiss said there had been no meeting with Delhi since February, but it was committed to fight tax evasion. Indians are estimated to hold US$500 billion (£297 billion) in overseas tax havens.

India recently set up a special task force to find

“black money”, in one of the first decisions taken by the Government of the new Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

“We are today writing... to the Swiss authorities with whom the Ministry has been in touch so that details

with regard to whatever information the authorities have can be expedited and the cooperation between the Swiss authorities and the Government of India can bring fruitful results. Our communication will be sent

today,” Jaitley told reporters on Monday.

“News has appeared in various sections of the media quoting Swiss authorities that they are willing to actively cooperate with the Government of India in giving details about Indians who hold bank accounts in the Swiss banking system,” he added.

Earlier, the Press Trust of India quoted a senior Swiss Government official as saying that Switzerland had prepared a list of Indian names and the details were being shared with India.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Suriname to extradite wanted Guyanese man

After seven years on the run, Guyanese murder accused Samuel Fable, who escaped from prison authorities in March 2007, was on Sunday captured by Surinamese law enforcement officers and is expected to be extradited.

According to information received, Fable aka “Sammy Samuel Griffith” was arrested at Anton Dragtenweg after he resisted arrest. During the confrontation with Police, the wanted man was shot and injured to one of his legs. It was during his detention that Surinamese officials positively identified the Guyanese and immediately alerted their counterparts in Guyana.

Fable was on trial for allegedly killing an Alness, Corentyne butcher. He along with two other highprofile prisoners made good their escape in March 2007 when they cut the lock from

inside a prison van and escaped. Gavin Balkissoon –one of the other escapees –who was on trial for being in possession of a smoking utensil, was subsequently recaptured. The other prisoner, Derrick Busgith, was being tried for the murder of American citizen Kalidas

Surjnarine, 74, whose nude and headless body was found in his yard at Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder on November 27, 2004. He is reportedly still at large.

On March 16, 2007, the three men were being transported in a van from the Whim and the Springlands Magistrate’s Courts to the New Amsterdam Prisons when they cut the lock from inside and escaped. The then Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clinton Conway reported that the men were in the vicinity of the New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI) when they jumped from the prison van and escaped. It was reported that Gavin Balkissoon,was arrested by a businessman, who knows him well, and saw him walking on the Number 78 Village Public Road and turned him over to the Springlands Police.

CTO, IICA sign pact to benefit agricultural sector

Ten years after they established informal relations, the Region’s umbrella public sector tourism organisation and the Western hemisphere’s agriculture agency have formalised an agreement to strengthen linkages between tourism and agriculture.

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a news conference Monday at the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel in New York City, during the CTO’s Caribbean Week, which celebrates Caribbean tourism and the rich heritage and culture of the Region.

As part of the MoU, the two organisations have agreed to cooperate in areas that will help improve the livelihoods of agricultural and rural producers through their inclusion in the tourism value chain.

“The CTO is committed to strengthening linkages between tourism and agriculture because it’s a winwin for both sectors. Our cuisine is one of the most attractive and authentic elements of our tourism product, therefore, stronger links between the two sectors can mean more memorable experiences for our visitors, greater economic independence for our farmers and a reduction in the Caribbean’s food import bill,” said the CTO’s Secretary General, Hugh Riley, who signed on behalf of the organisation.

Ena Harvey, the Management Coordinator for the Caribbean Region, as

well as agro-tourism specialist, signed on behalf of IICA.

The two organisations have agreed to cooperate in the areas of trade and investment partnerships along the tourism value chain; food and agro-eco tourism; community-based tourism; health and wellness and spa tourism and culture and heritage tourism, as it relates to agriculture and rural sites and associated events, attractions and products.

Some of the specific areas covered under the MoU include strengthening of the institutional and policy framework to facilitate advocacy and joint promotion of trade linkages and investments between agriculture and tourism; knowledge management and information sharing on trends, success stories, best practices and lessons learned in agrotourism development; training and capacity building of stakeholders in the agriculture-tourism value chain; inclusion of agro-tourism sites and attractions in product development programmes of

School furniture contractors warned against shoddy work

Education Minister Priya Manickchand and her Permanent Secretary Delma Nedd on Friday last warned contractors about producing not only quality furniture, but that such is delivered on time.

The meeting was held with contractors who will be constructing furniture for schools across Guyana. According to a release by the Ministry, the meeting was held to discuss the importance of contractors

the CTO and regional destination marketing; and collaboration on studies quantifying the contribution of agriculture to tourism and vice versa.

Ten years ago, CTO invited IICA to sit on its board of directors as an affiliate member. As a result of this overture, the IICA has made significant progress in promoting linkages between agriculture and tourism, in terms of trade linkages as well as the development of new and authentic tourism products in rural and farming communities, Harvey said.

“This success has been due in no small part to the commitment and support of the CTO. We have collaborated on regional projects funded by the several regional and international agencies which resulted in the creation of a regional agro-tourism strategy, a food tourism strategy, manuals and best practice stories, and partnering of farmers with hoteliers.

In addition, through participation on CTO committees and Sustainable Tourism Conferences, IICA has been provided with the opportunity to advance the issue of linking agriculture with tourism,” she stated.

On the signing of the MoU, Harvey added: “We believe that through this collaboration with the CTO and our partners, we could contribute in a very tangible way to economic growth in our countries and to providing opportunities for the agricultural and rural sectors in the Caribbean to create sustainable livelihoods through linkages with tourism.”

meeting their contractual obligations, specifically emphasising the importance of contractors delivering the furniture on time and of an acceptable quality.

Manickchand pointed out during the meeting that the Government of Guyana, in understanding the importance of education in a country’s development, allocated approximately $300 million for the procurement of furniture. The Minister told those gathered at the meet-

ing that the most desirous outcome would be that quality furniture is delivered on time and emphasised that if these requirements are not met, the Government will apply penalties under the relevant contracts. The contractors undertook to do their best to meet the conditions they agreed to under the various contracts and expressed a deep understanding of the necessity to provide good furniture in a timely manner.

Prosperity, security focus of 8th Caribbean-UK Ministerial Forum

Foreign Ministers of Caricom and The Dominican Republic and Premiers from the UK overseas territories met in London on June 16-17 for their biennial high-level talks with the Foreign Office Minister for the Caribbean and other UK Government Ministers.

According to Ambassador Colin Granderson, Caricom Secretariat Assistant Secretary General for Foreign and Community Relations, “the Forum ended with a feeling of satisfaction and renewed affirmation of the links between the UK and the Caribbean”.

Immigration issues were among the major concerns for the Caribbean, the Caricom Secretariat said in a release. These include difficulties created by UK visa policies for business persons and artistes wishing to take advantage of the trade opportunities under the Economic Partnership Agreement and for students whose professional qualifications require on-the-job training. The Caribbean acknowledged the UK’s decision to amend the Air Passenger Duty bands, but expressed concern about the negative impact of the tax on the Caribbean tourism industry.

With respect to education and skills for economic development, the Forum commit-

ted to working on UK and Caribbean government priorities which include “youth employment, green skills/ green jobs; Information communication Technology (ICT) in education and training, employer engagement, gender equality and women empowerment”. Scholarship programmes and a tertiary education fair in early 2015 have been identified as avenues for developing further links between UK and Caribbean higher education institutions.

In the area of energy security, the UK confirmed its commitment to working with its partners in the Caribbean to optimise its use of indigenous energy resources in accordance with the Caribbean

Energy Policy. Security issues also featured prominently in the discussion. The Forum acknowledged that the serious threats posed by organised crime to their respective economies require a strengthened UK/Caribbean partnership. It was agreed that emphasis be placed on depriving criminals of their proceeds through improved asset recovery legislation and enhanced support for financial investigators, prosecutors and the court system.

The Forum highlighted the opportunity for strengthened foreign policy capabilities offered by the recent launch of the CaribbeanUK Diplomatic Academies and committed to developing links between their respective academies. Looking toward the future of global development issues, the UK and the Caribbean governments agreed to “work together to secure a single and compelling framework and a set of post 2015 development goals centred on eradicating extreme poverty with sustainable development at the core” . The UK-Caribbean Forum was first held in Nassau in 1998 and, since that date, has been the principal platform for high-level dialogue between the UK and the Caribbean on important bi-national, regional and international issues.

Miss and Mister Talented Teen Pageants launched

The delegates of the Miss and Mister Guyana Talented Teen Pageants were unveiled to the public on Sunday evening as Simpli Royal launched its 2014 edition of the pageants at Herdmanston Lodge, Peter Rose Street, Georgetown.

Despite a late start to the simple sashing ceremony, it was worth the wait as six stunning beauties and seven handsome young men swept the audience off their feet with, charisma and uniqueness.

Those competing for the title of Miss Guyana Talented Teen are: Akeila Dey, sponsored by Y&J International; Breana Nicholas, sponsored by Glow International Hotel; Felicia Sears, sponsored by Miss Williams Digital; Kimberly Sattaur, sponsored by Sattaur Enterprises and Genesis Trading; Lianna Williams, sponsored by the Thom family and Rissa Sooklal, sponsored by Grand Coastal Hotel.

In the male lineup competing for the crown of Mister Guyana Talented Teen are Daniel Ifill, sponsored by Brant Enterprises; Delroy Walcott, sponsored by Walcott Enterprises; Desmond Fernandes, spon-

sored by Atlantic Imports; Meshack Anthony Howard, sponsored by Alphonso Enterprises; Mikel Andrews, sponsored by Blue Mountain Resort; Mikhail Rampersaud, sponsored by Creative Image and Stephen Validum, sponsored by Guyanese designer Randy Madray.

The delegates will compete for the coveted titles on July 6 at the National Cultural Centre where they

are expected to showcase their talent, evening wear, intelligence and sportswear. They will be judged on several aspects of the competition before the grand finale. Those scores will be tallied and added to the final scores at the end of pageant night which will then determine the Miss Guyana and Mister Guyana Talented Teen winners.

The first open event will be the Cotillion, which will

be hosted at the Pegasus Hotel next Saturday. After this aspect of the competition, the delegates will have one week to get their final pieces together for the grand finale.

At the sashing ceremony on Sunday evening, franchise holder Pamela Dillon told the gathering that she was indeed impressed with the batch of young people in this year’s pageant. She not-

ed that they have shown maturity in every aspect.

Dillon also thanked the numerous persons who have been with the pageant from its inception and also expressed her profound gratitude to those persons who have supported the pageant tremendously.

Meanwhile, the sashing ceremony saw the delegates sporting various outfits designed by Maxi Williams, Nelsion Nurse, Randy Madray, Paul Burnette, Deryck Moore, and Clinton Duncan. There were also several vocal presentations including those of the reigning Mister Talented Teen Kiefer Smith and Miss Guyana Talented Teen Tiffany Boner.

One of the contestants from the previous year’s pageant, Fazil Rahaman also reminisced on his participation in the pageant, describing it as memorable. He recalled the fun times he had with his newly found friends, noting that pageants such as these bring people together despite their differences. The Miss and Mister Guyana Talented Teen 2014 Pageants are sponsored by Fly Jamaica, Pegasus Hotel, Herdmanston Lodge, Glitz and Glamour Jewellery, Motor Boutique, among others.

Simpli Royal, she added, continues to show its commitment in training young people to become role models in society and more so, to give them a chance to explore their inner qualities and uniqueness. She referenced the reigning Miss PJD2 Caribbean, Alicia Bess, who faced all the odds, kept her head high and continues to strive in the pageant industry.

Sustainable Land Management (SLM) aims to balance the needs of people, economies, and environment while minimising the negative impacts associated with each form of land use. More specifically, it is “the use of land resources, including soils, water, animals and plants, for the production of goods to meet changing human needs, while simultaneously ensuring the longterm productive potential of these resources and the maintenance of their environmental functions” (UN Earth Summit, 1992).

Understanding the link

In order to be safe and content, people need access to shelter, healthy food, clean drinking water, and cultural nourishment. These can be provided by a well-functioning local economy that supports local people for the long term through the provision of opportunities to earn adequate income and aid the provision of important services such as schools, hospitals, and trade centres. Of course, the economy depends on the

resources of the natural environment, which provides vital ecosystem services –food, air, soils, water, etc. However, these services will only continue to be available if the environment remains in a healthy state, with rich biodiversity and well-func-

Food and fibre – it helps to meet the rising food and fibre demands while sustaining ecosystem services and livelihoods.

Growing population –It is necessary to meet the requirements of a growing population.

water conservation zones and the capability of aquifers to serve farm and other productive activities.

The agricultural sector contributes around 30 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Guyana. The vast majority, 95 per

tioning ecosystems.

SLM is, therefore, crucial to minimising land degradation, rehabilitating degraded areas, and ensuring the optimal use of land resources.

SLM Benefits

SLM should be of concern to all of us for the following reasons:

Land productivity – It involves preserving and enhancing the productive capabilities of land in cropped and grazed areas.

Sustenance of forests –It aids in sustaining productive forest areas and forest reserves and maintaining the integrity of watersheds for water supply and hydropower generation needs and

cent, of this important sector is based on the coastland because of the favourable climatic conditions and richer soil. In order to make the shift to more sustainable modes of agriculture, it is important to understand current practices threaten the longevity of the sector and the quality and quantity of produce.

Common SLM principles

Land degradation had accelerated during the 20th Century, due to increasing and combined pressures of agricultural and livestock production (over-cultivation, overgrazing, forest conversions); urbanisation; deforestation; and extreme weather events such as droughts and coastal surges.

The SLM approach utilises four common principles to address this problem: Land-user-driven and participatory approaches; Integrated use of natural resources at ecosystem and farming systems levels; Multi-level and multistakeholder involvement; and Targeted policy and institutional support, including development of incentive mechanisms for SLM adoption and income generation at the local level.

Collaboration and partnership

The application of SLM requires collaboration and partnership at all levels –land users, technical experts and policymakers – to ensure that the causes of the degradation and corrective measures are properly iden-

tified, and that the policy and regulatory environment enables the adoption of the most appropriate management measures.

SLM is considered essential for sustainable development and plays a key role in bringing together the complementary, yet historically conflicting goals of production and environment. Thus one of the most important aspects of SLM is this important union of agriculture and environment through twin objectives of maintaining long-term productivity of the ecosystem functions (land, water, biodiversity) and increasing productivity (quality, quantity and diversity) of goods and services, and particularly safe and healthy food.

Sources: http://www.fao.org http://web.worldbank.org

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O EIT Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, Georgetown, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com.

SUDOKU

If you are uncertain about moving forward with your plans, review what it is you are trying to achieve and make the adjustments necessary to succeed.

By Bernice Bede Osol

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

You will hurt the feelings of someone close to you if you are insensitive about the problem that he or she is experiencing. Treat those around you the way you want to be treated in order to build healthy relationships.

You will be overlooked if you sit on the sidelines waiting for things to happen. Take an active interest in your community, and get out and do things instead of just daydreaming.

You will encounter many hurdles if you try to start something new today. Concentrate on clearing up old projects first, making it easier for you to move onward and upward.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

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

This is a good time to take care of home-improvement projects. Your energy and enthusiasm will encourage others to pitch in and help, or at least offer good suggestions.

(March 21-April 19)

Look for people who share interests with you. The knowledge and experience you gain and offer will lead to a long-lasting friendship and a unique collaboration.

(April 20-May 20)

Your edge over the competition will go up in smoke if you let others know your plans. Keep your strategy, secrets and whereabouts to yourself.

(May 21June 20)

Don’t base your actions on assumptions or hearsay. Stay out of a costly predicament by getting the facts first. An excess of talk and a shortage of action will work against you.

Your natural gifts can be put to good use if you give others the chance to participate in your plans. Networking will help you find worthy contributors.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

You should make quick work of your to-do list in order to ease your stress and free some time to enjoy life with family or friends. Put love on a pedestal.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Relax and let things unfold naturally both at work and at home. If you are too intense, you will intimidate those around you. Be patient and understanding for the best results.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Trust in your talents and work hard promoting them to others. Your persuasive personality will help you get the help you need.

Guyana Amazon Warriors U-19 Selectee….

When 17-year-old

Daniel Basdeo joins the Guyana Amazon Warriors training camp from July 1, it will not just be an experience he is looking forward to, but an experience that he hopes will be beneficial to his growth as a cricketer.

The left-arm fast bowler, who has never represented Guyana at any level, was snapped up the local franchise as one of the Under-19 players. The other Under-19 players called up are West Indies openers

Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Shimron Hetmyer; Essequibo all-rounder

Kemo Paul; 16-year-old West Coast Demerara batsman Akshaya Persaud and Everest Cricket Club fast bowler Kevin Paul.

The Canal Number 1, West Bank Demerara, resident is keen on making the opportunity count since he believes rubbing shoulders with the national, regional and international stars is the perfect opportunity for any young aspiring cricketer.

“The presence of national, regional and international stars will certainly be beneficial to my growth as a cricketer. Being a part of the same dressing room with so many T20 stars will be great. I will try my best to spend time with them, on and off the field

‘Experience will be beneficial’- Daniel Basdeo

and at the end of it learn as much as I can from them,” Basdeo said.

When asked of his initial reaction to the news of his call-up, Basdeo said he actually was not surprised.

The Under-19 players will be involved in all training sessions and other team activities during the Guyana Amazon Warriors camp and match practice scheduled for their home games only. However, the players will not be part of the selection process on match days.

This year, each franchise team consists of a squad of 19 players comprising two pre-selected players- one West Indies Franchise Player (WIFP) and one International Franchise Player- (IFP) selected by the franchise as well as four Under-19 players from each playing franchise.

However, as an initia-

tive geared toward the development of young cricketers, the management of the Guyana Amazon Warriors has widen the pool of Under-19 players to six. The Limacol CPL, which was played in front of sold out crowds at all the venues in the Caribbean, will be played from July 11 to August 16 with Chris Gayle’s Jamaica Tallawahs set to defend their title against lastyear runner-up Guyana Amazon Warriors, Antigua Hawksbills, Barbados Tridents, St Lucia Zouks and Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel.

‘Definite rise in standard of play’- Hope

There is a marked improvement in the standard of play in this year’s Digicel Schools Football championships. This is the view of Sponsorship and Events Manager of the Company, Gavin Hope, who shared his thoughts after the completion of the first week of rivalry among schools from all 10 administrative regions.

During an interview with this publication at one of the round one games of the Georgetown zone at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary, Hope was elated at what was on offer during the initial stages of the com-

petition.

He pointed to a rise in the standard of play from the schools and a lift in the interest shown by the youngsters to be part of what is arguably the country’s premier schools football tournament.

“In recent years what we experienced was schools turning up with 13 and 14 players; in some cases we have schools turning up with 24 players. This is what we want; we want more children participating, we want to give children more opportunities to play football and we can see this happening. We want to thank the teachers for making the effort to come out with their students and we look forward to their continued support in this venture,” Hope commented.

While there have been talks of the final on July 27 being held at the Guyana National Stadium, Hope did not confirm or deny such a move, noting that regardless of the venue, Digicel is expecting a large turnout for the championship game. The finals of the previous three tournaments were all held at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve

Leary, attracting massive crowds on all three occasions.

“We hope to see double the crowd this year at our final. Whichever venue we choose we hope to see double the crowd

from last year because the standard of football in our schools has significantly improved,” Hope declared.

The fourth annual tournament has been a goal fest this year, with large margins of victory

being a regular feature.

More of the same is expected during the coming weeks, as the schools look to advance deeper in the competition with the aim of upstaging reigning champions Christianburg

Wismar Secondary. The Linden school has won the tournament for the past two years, beating crowd favourite Waramadong Secondary on both occasions.

Today’s games: Costa Rica v England 12:00hrs, Italy v Uruguay 12:00hrs, Greece v Ivory Coast 16:00hrs, Japan v Colombia 16:00hrs

Fer, Depay see Dutch top Group B

Aheader with his first touch from Leroy Fer, and a late Memphis Depay goal, secured the Netherlands a 2-0 win over Chile that sends them through to the Round of 16 as Group B winners. Louis van Gaal’s side will now face the Group A runners-up.

The Dutch were without Robin van Persie, with Jeremain Lens leading the attack, while Dirk Kuyt took to the field for his 99th cap. However, the free-scoring Oranje struggled to penetrate their opponents early on. Chile went closest in the opening quarter of the game, with Felipe Gutierrez firing over after a training ground corner routine from Alexis Sanchez, but both sides were lacking the flair that had seen them qualify from the group prior to their meeting in Sao Paulo.

Dead-balls were also proving the most positive avenue of attack for the Netherlands. Wesley Sneijder could only fire his free-kick tamely into the hands of Claudio Bravo, though, before Arjen Robben almost found Stefan

de Vrij at the far post.

The Bayern Munich winger almost produced one of the goals of the tournament soon after, bursting from inside his own half and cutting a swathe through the Chilean defence, only to drag his shot wide of the far post. Gutierrez again went close, this time getting his head to a deep free-kick, but when that flashed wide it ensured both sides ended the first-half goalless for the first time in Brazil.

The last time the teams met was 86 years ago at the Olympics in Amsterdam, where the drawing of lots were needed to separate them, and it was beginning to look like things would be that tight again with little in the way of chances up until the hour mark.

However, delightful skill from Sanchez saw him cut in from the left-hand edge of the box, nutmegging Lens superbly, but the Barcelona man fired from a tight angle, with Jesper Cillessen always favourite to defend his goal at his near-post.

Robben continued to look like the Netherlands’ chief threat, but his effort

from the edge of the box caused Bravo little threat, before Kuyt flashed a header from his corner wide. The introduction of two substitutes were the catalysts for the South Africa 2010 finalists to break the deadlock. Depay’s wicked shot was palmed over by Bravo, and when the following corner was eventually played in, the unmarked Fer was on hand to head home with his first touch just inside the post.

This sprung Chile into life as they pushed for an equaliser - though knowing they would need two to overhaul the Dutch at the top of Group B. They came closest when Jorge Valdivia’s nearpost flick-on deflected off Nigel de Jong, but bodies on the line prevented it sneaking in.

With the Chileans committed, a rapid breakaway saw Robben and Depay wrap up the points, with the former charging away from the South American defence, before crossing for his youthful colleague to slide in at the far post and double his FIFA World Cup™ tally. (FIFA)

Neymar double helps Brazil book Chile tie

Brazil celebrated their 100th FIFA World Cup™ match with a fittingly entertaining 4-1 victory over Cameroon to arrange a mouthwatering Round of 16 meeting with fellow South Americans Chile.

A double from Neymar, now the top scorer at the tournament with a quartet of strikes, and secondhalf efforts by Fred and Fernandinho proved enough to secure top spot in Group A for Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team, ahead of Mexico on goal difference. Their opponents, on the other hand, say farewell to the competition without a point from three outings.

Buoyed by reverberating noise in Brasilia, the hosts were fast and direct, causing consternation for the African side regularly from kick-off by moving the ball to their frontline as quickly as possible. They were thankful for the positioning of Marcelo in the tenth minute, however – the Real Madrid full-back crucially blocked a goal-bound piledriver from Eyong Enoh.

When Brazil’s breakthrough arrived on 17 minutes – the 100th goal of the tournament – the conversion was sublime. Luiz Gustavo pressed intensely on the left flank, won possession, strode forward and dispatched an accurate cross into the area for Neymar, who in one swift movement opened up his body and side-footed first time around the goalkeeper to nestle the ball into the corner.

Charles Itandje’s hands were no doubt sore when he was required to fist out

a thunderous volley from the A Seleção No10, and Henri Bedimo’s awareness in covering was the only reason Fred could not tap home an extender having been picked out by a low Paulinho delivery into the danger area.

Momentum soured into misunderstanding within nine minutes of the opener, though, when Cameroon responded. Allan Nyom refused to concede in his attempt to navigate around Dani Alves and grasped a modicum of space to drill along the six-yard box. Waiting was midfielder Joel Matip for one of the most straightforward finishes of his career.

For all that Volker Finke’s team were competitive against the five-time champions, Neymar terrified his opponents with every touch. And the 22-yearold only required a couple when Marcelo collected a loose clearance and knocked forward into the Barcelona prodigy’s path. Afforded too much freedom, he set himself and dispatched a daisy-cutter underneath Itandje and into the net for his fourth goal of the FIFA World Cup.

With a Round of 16 berth within touching distance, Brazil adopted a frenetic pace when the second half kicked off; a fine Bedimo tackle thwarted Hulk, Itandje got important fingertips to a Fred drive and the goalkeeper deflected a Neymar free-kick over the crossbar as Finke’s charges desperately tried to hold firm.

But their resistance soon buckled. Failure to adequately clear defensive lines cost the Indomitable Lions dearly, with David Luiz pouncing inside the left channel to side-foot at a helpful height across the face of the goal for Fred at the far post. The striker made no mistake, shaping at speed to nod in from close range and open up a cushion for Brazil.

Aside from a brief scare as Neymar departed proceedings as a precaution after jarring a knee, the host nation played out the remainder of the tie comfortably, rousing themselves with six minutes left on the clock when half-time substitute Fernandinho concluded a rapid interchange of passing with a toe-poke hit that rolled beyond Itandje.

Mexico beat Croatia to spark Recife fiesta

Mexico booked their place in the knockout stages of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ with a 3-1 win over Croatia in their third and final Group A game in Recife. Rafael Marquez, Andres Guardado and Javier Hernandez provided the goals and El Tri will now meet the Netherlands in the Round of 16, while the Croats head for home. The game at the Arena Pernambuco had a physical edge from the opening whistle, almost predictable considering the value of the contest for both teams. Ivan Rakitic, Croatia’s stay-athome central midfielder of the day, was yellow-carded inside the first five minutes for a hard foul on Jose Vazquez.

Soon after, both goals were under threat. In the 14th minute, Ivica Olic headed a dangerous ball across the face of the Mexican goal. Guillermo Ochoa – El Tri hero from the goalless draw with Brazil – dove out of the frame to clear with a flying punch. And just a minute later up the other end, Hector Herrera saw his leftfooted piledriver from 30 yards out hit the corner of post and crossbar. The Mexicans were in the ascendency and, seconds after going within inches of scoring, Oribe Peralta chased in a through ball from Giovani dos Santos. But despite the Santos Laguna striker being at full stretch, he was just unable to make clean contact with the ball and a good chance

went begging.

The Croatians were content to sit back and try to break on the counter-attack as the opening period wore on. One such foray, after the half-hour mark,

led to a second yellow card of the game. This time the caution went to Marquez, the Mexican captain hauling down Mario Mandzukic, who was racing toward goal. It was a dangerous

game for the Mexicans to play as Croatia packed the superior aerial threat from set-pieces.

A draw would do Croatia no good and it became clear shortly after the interval that they would need to be a little more cavalier in their approach. Mexico coach Miguel Herrera, for his part, shook things up in attack too, by bringing on Hernandez for creator Dos Santos.

The CONCACAF side began to turn the screw, but their goal came not from a striker, but a tried and true defender. Captain Marquez, so often Mexico’s hero, stepped up in the 72nd minute to nod home a Herrera corner-kick.

At that moment, the game might as well have

been at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, such was the noise produced by the fans in green. It didn’t diminish three minutes later, either, when Guardado added a second, or when Hernandez headed his first goal in an age for Mexico to make it three.

Ivan Perisic pulled one back for the Europeans in the closing moments and Ante Rebic saw red, but it made no difference. As second place finisher in Group A, Mexico - who’ve put their qualifying struggles well behind them - now meet the high-flying Netherlands in the Round of 16 on 29 June in Fortaleza. Croatia, despite producing some fine football here in Brazil, head for home after just three matches. (FIFA)

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Sri Lanka close in on famous victory

Sri Lanka have never won a Test series in England, but they are closing in on a magnificent achievement after their captain, Angelo Mathews, with a brilliant domineering hundred, followed by a scarcely credible spell from Dhammika Prasad consigned England to a day of untold gloom in the second Test at Headingley.

Prasad was the fifth Sri Lanka bowler used in an England second-innings innings which only amounted to 27 overs at the tail end of the fourth day, but he bustled in to such staggering effect that he demolished England with 4 for 15 in six overs, bowling the fuller Headingley length that

Villa and

DEngland’s attack had found beyond them.

The day finished to the sound of excited Sri Lankan laughter as the nightwatchman, Liam Plunkett, poked a lavishly flighted delivery from the left-arm spinner, Rangana Herath to extra cover. In the dressing room, Alastair Cook, a captain debilitated by a lack of runs and doubts about his tactical acumen, must rarely have been more dispirited.

This will go down as one of the most treasured days in Sri Lanka cricket history. It was also an increasingly shambolic display by England. They looked weary with the ball and then blundered to 57 for 5 on the same slow, dry surface on

spain

which Sri Lanka had made 457. Cook was the first to fall, secure enough in reaching 16 then dragging a pull into his stumps off a bottom edge in Prasad’s first over.

Angelo Mathews summoned a career-best innings of power and fortitude to raise Sri Lanka’s hopes of victory in the Headingley Test, and with it the series, as they left England’s attack weary and browbeaten on a pitch that allowed them no release.

Summerised scorecard: England 365 and 57 for 5 (Root 8*, Prasad 4-15) need 293 more runs to beat Sri Lanka 257 and 457 (Mathews 160, Jayawardene 69, Plunkett 4-115). (Cricinfo.com)

bow out on a high

avid Villa brought the curtain down on a glorious international career by scoring a wonder goal that helped Spain end a forgettable FIFA World Cup™ campaign with a 3-0 win over Australia in Curitiba. The 32-year-old had announced before the tournament that he will quit international football following Brazil 2014. Fernando Torres and Juan Mata were also on target to ensure Vicente Del Bosque’s men finished third in Group B, leaving Ange Postecoglou’s Socceroos bottom.

A match in which both sides had nothing but pride to play for began at a leisurely pace, and it took until the 23rd minute for the first chance to arrive. Jordi Alba was the man afforded it, in space inside the Australian area following a neat flick from Villa, but Maty Ryan dived to his left to repel the little wingback’s strike.

The contest really came to life after the half-hour.

Villa collected possession down the left, puzzled Mile Jedinak with step-overs, and squared the ball across goal, only for it to run between Santi Cazorla and Fernando Torres and away from danger.

Villa’s end product didn’t, however, let him down moments later. Andres Iniesta

slid a sumptuous pass behind the Socceroos defence for Juanfran to run on to. Rather than rush his cross, the Atletico Madrid rightback looked up, spotted Villa unmarked, and cleverly cut the ball towards him. Spain’s record marksman let it run through his legs before extravagantly flicking it past Ryan and into the back of the net with his right heel.

The second half started at a quicker pace than the first had, but the sides struggled to carve out a meaningful opportunity until the 69th minute. That was when Iniesta uncorked the Aussie backline with one of his patented throughballs, and Torres took it in his stride and slotted past Ryan for his first World Cup

goal since Germany 2006. Mark Bresciano, the 34-year-old Socceroos icon who was deemed unfit to start, got a great reception when he came on for what will surely be his last World Cup game, but it was the Roja fans who were cheering on 82 minutes. Cesc Fabregas chipped the ball into Mata, who, from an acute angle, nutmegged Ryan to make it 3-0. Spain had done what Del Bosque had demanded: responded in style following two shocking upsets. Their all-time record marksman, the man whose magic inspired them to glory at South Africa 2010, had made a memorable farewell: with his 59th and arguably classiest international goal. (FIFA)

Seweyo encampment for boxers ahead of overseas bouts

TreisTon Joseph

Local boxers selected to represent Guyana at the Commonwealth Games and Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games qualifiers are to be encamped at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Camp Seweyo on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway as they prepare to do themselves and country proud.

Twelve boxers and four officials will make up the team for encampment at Seweyo.

President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Steve Ninvalle expressed gratitude to the GDF and Brigadier Mark Phillips for allowing the boxers and coaches to train at the camp.

“We are extremely grateful for this opportunity. Something like this has not happened in over a decade and GDF coming on board means we have backing and with continued backing and support boxing will be able to realize its dream,” Ninvalle told Guyana Times Sport.

Further, Ninvalle noted the way in which the encampment will help the boxers. “Ideally, it will afford

the boxers a chance to be focused and it will allow for the officials to closely monitor them in terms of what they eat and their overall work ethic,” Ninvalle highlighted.

The boxers will go into camp from June 27 with Terrence Poole, Wincel Thomas, Sebert Blake and Fransico Roldan the officials to get the boxers in tip top shape for their overseas engagements.

The Commonwealth Games begin on July 23 in Glasgow, Scotland while the CAC qualifiers will begin in early August in Colombia.

students ‘hard in training’ for Jr. Karate c/ships

- More than 40 to compete on Sunday at Thirst Park

The Guyana Wado Ryu Karate Association (GWKA) will host its annual Junior Karate championships on Sunday at Banks DIH Sports Club, Thirst Park.

Chief Instructor, Sensei Winston Dunbar, disclosed that more than 40 students are expected to compete in the one-day event scheduled to start at 10:00 hours.

The students will represent the following Dojos: Mae’s School, Banks Sports Club, Eccles Primary School and Farm, East Bank Essequibo. Students will compete for top honours in Boys and Girls 6-8 years, 9-11 and 11-14 years divisions.

Sensei Dunbar said the students have been training very hard for the championships as they look forward to the kumite (fighting). “The juniors have been showing great potential as displayed at the recently held National Junior Karate Championships at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall where the (GWKA) secured four first places, three second and two third place fin -

MCY&S/NSC swimming camp starts next month

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCY&S)/ National Sports Commission’s (NSC) annual swimming camp will take its first splash on July 14 and conclude on August 22 at the Colgrain Pool on

Camp Street, Georgetown.

The camp, which is geared at teaching youngsters the fundamentals of the sport, will cater for youths between ages six and 16.

Persons interested in joining the camp can obtain

registration forms from the Colgrain Pool and the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal between 09:00h and 15:00h. Registration began on Monday last and will end on July 4.

Further information on the event can be obtained from Desiree Cummings on 226-0387 or Abraham Watson on 222-1306 or 6495562. The MCY&S/NSC are reminding persons to register early as places will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis.

Nationwide Primary Schools Windball championship…

St Therese’s, St Aloysius to meet in Girls final

ishes,” Sensei Dunbar said. “We also have two other important events scheduled for next month, the first being the annual walkathon from the National Cultural Centre to Banks DIH Sports Club on July 9, while the second event will be the grading exercise billed for July 13 at Thirst Park,” he added.

Sunday’s tournament is being sponsored by Banks DIH Limited.

dressed team

St Therese’s and St Aloysius will meet in the Girls final of the Canje/New Amsterdam zone of the 17th annual nationwide Primary Schools windball championships, which continued at the weekend in the Ancient County of Berbice.

Playing at the Canje Welfare ground, St Theresa defeated Edinburg by eight wickets to advance to the final. Edinburg made 37-4 batting first with Shellon Sampson taking 2-13. Serena Codogan then made 13 to lead St Therese’s to victory at 38-2 with Lacresha

Woodruff taking 2-3.

In the other Girls game, All Saints made 50-2 to which St Aloysius replied with 51-2 with Vanessa John making 19 and Shevon LeFleur taking two wickets.

In the Boys competition, St Aloysius defeated Overwinning by 27 runs, Overwinning recovered to beat All Saints by 12 runs and Edinburg defeated St Therese’s by nine wickets. The All Saints/St Therese’s match ended as a no-result. The games are being coordinated by Sport Officer, Allister Munroe

The Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) has released the names of all persons making up Guyana’s delegation at the Commonwealth Games scheduled for July 23 in Glasgow, Scotland. Guyana will be represented in seven sporting disciplines namely; Athletics, Rifle Shooting, Swimming, Cycling, Boxing, Squash and Table Tennis.

The team will have a

total of 27 athletes across seven disciplines and 10 officials, carrying the total squad to 37.

The team is as follows: Rifle; Mahendra Persaud, Lennox Braithwaite and Ransford Goodluck as Manager/Coach, Cycling; Alonzo Greaves, Raynauth Jeffrey, Geron Williams, Scott Savory, Marlon Williams, Claire FraserGreen, Dwayne Gibbs as Manager/Coach and Shaun Green as Coach,

Athletics; Adam Harris, Stephan James, Winston George and Kenrick Smith as Coach, Table Tennis; Christopher Franklin, Paul David, Shamar Britton, Idi Lewis, Trenace Lowe, Chelsea Edghill, Nathalie Cummings, Ms. JodyAnn Blake and Godfrey Munroe as Manager/ Coach, Swimming; Onika George, Niall Roberts and Sean Baksh as Manager/ Coach, Squash; Alexander Arjoon, Sunil Seth,

Nicolette Fernandes and Carl Ince as Manager/ Coach, Boxing; Theresa London, Eon Bancroft, Dennis Thomas Imran Khan/Mr. Delon Charles and Terrence Poole as Manager/Coach.

The Chef-deMission of the team will be Garfield Wiltshire while the overall manager of the team will be Commonwealth gold medalist Aliann Pompey.

Thompson confirmed for WJC

Overseas based

Guyanese Sprinter

Brenessa Thompson has been confirmed to participate in the 2014 edition of the World Junior Championships scheduled for Eugene, Oregon, United States of America from July 22. Thompson, who qualified for the event after running an on average time of 11.79s early in May, gave

the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) a positive reason to ensure she participates with a fast run of 11.338s that broke her state record in America earlier this month.

President of the AAG Aubrey Hutson confirmed the sprinter’s participation at the event with this publication on Monday and noted that the association will be standing the expense for

Thompson.

Thompson will now join fellow overseas based Guyanese sprinter and World Junior silver medalist Kadecia Baird and Carifta bronze medalist Jason Yaw on the team.

The sprinter is expected to participate in both the female 100 and 200 metres at the event which begins on July 22 and concludes on July 27. (Treiston Joseph)

Hanif wins Buddy’s Pool Hall ‘On Cue’ competition

Ayube Hanif was crowned champion of the Buddy’s Pool Hall ‘On Cue’Pool Competition, last Sunday at Buddy’s Pool Hall on Sheriff Street.

In a keenly contested competition, Hanif battled to victory against 120 players, and for his win he took home a first prize of a Jialing Motorcycle and trophy.

Shawn DeSouza captured the runner-up position, securing $60,000, a Plum Tablet and trophy, while the third place finisher Rupraj Bridmohan claimed $40,000, a Plum X260 phone and trophy.

Joel Ramdeen rounded off the top four positions and collected $25,000 and a trophy.

Managing Director of Buddy’s Pool Hall Ryan Shivraj, at the conclusion of the tournament, thanked the players for a keenly competed competition. He also lauded the various entities for their support in making the competition a reality.

The sponsors were Jailing, Trophy Stall, Cell Phone Shack, Jai Signs,

c B c squad needs to find core 12

By TreisTon Joseph

The Guyana men’s team is currently in training for the Caribbean Basketball Championships (CBC) scheduled to bounce off on July 1 in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).

Being touted as a team to beat with the veteran leadership of Rawle Marshall, who is the first Guyanese to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), one thing sticks out throughout the training sessions at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH); the shortlisted team is still too big.

While it allows for the team to have enough players to run game type simulations as was the case on Sunday evening at the CASH, not having the initial 12 train together could prove disastrous for the team’s overall success.

Ryan Gullen who looked good despite his knee tendinitis which is improving. Gullen was able to make shots from the field while rebounding the ball as he normally does.

Having a position rebounder like Gullen should be a major boost to the team. Dwayne Roberts and Shane Webster also look excellent as Webster displayed his passing skill that was quite surprising while Roberts was dominant with his point’s production and leadership on the floor.

How will the coach (Mark Agard) effectively figure out his rotation and devise playing time for his starters and role players?

Such is not a situation you can just figure out on

For instance, how will the team develop enough chemistry and know the tendencies of each other during game time?

the fly during the actual tournament when all the marbles are being played for.

However, what does look to favour Guyana is the mixture of talent on the team. It is evident from his play on Sunday evening that Marshall will be the ‘go to guy’ especially in

the dying moments of close games.

Meanwhile, Andre De Florimonte seems like a good option to be the starting point guard on the team from his play on Sunday evening.

De Florimonte, during the simulation game, was excellent at putting

his teammates in the spot where he wants them and was exceptional in pick and roll situations as he either got to the rim, drew the foul and hit a tough shot, or simply made excellent reads and dished the ball where it needed to be for easy buckets. Another standout was

Akeem Kanhai also looked to be in fine form with his energy and athleticism and should be able to make the final 12 players for the championships.

However, the current crop of players still need to be broken down so the 12 that will be a part of the championship can find a rhythm and chemistry as a unit.

Lara the star in MCC win over Herts

Brian Lara made a sparkling 56 as MCC cantered to a seven wicket win over Hertfordshire in their Lord’s Bicentenary Anniversary Day clash at the Home of Cricket.

Lara, batting at number three, was part of a fine performance from the MCC top order as they chased down 199 in 32.3 of their 40 allotted overs.

Openers Jonathan Wileman and Daryl Mitchell put on a fine opening stand of 104 to set MCC off to a perfect start.

Wileman was the standout player in their partnership, making 67, while Worcestershire batsman Mitchell made a robust 64, reaching his half century with a six into the Mound Stand.

But it was Lara who stole the show with a wonderful performance, unfurling a range of vintage strokes in a knock which spanned just 36

balls and 38 minutes.

The spinners were swept and glided behind square, or dispatched back over their heads with some nimble footwork, while the 45-year-old treated Hertfordshire’s seamers with distain.

He fell with fewer than ten required, receiving a well deserved

standing ovation from the crowd as he returned to the Pavilion, leaving ex-South Africa batsman Dale Benkenstein finish things off for the home team.

Former Ireland captain Trent Johnston was the pick of the MCC bowlers earlier in the day, taking three wickets for

33 in his eight over spell after Hertforshire’s won the toss and elected to bat.

Lara will be in action again at Lord’s next month in the next major Bicentenary celebration, when he plays for Sachin Tendulkar’s MCC team against Rest of the World. (Lord’s)

Mexico beat Croatia to spark Recife fiesta

Limacol CPL Launches #GETMETOTHEGAME Twitter Petition

‒‘Twitition’ calls on businesses & Governments to allow staff to get off work early for limacol CPL games

The Limacol

Caribbean Premier League yesterday announced that it has launched a regional twitter petition that calls on businesses and Governments across the region to let employees leave work early to watch the mid-week CPL game in their respective countries.

Under the banner and twitter hashtag of “#getmetothegame”, the twitter petition is a rallying cry to cricket fans and party people alike to fight for their right to enjoy the “Biggest Party in Sport”.

Fans in host countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago) are

being encouraged to join the petition by clicking on http://bit.ly/TocX7p and clicking ‘sign’. Select fans who join the twitition will also be in with a chance to win tickets for themselves and four friends to a CPL game in their market as well as a chance to win a trip and tickets to the finals in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Limacol CPL Head

of Marketing, James Wynne, said; “The #getmetothegame twitition is a Caribbean-wide movement for people to get off work early and enjoy the Biggest Party in Sport instead. We know that nothing beats being in the stadium for a CPL game and as such, we are using this platform to allow people to enjoy that electric atmosphere and

watch some of the biggest T20 cricket stars in the world.”

“We are calling on businesses, Government bodies, leaders, and all others with the power to do so to get in the spirit and allow their employees and colleagues to finish work early to enjoy the CPL,” continued Wynne.