Guyana Times Daily

WEATHER

Reparations Committee needs more funding, resources

– some stakeholders decline to participate

By Michael younge

National Reparations Committee

Chairman Eric Phillips said that while the Committee’s work is progressing smoothly, it is handicapped by a lack of adequate funding and resources, which is hindering more being accomplished in a shorter period of time.

Phillips said the Committee needs about $30 million to effectively discharge its mandate and accomplish what is set out in its terms of reference.

“We were funded by the Parliament with $5 million. We have spent about $2 million. We still have a lot of work to be done and we need about $30 million, because we have to attend conferences and host the national conference here. There’s work that needs to be done in the community,” Phillips said.

He said unlike Suriname and Jamaica which had their Reparations Committees established for years, Guyana is now seeking to do what they have done in three months.

Non-cooperation

“So because of that, we have only been able to have a Linden Reparations Day. We have been to Berbice and Essequibo. We have met with individual groups. We went to a church and met with the Private Sector Commission,” he explained.

Phillips also revealed that the Committee is without a professional historian and this in itself could be seen as another challenge.

He explained that several persons and institutions have declined to offer support to the work of the Reparations Committee, which was established following a decision taken by the Caricom Heads of State. Among these insti-

tutions are the University of Guyana (UG) and the Amerindian Affairs Ministry.

However, Phillips said the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry has been doing its best to aid the work of the Committee. The Committee has also engaged Opposition Leader David Granger and Professor Clive Thomas, among a few other groups and individuals.

“So what we have decided as a Committee is to do the work ourselves and then send it out to the relevant experts. So we will seek people in the Amerindian communities to look at it and we will seek the historians,” he said.

Phillips said the Committee has opened its doors to the public and it meets on Thursdays at 17:30h at the Museum of African Heritage where the secretariat is based. More than 40 people are usually there, who are not part of the Committee, but are from all parts of Guyana assisting with its work.

Credibility

Phillips dealt a blow to those who were criticising the work of the Committee. “I think the fundamental issue for people who criticise the process is that they saw it as a Government initiative,” he said.

He pointed to the falsities being peddled that the money would go to the Consolidated Fund and would be out of the hands of the intended recipients.

“All of these were statements by people who have a beef with the Government but who don’t understand that this is bigger than the Guyana Government; it’s bigger than the Jamaican Government. What they should appreciate is that reparations can only be done through a sovereign state,” Phillips explained.

“We’re actually re-do-

National Reparations Committee Chairman

Eric Phillips

ing history. There are a lot of gaps in our history when it comes to indigenous genocide and African slavery, and as a matter of fact where there weren’t gaps, it was how it was written,” he said.

Phillips said the Committee has managed to find that there were black Caribs in 1840. “Why is it that we don’t know that they disappeared and who killed them, because they disappeared. Why is it we don’t know the true history of Guyana, why is it not taught in school. For example, we found out that at emancipation, Guyanese and the Africans in Guyana and Trinidad, and to some extent Suriname, were the most productive in the entire British system,” he stated.

Phillips advanced the argument that Guyana and Trinidad had produced 26 per cent of all the sugar in 1838, which led to indentureship. He said because these properties were so important,

their owners wanted to keep the sugar estates going, so they went for the Portuguese, Indians and Chinese.

He said the reason for that is that “we were the most productive and so a freed African in Guyana was worth £50, whereas he would be worth £17 in Jamaica”.

Support

Phillips however, firmly believes that despite the challenges, the Committee’s work is being advanced. He said the Committee’s work is taking place against the backdrop of local, regional and international discourse on the issue of Reparations, which is receiving widespread support.

Guyana is looking to Holland and Britain for reparations. There were nine European countries involved and there is likely to be a process involving Caricom and European delegations to discuss the next steps.

He said if that process fails, Caricom will take the route of legal recourse. “That would take two years if it gets to that stage. The expectation is that with a diplomatic initiative, political discussions with common sense, and a sense of justice, there will be some type of resolution,” he said.

Sunday Times Editor: Tajeram Mohabir

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

Mailing address:

238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

The future of the PNC

Today, the Peoples National Congress (PNC), founded in 1958, concludes its 18th Biennial Congress. Whether one is a supporter of the party or not, no one can claim that the PNC is any “Johnny come lately” to the Guyanese political scene. Midwifed by the western powers during the Cold War in 1957, the party ruled Guyana under Burnham for 28 years, during which time it futilely attempted to alter its Faustian bargain.

But by then, even though it had received “critical support” from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), from which it had split, the country’s economy and society had sunk to levels worse than the pre-independence era. Even as it attempted to “legitimise” its rule through rigged elections, its hold on power was maintained through the creation of a heavily militarised “police state”, as was reiterated by revelations from the ongoing Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI).

The end of the Cold War in 1989, removed the raison d’être for the US’s support for the regime and in the “free and fair” elections of 1992, the PPP was returned to office. However, elements in the PNC, such as its former enforcer, Hamilton Green, opposed the new leader’s Desmond Hoyte’s acquiescence to US pressure and the PNC’s loss of power. He and others, viewed as “Burnhamites” were forced out of the party as Hoyte consolidated his control of the party.

While this control was achieved, Hoyte faced persistent criticisms from the general membership for being “aloof and elitist”, while sequestering himself in Congress Place. These charges revealed the old schizoid nature of the PNC: the top layer consisting of the League of Coloured Peoples (LCP), elitist, middle-class elements that saw “leadership” as their birthright and the remainder: the rural and urban AfricanGuyanese workers, used as pawns.

When the PNC was again defeated in 1997, the PNC under Hoyte launched massive street protests in Georgetown, claiming that the elections were fraudulent. As was the pattern since the 1960s, the elite leaders used the lower-class followers as shock troops to create carnage to intimidate its political opponents.

The protests took a violent turn and reached its nadir when hundreds of Indian Guyanese were beaten on January 12, 1998. The event resuscitated the racial schisms and animosity that had characterised the 1960s.

Even though the PNC-inspired riots precipitated a CariCom intervention that resulted in a two-year truncation of the PPP/C’s term of office through new elections and a new president, the violence not only continued but intensified.

Armed gunmen, based in the PNC stronghold of Buxton, took on the state by killing several dozen policemen and even more innocent civilians. Terroristic actions to force state action had been imported to Guyana by the PNC. This action continued under Hoyte’s successor, Robert Corbin. A new element also entered the society - armed gangs with links to the drug trade “taking sides” in the internecine political struggle.

And it is against this background that the present PNC Congress must be seen. The question on the minds of all Guyanese is, “What kind of PNC will emerge from the conclave?” The answer, of course, depends on the identity of the leader, because notwithstanding the protestations of democratic governance, the PNC has never been able to transcend the legacy of their “Founder-Leader” Forbes Burnham, who straddled the party like a colossus.

David Granger, the front runner in the leadership contest, has shown himself to be from the same elitist mould that characterised all his predecessors. While Corbin was never accepted, he tried valiantly to join the club. Like Corbin, Aubrey Norton is also not cut from the elitist cloth and his challenge from his Linden base has elicited a heavy-handed clampdown from the Granger-dominated party machinery.

From all indications, the Congress will return the “same ole, same ole” recalcitrant PNC.

NACTA poll: Widespread disenchantment with the PNCR leadership

Dear Editor, The findings of an opinion poll conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) on the leadership contest of the People National Congress Reform (PNCR), show most party supporters prefer incumbent David Granger over challengers Aubrey Norton, Sharma Solomon and others.

The poll finds that a divided opposition against Granger makes it a no-contest for Granger to retain the leadership. The findings also reveal virtually no interest in the elections of non-supporters of the PNC and limited interest (of just about half) of supporters of the PNCR.

The poll findings reveal almost everyone, supporters of all the parties, feels Granger will handily win reelection because of his control of the electoral machinery and through selection and accreditation of delegates who will vote to select the Leader, Chairman and other executive posts.

Supporters of all politi-

cal parties overwhelmingly feel Granger will win the leadership but they don’t think the election will be free and fair. A large majority feel the voting outcome will be manipulated to select a particular individual as leader.

However, they say that even if the election is free and fair, Granger will emerge victorious as they don’t view Norton or Solomon as viable alternatives who can lure people from across the racial divide to enable the PNCR to win an election.

Some half of the population feels had Carl Greenidge contested the leadership post, and if the delegates selection had not been manipulated, he could have given Granger a run for his money, perhaps even winning the leadership.

People also express the view that if the elections were free and fair, Granger would face a stiff contest from Norton but will fall way short of victory. They don’t view Solomon as having a chance of being selected as

Dear Editor, Government must be commended for establishing the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU). This unit it is reported, will be “dedicated to the investigation and prosecution of suspected financial transactions”.

The initiative to establish this agency within the Guyana Police Force forms part of Guyana’s obligation to comply with nonparliamentary recommendations as advanced by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) through its Mutual Evaluation Report of 2011.

A major criticism regarding the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is

that it does not have the authority to arrest and prosecute individuals and organisations suspected of money laundering or financing terrorism. This SOCU is now expected to perform this vital role.

This important development serves to remind us that the issue of the passage of the AntiMoney Laundering and the Countering of the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill (AML/CFT) is still very much alive and warrants our collective attention as citizens.

Since the announcement from FATF at the end of June that Guyana will be subjected to a targeted review and development of

leader, making the contest a two-candidate race.

The poll also finds widespread disenchantment with the leadership of the PNCR among all ethnic groups, including among traditional supporters. There is very little support for the PNCR among non-traditional supporters with the party struggling to gain traction among Indians and Amerindians, including those who have become disenchanted with the ruling PPP/C and AFC. The PNCR is not viewed as a viable alternative for them because of its position on various bills.

The findings of the poll are obtained from interviews with hundreds of respondents of various ethnicities and diverse demographics who are supporters of varied parties.

Asked who they prefer as leader of the PNCR, the overwhelming favourite among all national voters (not voting delegates) is Granger (53 percent) followed by Norton and Solomon (22 percent) and (10 percent) respective-

ly. Among PNCR supporters, 46 percent say they prefer Granger followed by 28 percent for Norton and 13 percent for Solomon.

Almost everyone feels Granger will win re-election as PNCR leader because of his control of the party machinery. They also believe Granger’s backed (affiliated) candidates will sweep the other executive posts as well because of the control and stacking of the delegate-selection process.

Voters condemn the manner in which the executives of a party are chosen, saying the process is manipulated. Almost every supporter of all the parties feel the membership of the PNCR as well as the other parties should be empowered to choose the executive of a party, instead of only a select few handpicked delegates (often chosen based on loyalty to the incumbent leadership or a desired outcome) who follows instructions on how to vote.

Submitted by Vishnu Bisram

an Acton Plan to address identified deficiencies in its AML/CFT framework, there has been a thunderous silence on demands for the passage of the requisite legislative amendments.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will meet again on October 20 to consider and deliberate on the results of the targeted review process.

We as citizens, and the plethora of civil society organisations, should not wait until a month or weeks before the review is scheduled to commence to be roused into a frenzy and desperately implore our parliamentary representatives to pass the legislation.

The passage of this Bill will test all our political policy-makers resolve to begin a process of cooperation that will put Guyana first and would form the foundation of a more collective approach to governance.

Blue CAPS stands ready and committed to initiate a “Pass the Bill” campaign and we will also reach out to other civil society groups and partners to do so.

Instead, let us start to demand the passage of those bills now so as to receive a favourable review come October and save our nation any undesirable consequences for not remedying our AML/CFT deficiencies.

Faithfully, Clinton Urling

Pharmaceutical pre-qualification process

NEW GPC invested billions to fulfil criteria

...yet its qualification questioned

Cabinet Secretary Roger Luncheon announced last Wednesday that NEW GPC INC was the only one of the seven companies that had applied for “pre-qualification” status to fulfil all the requirements.

This does not mean that NEW GPC will become the “sole supplier” as was assumed by a reporter at the press conference, but will join a list of international suppliers that were automatically pre-qualified and against which NEW GPC will have to bid. This list includes the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The announcement, however, led to two of the companies that lost out to express some disquiet. One of them, the Trinidad and Tobago

ment is that Meditron sources and distributes laboratory equipment and has never really before ventured into the avenue of sourcing, manufacturing or distributing tablets and other medications.

“We submitted our bid to be considered, but we have no problem with NEW GPC being awarded the contract, because what they have, we don’t. We don’t have pharmacists and so forth, but NEW GPC has that, and so we accept that,” Williams said.

Pre-qualification process

The “pre-qualification process” for suppliers or contractors is used by Governments across the world and was introduced here by the Procurement Act of 2003. For certain types of goods and services, especially of a complex and detailed nature as pharmaceuticals, the pre-qualified suppliers reduce the administrative burden by obviating the need for assessing tenders

conglomerate ANSA McAl, through its local Managing Director, Beverly Harper, indicated that it will legally question the process – as it is allowed by the very transparent rules in place.

Speaking to Guyana Times Thursday afternoon via telephone, Reginald Persaud, a senior official at the International Pharmaceutical Agency (IPA), one of the local applicants, complained that the criteria were not “fair.”

No resentment

On the other hand, Meditron Scientific Sales, a local company which usually supplies laboratory equipment to hospitals across the country, had a different view on the matter. According to Ms Williams (only name given), a senior official at the company, the agency is not resentful for not being deemed prequalified.

“All I can say at this mo-

for each batch of goods.

The pre-qualification process had been introduced in 2011 after the Auditor General, in 2010, reacted to criticisms that the selective tendering process, then in place, was not “transparent” enough. The pre-qualification document outlines specified criteria so that potential suppliers could understand what conditions they have to fulfil to become pre-qualified. Two Guyanese companies qualified for the 2011-2013 period – NEW GPC and MediPharm.

But again there were criticisms by those companies that did not “pre-qualify” and when the period ended in December 2013, Government added on a detailed points system for each criterion, so that the evaluation could be more measurable.

Three experts were also identified by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board

Fire strikes at Beharry chowmein factory

(NPTAB) to conduct the evaluation. Their names were not made public so that pressure could not be brought on them. Contrary to what some media houses claim, there could have been no input by Cabinet, since the only role it played was to exercise its “noobjection”’option after the process was completed.

In the case of the cited criterion of storage, for instance, the requirement was that a prospective supplier must possess 30,000 square feet of storage appropriate for the storage of pharmaceuticals with at least three separate temperature zones. This would be awarded 15 points. Having a separate area for the storage of controlled substances, that is, narcotics, will attract a score of 10 points.

It was also explicitly stated that preference would be given to pharmaceutical manufacturers in Guyana that are registered with the local Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and whose manufacturing process is in accordance with Good Manufacturing Procedures (GMP).

They would automatically qualify for the medicines being manufactured. The NEW GPC has almost two dozen medicines and health products that qualify.

Of the two companies that are complaining, even though ANSA McAl representatives maintain they satisfied “all the criteria”, or they would not have applied, were forced to admit that they have neither the required warehousing area nor the requisite temperature controls.

As a letter writer noted, “I wish the companies that lost out in the pre-qualification exercise would conduct themselves in a professional way. ANSA McAl, for instance,

claimed they have the ‘temperature controlled’ warehousing for ‘some drugs’. It pointed out that it provides some internationally branded pharmaceuticals and they would not have gotten this prerogative if they couldn’t store the drugs.

Fake drugs, low costs

But ANSA is dodging the issue. The pre-qualification is not for ‘some drugs’ but for all the drugs in the country. Would ANSA say whether they have the temperature-controlled warehousing to have all the drugs before they are distributed to Government?

As a person with some background in pharmacy, proper temperature regulated storage of all pharmaceuticals, prolong their life and efficacy. The evaluators would have read in the application form the warehousing space that each company had in Guyana.”

Dr Luncheon had also stressed the need to deal with reputable companies to avoid the problem of fake drugs that plague the industry in Guyana. Last year, for-

mer Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy warned, “We don’t want to buy medicine from companies that are manufacturing fake medicine. In the last five years, out of the 74 times that we went into the private sector to test malaria medicine, 54 times they failed, so we have to be careful.”

Sources say that one of the companies seeking to prequalify was found selling fake malaria drugs.

Investment

Ravie Ramcharitar, General Manager of NEW GPC, when contacted by Guyana Times, said, “The company invested billions of dollars to create the proper storage for pharmaceuticals. It is not appreciated how complex was the infrastructural network to man the pharmaceutical supply chain for Government.

“We hired hundreds of qualified Guyanese to create a world-class manufacturing facility. We were the first in the Caribbean to produce antiretro viral drugs to fight HIV/ AIDS. The truth is we know we out-pointed all the others

by the openly stated pre-qualification criteria because they were unwilling to make that investment.”

Ramcharitar also pointed out that pre-qualified suppliers do not provide all the pharmaceuticals to the Health Ministry and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Under the rules, there is direct bidding that results in some of the companies, such as IPA, that failed to pre-qualify, winning hundreds of millions of dollars bids for pharmaceuticals and equipment.

The other companies that did not pre-qualify, but could not be reached for comment, are Western Scientific Company, also of Trinidad and Tobago, Telcom Solutions (Guyana) Inc, Meditron Scientific Sales, and Global Healthcare Supplies Inc. The latter is said to be owned by IPA.

Guyana has successfully procured items through the pre-qualification process at between 20 to 30 percent less than the International Average Reference (IAR) prices.

This Friday, August 1 is Emancipation Day!

Slavery was abolished 180 years ago. 180 years! That’s literally 10 times the amount of years that I’ve been alive! But yet oftentimes I wonder what has happened to the promise of that seminal event.

In Caribbean History, we spent a lot of time learning about conditions on the sugar plantations during slavery and after Emancipation. It was a descent into horror. We learnt about plantation society, about sugar manufacturing and we even had to build models of a typical plantation.

Most horrifyingly, we learnt about the slave trade, and about the terror of the Middle Passage which, when contra-posed against the societies from which the slaves were snatched, becomes an object lesson of “man’s inhumanity to man.”

I loved reading about the societies and cultures that were already established in West Africa, about the Kingdoms like Dahomey and Ashanti and about the Oyo Empire. There was so much rich culture, religion and art. I got lost in the stories and legends of the Akan religion.

When the Africans were brought to the Caribbean, they weren’t allowed to practise an-

Emancipation!

“Slavery is a weed that grows on every soil.”

-Edmund Burke

ything of their own culture. They weren’t even allowed to have families. They were forced into Christianity - after they were freed and it was conceded they MIGHT be human - and had to give up their own religions.

They were forced into a European social structure, where they would always be inferior striving to be what they could never be - white men and women. Never mind that they already had their own wellorganised social structures for hundreds of years. I really can’t imagine what it would’ve been like living like that, being treated as being less than human. As chattel - someone’s property.

One of my favourite heroes in WI history was Toussaint L’Ouverture. To have a man –born a slave – take on the full might of one of the greatest European powers of the day, for the right to be free, was awe inspiring. He was indeed an “Opening”: the eventual independence of Haiti showed the path that every other colony had to walk. But yet we heard ad nauseum about the American and French Revolutions, but never about the Haitian Revolution.

I mean lots of people have the notion that you have to move on from your past completely in order to have a fu-

ture. But that idea completely disregards the point we are our past: we are, in a word, our consummated past. And this is not just the past of our own short lives, but the past that has been transmitted to us.

History shows how families, countries, laws and institutions are formed, how they evolved and why certain ones have survived while others ‘bit the dust’. If a nation is just defined by its present- how shallow is that?

Look at how much our country and our people have survived and suffered through and yet we’re still afloat. We need to be aware of our past. We need to be aware of our heroes, of the adversities we overcame. We need to remember our heroes such as Cuffy and Quamina.

Think about how those who came before you struggled and fought for their freedom and how lucky we all are now, to be living free. We’re not enslaved, we’re not indentured: we’re living free, so it’s inexcusable if we don’t work hard to give ourselves the future we want- the shackles are off.

As our own prophet Bob Marley sang, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds.”

Happy Emancipation Day!

Barticians feel neglected, call for new generator sets

By Svetlana MarShall

The people of Bartica, Region Seven, on Saturday say they feel neglected as they call for new generator sets following a spate of blackouts in the mining town. Bartica, remains without power up to press time on Saturday.

After spending approximately 22 hours without electricity, Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Bartica branch restored power on Friday by approximately 16:00; however by 15:00h on Saturday, the entire community was again plunged into darkness.

Fearing that Bartica would be soon faced with a crisis due to weeks of power outages, a small group of concerned residents and businessmen and women picketed the GPL Branch Office on First Avenue on Saturday.

Under the supervision of an officer of the Guyana Police Force, the protestors championed the cause for GPL to replace the defective generators with new sets.

As she complained bitterly about the situation, Elizabeth Moonsammy told Guyana Times that it is a shame that the authorities have not intervened in a matter that is affecting the mining community.

Refurbished generators

“All we keep getting here are refurbished generators… they are attempting to repair engines that are no longer manufactured,” the concerned resident said. According to her, Barticians

have been faithful in the payment of their electricity bills; hence, it is only fair that GPL fulfil its obligation. “We deserve to have a sufficient supply of electricity, but we don’t need promises anymore, it has to go beyond promises.”

Another resident Veronica Charles said the heat generated within her home due to the lack of electricity almost landed her in the Bartica Regional Hospital with hypertension. “The place is so hot at nights, you can’t sleep,

Times that he is currently operating at a loss. He explained that due to the frequency of power outages, he is forced to operate a small generator which consumes approximately $5000 in fuel a day once GPL is unable to supply electricity.

your pressure going up,” she said. The 42-year-old also complained that her small snackette is severely affected. “Fruits and vegetables, greens, meat and other perishables are spoiling in the fridge; I am a small businesswoman, I depend on electricity to make a living,” she said.

GPL

The protestors received the support of the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) President Simona Broomes, who also hails from Bartica. As she marched along First Avenue, Broomes told media operatives “blackout is anytime and all the time”. Despite the situation, Broomes said GPL continues to remain tight-lipped about the situation although residents are suffering.

Additionally, the GWMO President criticised GPL’s Chief Executive Officer Bharrat Dindyal over alleged “disrespectful remarks” against residents of Bartica and neighbouring communities within the mining district on Friday.

According to reports, Dindyal told residents that their “monies” were insufficient to purchase the fuel required to operate the two generators.

Although he was not a part of the protest, Lovando Pile, a barber told Guyana

“For more than three weeks now, we are suffering… right now, it is just bad business because I am not making a profit,” the entrepreneur complained. He told this newspaper that while central areas within Bartica are periodically receiving electricity; there are sections that have been without for weeks.

A businesswoman, who operates a food shop “Aunty Chan’s Massive”, said less than a week ago, she was forced to purchase a generator set at the cost of $180, 000. She said this is coupled with the daily cost of fuel to keep it functional once “GPL shows its ugly face”.

According to the businesswoman, Bartica has a history of “blackout”, but this is the worst in years. “This is a long-standing issue, it appears as though every holiday there is a power problem in Bartica and it is bad.” She too complained about the failure on the part of GPL to disseminate information that would inform residents on the challenges faced. “Nobody is coming out and tell us what really happening and when we will be able to get 24 hours of light, seven days a week, no one!” The GPL Bartica, Branch has been experiencing technical problems with its two generators; Number Eight Caterpillar Generating Engine and Number Nine Caterpillar generating engine for the past five weeks; however, the problem has deteriorated over the past week with a total shutdown.

Professor Thomas warns: bitter days ahead for sugar industry – but does not support privatisation

By Michael younge

Things will get far worse before they get better and the sugar industry here must brace itself to face bitter days ahead, unless those who are managing the sector make some tough but necessary decisions now.

This is the position of renowned Caribbean Economist, Professor Clive Thomas, who, speaking with Guyana Times, laid the premise for a renewed national approach to managing its affairs.

Professor Thomas said there is urgent need for the establishment of a national task force or commission to investigate the current state of the sugar industry. He said that such an entity would also be tasked with coming up with non-political recommendations about how to move the industry forward in a realistic manner.

Thomas said that the turnaround plan that is being used to manage the affairs of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is not yielding much fruit and a more determined effort is needed to bring an end to the bitter times that the

Professor Clive Thomas

sugar industry is facing.

“We have to make some fundamental decisions about where we want to go with sugar in the future,” he said, explaining that the industry is in a conundrum and in a state of despair.

Thomas noted that currently, Guyana is producing sugar at a cost of 34 cents a pound, which is two times higher than the average world production price for the commodity. He said this is unacceptable and the situation will continue unless urgent reforms are implemented.

“We produce at a higher price than we sell to the (foreign markets), which

means that we are transferring income to them and suffering a huge loss... So we end up spoiling our faces by trying to insist on exporting,” he said.

More focus on biggest concern

Thomas said he does not understand why there is an endemic insistence on exportation, while little or no focus is being placed on tackling the biggest concern – reducing GuySuCo’s overall production and operational costs.

He said it is necessary for the industry to be treated as a national asset and national institution and any intervention must be rooted in that premise, if there are to be long-term benefits.

“What I rather suspect is that we may end up doing is continuously taking public taxation or public money and subsiding the industry in the days ahead,” he pointed out, noting that this would also not redound to much as the corporation continues to sink deeper and deeper in short-term and long-term debt.

Thomas said the industry’s debt stood at $89 billion in 2009 and has now increased to $92 billion. He said it is necessary to look

at refinancing the operations of GuySuCo in light of the falling world prices for sugar and the concomitant challenges the industry is facing.

The academic believes that part of the problem with turning the industry around has to do with the lack of consultation before critical decisions are taken. He said that it is neces-

Government opted to contract external management services.

He is not optimistic that much will change, unless there is national discourse to arrive at the best possible solution to end the bitter taste in the industry.

Despite his criticism of the current management structure of the industry, Thomas is not in support of

sary for GuySuCo to have a board comprising Directors who are all professionals and experts in the field.

According to him, this was the main reason Booker Tate failed when the

privatising the sugar industry.

“I do not believe that the private sector would be able to do what the Government could not do and have not done to date,” he said, add-

ing that the stakes are too high.

Thomas said the call for the privatisation of GuySuCo is probably the most widely recognised but contentious proposal ever put forward for the future of the industry. “This call always evokes intense political controversy,” he said.

“There is an ideological aspect to the privatisation proposal, which provokes this controversy. This is revealed in the axiomatic position taken by those who believe that State enterprises, and more so those based on agriculture activities, could never operate efficiently.

“The call for privatisation therefore, seeks a drastic reversal of this fundamental commercial heresy, which GuySuCo embodies,” he wrote in one of his columns.

But Thomas believes that GuySuCo can enter private business with the aim of remaining financially viable. He believes that there are limitless opportunities where it could enter real estate, agricultural tourism and other forms of private enterprise with the use of its strong asset base.

Uncertainty surrounds PNCR leadership race

Atense atmosphere on Saturday filled the business discussions as delegates prepared themselves to elect the leaders of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) today.

According to party sources, from the feedback of the delegates, there appears to be no clear cut case of who will be elected as leaders, pointing out that incumbent David Granger is in for a “stiff challenge”.

Meanwhile, at the second day of the 18th Biennial Congress, ‘suspended’ party member Vanessa Kissoon was present at the sessions.

When Guyana Times sought a comment from Kissoon, she responded “no comment.”

However, when this publication contacted party leader Granger, he claimed her attendance was illegitimate.

From all indications, the Congress was not all unified, as the Linden, Region 10 delegation signalled their dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs of the party, including the leadership of Granger.

On Friday, Kissoon and

a group of supporters bearing placards were barred from entering the Congress, but the ban was lifted after Region 10 Chairman Solomon Sharma asked that they be permitted entry.

When the group entered the Congress, Soca Monarch Kwesi Ace performed for the gathering.

While the Soca Monarch was singing the party’s theme song, Kissoon and her group were singing Guyana’s National Song, “Let us cooperate for Guyana”.

An bitter altercation between Kissoon and the PNCR General Secretary Oscar Clarke in June resulted in her being suspended.

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (APNU) has since challenged the decision, saying Granger cannot take such an action against her.

Norton Granger is coming up against former General Secretary Aubrey Norton. Norton was recently an active member of the PNCR’s team that led and organised the 2012 protests in Linden, which saw persons demonstrating against a decision to cut the electricity subsidy to the region. He was also one of the persons who were being continuously sidelined because of his disagreement with the party’s former Leader Robert Corbin and now Granger.

His decision to challenge Granger is coming at a time when there is widespread disaffection within the ranks of the party following a decision by the party’s

Executive Committee to suspend Kissoon.

Norton is contesting for the leadership at a time when it is widely felt that the PNC is on the decline since Granger surfaced, and was catapulted into the seat of party leader. Granger has been openly criticised for his militarisation of the party’s executive and bureaucracy.

He has been accused of making decisions in an elitist top down manner, rather than engaging the grassroots support base of the party.

Under Granger, the party’s resources continue to be depleted. Only recently, it was discovered that Congress Place made a decision to sell parcels of its prime lands at Sophia, Georgetown. The party reportedly owes over 77 million in rates and taxes as well.

Since the primaries in 2011, Dr Faith Harding, Dr Van West Charles and Vincent Alexander have expressed concerns about the process and the internal rifts that are cancerous sores in the party under Granger’s tenure.

Eyew tness

Judge, jury and executioner...

...Parliament

The more things change, the more they remain the same. And no. Your Eyewitness is not going to refer to how the phrase is expressed in French. And that’s because you dear readers will have to forgive his “French” as he discusses the load of sh*t that the Opposition’s been dumping on our system of democracy over the actions of the Minister of Finance.

For a country that went through slavery and with Emancipation Day nigh upon us, it’s more than a crying shame and disgrace that they would try to pull the kinda stunt they are. A slave was a slave because he was property. The massa could do what he dammed well pleased with the slave and nothing could be done about it. Your chair can’t sue you if you throw it into the fire, can it??? You know it goddamn well can’t - it’s property and you’re the judge, jury and executioner about its fate.

After the abolition of slavery and we were recognised as “human” and given rights - it was conceded that we should enjoy what’s called “natural justice”. What’s this?? Just a basic rule of fairness if we’re going to be judged - not like the old “massa days” when we were the same as chairs.

More specifically, there are two prongs – no one should be a judge in his own cause. Meaning that no person can judge a case in which they have an interest. The other principle is - the other side must be heard. So let’s see what the Opposition doing to Ashni Singh.

First they made up the charge - the Minister shouldn’t have spent the $4.5 billion that’d been cut from the budget by the same Opposition. The Minister said, “Hey!! I was just doing my job as specified by the Constitution!!” So the Opposition responds, “Listen Budday! You’re in Parliament and we make the rules here. We’re taking you to our Privileges Committee, which we control!”

So the Minister responds, “But we’re not England. Parliament also comes under the Constitution, like me. You gotta take me to the courts, if you think I acted unconstitutionally. They should be the judge.” The Opposition snorted (it could be they farted, but it’s tough to tell), “You can take the Courts and stick them, you know where! We’re asking the Speaker - who just happens to be our fella - to decide”

And - surprise!! surprise!! - Speaker Trotman says, “Later for the Constitution!! It’s the Privileges Committee for you, Buddy.” Looks like Massa Day ain’t done!! Parliament insists it’s judge, jury and executioner.

...PNC Leader

But one thing about the PNC - the big enchilada in the Opposition - they’re an equal opportunity sonof-a-bitch. They can screw their own as good as the Government, when it comes to denying people natural justice. Shows when it comes to power, there are no favourites. Take no prisoners!! Show no mercy!!

So the folk down at Linden were pi55ed that their local girl - an MP no less - was treated like dirt by one of the party big ones from GT. Imagine the fella wrenched the hands of the poor, fragile MPs. Showed what those town folks thought of country folks, no?? Slaves.

Well, the Lindeners demanded Justice. They’re getting it - but it ain’t “natural”. The PNC pulled the same stunt they’re trying in Parliament. Formed a Committee of all their town loyalists to judge the Linden lass.

Talk about trying the Devil in Hell!!! But the girl’s shown the old fogies, she ain’t taking it lying down. She wrapped her head in a scarf, girded her loins and showed up when the leader was on nominating himself. Truth to power!! Guess, Massa can be challenged!!!

...Aussie match referee

Looks like the rot’s even spread to cricket. David Boon just arbitrarily penalised Indian all rounder Jadeja for English fast bowler Anderson pushing him. How dare a chair complain!

Outdated Copyright Act stifling creative industry –

local artistes call for legal reform

By Tajeram mohaBir

The absence of modern copyright legislation has paved the way for the creation of a lucrative enterprise in intellectual piracy, stagnating the growth and development of the local creative industry.

According to the US Department of Commerce, about five to seven per cent of all world trade involves counterfeit products, and estimates the cost to the global economy at more than US$650 billion per year.

The income raked in from pirated DVDs, CDs, the unauthorised photocopying of books and other intellectual materials here is a tiny, if not

invisible, sum of the global counterfeit trade.

But it is an enterprise through which the illegal middle man can make a healthy living, and had it not been for the introduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT), he could easily have been classified as a thief and tax evader.

Three-time Soca Road March Champion Melissa “Vanilla” Roberts told Guyana Times that the competition is unfair.

“Most locally produced CDs will retail at a price of $1500, but consumers can get the best of any artiste in the world for $200. Now how can a Guyanese artiste compete

“Next, an artiste will spend no less than $150,000

with that when you have to spend no less than $50,000 to produce a song?

to produce a music video to be aired on television, but be-

cause television stations basically get free video content from around the world, why should they be obligated to play ours.

“I gave those two examples to say this, if we had updated intellectual property rights legislation in place, radio and television stations will have to be paying millions of US dollars to foreign companies for content. This will in turn force them to revert to more local content, making way for competitive, productive and economic growth for the creative industries in Guyana,” she said.

Outdated Act

The current legislation, the 1956 Copyright Act, which Guyana inherited from Great Britain following its Independence in 1966 has never been revised since, even though its former colonial master had long repealed the legislation that deemed copyright infringement a civil wrong. Though the current Act does provide protection of literary, musical, dramatic and artistic works, the fines are extremely low, ranging mostly from £5 to £50 (G$1750-G$17,500). Given the time and cost to pursue an infringement in court, some artistes view the exercise as a loss rather than a gain.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall said Government is cognisant of the need for copyright reform, but is also mindful of the existing realities in society.

Speaking recently at a recent workshop on Intellectual Property, the Attorney General said: “It is not that sufficient attention has not and will not be placed in this direction. When one is in the position of Government in a developing country, there are certain considerations to which one cannot turn a blind eye, and one has to be careful that one does not design, implement and execute a system of laws and policies that are inconsistent with the realities of the society in which those rules and regulations are expected to operate.”

turn to page 11

Pot- Bellied policemen

Satiricus was firm against all forms of discrimination. And this recent announcement by the Police brass that they were banning Pot Bellies had to be the worse form of discrimination. These Police Gestapos were clever. They know they could be hauled before the courts if they banned the Pot Bellies without any good reason. So they said it was because of “fitness”.

But Satiricus knew this was just mamaguying people. Had they ever proven a connection between Pot Bellies and fitness?? Satiricus snorted. These top cops wouldn’t know a study if it crept up and bit them on their bamsee. In fact, Satiricus became more enraged at the thought. Weren’t “big-bamsee people” possibly unhealthy also?? Why not ban big bamsees?? The Police Force could’ve demanded “buns of steel” rather than six-pack abs.

Satiricus just thought that the Police Force was falling for this “image thing”. You know ...trying to LOOK good rather than BE good. But Satiricus’ gripe went deeper. “Why the flatbellied image??” he thought. “Hey we were a country where lots of people were poor. Not too long ago, during the Pee an See days people used to starve and their belly used to touch their backbone.”

Did the Police brass want their Policemen to look like that? Having a Pot Belly meant a fella wasn’t a “starving-guts”. It mean that you could eat as much as you want. And Police COULD eat as much as they want. All they had to do was stop anyone driving and ask them for a fried rice. The biggest customers of Chinese fried rice in Guyana were Policemen.

“Yes!” concluded Satiricus, it was that image thing. Wasn’t there that song where the woman was screaming “Ah doan want no Dhall Belly Man”?? Satiricus figured they all wanted men to look like Brad Pitt - it had nothing to do with “fitness”. It had to do with following foreign fashion.

Again Satiricus snorted. “Hell,” he thought, “Some of the biggest bellies I’ve ever seen were on Sumo Wrestlers. And those fellas were certainly fit!”

Gold declaration drops by 16 per cent

The Guyana Gold Board (GGB) has recorded a 16 per cent drop in gold declarations by miners, but Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) President Patrick Harding said the reduction is the result of a decline in production.

The miners have mined out the areas that are accessible and are now looking to go deeper into Guyana’s interior in search of more precious minerals.

According to Harding, the drop is not because of hoarding, but it comes as a result of miners not producing the amount of gold as before.

Presently, gold prices are tumbling internationally and there is a practical standoff between the Government and local miners over the low declarations.

According to Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaud, for the first half of 2014, the Gold Board recorded only 233,305 ounces of the precious commodity being declared in comparison to 270,178 ounces last year, which would equal the 16 per cent decrease in dec-

larations.

The total gold declarations for January to May has been given as 165,595 ounces, while some 204,970.42 ounces were declared for the corresponding period last year.

Persaud explained that the Ministry and Government cannot point definitively to any causes for the decrease in gold declaration, but alluded to the fact that it may be because of environmental issues.

Although gold declarations have dropped, Persaud reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to expansion in the mining sector.

He told reporters gathered at a press conference on Friday that there was a 68 per cent increase in mining activity. The Minister pointed out too that there were 469 new mining permits issued, which represents an 89 per cent increase for the same period of January to May last year. He added too that there was a 39 per cent increase in the amount of prospecting licences being granted to miners.

It was explained that the sector is expected to return to performances similar to

Outdated Copyright Act...

from page 10

It has been suggested that what can be done, in keeping with the Attorney General’s suggestion for a careful revision of the Act, is to amend the old legislation in a gradual manner, with the aim of discouraging acts of intellectual piracy through heavy fines, and provision for settlement through mediation.

World renowned Guyana-born British musician and creator of the Ringbang genre, Eddy Grant, has chosen to set up his recording company, Ice Records and the Coach House studio in Barbados, rather than his homeland.

Mosa Telford, who has won several literary awards, most recently the 2013 Guyana Prize for Literature in the Drama Category, said the Copyright Act is a dagger in the side of the creative industry.

“I am a part of something called CINE Guyana, and to date, we have made several short films and we are afraid to put them out there or put them on television because once somebody gets a copy, people will make copies and profit more than us from it. It is sour in the creative industry.”

The Global Competitiveness Report 2005-2006, which still has some relevance today, stated that there is no current enforcement mechanism to protect intellectual property rights in Guyana.

“There is urgent need for Guyana to update its legislation on intellectu-

last year by the end of 2014.

Charity office

Persaud also pointed out that the Charity office of the Gold Board will soon be operated by a private businessman. Additionally,

there will also be an office in Port Kaituma, which will also be operated by a private businessman. Additionally, Persaud related that the Ministry will be holding auctions and lotteries in August after

a five-year hiatus. He explained that miners will be able to buy concessions at the lotteries and auctions, and they will also be able to access the geological data of the area.

The geological data would determine the possibility for gold and other mineral deposits in an area and in what amounts.

To this direction, three major firms are expected to join the mining sector. Those companies include ETK Sand Springs, which according to its website is a Canada-listed, gold-mining company. The other companies are Guyana Gold Fields Inc and Troy Resources Inc.

Persaud also articulated that the GGMC has taken additional steps to enhance existing infrastructure and roads. He said some 1.5 billion has been allocated overall to the rehabilitation of the existing infrastructure.

“This is dedicated work being done for more mining access in mining roads; this isn’t taking into account

what the Public Works industry will do,” the Minister said.

GGMC Chairman Clinton Williams said the Commission is cognisant of the need for a more “holistic” approach to tackling the issue affecting the sector.

“We have concluded preparations and plans to launch auction… we have lotteries for the six mining districts and these lotteries are scheduled for the 18th of August, so these two important activities will see hundreds of individuals… who currently do not have access to their own properties,” said Persaud.

He explained too that the lotteries will give the smaller scale miners the opportunity to access their own concessions.

To this end, he advised the GGMC Board is putting in place a system of prequalified contractors. He explained that the system will save time since it is a long process to acquire a contractor.

al property rights if it is to meet CSME [Caricom Single Market and Economy] requirements and enhance its overall competitiveness. This was confirmed by a joint Caricom-Inter American Development Bank [IDB] report on compliance with WTO [World Trade Organisation] agreement on Trade-Related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).”

Artistes’ woes

Gavin Mendonca, a member of the band Keep Your Day Job (KYDJ), which is part of an advocate group called Guyana Music Networks, said the current Act needs to be updated as it cannot fully protect the work of creative professionals.

“Personally, it doesn’t affect me now, but my band Keep Your Day Job (KYDJ) is about to release an album and we had to go all the way to Trinidad to get copyright.

The plight of creative producers caused by the Copyright Act can somewhat be captured in a comment made by John “Slingshot” Drepaul who, in a television interview, said: “Wouldn’t you get vex if someone goes into your house and steal from you?”

Today, there is need for the current legislation to be updated, covering a gamut of issues, which inter alia, should include modern patents, Internet laws, private international law, consumer laws and international business law.

Be united for development – President Ramotar urges at opening of 10th Berbice Expo

President Donald Ramotar has again reiterated the call for Guyanese to unite so as to take the country forward, as it is only through unity that full benefits will be realised.

“We can lift a country to the state of a developed country, but we need to be united and understand what is taking place and work together to overcome our chal-

lenges and allow Guyana to realise its full potential,” the President said.

The President was at the time addressing those in attendance at the opening ceremony for the 10th annual Berbice Expo and Trade Fair at the Albion Community Centre Ground.

This year’s Expo and Trade Fair is being held under the theme: “Exploiting

science and technology for economic development”.

The President underscored the importance of such events in the process of developing the country’s economy.

“This year, I have noticed the theme is very timely, and coincides with the vision of Government and the vision of how our country should develop.”

Need for restructuring

According to President Ramotar, Science and Technology are important for the economic progress for any country and that for too long, Guyana was kept as a raw material-producing country; however, it was only because of the characteristic of sugar that the current Government saw it necessary to develop the industry and factories.

“If the cane could have been harvested and exported, we would have never had a factory. Only after 1992, we

started the process of transforming the industry. The industry has been experiencing difficulties. I have said this has been as a result of the need to restructure the industry.”

Some of these challenges include the fact that the sug-

and in 2010, there was a 36 per cent cut in the price for sugar by the European Union.

The President also alluded to the fact that the world is facing serious issues with climate change. “Since 2005, the opportunity days to do

ar protocol that once guaranteed a stable price for sugar has now been taken away,

There is also the issue of shortage of labour as Government’s investments in the education sector is providing for opportunities and options for citizens.

He also stressed the need for adding value to products in every sector, as it is critical for the sustainability of the country’s economy.

Notwithstanding all the challenges facing the sugar industry, the Head of State noted some of the success stories. These include the bio-ethanol plant, which has been set up at the Albion Sugar Estate, and a co-generation electricity system, which has been established at Skeldon. In the near future, other models are expected to be established at other sugar factories.

Apractice in the field have been reduced from 120 days per year to 80 days per year.”

The President also spoke of the many investments the administration continues to pour into the social sectors, all aimed at developing the human capital of the country.

the islabour as investments sector is opportunities citizens. need products is critsustainability of all the sugar State success include the which has Albion co-gensystem, established near fuare exestablished at spoke investments the continues to sectors, developing the coun-

ASimply the

Truth

Where is our analysis?

Malaysian Airline Passenger Jet 777 was blown out of the sky recently. I have looked for any comment on anything from Guyana that makes sense, and have found nothing. Over the last few years, I have read much rubbish written by columnists and “social scientists” and “analysts” about world events.

They write laudably about things like the “Arab Spring” and a protest here and there in the world. These people have praised those violent uprisings and have wished it upon Guyana. Eventually, many of these protests got deadly, and the small Guyanese commentators turned away and returned to their usual gripe about this or that local thing.

One doubts seriously whether they have ever gone to any of these violent places and felt the cut of metal on flesh. But they want the excitement of violence to happen here in Guyana. But from the comfort of these Guyanese living rooms and from the need to incite more chaos in this nation, they bleat their nonsense. What does this have to do with

Guyanese? Well, nothing. Well, everything. Nothing because we simply do not see how that which happens elsewhere affects us directly or eventually.

These empty and violent words written in Guyana that glorify violence should tell us that we are reading reckless foolishness written by people who have no idea whatsoever about the places and events about which they babble. But our politicians are no better than these idiots (and yes, we know where the word came from and what it means).

No one in Guyana so far has analyzed the implications about a missile that blew apart a passenger jet. We are a tiny nation, but that should not mean that we should be a tiny nation of tiny minds. Unfortunately, we have proven that we are an insignificant nation of people who have “intellectuals” capable of nothing but flatulence. Where is our analysis? We seem to have nothing to offer. Instead of any kind of meaningful analysis from our “leaders” or “analysts”, we get the empty

mention of the name of a town like Donetsk, not far from Kiev. None of them has been there! And so they compare great tragedies and murder on a large scale to a traffic light in Georgetown. It is downright obscene.

Two hundred and ninety eight innocent people from eleven nations perished on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. This Malaysian Airline flight was flying at 33,000 feet through a safe corridor over Ukraine, and was blown out of the sky by what evidence suggests to be a Russiansponsored BUK missile. That is bad enough, but now we see the rotting corpses of the innocent being looted of cell phones, watches, and other things.

This kind of horror does not really concern us in Guyana, although we should be very alarmed. We do not need to be weepy and soppy, but we should

show basic human concern as a nation. We should be interested enough to learn a little about Malaysia. It has a multi-ethnic population and the racial had tensions boiled over into death

and violence, much as it did here In Guyana.

But with work and vision, the tensions between Malays, Chinese and Indians in Malaysia have been put away. They have found a way to work together for the good of Malaysia. In Guyana, our so-called academics and leaders are disgustingly unwilling to learn. Malaysians of every colour share a great pride in that country. In Guyana, we have personal pomposity based on nothing, but there is no one who seems capable of generating healthy pride here.

By working together, Malaysians managed to have one of the most prosperous developing nations in the world. They have their own airline, and Malaysian Airlines is second only to Singapore Airlines in world ranking (although both are now challenged by UAE Airways).

They have an airport that out-classes any North American airport and rivals Hong Kong and Dubai in beauty and convenience. They have a light rail transit which makes travel cheap, safe and comfortable.

Malaysia makes its own cars, the Proton. They are of the same quality as Toyota and Honda. They have a Prime Minister who is eloquent, cool and measured even under extreme pressure and grief. They have dozens of universities, and developed nations are rushing to invest in all things there. All of this happens when there is vision, political intelligence, and cooperation.

On behalf of our Republic of Guyana, I offer our deepest sympathy to the families and nations that have lost lives in this horrible and needless crime. Our thoughts are with you, Malaysia.

Govt looking to set up gold refinery

– to get value-added products from mining industry

Amid falling international gold prices and low gold declarations at the Guyana Gold Board, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud on Friday disclosed that Government is looking to set up a gold refinery.

Responding to a question posed by Guyana Times at a press conference, the Minister related that the idea of setting up a refinery in Guyana was one that was being considered by Government and stakeholders in the mining industry.

He said: “Value-added continues to attract the attention of various parties outside of the gold industry, so we are talking to the jewellery- producing community to look at how we can expand and enhance in the jewellery production sector.”

According to Persaud, if this endeavour is successful, the target market will not

only include local, but overseas markets as well, where the demand for gold is much higher.

Recently, A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP) Ronald Bulkan pointed out that there is “no value-added done to that commodity (precious minerals) or resource when it is mined out from the ground”.

He said that instead of just exporting the raw gold, Government should look to urge the private sector to invest in the business of jewellery production or other by-products of the raw-gold material.

“It does not have to be that we should only be exporting raw gold or unrefined gold. It can be used as a raw material to create value-added products,” said Bulkan.

Minister Persaud said Government understands this and is committed to developing a robust value-added sector.

Gold prices have been unpredictable and are dependent on a lot of factors beyond the Government’s control. He said if such a goal is attained, there will be more certainty in the local gold market and miners will know what to expect for their produce.

“At the times of unstable price, something happens in the US, something happens in the Middle East, I can tell you, it has a direct correlation to gold prices. So you cannot plan and operate in that environment, especially when you look at production costs and so forth... so to bring more stability and

predictability, value-added is the way to go.”

Meanwhile, Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGMA)

President Patrick Harding said the mining fraternity welcomes the move.

He said it provides optimum opportunity for miners and businessmen alike to take advantage of the premium gold being produced in Guyana.

“They (foreign countries) have the market and we have the raw material, instead of exporting raw gold, we can export jewellery.”

Ronald Bulkan also called for diversification, not only in the gold industry, but the economy as a whole.

Guyana Geology and Mines Commission

Chairman Clinton Williams said steps are being put in place to diversify the mining sector. He said that soon, miners will be prospecting for other precious minerals such as magnesium.

Younge’s take

The new battle ground

Political parties, pressure groups and interest groups are no longer dependent on and fighting for space in mass media to wield their influence and redefine the local political and social landscape in Guyana.

These groups are now duelling on a new battle ground which affords them limitless possibilities and opportunities of advancing and promoting their various causes.

This battle ground is the new social media platform which encompasses the likes of twitter, instagram, you tube, vine, facebook, whatsapp, Blackberry Messenger, tumblr, badoo, Guyana.hop.la and Google plus.

Altogether, there are a force to be reckoned with, reaching thousands of Guyanese here who have access to the World Wide Web via the telecommunications companies and mobile service providers. Apart from this reach, this new platform also has the ability to target millions of people in the Caribbean Diaspora and the wider world.

Additionally, advertising on the social media is inexpensive and could be done in a variety of forms, most times intertwining video and audio data to send home the message.

Therefore it is not surprising that most of the political parties in Guyana have already established a presence on the social media

platform and are, each day, engaged in disseminating propaganda to suit their different agendas.

The People’s National Congress/Reform, the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic, the Alliance For Change and the new parliamentary coalition, A Partnership for National Unity understand the importance of winning electorate support by initiating social media discourse.

It is interesting to note that most of the users of social media represent the young and unassuming upcoming voters. The characteristics of these users are also multi-faceted and diverse. Research shows that one in every five children between the ages of 14 and 19 is the owner of a mobile Smartphone.

These users are the future voters and they are the ones who will ultimately, by way of their tweets, posts and comments, influence others about which governments to endorse and what issues to speak about.

Our political parties are learning about the impact of social media and instead of just focusing on the traditional media, they are now using the new battle ground to drive their election and policy campaigns. They are also drawing critical blood from their opponents via stark revelations and the reposting of controversial newspaper articles.

But this new battleground is tricky and could see the political casualties mounting ,especially if a party fails to invest resources, both human and technological ,to be able to constantly update their social media platforms while responding to concerns raised by its following.

Likewise, the social media platforms must interface with the user in a personal way, affording them the opportunity of joining discourses where there are moderators.

Governments and ruling political powers must, more than any other force, monitor the pages of their opponents to ensure that there are no incitement of racial hostilities, violence, uprisings and other disturbances that could affect the peace and tranquillity enjoyed by the state.

On the upside, the political players as well as other interest groups could use this new battleground as an arena to pilot new initiatives, aimed at fighting violence against women and minority groups, HIV AIDS and non-communicable diseases, mainstream and traditional social and economics.

The 2016 elections will not be won by those who secure the most votes when ballots are cast, but by those who have won the hearts and have the most followers on the social media platform that translate into votes at the polls.

More than 340 laptops distributed to Region 4 villages

The One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) Programme is adding to its long list of recipients, hundreds more happy and grateful people, as it continues another phase of distribution.

On Thursday, staff of the OLPF Secretariat visited Golden Grove, Haslington, Hope and Mahaica, Region Four, where together over 340 laptops were handed out.

Golden Grove and Haslington received 90 laptops, distributed at the Golden Grove GroveNabaclis-Haslington Community Centre, while 150 were given out at the Hope Secondary School. At Mahaica, more than 100 of the devices were presented to residents.

Student of the Hope Secondary School, Amar Madhu, commended Government for such an initiative, highlighting

Be united for...

The housing sector for instance, has become a model with officials of other countries visiting to experience what developments are taking place in Guyana. Over 100,000 Guyanese have received houselots under this administration, which has enabled them to raise their living standards.

While the administration continues to create initiatives aimed at transforming the country in a positive way, there are persons bent on stymieing progress, the President said, as he alluded to the fact that the combined Opposition continue to show their non-support for key developmental projects that would transform the country.

Some of these projects include the Amaila Falls Hydro Plant Project, the Specialty hospital and the expansion to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport . Mention was also made of the combined Opposition’s non-support for the Anti Money Laundering Bill, which if not passed in a timely manner will have devastating effects on every citizen.

Be vocal

To this end, the President called on Berbicians, moreso the business community to make their voices heard and united on every single issue that stands in the way of progress. Meanwhile, Central Corentyne Chamber

that it will enhance his work in school now that he has a computer to do research.

Father of two, Jaikaran Rambali, pointed out that the OLPF programme has been a great venture by Government

which will be of immense importance to school children, since they are the main beneficiaries.

Olivia, a mother of one, pointed out that this initiative has helped many families, especially those who cannot afford

to purchase a laptop.

Residents of West Berbice, Region Five, are expected to receive their laptops at various sites on July 28. The OLPF distribution programme has been in progress since October 2011 and will continue throughout 2014 and 2015. Overall 90,000 laptops are to be in the hands of Guyanese at the end of the programme. This current phase of distribution is expected to conclude in September.

from page 12

of Commerce (CCCC)

President Tajpaul Ajodhea noted the strides that have been made by the chamber.

Over the years, the Berbice Expo has seen significant growth from what it was 10 years ago.

The Chamber’s President, however, used the opportunity to appeal to the Government for a permanent exhibition complex.

He explained that over the years, the business community has been investing a lot of money in building permanent structures and demolishing the structures for the expo.

The money he said could be used for other initiatives if there is a permanent exhibition site in place.

In addition, the Chamber President lauded the administration for the investments it continues to make in Region Six. “The Berbice economy is agro-based and the government has done a lot in this area. The rice industry is flourishing, sugar is coming along, with the bio-ethanol plant and that may be the turnaround for the sugar industry.”

Ajodhea also called on the administration to explore the possibility of a processing and packaging facility for the region, which will aid in adding more value to products.

The Berbice Expo features exhibitors drawn from the manufacturing and agriculture industries among others. It will conclude on Sunday.

Nirvana Humanitarian Foundation opens multi-purpose centre

Youth, Culture and Sports Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, has lauded the charitable work of the Nirvana Humanitarian Foundation (NHW) as he opened a spanking new multi-purpose centre at Kastev, East Meten Meer Zorg, West Coast Demerara, last Sunday

Dr Anthony in praising the Foundation’s admirable humanitarian work over the past 17 years, urged its President Pandit Ramdular and his indefatigable workers not to be daunted by the seeming hurdles, but to “do the things that you have a passion for, and you will see the results in two or three years”.

Ramdular spoke of the “malaise of selfishness, dependency, and inertia that has permeated a wide crosssection of the community,” and the “lukewarm support from educators, professionals, members of the business community, the religious

outfit, and even able-bodied members of the community”.

The Minister said: “If we want to make a difference, we can, just get out there and do good work.”

The NHW President also underlined the critical role of culture in the transformation of behaviour in youths as observed in their “leadership qualities, and the determination to work as a cohesive team”.

On this point, Dr Anthony kindled hope in the audience by offering that “synergies between your organisation and the Ministry” can be established. He went on to state that culture can “help to shape and make one’s identify, and we need to treat our culture with a lot of seriousness”.

According to the Minister, the Ministry has established certain schools to promote culture, includ-

ing a separate school for music, dance, drama, and art, and by the end of this year, a school will be established for youths to learn to make short films.

Drama classes

He said drama classes are offered at the National Cultural Centre, and gradu-

ates can earn certificates and diplomas which are accredited by the Nirvana Humanitarian Foundation and the University of Guyana. Emphasising the importance of structured programmes, Dr Anthony suggested that since Nirvana has a drama group, they can attend these classes which are offered free. He even suggested that since Nirvana has the facility, they can even send teachers to the centre to teach drama. An annual drama festival of a very high quality is held annually, according to Dr Anthony, who declared that during the last year, 42 groups attended the festival, a sharp increase from the humble beginnings.

The Minister, who concurred with Pandit Ramdular’s view that, “solid achievement comes though diligence, discipline, effort,

and passion”, revealed that with the starting of the music school three years ago, only 20 students participated. That number has since jumped to 120 and currently there is no space to accommodate more. Dr Anthony has indicated that the Ministry is partnering with other institutions to create satellite schools, and currently they are working with the Lutheran Church in New Amsterdam to set up a music academy. They already have the commitment of a highly qualified music teacher, who has a Master’s in Music Education. Currently, a number of students are writing the Royal School of Music Examination.

Sport

Dr Anthony also touched on the importance of sport, not only as a form of recreation, but as a medium for character-building, and for maintenance of good health. He pointed to the high incidence of diabetes and hypertension, which have all been attributed to poor eating habits and the lack of exercise.

Following the formal opening of the Centre, NHF Organising Secretary Ramesh Deochand outlined the goals, activities and accomplishments of the Foundation since its establishment in 1997.

He detailed some of the major contributions that society has made to the local community, including a vigorous response to the floods in Guyana in 2005; the

single largest private contribution to the Haitian earthquake disaster fund; the distribution of 5,000 brand new books to schools on WCD; 200 meals twice a week to poor students attending schools on WCD; and the current bi-weekly seniors’ programme. In addition, he identified the global outreach of NHF, beginning with the substantial contributions to the Tsunami Relief Fund; significant support extended to victims of the Gujarat, Pakistani, and Central American earthquake disasters; and tangible donations to aid El Nino sufferers in Latin America.

Manual Curdy of the American Embassy also spoke on the occasion. He emphasised the importance of humanitarian activities, and related a very moving story of his own life, which motivated him to focus on humanitarian work.

The opening featured several cultural items, including from well-known TV host Lakshmie Singh, who recited a poem on the occasion, and spoke briefly on the Seniors’ Programme, and Radhika Olarte, who performed a humorous monologue extracted from one of her prior performances.

A beautiful dance was also performed by a young group of dancers, who had received a crash course by Sangeeta Bahadur, a trained Bharatnatyam dance teacher from Canada.

Bartica/Issano Road 25 per cent completed

The emergency works under way to fix a one-mile stretch of the Bartica/Issano road, Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) is 25 per cent completed.

On Thursday, Lawrence Mentis, the engineer overseeing the project; Naeem Mohamed, the Ministry’s hinterland engineer; and Lloyd Rollins, Maintenance Supervisor, inspected the progress of the project which began on July 14.

According to Mentis, $25 million approved in the Ministry’s 2014 budget is being utilised to carry out the rehabilitation works. The Force Account Unit within the Ministry is executing the project.

While the road is five

miles long, the most impassable section is being fixed with part concrete/asphalt and part coal mix. The Ministry is seeking funding from central Government to repair other sections of the heavily travelled thoroughfare.

Nonetheless, United Minibus Union, Bartica Branch Chairman Keith Blair is quite pleased with the project.

“The progress is encouraging. I speak for myself and the community and we are very happy with what is going on,” Blair said. Under the Hinterland Road Rehabilitation Programme, the Ministry has set aside $1.08 billion to repair roads countrywide.

First Lady extends Eid greetings to Muslim community

First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar has extended greeting to members of the Muslim community on the occasion of Eid-Ul-Fitr.

The occasion officially marks the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan and cessation of fasting and other acts of abstinence that were voluntarily undertaken by adherents of Islam during the Holy Month.

It is now time to break the fast, and in so doing, to celebrate the special blessings and spiritual fortitude attained during Ramadan. In this way, Eid-Ul-Fitr represents a joyful celebration of spiritual renewal.

“The joyfulness of the celebrations of Eid-Ul-Fitr is underscored by the acknowledgement that happiness is not a self-centred or selfish virtue. It is meant to be shared and shared with others, particularly those who are poor and in need. Therefore, inasmuch as there is a great deal of festivity associated with EidUl-Fitr, the celebrations are tempered by acts of charity.

According to the First Lady, Guyanese are among the most generous people in the world.

“Our hearts are quickly softened by the sight of those in need. It is therefore my hope that on this EidUl-Fitr 2014 that we will all

find a special place in our hearts to remember those who are experiencing difficult and unfortunate circumstances. Let us all do all that we can to help them. I trust that as we all join with our Muslim brothers and sisters in celebrating the end of the Holy Month, that we would all look around and identify someone who is in need and to help that person in whatever way we can. May we all have a happy, blessed and kindhearted Eid- Ul- Fitr!”

Eid-ul-Fitr literally means ‘festival of breaking the fast’. Like other festivals observed by the Muslim community, this festival

symbolises faith. The festival is celebrated on the basis of an Islamic belief by following the form of social practice.

It is a time to give in charity to those in need, and celebrate with family and friends the completion of a month of blessings and joy.

Before the day of Eid, during the last few days of Ramadan, each Muslim family gives a determined amount as a donation to the poor. This donation is of actual food -- rice, barley, dates, rice, etc. -- to ensure that the needy can have a holiday meal and participate in the celebration. This donation is known as sadaqah al-fitr (charity of fast-breaking).

On the day of Eid, Muslims gather early in the morning in outdoor locations or mosques to perform the Eid prayer. This consists of a sermon followed by a short congregational prayer.

After the Eid prayer, Muslims usually scatter to visit various family and friends, give gifts (especially to children), and make phone calls to distant relatives to give well-wishes for the holiday. These activities traditionally continue for three days. In most Muslim countries, the entire threeday period is an official Government/school holiday.

PANCAP developing operational plan

The structure established to pave the way for an AIDS-free Caribbean is getting an operational plan.

Representatives from regional support agencies within the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) met on June 24 and 25 July to develop the first biennial operational plan for the implementation of the 2014-2018 Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework (CRSF) on HIV and AIDS, designed to pave the way for an AIDS-free Caribbean.

The goal of the 2014-2018 CRSF is to halt the spread and reduce the impact of HIV in the Caribbean, while promoting sustainable health and development. This will be achieved through the six Strategic Priority Areas (SPAs): an enabling environment; shared responsibility; prevention of HIV transmission; care, treatment and support; integration of HIV

services; and sustainability.

The objective of the meeting was to develop the plan through a collaborative approach. After presentations from each organisation on the work currently being done, small groups worked to flesh out priority activities for the achievement of expected results articulated in the CRSF.

During an extended plenary session, activities, inputs, timeframes and desired outputs were agreed for each of the six SPAs.

The two-year operational plan builds on work currently under way, and covers the period through the end of 2016.

Aligned with the epidemiological context and the needs of national programmes, the 20142018 CRSF is a strategic investment approach to guide regional and national action that is coordinated, complementary and synergistic in achieving sustainable health and development outcomes. Progress to-

wards sustainable heath and the elimination of HIV transmission requires an accelerated and systematic approach to confronting the breadth of issues across the human rights, social, economic and political dimensions of the epidemic. The SPAs are interlinked and overlapping, constituting a holistic and comprehensive approach to addressing these complex social and structural challenges. Progress is interdependent, requiring results in all areas if elimination of AIDS is to be achieved.

The PANCAP Coordinating Unit (PCU) hosted this meeting of key technical partners in the regional HIV response at the offices of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). Sarah Insanally, Strategy and Resourcing Officer of the PCU was the facilitator, and will be the key person responsible for follow-up and continued work.

Redemption for Beaton as Warriors steal Smith’s thunder

By Avenash Ramzan

Afew nights ago

Ronsford Beaton was the focus of a barrage of criticism, as Darren Bravo launched him for six off the last ball to win it for the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel.

On Saturday in Barbados he had redemption of colossal proportions, producing a high-quality exhibition of death bowling to singlehandedly lead a remarkable turnaround for the Guyana Amazon Warriors, again missing the injured Sunil Narine.

When Denesh Ramdin handed Beaton the ball with 11 required off the final over and Dwayne Smith sitting pretty on a hundred, his second in three matches, it seemed like the skipper didn’t learn much from Portof-Spain.

But for Ramdin and Beaton, the words of Guyana Amazon Warriors franchise owner Ranjisinghi Ramroop “it’s not over till it’s over”, may have been ringing loudly in their heads.

Smith, who was bludgeoning the attack like a lion feasting on his prey, looked a shadow of himself in the final over as Beaton was spot on from ball one, giving away just three runs to seal what seemed like an unlikely victory half of an hour earlier.

Smith faced the first four deliveries - the first of which rolled onto the stumps but

failed to dislodge the Zing bails - but managed just three runs, before Jonathon Carter couldn’t put bat on ball for the last two to send the Amazon Warriors into wild celebrations.

The contest seemed done and dusted in favour of the Barbados Tridents with 32 required from 24 and Smith and Shoaib Malik going full throttle in a brilliant century partnership.

Dropped first ball by Ramdin off Santokie, Malik, who came in at the fall of Shane Dowrich, joined forces with Smith to decimate the Warriors’ bowling attack, setting the Tridents on course to maintaining their unbeaten record at home.

No bowler was spared the onslaught, as the right-handed pair thrilled the sold out Kensington crowd to a batting showpiece, none more eyepleasing than three gorgeous boundaries through cover off the bowling of Jimmy Neesham in the final over of the Powerplay.

With Smith in overdrive, Malik was content on playing the supporting role, tucking it around and putting away the boundary balls when they came.

Smith brought up his fifty halfway through the 12th over, launching Veerasammy Permaul for the biggest six of the Limacol CPL, 104 metres, and as he continued to tear the bowling apart, Malik quietly went about his business, bringing up his half-century in the 16th over.

That was the last scoring shot for Malik though as a suicidal run resulted in his demise, run out by Lendl Simmons for an even 50 with 22 required from the final three overs.

It proved that Malik’s demise was just the opening the Amazon Warriors needed, as Beaton produced a beauty to bowl Kieron Pollard in the 18th over, before Sri Lankan Jeevan Mendis was run out by the bowler via a brilliant piece of athleticism off the final ball.

Santokie bowled the penultimate over with 16 required and gave just six, as

The Jamaica Tallawahs lost their 100% record as victory for Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel saw them go top of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League table. An excellent half-century from Tallawahs’ captain, Chris Gayle, was not enough to prevent his side suffering their first defeat of this year’s event. Some superb hitting from 22-year-old Evin Lewis and a career-best bowling performance from Kevin O’Brien set up an excellent victory for the home side. A flying start for the Red Steel was checked by two wickets off the last over of the Powerplay. Andre Russell yorked a well set O’Brien who was looking very dangerous. After a bumper first ball that was called a wide, Ross Taylor mistimed a drive from a slower ball to Rusty Theron at mid off who caught the ball one handed as the New

Zealander fell for his second duck in as many innings.

O’Brien was the only batsman that was able to go at better than a run a ball in the first half of the innings. His opening partner, Evin Lewis, hit the odd boundary but found rotating the strike hard work. At the end of the tenth over, the Red Steel had made it to 72-2. It was a decent platform, but they should have had less. The Tallawah’s fielding was sloppy, with two boundary misfields and a dropped catch costing them.

The home team looked set for a score close to 200 with Dwayne Bravo in form and at the crease. A fantastic nineteenth over from Russell that went for just three runs massively restricted what the Red Steel could have achieved. Both Russell and Jerome Taylor had the ball reverse swinging at the death, but Taylor could not keep things

Smith brought up his hundred off 62 balls (8x4s, 6x6s), but unlike the excitement of a few days back, his celebrations were very much subdued.

Individual milestones didn’t matter to Smith at that point; a victory for the Tridents was foremost in his mind. As it turned out, he and the Tridents were conquered by Beaton, whom Ian Bishop on commentary aptly described as a “champion” and coming from “zero to hero.”

Earlier, Pollard won the toss and inserted the Amazon Warriors to bat first for the sixth game in a row. The Amazon Warriors were given

SCOREBOARD

Guyana Amazon Warriors innings (20 overs maximum)

LMP Simmons c Rampaul

b Mendis 64

MJ Guptill not out 55

D Ramdin*† c Carter

b Mendis 4

JDS Neesham c Holder

b Emrit 2

CD Barnwell c Pollard

b Rampaul 4 Mohammad Hafeez c Emrit

b Pollard 30

TA Griffith not out 6

Extras: (b-2, lb-1, w-5) 8

Total: (5 wickets; 20 overs) 173

Fall of wickets: 1-103 (Simmons, 11.6 ov), 2-109 (Ramdin, 13.5 ov), 3-116 (Neesham, 14.6 ov), 4-127 (Barnwell, 16.4 ov), 5-164 (Mohammad Hafeez, 19.2 ov)

1 (1-w), BMAJ Mendis 4-0-332, KA Pollard 1-0-8-1 Barbados Tridents innings (target: 174 runs from 20 overs) DR Smith not out 104 SO Dowrich† c Permaul b Santokie 3

Shoaib Malik run out (Simmons) 50 KA Pollard* b Beaton 0 BMAJ Mendis run out (Beaton) 1 JL Carter not out 2

Extras: (w 6) 6 Total: (4 wickets; 20 overs) 166 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Dowrich, 1.2

Bowling: JO Holder 3-0-25-0, R Rampaul 4-0-39-1 (2-w), DR Smith 1-0-15-0 (1-w), AJ Hosein 3-0-17-0 (1-w), RR Emrit 4-0-33-

by a flying start by Simmons and Martin Guptill, who added 103 in 12 overs to lay the foundation for a huge total.

Simmons especially was severe on anything loose, smashing five fours and four sixes, the longest of which went 103 metres, as he raced to 64 off 40 balls.

His dismissal stalled the Amazon Warriors' innings as three wickets fell for just 29 runs in a tight five-over period. Ramdin, Neesham and Christopher Barnwell all fell for a combined total of 10 runs as the Warriors slipped to 132-4 by the end of the 17th.

With Guptill struggling to find the boundary, the Warriors seemed to be heading for an anticlimax, before a Mohammad Hafeez’s blinder changed the complexion of the innings. Batting at number six, he hammered three sixes

and two fours in a belligerent 10-ball 30.

By the time he departed with four deliveries left, the Amazon Warriors were in a safer place at 164-5, and Trevon Griffith, in his first outing this season, capped off the innings off with a six. Guptill remained not out on 55.

173 seemed a bit short given the start provided by the openers, but Beaton made it a winning total with a magical final over that must have warmed the heart of Team Mentor Curtly Ambrose, who could not contain his emotions beyond the boundary.

The Amazon Warriors, with four wins and two defeats at number two on the points table, next face defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs in Match 18 at Sabina Park in Jamaica.

O’Brien, Lewis end Tallawahs winning streak

SCOREBOARD

Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel innings (20 overs maximum)

KJ O'Brien b Russell 32

E Lewis c Voges b Theron 72

LRPL Taylor c Theron b Russell 0

DM Bravo b Theron 30

DJ Bravo* not out 24

N Pooran† c Russell b Miller 1 JPR Scantlebury-Searles not out 14

Extras: (lb-5, w-5) 10

Total: (5 wickets; 20 overs) 183

Fall of wickets: 1-44 (O'Brien, 5.4 ov), 2-45 (Taylor, 5.5 ov), 3-132 (Lewis, 14.2 ov), 4-146 (DM Bravo, 16.2 ov), 5-159 (Pooran, 17.4 ov)

Bowling: DL Vettori 3-0-340, JE Taylor 4-0-35-0 (2-w), J Theron 4-0-34-2, AD Russell 4-023-2 (3-w), CH Gayle 3-0-340, NO Miller 2-0-18-1

Jamaica Tallawahs innings (target: 184 runs from 20 overs)

CAK Walton c DJ Bravo b Edwards 8 CH Gayle* c Taylor b O'Brien 60 J Blackwood c Taylor b O'Brien 28

AC Voges c & b O'Brien 12

AD Russell not out 40

OA Shah lbw b O'Brien 2

CS Baugh† run out (†Pooran) 5 DL Vettori not out 0

Extras: (b-6, lb-1, w-7, nb-1) 15

Total: (6 wickets; 20 overs) 170 Fall of wickets 1-21 (Walton, 2.2 ov), 2-97 (Blackwood, 11.4 ov), 3-121 (Gayle, 14.3 ov), 4-121 (Voges, 14.4 ov), 5-124 (Shah, 16.1 ov), 6-151 (Baugh, 19.1 ov)

Bowling: FH Edwards 4-032-1 (2-w), S Badree 2-0-150, KK Cooper 4-0-16-0, JPR Scantlebury-Searles 3-028-0 (1-nb), DJ Bravo 3-041-0, SJ Benn 1-0-9-0, KJ O'Brien 3-0-22-4 (1-w)

anywhere near as tight. He was hit for three sixes in the last over, two of which came from the bat of Javon Searles on his CPL debut.

Having been set just over nine an over to win, the Jamaicans were up with the rate in the first couple of overs. Fidel Edwards’ second over changed that. He picked up the wicket of Chadwick Walton while conceding just one run. The other Red Steel bowlers followed suit as four overs went for just 21 runs. The start of the eighth over brought Gayle to life, hitting his first six off the 23rd ball he had faced. In partnership with Jermaine Blackwood, the Tallawahs captain brought his side back into contention.

Gayle’s approach of playing himself in while eating up deliveries is not without risk, but when it comes off his contribution is telling. Here he was on 17 off 22 balls

before he put his foot on the gas. He finished with 60 runs from 45 deliveries. Gayle has the most hundreds, the most scores over 50, the most runs and the most sixes in this format of the game. When Gayle was out caught on the boundary off the bowling of O’Brien, he may have fallen but he had given his side a chance. Those chances reduced when Adam Voges departed the next ball to leave two batsmen yet to face a ball at the crease for the visitors. Irishman O’Brien finished with his best T20 bowling figures of 4-22 as the Jamaican side never recovered from the loss of Gayle. While defeat for the first time will be a disappointment for the Tallawahs, they are still well placed to qualify, and it would be a surprise if these two excellent teams did not meet again in the knockout stages of the tournament.

(CPLT20)

Baldeo spins Guyana into control against Windward Islands

Off-spinner Balchand

Baldeo spun Guyana into a position of control against the Windward Islands at stumps on day one of the second round of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Under-19 tournament at the Everest Cricket Club ground, Camp Road, on Saturday.

Baldeo’s four-wicket haul was the architect of Guyana’s bowling effort on the opening day, as the Islanders were dismissed for 139. West Indies Under-19 openers Shimron Hetmyer and Tagenarine

Chanderpaul batted the home team to safety at stumps at 44 without loss.

Guyana skipper Brian Sattaur won the toss and elected to field, a decision that brought rewards as the Windward Islands found

overs, while fellow off-spinner Sharaz Ramcharran bagged 2-33. Openers Hetmyer and Chanderpaul capped an excellent day for the Guyanese, closing at 26 and 17 respectively.

In the other games, the

SCORE BOARD

Windward Islands 1st Innings

G. Pope c Hetmyer b Baldeo 14

M. Gordon c Ramcharran

b Baldeo 13

T. Simon c (sub) Morris

b Ramcharran 2

K. Jno-Lewis c wkpr Savory b Sankar 12

*R. Cato c Chanderpaul

b Waldron 11

+A. Latchman c wkpr Savory

b Baldeo 22

R. John c Paul b Baldeo 27

D. Edward c wkpr Savory

b Ramcharran 7

D. Hypolite not out 4

S. Lewis run out 15

C. Phillip b Paul 0

batting tough and wickets fell regularly. None of the batsmen got past 30 as the Guyanese, led by Baldeo, kept a tight grip on proceedings.

Baldeo finished with impressive figures 4-29 from 19

Extras: (b-4, lb-5, w-1, nb-2) 12

TOTAL: (all out, 62.4 overs) 139 Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-32, 3-32, 4-55, 5-63, 6-103, 7-116, 8-119, 9-138

Bowling: Smith 4-1-14-0, Paul 2.4-0-11-1, Baldeo 19-6-29-4, Ramcharran 22-7-33-2, Sankar 11-1-35-1, Waldron 4-2-8-1

GUYANA Under-19s 1st Innings

S. Hetmyer not out 26

T. Chanderpaul not out 17

Extras (w-1) 1

TOTAL (without loss, 11 overs) 44

Bowling: Lewis 4-0-18-0, Phillip 3-0-18-0, John 2-20-0, Hypolite 2-0-8-0

Leeward Islands were 5-0 in response to Jamaica’s 117 at the Demerara Cricket Club, Queenstown, while over at National Stadium, Barbados were struggling at 21-4 replying to Trinidad and Tobago’s 199.

Scott’s Jewellery supports Boyce/Jefford Classic

The Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic is kicking into high gear as Scott’s Jewellery renewed its sponsorship of the event on Saturday.

Manager of Scott’s Jewellery, Steve Persaud, noted that Scott’s was definitely proud to be a part of an event that continues to develop and grow.

“We sponsored this event last year and we had said that we plan on continuing in

the future with this activity. This contribution means that we are keeping our commitment from last year to help the organisers develop the sport.”

Director for the management committee of the track and field classic, Colin Boyce, highlighted that all logistics are in place to host an improved edition of the games in 2014 while thanking Scott’s for their contribution that will play a role in ensur-

Headquarters retain title

By Treiston Joseph

Headquarters is the superior division of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) when it comes to sports as they topped the points table for yet another athletics championships win with 501 points to retain their title on Friday at the Police Sports Ground, Eve Leary.

‘A’ Division came in sec-

ond after ending the first day tied with Headquarters with 402 points, while Country Division was third on 206 points. ‘B’ Division brought up the rear with 191 points.

In the ‘A’ Class competition, Guyana won with a final point standing of 472 while Trinidad and Tobago was second with 150 points. Antigua finished third with 30 points ending the 2014 edition of the championships.

Shawn

for

was a class sprinter over the course of the championship and fittingly won the male champion athlete for the ‘A’ Class division, while Tevin Garraway was the champion youth club athlete.

Thomas advances to round of 16 – TT women beat Scotland

Middleweight boxer Dennis Thomas moved on to the round of 16 on Saturday when the 20th edition of the Commonwealth Games continued in Glasgow, Scotland.

Thomas was up against Papua New Guinea’s Jonathon Keama and won

the bout by way of unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the bout 3027 in favour of Thomas.

Meanwhile, the girls’ table tennis team on Friday rebounded from their loss on Wednesday to defeat host nation Scotland 3-2 ,while losing to Canada in three straight sets later in

the day. Action in track and field will begin today with the men’s 100 metres featuring Adam Harris and Jeremy Bascom, while swimmer Onika George will hit the pool in the women’s 100 metres freestyle. Action in cycling will also be on today.

ing that the meet is successful.

The Boyce and Jefford track and field classic is becoming Guyana’s premier athletics event, as it not only allows clubs to develop themselves with the hefty cash prizes, but also brings international athletes to the shores of Guyana.

The event is slated for August 16 and 17 at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden.

Sri Lanka v South Africa, 2nd Test, SSC, 3rd day…

Sri Lanka take big lead despite Amla ton

Sthat was their sole objective. Since the start of the innings midway through the second day, their batsmen have

only been bothered about consuming time, deeming run-scoring as an unnecessary frivolity. Hashim Amla ground his way to his 22nd Test century, the first by a South African captain in Sri Lanka, and the second slowest of his career to avert the follow-on but not a 139-run first-innings deficit.

The other batsmen didn’t have the runs to match the amounts of time they spent in the middle which meant that Sri Lanka’s spinners were never put under pressure and were allowed to wheel away accurate over after accurate over.

The pitch was no minefield, which made the South African strategy even harder to comprehend. There was turn, but nothing alarming. There were no grubbers or high-jumpers. And South Africa have some of the world’s best batsmen against spin.

JP Duminy’s 58-ball 3 was the South African innings in microcosm. He wasn’t scoring runs, but he wasn’t getting beaten, nor was he in serious trouble.

There was a severe lack of intent though as he blocked or padded away everything that he could.

He played 49 consecutive dot balls, before finally miss-

ing one and was stumped after the ball deflected off his pad.

The day began with Sri Lanka using their only quick to bounce the batsmen from round the wicket, not a tactic that flustered the overnight pair of Amla and AB de Villiers much. Suranga Lakmal overstepped regularly as well and was struck for three fours in an over by de Villiers.

That made it five boundaries in seven deliveries as Amla had just put away a

wayward Ajantha Mendis for a couple of fours. After dead-batting almost everything on Friday, South Africa started the day with more vigour.

However, once Sri Lanka decided to give their two best bowlers, Dilruwan Perera and Rangana Herath, extended spells, the scoring rate went comatose again. South Africa had only made 14 runs in nine overs before Perera made the breakthroughs that derailed them. (Cricinfo)

SCORE BOARD

Sri Lanka 1st innings 421 South Africa 1st innings AN Petersen c & b Herath 2 D Elgar c Silva b Perera 1 F du Plessis c †Dickwella

b Lakmal 36 HM Amla* not out 139 AB de Villiers lbw b Perera 37 Q de Kock† b Perera 0

Duminy st †Dickwella b Herath 3

VD Philander b Perera 9 DW Steyn c Sangakkara

b Herath 30 Imran Tahir c Tharanga

b Herath 15 M Morkel c Silva b Perera 0 Extras: (lb 3, w 1, nb 6) 10 Total: (all out; 134.5 overs) 282 Fall of wickets 1-3 (Petersen, 1.5 ov), 2-13 (Elgar, 8.3 ov), 3-71 (du Plessis, 38.2 ov), 4-150 (de Villiers, 68.4 ov), 5-150 (de Kock, 68.6 ov), 6-175 (Duminy, 89.4 ov), 7-204 (Philander, 98.2 ov), 8-251 (Steyn, 117.5 ov), 9-279 (Imran Tahir, 133.6 ov), 10-282 (Morkel, 134.5 ov)

Bowling: RAS Lakmal 23 -754-1 (4-nb, 1-w), HMRKB Herath 45-17-71-4, MDK Perera 41.5-11-69-5, BAW Mendis 21-1-68-0 (2-nb), KDK Vithanage 4-0-17-0 Sri Lanka 2nd innings WU Tharanga not out 6 JK Silva not out 5 Extras: 0 Total(0 wickets; 5 overs) 11 Bowling: DW Steyn 3-1-7-

Cook should resign, says Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen says Alastair Cook should resign as England captain because he does “not have the tactical brain to lead the side.”

Cook, 29, has overseen seven defeats in the past nine Tests and failed to make a hundred in 27 innings.

Former England batsman Pietersen, 34, says “only politics are keeping Cook in a job” as it would be “yet another PR disaster” if he were to be sacked.

In his Daily Telegraph column, he suggests Ian Bell as Cook’s successor.

Responding to Pietersen’s comments, Cook told BBC Sport: “Everyone is entitled to their view and I can’t let it get to me. It is a tough job when you don’t win and when you don’t score runs it’s tougher.”

Former England captains Michael Vaughan has called for Eoin Morgan to replace Cook as skipper, while ex-England batsman Geoffrey Boycott said Cook is too “stubborn” to quit.

Cook added: “Everyone is piling in a little, but it will give me more satisfaction if we win and I score some runs. “I’m not in it for sympathy, but to win cricket games for England.”

Pietersen, who was sacked by England in February, also wrote: (a) Cook needs people around

him with international experience, which England coach Peter Moores lacks, (b) He should welcome input from the likes of former captains Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain and ex-Australia spinner Shane Warne, and (c) Yorkshire’s Joe Root has the character to become captain but, at 23, is too young .

Pietersen, England’s all-time leading run-scorer, said: “Alastair Cook is enduring an experience I would not wish on my worst enemy, but he should do what is right for England and resign the captaincy.”

He was also critical of Cook’s batting technique and recommended he seek the assistance of Surrey head coach Graham Ford, to whom Pietersen turned during a poor run of form.

“He could have another

10 years left but his batting needs emergency help and he needs to speak to someone away from the England set-up,” said Pietersen, who led England in three of his 104 Tests before resigning in 2009.

“Only politics are keeping Cook in a job because the England and Wales Cricket Board backed him so much that it would be yet another PR disaster if it sacked him now.

“But the ECB needs his runs back so a big decision has to be made. Forget the bad headlines for once.”

Ahead of the third Test against India, which starts at Southampton on Sunday, Pietersen said Warwickshire’s Bell, 32, “has a good tactical brain” and “could grow” into the captaincy.

Dentures provided in 72 hours from as low as $4500. Contact Dr B Stuart, 209B Charlotte St, Lacytown. Tel: 225-5034

Shalom Enterprise Driving School, Lot 2 Croal Street, Stabroek. Obtain an International Driver’s Permit that covers 123 countries. Call 227-3869 or Like us on Facebook.

Private computer classes for the summer. Monday to Friday, call 644-5456 or 226-7935

Need private tutoring or lessons for CXC Mathematics forms 1-5? Call 223-6941/685-9590

Make

YELLOW PAGES

july

april

Available: Fresh long-stemmed roses, fresh dried and silk floral arrangements, gift items, bridal boutiques and wreaths. Nesha’s Flowerland. 78 Church Street (opposite St George’s Cathedral). Tel: 227-3553/225-3315

Healthworld Holistic Centre offers clinical psychotherapy for suicidal thoughts, attempted suicides, depression, stress, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, homicidal thoughts, hallucinations, loneliness, conflicts, anger management, relationship & sexual problems, paranoia and much more. Call +592-621-0552 and make that appointment now before it’s too late. 12:00-6:00PM. Mondays-Fridays. Email: healthworldhc@gmail.com

Immigration & Visa Services We handle all Canadian, USA and UK immigration and visa matters. Self sponsorships, holiday/ visitor’s visas, work permits, students visas, family, class, immigration forms, embassy enquiries, appeals for refused cases, US green card lottery, business class waivers, pardons, etc. Get your visa approved. High success rate. Balwant Persaud & Associates. Certified Immigration Consultants, 68 Sixth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown (Between Cummings & Lights Sts) Tel: 225-1540, 622-8308, 655-3105. Email: balwantpersaud@yahoo.ca

Professional Key Shop, 125 Carmichael Street, Georgetown. Phone: 225-3923, mobile: 6213249. We cut any type of key, service and repair all types of locks. Get your extra key today.

l and FOr Sale

ECCLES (100FT X 50FT) PRIME RESIDENTIAL AREA $3.5M. 675-7292 GROVE (WITH FOUNDATION) $2.6M, HERSTELLING (110FT X 60FT) 6757292 Da Silva’s Optical. For Your Eyes Only, Look Better See Better. Phillip A Da Silva OD, Shannon L Da Silva OD, Natalie Da Silva OD. 248 South Road, Bourda. Phone: 227-3529, Linden: 444-6376, Corriverton: 339-3536, Meten-Meer-Zorg: 2750322, Grand Cayman Islands: (345) 943-1515

Prescription Plus Pharmacy located at Lot E5 Hadfield Street, Worthmanville between Louisa Row and Winter place. Opening Monday to Saturdays 07:00- 20:00h; Sunday & Holidays 08:30-13:00h. Pharmacist always available. Phone: 227-2973

One two-storey, three bedroom concrete property located at Parfaite Harmonie. Price $16M. Call 6221782 or 658-5803

COLD STORAGE FACILITY. Freezing and cold storage facilities available. Affordable prices offered. BM Enterprise Inc, Houston GFL Wharf. Tel: 27-8176/77

Business Support Services: Staff Training, Market Research, PR, Typing, Data Entry, etc. Call 611-6408 SerVIceS TWO STOREY HOUSE WITH LAND SIZE OF 100FT X 50FT $8.5M NONPARIEL. 675-7292

Dutch spiritual healing in removing evil spirit; bad luck; evil sickness; spells; reuniting lovers and prosperity to business etc, Call 612-6417, 220-0708, 687-5633. Cleansing of spiritual problems of all kinds. Powerful Ifá protection against evil. Get help to overcome problems with love, relationships, legal, sexual, pregnancy, business, sickness, jobs, enemies, work, money. Call 592-690-1824 from 10:0016:00h Email:anew-life@live.com

HEPHZIBAH MINISTRIES. 24hrs miracle line 322-5081/337-4510/3374259/337-4021/337-3070/3375103 For healing, deliverance, financial difficulties, marriage issues. Call now. Jesus cares.

Suriname Astrology Palmist and Djuka Healing, the most powerful spiritualist in the world, are you suffering from the following problems (any religion) love, marriage, family, health business, husband and wife relationship, property, court, chil-

Wright leads worldrecord run chase

One furnished house at Lamaha

Gardens suitable for office and residence in immaculate conditionUS$2,500. Two modern apartments - 3 bedrooms each at CampbellvilleUS$1,300. Contact office on 2194535 (08:00-17:00h) .

One two bedroom apartment at Grove, East Bank Demerara. Call 669-1954.

2 LEROY TRIDENT cars, 250CC, less than 200km on clock, 5-speed, 4 doors, Power Windows, keyless entry, CD Player, Sunroof, PRR Series average landed COST $1.5M, SELLING NOW FOR $900,000 CASH or 25% DOWN ($225,000) and pay in 2 years (BANK).Great on fuel. TEL: 227-3939, 621-4000

Trike Can-Am style Motorcycle, 200cc “BRAND NEW”, REVERSE GEAR, Projection and Led lights, Digital Dash board, UNREGISTERED, average landed COST $800,000 SELLING PRICE NOW $595,000 CASH or 10% down $59,500 and 3 YEARS TO PAY, "DEALS ON WHEELS" TEL: 227-3939, 621-4000

REDUCED MUST GO: Mitsubishi 3000GT (average street value $4M) sports car, 18” rims, leather seats, CD Player, Amp and box, HID lights, excellent condition “MAKE AN OFFER” Tel: 621-4000, 227-3939.

Mercedes Benz S300 bullet proof, (average street value $5M) leather seats, automatic, CD PLAYER and DVD player 2 screens, lots of extras, 19” CHROME RIMS, BEST OFFER Tel: 621-4000, 227-3939.

Hummer H2 SUT model “pre- negotiations sale” equipped with full leather interior, 22” rims triple DVD sound system HID lights, Fogs, Led lighting, lots of extras “MAKE AN OFFER” sale 621-4000 JUST ARRIVED: TOP QUALITY RECONDITIONED VEHICLES; TOYOTA NOAH; TOYOTA VOXY; TOYOTA IST (NEW SHAPE); SUZUKI SWIFT; DAIHATSU MOVE (660CC); MERCEDES BENZ C200 KOMPRESSOR; COROLLA AE100 WAGON; TOYOTA HIACE MINIBUS RZ; PITBULL-STYLE FREEZER VAN; LAND CRUISER (FULLY LOADED); MAZDA PROCEED 4WD EXTRA-CAB PICK-UP; TOYOTA HILUX 4WD EXTRA CAB PICKUPS - 3RZ, 5L, 3L SOLID DEFFERNTIAL; MITSUBISHI CANTER TRUCKS 4 TONS FREEZER; 3 TONS OPEN TRAY; 2 TONS 4WD; NISSAN ATLAS 2 TONS OPEN TRAY TRUCK. PRE-ORDER YOUR UNITS EARLY AND GET THE BEST PRICES. FULL AFTER SALES SERVICES AND FINANCING AVAILABLE. DEO MARAJ AUTO SALES, 2 CHIMNEY ROAD, CHATEAU MARGOT, ECD. 624-0762, 220-5177. A NAME AND SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST

4x4 Nissan Titan fully powered Immaculate condition $3.5M. No reasonable offer refused. 622-7740

2 ERF dump trucks (2001 model), unregistered; $6.5M. 1 man side curting hydraulic lift (2005 model), unregistered; $6.8M negotiable. 1-side action 3-side dump (2001 model); $6.5M negotiable. Call: 6620701,629-0661.

One Mitsubishi Evo2, Mag rims, DVD & CD, Airbrushed. Contact owner 626-2095

Sussex pulled off a world-record run chase with nine balls to spare against T20 Blast South Group winners Essex.

Luke Wright smashed an unbeaten 153 - the fourthhighest ever T20 scorewhich included 12 fours and 11 sixes to see Sussex to 226-3.

The previous highest successful chase had been Cape Cobras’ 224-5 against Titans in 2011.

Tom Westley’s unbeaten 109 and Jesse Ryder’s 75 had given Essex their second-highest ever T20 total of 225-3.

But their work was completely undone by Wright, who faced only 66 balls, and together with Matt Machan (41 not out) put on 159 for the fourth wicket at Chelmsford - the biggest partnership in Sussex’s T20 history.

The remarkable innings was even in jeopardy be-

fore a ball had been bowled, as traffic problems meant Sussex were struggling to get to the game on time, with Wright going as far as to jokingly ask on Twitter: “Is there anyone around the Chelmsford area that would like to open the batting for Sussex tonight? Not moving in this traffic!”

But they managed to get to the ground on time, and soon enough Essex got into their stride after being put in to bat, despite losing Mark Pettini to a Craig Cachopa run out off the fourth ball of the match.

That brought Westley to the crease, and he duly smashed his career-best score off 58 balls, including 12 fours and five sixes, and formed a 124-run partnership with New Zealand batsman Ryder.

Ryder was eventually caught by Machan off Chris Nash, whose figures of 1-34 were the best from the bowl-

ers, and Ryan ten Doeschate made 30 to see the hosts to their mammoth score.

But England limited overs international Wright had other ideas, and created history with a show of T20 batting which is only rivalled by Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 175, Brendon McCullum’s unbeaten 158 and Aaron Finch’s 156.

Wright was on the opposing side of Finch’s innings for Australia against England at Southampton last summer, only making a two-ball four that day.

His innings on Friday could do nothing to help Sussex into the quarter-finals of the competition - as they were already unable to get through before the match - while Essex won the South Group by virtue of Surrey’s defeat by Kent and will face Birmingham Bears in a home quarter-final. (BBC Sport)

Guyana Amazon Warriors at

a

glance… Roof battering, the partnership and collapse, Hafeez blitz and that boy Beaton

The Guyana Amazon Warriors pulled off a sensational win over the Barbados Tridents in Match 14 of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League last evening at Kensington Oval, courtesy of brilliant death bowling from Krishmar Santokie and Ronsford Beaton. Avenash Ramzan recaps some key moments of the game.

Roof battering

Dwayne Smith has struck many a bowlers over the ropes, and in some cases, on the roof. He got a taste of what it feels like to be dispatched as Lendl Simmons launched him on the roof of the Kensington Oval, the biggest six of the Limacol CPL at the

time, 103 metres. In a show versatility, Simmons delicately pierced the off-side field next ball with a boundary past point.

The roof came in for another bout of banging when Simmons followed up with his second big hit off Jason Holder, sailing 90 metres.

The partnership

The Guyana Amazon Warriors had their best opening stand of the League this year as Simmons and Martin Guptill stitched together a century partnership in 12 overs. Simmons was simply sizzling, clearing the ropes on four occasions and hitting it five times.

Guptill played the perfect foil, ex-

pertly rotating the strike and hitting the bad balls when they were thrown up. It was the kind of start the Amazon Warriors needed, coming off consecutive defeats.

The collapse

A fantastic foundation of 103-0 in 12 overs soon crumbled to 1324 after 17 as the Warriors innings stalled with four wickets falling for 29 runs inside five overs.

Simmons’ dismissal after a cracker of an innings opened the floodgates as Denesh Ramdin, James Neesham and Christopher Barnwell all fell cheaply, combining for just 10 runs as the Tridents crawled back into the game.

Hafeez blitz

With Guptill finding it difficult to maximise on the big shots, the Amazon Warriors needed someone to play a blinder and Mohammad Hafeez responded in tremendous fashion.

He came in at number six and turned the innings on its head, smashing three sixes and two fours.

His blitz of 30 off 10 balls changed the complexion of the innings, as 132-4 after 17 turned into a more formidable 164-5 when he departed with four balls remaining.

Trevon Griffith, playing his first match this season, capped the revival with a six off the final delivery.

Peppering cover

Youngsters watching would have been given some free batting tips in the final over of the Powerplay as Shoaib Malik and Dwayne Smith delved into the coaching manual and pulled out three shots of immense class.

The first delivery from Jimmy Neesham was short and wide and Malik rocked on the back foot, cutting it past a diving backward

point for four.

The next ball, slower and on a length outside off, was caressed beautifully between two fielders at cover for another boundary, arguably the shot of the night.

Ball five was a touch fuller outside off stump and Smith joined the fun, smashing it through cover and with no sweeper on the boundary, the result was obvious.

That boy Beaton

Ronsford Beaton hardly had time to recover from that last ball six against Darren Bravo and he was back at it again, bowling the final over with 11 required for victory.

With Smith sitting pretty on a hundred, Beaton was up against it, but the young man from Essequibo delivered a high-class exhibition of death bowling, conceding just three runs to hand the Warriors a sensational win.

The yorkers didn’t come out for Beaton in Port-of-Spain, but they were aplenty in Bridgetown, and Ian Bishop on commentary summed it up nicely, “from zero to hero”.