Guyana Times Daily

Chambers body praises NEW GPC/ Limacol’s acquisition

Ali says CAL airfare hike arbitrary

First paddy shipment to Venezuela being finalised Guyana among 38 nations to meet antihunger targets

Prosecution of child cases very slow – CCPA director

Guyana among 38 nations to meet anti-hunger targets

– to receive FAO award on Sunday

Guyana is among 38 countries that have met internationally-established targets in the fight against hunger, chalking up successes ahead of a deadline set for 2015, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) confirmed on Tuesday. Guyana will also on Sunday receive its honour at a high-level ceremony at the FAO headquarters during the week-long meeting of the FAO conference, the organisation’s highest governing body.

“These countries are leading the way to a better future. They are proof that with

strong political will, coordination and cooperation, it is possible to achieve rapid and lasting reductions in hunger,” FAO Director General José Graziano da Silva said. Graziano da Silva urged all countries to keep up the momentum, aiming for the complete eradication of hunger, in keeping with the Zero Hunger Challenge launched in 2012 by United Nations Secretary General Ban Kimoon.

“Globally, hunger has declined over the past decade, but 870 million people are still undernourished, and millions of others suffer the

consequences of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, including child stunting,” the FAO chief said. “We need to keep up our efforts, until everyone can live healthy, productive lives.”

Twenty countries have satisfied Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number one, to halve the proportion of hungry people. Their progress was measured between 1990-92 and 20102012, against benchmarks established by the international community at the United Nations General Assembly in 2000. An additional 18 countries were congratulated for

reaching both MDG one and the more stringent World Food Summit (WFS) goal, having reduced by half the absolute number of undernourished people between 1990-92 and 2010-2012.

The WFS goal was set in 1996, when 180 nations met at the FAO headquarters to discuss ways to end hunger. The countries achieving MDG one alone were identified as Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil,

Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, The Dominican Republic, Fiji, Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, Malawi, Maldives, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Togo and Uruguay.

The countries achieving both MDG one and the WFS are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Djibouti, Georgia, Ghana, Guyana, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, Peru, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic) and Vietnam.

Millions still hungry

According to the State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012, the vast majority of the hungry, 852 million live in developing countries – around 15 per cent of their population – while 16 million people are undernourished in developed countries. Also, despite the overall downward trend and

national successes, hunger has been on the rise in Africa, in recent years. Globally, food insecurity today is largely a problem of access to the resources or services needed by families to produce, purchase, or otherwise obtain enough nutritious food. Agriculture plays a pivotal role in providing access to food. More than 70 per cent of the poor live in rural areas and most of them depend directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods. Raising agricultural productivity is therefore an important element in improving access to food.

The FAO director general said he was encouraged by signs of increased commitment in many countries to ending hunger and malnutrition through sustainable agriculture and development, including participation in regional programmes inspired by the Zero Hunger Challenge.

Amelia’s Ward woman on threatening language charge

Awoman was on Tuesday granted bail in the sum of $20,000 when she appeared before Magistrate Ann Mclennan on a charge of threatening language against her neighbour.

Shellon Pearson, 27, of 83 Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden, appeared at the Christianburg Magistrates’

Courts to answer to the charge which alleged that on Saturday, June 9, she made use of threatening behaviour to Carletta Monkhouse at Amelia’s Ward. She pleaded not guilty.

The court heard that both parties reside in the same building at Amelia’s Ward, but in separate apartments.

On the day in question, they had a misunderstanding over clothes which were hung on a clothes line which resulted in an argument, after which Pearson allegedly threatened the virtual complainant with a knife, but was restrained by neighbours. The matter was adjourned until August 7 by the presiding magistrate.

Ali says CAL airfare hike arbitrary

The Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry is opposing what it described as arbitrary increases in airfare ticket prices by Caribbean Airlines (CAL), accusing the regional carrier of attempting to rake in profits owing to the high demand in the Guyana market.

Acting Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali lamented, in a statement, the airline’s high fares. He made reference to the 50minute flight to Trinidad and Tobago that costs US$425. “We are well acquainted with the fact that the Trinidad market is not required to pay the increases demanded

from the Guyanese market, and it has been proven that the Guyanese market is one of the strongest for Caribbean Airlines. In light of this, we believe

that we should be treated as special customers; the least that we would want is to have equal and fair treatment on par with the Trinidad market,” Minister Ali asserted.

The regional carrier had promised to maintain a reasonable fare structure during talks with the Guyana government after its competitors EZjet and Delta exited the market earlier this year. According to Minister Ali, CAL’s position in the Guyana market should have been looked at from a corporate responsibility perspective and not as a profit-making opportunity.

The Guyana government is depending on air

Minibus driver in court for causing death by dangerous driving

Aminibus driver was granted bail for causing death by dangerous driving when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday.

Edison Washington, 43, of North East Le Penitence, plead not guilty to the charge which states that on February 21 at David Street, Kitty he caused the death of Stanley Troyer by dangerous driving.

Prosecutor Vernetté Pindar reported that on the day in question the defendant was driving on the public road when he turned east

into David Street and the front of his minibus struck Troyer. Washington hurried to Troyer’s aid and rushed him to the hospital in an unconscious state. Reports state that Troyer died three days later. Advice was sought by the police and Washington was later charged with the present offence.

The accused was represented by Attorney Gordon Gilhuys who stated that his client was placed on $50,000 station bail and had fully cooperated with the police. He then made an application for reasonable bail.

There were no objections

made by the prosecution to bail, and the chief magistrate reduced bail for the defendant from $200,000 to $150,000. Washington is scheduled to return to court on July 26 for the filing of statements.

transport that is free of hindrances to and from Guyana, given the vibrancy in the tourism sector and a promising industry. Meanwhile, initial approaches have already been made to reputable Asian, North and South American airlines in the ongoing effort to broaden the range of commercial air services operating the Guyana route. Among them is JetBlue Airways Corporation, an American low-cost airline which is awaiting the completion of the airport runway extension. Recently, Fly Jamaica was given the go-ahead to service the Guyana to North America route.

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

China’s checkmate?

We live in an age of a paradigm shift. The man who coined the concept suggested that it would be a time of uncertainty as we are forced by events to reorient our thinking to the new “realities”. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the Caribbean and Central America before meeting President Barrack Obama was thought to be simply a matter of settling some concerns on trade, but it is turning out to be much more significant. The head of the second largest economy in the world, poised to overtake the U.S. in a few years in purchasing power parity (PPP), seems determined to show the U.S. that, as we Guyanese say, “do fuh do na obeah”.

From Trinidad and Tobago (TT), we learnt from The Guardian’s columnist Maxie Cuffy that “the real reason behind the visit of U.S. Vice president Joe Biden was the decision by TT to ratify a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States that now makes the twin island republic a virtual base for U.S. forces and defence contractors. And the reason he was followed by the Chinese President is that China, which is determinedly dogging the Americans through a cyber cold-war, does not intend to allow the Americans untrammelled access to this country.”

Cuffy quoted some secret WikiLeaks cables to conclude about the SOFA agreement, which was not mentioned by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at the time: “In a world where military activity is increasingly cyber-based, the U.S. government does not need to establish a physical presence or base in TT. What it needs is free passage for its vessels and vehicles, (including warships and drones; radio spectrum for communication and espionage; right of entry; and immunity from TT laws for its soldiers and defence contractors who will have the right to carry arms without needing to seek a permit. All of which have been guaranteed to the Americans under the SOFA.” Cuffy opined that Venezuela is the object of the U.S. interest.

But the Chinese president’s visit was not the only sign of his country’s willingness to challenge America’s pre-eminence in what the latter persists in identifying as its “backyard”. In addition to visiting Mexico, which is a member of the North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA), the Chinese president worked to solidify linkages with Costa Rica, long seen as a bastion of U.S. trade supply linkages in Central America. President Xi’s visit could be seen as a riposte to the U.S. “Asia Pivot” policy, in which the latter superpower has worked assiduously to bring the 11-member Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) into reality.

As the authoritative British Financial Times declared, “the unstated aim of the TPP is to create a high level trade agreement that excludes the world’s second-biggest economy”, while including practically everyone else with a Pacific coastline: Vietnam, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Peru, Japan, and more.” But with a decision by Nicaraguan lawmakers last evening, it appears that China will have the last laugh.

Nicaragua has just agreed for a new canal to be constructed across its territory to connect, as the U.S.dominated Panama Canal does, the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic via the Caribbean. This is probably the real reason for China’s interest in the Caribbean, in addition to tweaking the U.S.’ nose. A huge volume of world trade passes through the canal and, with the rise of China as the world’s factory, waits for ships at both ends of the canal have become interminable – and expensive. While the Panama Canal is being expanded, the new canal should still be economically viable.

For Nicaragua, the benefits are immeasurable: 40,000 jobs in the next 10 years, a flat fee of US$10 million annually, then a percentage and a doubling of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We hope our government will submit its project proposal soon in the sweepstakes between China and the U.S.

Remembering Dr Walter Rodney

Dear Editor, Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the assassination of the world-renowned historian Dr Walter Rodney, after he declared that the then entrenched People’s National Congress (PNC) dictatorship had to be removed “by any means necessary”. Dr Rodney had returned in 1974 from Tanzania, where he had taught for several years at its university to work at the University of Guyana (UG). The PNC rescinded his job offer.

In Tanzania, Dr Rodney influenced a whole generation of African activists and scholars. One of them was the radical Marxist and Pan Africanist Issa Shivji, of Indian descent, who was for 36 years a distinguished professor in Constitutional Law in the University of Dar es Salaam’s Faculty of Law. After retirement he was offered the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Research Chair in Pan-African Studies of the University of Dar es Salaam.

In 2012 he contributed the article, “Remembering Rodney”, to a book about the historian’s legacy. The following are excerpts from Shivji’s piece.

...in February 1967 came the Arusha Declaration. The ruling party, the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), issued the Arusha Declaration and a policy of socialism and self-reliance…. That started a whole new debate at the university. Dr Rodney had just come from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, University of London) and became a young lecturer here. In the conference on rethinking the role of the university in now socialist Tanzania, he played a very important role....I can’t recall if Walter came before or after the demonstrations,

but he certainly participated in the discussion that followed after the 1966 expulsion and after the Arusha Declaration….

It was all the initiative of students, not the faculty. Walter was one of the few young faculty involved, but purely within a relationship of equality. There was no professor and student there.... In 1968 we established the organ of the University Students’ African Revolutionary Front (USARF), which was called Cheche. In the first issue, Dr Rodney had an article. He wrote something on labour.

The issue that followed carried commentary on my long essay. One of the comments was by Dr Rodney, and after that the journal was banned and the organisation deregistered. The reasons given were simply that we don’t need foreign ideology. We have our own ideology: Ujamaa.

Some of the texts fondly read were Fanon’s “The Wretched of the Earth”, Nkrumah’s “NeoColonialism”, The Last Stage of Imperialism, and texts by Samir Amin, Paul Baran, and Paul Sweezy. These were the kinds of things read, and also classics of Marxism. So the international context was certainly at a highpoint all over the world.

One interesting example of the kind of contradictory situation we had was a seminar of East and Central Africa youth organised under the youth league of the party.

It was held at Nkrumah Hall at the university. A lot of our comrades delivered papers. Dr Rodney also delivered a paper. At that time, there were the hijackings by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

His paper referred to that. It was a very militant

paper about the African revolution and so on castigating the first independent regimes as petit bourgeois regimes that had hijacked the revolution. He called it the “briefcase revolution”, where the leaders went to Lancaster House, compromised, and came back with independence, and this was not real independence.

This paper was published in the TANU newspaper, called the Nationalist. Nyerere took very strong objection to it. The next day the newspaper carried an editorial called, “Revolutionary Hot Air”, and in very strong terms attacked Dr Rodney for preaching violence to young people. It basically said that while, of course, we were trying to build a socialist society, our socialist society would be built on our own concrete conditions, and you cannot preach violence and violent overthrow of brotherly African governments.

He said Dr Rodney is welcome to stay here but not to preach violence to young people. When that editorial appeared, I remember the morning the newspapers came out, we read the editorial and all of us suspected, until more was confirmed, that the editorial was written by President Nyerere himself.

We had prepared this special issue of MajiMaji in which all the seminar papers would be carried. One of our comrades, when he read the editorial, became so scared that he took all the papers we had collected and burned them, and in the process scorched the front grass lawn near the student dormitories.

Then Rodney replied in a long letter, a very interesting letter. Basically, he defended himself, but he was also appeasing in that he was thankful and grate-

ful he was allowed to stay here and that when he talked about capitalism and neo-colonialism he was only talking about that system which carried his ancestors as slaves into other parts of the world, and now he was trying to establish a reconnection and talk about this gruesome system which is still with us.

His famous book, “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa”, was written here. If you look at the preface of that book, there are two people he thanked personally for reading the manuscript and both of them happened to be students, Karim Hirji and Henry Mapolu. That was the relationship we had with Walter.

Yoweri Museveni (now president of Uganda) knew him very well. Museveni was also a student of political science.

This idea that Dr Rodney left Dar es Salaam because of, or just ahead of, an order to leave – I do not think it’s true. If it was true, he would have definitely told us...he left in 1974.

Now, when he was about to leave, I remember specifically a personal conversation. We were driving from the campus, and at the time he and his wife Pat were preparing to leave for Guyana. I told Walter, I said, “Walter, why do you have to go? Look, stay here. You can easily try and get your citizenship and continue the struggle. You don’t have to go back.” He said, “No, comrade. I can make my contribution here, but I will not be able ever to grasp the idiom of the people. I will not be able to connect easily. I have to go back to the people I know and who know me.” I heeded that. That was his position and he left.

Yours truly, Hershell Smith

You can send your letters with pictures to:

GPL tariff increase, electricity theft and bad poles

Dear Editor,

The sobering fact is that the proposed tariff increase by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc is the first hike in about five years. Somebody has been very kind for a long time!

Also, all the while oil prices have been rising. When we think of the fact that oil constitutes about 80 per cent of the cost of providing electricity locally, we know that we are in a spot of bother now. Something is about to give.

The fact that the City Hall owes over $1.9 billion in debt shows a very bad tendency that has been ongoing for too long. There are just too many defaulters and, if this money is to be added up, I am sure that the nation

will be shocked. I am befuddled by what City Hall has been doing. I am equally shocked that GPL has been allowing it. GPL must tighten up. Electricity is either stolen or not being paid for. Maybe, the suggested tariff increase can be lowered, but GPL must first get its act together as regards money owed by consumers and the fact that so many people are still stealing current.

There is no need to wait for a little storm or for a pole to fall before poles are replaced. Some of the poles are still good, but soil erosion has led to problems, and it is just a matter of time before they fall. Anytime a pole falls, it is likely to pull down a few others and also

do some damage. GPL must practise strong maintenance in this area.

The opposition members were told during the budget debates that cutting the GPL subsidy may very well lead to increased tariffs. Supporters of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) must do some rethinking.

The tariff increase is now under discussion by so many people and I ask for some thought to be directed on what the opposition did. Maybe, members of APNU and AFC should explain how they have been operating and if they intend to continue in like manner.

Yours sincerely,

Evelyn Jones

Cartoon sends wrong message about QC

Dear Editor, I write in response to a cartoon which was published in one of the dailies.

The cartoon depicted that in order for one’s child to get into the top high school in the country one must have money.

As a former Queen’s College (QC) student who came from humble beginnings, I earned my place at this school after successfully completing the then Common Entrance Examinations.

Today, because of my fo-

cus on education I was able to cross borders and gain employment serving my country. Like many others who also came from humble beginnings, QC has changed our lives.

Their aim was to make every student a well rounded student through various activities such as the Interact Club, religious societies and sport.

QC is regarded as the crème de la crème with parents going to great lengths to get their children into this school, including par-

taking in extra lessons from an early age. Their hope that one day their children's place at QC can be gained.

For the cartoonist to imply that without money one cannot get into QC is ludicrous. I do hope that this writer, if he does have children, will not subject him or her to the many long hours of extra lessons to get into this school.

Regards, Fideles Ubique Utiles!

or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana reunion and family fun day

Dear Sir, Since around 2005 it has become one of the rites of summer for Guyanese abroad, especially in the United States and Canada, to hold village reunions in one of the many scenic parks of the city in which they live. Recent years have seen a marked proliferation of these social events, as every village seeks to claim a day for itself. Indeed, it is not unusual for there to be two village reunions side by side in different sections of the park.

A village reunion is seen as an opportunity for people, who identify with a particular village to come together for a day of fun and games, and to recall the memories of life in times gone by in the village they once called home.

This year a bunch of young Guyanese, who met on Facebook, have decided to stage a reunion in Guyana for all Guyanese, including those in the diaspora. The event is called, “Guyana Reunion and Family Fun Day”, and is to be held on July 7 on the grounds of the Port Mourant Community Centre.

The event will feature

the Caribbean Hot Shots Band live on stage, as well as acclaimed singers Terry Gajraj from New York and Anant Hansraj from Orlando, Florida.

The Credit Comedian Group is set to make an appearance and is expected to be a crowd-pleaser. One of the highlights of this firstever “Guyana Reunion” will be a limited over ladies softball match between the Karibee Strikers of Berbice and the Trophy Stall Angels of Demerara.

DJ Dauren and the Crown Vibes Sounds will add flavour and spice to the entertainment array, which includes tassa drumming and performances by several local groups of dancers and singers.

The organisers of the “Guyana Reunion” have a serious objective beyond the day’s fun and frolic. They are hoping their event will raise enough funds to give scholarships to high school graduates about to enter the University of Guyana (UG), as well as to students attending high school.

The scholarships are to be called the Cuffy Scholarship and the Ramakhan Scholarship in

recognition of the fact that the year 2013 witnessed the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion, the 175th anniversary of the arrival of the Indian indentured labourers, the 160th anniversary of the arrival of the Chinese, and the 60th anniversary of the founding of the University of Guyana.

The goals of the event’s organisers, some of whom are mere teenagers, are highly commendable. As they wrote in their charter: “Our mission is to advocate commonalities of roots, loyalty, and obligation to our country.

We are using social networking, Facebook mainly, to engage local and diasporic Guyanese in an innovative way to uplift our communities by joining Guyanese hands and hearts across the continents.”

One would hope that corporate Guyana has taken notice and would step in to support their initiative. Major kudos to the organising committee and may good fortune attend their endeavours.

Yours faithfully, Rishi Singh

Page Foundation

Lack of sleep blights pupils’ education

BY SEAN COUGHLAN

Sleep deprivation is a significant hidden factor in lowering the achievement of school pupils, according to researchers carrying out international education tests. It is a particular problem in more affluent countries, with sleep experts linking it to the use of mobile phones and computers in bedrooms late at night.

Sleep deprivation is such a serious disruption that lessons have to be pitched at a lower level to accommodate sleep-starved learners, the study found.

The international comparison, carried out by Boston College, found the United States to have the highest number of sleep-deprived students, with 73 per cent of nine and 10-year-olds and 80 per cent of 13 and 14-year-olds identified by their teachers as being adversely affected.

In literacy tests there were 76 per cent of nine and 10-year-olds lacking sleep.

This was much higher than the international average of 47 per cent of primary pupils needing more sleep and 57 per cent among the secondary age group.

Achievement gap

Other countries with the most sleep-deprived youngsters were New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, England, Ireland and France. Highperforming Finland is also among the most lacking in sleep. The analysis was part of the huge data-gathering process for global education rankings – the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). These are among the biggest international benchmarks for education standards, based on tests taken by more than 900,000 pupils in primary and secondary schools in more than 50 countries and regional administrations. The rankings of results for maths, science and reading were published at the end of last year, with Asian education systems dominating the top of the tables.

But the researchers also wanted to find out more about the influence of home life. There has been much analysis of the impact of family wealth and poverty, but the Boston College researchers also wanted to measure factors such as sleep and nutrition. (BBC News)

The good and bad effects of TV on children

It is hard to avoid television if you are a child.

People in the house are usually tuned in to TV – siblings as well as parents. In some homes, the television is perpetually “on” even without anyone watching. It is common for parents and caregivers to use TV as a substitute babysitter. Also, many parents buy videos that they think can make their children smart. But how does watching TV really affect children?

The bad news is, the majority of experts think that a TV/video-driven culture has bad effects on children – and may prevent children from being smart. They cite the following:

* TV provides no educational benefits for a child under age two. Worse, it steals time for activities that actually develop her brain, like interacting with other people and playing. A child learns a lot more efficiently from real interaction – with people and things, rather than things she sees on a video screen.

* TV viewing takes away the time that your child needs to develop important skills like language, creativity, motor, and social skills. These skills are developed in the child’s first two years (a critical time for brain development) through play, exploration, and conversation. Your child’s language skills, for example, do not improve by passively listening to the TV. It is developed by interacting with people, when talking and listening is used in the context of real life.

* TV viewing numbs your child’s mind as it prevents

your child from exercising initiative, being intellectually challenged, thinking analytically, and using his imagination.

* TV viewing takes away time from reading and improving reading skills through practice. Children watching cartoons and entertainment television during pre-school years have poorer pre-reading skills at age five. Also, children who watch entertainment TV are also less

* Schoolchildren who watch too much TV also tend to work less on their homework. When doing homework with TV on the background, children tend to retain less skill and information. When they lose sleep because of TV, they become less alert during the day, and this results in poor school performance.

* TV exposes your child

likely to read books and other print media.

* According to speech and language expert Dr Sally Ward, 20 years of research show that children who are bombarded by background TV noise in their homes have trouble paying attention to voices when there is also background noise.

* Childs who watch a lot of television have trouble paying attention to teachers because they are accustomed to the fast-paced visual stimulation on TV. Childs who watch TV more than they talk to their family have a difficult time adjusting from being visual learners to aural learners (learning by listening). They also have shorter attention spans.

to negative influences, and promotes negative behaviour. TV shows and commercials usually show violence, alcohol, drug use and sex in a positive light. The mind of your child is like clay. It forms early impressions on what it sees, and these early impressions determine how he sees the world and affect his grown-up behaviour. For instance, 20 years of research has shown that children who are more exposed to media violence behave more aggressively as children and when they are older. They are taught by TV that violence is the way to resolve conflict – as when a TV hero beats up a bad guy to subdue him.

* Childs who watch too much TV are usually overweight, according to the American Medical Association. Childs often snack on junk food while watching TV. They are also influenced by commercials to consume unhealthy food. Also, they are not running, jumping, or doing activities that burn calories and increase metabolism. Obese children, unless they change their habits, tend to be obese when they become adults.

* Researchers from the University of Sydney report a link between total screen time and retinal artery width in children. Childs with lots of screen time were found to have narrow artery in their eyes, which may indicate heart risk.

* TV watching also affects a child’s health and athletic ability. The more television a child watches, even in the first years of life, the more likely he is to be obese and less muscularly fit, according to a study by the University of Montreal. Even though your child does not aspire to be a football star, his athletic abilities are important not only for physical health, but predicting how physically active he will be as an adult. Some experts, however, believe that TV is not all that bad. They qualify though that viewing TV can be good if it is done in moderation, and if the programme being watched is selected:

* Some TV shows can educate, inform and inspire. It can be more effective than books or audiotapes in teaching your child about processes like how a plant grows or how to bake a cake.

* Studies show that children who watch educational and non-violent children’s shows do better on reading and math tests than those who do not watch these programmes.

* Childs who watch informative and educational shows as preschoolers tend to watch more informative and educational shows when they get older. They use TV effectively as a complement to school learning. On the other hand, children who watch more entertainment programme watch fewer informative programmes as they get older.

* Preschoolers who viewed educational programmes tend to have higher grades, are less aggressive and value their studies more when they reach high school, according to a longterm study.

* Finally, scientists from the University of Siena found that children experience a soothing, painkilling effect by watching cartoons. So perhaps, a little entertainment TV can be a source of relief to children who are stressed or are in pain. (www.raisesmartchild.com)

First paddy shipment to Venezuela being finalised

Government is preparing to dispatch the first shipment of paddy to neighbouring Venezuela, after it inked a deal last month to have some 200,000 tonnes of rice and paddy shipped to that country, by the end of this year.

A team of officials, which included Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy, head of the Guyana Rice Development Board Jagnarine Singh, along with Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana, Reina Margarita Arratia Diaz, made a field visit to the Muneshwer’s Wharf on Wednesday.

The visit was made to observe the process by which the paddy is being packed for disbursement to Venezuela.

Consignment

Dr Ramsammy said that his ministry is hoping to have this shipment of paddy leave Guyana no later than August this year. Some 44,000 tonnes of paddy will be shipped to Venezuela in this consignment, while the government is looking to have more than 80,000 tonnes of paddy shipped by year-end.

“We have already made six shipments of rice to Venezuela and that will continue and we hope to complete approximately 55,000 tonnes of rice for this crop and hopefully for the year 110,000 tonnes of rice,” Dr Ramsammy explained.

The minister said in terms of the 2013 contract to Venezuela, things are now moving as smoothly as ex-

pected. “We are glad that we have had this contract signed off. Each of these ships in terms of paddy is approximately the same,” he added.

Dr Ramsammy explained that paddy is shipped in bulk and the rice shipped in containers. In the past, rice has had to be shipped in containers, but the ships tended to make other stops along the way.

A new arrangement is now in place, whereby the next shipment of rice to Venezuela will be a direct shipment. This will reduce the time it takes to get to that country.

Guyana and Venezuela signed the US$130 million rice agreement on May 3. The rice pact was first initiated back in 2010 between former President Bharrat Jagdeo and the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Minister Ramsammy travelled to Venezuela’s capital, Caracas on May 15, to finalise the agreement and made proper arrangements for the commencement of the ship-

ping of the rice and paddy.

Minister Ramsammy disclosed that the first crop has almost come to an end. Approximately 98 per cent of the rice was available for harvesting in the first crop. Thus far, approximately 260,000 tonnes of rice have been harvested altogether, which is by far the largest yield in Guyana’s history. The minister said this should put to rest rumours that there have been some shortfalls.

Successful rice crop

“The crop was not a disaster; in fact, it was one of the most successful crops,” Dr Ramsammy affirmed. He said this was possible because the Agriculture Ministry focused on the challenges that farmers faced.

The agriculture minister said he recognises that there are real challenges and the ministry is working feverishly to address them, in the interest of farmers and the development of the rice industry.

Dr Ramsammy said that

the Guyana government is grateful for the partnership it shares with Venezuela. This partnership, he said, has enabled the growth of the industry and government is looking forward to a longterm partnership in this and other areas. “This is more than a rice deal... but rather a friendship between our two sister countries,” the minister added.

Important moment

Ambassador Reina Margarita Arratia Diaz said the preparation for shipment of paddy from Guyana is a special and important moment for her country. “This is a demonstration of the strength of the relationship between the two countries,” she added. Ambassador Diaz also stated that the agreement is a testimony to the cooperation not only between Guyana and Venezuela, but the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean.

This, she said, is in keeping with the legacy of the Commander and Former Venezuelan President Chávez and is the same line taken by its current president, Nicolas Maduro.

The Venezuelan ambassador further stated that the inspection gives a clear picture that the shipment of rice to Venezuela shows that they are guaranteed good quality rice.

This is not the first shipment of paddy out of Guyana for the year. Paddy has been shipped earlier to Europe, Jamaica, Trinidad, and other Caribbean countries.

Supply man dies a week after ATV crash

Just over a week after Elon Isaacs crashed into a utility pole at Supply, East Bank Demerara, the man succumbed to his injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

On June 2 about 19:30h, the 32-year-old bus driver of Lot 44 Supply, went for a joy ride on an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) when he lost control and crashed into a lantern pole. He was hurled into a nearby trench. Passersby rushed him to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre (East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital).

After spending some two hours there, Isaacs was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Isaacs underwent a CT scan and then fell into a coma. At the time of the incident, he was not wearing a helmet and relatives reported that he had suffered severe injuries to his head and chest.

Isaacs’ aunt, Merlyn Melville, told Guyana Times that they were told by doctors that his chances of survival were slim. She disclosed that her nephew died on Monday around 21:00h without regaining consciousness.

Melville said a post-mortem examination was performed on Wednesday, and revealed that he had a fractured skull, and broken nose and jaw among other injuries. The aunt had told this publication that on the night of the accident, they were at home, a short distance from the scene, when they heard the sound of a crash. She noted that a few minutes later they learnt that it was Isaacs that was involved in the crash.

She added that on that night, Isaacs was not speak-

ing and kept breathing heavily.

Isaacs was a well known minibus driver and news of his death surprised many of his friends and bus operators on the East Bank route, many of whom went to his house to convey their condolences to his family.

Isaacs leaves to mourn his parents, six brothers and sisters, and his two daughters.

The funeral of the late minibus driver will take place on Monday at his residence.

Chambers body praises NEW GPC/Limacol acquisition of CPL franchise

The National Association of Regional Chambers of Commerce (NARCC) has praised the NEW GPC INC/Limacol for its acquisition of the Guyana Caribbean Premier League franchise.

In a release, NARCC said it is extremely delighted that a Guyanese-owned business together with its world renowned product, Limacol has achieved the distinction of signing the first franchise agreement on behalf of Guyana for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20.

“NARCC is cognisant of the fact that the game of cricket is traditionally a unifying force among Guyanese and also the entire Caribbean; transcend-

ing partisan politics, ethnicity and social status.”

Further, as the national representative of several business communities including hundreds of micro and small enterprises throughout Guyana, the NARCC commends the government and relevant authorities for ending the drought of international high class cricket matches taking place in Guyana for a continuous period.

“We salute the franchisee, Dr Ranjisinghi "Bobby" Ramroop, owner of the Limacol brand for undertaking such a patriotic investment in the national interest, and urge all progressive thinking Guyanese to unequivocally support and encourage this bold undertaking.”

thursday, june 13, 2013| guyanatimesgy.com

Zeeburg murder trial

Victim’s daughter testifies seeing accused stabbing her mother

As the trial continues into the murder of a Zeeburg, West Coast Demerara woman, Rajpattie Jagroop, her daughter took the stand on Tuesday and testified that she saw the accused stabbing her mother.

Basmattie Sewsankar positively identified the accused, Hemeraj Rambachan, as her sister’s former boyfriend whom she had known for a year and a half before the incident.

Twenty-six-year-old Rambachan, called “Arun”, is

indicted with the murder of Jagroop sometime between July 21 and 22, 2009.

On Tuesday, Sewsankar gave the court a description of the house in which she and her mother resided, including the number and location of windows. She said that in 2009, they did not have electricity, so they would use lamps in the nights; however, their neighbours had electricity and their lights would reflect into their house.

Sewsankar, who was 17 years old at the time, re-

called that on July 21, 2009, she and her sister, Parbattie who had broken up with the accused months before, had just returned home from work when her sister’s phone rang. She said she took the phone and recognised the accused’s voice on the other end, so she told him not to call back and turned the phone off. She then followed her sister to another sister’s house and later returned home, where she and her mother were the only ones there. She continued that

they secured the house before retiring to bed.

Awakened by screams

The young woman recalled that she fell asleep and was awakened by screams. “When I wake up, I see my mother on the bed, and Hemeraj Rambachan been sitting on the foot side with a knife in front of her in he right hand and his left hand cover her mouth. He was stabbing her with the knife,” Sewsankar recounted.

She said she tried pulling her mother away, but the accused “bore” her on her shoulder and then dealt her a chop on the right side of her head before escaping in the direction of the kitchen. The young woman continued that she assisted her mother out of the room and the injured woman collapsed in the living room.

Sewsankar explained that when she gave her mother some water, blood appeared in the cup, so she went outside and began screaming. A neighbour and his wife, alerted by her screams, came and took them to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where they were treated for their injuries.

The eyewitness told the court that the entire incident lasted for some 10 minutes during which she was able to see the accused’s face because of the dim light emanating from the lamp and lights in the neighbour’s yard. She recalled that to ascertain that it was Rambachan, she asked “ah who” to which he replied “Is me Arun”.

Murder weapon identified Sewsankar continued that on July 22 around 08:10h, she had observed a box of Chinese food thrown away on their front step and there was a trail of footsteps leading to their kitchen window. She noted that when she went to the Leonora Police Station to give a statement, she was shown a knife with blood and she recognised that it was theirs.

During the cross-examination, defence counsel Kim Kyte John pointed out several inconsistencies in Sewsankar’s testimony. The attorney asked the young woman whether she told anyone that she heard screams and when she got up, she was hit in the head after which she blacked out; however, the witness denied saying that. The defence attorney also pointed out several other bits of evidence which she left out when she testified in the magistrate’s court.

Rajdai Ally, a relative of Jaroop, also testified on Tuesday. She said on July 24, 2009, she identified the body of the woman for a police officer and a doctor after which a post-mortem examination was performed. Ally added that two days later, she witnessed the burial of Jaroop.

On Wednesday, the trial continued in voir dire (a trial within a trial) before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the High Court.

Eyew tness

Let the good times roll...

...for local writers?

Let’s say right up front that on ce we have a programme run by the government – any government – transparency and equity ought to be its watchwords. It has nothing to do with governments – but with human nature. We’ve lived long enough to know that most anyone conferred with power soon develops, not only a swelled head but swollen ambitions. With the urge to feather one’s nest (and the chicks inside) not being the least consequence of the tumescent hubris.

But what’s come out clearly in the recent literary cat-fight is the harbouring of entitlement to the largesse of the state by our present crop of “writers”. We’d hazard that any “writer” worthy of the honorific who doesn’t understand the cloistered, cloying, and controlling nature of state sponsorship of writers and artistes will not only write doggerel, but be incapable of writing anything else. They don’t have even the most elementary understanding of human nature and power.

Or else they simply resent they’re not enjoying the fruits of being ensconced within the penumbra of power. But what irks me about this compulsion to feed at the state trough is these local fellas all trot out the name of Martin Carter at the drop of a 10-dollar coin that didn’t roll their way – without any evident awareness of the great man’s experience in this area.

They’ll even quote the now clichéd “the mouth is muzzled /by the food it eats to live”, with absolutely no appreciation of the context of its creation. So we’ll remind them, even though it proves once again that we’re dealing with some producers of doggerel here. Carter had come out into the streets against Dr Cheddi Jagan in the 1960s race riots (“the streets exploded/and a city of clerks/turned a city of men”). He became minister of information in the Forbes Burnham government in 1968 but quit in disgust by 1970. That’s when he produced the line.

But even without that Guyanese object lesson, whatever happened to Samuel Foote’s famous aphorism on the life of a writer: “Born in a cellar and living in a garret”? And if we don’t have cellars and attics in Guyana, what about bottom houses? No... these “writers” want to live like the lotus – grounded in the mud of politics, but swaying in the rarefied air.

But they should know that a metaphor isn’t reality: when you’re in mud, you get dirty. In parting, they should know that Eusi Kwayana, no mean wordsmith himself, didn’t feel insulted when Martin Carter told him his poetry was doggerel.

...for cricket

Well, let the good times roll indeed! If it’s anything that your humble Eyewitness isn’t so humble about it is the power of West Indies cricket. We firmly believe that it has been ruined. Well, we have the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) launched with the first team being purchased by NEW GPC/Limacol. (For reasons of self- disclosure, we say with pride that this newspaper is part and parcel of the same conglomerate. We hope that means free tickets to yours truly? All skin teeth, na laugh. OK?)The smart money is already saying that this is the team to beat...and we heartily agree.

With its balance of batting, bowling, and fielding, they’ll be formidable to say the least. But what’s also important, for us cricket-starved fans in Guyana, Guyanese ownership of a CPL franchise means that at least we’ll have some solid games every year. And even the Championship Game in year one. Go Team Guyana!!!

...for Trinis only?

While we’re waiting to “find out” about the Chinese US$3 billion from the Chinese president, TT’s already launched a US$100M+ project. Like goat bite we?

12 graduate from Nations University MBA programme

The first batch of 12 students of the Nations Universityrun Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) programme graduated Tuesday evening at a ceremony held at the Pegasus Hotel.

Three other students received the graduate diploma in management and another received the graduate certificate in management. The programmes were administered by the university in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Business (AIB).

Nations University Director Brian O’Toole noted that the facilitators of the local programme must be at least holders of recognised MBAs themselves, with extensive teaching experience and be immersed in the business world.

Among those who have facilitated the programme are Michelle Johnson, Selene Davis, Yog Mahadeo, Ruth Lee and Indar Deodat, and there are currently moves to expand the facilitating net to include more individuals even from Trinidad and as far as the U.S.

Standard

“We are doing this because we are committed to getting the best possible people, because AIB is very, very clear about the standard that we have to submit,” said O’Toole. At a public meeting on the programme held at the Pegasus Hotel, he disclosed that a number of persons have already stated their interest to undertake the MBA programme.

Currently, there are three levels of persons eligible for the programme, that is, individuals with a recognised first degree; individuals with an advanced diploma and three years of work experience or individuals that have been in a managerial position for at least three years.

The evident desire of many to be a part of the programme is understandable, as according to AIB Chairman of the Research Committee, Professor Emeritus Kevin O’Brien, efforts will continue to be made to maintain a high quality programme in a very flexible way. He disclosed that the visit here has also afforded them a chance to meet staff and facilitators and other key players at the local university

The AIB, according to its Academic Board Chairman, Professor Rod Oxenburry, is an approved higher education provider in Australia which is accredited by the government there. He also noted that it is registered to provide a number of business degrees. He stated that the AIB had built a great deal of expertise

which has aided the delivery of the MBA in a number of countries in Asia and Africa as well as in the United Kingdom and now the Caribbean, which utilise a model of the programme which could last between 12 and 15 months.

Impressed

Oxenburry said, “I was very impressed by the Nations University and the people that are running it and making the provision for courses… We have been able to assess the programme in a preliminary way, but we do have a fair idea of how it operates anyway.”

O’Brien, along with Oxenburry, was tasked with handing over certificates to the graduating batch and according to the Research Committee chairman, “there will always be senior people from AIB attending future graduations.”

According to Professor Oxenburry, the AIB was in fact fortunate to find a likeminded partner to really increase opportunities for people in Guyana to help them develop and perhaps get the skills to find ways of trying to contribute to the economy.

Those graduating include bank managers, entrepreneurs and persons working at Caricom, the Health Ministry, Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Digicel, Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Laparkan, and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA).

Graduating with certificate in management are: Davindra Persaud; diploma in management Rama Persaud, Jailall Ragnauth, Sahadeo Ramkirath; and with masters of business administration Verlene David, Vishnu Doerga, Sherwyn Greaves, Jharana John, Bibi Jumaladeen, Brent Lambert, Shonnet Moore, Jadoonauth Persaud, Stacy Phillips, Gopie Sowdagar, Joyann Wickhma and Shereeda Yusuf.

Intake

The students started their MBA studies in October 2011. Nations University is now on to its fifth MBA intake. More than 110 persons have joined the programme. It was noted during the graduation ceremony that one aspect of the MBA is the production of a research paper on a local issue. Five of these studies were of such quality that they are in the process of being considered for publication by a variety of international research journals. Vishnu Doerga was the class valedictorian.

The ceremony included prominent business officials and the keynote address was delivered by ANSA McAL

Minister Samuel Hinds

officials at the graduation ceremony

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Berverly Harper, who emphasised the importance of having integrity, intelligence and energy in ev-

ery endeavour undertaken. Mings Products and Services CEO Stanley Ming in his charge to the graduating class emphasised

the importance of being visionaries for the future and progress of Guyana.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds also made brief re-

marks, noting that young minds are what are essential for Guyana’s development and self-development is important for progress.

Tourism Ministry distances self from TAGG TV

The Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) have disassociated themselves from TAGG TV and its producer, Chris Bassoo.

In a release, the ministry said Bassoo arrived in Guyana last year and proposed that TAGG TV produce a 50-episode show which would present Guyana as a

tourism destination worldwide, and which would have showcased various businesses for a sponsorship fee.

Over the last few weeks, the Tourism Ministry and the GTA have received numerous complaints from Guyanese businesses that have paid their fees and are yet to see a production from TAGG TV.

While the ministry initially endorsed this initia-

tive, based on the premise that it formed part of an aggressive tourism plan seeking to put Guyana ahead of the Caribbean in terms of tourism, utilising the reach of Facebook, it has become evident that Bassoo has failed to deliver on his obligations to those who have paid their fees and to the Guyana government who offered logistical support.

The Tourism Ministry

also wishes to state unequivocally that it does not have any business relationship with Bassoo or TAGG TV and further, it has made no financial commitment to TAGG TV or its producer.

“We wish to encourage businesses that have made payments and have not yet seen a production from TAGG TV to make urgent contact with the Guyana Tourism Authority.”

Cocaine trafficker jailed for three years

An Albouystown resident left the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts in tears on Wednesday after he was convicted of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking by Magistrate Judy Latchman.

Paul Persaud, 21, of

James Street, Albouystown pleaded not guilty to the charge which states that on October 10, 2012 at Albouys Street, Albouystown he had in his possession 32 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The defendant, who was represented by Attorney Ronald Burch Smith Jr,

was placed on bail throughout the course of his trial which commenced in April.

According to the prosecution, on the day in question, the police observed a parcel in the accused’s hands and made a move to search him. The search revealed leaves, seeds and stems which were turned

out to be cannabis. The defendant was told of the offence, arrested, and later charged.

When asked if he had anything to say by the magistrate, the defendant maintained his innocence.

Persaud was sentenced to three years in jail and fined $51,420.

Every body fightin wid some body

De world gotta lotta fightin goin on. De whole of de Middle East in a whole set of trouble. De U.S. and China battlin fuh supremacy in de Caribbean and de rest of de world. North Korea and South Korea never at peace wid one another. Even a U.S. citizen fightin he own guvament fuh more privacy, because de CIA watchin he even when he go in de toilet.

In Guyana, some body always fightin or quarrellin wid somebody. De opposition fightin wid de guvament. Husband fightin wid wife. Unions fightin wid employers. Mini-bus and taxi drivers arguin wid police. And students beatin up teachers when dem not happy.

People even vex wid de Kocheur News fuh printin wrong news and wid Freddie Kissmansoon fuh writin misinformation. De GNIC boss Will Yams seh that de Kocheur ain’t got a clue as to what goin on wid de ship that de company had to repair. And Old Ato vex with Baddamn bout what he does write in de Kocheur.

De mayor fuh life Green Ham always at war wid Carol Sober and he want to fire she. De mayor fuh life even at war wid de whole guvament, and is de guvament he got to depend pon fuh money fun run de **ity and pay off he wife taxes.

De other day, de A Gee and de other Will Yams arguin in court bout de budget cuts. Now people fightin down de KFC fuh causin GPL to want to raise people light bill. And talkin bout KFC, Rum Jhaat and No Gel Hughly fightin fuh see who gon run tings in de party.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! And it look like Sus Penders Ram want to pick a fight wid somebody. But no body studyin he, since he don’t seem to be mekkin sense wid any ting he write in de Stabber!

WTO head calls for closer Caricom integration

World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Pascal Lamy has emphasised that the region needs closer integration.

Speaking at the launch of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Regional Aid for Trade Strategy in Port-auPrince, Haiti on Tuesday, Lamy said the strategy sought to build on the promise of a region free of barriers by identifying transformative projects that support closer integration.

“The Caribbean needs closer regional integration. And as you celebrate the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas this year, I think it is a fair question to ask how the region can accelerate the pace which I witnessed some 10 years ago when I was still the EU commissioner and how it can honour the ideas of Williams, Burnham, Barrow and Manley — the founding fathers of the integration movement,” he added.

Lamy said the best way to honour the architects of

WTO Director General Pascal Lamy

the Caribbean Community was to recommit to regional integration as the most successful and economically viable route towards greater and sustained development for the region. The region, the director general said, had made some initial but crucial steps in concretising the role that aid for trade could play in its economic development. Lamy identified Belize and Jamaica as having launched two excellent national strategies, both of which, he said, were profiled in Geneva, headquarters of the WTO, as examples of best practice.

Private Sector Commission hails acquisition of CPL franchise by NEW GPC/Limacol

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) has heaped praise on the NEW GPC/Limacol for its acquisition of the Guyana Caribbean Premier League franchise.

The PSC in a statement congratulated the NEW GPC/ Limacol on securing the franchise, noting that the investment by a local company will bring worldwide recognition for the local Limacol product and will also help to put Guyana on the map for sporting fans across the world.

“This will be the first time that a local product achieves such international recognition and the Private Sector Commission is pleased to applaud this venture. The commission looks forward to other local companies following suit.”

On Tuesday, CPL announced that well-known Guyanese businessman, Dr Ranjisinghi “Bobby” Ramroop, owner of the NEW GPC/Limacol had won the Guyana franchise. The final agreement with Dr Ramroop was signed on Monday in Guyana with CPL officials.

This announcement comes hot on the heels of the recent selection of the new franchisebased teams that took place on Wednesday, June 5.

Headquartered in Guyana, NEW GPC/Limacol has been operating for 90 years and is the

Caribbean’s oldest and largest manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter cosmetics preparations, and veterinary products of the highest quality. Dr Ramroop was very excited about what is to come as the new owner of the

Guyana franchise.

“The CPL is just what we needed in the Caribbean and in Guyana. This tournament and my companies’ investment will help to develop cricket talent and also stimulate economies across the region,” said Ramroop.

“We are elated to be part of this inaugural year and look forward to the growth and development of CPL, which we believe will be the envy of the cricketing world.”

“We are thrilled to have Dr Ramroop and his group of companies as part of the CPL,” CPL Chief Executive Officer Damien O’Donohoe said. “It is clear that he understands our vision and what we want to achieve. We appreciate the enthusiasm he brings and we believe that Team Guyana will benefit greatly from his support.”

The inaugural Caribbean Premier League starts on July 30 in Barbados and concludes on August 24 in Trinidad. The matches in Guyana take place on July 31 and August 2 and 4.

Prosecution of child cases very slow – CCPA director

By Svetlana MarShall

Out of a total 145 child abuse cases handed over to the police by the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA), only five persons have been charged. A lack of cooperation from victims coupled with difficulty in finding some of the suspects have contributed to the remaining 140 reports being outstanding.

Reports emanating from the CCPA indicate that from a total of 1039 cases of child abuse, 137 are sexual abuse cases with 120 girls being victims. Human Services Minister Jenifer Webster had disclosed that 69 boys were physically abused, 195 neglected and 12 witnessed instances of abuse while 72 girls were physically abused, 30 verbally abused, 211 neglected, 18 abandoned and 15 witnessed abuse.

During an exclusive interview with Guyana Times, CCPA Director Ann Greene said from 1039 cases reported; 145 were handed over to the police, but only five of those cases have been prosecuted.

She explained that the majority of the cases handed down to the Guyana Police Force were sexual in nature while a few included physical and verbal abuses based on the severity of the matter.

Asked why only five persons have been charged, from a total of 145 cases being investigated by the police, Greene said there are several factors hindering the process.

Instructed silence

While the cases have been indentified, Greene said some of the perpetrators are yet to be identified by the victims and other family members while some perpetrators cannot be found, thereby stalling

the process. “Lack of cooperation is a major problem,” she lamented.

Victims of abuse, in particular victims of sexual abuse do not speak for several reasons, she added. It was pointed out that some children do not speak out because some of them are threatened by the perpetrators and rejected by their parents, relatives or loved ones. In other cases, “children are taught to obey parents or adults, the abusers’ strategies to bribe the children may also serve to silence them and sometimes the abusive experience may be all the children receive to respond to their need to be held and cuddled.”

Critical information

For years, the CCPA has been grappling with this situation where victims, parents or relatives are withholding critical information which can result in perpetrators being placed behind bars.

In addition to sexual abuse, the issues of verbal and physical abuse, neglect and abandonment continue to capture the attention of the protection agency. Greene said unlike sexual abuse and severe cases of physical abuse, the agency is working with persons who may have physically and verbally abused children or have neglected or aban-

doned them in one way or the other.

Through counselling, the protection agency is trying to assist parents in finding alternative ways to punish their children without using corporal punishment, which can lead to injuries. “There is still the culture of beating children and it will take some time before we can get parents to stop, but we are working with them by promoting discipline without beating.”

The director alluded to the “time out” mechanism, whether children are banned from participating in recreational activities they enjoy, such as watching television or playing games. This method, Greene said, has proven to be successful not only in Guyana, but in other parts of the world.

Effective communication

The importance of effective communication between parents and children was emphasised by Greene, who noted that communication appears to be a major stumbling block in today’s homes.

“Parents got to talk more to their children and listen to them. They are doing something, talk with them and find out what is happening, they might be rebelling, they might be hurting, find out what is happening... a lot of times we hear but we really don’t listen.”

In November 2012, the Human Services Ministry launched the TELL Campaign, which aims at empowering children to disclose any form of sexual violence. The campaign which continues vigorously in 2013 has been designed to promote disclosure and prevention while developing community-based interpersonal communication activities in an effort to reduce children’s vulnerability to sexual violence. (svetlanam@guyanatimesgy.com)

Home Affairs Ministry condemns Seeta’s Bar noise nuisance

The Home Affairs Ministry said instructions have been given to both the police and fire services to take actions to curb noise nuisance at Seeta’s Bar in Kitty and the White Castle Fish Shop on Hadfield Street, Georgetown.

In a release, the ministry denounced in the

strongest terms, “the great discomfort and inconvenience experienced by residents as a result of the loud, continuous and repetitive playing of music at these locations, as well as the accompanying disorderly behaviour of patrons, and the indiscriminate parking of vehicles.”

According to the min -

Hard work paid off for Linden top NGSA students

Hard work, dedication and staying focused on studies paid off for Zoe Sills and Jamicka Rutherford of the Watooka Day Primary School, who recently received their scores in this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

They both topped Region 10 at this year’s NGSA with 535 marks. Gaining the third highest score in the region, and also from the Watooka Day Primary School, Linden is Abdul Marshall, who gained 529 marks. He hails from Richmond Hill, Mackenzie. Rutherford, of 246 Independence Avenue, Mackenzie noted that she is very proud of herself and her achievement, and thanked her family and teachers for guiding her along the right path.

“Actually, the feeling is unexplainable, I don’t know how to explain myself, I am happy, flabbergasted, overjoyed,” she noted.

The sentiments expressed by Sills who resides at 109 Riverside Drive, Watooka, Mackenzie were also quite similar. She explained that she had made a lot of sacrifices in order to succeed.

“Topping the region has brought me feelings of great

joy, its overwhelming, but to obtain such high marks, it took a lot, I had to make a lot of sacrifices, even the television watching, it was almost like more work and no play,” she noted.

Proud Headteacher of the Watooka Day Primary School Roxanne Reynolds related that she feels proud and pleased with the results attained by the students of the school in this year’s NGSA exams. She noted that approximately 17 students from the school were granted top schools in Georgetown, including the three students who will be attending Queen’s College in September.

“I feel elated indeed with the school’s achievement, it is indeed a blessed privilege. The students worked extremely hard as well as our teachers. They were very dedicated and committed. The students were focused so that they could achieve what they achieved. I am proud and happy, to God be the glory,” she noted.

The students’ teachers were very pleased about their performance.

“I am very overjoyed, ecstatic that Watooka Day

School is back on top. We always tell them that perseverance and hard work equals success, and we’ve seen that they have demonstrated and have proven that theory. We’re very proud of this achievement," Charis Joseph said. “I am very proud of my students and I know that they worked hard and they deserve what they worked for,” teacher Amanda Bennett said.

“I am very proud, happy that Watooka Day School performed very excellent,” teacher Candacie Adrian noted. Teacher Ronda Rose said that she is very proud and feels very accomplished.

Placing second for schools in the region was the Amelia’s Ward Primary School with top students Serina Roberts and Ajay Persuad, who tied with 530 marks and were granted places at Queens College.

Ryan Waldron attained the second highest mark at the school with 526 marks, while Tarikh Robinson obtained 521 marks. They are among 13 students who were granted places at various top schools around Georgetown. Twenty-five students from the school were awarded places at the Mackenzie High School (MHS).

NDIA pumps to be installed by month-end

The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will soon commence installing several new pumps at various coastal locations.

This was revealed by its Chief Executive Officer Lionel Wordsworth who said the agency will be installing these new pumps in a matter of weeks. Wordsworth said this initiative is part of collaboration between the governments of Guyana and India, through an Indian line of credit.

istry, residents are assured that both the acting police commissioner and chief fire officer were approached and have been given specific instructions in regard to the handling of this matter, in the interest of law and order. It is anticipated that residents will experience some relief, shortly.

Coming out of this initiative, Guyana is expected to obtain 14 pumps.

These pumps are expected to boost the current capacity of the NDIA, in helping to avert flooding in both farming and residential communities. Wordsworth said of the 14 pumps, eight of them will be fixed, while six will be mobile. The NDIA head confirmed that six of the 14 pumps have already

arrived in Guyana and are in the process of being assembled and dispatched to the various locations, for installation. This is part of a US$4 million credit programme.

Areas that are targeted for this project includes Pine Ground, Mahaicony, Canal Polder, Windsor Forest, West Bank Demerara;

Black Bush and Rose Hall, Corentyne Berbice; and Lima on the Essequibo Coast. The pumps were assembled and operated in India, so that any flaws can be identified and corrected before they are shipped. A few stations have been constructed to house the fixed pumps and tenders were put out and contracts for them evaluated and awarded.

Last year, two contracts were awarded to the NDIA to tune of $12.8 million. The project had two phases. The first phase looked at resuscitating old drainage structures and the second at rehabilitating existing structures.

These have complemented the existing drainage system. To date, millions more are being spent on improving the system, thereby protecting farmers and residents from floods and disasters, as Guyana remains below sea level.

British high commissioner lauds LCDS as a model of what is possible

– at Queen’s birth anniversary reception

Guyana’s revolutionary Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) was on Wednesday evening lauded by British High Commissioner to Guyana Andrew Ayre who described it as a definitive model of what is possible in a densely forested developing country.

The strategy, which seeks to transform the country’s economy on a pathway to sustainable development, has identified hydropower, a biodiversity research centre, Amerindian community development and Information Communication Technology (ICT) among the priorities to be buttressed in the economy, said the Government Information Agency (GINA).

The strategy, pioneered by former President Bharrat Jagdeo who was namedine of Time Magazine’s Hero of the Environment and awarded the 2010 Champion of the Earth award, is the country’s model for tackling climate change.

The phenomenon is one on which Guyana and the United Kingdom share similar positions, particularly as it relates to addressing manmade causes like greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation.

“I hope that a legally binding post-Kyoto agreement on greenhouse gas emissions can be reached soon,” Ambassador Ayre

said at a reception at his Bel Air Gardens residence on the occasion of the 87th birth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II.

The occasion was marked with a toast by President Donald Ramotar, First Lady Deolatchmie Ramotar, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn RodriguesBirkett in the presence of other dignitaries.

Guyana looks forward to partnership with UK Guyana has gained admiration from the British, and the rest of the world for proving that it is possible for developed and developing countries to establish partnerships that promote funding for sustainable development practices.

A model forest carbon services agreement between the government of Guyana and the Kingdom of Norway has to date seen emoluments to the tune of $115 million channelled to Guyana through a Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF).

It follows a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Jagdeo and former Norwegian Minister of Environment and International Development Erik Solheim in 2009 for forest based remuneration of US$250 million up to 2015.

Pensioner found dead in canal

The body of a watchman attached to the Lusignan Community Centre ground was on Wednesday fished out of the Lusignan Canal, East Coast Demerara. Ramsaywack, 74, of 43 Second Street, Annandale West, East Coast Demerara is suspected to have drowned.

He was discovered about 10:30h by his son who led a search party for him after he did not return from work.

His belongings were sighted on a bridge which raised some suspicions and when a search was conducted, he was found in the canal about 10 feet from where he worked. Guyana Times understands that Ramsaywack might have been under the influence of alcohol when he accidently fell into the canal.

Speaking with this newspaper, the man’s daughter Surajdai Ramsaywack explained that her father left home about 17:30h on Tuesday afternoon for work as he normally does.

She added that on Wednesday morning, about 7:30h, she received a tele-

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been an implementing partner in aspects

of the GRIF funds dedicated to Community Development Programmes (CDPs) designed and approved in

Amerindian communities.

President Ramotar in his remarks this evening, said Guyana will contin-

ue to play an integral role in the REDD+ partnership that “provides for the establishment of a global initiative by which countries can be incentivised for reducing emissions through avoided deforestation”.

“We have no doubt that the Guyana REDD+ model can be a model that could be adopted by other countries in this pursuit. Guyana looks forward to partnering with the United Kingdom in achieving the goals to reduce harmful emissions and stop deforestation,” President Ramotar said.

Support from the UK has been pledged to the efforts to reduce the threat of transnational crimes, which take the form of drugs and arms, trafficking in persons or money laundering, and, defending the country’s territorial integrity from threats, Ambassador Ayre said.

phone call from a colleague of his informing her that he saw her father’s bag and clothes on the bridge and there was no sight of him.

She went on to say that she immediately telephoned her brother who lives next to the centre to find out if their father had gone to his house. Upon enquiring, she was told that her father was not seen for the morning.

Later in the morning, they decided to lodge a complaint at the Vigilance Police Station, but were told to check the area properly since the 24-hour period was not up. Upon scouring the area, the man was found in the water after his son and other relatives went into the canal. His body bore no marks of violence and was still warm.

The distraught daughter stated that her father would normally drink a lot before he returns home every morning. Ramsaywack was employed at the centre for the past four years. He leaves to mourn his six children and a number of grand children.

FITUG, PSC oppose GPL’s tariff hike

– union urges restoration of budget cut

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) said on Wednesday that it is deeply concerned over the proposed 26.7 per cent increase in rates of the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL), while a major trade union body has called for the restoration of the $5.2 billion subsidy that was cut from the entity’s budget this year.

The government and opposition have been sparring over the proposed increase in rates, with the latter saying that the GPL’s proposal should not be considered. Government on the other hand has insisted that the power company has not increased tariff in five years and the proposed hike is justified.

Capital expenditure

The PSC, a major business coalition body here, said it is the contention of GPL that the purpose of the increase is to meet the immediate need for capital expenditure which will provide as an additional 26 MW of generating capacity, an expanded integrated transmission network linking West and East Demerara and Demerara with Berbice, greatly strengthening the reliability of electrical supply in those areas and the deployment of an additional 28 feeders, allowing an appreciable load reduction of the currently overloaded

distribution system.

According to GPL, this capital expenditure would have been otherwise sourced from international concessionary loan financing, approximating $5.2 billion from Venezuela, China and the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) had it not been cut from the 2013 budget.

“We call upon the government, GPL's management and the opposition to immediately institute talks aimed at a restoration of the $5.2 billion that was intended for these capital works. We also call upon the government, as shareholders of the company, to take whatever steps are necessary to avoid any increase in electricity charges at this time. We can ill afford to have our economy contract at this point in time, especially with world commodity prices, upon which we depend, showing signs of declining,” the PSC said.

Dire consequences

The PSC added that it is firmly of the view that an increase in charges for electricity would lead to tremendous hardship for the people of Guyana and would negate and outstrip the recent proposed increase in the minimum wage and the relief to workers afforded by the reduction in income taxes.

“It would also slow down

the economy at a time when our businesses can ill afford this and would increase the risk of rampant inflation,” the body said.

According to the PSC, this rate increase would also lead to a drastic decline in the competitiveness of the beleaguered manufacturing sector and would mean a cessation of operations for many struggling smaller businesses.

“The PSC offers its availability to work with the government, GPL and the parliamentary opposition to resolve this matter in the interest of the country.”

Meanwhile, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) for its part said it is opposed to the massive and sudden 26.7 per cent proposed tariff increase being sought by GPL. FITUG’s affiliates – the Guyana

Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), the Guyana Labour Union (GLU), the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) said they are not persuaded by all the reasons advanced by the GPL for such a steep increase at this time.

“Issues of losses through transmission and distribution and commercial, do not justify such a drastic increase in electricity rates. FITUG agonises over what such an increase, if approved, would mean for the cost of production for commercial and manufacturing goods, for the domestic, working-class consumers. Whether sympathisers of government or opposition, the increase will result in untold hardships to all

consumers,” the umbrella trade union said.

FITUG also noted the situation in Linden, for example, where government’s subsidies mitigate the real cost of electricity provided for such a community.

Utterly unfair

“It is, by perception at least, utterly unfair to ask the rest of the nation’s electricity consumers to pay so much more. The denial of the subsidy and at the same time disagreeing to the tariff hike speaks to the undermining of the utility company and callousness to consumers.

Therefore, FITUG strongly calls on the combined parliamentary opposition to support the restoration of the $5.2 billion which was cut out from the government’s $10.2 billion originally allocated to the GPL in this year’s estimates of expenditure.”

The union said it sought an audience with President Donald Ramotar on Tuesday and informed the president of its vehement disagreement to the proposed increase and urged his government to

do everything to stave off the increases and to pursue with the Amalia Falls hydroelectric plant in order to reduce electricity costs. The president sympathised with FITUG’s call, but explained that the government’s subsidy to the utility body is necessary to contain the electricity rates.

The union said President Ramotar also informed the delegation that the government was actively pursuing the Amalia Falls Project and hoped construction could commence in 2014.

Improved efficiency

He also said the GPL is actively engaged in a number of projects aimed at reducing its losses and strengthening its managerial and technical capabilities in order to improve efficiencies.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds on Monday insisted that the company must be able to go ahead with the hike, saying this was coming after five years of no adjustment during which time oil prices had risen by about 60 per cent.

He said the cost of oil constitutes about 80 per cent of the cost of providing electricity.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) release, the power company has been facing dire financial constraints over the past few years as a result of high technical and commercial losses, and this position has been compounded with the slashing of its $5.2 billion subsidy by the parliamentary opposition during the consideration of the 2013 national budget.

11 in custody for Brazilian's murder at Tiger Creek

Eleven men were arrested on Tuesday for the murder of a Brazilian national who was found dead with multiple stab wounds to her head at Tiger Creek Backdam, Mahdia, Region Eight.

On Tuesday, a team of investigators travelled up to the Jumbie Backdam after receiving reports that a woman was murdered in her mining camp.

Upon arrival at the location, the police ranks were diverted to Tiger Creek where they found 47-year-

old Maria Jose Bazerra with suspected stab wounds to her head. The matter was reported by a person who found the woman’s body just after 11:30h on Tuesday. According to information received, Bazerra’s head bore at least six wounds which could have been inflicted with the use of a knife. Her head was also bashed in.

The woman’s body was transported to the Mahdia Hospital mortuary to await a post-mortem examination.

Govt vows to punish employers of children

Acknowledging that there are minimal cases of child labour here, Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul declared government’s zero tolerance for the scourge and warned perpetrators that they will face the full force of the law if caught.

He was at the time speaking at a forum to mark World Day against Child Labour at Cara Lodge, Quamina Street, Georgetown. Across the world, approximately 215 million children have been deprived of an education and forced into labour, an act which jeopardises the physical, mental or moral well-being of children.

In keeping with the theme “No to child labour in domestic work”, Dr Gopaul said persons who are bent on promoting and encouraging child labour will face the brunt of the law. “We will be the first to admit that while it is not prevalent, we do have minimum cases where persons are still involved in this illegal activity. We intend to find them and prosecute them to the full extent of the law,” the labour minister posited.

Child labour

He too commended ongoing work to stop child labour. Addressing the issue of school dropout, Minister Gopaul said the government has increased its allocation to the Board of Industrial Training by $60 million, with a total of $224 million. Through the programme, school dropouts and single parents will be equipped with the requisite skills and knowledge to venture into the world of work.

Commendably, he said the private sector is playing a critical role in the programme through the provision of hundreds of job opportunities for participants. The child labour forum which coincided with World Day against

Child Labour was organised by the Labour, Human Services and Social Security Ministry.

Human Services Minister Jenifer Webster, the labour minister, labour officers, women groups, trade unionists and social activists put up their red cards, singling the end to child labour. In June 12, 2002, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) joined by countries across the world has been observing World Day against Child Labour.

Meanwhile, First Lady Deolatchmie Ramotar said child labour erodes a critical part of children’s lives, denying them the opportunity to adequate education. The health and psychological implications, she said are tremendous.

Support Ramotar said everyone has the responsibility to stand-up against it. Nationally, she said Guyana has been taking the appropriate steps to root out this unacceptable act. “We have passed laws to protect our children, in addition, we have several pieces of legislations, we have also ratified many pieces of ILO conventions relating to the rights of the child, including against child labour,” she pointed out.

Guyana has signed onto the ILO Minimum Age Convention Number 138, which sets the general minimum age for admission for work at 15 years while the minimum age for hazardous work was set at 18 years. The country also ratified the ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention Number 182, which addresses the worst forms of child labour, including child slavery, sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage, forced or compulsory labour, child prostitution and using children for illicit activities.

Drawing a link between poverty and child labour, Ramotar pointed out that Guyana is among 17 countries from a total of 189 that have reached the millennium development goal for cutting hunger by half by 2015. Despite these steps in the fight against child labour, she said, “we must not rest until we eradicate it completely.” She added that “child labour and abuse will only end when we make it a habit to speak out and take action against child exploitation.”

Cooperation Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry

Chairman Samuel Goolsarran applauded Guyana for moving one step

Escapee-chasing policeman died from heart attack – autopsy

Apost-mortem examination performed on the body of 23-yearold Police Constable Dorwin Pitman who died on Monday while giving chase to a prisoner gave the cause of death as cardiac arrest. The autopsy was performed on Wednesday by local pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh at the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary.

Stacey Pitman, the mother of the dead constable, said she believes that the heart attack was as a result of the electric shocks her son might have received.

She said that her son never suffered from a heart ailment, as if he did, the police force would not have accepted him two years ago.

“He wasn’t suffering from any sickness… my son was strong as ever,” she said.

further through the implementation of the ILO conventions, but emphasised the need for greater cooperation in the fight and stronger actions.

“There is need for collective actions, for we know that child labour is a scourge on society, denying childhood which should be dedicated to education and development, jeopardising children’s potential of becoming productive adults for community life and put at risk the country’s long term productivity by denying education to the future workforce.”

Political will

This, he said, is not only a challenge for Guyana, but countries across the world where child labour is prevalent. Parents, teachers and leaders in society must take up their responsibility.

“This can be achieved with national determination and political will and with the support of the labour and school inspectorates, social services and the cooperation of employers and enforcement agencies.”

Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) President Norris Witter echoed similar sentiments. Witter said no longer can Guyana deny that this dreadful act exists in the country.

“The important things is... it is first of all acknowledging that child labour exists and it exists, we can no longer be in a state of denial, we can no longer afford to sweep this issue under the carpet, we have to face it squarely and we have to deal with it decisively.”

He said it is time community, regional and national leaders desist from lip service and take immediate action. “We have to go beyond talking these flowery speeches and languages, about the things that affect us, we need to seriously commit and start doing things correct these days”.

The aggrieved mother said senior ranks of the police force had told her that her son was electrocuted. The father of two will be laid to rest on Monday.

Pitman, of 23 North Road, Bourda, was found lying on his face in an alleyway in North Sophia sometime after 07:00h by one of his colleagues, moments after giving chase to a prisoner.

His body bore no marks of violence, but he was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. At that point in time, it was believed that he might have been electro-

cuted, since that area where he was found is a haven for electricity theft. Persons in the area claimed that the constable might have been electrocuted, since there are a number of illegally connected wires that are buried underground. A few pieces of electrical cords were visible at the scene.

It was reported that on Monday, Constable Pitman went to the lock-ups at the Prashad Nagar Outpost to feed prisoners. Further information revealed that while he was handing meals to another prisoner, Akeem Edwards, who was scheduled for court on Monday, pushed Pitman and ran out of the outpost. In response, Pitman and another rank gave chase to Edwards.

A few minutes later, Pitman was found motionless in the alleyway. Edwards, who was charged for possession of narcotics, was not recaptured.

Pitman joined the force almost two years ago during which he received training at the Feliz Austin Training Centre. After graduation, he was placed at Brickdam Police Station Traffic Department and before being transferred to Prashad Nagar Outpost. He was there for the past three weeks.

Pitman is survived by his parents, two children, common-law wife, and one sister.

Bermuda premier says UK territories won’t sign tax deal before G8

Britain’s overseas territories will not sign up to an international convention aimed at tackling tax evasion ahead of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland next week, the premier of Bermuda said on Wednesday.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has invited the mainly Caribbean territories to London ahead of hosting the annual gathering of the G8 group of lead-

ing economies, at which he has put tax avoidance and evasion high on the agenda.

Though they share Britain’s monarch as head of state, the UK government’s writ doesn’t run in the selfgoverning territories, so Cameron must rely on persuasion to secure an agreement.

A deal could give Cameron a coup against tax campaigners who question Britain’s commitment to the

issue, given the prominent role played by UK territories in facilitating tax evasion, avoidance and the hiding of stolen assets.

Bermudan Premier Craig Cannonier said the territories were ready to agree that wider sharing of information with international tax authorities was required but Cameron’s aim of having them all commit to signing the convention was unlikely to be achieved. (Yahoo! News)

Facebook starts first servers outside the U.S.

Facebook on Wednesday started processing data through its first server farm outside the United States, on the edge of the Arctic Circle in Sweden.

The company inaugurated servers in about half of its new, 300,000-square foot (28,000-square metre) facility outside the city Lulea Wednesday, saying it should improve the social network’s performance in Europe.

Facebook director of site operations Tom Furlong

told the Associated Press the company will expand capacity at the site gradually to serve a large chunk of Facebook’s European users. Facebook is one of nine major U.S. Internet providers whose customers’ usage is swept up every day by an NSA counter terror surveillance programme. The secret court order that authorises the programme, named PRISM, only allows it to examine foreigners’ Internet usage overseas.

Furlong did not want to comment on the programme but said the data stored in Sweden is replicated in other locations in the U.S. Jon Karlung, a campaigner for Internet freedom and CEO of Swedish Internet service provider Banhof, said the fact that the servers are located in Sweden does not change anything.

“Everything is mirrored so there will be no security for those who use it,” he said. (Yahoo! Finance)

Ireland calls on EU and U.S. to align money market rules

The European Union and the United States should align their rules for money market funds to avoid European funds relocating across the Atlantic, a senior regulator in Ireland said on Wednesday. Unlike the United States, the EU is considering imposing a cash buffer on major money market funds as part of efforts to regulate the shadow banking industry, which deals in tril-

lions of dollars in assets, but operates outside the mainstream banking sector.

At a conference in Dublin, Patrick Brady, director of policy and risk at the Irish central bank, warned that a divergent approach could create more problems for European regulators. “There should be sufficient alignment across the Atlantic so that there is no distortion in the location of money mar-

ket funds; money market funds located in the U.S. or indeed in Cayman, can invest in European banks and, therefore, present as much of a systemic risk for Europe as money market funds located in Europe,” he said. Money market funds hold short term financial instruments such as deposits and commercial paper and are used by big companies to park money and manage cash flows. (Reuters)

Africa

Kenya’s flower farms no bed of roses

Catherine Mumbi knows the difficulties of working in Kenya’s flower sector. She was fired as a casual worker at a flower farm after taking time off to recover from complications of the liver. But that was just the start of her problems.

“When I felt better I went back but my superior demanded that I have sex with him to keep my job,” says

Mumbi, who had taken two months off while being hospitalised for her illness. “I declined.”

“The following morning a watchman knocked on my door with a letter saying my job was over and that I should immediately vacate the company’s compound,” Mumbi tells IPS. “I have been jobless since then... I am surviving on the generosity of well wishers since

December 2011.”

There is a possibility that Mumbi’s job could have also caused her illness in the first place. IPS visited a few flower farms in Naivasha, in Kenya’s Rift Valley Province, where access is restricted and the grounds are monitored by security guards. Here, for hundreds of workers like Mumbi, a healthy rose means a shortened lifespan. (allAfrica)

India’s Apollo Tyres to buy Cooper Tire for US$2.5B

India’s Apollo Tyres Ltd agreed to buy U.S.-based Cooper Tire & Rubber Co for about US$2.5 billion in a deal that would make it the world’s seventh largest tire maker and reduce its dependence on a slowing Indian auto market. The acquisition of Cooper – the second biggest U.S. tire maker and number 11 globally with annual sales of US$4.2 billion – will give Apollo access to the U.S. market for replacement tires for cars and light

Middle East Asia

and medium trucks, Cooper’s main business. Apollo, which currently gets two-thirds of its revenue from India, will pay US$35 per share, representing a premium of about 43 per cent to Cooper’s Tuesday close.

“It is very important for us to expand our horizons. Especially in the long run, the U.S. market is going to look up...,” Apollo Chairman Onkar Kanwar said on a conference call on Wednesday.

The deal is the latest in a

string of big overseas acquisitions by Indian companies in recent years, including Tata Motors Ltd’s US$2.3 billion purchase of Jaguar Land Rover and mobile operator Bharti Airtel Ltd’s US$9 billion takeover of the African operations of Kuwait’s Zain. It is also another example of an Asian company buying a well-known U.S. firm, coming just two weeks after China’s Shuanghui Group agreed to buy Smithfield Foods for US$5 billion. (Reuters)

UAE and Qatar upgraded, but Greece gets a downgrade

It was long time waiting on standby but both the United Arab Emirates and Qatar did get what they were looking for; an upgrade to emerging market status from the more risky rating of frontier market. Investors cheered the news from the emerging markets index MSCI. On yet another dismal day for emerging markets, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha rallied again. They have been stellar performers for the past year.

At the same time, MSCI announced that a developed nation is being downgraded for the first time. Greece’s fate was sealed by the 90 per cent plunge of its stock market since the start of the financial crisis. It also failed to meet a number of criteria set out during a review which started a year ago.

The UAE has been lobbying since 2008, so one could say the fifth year is a charm. This process however required some fundamental

changes to operations within the Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha financial markets. These changes included technical delivery and payment systems, liquidity requirements, sector diversification and a higher level of foreign ownership in listed companies. “They have actually ticked a lot of boxes that previously were stopping the UAE and Qatar,” according to Saleem Khokhar of National Bank of Abu Dhabi Asset Management. (CNN)

Steps to developing an innovative solution to a problem

Figure out the problem you are trying to solve

As with just about any first step, this one is crucial. Make sure you are trying to solve the right problem and do not try to provide a fix for something that is not a priority in the eyes of your consumer. Do this by asking the right questions and observing, either in focus groups or by evaluating competitive companies, products and their customers. Asking simple questions like “what does XYZ company do better than us?” or “what’s missing from our product or service that

would make it better?” can go a long way towards defining your direction at this stage.

Analyse the problem

In this stage, you want to turn the problem upside down and inside out, extracting every variable and value that causes it (and remedies it). Focus on how often the problem occurs, how severe it is, potential causes, and what if any special circumstances impact it. Another primary focus should be on the timeframe of the problem. How long has it been occurring? Has it been getting

worse with time and, if not, are there factors that could cause it to do so in the future?

Classify the decision criteria

Clearly defining the desires that lead to purchase intent, here you want to identify any and every decision that factors into the decision making process. Which of these criteria is most important? Will the decision be based solely on existing standards or are there any unique values that can be used.

(Business Dictionary)

Seven-year road safety roadmap launched

By Leana Bradshaw

ANational Road Safety Strategy for 2013-2020 has been launched by the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC), which would seek to strengthen the management and enforcement of safety systems at national and regional levels in Guyana.

The document was presented to stakeholders involved in its compilation and members of the GNRSC, at the Regency Suites Hotel on Wednesday. The plan, presented by GNRSC Chairman Nigel Erskine, is a key element in Guyana meeting its target for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety, during which countries should accomplish a 50 per cent reduction of traffic fatalities.

Priority actions

As such, by 2020, Guyana is expected to have a record of 58 deaths due to accidents, approximately half of the 115 road fatalities in 2010. Erskine said the UN decade of action provides countries with guidelines that experts believe will save five million lives and prevent 50 million injuries. This can be achieved through five pillars inclusive of road safety management; safer roads, road users and vehicles; and a post-crash response.

He noted that the strategy has outlined priority actions in keeping with these pillars to address situations in Guyana’s context such as the implementation of the UN road safety conventions and agreements, the establishment of an inter-sectoral system to monitor evalua-

tions of road safety indicators, and increased public awareness on risk factors and compliance with laws.

Erskine said the strategy also highlights a number of problems hindering road safety in Guyana. He cited a “lawless public transportation system, the nature of subculture of minibus operations in Guyana, road users under the influence of alcohol and other substances [and] the absence of child restraint legislation”.

Strike balance between development and road safety Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee emphasised that road safety has to be tackled within the context of a country’s society, noting that authorities, when making plans, must take into consideration a growing economy before they can apply guidelines.

He said the opening up of new and emerging industries automatically results in an increase of traffic and pedestrian movement.

“In our country, new industries are opening up on a daily basis and sometimes when we speak about the opening up of industries, we tend to focus only on the coastland, but in the interior, many new industries are opening up. I was happy to see the road safety council has spread to form groups”, he said.

Rohee said various heads and government need to work together to strike a balance between development of the economy and road safety, and to increase road safety education in schools and at other levels.

The national road safety strategy was developed through a multi-sec-

toral approach, which saw the involvement of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) among other entities.

IDB Transport Senior Specialist Christopher Persaud said: “Guyana’s growing vehicle fleet translates to more mileage and higher risk of crashes. In order for Guyana to effectively monitor its road safety initiatives, emphasis needs to be placed on the collection, storage and analysis of data”.

He noted that the IDB has a 2010-2015 action plan for Latin America and the Caribbean that seeks to “equip regional countries with the tools they require to reduce road and traffic injuries and fatalities [and] to strengthen the organisations that are responsible for developing and implementing road safety measures”.

CDB Economic Infrastructure Division Operations Officer William Ashby said: “The CDB has

been and remains a longterm partner in providing support to the government and people of Guyana as they strive to achieve their development objectives. Our work in the road transport sector in Guyana is governed by CDB’s strategic objectives of promoting broad-based economic growth and inclusive social development and promoting good governance within its Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs).”

Global road status report

The event also saw the handing over of the Global Road Status Report on Road Safety being handed over to Minister Rohee by PAHO acting representative, engineer Adrianus Vlugman.

He noted that some 1.2 million people lose their life each year in road fatalities, with low/middle income countries accounting for some 90 per cent of such deaths.

Vlugman said the report represents information from approximately 82 countries. Guyana recorded between 150 and 190 road traffic deaths annually from 1996 to 2006, with a peak of 207 deaths in 2007. However, the death toll fell to 113and 117 fatalities yearly between 2008 and 2011. This year 46 fatalities from 43 accidents had been recorded at the end of May.

According to the Guyana Police Force, speeding continues to be a major contributing factor to fatal accidents, causing 35 of the 43 fatal accidents. Traffic authorities have made a total of 35,843 cases against errant motorists; 9196 of which were for speeding. (leannab@guyanatimesgy.com)

Police constable remanded to prison

Apolice constable attached to the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) was remanded to prison on three charges when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday.

Ocquene Dawson, 27, of 100 Murphy Street, Good Intent, West Bank Demerara, was charged with unlawful possession of ammunition, discharging a loaded firearm with intent to injure, and malicious damage to property on February 18 at Waterloo Street.

It is alleged that Dawson had in his possession two live rounds of 9mm ammunition without being the lawful holder of a firearm li-

cence, discharged a loaded firearm with intent to maim, disfigure, or cause grievous bodily harm to Phillip Small, and he maliciously damaged one bulletproof vest valued $245,000, property of the Guyana Police Force.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to all three charges after having the Administration of Justice Act was applied to the indictable charges of malicious damage to property and discharging of a loaded firearm with intent to injure.

According to Prosecutor Vernetté Pindar, the accused was on patrol duty when he stopped at the lot known as “Globe Yard” in Waterloo Street, and observed Small with two other persons. He approached one of the men

and was dealing with him aggressively when the Virtual Complainant (VC) became offended by his manner of address and an argument ensued. The accused then cuffed the VC who returned the cuff. Dawson then drew his firearm and discharged three rounds at Small.

Attorney says client acted in self-defence Dawson was represented by Attorney Lyndon Amsterdam who informed the court in his application for reasonable bail that his client on the day in question was acting in execution of his duties and was attempting to conduct a search when he was attacked by Small with a pair of scissors and reacted in self-defence. The spe-

Teen killed by aircraft propeller

By Bhisham mohamed

A17-year-old girl was chopped to death

Wednesday afternoon after she reportedly walked into the propeller of a singleengine Cessna 171 aircraft at Ekereku Airstrip, Region Seven.

The teenager, Raquel Whitney Joseph of Guyana Airways Corporation (GAC), Old Road Timehri, East Bank Demerara had left her home in mid-May for Bartica. Information reaching this newspaper revealed that the privately-owned aircraft had just landed at the airstrip when Joseph ended up in the path of the plane.

Probes Information remains sketchy but the police and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCCI) have launched separate probes into the incident. Guyana Times understands that the teenager’s body was severely damaged with most of the injuries concentrated around her head. She reportedly died on the spot. Arrangements were made for the body to be transported to Bartica Hospital Mortuary.

In a statement, police said that about 17:40h, Joseph was killed when she ended up in the path of the propeller of a single-engine Cessna 172 aircraft that had just landed at the Ekereku Airstrip.

“The circumstances are not yet clear and investigations are in progress.”

The GCCA has reported that there has been an incident involving a small aircraft, a Cessna 172, and a woman on the ground at Ekereku Bottom, Region Seven. That person has died, Public Works Minister Robeson Benn reported. He said officials from the GCCA will travel into the area at first fight to conduct an investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, relatives

cial reasons put forward by the lawyer for bail were that logically the case of the accused being in unlawful possession of ammunition made no sense, since Dawson is still in the force which would have legally issued him with 15 rounds of ammunition.

The VC who was present in the court was struggling to walk using his crutches as he exited the courthouse.

The chief magistrate denied Dawson his pre-trial liberty and the matter is adjourned until June 21 for the filing of statements.

As the defendant departed the courthouse, relatives placed a blue top over his head to prevent media representatives from capturing his image for publication.

Aman charged with robbery with aggravation appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday.

John Mackenzie, 28, of Lot 299 Republic Park pleaded not guilty when the charges were read against him. It is alleged that on June 8 at East Ruimveldt, he robbed Daphne Langevine of a quantity of cellphone cards valued $3,000,000.

The accused was represented by Attorney Paul

were unaware of the young lady’s demise until this newspaper contacted them late Wednesday evening. Upon receiving the news, family members were inconsolable, stating their disbelief. Celene Sampson, an aunt of the dead teenager explained that her niece telephoned them on June 3 to ask why they did not call to wish her happy birthday, the previous day. At that time, Joseph claimed that she was in Bartica working at a Chinese restaurant and was okay.

Working in the interior

The aunt explained that the teenager would normally lie about her age, claiming to be 22. That is the only way she can get work in the interior, she told her relatives. She has been working in the interior for at least two years with the intention of earning a few dollars to take care of her nine other siblings. The teen’s mother is said to be mentally unstable, an illness she incurred after her children's father walked out on her a few years ago. The mother would walk the roads, performing odd jobs to get by. The aunt further stated that Joseph attended the Timehri Primary School, but after completing her primary education, she went to Venezuela with a woman and returned after a few years. Upon her return, she stayed with her father in Berbice and would visit from time to time.

The aunt posited that it was out of financial pressure that the teenager resorted to working in the interior, and more so, she did not have a secondary education to get a job anywhere else. While the teenager had her own way, she described her as a hustler; someone who is willing to go the extra mile to look after her siblings. The teen leaves to mourn her parents, nine siblings and other relatives.

Fung-A-Fat who stated that his client is an employee of the Lands and Surveys Commission and was locked up at the East Ruimveldt Station for five days. He asked that his client be released on reasonable bail. The prosecution objected to bail, stating that the accused has a pending matter of simple larceny in another court.

The chief magistrate denied the lawyer’s application for bail and Mackenzie was remanded. The matter was transferred to Court Six for June 28.

Having plenty of time to play will not necessarily satisfy your restless nature. To assuage this uneasiness, you need to feel that you’ve accomplished something worthy.

By Bernice Bede Osol

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

All work and no play could quickly put you in a rut. Keep your nose to the grindstone early on, so that you’ll have some time to do something relaxing later.

Be your own person, striving to do your own thing. If you can work independently of others, you’ll be able to make significant progress.

Try to spend some time with very special friends. Certain events are occurring that will cement such bonds even further.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

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

This is an excellent day to take care of deadlines. Fortunately, you’re a strong finisher, and you should be able to clean up some critical matters.

(March 21-April 19)

If you’re feeling restless, why not get in touch with some old friends whom you haven’t seen or talked to in quite a while? It’ll be worth it.

(April 20-May 20)

Stay on top of arrangements that could add a sizeable amount to your resources. Plans that you are in the midst of developing could become quite meaningful.

(May 21June 20)

You should be able to call the shots with excellent results. Just be sure to pick the right people for your team.

If you’re motivated by unselfish reasons, you can make some major achievements. When doing things for others, you’ll find yourself advancing your own causes as well.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

What you say is likely to carry far more weight than usual, especially for a friend who is in dire need of encouragement. Devote as much time as possible to being this person’s booster.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

You have two especially strong assets that can be utilized for profitable ends. The first one is your commercial instinct for what the public needs; the second is your knowledge of the market.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Don’t attempt to do everything single-handed today when you have plenty of others waiting to help. Besides, success is more likely when the effort to attain is collective.

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World’s oldest person dies at 116 in Japan

The world’s oldest person, 116-yearold Japanese man Jiroemon Kimura, died on Wednesday, Japanese media said. Kimura, who lived in Kyotango near Kyoto in western Japan, had been hospitalised for pneumonia since last month.

He became the world’s oldest person on December 17, 2012, after the former title holder, a 115-year-old woman from Iowa died, according to Guinness World Records.

Kimura was born in 1897 the same year as aviator Amelia Earhart and the year Queen Victoria marked her Diamond Jubilee. He worked as a postal employee and as a farmer at his home.

On his 115th birthday, Kimura told reporters he was keeping his mind fit by learning English. He attributed his longevity to getting out in the sunlight.

“I am always looking up towards the sky. That is how I am,” Kimura said then.

The world’s oldest person, 116-year-old Japanese man Jiroemon Kimura holds his great-great-grandchild in Kyotango, western Japan, in this photo taken by

Kimura is survived by seven children, 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great-grandchildren, Japanese media said.

Japan has more than 50,000 centenarians, 2011 government data showed, reinforcing its reputation for longevity. (Yahoo! News)

Over 10 million children work as domestic labourers

Constance Thomas of the ILO: “This is happening all over the world, in all regions”

TO lET

289 Thomas St, middle and top floor of storey house. Phone: 2277365

Some 10.5 million children are believed to be working as domestic labourers worldwide, according to a new report. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says that many work in conditions that are sometimes verging on slavery.

The report, released to mark the World Day Against Child Labour, suggests that 6.5 million of these children are aged between five and 14 years old and over 71 per cent are girls.

The report also says many are subjected to phys-

ical and sexual violence. Some are sent into work to supplement the family’s income or to pay off debts. They are often denied access to education.

The ILO says domestic child labour remains largely hidden and is calling for new international regulations. Because the work takes place within homes, it is difficult to regulate.

“The child is working, but is not considered as a worker, and although the child lives in a family setting, she or he is not treated like a family member,” the report says.

“We need a robust legal framework to clearly identify, prevent and eliminate child labour in domestic work, and to provide decent working conditions to adolescents when they can legally work,” said Constance Thomas from the ILO.

The report also stresses that domestic work is an important source of employment, especially for millions of women. “Domestic workers of all ages are increasingly performing a vital task in many economies,” added Thomas. (BBC News)

Australia, New Zealand match abandoned after rain

New Zealand and Australia took a point apiece as their Champions Trophy Group A match was abandoned because of rain on Wednesday.

Having left out David Warner because of an incident in the early hours of Sunday, Australia made 243-8 as Adam Voges struck 71 and George Bailey 55.

New Zealand were 51-2 when rain arrived after 15 overs, five overs short of the amount needed for a result.

It means England will qualify for the semi-finals if they beat Sri Lanka at The Oval today.

The abandonment favours New Zealand, who beat Sri Lanka on Sunday, rather more than Australia, who were well placed in this contest after losing their opening Group A match to England.

It was yet another difficult day for Mickey Arthur’s team ahead of the Ashes series which begins on 10 July.

Captain Michael Clarke remained in London having treatment on a longstanding back injury, and there was further disruption to the squad − this time self-inflicted − as details emerged of Warner’s alleged

“unprovoked attack” on England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar, which resulted in the Australia opener being placed on 12th-man duties.

This followed the 26-year-old’s recent fine for comments made on Twitter, and four members of the squad being disciplined over “Homework-gate” during the 4-0 whitewash in India this year.

Their run of ill fortune briefly abated when Australia won the toss but soon returned as two wickets fell in the first 19 balls.

Shane Watson edged to wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi, the New Zealand-born former Australia player, to give Mitchell McClenaghan the first of four wickets.

Phil Hughes was run out for a duck by a Martin Guptill direct hit after hesitation between the batsmen, and Daniel Vettori bowled tidily with great variations of flight and pace to concede just 23 runs in 10 overs, despite a troublesome Achilles that left him hobbling in the field.

Stand-in Australia skipper Bailey played with an

Warner dropped after punch at Root

David Warner has been stood down from Australia’s Champions Trophy match against New Zealand after what has been called “an unprovoked physical attack” on Joe Root in a Birmingham bar in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Warner could yet face further sanction, including the possibility of being sent home from the tour, depending on the outcome of a Code of Behaviour hearing, which Cricket Australia said would be convened as soon as possible.

The ECB confirmed in a statement that an altercation between Warner and an England player took place and said it was initiated by Warner. They said the player was not responsible for the incident which happened around 02:00h following England’s 48-run victory at Edgbaston, and had accepted an apology from Warner.

“Following a statement issued this morning by Cricket Australia, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirms that David Warner initiated an unprovoked physical attack on a member of the England team in a Birmingham bar following England’s 48-run victory over Australia,” the ECB said in a statement.

“Warner has admitted behaving inappropriately and has since apologised to the player involved who has accepted the apology.

“Following a full investigation the England team management has concluded that the England player was in no way responsible for nor retaliated to the attack. ECB has concluded that this is a matter for Cricket Australia and have no further comment to make.”

Alastair Cook, the England captain, said that his players were fully within their rights to be out in the early hours of the morning. “You don’t often get to win international games,” he said. “When the schedule allows you, as long as it’s within certain parameters that we set as a team [and] we didn’t have training for a couple of days.

“Clearly if it was a backto-back game it’s a very different issue. We had a couple of days off and a couple of days training, you don’t often get those positions in

a tournament so it’s very important you do sometimes let your hair down. Celebrating wins also builds team spirit.”

John Creighton, manager of the Walkabout bar in Birmingham, said: “David Warner and Joe Root were in our VIP area between 01:30h and 02:30h on Sunday morning along with several other England and Australia team members. None of the group seemed to have been drinking to excess and just seemed to be having a good time. There was a small altercation between Warner and Root.

“This was dealt with very amicably and quickly by the rest of the group and both were calmly chatting to each other shortly afterwards. They all left a short while later and a small bar tab was picked up by David Warner. We are quite familiar with David’s face.” (Cricinfo)

short extra-cover.

Glenn Maxwell added an enterprising unbeaten 29, featuring the only two sixes of the innings, both of which came in the penultimate over, bowled by spinner Kane Williamson.

It took Australia to a total that had been overhauled only three times in 20 previous ODIs at the ground.

With the floodlights on in the increasing gloom, New Zealand’s task became more difficult when Guptill sliced

Clint McKay to point in the fourth over and Ronchi − who played two ODIs for Australia in 2008 but who now has only 45 runs in five innings for the Kiwissteered the same bowler to gully. But rain intervened and the match was finally called off at 18:23 BST, meaning reigning champions Australia must beat Sri Lanka in their final match on Monday to have any chance of continuing their defence of the trophy. (BBC Sport)

SCOREBOARD

Australia innings

S Watson c †Ronchi

effectiveness that was particularly commendable given the trying circumstances surrounding his team.

Unspectacular both in shot selection and demeanour, Bailey calmly restored order in a partnership of 64 with Matthew Wade and then 77 in 16 overs with the purposeful Voges.

In his 18th ODI, 33-yearold Voges – yet to play a Test and not part of the Ashes squad – struck the ball crisply in a 76-ball innings that ended in the 44th over when he drove a McClenaghan full toss to

b McClenaghan 5

M Wade† lbw b N McCullum 29

P Hughes run out (Guptill) 0

G Bailey* b N McCullum 55

A Voges c B McCullum

b McClenaghan 71

M Marsh c †Ronchi

b McClenaghan 22

G Maxwell not out 29

J Faulkner c McClenaghan

b Williamson 6

M Johnson c B McCullum

b McClenaghan 8

C McKay not out 2

Extras: (b1, lb7, w4, nb4) 16

Total: (8 wkts, 50 overs) 243

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-10, 3-74, 4-151, 5-193, 6-196, 7-210, 8-219 Bowling: K Mills 6-1-19-0,

Heaven proposes business model to drive Jamaica’s cricket

Amore proactive fundraising approach, improved infrastructure in schools and broader involvement of clubs are major targets of William “Billy” Heaven, one of the challengers for president of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA).

According to Heaven, if elected as JCA boss, he will lead an administration that will put measures in place to ensure the island’s cricket is seen not only as a sporting attraction.

“We have to see cricket as a game and as a business... the (executive) team I put together has to look at the development aspect of it (cricket). We have to think of the game as a viable career option for men and women,” the self-professed ardent cricket lover told the Jamaica Observer.

The JCA is currently headed by former national all-rounder Lyndel Wright, who announced last month that he will not seek re-election at the next annual general meeting (AGM), due by October this year.

More recently however, Wright’s first vice president, Milton Henry, officially declared his intention to battle Heaven at the polls.

Many persons supporting Heaven’s challenge for

local cricket boss point to what they see as his capability to bring much-needed revenue into the financially struggling association.

In businessman and former West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Pat Rousseau, the confident- talking Heaven has partnered with an individual he believes is worthy of championing the JCA’s fund-raising thrust.

“We have to look at funding and the ability to raise funds... the Honourable Pat Rousseau has kindly consented and is happy to serve as the chair of a high-powered fund-raising committee.

“That is good news because you have to have people who are serious and people who corporate Jamaica will trust so they sponsor the various leagues. We have to assure people of sound accountability, transparency and compliance,” he said.

Heaven, the chief executive officer of the CHASE Fund, suggested that the Wright-led administration has been plagued more by a failure to expeditiously tie down programmes and policies than by sheer incompetence.

“The direction, in some regard may be the right one,

but to me, where we need a lot of the emphasis it’s not being placed there... sometimes you are going in the right direction, but you are taking too long to get where you want to go,” Heaven reasoned.

That missing link, he explained, ultimately forced his hand.

“I have been asked, over time, to make a contribution to cricket at this level, but I really never paid a lot of attention to it, given my involvement and engagement in corporate Jamaica and the public sector.

“More and more people at different levels provided strong encouragement for me to take over the reins of Jamaica cricket. After some contemplation I said if I can make a contribution for a while... hence my decision to be in contention for the presidency of the JCA,” he said.

Heaven, who said he has watched varying levels of the sport from the usually community-based ‘curry goat cricket’ to international cricket, outlined other cornerstones of his development plans.

He noted the country’s outstanding success in athletics, while adding that coaching should be an area of focus.(Jamaica Observer)

Messi being investigated for tax fraud in Spain

arcelona footballer

BLionel Messi and his father are being investigated in Spain for allegedly defrauding the state of more than 4 metres euros (£3.4m).

The 25-year-old Argentina forward and his father, Jorge Horacio, are suspected of filing fraudulent tax returns for 2007-09, officials say.

The World Player of the -Year expressed his surprise, denying the allegation. His Barcelona net salary is said to be some 16 metre euros a year, making him one of the world’s highest-paid athletes.

He has also signed a number of multimillion-dollar endorsements with major sponsors around the globe.

Image rights

On Wednesday, a complaint signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado was filed at the courthouse in Gava –the affluent Barcelona district where Messi lives.

Judges at the courthouse must accept the complaint before the suspects can be charged, reports say.

The player and his father are accused of three crimes of defrauding the state of taxes related to income from the use of his image.

They are suspected of using companies abroad – in Belize and Uruguay – to sell the rights to use the image.

The accusation is that with the help of firms based outside Spain, where he lives and plays club football, Messi and his father avoided paying more than 4m euros in tax.

If convicted, Messi could face up to six years in prison and a large fine, according to Spain’s EFE news agency.

Responding to the allegations, Messi expressed his surprise, saying he had only learned about the investigation against him through the media.

He wrote on his Facebook page: “We have never committed any infringement. We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advices of our tax consultants who will take care of clarifying this situation.”

Argentina’s media also appeared puzzled by Wednesday’s development, with the Clarin newspaper describing it as “unexpected news”.

Barcelona FC have not commented on the allegations.

The investigation comes as the Spanish authorities step up their efforts to clamp down on tax fraud, as the government tries to balance its budget during a continuing economic crisis, the BBC’s Tom Burridge in Madrid reports.

World’s best?

Messi, who comes from a humble background and has overcome a serious health issue, joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000, and made his first-team debut three years later.

He soon became one of the most influential players at the Catalan team, winning Europe’s most prestigious club competition – the Champions League – three times.

Last year, Messi scored a record 91 goals for club and country in a calendar year.

The four-time World Player of the Year is now considered by many experts to be one of football’s best ever players. (BBC Sport)

Rockers beat Knights in ANSA McAL basketball tourney

Smythfield Rockers drew first blood when the Mackeson Top Six Basketball tournament bounced off at the Vryman’s Ervin court in New Amsterdam on Wednesday.

Led by a game high 19 from Michael Bowen, Rockers outplayed Canje Knights 46-40. Bowen got support from Jamal Felix, who scored 11. Despite a fighting 18 points from Carlos Crandon and six from

Kevon Emanuel the Knights trailed throughout the game.

At the end of the first quarter they were down 6-12 and at the conclusion of the first half 18-22. Rockers then increased their six-point lead in the third quarter to hold a 36-27 advantage going into the final session. At stake in the six-team competition is $80,000 for the winner and $20,000 for the second placed team.

The competition con-

Chanderpaul, Madsen star on rainy Derby day

DERBY, ENGLAND

− A fine 145-run partnership between Wayne Madsen and Shivnarine Chanderpaul has put Derbyshire into a strong position after a rainaffected opening day against Nottinghamshire.

Madsen and Chanderpaul both completed half centuries in the afternoon session, ending the day unbeaten on 67 and 78 respectively, before rain at the start of the evening session forced an early closure to proceedings at Trent Bridge with the visitors on 245-2.

After losing the toss, Derbyshire were asked to bat first under overcast conditions – but the opening pair of Billy Godleman and Chesney Hughes made an excellent start, putting

on 89 runs for the opening wicket.

Hughes played fluently throughout his 83-ball innings − hitting nine fours − to complete a brisk half century before falling shortly before the lunch interval for a well-made 59. The hardhitting left hander was ably assisted by Godleman, who added 28 from 88 balls until he was caught behind off Adams at the beginning of the afternoon session.

The wicket of Godleman, however, would be the hosts’ last breakthrough of the day as Madsen and Chanderpaul shared a 145-run partnership. The pair – who enjoyed a 256-run stand against Surrey in the county’s last four-day fixture – played at ease throughout the afternoon, hitting boundaries through both the on and off

side as part of their unbeaten partnership.

Madsen became the first Derbyshire batsman to reach 500 Championship runs this season at the start of the day’s second session, as the Captain went on to complet his half century of the campaign from 94 balls.

World number two Test batsman Chanderpaul completed the same feat three overs later from just 60 balls – including six fours – as the stand exceeded three figures pushing Derbyshire onto 240-2 at tea.

Play did resumed briefly after the interval, but rain and bad light minutes later forced the players off the field for the remainder of the day with Derbyshire on 2452 after 65 overs, ending a good opening day for the visitors. (WICB)

Silva strokes century on opening

day

Sri Lanka A reached 268 for six at the close on the opening day of the second four-

day “Test” against West Indies A at Arnos Vale on Wednesday. Kaushal Silva stroked 113 on the first

day despite the Caribbean side making some inroads into Sri Lanka’s batting lineup.

Mohammad Asif spot-fixing appeal rejected

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif has lost an appeal against his spot-fixing conviction.

tinues on Friday with New Amsterdam Warriors coming up against Smythfield Rockers while on Sunday, Block Shots of Fyrish will take on the Warriors.

The other teams in the competition are Rose Hall Town Jammers and New Amsterdam Prison. All matches will be played at the Vryman’s Ervin court. The tournament is being sponsored by ANSA McAL.

(Andrew Carmichael)

Asif, 30, plus fellow paceman Mohammad Amir, 21, and ex-Pakistan captain Salman Butt, 28, were found guilty of being part of a betting scam in 2011. Judges at the Court of Appeal in London declared they were “not persuaded” to overturn the ruling in regards to Asif.

The trio are all serving five-year playing bans, handed to them by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Asif was released from jail in May last year after serving half of a 12-month

sentence. He is banned for seven years, two of which are suspended. Butt was jailed for 30 months after being found

guilty of performing a key role in the scheme in which illegal payments were made to deliberately bowl noballs during the Lord’s Test against England in August 2010. He is banned for 10 years by the ICC, with five years of that ban suspended.

In April, both Butt and Asif lost their appeals at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have their bans from cricket overturned.

Amir, who was 18 at the time of the offence, was banned for five years and sentenced to six months in a young offenders’ institution. He did not appeal against his ban.

James confident he will qualify for World Championships

South American under-23 bronze medalist Stephan James is confident about his chances of making the World Championships when he participates in the Trinidad Open Championships, scheduled to begin on June 21 at the Hasley Crawford Stadium.

The 6’ 3” 400m specialist, who recently clocked 47.01s to win the Hampton Games International 400m a few weeks ago in Trinidad, outlined his main goal to Guyana Times Sport: “I’m looking forward to making the World Championships but in Trinidad I’m looking forward to doing my personal best somewhere around the region of a low 46s or 45s 400 metres and I want to run a sub-21 200m.”

Further the bulky sprinter believes that despite the lack of competition at the Hampton Games, the experience of running on the surface was what matters most. He said

he should be able to run a lot faster this time around, especially with more seasoned competitors in the event.

“Well at Hamptons I didn’t have nobody to give me the push I was looking for but I think running there should make me improve because I’m looking towards the competition at the national seniors,”

James stated.

However, training to be in peak form for the competition is not up to the standard the 20-year-old would like since rain has affected the effectiveness of his training.

“For the training part of things it’s not so good because of the rain so you are not getting to train properly especially with the National Park when rain falls there it’s a mess,” James pointed out.

Further, James believes that there is one way to run faster and that is more competition: “Basically I just think I need more competition because it makes no sense I’m training all the time and there is no way for me to see if I’m improving.

Meanwhile, James is expected to leave Guyana next week in order to run at the Trinidad Open Championships on hopes of qualifying for the World Championships in August.

Carwyn Holland becomes Guyana’s first SAMBO instructor

Holland successfully completed the international certification course for sport and combat SAMBO Instructors administered by the International Amateur SAMBO Federation in Switzerland.

For the last three years Holland has been honing his skills in other forms of combat sports such as wado-ryu karate and most recently combat SAMBO, which is a modern martial art and selfdefence system developed in the Soviet Union.

SAMBO, which means self-defence without a weapon in Russian, harmoniously incorporates elements of Japanese judo, jiu-jitsu, Armenian Koch, Georgian Chidaoba, Moldovan Trinta, Tatar Koras, Uzbek Kurash, Mongolian Khapsagay and Azerbaijani Gulesh. Head of Development for Federation International Amateur de Sambo (FIAS), Dr Andrew Moshanov, conducted the workshop with the purpose of developing the sport worldwide with particular interest in the Caribbean.

According to a release, Holland said he intends to develop a five-year plan to see the sport introduced

and spread across Guyana. He added that SAMBO is the ideal self-defence art for those working in the protective services, particularly the police force. SAMBO, he said, is also geared toward the overall development of a person and is not only useful in self-defence but also in situations where a person may need to brace themselves from falling. He added that over the next few months SAMBO will be introduced to mar-

tial arts clubs and he will be paying much emphasis on the FIAS-bases programme “How to Fall Safely”. Holland recently qualified to represent Guyana at the upcoming Pan American Games in Panama but subsequently injured his back and will not be able to compete. He is however expected to be at the Pan American Games in an official capacity and has since selected Paul Ignatius of the Harpy Eagles Club to take his place.

Essequibo and Berbice announce Inter-County U-17 squads

The junior selection panels of the Essequibo and Berbice cricket boards named their respective squads for the upcoming Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) 50 overs InterCounty Under-17 competition, which is scheduled to bowl off on Friday with one game.

Former national Under-15 captain Kemo Paul has been named captain of the Essequibo team while the talented Shimron Hetmeyer will lead the ancient county side. Parmesh Parasotam will serve as Paul’s deputy while Daniel Lewis will be Berbice vice captain.

Essequibo full squad reads: Kemo Paul (Captain), Parmesh Parasotam, Ryan Adams (wk), Travis Drakes, Keano Harry, David Williams, Mahindra Balabdar, Akini Adams, Latchman Dindyal, Newland Cadogan, Kevin Martinborough, Insaaf Dindyal, Nathan Persaud and Miguel Jones. The coach is Andy Ramnarine and the manager is Nazeer Mohamed.

Berbice full squad reads: Shimron Hetmeyer (Captain), Balchand Baldeo,

Leon Andrews, Brandon Persaud, Deon Esau, Adrian Singh, Parmanand Ramdhan, Ritesh Omroa, Daniel Lewis, Jason Anderson, Narendra Permaul, Suraj Dookhana, Kassim Khan, Grisean Grant and Kevindra Persaud. The coach is Leslie Solomon while Andrea Percival will serve as manager. On Friday, Essequibo will play Demerara in the opening round at the Everest Cricket Club, ground. Round two will be played on Saturday between Berbiec and Essequibo at Everest Cricket Club ground or the Georgetown Cricket Club ground.

The final round will see Berbice playing Demerara at the Everest Cricket Club, ground on Sunday. The tournament will be used as a benchmark for the national junior selectors in order to select a national Under-17 team for the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) regional tournament scheduled to be played from June 29 to July 8 in Trinidad and Tobago. Jamaica are the defending champions after winning the inaugural tournament last year and will be looking to defend their title against Barbados, Guyana, Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago and Windward Islands.

BCB/Berbice River Bridge Cricket Competition…

Half century from Foo, six-wicket haul by Adams highlight latest round

With a slight improvement in the weather, the Berbice Cricket Board was able to play two matches in the Berbice River Bridge 50over knockout first division cricket competition.

A brilliant half century by national middle order batsman Jonathan Foo led Albion Cricket Club to a massive 108-run victory over the hapless Blairmont Community Centre Cricket Club while a destructive spell of 6 for 44 (9) by Steffon Adams failed to save West Berbice from defeat by Port Karibee Rice Mourant.

At Albion, the host won the toss and took first strike and made 189 all out in 48.3 overs. Foo led the way with a well composed 61 (3x4). He was supported by 16-yearold David Latchaya, who made 32, and West Indies legspinner Devindra Bishoo with 28.

For Blairmont, Derek Narine Lalsa took 3 for 32. He was supported by Devindra Singh and Shabbir Baksh with 2 for 14 and 2 for

40 respectively. Blairmont CC were then shot out for 81 in reply, with only Demarara-based Chris Patadin offering any resistance with 17. Bishoo took 3 for 15, Gudakesh MotieKanhai, 2 for 10. Balchan Baldeo and Foo took two wickets apiece.

Over at the Port Mourant ground, the host whipped West Berbice by four wickets with 22 overs to spare. The visitors won the toss and elected to take first strike after they arrived late, causing the reduction of overs to

43 a side. They made a disappointing 113 in 31.2 overs. B Nurse saved some face with the topscore of 30 (3x4) with extras contributing a healthy 29. Leg spinner Troy Gonsalves of Demerara took 3 for 36 runs off nine overs and former Essequibo senior left arm spinner Robert Moore, 3 for 41 off nine overs. Medium pacer Yougnarine Harrinarine supported with two wickets. In reply, Karibee Rice Port Mourant raced to 115 for 6 off 21 overs with another import, the hard hitting Andrew Lyght Jr topscoring with 49 runs off 38 balls (5x4, 1x6). Offspinner Adams bowled brilliantly to take 6 for 44 off nine overs in a losing cause. Both teams are through to the semi-finals with Albion to host arch-rivals Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets and Universal DVD Young Warriors to host Karibee Rice Port Mourant on dates to be announced shortly.

Spurs rout Heat 113-77 in game three of NBA Finals

SAN ANTONIO (AP)

-- Danny Green and Gary Neal are not NBA royalty like LeBron James.

Either undrafted or unwanted, they were once more likely to be found playing in summer league or some other country than against the mighty Miami Heat.

On Tuesday, they led the San Antonio Spurs to one of the best-shooting, biggest blowouts in NBA Finals history. Green made seven of the Spurs’ finals-record 16 3-pointers, Tim Duncan had 12 points and 14 rebounds, and the Spurs clobbered the Heat 113-77 on Tuesday night to take 2-1 lead in the series.

Green scored 27 points and Gary Neal made six 3-pointers while scoring 24 as San Antonio went 16 of 32 from behind the arc, rolling to the third-biggest victory in finals history.

“Those guys shot incredibly,’’ Duncan said. ‘’Gave us the breathing room when we needed it.’’ Neal could be even more important going forward, after starting point guard Tony Parker revealed fresh concerns about his sore hamstring. He plans to get an MRI on Wednesday. Duncan bounced back from his worst game ever in the finals, and the Spurs’ combination of fresh faces

Bolt in shape for fast time in Oslo 200m

Six-time Olympic cham-

pion Usain Bolt says he is feeling “wonderful” and is ready to run under 20 seconds for the 200m today’s Diamond League meeting in Oslo.

The Jamaican has struggled for early-season form and was beaten in Rome over 100m last week by Justin Gatlin. Bolt, 26, has been suffering with a hamstring injury but insists he is fit. He said: “I’m in shape to run under 20 seconds. I’m feeling wonderful. If I execute right, I’ll get a fast time.”

The fastest time in the world this year is exactly 20 seconds, set by another Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade in Kingston at the start of May.

After his defeat in Rome, Bolt said he was struggling to stay motivated after a historic year in 2012, which saw him retain his Olympic titles in the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay.

But he insisted he was not concerned about losing to Gatlin, and was focusing on this year’s World Championships in Moscow and regaining the 100m world title he lost in Daegu in 2011. He said: “It’s just one of those things – you win some, you lose some.

“But when it comes to the championships, I always show up. I understand that I will lose every now and again but when the big time comes up I will be ready.”

Bolt holds the 200m world record of 19.19 seconds and will be the strong favourite in a field in Norway that contains only three other men who have run under 20 seconds in their careers.

European 200m champi-

on Churandy Martina of the Netherlands could provide the stiffest test, while home favourite Jaysuma Saidy Ndure and American Curtis Mitchell may also challenge.

Great Britain’s Perri Shakes-Drayton lines up in the 400m hurdles in Rome against the Olympic silver medallist Lashinda Demus and the Olympic bronze medallist Zuzana Hejnova.

Shakes-Drayton, the European indoor 400m champion, has been in good form this season but only managed a seventhplace finish at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene in a time of 55.74 secs. That race was won by the Russian Hejnova in a world-leading time of 53.70.

Fellow Briton Tiffany Porter will compete in the 100m hurdles, but she will not be joined by Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill after she withdrew with an Achilles injury on Monday.

There is British interest in the women’s triple jump where 39-yearold Yamile Aldama takes on the Olympic silver and bronze medallists, Caterine Ibarguen of Columbia and Ukrainian Olha Saladukha.

and old reliables dominated the NBA’s winning team before an eager crowd that had not seen the finals there since 2007.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise,’’ said Spurs coach

Gregg Popovich. ‘’These are the last two teams standing. I don’t think either one of them is going to get down if they have a bad night.’’

The Spurs were as good as fans remembered in the

old days, shutting down James until they had built a huge lead late in the third quarter.

James finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, but missed 11 of his first 13 shots against the excellent defense of Kawhi Leonard, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Game 4 is tonight here, where the Heat are 3-22 in the regular season and so far zero wins and one really bad beating in the postseason. ‘’We got what we deserved,’’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ‘’I didn’t even recognise the team that was out there tonight.’’

Duncan shot 3 of 13 for nine points, his worst performance ever in his 25 NBA Finals games, in the Heat’s 103-84 victory Sunday.

Parker wasn’t much better, shooting 5 of 14 and committing five turnovers, and Manu Ginobili admitted afterward the veteran trio had to play well for the Spurs to win.

They were fine, but the

lesser-knowns were better. Parker and Ginobili combined for 14 assists, but the bigger story was the guys who had never played on this stage before.

− Neal, who went undrafted after playing for LaSalle and Towson, then playing overseas for three seasons in Italy, Spain and Turkey.

− Green, who had been cut multiple times − including by James’ Cavaliers –and now has the shot to stick.

− Leonard, the draftnight trade acquisition from San Diego State who played the NBA’s four-time MVP to a stalemate.

Mike Miller made all five 3-pointers and scored 15 points for the Heat, who broke open Sunday’s game and seized momentum in the series with a 33-5 run in the second half.

The Spurs seized it right back, improving to 18-7 in the finals, the best winning percentage of any team with 20 or more games.

CPLT20 opens up new opportunities for Guyana and Caribbean

After breaking new ground in Guyana, NEW GPC INC/ Limacol, in a statement on Wednesday noted it is proud of its acquisition of the Guyanese franchise for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), scheduled to start on July 29.

The statement also outlined that T20 cricket has shown that it can “open up completely new audiences and demographics for the venerable game that found a home in the Caribbean, among other former British colonies. The new format has proven that it can also deliver great economic benefits to the host venues as well as to the players.”

The release reminded that players from the Caribbean are among the most popular in T20 globally, noting “it was very unfortu-

Everest CC congratulates NEW GPC INC/ Limacol on securing local franchise, offers support

The Everest Cricket Club congratulated NEW GPC INC./ Limacol on its acquisition of the Guyana Franchise for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in a press release on Wednesday. According to statement out of the club it is looking forward to partnering with the NEW GPC INC./Limacol to offer support to ensure the inaugural event is successful and a worthy one.

nate that the Caribbean until now was unable to capitalise on the synergies opened up by the exciting, powerpacked style of cricket.

“The state of the tourism sector is a good example of this. Tourism is the major industry of the region but this sector has practi-

cally collapsed in the same timeframe as T20 grew into a multi-billion dollar game in India. A Caribbean T20 league could have played a great role in combating this decline. T20 is tailor made to supplement tourism.”

The statement continued, “Today all sports have become professionalised and this necessitates a professional approach, not only in the players, but in the organisation and administration of the game. The Caribbean T20 League presents an opportunity for local corporations to move beyond mere ‘sponsorship’ to actually ‘putting their money where their mouths are’. The corporate Caribbean is now not only responsible to provide money, but to see the team’s success actually becomes a matter of their own bottom line.”

Concluding, the statement read “New GPC/ Limacol is taking this opportunity to show the world that the Caribbean also has world class corporations, of which it is one. The Limacol Brand − and its tag line “Freshness of a breeze in a bottle” which will be associated with the Guyana cricket team is one that is known all through the Caribbean and its far flung diaspora in the U.S. Canada, Britain and almost every country in the world. The brand has been broadened to include a host of related products beyond the original facial lotion.

“With the Caribbean Premier League, its Guyana team and New GPC’s Limacol brand and corporate backing, the Caribbean will once again take its place in the sun.”

Spurs

rout Heat 113-77 in game three of NBA Finals

SAN ANTONIO (AP) − Danny Green and Gary Neal are not NBA royalty like LeBron James. Either undrafted or un-

wanted, they were once more likely to be found playing in summer league or some other country than against the mighty Miami Heat.

City Mall on board for fourth Boyce and Jefford classic

The City Mall continued its sponsorship for the second year for the Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic IV on Wednesday at Camp and Regent Streets.

Managing director of the City Mall, a subsidiary of Mohamed’s Enterprise, Nazar Mohamed believes that the track and field classic, which is scheduled for August 17-18, is part of the developmental process that the entity wants to be associated with.

“Linden needs investment and development and what you are doing there is encouraging for the business community,” Mohamed told the coordinators, Colin Boyce and Edison Jefford during the presentation ceremony.

Colin Boyce, chairman of the Boyce & Jefford Classic Management Committee expressed his gratitude towards the organisation for their support while relating that once businesses treat sport as a business there is hope for development.

Further, the City Mall has taken specific interest in the masters’ event and has exclu-

sively sponsored all individual prizes for the male and female masters’ 60m events which were created according to the organisers to attract past athletes to the track again.

In addition, the winners of both races will receive $25,000 each while second and third place finishers will receive $15,000 and $10,000 respectively. Trophies will also be up for grabs in the masters’ events.

Apart from belting out cash prizes to clubs and athletes, the Boyce & Jefford Track and Field Classic IV is aimed at establishing a prominent place for athletics in Guyana. Organisers confirmed the participation of overseas-based athletes that will be named shortly.

Meanwhile, the fourth edition of the Boyce & Jefford Classic will host its heats and three distance finals at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary on August 17 while the grand finals will be the following day at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground from 13:00h and continue under floodlights.