Guyana Times Daily

thursday, july 25, 2013

No lack of will by PPP/C stalled local govt polls – Ramotar

President Donald Ramotar said it not the lack of political will on the part of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration that local government elections were not held in Guyana since 1994, as he expressed hope for the passage of the four bills that are currently pending in the National Assembly.

On Monday, the president said in an interview that despite talks of transparency and compromise by the parliamentary opposition, they have been showing an extraordinary level of inflexibility and are now attempting to change many of the positions that were initially agreed to.

“We are the ones who brought back local government elections to Guyana, and the fact that we did not have these elections has nothing to do with the lack of will on our part… I know that it is badly needed because many of the problems we face are due to the fact that we did not have local government elections,” President Ramotar said.

Prior to 1994, local government elections were last held in 1970. Subsequent to 1994, the elections could not be held simply because it coincided with the general and regional elections of 1997. The life of the Guyana Elections Commission ended shortly after the December 1997 elections and this again prevented the holding of local government elections. Another commission was set up to run the 2001 elections, and this one too eventually dissolved and another had to be established which took a significant amount of time.

Meanwhile, Guyana’s Constitution was rewritten after extensive consultations from all parties. The new Constitution stated that local government elections must be held under a reform process, different from what obtained when it was last held in 1994.

Since this process was not clearly spelt out, it was left up to the parties to negotiate. This ended up being another protracted process. Subsequently, the opposition requested that the bills in Parliament be placed on hold, a request that was acquiesced to by former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

During the interview, President Ramotar said with the new composition of the National Assembly, particularly as it relates to opposition members, positions that were initially agreed to are being changed.

He said that notwithstanding this, the government is prepared to make compromises, especially with regards to the establishment of the Local Government Commission, which he said the opposition is trying to use to minimise the role of the Local Government Ministry.

The four bills were discussed and analysed at the level of a parliamentary special select committee chaired by APNU’s Member of Parliament Basil Williams. The bills are slated to be debated on July 25 in the National Assembly.

The bills are the Fiscal Transfers Bill 2012, the Municipal and District Councils (Amendment) Bill, the Local Government (Amendment) Bill and the Local Government Commission Bill.

Missing teen’s body found among mangrove trees

BY BHISHAM MOHAMED

The parents of a teenager are trying to come to grips with reality as their son’s body was pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of Victoria Village, East Coast Demerara on Wednesday morning.

Kelly Hope, 15, of Wilson Street, Victoria Village, East Coast Demerara went missing since Monday after he reportedly went swimming with friends at a koker in the village. His body was swollen and covered in blood as undertakers removed it.

According to information received, the teen could not swim, but yet accompanied his friends to the koker, and took off his clothes but no one can say whether he jumped into the water or was pushed.

Following the discovery of the teen’s body, his friends were grilled at the Cove and John Police Station with the hope of one of them revealing the truth. On Wednesday, his father Leonard Hope explained that when he arrived home Monday afternoon, he saw his son and wife leaving for the market to sell bread.

Soon after, his son returned home and collected his bicycle, but as he was about to leave, he enquired from him where he was going and was told to assist his mother.

The Progressive Youth Organisation PYO said on Wednesday that it will not stand back and allow the future of Guyanese youths to be eroded because of the irresponsible and reckless action of the opposition to scuttle the Amaila Falls project.

These comments come on the heels of the opposition’s recent move to vote down the project in the National Assembly. On that note, the PYO said it is deeply concerned about the future of the project.

PYO executive member Romel Roopnarine made reference to recent statements in the media which support the project, noting that not only the private sector and

On Tuesday morning, the father stated that a teenager went to buy bread from his wife and she asked him to check at the koker where he discovered the teen’s clothes and slippers that he was wearing at the time on the sea walls in the vicinity of the koker.

This, Leonard stated drew speculation based on the fact that his son could not swim.

The father said after enquiring, they found the guys that he was last seen with, but they refused to divulge any information.

As it got dark on Tuesday evening, the search was called off but continued on Wednesday. About 08:15h, they found his body among the mangrove trees, not far from the koker. Upon the discovery, the police were summoned and later retrieved the body with the help of relatives.

The Golden Grove Secondary School student’s body was taken to Lyken’s Funeral Home and is awaiting a post-mortem examination. He leaves to mourn his parents and five siblings. (bhisham@guyanatimesgy.com)

His mother operates a bread shop in the village and he would normally go to assist her. The father further stated that as time elapsed, his wife Donna came home without his teenage son. His wife, he added enquired about the teen but the father was left amused since he thought that he had gone to assist her. He said this prompted them to enquire from other villagers if they had seen the lad, but received no positive answers. The next morning, after Hope did not return home, his mother reportedly went to the Cove and John Police Station to lodge a missing person’s report, but was told that 24-hours had not elapsed.

PYO concerned about future of Amaila project

civil society came out to reject the opposition’s decision, but also the religious community.

This, Roopnarine believes, points to the fact that both the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) have found themselves in a corner.

“If the opposition is not aware by now that Guyanese want hydro power, then it is a serious indictment on their part, because they are claiming to represent the interest of Guyanese as well,” Roopnarine said.

While noting that both the Amaila Falls project and local government reform are important, Roopnarine believes that the opposition should not be allowed to prioritise which is more important. He said that the vast majority of Guyanese are in

total support of having the Amaila Falls project fasttracked and therefore attention should be placed on that first, because it is a request from the populace.

“We find it very difficult for the opposition to prioritise the future of the Guyanese people, particularly the youths. We don’t think that the opposition has the right to determine what is in the best interest of the youths. I think the youths are fully capable of knowing exactly what is in their interest,” he added.

Roopnarine explained that at the beginning, the opposition was seeking to have government tackle corruption and lack of transparency, but this is being addressed through several mediums. Now, the issue has moved to them questioning the viability of the pro-

ject, even with all necessary documents made available to both opposition parties on their request.

The opposition was also given a visit to the construction site, where they had expressed satisfaction with works.

The organisation said it is looking at several options, one of which is to hold a meeting with the opposition on this matter. Besides this, the PYO said it strongly condemns the combined opposition’s continued anti-development posture, which has seen it boycotting the project though it agreed to improve the livelihoods of all Guyanese. The organisation also highlighted that the opposition continues to blatantly misuse its parliamentary power to undermine development and progress of the Guyanese economy.

BRIDGE OPENINGS

WEATHER TODAY

Countrywide: Heavy rain showers are expected during the day, with clear skies in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to south-easterly at 3.12 to 2.68 metres per second.

High Tide: 06:13h and 18:36h reaching maximum heights of 2.80 metres and 2.73 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 12:10h reaching a minimum height of 0.44 metre.

ECLAC projects 4.8 per cent growth for Guyana this year

Guyana’s growth rate is projected at 4.8 per cent according to a new report launched by the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean in Chile on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, as a whole, Latin American and Caribbean countries will grow by three per cent in 2013, which is similar to last year’s growth rate, according to the report. In the survey, ECLAC states that the lower growth rate than the most recent estimate (3.5 per cent in April) was partly due to slow growth in Brazil and Mexico. In addition, several countries that were growing quickly – such as Chile, Panama and Peru – experienced a slowdown in economic activity in recent months.

High dependency

The report adds that the region has some weaknesses that could affect it in the short and long term, given the current negative external environment. Such weaknesses include the high dependency on exports to Europe and China, a growing current account deficit (reaching two per cent of GDP in 2013, which is the highest level since 2001), major fiscal constraints in the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico, and South American vulnerability due to its dependence on natural resources.

Furthermore, economic growth remains largely dependent on consumption, which in 2013 has expanded less than in the previous year. Meanwhile, the contribution of investment to GDP will be modest, and net exports will make a negative contribution owing to the larger increase in imports than exports. Exports were

down in the first half of 2013, and are probably facing the end of the boom period in commodity prices.

According to ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena, who presented the document, “the current situation highlights problems of growth sustainability in most of the region’s economies, hence, the need to broaden and diversify sources of growth. We also need a social covenant to increase investment and productivity, as well as changing production patterns to grow with equality”.

Moderate growth

The region’s moderate economic performance is linked to estimated world economic growth of 2.3 per cent (which is a similar rate to 2012). Owing to the ongoing recession in the euro zone during 2013, developing countries are expected to remain the drivers of world economic growth (although policies adopted by the United States and Japan are expected to boost these economies and promote greater worldwide economic growth in the coming year).

According to ECLAC estimates, Paraguay leads growth in 2013, with a 12.5 per cent rise in GDP, followed by Panama (7.5 per cent),

Peru (5.9 per cent), Bolivia (5.5 per cent), Nicaragua (five per cent) and Chile (4.6 per cent). Argentina is expected to grow by 3.5 per cent, Brazil by 2.5 per cent and Mexico by 2.8 per cent. Central America should grow by four per cent, while South America is expected to grow by 3.1 per cent. The Caribbean is expected to maintain the slow upward trend in growth observed in previous years (to reach two per cent). In the first six months of 2013, prices for many of the region’s exports dropped, particularly minerals, metals, oil and some foodstuffs. This trend is associated with the euro zone recession and the slowdown of growth in China.

In 2013, export values are expected to rise by around four per cent, which is higher than the 1.5 per cent growth recorded in 2012 but much lower than the rates above 20 per cent observed in 2011 and 2010. Imports are expected to grow by six per cent in 2013 (compared with a rise of 4.3 per cent in 2012).

As a result of the region’s moderate economic growth, labour demand is not expected to rise significantly in 2013. Unemployment dipped from 6.9 per cent to 6.7 per cent in the first quar-

ter of 2013, while 12-month cumulative regional inflation to May 2013 stood at six per cent (compared with 5.5 per cent in December 2012 and 5.8 per cent in the 12 months to May 2012).

Boost investment

In the Economic Survey 2013, ECLAC analyses economic growth in recent decades and presents proposals to boost investment and productivity, with a view to achieving more stable and sustainable growth in the future. While this period has seen profound economic transformations in Latin America and the Caribbean, levels of inequality and poverty remain high in many countries. Despite the positive terms of trade, capital accumulation has been insufficient and there have been limited gains in labour productivity.

According to the document, macroeconomic policies (and particularly fiscal, monetary and foreign exchange policies) could make a vital contribution to increased growth with equality in the future. This explains the need to strategically support macroeconomic policies for investment, so as to aid productive diversification in sectors that export or compete with imports (tradable goods sectors).

The report highlights the need for robust institutions and social covenants to encourage investment, including short-term macroeconomic policies with a stabilising and countercyclical effect, as well as longterm macroeconomic policies linked with industrial, social, labour and environmental policies, all with a view to promoting sustainable structural change and greater productivity.

Editor: Nigel Williams

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

Anti-development opposition

There is very little that can be written on the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project (AFHEP) that has not been written in the last few weeks as the government struggled to persuade the opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) to support two pieces of enabling legislation. What has become clear in the end, is that the opposition’s refusal to budge from its obdurate negative stand and to effectively torpedo the bill for this legislative session had little to do with the merits or demerits of the substantive aspects of the project in general and the bills in particular.

This conclusion is warranted by the shifting and contradictory stances of the opposition for rejecting AFHEP. Their original objection – that they did not have enough information on the details of the project – had long been addressed. In fact, after every such briefing by the government, the opposition would wax long and lyrical about the merits of the project, but yet would soon revert to their original negative stance.

Before the bills were to be debated, the leader of the AFC Khemraj Ramjattan had affirmed they would support AFHEP only after the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) had completed their ongoing due diligence process. But very quickly, he proposed that if the government were willing to establish the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) they would change their position. They would forego the due diligence results. Then during the debate in Parliament, he claimed that if the government had supported the local government bills on the same order paper as the AFHEP bills, they would have voted affirmatively.

More than any other actions, these crude attempts at what the Private Sector Commission (PSC) denounced as “horse trading on national matters”, demonstrate the lack of a principled stand by the opposition on this crucial project, which even they concede could be a game changer for the country’s developmental push. But the opposition was not finished in their tacking and turning to justify they negative stance. They claimed one of the bills would allow the government to go on a borrowing spree.

Of the two bills on AFHEP, one was on environmental and bio-diversity issues while the other concerned the “Guarantee of Loans (Public Corporations and Companies) Act.” This act permits government to guarantee the discharge by a public corporation or company of its obligation under any agreement authorised by the state with a lending agency. It had last been increased to $1billion in 1980. In the specific instance before the house, Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh had explained why the guarantee had to be increased.

As the opposition knew from their several briefings, the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) would be executing a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Amaila Falls Hydro Power Inc to purchase electricity. Explained the minister: “In order to ensure that the other parties and partners to this transaction are satisfied of GPL’s ability to discharge its obligations to provide them with the necessary assurances that they require and to conclude the transaction of this nature…certain assurances are required of us as a government, including an assurance that GPL will meet its obligation.”

What is mind-boggling is the leader of the AFC claimed that such a guarantee was never required by the IDB to assist them in their deliberations to come aboard AFHEP. Then there was the question of how guaranteeing payments of debt by public corporations would mean the government would be increasing its “borrowing”.

But more to the point, since the original objection concerned the viability of AFHEP (to be vetted by the IDB), is the opposition is now saying that they government should not guarantee a critical public utility’s debt even if the project is given flying colours? Would this not lower the risks’ costs?

Behind all the ducks and drakes, the opposition is playing is their unwillingness for Guyana to show further development under the present government.

Quick fixes will not work for stellings

Dear Editor,

I recall what happened at the Meadow Bank Fishing Wharf in May. It was sheer panic when a good sized section of the structure collapsed causing several persons to scramble for safety and thousands of pounds of fish to fall into the muddy water. It was a big loss and it could have been avoided.

In August of 2011, there was almost a protest about

the decrepit state of this wharf, and when nothing came out of the complaints, a few concerned fishermen did some minor repair work. It is probably the same story regarding the two main ferry stellings across the Demerara River. They are in a state of disrepair and commuters are calling for a permanent fix.

I have fears many times when I am embarking or dis-

embarking water vessels here in Guyana. The stellings are usually very precarious and if I do not get plenty of help, it is likely that I might fall, or even ended up losing stuff to the waters. A lot of people have this fear and if these two stellings can be fixed, it would be more about removing fear – it would be about being safe over all.

What we all need to remember is that stellings and

other similar structures, apart from the natural wear and tear by usage, large portions of them are always under constant battering from the water.

This is why the surveillance for wear and tear and appropriate maintenance must be spot on. The quick fixes will never work.

Yours truly, Balram Lall

Resident complains about bushy house lot in Blairmont

Dear Editor,

This nonsense must stop. I am talking about a bushy house lot next to my house at Blairmount, West Berbice. Nobody wants to weed it. So the bushes are getting bigger and bigger. And the annoyance and discomfort increases.

This land is owned by

someone who lives overseas, but relatives also live in Blairmont and refuse to contact him and refuse to weed the land. The problem gets worse when the Blairmont Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) refuses to clear the land, saying money was not budgeted to do such work. Another big letdown

is the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) in West Berbice.

This bushy house lot is an environmental issue and it affects the neighbouring residents. This matter needs to be addressed urgently. Where are the environmentalists – people concerned with the protection of the

natural environment?

I call on the Local Government Ministry to budget money to assist with such small cases in the community, thus putting power in the hands of the NDCs and sanitary inspectors.

Yours faithfully, Reverend Cecil Kishun

Youths need proper grounding

Dear Editor, The emphasis on youth development all over the world is quite obvious and commendable. Just a few days ago, the U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Section established a Youth Action Network (YAN) here in Guyana.

What is happening all across the world is that many people, who are offcourse – either they left school or did something to

derail themselves – are left to redeem themselves. Most times they just cannot do it – they need lots of help. So if and when these people come together, there must be no short cuts. They have to be reintegrated into society in a very permanent and productive manner.

Sometimes in life, people have to take a backward step. Maybe simply pull aside, and then come back. This is where a lot of help is

needed. Nobody should settle for being a write-off, and no one should allow this

If youths can be encouraged to retake their high school exams, then it would be a good start. Some may opt for specialised skills. The ultimate is that people must be able to earn comfortably. Now many cannot and will not be businessmen and women and not many will inherit a fortune. The vast majority must be educated or

skilled to make a living. Since the youths who participated in YAN are deemed to be exceptionally motivated, and since they already demonstrated that necessary youthful passion, and they want to give back to society through distinct youth outreach activities, then we must capitalise and give them the opportunity.

Yours faithfully, Jacklyn Rhodes

More

should

be

done for differently able people in society

Dear Editor,

A single manual wheelchair can run up to US$100. The minister of health received 30 of these from the Sai Baba organisation. These will soon be handed over to various differently able persons. Of recent, a lot of strides have been made where helping the disabled is concerned. Infrastructurally, a lot has to be done, but some things can happen in a short space of time.

Any wheelchair user in any part of the world needs a wheelchair-accessible vehicle to facilitate travel. This is an area that we can look at here. Our roads, driveways and buildings may take some time getting ready for wheelchair us-

ers, but for sure, we can do some kind of accommodation where vehicles are concerned.

We have to find a way to get these differently able people to and from their destinations, especially when it comes to their visiting places of necessity – banks and hospitals, for example.

The limitations of inadequate and ineffective vehicle and infrastructure design impact terribly on differently able people. They feel doubly frustrated at times. In many developed countries, a kind of regular and periodic visiting time is arranged, where a government vehicle, equipped to transport wheelchair victims, comes and helps out. This is some food for thought.

Missing

guns

Understanding domestic abuse

Depending on the size of the private taxi companies, some kind of discussion can be planned. These companies can help out by converting just a few of their vehicles, so that they can accommodate wheelchairs.

Many of the considerations that we are toying with as regards wheelchair victims are most difficult to deal with. So we have to start small. Yes, we visit their homes and do a lot of stuff, both medically and recreationally. However, these people want to go out of their homes too. We can start with just a few small things.

Respectfully submitted, Khamrul Baksh

must be accounted for

Dear Editor, I cannot accept the fact that a firearm went missing from the Den Amstel Police Station and nothing much is being made of it. This is the very antithesis of police reform and it breeds suspicions in the minds of the populace. This matter must be investigated. I see it as quite serious and others are saying the same.

The details here is that seven years after a firearm went missing from the Den Amstel Police Station, a businessman is now say-

ing that he is yet to receive any word from the police. According to him, he is a licensed firearm holder, he had lodged his weapon at the station, several years ago, when he was leaving the country. However, upon his return to Guyana, just three weeks later to uplift the firearm, no one could give account for it.

If what the police said did take place, then, identifying people in Guyana is a problem for some of them – the police then made a big mistake. Are they doing some-

thing about it? The person who purportedly claimed the weapon had to leave some kind of information. How come nothing is being done?

If the whole thing is just a cover-up, it means that the nation is at risk at the hands of the very people who are supposed to be protecting its people. This matter must not be left like that. A gun is unaccounted for; something must be done.

Yours truly, Resident of Den Amstel Name withheld

Rape cases must be met with utter seriousness

Dear Editor,

“Never before has the human race confronted the shameless scourge of rape as we seem to be doing at this juncture in history. Yet, we at Times Notebook believe it is not enough. Still, we choose to highlight the fact that there seems to be a greater effort to tackle this blight on humanity” –Guyana Times, July 22.

It is not only the confrontation, but what the confrontation is revealing – that is, that rape has been here all the time and is only now coming to the fore the way

it is. Many things are indeed being done to combat this scourge, but more can be and must be done.

The hope, reflected in the Times Notebook, is that a global stance and concerted effort will be made to recognise that rape of young girls and women is a pandemic –one that might be more recognised and talked about today, but one that has been with us for as long as our history as mankind.

In Guyana, rapes cases must always have a medical input. As soon as the rape can be verified, it is

time to go after the perpetrators. The message must be very firm that society will not condone rape, nor look at it in any condoning manner.

I urge the authorities in Guyana and elsewhere to do the right thing – protect the nation’s children, girls and women as much as possible. Rape is a most heinous crime, and there must a concomitant response of absolute zero-tolerance and maximum sentencing.

Yours sincerely,

Camille Rambarran

Dear Editor, Your newspaper has reported that a visiting professor from Bucknell University in the U.S., Linden Lewis, is conducting a study relating to Indian masculinity, among other related issues.

Reading the report, the first thing I noted was this assumption or stereotyping within this construct of spousal abuse. The professor said that Indian men are often bashed for killing or inflicting bodily harm on women, but they are not the only abusers. The question the professor must also answer in his study is where did this assumption come from?

I have to ask where are the statistics regarding what kind of people do physical spousal bashing? This is one area we have to gather information on – who does what. This is very important, in that it can lead to some traditional habits

that many people have embraced. Some big myths exist in this framework.

The professor also noted that, regarding giving attention to the other forms of abuse, which often lead to physical abuse, too many times we are dealing with manifestations and nothing else. Sentencing the abuser, who then serves out say a sentence, but only to restart the vicious cycle after, must come to an end.

I believe his analysis is quite spot on: “It is a significant component of it, but I think that one needs to look at the broader issues of violence and to understand that there are different levels of violence – psychological violence, physical violence and emotional violence, and it’s much more complex than I think people give it credit for.”

I think that we all know that is wrong to isolate a particular group – the approach

should include everyone, since abuse exceeds racial, ethnic, and class boundaries. At the deeper level too, I would love to read the findings, regarding what role brainwashing, both overtly and covertly, is playing. We have been neglecting this aspect for too long. Many men get an unconscious conditioning into seeing themselves as superior, and thus their right to dispense some form of violence, since they think that they can justify it. Addressing this mindset is going to be very important.

Domestic violence and all other forms of abuse must get our full attention. We need to get to the bottom of many issues even before we do anything else. I hope that the visit will be capitalised on by as many as possible.

Yours respectfully, Arvindo Saywack

thursday, july 25, 2013

Page Foundation

Putting a price on life – meningitis B vaccine refused

By Fergus Walsh

Bacterial meningitis is perhaps the most feared of all childhood infections in Britain. It can kill or disable within hours of symptoms emerging. So it may seem bizarre, even illogical, that the body that advises the government on immunisation should not recommend the introduction of a vaccine against the most common cause of the disease.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has decided that a vaccine against meningitis B (MenB) is sim-

Meningitis

• Meningitis is an infection of the meninges – the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord

• Meningococcal bacteria are common and carried harmlessly in the nose or throat by about 1 in 10 people

• They are passed on through close contact

• Anyone can get meningitis but babies and young children are most vulnerable

• Symptoms include a high fever with cold hands and feet, agitation, confusion, vomiting and headaches

ply not cost-effective. The vaccine has taken 20 years to develop and was licensed throughout Europe in January. Health committees in France and Spain are also considering the vaccine but no other country has yet recommended its introduction.

The JCVI is the vaccine equivalent of NICE, the body that advises the NHS on new medicines. Given that NHS resources are finite, each committee has to decide whether a new product is cost-effective. This is done by using an internationally recognised system known as quality-adjusted life years (QALY).

A QALY is an assessment of how many extra months or years of life of a reasonable quality a person might gain as a result of a treatment. To be cost-effective, any new vaccine, cancer medicine or heart treatment should cost no more than £20-30,000 for every QALY it saves.

The JCVI has concluded that the MenB vaccine did not meet the economic criteria at any level. In other words, introducing the vaccine would not be a good use of limited NHS resources, which could be better spent elsewhere.

In January a European Commission-funded study concluded that the QALY system of assessing new treatments was flawed. The announcement from the JCVI will provoke anger and dismay from charities and families affected by the disease. They will argue that the com-

mittee has not adequately assessed the appalling lifelong burden of meningitis.

You simply need to hear the story of seven-year-old Tilly Lockey from County Durham to appreciate the appalling nature of meningitis. She lost both her hands and some of her toes as a result of septicaemia − the blood poi-

the time Tilly was admitted to hospital she was close to death.

“Meningitis is every par ent’s nightmare. To watch your child suffer like Tilly did was just terrible,” said Tilly’s mother Sarah Lockey. “If there is a vaccine out there that can prevent another family going through that it’s

some other treatment −perhaps for asthma, diabetes or heart failure − would be rationed.

soning that can result from meningitis.

Her illness came on suddenly during the night when she was 15 months old. She was initially misdiagnosed as having an ear infection. By

got to be done.”

Of course the JCVI is constrained by economic parameters that are ultimately set by the Treasury. If they recommended the introduction of the vaccine, it would mean

But given that the drug company Novartis has not yet set a price for its vaccine (trade name Bexsero), how is it possible for the JCVI to conclude that it is uneconomic?

My understanding is that the committee looked at mathematical modelling to work out how much disease the vaccine might prevent and then balanced that against the likely cost of the vaccine and its implementation.

MenB cases fluctuate from decade to decade. We are currently in a trough –there were just over 600 laboratory-confirmed reports in England and Wales last year, compared with nearly 1700 in 2000.

I am told that even assuming a huge peak of cases and a very low-priced vaccine, the jab did not meet the criteria for NHS cost-effectiveness. Part of the problem is that the disease is sufficiently rare to make it impossible fully to assess the vaccine’s effectiveness.

I followed one of the early trials in Oxfordshire in 2006 involving 150 babies, including Carys. Her mother Karla told me at the time: “Meningitis is the only illness

apart from cancer that scares me. It would just put my mind at rest that there is a vaccine which can provide protection against it.”

That trial showed the jab was safe and induced a strong antibody response to the meningitis bug. But the disease is sufficiently rare that it could not show how many cases it would prevent nationwide. The only way to find that out is by immunising hundreds of thousands of children.

That is why the JCVI said the available evidence “did not support definitive conclusions about the efficacy of Bexsero”. It looks like the vaccine works but until huge numbers of children are immunised against MenB – and some are then exposed to the bug − will we know beyond all doubt.

Catch-22

Furthermore, the vaccine protects against about seven in 10 variants of the MenB bug so it will not completely eradicate the infection. The other unknown is whether the vaccine will prevent healthy immunised children from spreading the bug to those who have not been vaccinated. That would be a huge benefit. The vaccine can’t be introduced until we know whether it will prevent most cases of MenB. But we won’t know that unless the vaccine is introduced. For Novartis and the researchers who have spent 20 years working on the vaccine, it is a depressing Catch-22 situation. Families affected by meningitis will regard it as a scandal that cost restrictions mean a vaccine-preventable illness will be allowed to go on killing and maiming children.

The JCVI is reluctant to give interviews on this. Little wonder given the flak it is likely to receive from charities, parents and paediatricians. The director of immunisation at the Department of Health, Professor David Salisbury, did put his head above the parapet.

He said: “This is a very difficult situation where we have a new vaccine against meningitis B but we lack important evidence. We need to know how well it will protect, how long it will protect and if it will stop the bacteria from spreading from person to person.

“We need to work with the scientific community and the manufacturer to find ways to resolve these uncertainties so that we can come to a clear answer.” But at present it is hard to see how those uncertainties can be resolved until a European country introduces the jab.

Britain was the first country in the world to introduce a vaccine against meningitis C in 1999 and it has led to a huge drop in cases. That was seen as a bold step in protecting public health. But at present it looks unlikely that the NHS will repeat that with the MenB vaccine. (BBC News)

Govt to boost prudent financial management

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said the government is now in the second round of the medium-term strategic planning for both the education and health sectors.

Dr Singh stated that the effort to develop the strategic planning capacity of the government was taken a step further with the development of medium-term strategic plans for a number of other sectors.

“We have also been doing so for the ministries of housing, labour, human services and foreign affairs which have all made an effort to develop their plans,” Dr Singh revealed.

The minister was at the time addressing permanent secretaries and deputy permanent secretaries on the increasing importance of strategic planning in government work. He pointed out that the education and health ministries were the first two sectors to embark on the strategic planning initiative since they were the largest and better endowed entities.

“This of course is partly because these agencies have the size; they are very well resourced and have the considerable technical capacity,” Dr Singh said. The finance minister said too that both the health and education ministries were assisted by external impulses since they had readily available targets to be pursued.

This was due to the fact that government was at the

same time working towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which included a number of targets that were relevant to these sectors and logically fed into the strategic plans. “So I think that health and education got first-movers advantage with respect to the development of medium term strategic planning and they now have a reasonably mature architecture for medium term strategic planning,” Dr Singh remarked. He emphasised that strategic planning is the latest instalment in an extended comprehensive effort to strengthen public financial management in government. It is the administration’s hope that state agencies will arrive at the stage where every entity has a credible strategic plan which can then form the basis of management of its operations. “At the political level, the imperative

to manage more effectively has resonated in major political discourse of recent to strengthen public administration and focus on key results.” Dr Singh believes that Guyana has made phenomenal progress as a country when considering the most recent MDG progress report issued about a year ago.

“One has only to look to see the outstanding gains made in achieving key social indicators, physical infrastructure and the vast transformation over the last decade or so.” The finance minister added that having done the early generation of reforms and investment, it is important to focus on results and management so that strategic planning must include key indicators and a framework within which targets can be defined.

He mentioned that this will provide the template against which agencies can manage the achievement of the desired results; which is an indispensible prerequisite for responsible public financial management in today’s environment.

“We must ensure that we have roadmaps for the development of strategic planning for every agency that are time-bound so that we know who should proceed, when, at what pace and the date for which every sector will take to Cabinet and make available publicly through websites on Parliament for the purpose of policy making and transparency.”

Decomposed body of baby found in septic tank

Amother of eight was arrested on Wednesday following the discovery of the decomposed body of her new born baby in a septic tank in Victoria Street, Albouystown, Georgetown.

The discovery was made about 09:30h after a dog was seen with one of the baby’s arms. Chants of “murderer! murderer!” were heard as Marlyn Severine, 33, of 133 Victoria Street, Albouystown was being taken away by police. With her head wrapped with a coloured piece of cloth and a sorrowful face, the woman walked calmly to the police vehicle, disregarding all the chants.

“Ow y’all must see with she nah… she got eight children to look after… it come a time when people mek mistakes… Ow y’all see with she,” a relative told investigators. Guyana Times un-

derstands that the woman attended a “Bingo” game in the community on Tuesday evening, but left in a hurry after complaining of experiencing “labour” pains.

She reportedly told relatives that after she reached home on that evening, she went to use the washroom and the baby came down after she used a substance to fast-track the delivery. She reportedly threw the baby in the septic tank. Investigators believed that the baby was alive when it was disposed of, thus it drowned. After one week, the baby was badly decomposed with a fraction of its arms and legs still intact.

This would have been the second child that the woman delivered at her home without the aid of a midwife. Her eldest child is reportedly 21 years old and resides overseas. At the scene, curious onlookers stormed the yard

U.S. military cadets graduate from jungle survival training in Guyana

Thirty-five U.S. military cadets graduated from a training phase at the Colonel Robert Mitchell Jungle and Amphibious Training School (CRMJATS).

According to a U.S. embassy release, under the guidance of the CRMJATS leadership, the cadets re-

the Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency (CULP) programme in July, and the Florida National Guard was grateful for the GDF’s willingness to host the CULP programme.

Activities under the CULP programme include humanitarian service with the host population, mili-

tary-to-military training, and education on the social, cultural, and historical aspects of the community. The CULP programme seeks to build a foundation to support understanding, cohesion, and meaningful partnership between the next generation of U.S. and Guyanese military officers.

to get a glimpse of the body of the baby as it was being removed by undertakers.

The woman’s 15-year-old son was in tears. One woman, who lives in the upper flat of the two storey house, said “even if she and she neighbour nah talk… ow is a child we talking about… call out to people nah, they must come and tek you to the hospital”. The decomposed body was taken to Lyken’s Funeral Home and a post-mortem is expected to be performed.

ceived training and familiarisation on a broad range of survival skills. This training phase culminated with a 48-hour exercise that tested the cadets’ mental fortitude, personal courage, and newly acquired skill sets. These cadets had previously completed joint training with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) cadets at the Colonel John Clarke Military School (CJCMS) located in Tacama.

Florida National Guard

Major General Emmett Titshaw, U.S. Army Cadet command, in conjunction with the Military Liaison Office of the U.S. embassy in Guyana, recommended Guyana as an ideal venue for

thursday, july 25, 2013| guyanatimesgy.co2

Minibus driver charged for assaulting female colleague

Aminibus driver accused of assaulting a female colleague appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday.

Wendell Morris, 40, of Lot 35 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on July 20 at Cornhill Street, he unlawfully assaulted Tushaule Ross Miller so as to cause her actual bodily harm.

According to police reports, on July 20 around 14:00h, the defendant drove his minibus, BMM 6311, in to the Cornhill Street bus park to the front of the line instead of the rear. In so doing, his minibus collided with the virtual complainant’s minibus, BJJ 2392, which was being driven at the time by Miller.

The two then had an argument which escalated into violence when the defendant exited his bus and punched Miller twice to her mouth, causing her injury. Miller was examined by a doctor at the Georgetown Public Hospital and obtained a medical certificate, which stated that she endured swelling and bleeding from

her nostrils.

The prosecution objected to bail, stating that after the incident occurred, Morris threatened Miller that if she pursued the matter against him, she would be dealt with.

Confrontation

Morris was represented by Attorney Omeyna Hamilton, who in her application for reasonable bail, stated that the Miller was the one who started the entire incident by repeatedly ramming her minibus into Morris’s. Hamilton added that her client then stepped out of his bus to confront the VC who was already on the street and instead of resolving the issue properly, she tried to stab him with an ice pick.

The lawyer further stated that the VC’s daughter removed the keys from both buses which caused a holdup in the traffic. She stated that her client only regained his keys after he showed up at the station.

In Miller’s defence, her attorney, Basil Williams, told the court in a very distressed tone that his client was battered by the accused and on the day in question, was frustrated in the line.

According to the lawyer,

Morris punched his client who blacked out and was picked up from the road by several public-spirited citizens. Williams affirmed that he had insisted on his client seeing Doctor Theodore, and if she was not compensated for the action taken against her, she will be taking the matter to the High Court.

In closing, Attorney Williams stated that Morris should be charged with felonious wounding and dangerous driving.

After hearing both sides, the magistrate granted Morris bail in the sum of $75,000 and his lawyer asked for a reduction. However, the magistrate did not reduce the amount, stating that even if she gave a reduction, it would not make much difference.

Morris is scheduled to appear in Court Six on August 6.

As the defendant was having his bail posted, the magistrate emphasised the importance of ensuring that he returned to court. She told the person posting Morris’s bail that he has a responsibility to ensure that the money he is paying on the accused’s behalf is accounted for.

Family members end up in court after brawl

Amisunderstanding between four family members landed them before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

It is alleged that on July 21, at Norton Street, Lodge, Lisa Daniels made use of abusive language to Donetta Blackman and unlawfully assaulted Kevin Deoram. She pleaded not guilty to both charges. She was also charged with unlawfully and maliciously damaging 24 louvre panes valued $7480. She, along with Eve Daniels who is also facing that charge, pleaded not guilty.

It is also alleged that Donetta Blackman on July 21, unlawfully assaulted Eve Daniels and made use of abusive language to Lisa

Daniels whereby a breach of the peace occurred. She pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Kevin Deoram pleaded not guilty to the two charges read against him, which stated that on July 21 he unlawfully assaulted Lisa Daniels, causing her actual bodily harm and he unlawfully assaulted Eve Daniels.

Attorney Paul FungA-Fat, who represented Blackman and Deoram, stated that they are family and the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding over pieces of wood, which were sent to “build up” the house, being placed on the concrete. He added that his clients did not wish to give any evidence in the matter and would like to be com-

pensated $7000 for the broken panes.

Lisa Daniels was represented by Attorney Lawrence Harris who said that his client did not wish to give any evidence but was not willing to pay $7000 in compensation, since she did not break the windows.

Magistrate Azore then asked the family members individually if they wanted to proceed with the matter and they all replied in the negative except for Blackman. She stated that she wanted to go ahead with the damage to property charge.

There were no objections to bail, and Magistrate Azore set bail at $15,000. The matter was transferred to Court Six for August 5.

Duo charged with assaulting each other

Aduo were charged separately when they appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

Damian McKenzie, 22, of Lot 15 Durban Backlands, pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on July 18 at Durban Backlands, he assaulted Richard Greene to cause him actual bodily harm.

The magistrate, after hearing the explanation given by McKenzie, stated that he entered the correct plea and granted him bail in the

sum of $100,000 for the offence.

Richard Greene, 29, of Lot 15 Durban Backlands, was also charged, with the offence of threatening behaviour and common assault, that is lashing McKenzie on his neck with a cutlass, on July 18 at Durban Backlands and pleaded not guilty.

Greene told the court, in relation to the common assault charge, McKenzie that he never did anything. According to the accused, his wife sent money for him and he was “going and floss he body and drink from then

till Saturday”. He added that McKenzie hit him first.

As Greene’s voice rose, the magistrate reprimanded him, saying he was not in Durban Backlands but in court and, as such, he should watch his tone.

The prosecution had no objections to bail, but asked that both defendants be placed on a bond.

The magistrate granted Greene bail in the sum of $40,000 on the common assault charge and$30,000 for the threatening language. Both parties are scheduled to appear in Court One on July 31.

Members of the United Minibus Association and a group of women staged a protest on Tuesday at the route 45 minibus park in support of Miller.

The demonstrators expressed their dissatisfaction with the discrimination against female drivers, chanting and displaying placards which highlighted their anti-discrimination and violence against women message.

Violence

According to some protesters, the constant violence being perpetrated against women must come to an end.

In an interview with this publication, United Minibus Association President Eon Andrews stated that everyone has the right to make a living. Women in the association have always been good workers, he said, and they have complained about been victimised, discriminated against and even assaulted. He noted that some of the union’s best performers are women and they ought to be respected.

Andrews noted that they are working to find ways of eradicating discrimination.

Diamond residents experiencing water disruption

Guyana Water Inc (GWI) said due to operational difficulties, customers of the Diamond Housing Scheme are experiencing a water service disruption.

The GWI in a release said its teams are working to restore normal service in the swiftest manner possible. “The motor serv-

Duo

ing the Diamond Housing Scheme Well Station is experiencing difficulties, which has caused the station to cease operation. Teams are currently extracting the motor to return normal service to the community,” the release said. The company apologises for any inconvenience caused.

on separate possession of offensive weapon charges

Two men were brought separately before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday to answer to similar charges of possession of an offensive weapon.

Alex Mendonza, 18, of Lot 4 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on July 20 at Longden Street, Georgetown, he had in his possession an offensive weapon, that is an ice pick.

Meanwhile, Godfrey

Giddings, 20, of Lot 191 River Road, La Penitence, pleaded not guilty to the same charge, which stated that he had in his possession a knife without having legal authorisation.

Attorney George Thomas represented both defendants and applied for reasonable bail. The prosecution had no objections to bail being granted.

The magistrate granted bail to both defendants in the sum of $5000 and they will be appearing in Court One on July 31.

52-year-old in court for vandalising GT&T cable

A52-year-old man was arraigned for unlawful and malicious damage to property when he appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

Terrence John pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on July 26 at Smyth Street, he unlawfully and maliciously damaged one length of telephone cable, movable property of a private nature, valued $800,000, property of Guyana Telephone

and Telegraph Company (GT&T).

According to court documents, GT&T personnel passed and saw the defendant chopping the cable, the police were then informed and he was arrested and charged.

The accused then interjected stating that he was not chopping anything, he was about to ease his bowels.

John stated that he was merely going about his business on the road when he recognised that he had a desire to ease his bowels.

The man stated that a random man passed him and then police came for him and he did not even get to defecate. The defendant claimed that the police are making false allegations against him.

After listening to the accused, the magistrate entered a not guilty plea. However, the prosecution objected to bail, citing the quantity involved and the likelihood that the defendant may not return to court.

The magistrate remanded John until July 31.

Kitty resident on cannabis charge

Aman was slapped with two charges of possession of narcotics when he appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

Mark Brown, 31, of Lot 57 Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the two charges which stated that on July 2 at Merriman Mall, he had in his possession 45 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking,

The second charge read that on the same date and location, Brown had in his

possession 80 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

Attorney George Thomas, who appeared on Brown’s behalf, stated that his client has no priors, and has a stall at the Merriman Mall.

The lawyer in his bail application stated that two weeks ago, Brown had given up the operation at the mall and a new person now runs the business.

Prosecutor Vishnu Hunt objected to bail, stating that the police’s facts differ from what is being presented by the defence counsel.

According to his report, on the day in question, a search was conducted and the defendant was not there. He asserted, however, that there was sufficient evidence that Brown had control of the area in which the narcotic was found. Based on reports submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) chambers, advice for the present charge was given. The prosecutor asked that bail be refused at this point.

The magistrate refused Brown his pre-trial liberty and he will appear in Court One on July 31.

PSC chair calls for methods to recover fine gold

Private Sector Commission (PSC)

Chairman Ronald Webster believes that more investment is needed in gold recovery and extractive equipment such as the provision of financing to lease operators who can provide the necessary equipment to miners.

Webster said more should be done to ensure that there is increased recovery of fine gold that is wasted due to local gold mining techniques.

Webster stated that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) must establish the minimum efficiency levels for small scale mining to boost the recovery of fine gold.

Increase efficiency

Mining companies in Australia, New Guinea and the United States have developed through arrangements where they lease equipment so as to increase efficiency and reduce the amount of wastage.

Just days ago, the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) did a presentation on the production of activated carbon from coconut shells which can potentially be used to recover fine gold elements. The institute is interested in partnering and there is now a plan to see whether they can produce 75-100 tonnes of fine gold every month.

Webster said that this is a typical example of what can be achieved in the industry as gold prices have been falling dramatically.

Pensioner allegedly robbed by employees

Police are investigating an alleged larceny in a dwelling house committed on a labourer and pensioner of Lot 11 Section C, Number 79 Village, Corentyne, which occurred over the weekend.

The pensioner is accusing his employees of stealing US$700, G$10,000 and two gold rings valued $120,000. According to information received, the victim would normally employ workers to clean his house and yard twice a week. On the day in question, the pensioner secured the articles mentioned in a wardrobe drawer in one of his bedrooms and on checking after a while, he discovered same missing.

The matter was reported and an investigation was launched into the alleged robbery. Upon enquiring, several persons were questioned, but no one was arrested. Additional information led to a worker of Corriverton, but the man was nowhere to be found.

He emphasised that the gold industry and small-scale mining must develop and become more efficient than it has been in the past.

“The breakeven level because of increased wages over the last 12 months has gone up so we will see a greater demand for performance efficiency,” the chairman said. He noted that interior aircraft services have been complaining that the number of flight cargo has dropped as miners clamp down and cut back on cash flow and finances.

“So we need to focus on how efficient we can make our system. We must look increasingly at alternative energy sources, recovering of producing biogas and the byproducts of mining.”

Webster pointed out that small-scale mining plays a very important role in the local context and has even begun to evolve when considering the large investments in heavy equipment made by small miners. He said the

PSC Chairman Ronald Webster

advantage is that a lot of the money invested and returns for investment remain in the country and filters down.

Gaps

However, Webster detailed that there are still gaps between mining and forestry that should be bridged, coupled with the protection of the environment which is critical.

Small-scale mining generally employs 10 times more people than large scale mining.

The global position based on World Bank statistics is that small-scale mining provides a livelihood for millions of world’s poorest people.

In this regard, Webster said that a system must be developed to provide the in-

frastructure and support to ensure the environment is protected and that miners can develop their businesses and linkages. Webster stressed that the impact of the economy is considerable since there are artisanal miners with good, traditional experience and innovation on the ground.

Big problem

“The big problem is that recovery rates are extremely poor although they are improving. We must avoid the situation from an environmental point of view where a miner has to go and mine the same area over and his children do the same. It should be a single pass and back to reforestation.” Webster made a case for forest plantations.

At a furniture exposition a few years ago in Turkey, Webster said there were samples from Guyana with its natural hardwood and those from Indonesia made of eucalyptus trees from plantation grown timber. He

revealed that the price differential was enormous.

“This is something we must examine in mined out areas; the possibility of proper managed forest plantations. The eucalyptus is a good option. Using the products to create a viable industry and putting value back into mined out areas,” the private sector executive suggested.

Speaking on the importance of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), Webster quoted the president of the World Bank who made a commitment during his five-year term to increase the opportunity for clean energy.

The World Bank is also considering the non-support of any investment based on the burning of coal. The polluting effects of coal-mining have been well noted by the World Bank and most other financial institutions as the situation of global warming appears worse than was previous thought possible.

thursday, July 25, 2013 | guyanatimesgy.com

Health Ministry holding health fair today

The Food Policy

Division of the Health Ministry is slated to host a grand health fair today, as it calls on citizens of Guyana to live healthier lives.

Nutritionist attached to the Food Policy Division Abigail Caleb during an exclusive interview with Guyana Times said there are increasing signs that persons are trading healthy foods for non-nutritional foods; a trend she describes as alarming.

As of such, the health fair seeks to reduce the prevalence of under nutrition and over nutrition which are linked to the consumption of poor eating habits, such as the consumption of fast food.

Under the theme

“Healthy Eating and Active Living: Promoting Healthy Lifestyles”, the health fair is being held along Main Street Avenue between Church Street and Quamina street from 10:00h to 16:00h.

Healthy lifestyles

Caleb said major emphasis will be placed on educating persons on the importance of developing healthy lifestyles through educational talks on the way forward. In addition to providing health checks, three booths have been established to tackle key nutritional issues.

“The first group will look at issues surrounding anemia while the second will promote breastfeeding, promoting exclusive breastfeeding, as you know, babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months

and finally, the third booth will offer advice on meal planning,” the nutritionist explained.

Persons in attendance will be giving an opportunity to win food hampers, fruit hampers, shopping bags, caps and stationeries after correctly answering health questions. The health fair forms part of a series of activities currently being held in observance of Nutrition Awareness Week 2013.

“Nutrition Awareness Week has been in existence for some 19 years now and it was really created to focus attention on the importance of making healthy food choices and creating sound

physical activities habits.”

In addition to the health fair, a walk-a-ton against childhood obesity is set for Saturday at the National Park from 10:00h. Caleb said the release of UNICEF Mix Survey will provide critical statistics and information on current eating trends; however, she posited that based on observation, there are an increasing number of overweight children.

“Unfortunately, the data isn’t there, but we have been seeing an increasing number of what persons call the ‘fat children’ at the primary school and secondary school level.”

Again, she pointed to the current trend where many persons have a high preference for fast food or junk food. Using an apple as an example, Caleb said that the fruit provides Vitamin A and C, along with potassium as compared to a pack of chips which is high in salt and fat and can result in high blood pressure and obesity.

“It’s not going to happen overnight, but if we can gradually substitute irritated drink with fruit juices or even water that will be nice,” she encouraged.

Health walk

Earlier in the week, approximately 120 persons from the ministries of health and education, Food and Agriculture Organisation, United Nations, Guyana Police Force, non-government agencies and members of the public participated in a health walk which commenced at the Bank of Guyana and culminated at the Seawalls Band Stand on Sunday. “Half way through it, it started to rain but the people still continued walking down the road.”

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, a healthy workshop programme was held at the ministry’s headquarters. Employees of the Health Ministry, the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission were screened for their body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, random blood sugar, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), HIV/AIDs, blood group and tuberculosis.

Some people like cuss but can’t tek cuss back

Is sheer cuss out goin on these days. De guvament cussin de opposition and de opposition cussin de guvament. After all, that is what democracy suppose to be all about. Free speech and free media and freedom overall. But all free tings don’t come easy.

If anybody want to know how expensive free ting is, just ask Freddie Kissmansoon all whah he had to do fuh get free pizza from Camp Street and free jeans from Waterloo Street. De Man Kisser not gon go back to these two places fuh any free ting any more. Is a long time now since he get bitch slap fuh tryin to kiss a man, but that was another time he find out how expensive free ting is.

Talkin bout cuss out, de Man Kisser like to cuss out, but he can’t tek cuss back. He and de Cassava man who write a book got it out ding-dong in de letter column. Ben Cup just join in and he givin de Man Kisser a lecture too… who woulda ever dream of that? Now somebody wid a Baccoo name give de Man Kisser another cuss out from which it look like he can’t recover.

But look out fuh de Man Kisser again, because although he might look like a livin dead, he does find a way to come out from he tomb.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! De opposition is another set of people who like fuh cuss out but can’t tek de cuss back. Dem even beggin fuh de Prezzi to tek back de cussin that he give to dem, although dem was de ones who cuss first in Parliament!

World Bank providing US$11.8B

to help

Caribbean ride economic tide

The World Bank Group (WBG) committed US$11.8 billion in fiscal year 2013 (July 2012 to June 2013) to support Latin America and the Caribbean resilience in the midst of global turmoil. This includes resources from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).

The World Bank (IBRD and IDA) maintained its strong support for the region approving US$5.2 billion in new loans in FY13, nearly US$4.8 billion from IBRD and US$435 million from the IDA, the bank’s fund for the poorest countries. Support was aimed at generating opportunities for all through public and private sector projects that expand public services, improve regional productivity, competitiveness and integration, create new quality jobs and assist those most in need. Brazil (US$3.1 billion),

Colombia (US$600 million) and Uruguay (US$408 million) were the largest borrowers in the region. Haiti also received US$235 million in the IDA grants. Water and sanitation, disaster risk management, and economic policy received the most funding. Latin America and the Caribbean received the largest share of the IBRDs total global new lending at 32 per cent, and 16.5 per cent of total IBRD/IDA lending. The IFC, which focuses on supporting the private sector, provided a record US$6.5 billion to 129 projects in Latin America and the Caribbean in FY13. This included US$1.7 billion mobilised from other financial institutions. In the region, the IFC clients support about two million women through jobs, education and entrepreneurial opportunities. One in eight people in the region benefit from infrastructure projects supported by the IFC. Its financial sector clients provided 29 million loans valued at US$217 billion to micro, small and medium enterprises.

Local purchasing is a preference to buy locally produced goods and services over those produced farther away. It is very often abbreviated as a positive goal, “Buy Local”, that parallels the phrase “Think globally, act locally.”

Advocates often suggest local purchasing as a form of moral purchasing. Local purchasing is often claimed to be better for the environment and better for working conditions. Others contend (with empirical evidence) that local purchasing and contracting enhances local job creation and wealth while strengthening community cohesiveness.

Society has now reached a point where globalisation is so deeply embedded that it is difficult to turn back, and impossible to remove completely. Globalisation has fostered a higher level of dependency, requiring international trade for products that may not be otherwise available, particularly produce that is grown out-of-season.

Limited local accessibility is indicative that trade on a global scale is a necessity in the modern economy.

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY LOCAL?

* Local food tastes better

By buying local, you are receiving the freshest possible produce, picked just hours before delivery to your local store or market. Produce that travels long distances is days older. Sugars turn to starches, plant cells shrink, and produce loses its vitality and flavour.

* Local food is more nutritious. Once harvested, produce quickly loses nutrients. Since local produce is sold right after it’s picked, it retains more nutrients.

* Local food preserves genetic diversity. Large commercial farms grow a relatively small number of hybrid fruits and vegetables because they can tolerate the rigours of harvesting, packing, shipping and storage. This leaves little genetic diver-

sity in the food supply. Family farms, on the other hand, grow a huge number of varieties to extend their growing season, pro-

aging. Buying produce from a farmers market or from a farm itself is a no-frills process that involves less packaging.

making development less likely.

* Local food supports the environment and benefits wildlife. Family farmers tend

vide eye-catching colours and great flavour. Many varieties are “heirlooms” passed down through the generations because of their excellent flavour. Older varieties contain the genetic structure of hundreds or thousands of years of human selection and may provide the diversity

* Local food supports local farmers. By buying locally, the middleman disappears and the farmer gets full retail price, in turn helping farmers continue to farm.

* Local food preserves open space

need - ed to thrive in a changing climate.

* Local food promotes energy conservation. The average distance our food travels is 1500 miles, mostly by air and truck, increasing our dependence on petroleum. By buying locally, you conserve the energy that’s used for transport.

* Local food uses less pack-

Do you enjoy visiting the countryside where you see lush fields of crops, meadows of wildflowers, picturesque barns and rolling pastures? Well, this should also serve as a reminder that our treasured agricultural landscape survives only when farms are financially viable. By spending your money on locally grown food, you’re increasing the value of the land to the farmer and

to be good stewards of the land – they respect and value fertile soil and clean water. And their farms provide the fields, meadows, forests, ponds and buildings that are the habitat for many beloved and important species of wildlife. In addition, buying local also reduces the use of fossil fuels and helps to protect the environment from harmful exhaust fumes.

* Local food is about the future. Supporting local farms today helps keep those farms in your community, ensuring that your children and grandchildren have access to nourishing, flavourful and abundant food. When you choose to buy locally, and make your choices known, you raise the consciousness of your family, friends and neighbours.

STEPS TO BUYING LOCAL

Learn what’s in season

Knowing what’s in season in your region will help you know what to expect at farmers markets and help you know which items at other markets and stores might be from local or regional sources (and which ones most definitely are not!).

Shop at stores that label food origins

If you have a choice of markets, chose one that notes where it sources its products. In particular, look for signs marking the

source of seafood, meat, poultry, and produce. Co-ops and health food stores are more likely to clearly denote the origins of the foods they carry, but conventional grocery stores are increasingly labelling their produce sections and meat and seafood counters. Shop the perimeter of grocery stores

The aisles around the perimeter of grocery stores contain more ingredients than processed foods. Shop these perimeters for fresh produce, meats, and dairy – precisely those items that you can ask about their source and hopefully find some from nearby sources. Pay particular attention to the produce aisle: if you know your seasons, you may be able to find some locally or regionally grown items.

Get ultra-local: plant a garden

Growing your own food is the ultimate way to eat local. From a simple herb garden to prolific raised beds designed to feed a family, there are lots of ways to grow your own food.

Frequent locally-owned food producers

Continue your support of a local food system by buying from artisans and locally-owned food producers such as bakeries, butchers, and coffee roasters for foods you don’t cook at home or which aren’t grown locally.

Eating local foods is certainly about eating food grown closer to home, but it is also about being more aware of your food and how it gets to you.

http://www.dosomething. org/tipsandtools/why-buy-locally-grown

http://localfoods.about. com/od/finduselocalfoods/tp/ How-to-Eat-Locally.htm

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

Lusignan Massacre trial

Officer testifies about autopsies, funerals

Constable Kelon Fraser testified on Wednesday that he witnessed the post-mortem examinations of the 11 persons who were killed during the Lusignan Massacre in 2008 and also witnessed the funerals of those persons.

Mark Williams called “Smallie” and James Hyles called “Sally” are currently on trial for the murder of those 11 persons, which included five children, who were killed in the wee hours of January 26, 2008 at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara. Williams is being represented by Attorney Roger Yearwood while Hyles is represented by Attorney Nigel Hughes.

Legal arguments

When the trial resumed on Wednesday, the entire morning session was held in the absence of the jury as both the prosecution, led by Senior State Counsel Judith Mursalin, and defence attorneys made legal arguments to the court. In the afternoon session, Constable Fraser took the stand and told the court in January 2008, he was stationed at the Vigilance Police Station when they received information about a shooting, and as such, he and a party of policemen went to Track A Lusignan.

Fraser recalled that upon their arrival, a large crowd had gathered at the scene. He said he went to each of the five houses where he saw the bodies of the 11 persons. He explained that each body had what appeared to be gunshot wounds and were all lying motionless in pools of blood. He further stated that there were bullet holes in the walls of the five houses.

The witness continued that he then escorted the bodies to the Georgetown Public Hospital and then to the Lyken Funeral Parlour. He said that on January 28, 2008, he went to the hospital’s mortuary between 09:30h and 14:00h, where relatives of the 11 deceased persons identified their bodies to state pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh, who then performed post-mortem examinations on each of them.

Metal fragments

The officer went on to say that during the examinations, the doctor extracted 11 metal fragments from the body of Clarence Thomas and two from Shaleem Baksh. He said that the fragments were handed over to him and he took it to the police station where he labelled them before lodging it in the possession of the station sergeant at the Vigilance Police Station. Fraser told the court that he then witnessed the funerals of those 11 persons on January 31, 2008.

The officer said that he uplifted the post-mortem reports from Dr Singh and lodged them at the police station. He added that on April 2008, he uplifted the postmortem reports from the station and tendered them as evidence at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court. He noted that in October 2008, he also took the fragments which were in two white envelopes to the court and they were admitted as evidence then returned to him.

Each of the 11 post-mortem reports where shown to the witness and he identified them as the ones he uplifted from Dr Singh’s office and later lodged in court. The reports were then ten-

dered and admitted as evidence in the trial. They were marked exhibits B to K.

The officer then informed the court that on Monday last, he went to the Vigilance Police Station to uplift the fragment; however, they could not have been found. The witness noted that he and the station sergeant made searches for the items but their efforts proved futile.

Statements

Attorney Yearwood, in cross-examining the witness, asked the officer if he took any fingerprints from the scene when he was there. The officer responded in the negative and added that apart from what he told the court about his involvement in the matter, he also took statements from several persons. The attorney then enquired from Fraser whether anyone said in their statements that they saw who did the shooting and the officer responded in the negative. Attorney Hughes declined cross-examination.

The trial judge, Justice Navindra Singh, then asked the witness whether the bodies he escorted from the scene were the same ones which Dr Singh performed the examination on and he replied in the affirmative.

The jury panel also took the opportunity to question the witness. They asked him where he took the fragments after they were returned to him at the magistrate’s court and where was it lodged after.

The officer explained that he handed the items to the station sergeant of the Vigilance Police Station, who then placed them in a storeroom at the station.

Cabinet approves several contracts

Cabinet has given its approval for the procurement of medical supplies for Guyana’s military to the tune of $32.1 million after it met on Tuesday to review a number of contracts in various sectors.

Engaging the media during his post-Cabinet press conference on Wednesday, head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon also outlined a number of other contracts that were given Cabinet’s no-objection.

In the legal affairs sector, a contract worth $26.4

million was granted for the procurement of cubicles and accessories for the Deeds Registry. In agriculture, $16 million will be spent on the construction of dams at Buxton, East Coast Demerara while $119.4 million was contracted for the supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of prime rated diesel generators for the Ebini Breeding and Research Station and the veterinary diagnostic laboratory on the East Coast Demerara.

Meanwhile, the health sector will see the procurement of dialysis fluids for

the treatment of kidney failures at the Georgetown Public Hospital, to the tune of $17.3 million, while the in education sector, $25.4 million will go towards the provision of consultancy services for the supervision of the construction of the Kato Secondary School.

The final contract receiving Cabinet’s no-objection is one worth US$230,000, for consultancy services for the upgrade of the national payroll operation system. This system is housed within the Finance Ministry and deals with the payroll for the public sector.

ASL commences compensation process for injured passengers

Just over a week after 12 persons were injured following the crash landing of an Air Services Limited (ASL) aircraft at Matthews Ridge, North West District, the company has begun the compensation process, according to Personnel Manager Omadat Singh.

Speaking to this newspaper on Wednesday, Singh explained that the affected passengers were in the process of collecting claims for compensation. To date, they have collected more than 50 per cent of the claim forms and are addressing the issue head on. The passengers are required to claim for lost and damage baggage, lost and damage cargo, lost and damage personal items and any other claim they wished to make. They will also be compensated for the injuries they incurred as a result of the accident.

Compensation

Singh added that the company has started to pay compensation with respect to injuries, noting that it has been taking care of all medical and travelling expenses of the injured. To date, he added that company has spent close to $4 million in this regard. In any accident of this magnitude, the manager disclosed that the insurance company will have to kick into gear, but not un-

til a thorough investigation is completed and presented.

Once the clearance is given, the insurance company will release the money.

“The monies that we are spending now, it’s out of our pockets but that is not an issue because our customers come first,” he added. Guyana Times understands that the insurance company is an overseas one, with local agents here. “We have compensated Aloma Massay for her spectacles which was damaged during the crash… we will continue to do our part,” Singh disclosed.

Following the accident, Esther Williams from Baramita and Urmella Rajesh from Berbice, both underwent surgery for fractured facial bones at the St Joseph Mercy Hospital. Aloma Massay received injury to her right leg while Lloyd Thomas sustained injuries to his right shoulder, wrist and forehead and Ulan Benjamin received hip injuries.

Dexter Benjamin suffered lacerations to his lower right eyelid while Naline Dellon, Wesley Johnson, Troy Henry, Clifton Campbell and Sheldon Williams were treated for minor injuries. All the passengers were treated and discharged from various private medical institutions.

ASL disclosed that they

have spent $3 million in bills and also disbursed approximately $600,000 to cover incidental expenses and transportation costs.

The Cessna Caravan with registration number 8R ASL crashed on July 16 in the vicinity of the Manganese company in Matthews Ridge, North West District. The injured persons along with the pilot of the aircraft, Feriel Ally was air-dashed to the city by a Trans Guyana Aircraft and were dispatched to several private medical institutions in the city. The aircraft was carrying 12 passengers at the time of the unfortunate accident which occurred about a quarter mile from the airstrip.

Heavy fog Information reaching this newspaper also revealed that at the time of the crash, the atmosphere of the airstrip was covered in heavy fog which posed a challenge for the pilot to land the aircraft.

The aircraft reportedly circled three times before it crashed. The engine of the plane was dismantled and brought to the city for further examination to be conducted by engineers while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was contacted for addition assistance if needed.

World Bank providing...

Supporting smaller economies continues to be a priority for the IFC, with US$1 billion invested in Central America and the Caribbean in FY13. The frontier regions of North and North-eastern Brazil and the Amazon are also a focal point with US$409 million invested. Investments that help mitigate or adapt to climate change reached US$522 million, with a focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency.

During fiscal year 2013, the MIGA provided support for three projects in Central America with US$67.1 million in political risk insurance coverage. The MIGA insured two projects in Nicaragua: a 44-megawatt wind farm in Rivas province and a bamboo planta-

tion converted from degraded land in El Rama. The MIGA also supported a project involving import inspection equipment and services in El Salvador.

Latin America and the Caribbean continues to grow into a middle class region as its Gross Domestic Product grew three per cent in 2012. Growth is expected to remain robust, at 3.5 per cent, as strong domestic demand compensates for weak global economic conditions.

Steady growth and sound economic policies improved the lives of millions in the region over the past decade, with more than 70 million people lifted out of poverty and 50 million joining the ranks of the middle class between 2003 and 2011. For the first time ever, the num-

ber of people belonging to the middle class surpassed the number of poor, a sign that Latin America and the Caribbean is progressing toward a middle-class region. This year, the severe downside risks to the global economy have eased significantly compared to last year, reflecting progress in the euro area towards reducing fiscal and banking solvency risks and an easing in fiscal-cliff related risks in the United States.

However, Latin America and the Caribbean still face the challenge of finding the optimal balance between macroeconomic policies to stimulate domestic demand in the short term and structural reforms to enable faster growth over the longer term.

Political opposition or obstruction?

– a perspective by Harry Gill (Part II)

Upper Mazaruni Hydroelectric Project

It was former President Forbes Burnham who told civil servants during his tenure, “Do you want a salary increase, or do you want hydroelectricity? You can’t have both.” Of course, they got neither.

After the massively rigged election in 1973, Burnham set about to fulfill his campaign promise to develop a large hydroelectric power complex in the Upper Mazaruni region, aimed at powering an aluminium smelter he proposed building at Linden. At that time, Guyana was spending more than 25 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on fuel imports costing about $500 million (US$250 million).

This project soon ran into serious problems. The plan required the construction of a dam at Sand Landing on the Upper Mazaruni River which would have created a 500 square kilometres reservoir by flooding nearby Amerindian villages. This location was condemned by the captains of the Akawaio tribe who strongly objected to the displacement of the estimated 4000 Amerindians from their land.

In the meanwhile, the People’s National Congress (PNC) government had begun work on the project. By 1978, more than US$25 million had been spent from tax-

payers’ money to start the construction of the access road. Because of a border dispute, Venezuela strongly objected to the World Bank financing the hydroelectric plant. This caused the project to be suspended and hundreds of workers laid off.

By 1984, after spending over a $1 billion, and failing to secure international financing, the PNC government eventually decided not to proceed any longer with the hydroelectric plant. As a result, the plan for the construction of an aluminium smelter was also shelved.

Twenty-nine years later, and after inheriting a bankrupted state in 1992, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration finally has an opportunity to achieve this national objective that would benefit all Guyanese, and the PNC/A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) are behaving like the Venezuelans did back then –blocking the project.

Feed, clothe and house the nation by 1976

On May 8, 1973, the PNC administration announced the establishment of a novel programme. According to Dr Kenneth King, then Economic Development Minister, this development plan would “create employment opportunities”, gener-

ate “equal distribution of incomes” and spur “equitable geographic distribution of economic activities”.

Its main objective, however, was to feed, house and clothe the nation by 1976. An amount of $1.15 billion (US$1.00 = G$2.00) was budgeted for this. But when 1976 ended, this national goal of housing the nation was a colossal failure, as only 4167 housing units or 6.5 per cent of the 65,000 target was realised.

It must be noted that the houses built were all concentrated in Georgetown or in rural Afro-Guyanese communities from which the PNC drew political support. Today, Guyanese of every political affiliation and ethnicity are the proud beneficiaries of this government’s dynamic housing programme.

Sanata Textile Mill

During the 1970s, the PNC’s “clothing” programme was also a national disaster. Cotton was cultivated at Kimba, and processed at the Sanata Textile Mill, which was built by the Chinese government. The cotton, cultivated mainly by members of the Guyana National Service (GNS), was short in both quantity and quality to meet the requirements of the factory.

As a result, raw cotton had to be imported from the U.S. to keep it running.

Despite this, the quality of cloth produced was not of a very good standard, and the quantities were grossly inadequate to meet the needs of the population.

As such, fabrics continued to be imported, but because of import restrictions imposed by the government, these as well as clothing became expensive commodities. Inflation and a virtual wage freeze during that period also drastically reduced the ability of most Guyanese to purchase clothing.

After all the failures of the PNC which now call themselves APNU, David Granger, Joseph Harmon and Carl Greenidge are not in a position to lecture anyone on good governance. For Harmon to insinuate that they had “no time to fully cogitate on the significance of the amendments proposed

Haiti promises protection for homosexuals, warns violent homophobes

Haiti’s justice minister said on Monday the Haitian government will crack down on anti-gay militants who use violence to express their position, while the Caribbean nation’s police denied allegations that two gay individuals were killed on Friday last.

by the government” is in itself dishonest.

Every conceivable attempt was made by the government to inform and keep the AFC and PNC/APNU abreast of what was happening with the project by way of several closed-door consultations. In the words of Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh: “These consultations occurred over several months as government tirelessly tried to facilitate the inclusion of all stakeholders.

“Since 2012, the joint opposition met with Sithe Global Group for a walk through of the project. On March 14, 2012, government presented a detailed overview of the project and invited questions and concerns to be raised, yet no one did. The public and opposition were once again given the opportunity to be briefed on the project during the 2012 budget debates, during which the development of the road leading to the hydro site was discussed.

Environmental consultations

“In 2013, there were four forums at which the opposition was updated, appraised and even given a tour of the road, as government attempted to reach across and involve all political stakeholders. In addition to the inclusion of the joint opposition, government also facilitated the private sector,

opposition and media consultations by Sithe Global. There were also environmental consultations with all key stakeholders including the indigenous people as part of government’s effort to involve the public.”

Guyana is much different today – a thriving economy, increased food production, and more homeowners than anyone could have imagined. The government is not perfect, but they are doing a great job with the resources available despite an opposition that is determined to stymie progress under the PPP/C.

Guyanese are more prosperous and much better off today. They have a lot to be thankful for: free education, free textbooks, free school uniforms, free medical, subsidised electricity for the PNC/APNU stronghold of Linden, subsidised electricity for pensioners, and the list goes on.

As a historian, Granger is well aware of the importance of the hydroelectric project to the continued development of Guyana. But as leader of the opposition, this may not be a priority. But to his credit, he warned, “If badly managed, Amaila will do severe damage to the national economy.”

I guess being a member of a failed political party that bankrupted Guyana a few decades ago, Granger knows best – he’s talking from experience.

He said law enforcement officials will protect any individuals who are a target for violence regardless of their religious or sexual orientation. “This government won’t tolerate violence against anybody. Be they gay or not gay, that does not matter,” Sanon told HCNN on Monday.

“Violence against people

Justice Minister Jean Renel Sanon told HCNN the government will not tolerate any violence against people because of their sexual orientation.

will be sanctioned,” warned Sanon, who did not say clearly whether or not he supported gay rights.

The statements came after reports that several gay individuals were attacked in the Haitian capital Portau-Prince, following an anti-gay street demonstration on Friday, organised by a Christian grouping calling itself a coalition of religious and moral organisations.

A spokesman for the group, Pastor Gerald Forges, denounced what he calls a plan orchestrated by Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups to get Parliament to pass a law authorising gay marriage.

“We, moral people, cannot accept such practices because they go against God’s will,” Forges explained. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Pope Francis celebrates first Mass at Brazilian shrine

Pope Francis is celebrating the first Mass of his trip to Latin America, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo. He warned his congregation against the “ephemeral idols” of money, power and pleasure.

On Monday, the pope faced chaotic scenes as he arrived in Rio de Janeiro.

He is in Brazil to attend the Roman Catholic World Youth Day festival. It is his first trip abroad since becoming head of the Catholic Church in March. The highlight of the five-day festival will be a prayer service on Rio’s icon-

ic Copacabana Beach today. The pontiff’s visit is taking place under tight securi-

ty, after weeks of anti-government protests. He travelled to the shrine in Aparecida by plane and helicopter.

Thousands of pilgrims arrived in the rural town ahead of Wednesday’s Mass, which took place at the basilica holding the shrine.

“It is true that nowadays, to some extent, everyone, including our young people, feels attracted by the many idols which take the place of God and appear to offer hope – money, success, power, pleasure,” the pontiff said during the service. (Excerpt from BBC News)

U.S. congresswoman welcomes plans to aid undocumented Caribbean immigrants

Caribbean American Congresswoman

Yvette D Clarke has welcomed a plan by New York City to aid undocumented Caribbean immigrants.

New York City officials say the city will spend US$18 million to help undocumented Caribbean and other immigrants find jobs.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, a mayoral candidate, said the money will fund legal services and adult education classes that the U.S. federal government requires immigrants to take to qualify for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme.

The New York Immigrant Family Unity Project will provide free legal services to immigrants threatened with deportation who are unable to represent themselves in proceedings.

“New York has always been a city of immigrants

within a nation of immigrants,” said Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the ninth Congressional District in Brooklyn.

“Under this programme, thousands of immigrants in Brooklyn and other parts of the city will finally have an opportunity to challenge the deportation proceedings that separate families and weaken communities,” she added.

The programme permits immigrants to live and work in the U.S., regardless of the outcome of an immigration reform bill currently in the House of Representatives, provided they are between 15 and 31 years old as of June 15, 2012.

Nearly 80,000 immigrants living in New York are eligible for the deferred action, but about 16,000 need to enroll in an adult education programme to qualify. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Egypt's army chief urges mass rallies against terror

Egypt’s military chief on Wednesday called on his countrymen to hold mass rallies on Friday calling for an end to “violence” and “terrorism” while voicing their support for the army.

General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said a large turnout would give him a “mandate”

and an “order” to do “what is necessary” to combat the bloodshed that has killed dozens since the military removed Islamist President Mohamed Morsi three weeks ago. “Next Friday, all honourable Egyptians must take to the street to give me a mandate and command to end

terrorism and violence,” he told a graduation ceremony for a class of military cadets, broadcast on live TV.

“Come out and remind the whole world that you have a will and resolve of your own. Please, shoulder your responsibility with me, your army and the police and show your size and steadfastness in the face of what is going on.”

His speech came hours after a bomb at a police station killed a conscript, according to the Interior Ministry.

Sisi’s request for a popular mandate comes amid mounting calls on the army and the police to act swiftly to save the country from plunging into civil war.

The coup that ousted Morsi on July 3 followed four days of mass protests by millions of Egyptians demanding that he step down. (Excerpt from France24)

Egypt unrest: U.S. delays delivery of F-16 jets

The U.S. said it is delaying the delivery of four F-16 fighter jets to Egypt amid unrest following the army’s overthrow of Mohamed Morsi as president.

Pentagon spokesman George Little said the decision was made “given the current situation in Egypt”.

The U.S. is examining whether Morsi’s removal was a coup, which would trigger a legal requirement to cut off aid.

Earlier, Egypt’s army chief called for protests to give the military a mandate to confront “potential terrorism”.

But Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he was not calling for public unrest and he urged national reconciliation.

In response, the Muslim

Honeymoon killing suspect must be extradited to South Africa

ABritish man accused of orchestrating his wife’s murder by hitmen while they were on honeymoon in South Africa should be extradited to face trial, a London court ruled Wednesday.

Shrien Dewani’s appeal was dismissed by Judge Howard Riddle, paving the way for extradition, said an official at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Dewani is accused of hir-

ing a crew of hitmen to kill his wife, Anni Dewani, 28, during a taxi ride in Cape Town in 2010.

Taxi driver Zola Tongo confessed within weeks of Anni Dewani’s death that he had hired two men to kill her.

In a plea deal with South African authorities, he said he was paid by Shrien Dewani to carry out the hit and to make it look like the two were the victims of a

car hijacking as they were driving through a township on the edge of Cape Town. Tongo was subsequently sentenced to 18 years in prison for his part in the killing.

Speaking outside the court Wednesday, Anni Dewani’s sister, who did not give her name, said the family was satisfied by the ruling, but it was just one step in the battle to find answers.

(Excerpt from CNN)

Boat with possible asylum seekers capsizes off Indonesia; four dead

Two children are among four people who died after a boat carrying at least 160 people capsized off the coast of West Java, Indonesian rescue officials said Wednesday.

Fisherman, who saw people floating in the water on Tuesday night,

alerted search and rescue teams that worked in the dark to find survivors, said Rochmali, the head of Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Team. Rochmali – like many Indonesians – only uses one name.

Some made it to land on their own and were

found along the beach just off Cianjur District, south of Bandung, the capital of West Java Province, he said.

So far, 156 survivors have been taken to temporary shelters and clinics on the island. Rescuers in rubber boats and local fisherman continue to search the water for remaining survi-

vors in choppy sea within five nautical miles of the shore.

Some media reports suggested that as many as 60 people were missing, though that number could not be confirmed as the boat was not registered and carries no official passenger list. (Excerpt from CNN)

Edward Snowden to stay at Moscow airport

U.S. fugitive intelligence leaker Edward Snowden is still in the transit zone at a Moscow airport and his future plans are uncertain, a lawyer said after meeting him on Wednesday.

“He is staying here... He is here in the transit zone” at Sheremetyevo airport, pro-Kremlin lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told reporters after meeting Snowden inside the area. His comments dashed expectations that Snowden, who last week applied for asylum in Russia would leave the airport Wednesday

after reports said he would receive a document allowing him free movement.

Kucherena denied that he had been given any such document that would allow him to leave the transit zone as an official asylum seeker.

“As of today, this document has not yet been given (to him),” Kucherena said, adding that the process was being drawn out as this was the “first such situation in Russia”.

He said the question of whether and when he would leave the airport was so far “undecided” although Snowden wanted to stay in Russia.

“He is more or less okay, but he is waiting for

Brotherhood, which backs Morsi, said General Sisi was “calling for civil war”.

The four F-16 jets are part of an already agreed bigger order of 20 planes,

eight of which have already been sent to Egypt. As recently as July 11, U.S. officials suggested the latest four F-16s would still be sent to Egypt. (Excerpt from BBC News)

India deadly meal: Headteacher Meena Kumari arrested

Police in India have arrested the headteacher of a school where 23 children died after eating food contaminated with insecticide last week.

Meena Kumari had been sought since the tragedy in eastern Bihar state. She handed herself in on Wednesday.

Police believe she can help explain how the deadly insecticide monocrotophos ended up in the free school lunch.

In all, 47 primary school children fell ill after consuming the meal of rice and soybeans. The mid-day meal scheme, introduced to combat hunger and boost school at-

tendance, provides free food for 120 million children in 1.2 million schools across India. It often suffers from poor hygiene, and poisoning outbreaks occur from time to time, although rarely if ever with such deadly results.

All of the teachers in Bihar’s state-run primary schools have vowed not to participate in the scheme from Friday.

“Teachers and the headmasters have to manage the scheme with little help, lowquality food and corruption at every level,” said B Sharma, head of the primary school teachers’ association. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Japan scrambles jets after Chinese plane flies by southern islands

Japan scrambled fighter jets on Wednesday after a Chinese military aircraft flew for the first time through international airspace near its southern islands out over the Pacific, in a move seen by Japan as underlining China’s maritime expansion.

Ties between China and Japan have been strained by a territorial dispute over uninhabited East China Sea islets and hawkish Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a decisive victory in upper house elections on Sunday.

“I believe this indicates China’s move toward further maritime expansion,” Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters, in comments carried on public broadcaster NHK. Chinese government spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.

The waters around the disputed islands, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, and which are to the west of Okinawa’s main island, are rich fishing grounds and the sea floor around them could hold big oil and gas reserves. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Japan’s Defence Ministry said a Chinese Y-8 airborne early warning plane flew through airspace between Okinawa prefecture’s main island and the smaller Miyako island in southern Japan out over the Pa cific at around noon and later took the same route back over the East China Sea.

Clico policyholders cleared to attend AGM

Peter Permell, chairman, Clico Policyholders Group (CPG) says today’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the CL Financial Group will be “significant.” “We are going there as observers, we will not be necessarily participating. But after the meeting ends, we will decide our next course of action,” Permell told the TT Guardian

on Tuesday. He will be the CPG’s representative at the meeting. In a press release on Tuesday, the CPG said following consultation with attorneys, the group was given the “all clear” to attend the AGM.

“Having regard to the agenda, the CPG is persuaded that it is important for us and in the public’s interest to have a physical presence at

Caterpillar slashes outlook, plans

Caterpillar Inc report-

ed a 43.5 per cent drop in quarterly profit and cut its outlook for the year on Wednesday, blaming steeperthan-expected inventory reductions by dealers and continued weak demand from the mining industry.

The world’s largest maker of mining and construction equipment, which has reduced its worldwide workforce by eight per cent in the past year, said the cost-paring would continue in the second

half. It did not give details.

“There’s no question there’s a slowdown. But longterm... mining is a great place to be,” Doug Oberhelman, Caterpillar’s chairman and chief executive, said in an interview with CNBC.

Lower metal prices have forced mining companies around the world to move dramatically to lower capital and operating costs, including putting on hold expansions and new projects, and cutting nonessential spending.

this meeting in order to hear firsthand the long overdue update on the financial position of the CLF and the details of the new shareholder agreement between CLF and the government of TT going forward,” the release said. The AGM will be held at the Clico Box, Queen’s Park Oval, Tragarete Road, Port of Spain. (Trinidad Guardian)

more cost cuts

Barrick Gold Corp, the world’s largest gold producer, has cancelled all new mine projects, save for its Pascua-Lama project in South America. Even there, it has slowed construction and slashed spending for the next two years.

Copper miner Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc said on Tuesday it cut US$1.9 billion in planned capital spending, adding that more cuts, along with asset sales, will be pursued. (Reuters)

Jane Austen to appear on £10 note

Jane Austen has been confirmed as the next face of the £10 note in a victory for campaigners demanding female representation – aside from the Queen – on the country’s cash.

Sir Mervyn King, the bank’s former governor, had let slip to MPs that the author of Pride and Prejudice was “waiting in the wings” as a potential candidate to feature on a banknote, and his successor, Mark Carney, confirmed on Wednesday that she would feature, probably from 2017.

“Jane Austen certainly merits a place in the select group of historical figures to appear on our banknotes. Her novels have an enduring and universal appeal and she is recognised as one of the greatest writers in English litera-

ture,” the new governor said.

He also announced that the bank would carry out a review of the process for selecting the historical figures that appear on banknotes, to ensure that a diverse range of

figures is represented.

“We believe that our notes should celebrate the full diversity of great British historical figures and their contributions in a wide range of fields. (The Guardian)

Africa

Caribbean North America Business

Traders association wants new coffee laws, marketing agencies in Kenya

The Kenya Coffee Producers and Traders Association wants coffee laws to be reviewed. The head of communications at the KCPTA Sylvester Odhiambo said the marketing and trading of coffee needs to be revamped to ensure farmers are the main beneficiaries of exports.

“The current system benefits multinational traders at the expense of coffee farmers ... living in abject poverty,”

Odhiambo said. He said most multinational companies dealing in coffee are licensed as millers and coffee buyers and therefore defraud farmers.

“The licensing fees for new coffee buyers are also high, creating a major setback for many local entrepreneurs” Odhiambo said. He said county governments should understand coffee marketing models and use them to sell the produce and advocate for the creation of rules under the

Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Authority Act that will secure the farmers’ interests.

“We already have cooperative societies and farmers’ unions, the next level in securing coffee growers’ interests is to build coffee mills and roasting and packaging facilities in all counties. We also need good branding and county marketing associations that are equipped with adequate technical expertise,” Odhiambo said. (allAfrica)

China bans government building projects to curb Versailles-esque

Some state-run enterprises in China have opulent headquarters more suited to the court of Louis XIV of France, while other local government-owned buildings even replicate the home of the President of the United States. Clearly, in recent decades, money has been no object in the world’s second biggest economy.

But Beijing’s bean counters, a more socially-aware bunch in recent times, have

Middle East Asia

excesses

decided enough is enough and imposed a ban on the construction of new government buildings, according to state media. A yawning gap between rich and poor and a social medialed backlash against corruption and official excesses, has made the ruling Communist Party led by President Xi Jinping all too aware of the perils of continuing down such a corrosive path.

And so the General Office of the Communist Party of China

(CPC) Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued a directive that calls for an acrossthe-board halt to the construction of new government buildings, training centres or hotels in the coming five years, the Xinhua news agency reported. Expensive and unnecessary renovations will also be prohibited, with only projects that “erase safety risks” or “restore office functions,” allowed. (CNN)

Dubai duo named in U.S. insider trading case

Two previously unnamed defendants have come forward in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission civil lawsuit over alleged insider trading in Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc while the company was mulling a takeover bid, and said they did nothing wrong.

Dhia Jafar and Omar Nabulsi, both of Dubai, said a court-ordered freeze should be lifted on the US$2.53 million profit that they made from buying Onyx call options

in the last week of June, according to filings late Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

The defendants said that when they bought the call options, they had no material, non-public information that biotechnology company Amgen Inc was trying to buy smaller rival Onyx for US$10 billion, a hefty premium at the time.

Both defendants called themselves frequent options traders who engage in spec-

ulative trading. Nabulsi said he had been following Onyx since Jim Cramer, on CNBC’s “Mad Money” TV show in early April, said it “may be one of the best new drug companies in the world.”

“The SEC’s assertion that the trades were ‘highly suspicious’ based on more general factors such as volume and price history is flawed, and reflects an oversimplified and unsophisticated view of options trading,” Jafar said.

(Arabianbusiness)

Inspiring innovation examples from notable pioneers

For aspiring entrepreneurs, the road ahead often seems dark and daunting. The odds are always stacked against you, and the initial investments can be staggering. In a classic highrisk high-reward scenario, you have to bet big to win big. There are many rags to riches stories, and just as many riches to rags stories in the world of business pioneers. However, there are a few encouraging stories that capture the imagination – that a small change, a tiny innovation, can change a good product to an absolutely necessary one.

George De Mestral Electrical engineer George De Mestral went hunting one day in the Swiss Alps in 1941

with his dog. When he returned home, he noticed several spiny seeds – called burdock burrs –were stuck to his clothes and the dog’s fur. Noticing the odd adhesive properties of the seed, he took them home and examined them under a microscope, where he noticed hundreds of hooks that caught on anything with a loop, such as fabric, fur or hair. Mestral instantly saw the possibility of binding two sheets of similar material reversibly – with tiny hooks and loops, as a replacement for buttons, strings, zippers and other fasteners. His colleagues initially ridiculed his idea, but he stuck with the idea and took it to Lyon, France, the centre of weaving and textiles, to create two prototype cotton strips which

worked correctly. However, the proper match of hooks and loops was nearly impossible to manufacture. Mestral finally, as a last ditch idea, created two identical strips of loops, cut the loop tops off the second strip with scissors, and created perfectly matching loops and hooks. Perfecting this process took nearly a decade, until his product – Velcro- was finally patented in 1955.

Murray Handwerker

Murray Handwerker worked at his father’s hot dog stand in Coney Island in the 1920s, spending so much time in the restaurant that he said he regarded the hot dog bun boxes as his playpen. (Business Dictionary)

USAID launches project to strengthen Parliament

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)funded International Republican Institute (IRI) officially launched the Guyana Leadership and Democracy Programme (LEAD) project on Wednesday evening, which is expected to bolster the functioning of the National Assembly.

The project, which was launched at Cara Lodge, Quamina Street, Georgetown, will focus on fortifying the National Assembly by encouraging consensus building; and working with civil society and the public to boost citizens’ engagement with the National Assembly and all parties to support the legislature’s role as an effective deliberative body.

Speaking at the event, United States Ambassador to Guyana D Brent Hardt expressed excitement about the programme, deeming it as timely. “Guyana’s National Assembly is grappling with serious issues

that will shape the future of the country, how successfully the parties navigate these will help shape the future for the people of Guyana,” he noted.

Consensus-building

The ambassador made reference to whether the parties can have effective local governance or reliable, environmentally friendly power or be able to deter crime and violence and prevent financial crimes that distort economic development.

He underscored that his country recognised that the new dispensation in Parliament could pose many challenges which, if not handled with a spirit of compromise and a focus on national interest, can lead to a stalemate and frustration.

“That’s why we asked the State Department and USAID in Washington to support a specially-tailored democracy and governance programme here to enhance the National Assembly’s functioning and encourage consensus.”

Hardt disclosed that over the past few months, there have been meetings with stakeholders from across the political spectrum to help shape the outline of the programme, identify priorities, and chart a path toward successful implementation. He lauded the stakeholders who gave their time, while positing that their perspectives and feedback have been invaluable in identifying priorities for advancing democracy and strengthening political processes to achieve consensus and constructive political engagement.

Citizen education

The ambassador disclosed that one of the core messages heard from all stakeholders and all parties was the critical importance of holding local government elections. In light of this, he voiced his hope that all parties can come together today “to approve the legislation before the assembly and pave the way for elections this year”.

Hardt asserted that the U.S. through USAID will

immediately support citizen education effort in preparation for the local government elections and renewed local governance.

Chief of Party for LEAD, Glenn D Bradbury said he believes that the elected representatives in the National Assembly have the commitment, energy, and means to achieve beneficial national goals.

“Certainly, their rationale and motivation remains mutually consistent, irrespective of their political allegiances, that being, to do all in their constitutional power to benefit the lives of the people of Guyana and serve those who have placed their faith in them,” he declared.

Bradbury, who has over 20 years’ experience in working in the parliament of Canada, stated that he looked forward to providing his resources, and those of IRI’s new Guyana office to members of the National Assembly and all interested groups, who seek the betterment of the people of Guyana.

Preliminary works on Rodney inquiry underway

– Family Court identified as main office

As preliminary work begins for a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the assassination of political activist and historian Dr Walter Rodney, the Family Court has been identified as the headquarters.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, who made the announcement at a postCabinet media briefing Wednesday, said funds will be appropriated for the resources the commission needs to carry out its mandate.

“Such activities include the collection of data from the variety of sources that have historically been involved in review and judicial revises in some cases, parliamentary review in others, of Dr Rodney’s assassination,” Dr Luncheon said.

Details of the terms of reference to guide the commission and the appointment of the commissioners will also be ironed out. Dr Luncheon said it was agreed that the commission and its work will be supported by initiatives that were not used before

such as immunity from prosecution and amnesty.

President Donald Ramotar’s announcement of the CoI came on the occasion of Dr Rodney’s 33rd death anniversary, much to the satisfaction of the party he founded, the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), now a member of the opposition coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

Dr Rodney, a major political challenger to the administration of Forbes Burnham, was killed on June 13, 1980 when an explosive device that was concealed in a “walkie talkie” radio detonated. The device was given to him by a former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) sergeant who later fled to French Guiana where he remained in exile until his death several years ago.

thursday, july 25, 2013 |

New three-storey building for NFMU

The National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU), now called Telecommunications Authority, will benefit from a new facility that will be constructed at its Hadfield Street, Georgetown location.

This was revealed by head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon, who was at the time speaking at his postCabinet press briefing on Wednesday.

He said Cabinet has approved the construction of a new three-storey building for the Telecommunications Authority. Dr Luncheon added that it will be constructed over an 18,000 square foot space.

“The new structure is intended to house government and state telecoms broadcasting entities.”

Meanwhile, the Telecommunications Authority will be hosting the visit of an International Telecommunication Unit

(ITU) expert during July 29 and August 2. The expert is expected to assist Guyana in developing the roadmap for the transition of analog to digital terrestrial television broadcasting.

“The likely agenda for the visit would include the national roadmap team, the representatives of the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors in Guyana and the ITU expert.”

Dr Luncheon also noted that the meeting is expected to examine the policies and guidelines of the primary details that would be applicable to the local market when Guyana makes the transition. It is expected to take effect by 2015. The National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU), now the Telecommunications Authority, was established in December 1990 as a public corporation by way of Order Number 79 of 1990, made under The Public Corporations Act 1988.

Orealla electricity woes to end soon

TThe impending CoI will invite contributions from family members of the deceased, former political allies in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), WPA, and colleagues internationally.

It follows an inconclusive report conducted in the 1980s that sought to find the motive of the assassination and a 2005 Parliamentinspired international commission that fell short of addressing many outstanding issues, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

Dr Luncheon recalled President Ramotar saying that this new COI will be the most definitive of efforts to bring the perpetrators and masterminds of the assassination, to the knowledge of the populace.

he Amerindian Affairs Ministry Wednesday afternoon presented the community of Orealla, Region Six with the replacement part for the community’s generator. The equipment was damaged after the radiator that cools the engine ran dry.

This $377,000 replacement part will see the community’s electricity woes coming to an end. Upon receiving the generator part, Orealla Toshao Floyd Edwards expressed gratitude to government for delivering on its promise in a timely manner.

He said that the part will resolve the electricity woes that the community has been facing for the past few months. “This will make the plant functional and back the service because in Orealla electricity is not a luxury anymore, it’s a lifestyle,” toshao said.

Toshao Edwards said the community depends strongly on the electricity to preserve their meat, students to study in a more comfortable atmosphere, and to ensure operationalisation of the school’s computer systems. The village leader explained that the community continues to face challenges with the generator because there are not enough houses linked to the system to maintain it.

He said that the community’s council requested some additional cables from the Office of the Prime Minister which they were assured they will receive soon. The generator was given to Orealla by government through a promise that was made by former President Bharrat Jagdeo about four years ago, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

SUDOKU

If you have a significant matter to negotiate with another party, don’t let it turn into a committee affair. The best results will be achieved on a one-onone basis.

By Bernice Bede Osol

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

It is likely to be the little things that could turn into big moneymakers for you today. Don’t discount or turn away from anything just because of its size.

When it comes to issues that you truly believe in, let your voice be heard loud and clear. You have the ability to sway others to your way of thinking, especially when it’s important.

When a reliable counselor starts talking about many ways to open up some new sources of income, prick up your ears and listen. You won’t want to miss a major opportunity.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

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

Your organisational abilities are apt to be exceptionally keen. If others follow through on the assignments you delegate to them, every one of you will benefit greatly.

(March 21-April 19)

Take plenty of time to study an issue that’s germane to something you’re trying to accomplish. Your insights into the matter could increase considerably.

(April 20-May 20)

Be lavish in your praise of someone who deserves it, because you’ll find that a compliment will make a huge impact on this person. Be a bearer of good tidings and kind words.

(May 21June 20)

Your focus is likely to be on things that affect your status and finances, which is exactly where it should be. Any bright idea of yours will enhance both your reputation and your resources.

One of the major reasons behind others’ fondness for you is your gift of making everyone feel important. You’ll find many opportunities to use this blessing today.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

When you believe in yourself and your abilities, you’re able to do whatever you set your mind to. This is a good day to test this notion out by aiming for some lofty goals. They’re within your reach, if you try.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Participating in some type of vigorous physical activity could revitalise your zest for life, especially if it challenges you mentally as well. Whatever you do today, don’t be sedentary.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Your ability to improve upon things that others begin will be operating in full swing. There could be three different incidents where you’ll use this gift effectively.

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President congratulates Queen on birth of great-grandson

President Donald Ramotar has extended congratulations to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of the birth of the royal baby to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

“The government and people of Guyana are pleased to join with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in welcoming the newest member of the royal family – His Royal Highness, Prince George of Cambridge,” a message

from President Ramotar said.

“This signal event has understandably captured the attention of millions around the world demonstrating shared sentiments of delight and joy,” said Ramotar, on behalf of the government and people of Guyana.

The message continued: “As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge take pride in this new and treasured experience, we celebrate with them the birth of their son and wish the family continued happiness, good health and every success in the years ahead.”

Parliamentary sectoral committees to meet Friday

The parliamentary sectoral committees on economic services and natural resources, in keeping with their respective work programmes for 2013, will be holding a joint meeting on Friday, at 10:00h, in the Parliament Chamber, Public Buildings, Brickdam.

Parliament Office Public Relations Officer Onieka Alphonso-Walton said the purpose of the meeting is to receive presentations from

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and the board and management of the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL); the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA); and the Hinterland Electrification Unit (HEU).

The committees will seek to examine issues from a feasibility and viability standpoint, while scrutinising the management and use of the country’s natural resources, explained Alphonso-Walton.

The mandate of the sec-

toral committees on economic services and natural resources, in the discharge of their scrutinising role, is to examine all policies and administration, in the economic services and natural resources sectors.

This, in turn, will help to determine whether the execution of government policy is in consonance with the principles of good governance and in the best interest of all the people of Guyana.

Over 500 foreign students graduate as doctors in Cuba

More than 1400 physicians from Cuba and 25 other countries were due to receive their degrees on Tuesday from the University of Medical Sciences (UCM by its Spanish acronym) in the central Cuban province of Camagüey. This will be the largest graduation of foreign graduates in the history of this institution.

The event not only includes doctors, but also graduates in stomatology, psychology, nursing and health technology.

Around a third of the graduates are foreign students, who have accessed to education in Cuba through various collaboration programmes as the Latin American School of Medicine, Rolando Sanchez, vice chancellor of UCM, said.

He added that arriving at such a big graduation of foreign students, mainly from Latin America, the dream of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez of training thousands of doctors in the region, comes true.

Gretel Alvarez, best stu-

dent of the recently concluded course, stressed in a recent interview to the local press the careful preparation they received in Camagüey UCM, and expressed their commitment to provide services anywhere the Cuban health system needs it.

That is a premise supported from the early years of training, based on community integration, linked to primary care in family doctors, Miguel García Rodríguez, dean of UCM Faculty of Medicine noted. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Clashes in Mexico’s Michoacan state leave 22 dead

At least 20 armed gang members have died in clashes with police in Mexico’s western Michoacan state, officials say.

Two police officers were also killed in shootouts that started after gang members blocked roads with vehicles and ambushed police patrols.

The attacks came a day after members of the Knights Templar drug gang shot dead five demonstrators protesting against the cartel’s violent tactics.

Michoacan has seen a steep rise in violence in recent months.

In May, President Enrique Pena Nieto sent in a general to take over police and military operations in the western state.

Self-defence vigilante groups have formed in several towns in the region vowing to fight the violence, kidnappings and extortion carried out by drug cartels.

Hundreds of people demonstrated in the town of Los Reyes on Monday, holding up placards opposing the Knights Templar drug gang and the extortion rackets it runs in the area.

Armed men believed to belong to the cartel opened fire on the demonstrators, killing five and injuring at least eight.

The BBC’s Will Grant in Mexico City said the Knights Templar seems to have strengthened their stranglehold on some parts of the region. (Excerpt from BBC News)

WI fall again to Pakistan to lose series 3-1

Gros-Islet, ST LUCIA – Lively fast bowling from Tino Best failed to ignite West Indies and Pakistan claimed a dramatic fourwicket victory in the fifth One-Day International on Wednesday here, following half-centuries from Ahmed Shehzad and Misbah-ulHaq.

Best replaced ailing compatriot and fellow fast bowler Kemar Roach and ended with 3-48 from 10 overs, but no other bowler made an impact, as Shehzad with the top score of 64 and Misbah with 63 saw Pakistan successfully chase 243 for victory on a hard, true Beausejour Cricket Ground pitch.

A stoppage for rain with 14 balls remaining and Jason Holder’s dismissal of Misbah in the final over added to the drama in the closing stages before Saeed Ajmal hit the winning run with one ball remaining.

The result meant Pakistan claimed the fivematch series 3-1 series, after victories in the first and fourth ODIs. West Indies won the second ODI and the third match ended in a tie last Friday here.

West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo led a late charge, as the Caribbean side posted 242 for seven from their 50 overs after being sent in to bat.

Bravo came to the crease with his side on 170 for six in the 45th over and hit five fours and three sixes in the top score of 48 from 27 balls.

Bravo beefed up the total in a stand of 53 from just 27 balls for the seventh wicket with his predecessor, Darren Sammy, before he was caught at long-off from the bowling

of Ajmal.

West Indies failed to make the breakthrough in the mandatory power play overs at the top of the innings, as Pakistan coasted to 51 without loss before Chris Gayle’s direct hit ran out Nasir Jamshed for 23 in the 11th over.

Sammy had Mohammad Hafeez caught behind for 11 in the 17th over, but Misbah anchored partnerships of 59 with Shehzad for the third wicket and 66 for the fifth wicket with Umar Akmal that put the visitors firmly on course

for victory.

Best, who sahred the new ball with Holder after Roach was sidelined with a stiff back, dismissed Akmal for 37 in the 48th over and Holder removed Misbah, threatening to a late fightback before the Pakistanis wrapped things up.

West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals after they had earlier been sent in to bat and a handful of batsman got starts without carrying on.

Marlon Samuels scored 45, Johnson Charles made 43, Sammy was not out on

Another Kohli ton in a chase, another India win

Usually, Indian cricketers ply their trade in packed and raucous concrete bowls and have to deal with a large media contingent.

The Harare Sports Club, in contrast, features vast grass banks, rudimentary stands and is ringed by trees. Only a couple of Indian journalists have made the trip to Zimbabwe to cover the series.

If that was not enough to ease the pressure on an Indian squad filled with understudies, the cool weather on a sunny day, the toothless Zimbabwe bowling and a benign pitch made them feel all the more comfortable. With the schooldkids dancing in the stands and plenty of fans having a leisurely lunch near the pavilion, the match seemed more like a casual afternoon game in the park, rather than an international encounter.

The intensity of the contest particularly dimmed once Virat Kohli took charge of yet another chase. Over the past three years, Kohli has developed into one of the leading batsmen in one-dayers, a reputation forged on the back of several big centuries when hunting down targets, but today’s hundred - his 15th in ODIs, drawing him level with Virender Sehwag and Mohammad Yousuf - could well have been his easiest in international cricket.

The chase revolved around a 159-run stand for

the third wicket between debutant Ambati Rayudu and Kohli. Rayudu first came to national attention a decade ago, when picked as a 17-year-old for an A tour of the Caribbean and was touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket. However, a tussle with his state association and a dalliance with the unofficial Indian Cricket League combined to keep him out of the India team for years. The friendly conditions were the perfect setting for Rayudu to make his debut, and he helped himself to an unbeaten half-century. Rayudu and Kohli came together after India’s opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and

Rohit Sharma departed fairly early - Dhawan after failing to control a hook, and Rohit after nicking a wide, amiable delivery to the keeper. Kohli was fluent right from the start, highlighted by a controlled drive through extra cover and a superbly timed flick to the midwicket boundary. With the asking-rate well in hand, Rayudu took his time early on to settle any nerves, mainly dealing in singles - he hit just two fours till he reached his half-century.

With the pitch having dried out, and Zimbabwe’s spinners not getting much purchase, Prosper Utseya’s late double-strike wasn’t much more than an opportunity for the crowd to cheer.

(Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Zimbabwe innings V Sibanda lbw b Mishra 34

Sikandar Raza b Mishra 82

S Williams b Raina 15

H Masakadza b Mishra 11

B Taylor*† c Raina b Unadkat 12

M Waller b Mohammed Shami 2

E Chigumbura not out 43

T Mutombodzi c Dhawan

b Vinay Kumar 8

P Utseya not out 8

Extras: (b2, lb7, w4) 13

Total: (7 wkts, 50 overs) 228

Fall of wickets: 1-72, 2-105, 3-119, 4-162, 5-166, 6-176, 7-205

Bowling: R Vinay Kumar 9-157-1, Mohammed Shami 101-45-1, J Unadkat 10-1-39-1, R Jadeja 10-3-33-0, A Mishra

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES (maximum 50 overs)

J. Charles c Haris Sohail

b Mohammad Irfan 43

D.S. Smith c Mohammad Hafeex

b Junaid Khan 7

D.M. Bravo c wkpr Umar Akmal

b Junaid Khan 9

M. Samuels c Shahid Afridi b Mohammad Irfan 45

C. Gayle c wkpr Umar Akmal

b Junaid Khan 21

+L. Simmons c Mohammad Hafeez

b Saeed Ajmal 25

*D.J. Bravo c Haris Sohail

b Saeed Ajmal 48

D. Sammy not out 29

S. Narine not out 0

Extras (lb6, w9) 15

TOTAL (7 wkts) 242

J. Holder, T. Best did not bat

Fall of wickets: 1-26; 2-44; 3-98; 4-131; 5-159; 6-170; 7-223

Bowling: Mohammad Hafeez

6-2-22-0; Mohammad Irfan 101-34-2 (w6); Junaid Khan 101-48-3 (w1); Asad Ali 9-1-450 (w1); Shahid Afridi 5-0-30-0; Saeed Ajmal 10-2-57-2 (w1)

29, Lendl Simmons added 25 and Gayle 21, but West Indies failed to gain momentum as Junaid

PAKISTAN (target: 243 off 50 overs)

Nasir Jamshed run out (Gayle) 23

Ahmed Shahzad c *D.J. Bravo b Best 64

Mohammad Hafeez c wkpr

Simmons b Sammy 11

*Misbah-ul-Haq c *D.J. Bravo b Holder 63

Haris Sohail c wkpr Simmons b Best 17

*Umar Akmal c (sub) Roach b Best 37

Shahid Afridi not out 13

Saeed Ajmal not out 1

Extras (lb5, w9) 14

TOTAL (6 wkts) 242

Junaid Khan, Asad Ali, Mohammad Irfan Fall of wickets: 1-51; 2-64; 3-123; 4-160; 5-226; 6-242

Bowling: Holder 9.5-0-47-1; Best 10-2-48-3 (w2); Sammy 10-0-35-1; Narine 10-0-420 (w3); Samuels 5-0-25-0; D.M. Bravo 5-0-41-0 (w4)

Man-of-the-Match: Misbahul-Haq (Pakistan)

Man-of-the-Series: Misbahul-Haq (Pakistan) Umpires: P. Reiffel (Australia), J. Wilson

Powell vows to return after positive drugs test

Former 100m world record holder Asafa

Powell says he wants to return to the track as soon as possible after his failed drug test.

The 30-year-old tested positive for banned stimulant oxilofrine at the Jamaican Championships in June.

10-1-43-3, S Raina 1-0-2-1

India innings

R Sharma c †Taylor

b Chigumbura 20

S Dhawan c Waller b Jarvis 17

V Kohli* c Sibanda b Utseya 115

A Rayudu not out 63

S Raina c Sikandar Raza

b Utseya 0

K Karthik† not out 8

Extras: (lb1, w5, nb1) 7

Total: (4 wkts, 44.5 overs) 230

Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-57, 3-216, 4-216

Bowling: K Jarvis 8-0-40-1, T Chatara 9-0-30-0, E Chigumbura 5-0-30-1, P Utseya 10-034-2, T Mutombodzi 7.5-065-0, S Williams 3-0-18-0, H Masakadza 2-0-12-0

When the news emerged, he said he had never “knowingly or wilfully taken any supplements that break any rules” and has reiterated that stance.

“This has been the most difficult week of my athletic career,” said Powell.

“The supplements I took formed part of a very strict and rigid training regimen,” he added in a statement.

Powell and American sprinter Tyson Gay’s failed drug tests were made public 10 days ago and both are now awaiting the results of their B samples.

Powell said checks done by his team “told us the sup-

plements were fit for consumption by professional athletes”.

“I have retained legal counsel and as such I cannot now discuss all the details of the case,” he added.

“I will say, however, that I have requested that my B sample be tested and I await the results.

“Should this sample return adverse results, my team and I hope that the hearings will happen as fast as possible so as to allow me to return to my team, to once again represent my country, and to make my family, friends, and fans proud.” Powell was the last man to hold the individual 100m record before compatriot Usain Bolt broke it in 2008.

He later helped Jamaica win 4x100m relay gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Sherone Simpson, a 4x100m relay silver medallist at last year’s London Olympics, failed a drug test at the same event as Powell.

(BBC Sport)

“A” Division maintain lead after penultimate day of Police C/ships

By Treiston Joseph

ADivision maintained their lead at the 59th edition of the Police Athletics Championships by 21 points when the third day of the event was completed on Wednesday at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.

Finishing on 224 points, A Division outpaced Headquarters, who have 203, while Country Division are third on 62 points with B Division coming up the rear with 58 points.

Field event athlete Natasha Alder dominated the women’s javelin, throwing a distance of 33.56m with her closest competitor Latoya Rodney throwing 29.39m. Stacy Wilson was third with a throw of 28.46m.

In the men’s 5000m, Dennis Horatio and Nathaniel Giddings battled to the finish line with the latter coming out on

top with a time of 17:08.9s; while Horatio clocked 17:09.3s for second position. Larry Jossiah was third in a time of 18:19.8s.

Former long jump champion, after suffering defeat one day ago, returned on Wednesday to take the men’s triple jump with a distance of 13.23m. Yoel Benjamin took second in the event with a jump of 12.36m while Clarence Greene was third with a jump of 12.30m.

Tenisha Punch edged out Cindy Fraser to take the women’s triple jump with a distance of 9.32m while Fraser missed the top spot with a jump of 9.29m. Lashavona Benjamin was third with a jump of 7.90m.

The men’s javelin saw Cordell English taking the top spot with a throw of 43.57m while Keshon Shepherd took second with a throw of 41.28m, leaving Colwin Leacock to take third with a throw of 39.71m.

Kevin Abbensetts out-

winning the event in 23.6s while Samuel Doris was second in a time of 23.8s; third place went to Kevin Scott, who clocked 24.1s.

On the distaff side, Tiffany Carto cruised to an easy win in 27.5s while Juanita Hopper was second with a time of 28.9s. Whitney Hooper was third in 31.5s.

The youth club 800m saw Rondell Austin being victorious with a time of 2:09.0s while Denzil Lietch was second in 2:13.5s as Marvin Tinnis picked up third, registering a time of 2:25.3s.

Carifta Games representative Melissa Byass won the female youth club 800m in a time of 2:42.4s to out-stride Roxanne Gill who registered a time of 2:59.8s to edge out Tabitha Bowman who registered a time of 3:00.4s for third Kevin Bayley put on

a superb performance to win the men’s 800m in a time of 1:58s while Jonella Jonas, who won the women’s 3000m event a day earlier, doubled by winning the women’s 800m event in a time of 2:36.00s.

To cap off the day’s event on the track, Headquarters won the men’s 3000m medley relay in a time of 7:43.6s while A Division took second in 7:48.4s, leaving B Division in third with a time of 9:45.0s.

In the female 2400m medley the roles were reversed as A Division won the event in a time of 7:57.4s while Headquarters second spot with a time of 8:16.1s as Country Division took third in a time of 8:40.1s.

The 2013 edition of the Police Athletics Championships will conclude on Friday from 14:00h as the meet for the first time will go under floodlights.

Second seed Leacock opens with resounding win

Leyland Leacock

Second seed Leyland Leacock began his campaign in the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Tennis Open with a resounding win, in the process joining top seed Anthony Downes in the quarter-finals at the GBTI Recreational facility at Bel Air Park.

Leacock easily defeated Andre Erskine 6-2 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Playing the marquee Men’s Singles match-up of the evening, Leacock flexed his muscles through the first set, breaking his opponent twice in the set to grab it 6-2. His opponent Erskine, not known for his big service game or heavy ground strokes, matched Leacock from the early exchanges of the game, but fell away as the game opening set pro-

gressed.

The second set was more evenly poised with both players matching each other stroke for stroke, but it was the veteran tour player Leacock whose crafty play and sticky serve worked the magic as he ran out to

win the second set 6-3. He now awaits the winner of the Bishan Dalip and Kris Judgeo showdown for a spot in the semi-finals.

The duo of Anthony Downes and Jason Andrews showed no mercy as the hammered Albert Madramottoo

and Durai Viyapuri 6-0 6-0 in the Men’s Doubles.

The senior duo could not handle the serve of the nation’s top players. The top seed in the Men’s Doubles draw, Downes and Andrews, showed the veterans that gone were the days of just returning the ball.

Madramottoo and Viyapuri were broken three times in both sets to put both men out of the Men’s Doubles.

The defeat puts them on the long list of players who would have gotten the dreaded double bagel in the 2013 tournament.

Third seed Gavin Lewis is yet to play a match in the competition, since his second round opponent, Rudy Grant, failed to show up for his second round encounter. Lewis had also received a bye in the first round.

By Avenash Ramzan

Asthe Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) draws closer, Guyana Times Sport will help to get you familiarised with the players on the Guyana Amazon Warriors squad. During the coming days we will be featuring members of the squad, sharing with you their profiles and achievements. Today our focus is on skipper and middle-order batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan and franchise players, off-spinner Sunil Narine and all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez.

Name: Ramnaresh ‘Ronnie’ Sarwan

Captain,

Ramnaresh Sarwan, as expected, was appointed skipper of the team for the July 30 to August 24 tournament.

He has a wealth of experience in the position, having led Guyana to two T20 titles: the inaugural Stanford 20/20 in 2006 and the first-ever Caribbean T20 in 2010.

If history is to be repeated, then Sarwan and the Guyana Amazon Warriors are on course to lift the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League title come August 24 at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Sarwan’s T20 record may not be among the best in the world, but his presence in the middle-oder will certainly provide stability in a format that still has a place for proper strokeplay. His vast experience and shrewd leadership would no doubt be an asset to the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

After 18 T20Is and 65 domestic T20 games, the right-hander has close to 1400 runs with a highest score of 70 among seven half-centuries.

However, his Test and ODI records are among the best for current day West Indies batsmen with over 10,000 international runs, 20 hundreds and 69 fifties. Surely, the elegant right-hander would be one to watch in the Limacol CPL.

International Franchise player, right-handed batsman; rightarm off-spinner

All-rounder Mohammad Hafeez is the Guyana Amazon Warriors International Franchise player.

A regular starter for Pakistan over the past three years, Hafeez brings to the table a great deal of experience and knowledge on the game, having done exceedingly well with both bat and ball in all three formats of the game.

A right-handed opening batsman and right-arm off-spinner, the 32-year-old Hafeez has appeared in 152 international and domestic T20s, 125 ODIs and 32 Test matches.

As a T20 batsman, Hafeez has ammassed over 3600 runs with two hundreds at the domestic level and a total of 21 halfcenturies.

Usually a tidy off-spinner, the Pakistani has also bagged a total of 134 wickets in all T20 games with career-best figures of 4-10.

Apart from his contribution with bat and ball, Hafeez also brings leadership qualities, having captained Pakistan before, and this is something Sarwan and company would be looking to tap into as the Guyana Amazon Warriors look to lift the coveted title.

Guardian Group supports Limacol CPL

As the countdown to the start of the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament continues, organisers have confirmed Guardian Group as an Official League Partner in the insurance product and services category.

The announcement came at Guardian Group’s launch of its new branding.

Formerly known and operating under parent company Guardian Holdings Limited (GHL), Guardian Group is an integrated financial services group with a focus on life, health, property and casualty insurance, pensions and asset management, which has been serving the Caribbean since 1847, under such brands as Guardian Life, Guardian General, Fatum and Guardian Asset Management.

“Guardian Group is the largest indigenous insurance and financial services company in the English and Dutch Caribbean and is proud to be an official sponsor of Limacol CPL T20,” said Larry Olton, Group Vice President, Integrated Marketing Communications.

“Our new brand identity as Guardian Group unifies all our companies in the Caribbean and the Limacol CPL T20 touches the shores of many of the islands in which we operate. This sponsorship is therefore an excellent opportunity to celebrate our businesses under Guardian Group.”

“It is a fact that modern sports events of the scale and ambition of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League require the support of corporate sponsors in order for them to be financially via-

ble, and bring these grand spectacles to fans and communities,” commented Jamie Stewart, Commercial Director and Consultant to the Limacol CPL.

“It is a great pleasure to welcome Guardian Group, the leading insurance company in the Caribbean and one of the most venerable and respected corporate houses in the region, as an LCPL partner. Guardian has recently revitalised and reinvented its corporate identity, and with LCPL seeking to revitalise and reinvent the experience of cricket in the Caribbean, the partnership has a logic and synergy that is compelling.”

The Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament begins on July 30 in Barbados and concludes in Trinidad and Tobago on August 24.

While Hafeez is the International Franchise player, the mystery off-spinner Sunil Narine is the West Indies Franchise player for the Guyana Amazon Warriors team. In less than two years, the 25-year-old Trinidadian has emerged as the most sought after bowler in T20 cricket, bagging 120 wickets from a total of 95 T20 games.

His ecomony rate of just over five an over and a strike rate of 17.8 is among the best in world cricket at present. In 38 ODIs, Narine has captured 60 wickets, while he has 15 Test wickets from five games.

At the domestic level, Narine hit the jackpot in the 2012 IPL auction, attracting a bid of US$700,000 from Kolkata Knight Riders.

He made it count, finishing the second-highest wickettaker with 24 scalps, winning the Man-of-the-Tournament award and spinning Knight Riders to their maiden title win.

Narine was also the ICC Emerging Player-of-the-Year 2012. When the Limacol CPL bowls off next week Narine is expected to play a huge part for Guyana Amazon Warriors in a format where he’s been virtually unplayable.

Noble House’s Goals Galore off to high-scoring start

The annual Noble House’s Goals Galore Indoor hockey championships got off to an exciting start with a number of high scoring games in each of the three divisions. The Men’s senior division saw its largest margin of victory go to the Hikers Generals as they took apart Old Fort by 9-5.

As the name suggests, teams are given goal handicaps at the beginning of the tournament based on their past performances and so this match began at zero for Generals and +3 for Old Fort. Generals’ penalty corner specialist, Shane Samuels, was the top marksman of the evening with four goals to his side’s winning cause.

While Old Fort’s Dwayne Allen put his side at +4 ahead with a goal in the second minute of play, Samuels’ four goals along with a hat-trick from captain Robert France and one each from Devin Munroe and Colonel Heywood put the game beyond the reach of an overwhelmed Old Fort. Jason DeSantos managed only one more goal in the

second half for Old Fort leaving them on the losing end of a 9-5 result.

The Hikers Under-19 side kept the club’s winning streak alive with a 7-5 victory over GCC after the teams began the match with +3 for the Hikers U-19 and +1 for GCC. GCC got off to a swift start with two unanswered goals from Andrew Xavier and Kevin Spencer in the fifth and 10th minute respectively, but the Hikers U-19 rallied with two in a row from junior national Jamarj Assanah to regain the lead.

Spencer managed two more for the Bourda boys, but young Hilton Chester and Leon Bacchus kept the twogoal margin for the Hikers U-19 to end with the 7-5 victory. Ol Skool, featuring a number of former nationals, was the only team to rain on the Hikers parade as Damon Woodroffe and Alan Fernandes each scored a penalty corner on either side of the half to pull off an 8-5 victory as the teams had begun with handicaps of +6 for Ol Skool and +5 for Hikers

Under-23.

The lone match of the evening in the Ladies competition saw the GCC Tigers come from a two-goal handicap deficit to outclass the youthful Spartans 4-2. With the Spartans beginning with a +2 handicap to the Tigers +0, Gabriella Xavier signalled the intentions of the Tigers with a goal just three minutes into the match. Captain Sonia Jardine, Carol Caine and Ulrica Sutherland each found the back of the net despite the usual heroic goalkeeping from Alysa Xavier for the Spartans. The B division saw a surprise victory over Saints for the junior Old Fort side which featured a number of new faces to the game. Beginning on a +1 handicap versus +2 for Saints, Old Fort’s Shaquille Thomas led the scorers with a double, while teammates Omar Hopkinson, Richard Heyliger and Stephen Spostra each scored singles. Kwesi Lewis managed to pull one goal back for Saints but it was not enough to avoid the 6-3 victory for Old Fort.

Limacol CPL tickets on sale countrywide – Graham

Events Operation Manager Alex Graham has confirmed that tickets for the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) are now on sale countrywide, including in Bartica, Skeldon and Linden, for the Guyana leg of the tournament.

The games to be played in Guyana are scheduled for July 31, August 2, and August 4 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

Graham also told Guyana Times Sport in an exclusive interview that ticket sales for this leg of the tournament are on track to be sold out. “Well when I spoke with the ticketing coordinator for an update, I got the sense that most of the red and green stands have already been sold, so my advice to people is to not wait last minute to get your tickets because they are going fast,” he said.

Graham also revealed that the tickets have been made available to all fans countrywide, and they are easily accessible for persons that would like to purchase tickets before crunch time.

“We have all arrangements to make tickets available to fans. The central ticketing office is open from 9:00hrs to 18:00 hrs, so people have extended time to buy their tickets.

“Two of the CPL partners – Courts and Digicel –also have tickets available

Windsor Estates is Guyana Amazon Warriors founding sponsor

With just days left to the bowl off of the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League, Windsor Estates developed by Navigant Builders has signed on as a founding sponsor of local Franchise Guyana Amazon Warriors.

This announcement was made by Amazon Warriors Director Ravie Ramcharitar, who noted that the team was “thrilled and proud to have such a successful Guyanese on board, showing that Guyanese emigrants can still contribute to the nation’s well-being, especially in the game that breaks all barriers, which is what the Limacol CPL is striving to do.”

Signing on behalf of Navigant Builders Inc, President and CEO Danny Sawh promised to lay a robust foundation for the team in the tournament.

tured extensively in advertising campaigns for the team and also showcased on the players’ uniforms.

Windsor Estates developed by Navigant Builders Inc, is headquartered in Georgetown, Guyana and is currently constructing a residential area at Providence on the East Bank of Demerara, just minutes away from the Guyana National Stadium.

at many of their outlets, so people have a many opportunities in terms of time and the number of ticket offices available. So we are very satisfied with the way ticket sales have gone so far,” Graham stated.

“We have made provisions to sell tickets that remain, if any, on match day,” he said. “We’re going to have one or two stations outside the stadium where people can buy their tickets on match day. But at the moment, given the trajectory of tickets sales, I am not sure that there will be lots of tickets available on those days.”

“I rather suspect that the majority of tickets would be gone by then,” added Graham.

The Limacol CPL ticketing office is located on Middle Street at the former Del Casa Restaurant building, or two buildings east of Mario’s Pizza/Camex Restaurants Inc and is open for transactions every day.

The ticket office is open from Monday to Saturday from 09:00h to 18:00h and on Sunday from 10:00h to 14:00h.

Tickets are also available at the Courts Main Street, Georgetown and Diamond Public Road, East Bank Demerara locations, as well as at the Digicel Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown office and at its New Amsterdam, Rose Hall, Corriverton, Parika, and Anna Regina locations during normal working hours.

“It is always a pleasure to support events in Guyana. The Limacol CPL brings home an old Guyanese tradition in its most exciting format and Windsor Estates sees this event as an opportunity to reunite Guyanese at home and abroad, as we showcase our much-talked about excellent hospitality and love of cricket,” Sawh said.

Amazon Warriors Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, Steven Sawh of Windsor Estates and Dwayne Lovell of the Guyana Amazon Warriors were all on hand to witness the signing.

Having signed on as a Founding Sponsor for the Guyana Amazon Warriors, Windsor Estates will be fea-

The Limacol CPL tournament commences July 30, 2013, in Barbados, with matches in Guyana on the July 31 and August 2 and 4, 2013.