friday, august 23, 2013 |
An eight-day music workshop wrapped up on Wednesday with the 16 participants from several organisations across the country receiving certificates and being urged to go out and spread their knowledge.
At a simple closing and presentation ceremony on Wednesday afternoon, at the Cara Lodge Hotel, Quamina Street, Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony delivered the feature address. He underscored that music is an area in Guyana which needs critical work, the country can be recognised
once again for its melodies, recalling that during the 1970s persons from the Caribbean looked up to Guyana for its musical output. He said such workshops were important to reviving music in the country, describing the workshop as a “small step but a step in the right direction”.
Dr Anthony pledged the ministry’s support for the participants of the workshop and other persons who are willing to teach music, since there are many persons who would like to learn music but cannot since the music school is
packed to capacity. “We want to see you as an extension of what we are attempting to do,” he added.
The culture minister noted that music can be used to reinforce self-confidence and self-esteem in underprivileged areas and explained that the ministry also hopes it can be used as a technique to produce constructive improvements in communities. Making reference to Guyana’s neighbour Venezuela, which has been using music to get into communities and help with positive social development, he highlighted that Guyana is in talks with the country to adopt a similar system.
The minister said often music and other creative art forms such as dancing are not seen as serious and “valuable” but as extracurricular activities; hence the ministry was aggressively working to ensure persons who complete their studies at the National Dance School, the Music School, the Art School or the newly established Drama School are accredited. The workshop, which was coordinated by the Tina Insanally Foundation, has been hosted for several years.
As the attorney general’s chambers scrutinises the four local government bills recently passed by Parliament, Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud said he was convinced that President Donald Ramotar would do all in his power to ensure the staging of the long overdue elections. Local government elections were last held in 1994.
The Municipal and District Councils’ Bill, the Fiscal Transfers Bill, the Local Government Commission Bill, and the Local Government (Amendment) Bill were sent to the AG’s chambers by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs. It is unclear when the bills, which were passed during the last sitting of the National Assembly earlier this month, will be sent to the president for his assent.
During a press conference at his Kingston office, the minister said he will not preempt the decision of the president on whether he will assent to the four bills. However, “I don’t think the president would want to delay the holding of local government elections for any reason other than something that is unconstitutional,” he said.
According to Persaud, President Ramotar would do all in his power to pave
the way for the staging of the elections. Additionally, he said he was thrilled by the move by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to commence preparatory work for the regional elections next year. “I am excited that preparations seem to be taking place at a number of levels. I understand that a number of the political parties, groups, and individuals are getting themselves ready, acquainting themselves with the new legal frameworks,” he posited.
GECOM ready
Addressing the press earlier in the month, GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally said the commission is fully equipped and ready to stage the longdelayed local government elections. According to Dr Surujbally, elections can be held within six months, once
the president assents to the bills. In September, another continuous registration exercise will commence, bring the voters list to perfection. GECOM has already demarcated the various boundaries and constituencies – 71 districts. Each of these areas has been targeted for voters’ education. Further, Dr Surujbally added that with support from foreign donors and funds from the commission’s own budget, finance will not be a problem.
This is the first time that GECOM, under the stewardship of Dr Surujbally, will be hosting local government elections.
U.S. Ambassador D Brent Hardt expressed satisfaction with plans to host local government elections. Hardt said the U.S. government is supportive of local government reform in Guyana and will assist GECOM in preparing for this through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The diplomat said a new head of USAID will soon arrive in Guyana, coinciding with plans for an election. Hardt and other local envoys of the Western nations have been advocating for the holding of local government elections, publicly urging the political parties to facilitate the urgent holding of local polls.
Three men have been taken into police custody on Thursday afternoon following the discovery of a gun and ammunition at Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara.
The police stated that about 12:05h, ranks stopped and search a motor vehicle on the Le Ressouvenir Public Road during which a .32 Taurus pistol with 10 matching rounds were discovered.
The three occupants of the motor vehicle are known to the police, since they were previously charged with robbery under arms. The police added that based on investigations, the firearm was stolen during a recent robbery on August 18. The three men are in custody pending charges.
Afather and his son were sentenced to a fine and community service by Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday on a charge of possession of narcotics.
Marib and Brian Durga pleaded guilty to pos-
sessing, on August 21 at Mackenzie, Linden, three grams and two grams of cannabis respectively.
According to the facts, police officers were conducting a search in the area, and frisked both men when the substance was uncovered.
Attorney George Thomas, who represented both defendants, made an application for reasonable bail.
There were no objections to bail put forward by the prosecution. However, Magistrate Azore fined both of them $5000 and sentenced them to three months’ community service.
Countrywide:
Winds:
By Svetlana MarShall
Investors from China and Malaysia are expected in Guyana on Sunday to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Agriculture Ministry, paving the way for a feasibility study on the production of biofuel in the Canje Basin.
The China-Malaysia commercial group is just one of 15 international investors that are eyeing Guyana for the production of biofuels through the planting of sugar cane, corn, soya, and palm.
During an exclusive interview with Guyana Times on Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy said the already-composed MoU will be signed in the coming week.
With the growing demand for palm oil across the world, the company will explore the possibility of largescale palm oil production and the simultaneous production of agro-fuel. Once planted, the tropical tree can produce fruit for more than 30 years, agriculturalists indicate. Currently, Indonesia is the leading supplier for the global market that demands more of the tree’s versatile oil for cooking, cosmetics, and biofuels. With the largescale production of palm oil, Minister Ramsammy believes Guyana can tap into the global market.
In addition to the ChinaMalaysian Group, a company out of India is currently
conducting a feasibility study in another section of the Canje Basin to determine the possibility of bioethanol production through sugar cane. Dr Ramsammy said the company will be placing major emphasis on the production of bioethanol. However, given the company’s close proximity to the Skeldon Sugar Factory, if feasible, the Agriculture Ministry will be working along with it to provide the factory with sugar cane.
Biofuel technology
Just two days ago, Guyana’s first Bio-Ethanol Demonstration Plant was commissioned to the tune of $85 million. The project was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank-Japanese Special Fund for Sustainable Energy and Climate Change and the government of Guyana through a technical cooperation pact. The plant will be used to demonstrate the production of fuel grade ethanol, provide a small number of vehicles with fuel, and train local personnel in biofuel technologies.
With two primary components, it will produce hydrous ethanol (95 per cent from molasses) and anhydrous ethanol (99.9 per cent) for the fuelling of approximately 30 vehicles using an E10 formula (a 10 per cent ethanol-90 per cent gasoline blend).
Meanwhile, in the Intermediate Savannahs, a Barbadian company is exploring the possibility of large-
scale production of corn to supply Guyana’s feed industry and produce agro-fuel. The company is using a 20-hectare plot of land to conduct its studies and has been working feverishly for the past six months.
In June, the ministry announced that it has decided to grow corn and peas to reduce the high importation cost of these two products, which are imported mainly from Belize.
The agriculture minister explained that while approximately 500,000 hectares of land are being used for the production of food to meet the demands of the Guyanese populace, the country has the potential to be the breadbasket of the Caribbean and a fuel giant.
“Guyana is one of the few countries in the world that still has a large amount of land that can be made arable. So areas such as the Intermediate Savannahs, Canje Basin, and Rupununi Savannahs where we have
hundreds of thousands of hectares of land, they can be made available for agriculture, if we were to build the infrastructure,” he explained.
With financial investment from private agencies, the Agriculture Ministry will be expanding its exportation base to include cash crops.
Turning his attention to the exportation of poultry, Dr Ramsammy explained that the country is currently producing to meet the needs of the local market. He said its inability to tap into the global market was a result of the high cost attached to feed.
“Even though Guyana produces its own feed, all of the inputs come from outside of the country... the protein content, the micro-nutrient content is imported into the country and that costs a lot, the two important crops for feed production are corn and soya," he explained.
He pointed out that approximately 40,000 tonnes of corn and approximately 15,000 tonnes of soya are shipped into the country for the poultry industry.
According to Dr Ramsammy, with the planting of corn, Guyana can reduce the import bill, export poultry to the Caribbean and the wider world, and simultaneously produce biofuels. “Haiti imports more than a 100 million tonnes of chicken from the U.S. – could you imagine if we have access to just a small part of that market?” he asked. The production of food and the simultaneous generation of agro-fuel forms part of the Agriculture Ministry F5 Strategy. (svetlanam@guyanatimesgy.com)
Editor: Nigel Williams
Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134
Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown
Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com
The passing of former Attorney General Doodnauth Singh and former Chairman of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Harold Davis marks the passing of an era: the era of men who reached adulthood in the colonial era and yet were able to transcend their humble beginnings. They might have done so via different paths but the methodology was the same: education. Both were “country boys” who utilised the then slimmer opportunities available in the educational field to break down barriers and stereotypes and achieve success by whatever criteria might be applied to gauge them.
Davis completed his early schooling, became a school teacher then proceeded to the U.S. to further his education. Returning to Guyana in the 1958, he joined the dominant industrial giant of British Guiana, Bookers. It owned most of the sugar plantations in the colony – as well as an extraordinary number of commercial interests. Under its visionary Chairman Jock Campbell, Bookers had introduced a programme to “Guyanise” its management structure. Davis was one of Bookers’ first non-white personnel managers. The year before, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had staged massive protests at Skeldon for non-white managers.
He was to rise very rapidly in the Bookers hierarchy, and when in 1976 the company was nationalised by the People’s National Congress (PNC) government, but with the full agreement and backing of the PPP opposition, Davis was made chairman of the renamed “ GuySuCo”. Under his watch the diversification of the sugar company into other agricultural products was initiated. Matters came to a full circle when in 1990 he passed on the baton to Booker-Tate to revive the sugar industry.
Singh came out of Berbice and proceeded to England to qualify for the bar, following a tradition that the “professions” – law and medicine – were the way to succeed in the colonial atmosphere. Singh was tremendously well versed in the formalities and intricacies of law, but unlike many of his ilk, chose not only to reject being a solicitor, but actually became a criminal trial lawyer, following the path blazed by notables such as Lionel Luckhoo.
He practised in the Caribbean and was the prosecutor against Bernard Coard in Grenada for the killing of Maurice Bishop. In Guyana he was associated in the legal struggle to free Arnold Rampersaud who had been railroaded by the PNC for a “political murder.” Later, he was to become the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the 1997 elections, at the end of which he swore in Janet Jagan as president. He later became attorney general of Guyana, a post he served with distinction.
We have elaborated on the careers of these two gentlemen because they exemplify the grit and determination of Guyanese from a time when Guyanese established a reputation of eminence in almost every field through their educational attainments. They did so through hard work and sacrifice. Today, our reputation as Guyanese is in shambles and it mirrors to a “T” the withdrawal of our focus on education – especially in boys.
Singh and Davis demonstrated that there is nothing inherently inferior in the genetic makeup of our boys: they were not exceptions but rather the rule for a wide swathe of men who succeeded in the immediate post war era.
Today, when we look at the results of the secondary school examinations, in addition to the horrific percentage of failures in subjects like mathematics (70 per cent failure) and English Language (55 per cent failure) if those numbers are disaggregated, we will discover that boys predominate in the failure rates.
We have to recapture the spirit of what produced Singh and Davis. There is a great deal of buzz about the new medium of delivering education, but this has always been changing. The constant in the effective delivery of education lies in parents who take responsibility for learning at home, and teachers who do so in the schools. The time for excuses is over. Hard work must be the mantra once again.
Dear Editors,
Please allow me to make a few comments on a letter to the editor by Tony Vieira, headlined “The public has rejected the Amaila Hydro Project”. He admitted that he came to this conclusion after reading the comments in an opposition aligned news media of the president’s appeal to the opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to support the project. The following are my comments:
* Vieira expresses his desire to see the appearance of comedians Habeeb Khan and Jerry Lewis on our political stage. Why do we need them? We already have Vieira, Christopher Ram and most importantly, Ramon Gaskin.
* Vieira described Guyana as the most corrupt and inept government in the Caribbean. What Vieira seems to have forgotten is that it is this same corrupt government that has been producing growth rate at an average of 4.5 per cent for the past seven years, unlike the other very clean and efficient governments of the Caribbean. He should read the Caribbean Economic Performance Report 2013, which states that Guyana was one of only three strongly performing economies in the Caribbean
--- the others being Belize and Suriname. Seems to me that Vieira’s understanding of corruption is what drives growth in Guyana.
* According Vieira, the public is not in support of the eventual support by the Alliance For Change (AFC) of the Amaila Falls Hydro Electricity Project (AFHEP), something they were forced to do after their supporters’ outcry against their initial decision not to support it. It seems to me that Vieira has a distorted understanding of what constitutes a majority. How it is that “AFC + APNU = majority” but “AFC + People’s Progressive Party/C (PPP/C)” does not? No wonder his television business folded up and he cannot understand why.
* Vieira asserts that it is commonsense that the president must do what Parliament (meaning the opposition) wants or stand the consequences. It is also commonsense that if you are a bad manager compounded by lack of vision, your business will definitely fail, especially if you are in the very competitive television business. Guyana under the PPP/C has been prospering over the last 20 years. Anyone with commonsense could also see that.
* Vieira announced to the world that he believes the so called analysis of AFHEP by the three comedians mentioned earlier. Well the proof is in the eating of the pudding. These comedians have been around for quite a while and if they are of such great competence, why didn’t Vieira seek their services to save his television business when competition stepped in?
The question is, therefore, if Vieira was not prepared to trust these men of such great competence to save his little television business, they why should they be trusted the future of an entire nation?
What can you say about a manager whose business, established under conditions of zero competition, existed for a whole decade before other competitors entered the scene, but nevertheless, led his company into bankruptcy, while the new entrants continued to prosper? I am talking about Vieira and his television business.
* Vieira’s statement that we are a backward nation because of our lack of appreciation of polls is a gross insult to all Guyanese. Guyana was indeed considered a backward nation under the People’s National Congress (PNC) but not
anymore. Maybe Vieira needs a light to see what is clear in the day, but Guyanese don’t. For Vieira’s information, backwardness implies failure, stagnation and even degradation, but Guyana has been prospering since the PPP/C came to office. Backwardness also implies being left behind as others move on. The television business in Guyana is a fine example. Vieira’s comments on the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and the Marriott Hotel project are also fine examples of backwardness, shallow thinking and lack of vision, and does not only confirm why his television business failed, but why the failure was inevitable.
Vieira may be acquainted with a little legend in Guyana that a certain former businessman had sworn that no East Indian will ever put their hand on his family’s property. A few years later, when he would have gotten over the shame, or when he would have finished blowing out the money – not sure which one – he returned to Guyana with barefaced accusations to all and sundry.
Yours sincerely, Faruk Mohamed
Dear Editor, I believe that, as a people, we are maturing. In the past, we tended to simply do just the minimum for those with special needs.
We must continue to appreciate that special needs people are not really anomalies of life – yes, they have impediments, but they are fully humans. They have feelings, want to experience life in its fullness, and even contribute to society.
I listened last week to
a blind local musician and what he did on air was really good. He can give back so much and he has started already. It would be great if someone can facilitate him with his instrument and maybe a recording system.
If we multiply our efforts a few times, it will really change things up where helping the unfortunate is concerned.
Yours truly, Etienne Williams
Dear Editor,
Every time I read about illegal firearm, I get really jumpy. In Jamaica, a curfew is on in some sections of the country. The reason – too many gun crimes. For much of this summer, police officers in Helena, Arkansas shouldered military-style M-16 rifles equipped with laser sights and patrolled the streets of this little community of 15,000. White signs on large blue barrels were placed in a 10-block area, warning that it was under 24-hour curfew.
A crime spree prompted a similar lockdown in
Hartford, Connecticut. After a chain of shootings that left one 21-year-old dead, a 15-month-old shot in the left leg and six young people wounded, the city in August imposed a 30-day emergency curfew on everyone under the age of 18.
See what guns can do when they are in the wrong hands? They are there for evil purposes. I hope that we will go this route soon, so that, even if there are illegal weapons, people will be fearful to carry out their criminal plans.
Yours faithfully, Gopaul Tiwari
Dear Editor, I write responding to the letter to the editor, “Belle Vue Co-op Society cane farmers have been deprived of their land; authorities will not act,” published in another section of the media. The Belle Vue Cane Farmers Marketing Cooperative Society Limited has been problematic for several years now.
The committee of management of the society took approximately 15 of its members to arbitration for payment of monies that was owed to the society. The arbitration award in October 2009 stated that members should repay all monies owed to the society, failing which the land will be repossessed after publication and notices. After the arbitration award, the society’s committee of management hastily
repossessed the members’ land and allocated parcels to new personnel.
A few dispossessed members approached the chief cooperatives development officer about their land being repossessed. It was subsequently learnt that the arbitrator went outside of his mandate and stated in the award that, if the members did not repay by a specific date, their lands would be repossessed.
The chief cooperative development officer then wrote the committee of management in July 2010 advising that the arbitrator went outside of his mandate and the land should not be repossessed. The committee of management ignored this advice and did little thereafter to address the matter.
The ministry tried to resolve the matter in 2012 by
appointing an interim management committee (IMC) to investigate the claims by the dispossessed members and to manage the affairs of the society until the investigation is completed.
The IMC report revealed that some dispossessed members accepted compensations from the new occupants of the land, while others demanded that their land be returned to them.
Subsequently, one of the new holders of a plot of land filed a writ in the High Court against the administration of the Labour Ministry, claiming that the land rightfully belongs to him.
The High Court is currently addressing the matter and as a result, the ministry cannot intervene any further on this matter.
Finally, we wish to state that the individuals who
feel that they were dispossessed of their land by the former committee of management of the Belle Vue Cane Farmers Marketing Cooperative Society Limited should seek redress through the High Court. This, we believe, is the only way to resolve this long and protracted dispute.
The ministry is prepared to provide legal representation to the members who were dispossessed of their land and in this regard, we ask that they visit the ministry so that arrangements could be made to solicit the services of an attorney-atlaw.
Carol Prasad, Chief Cooperatives Development Officer, Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security
Dear Editor, I followed the case of the drunken man who threatened to kill a woman. He explained at the hearing, that he was drunk and so did not know what he was doing at the time. The magistrate, however, still went ahead and sentenced him to a month’s jail time.
Now, was this man really responsible for his threatening language? I say a resounding yes. A person must know when and where to drink, and also how much.
Responsibility starts with the very choice.
Then the scientific findings show that most people are aware of what they are doing, when drinking, until they reach a point where they have had so much, they will do and say things that they would not on a normal basis.
By the time this stage is reached, the drunken ones hardly even have muscular control, speech becomes blurred, and movement is jelly-like.
Alcohol in the body interferes with the receptors in the hippocampus that transmits glutamate, a compound that carries signals between neurons. During this interference, alcohol prevents some receptors from working, while activating others.
This process causes the neurons to create steroids that then prevent neurons from communicating with each other properly, thus disrupting long-term potentiation (LTP), a process believed necessary for learning
and memory. People who drink really hard need to know this long before they go off on a binge. So again, any misdemeanour by a really drunken person must never be trivialised.
I call on the police to now target drunken people who are all over the place. More people should report drunken men who abuse or threaten them.
Yours sincerely, Fabian
Gonsalves
BY DEVAN MCGUINNESS
Life is full of some pretty awesome things. As parents, we get to ex perience life all over again through the eyes of our chil dren. We watch them try and see new things for the first time.
There’s another side to this too. We also have to watch our children go through the harder and sad parts of life as well. Recently, I’ve watched my children experience and ex press grief for the first time. In less than two weeks, our two cats passed away and they’ve been around for my children’s entire life. It’s hard to watch the tears fall as they talk about missing them and holding them in their hearts. As a mom, all I want to do is take the pain away, but it’s not possible. There are going to be many more moments where I want to shield my children but the best I can do is help ease them through the sad times. As they grow, they’re bound to experience more grief, heartbreak and disappointment – it’s inevitable. There are some ways to help children deal with disappointment and come through it better on the oth er side.
Check out these seven ways you can help your child deal with disappointment and be a better person for it in the end:
make your child feel worse and misunderstood.
Give them space
Children need space to
with you and give them a hug.
Reassure them
Give them the assurance that in time, things will be okay. Remind them of another time they were disappointed and things worked out fine or share a story of your own.
Watch how you deal
Children are big mimic learners and even when you don’t think they’re watching, they are. Watch how you deal with disappointment yourself and try to model a more positive way of handling it.
Readjust expectations
Listen to what they’re upset about – if they got a B on a test or lost the baseball game – talk about how they did the best they could and tried their hardest. Remind them of the positive things about the test (that a B is amazing) or that amazing catch they had in baseball.
Focus on the lesson
There is so much to be learned through disappointment. Talk to your child about what they would have done differently, what they learned and focus on making it better in the future.
(babble.com)
BY AMY ANDErSoN
My children love a good surprise – how about yours? Since the baby days of peek-a-boo, I’ve loved finding little ways to add more smiles and giggles to our days. As often as I can, I look for sweet, memorable, or unexpected things I can do for my children. I feel like I shine as a parent when I make the everyday things special – these moments fill me up as much as they do for my girls.
So, here are a few ideas I have up my sleeve that I know will both surprise and delight my two girls. They are easy, frugal, and don’t re quire much more than my time. There are going to be lots of smiles around here!
Give their bedrooms the hotel treatment
While your children are out side playing, tak ing a bath, or oth erwise occupied, sneak into their bedrooms and fancy them up a bit. Make the bed
and put a candy on the pillow. Set out a vase of fresh flowers or a new magazine. Maybe you could even offer room service for dessert!
Bring something surprising to the dinner table
The children are expecting noodles and veggies and you bring a tray of ice cream sundae fixings – how’s that for delightful? Other fun and unexpected dinners could be smoothies and popcorn, a cold cereal bar, or chocolate
you poster Make a big poster of all the things you love about your child and hang it on his bedroom door or above her bed. You could continue adding to it week after week, too. What a sweet thing to read each day!
Celebrate a crazy holiday
You could make-up your own holiday or choose one of the many unusual holidays that already exist. For example, August 31 is National Trail Mix Day and September 9 is Teddy Bear Day. Make a snack, do a craft, or play a game that goes with the holiday.
Play a game with breakfast
Set-up a favourite board or card game at night so it’s ready to greet your child first thing in the morning. Play, visit, and enjoy your toast with a game.
Go all out for story time
Yes, usually bedtime stories are a time for snuggling and winding down. Make an exception and showup for story time in costume! Don’t forget to do all the characters’ voices and special sound effects, too. I know my girls would really love it if my husband and I performed a story together. We’ll call it Bedtime Theatre! (simplekids.net)
More tributes poured in on Thursday for former Attorney General Doodnauth Singh who passed away at a city hospital on Wednesday evening.
The wife of the late senior counsel, Aisha, said her husband died peacefully, with the satisfaction of leading a good life. Sitting at their Forshaw Street, Queenstown home, Mrs Singh meet with close friends and relatives who went over to express their condolences. The 80-year-old former legal affairs minister died around 19:30h on Wednesday at the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital where he was being treated for liver cancer.
Mrs Singh told Guyana Times that she was holding up quite well. “I’m not happy, but I’m not grieving either, because he died a peaceful and comfortable death.”
Funeral arrangements are being made, but no date has set as the family are waiting for overseas relatives to arrive. However, the funeral is likely to be Monday and will be according to Hindu rites.
Disciplined Singh, a father of five, was described as a hard-working and disciplined individual. “You know what’s most remarkable about him, ‘please, thank you, and excuse me’ never left his mouth. Even while he was in the hospital, when I was sleeping, I would hear him telling the nurses ‘thank you’ if they did anything for him,” his widow sadly stated.
She added: “I’m happy for his soul, his soul is resting peacefully and happy because he was a comfortable person.” Mrs Singh explained that since her husband resigned from Parliament, they two of them had been spending time together. She continued that he loved reading and would even indulge in some gardening and provide voluntary counselling to young attorneys.
Mrs Singh told this newspaper that her husband was very satisfied with his work and was grateful to God for the work he has done. “He told me that he came from poverty, his family was very, very poor and he always said he is grateful to God for all his accomplishments.”
Praised Meanwhile, on a live programme in memory of Singh hosted on the state’s channel, National Communications Network, several senior members of the legal fraternity in Guyana praised and reflected on his work and accomplishments.
Senior Counsel Charles Ramson stated that Singh served his country using his knowledge, experience and craft as an attorney. “He has made a mark that may never be erased by the various comments that would probably be made now that he has gone… he will be missed because of his obvious strength of character.”
The senior counsel stated that his late colleague had served Guyana in the political and legal capacity, adding that he had played a great role in the various aspects not only in Guyana but in the Caribbean.
Legal icon
AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan, said Singh is a legal icon in his book.
“There wasn’t an advocate like him especially in jury trials, he had this tremendous presence and a lovely voice, very articulate and of course, he had a tremendous brain.”
Ramjattan noted that while he was a prosecutor, he saw the capacity and brilliance of Singh’s mind. “He is a hero of mine,” Ramjattan stated.
The People’s Progressive
Party said it was saddened to learn of the passing of Singh. “We express sincerest condolences to the family and friends of this distinguished son of the soil. Indeed, the nation has suffered a true loss by his passing. The party is eternally grateful for the numerous contributions he has made to the nation and the legal fraternity, both locally and internationally.”
According to the PPP, Singh served this nation with distinction and astuteness, noting the many portfolios he held including legal affairs minister and chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission.
Singh would be remembered for his distinction in his professional life, research capabilities, eloquence in the courtroom and Parliament, and immense knowledge of the law. “Despite his numerous achievements, he has demonstrated humility and has provided mentorship to many, including those for whom he has been a fortress.” The PPP said it was eternally grateful for the contributions made by Singh and hoped that his family and friends are comforted in their grief and find solace.
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) said it was with a deep sense of sadness that it noted the passing of Singh. Singh was the commission’s chairman for the 1997 elections. According to GECOM, apart from his affable personality, Singh will always be remembered for his willingness to forthrightly share information whenever consulted.
Speaker Raphael Trotman said on behalf of members of the National Assembly and staff of
the Parliament Office, he mourns the death of Singh. Trotman said Singh was a distinguished jurist who won for himself, and country, international acclaim for his advocacy and legal acumen, and he will be remembered for his crisp and concise presentations in the National Assembly, which were always well-received.
“Despite Mr Singh’s many notable achievements, both as a practising senior counsel and member of parliament, he maintained a great sense of humility and simplicity. He was a friend to everyone and never allowed his sojourn into the world of politics as the nation’s attorney general to be seen and understood as anything more than an act of a professional,” Trotman noted.
In February 2009, the National Assembly bade Singh goodbye as he proceeded into retirement and he, in parting remarks, called for a lifting of the standard of debate, discourse and behaviour in the House, describing it as the “highest court in the land” where the people’s business must be debated not as if it were a vendor’s market. Singh had undergone bypass surgery several years ago.
Singh began his career in 1959 when he was admitted to the bar. He was one of the country’s leading criminal attorneys, and was involved in many high-profile cases, locally and regionally. In one of his career’s high points, he was a special prosecutor in the case against Bernard Coard and others who were charged for the murder of Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop.
The execution of capital projects across the 10 administrative regions have been progressing slowly, with only 30 per cent of them completed in the areas of health, education, agriculture, public works and regional administration.
Local Government Ministry
Permanent Secretary Collin Croal is, however, optimistic that the percentage will rise by September.
Addressing a media conference on Thursday Croal said regional democratic councils (RDCs) across the country have disbursed approximately 30 per cent of their allotted funds for the execution of capital projects. The late approval of the 2013 National Budget was cited as one of the major factors that led to the delay in projects.
The permanent secretary pointed out that a number of contracts are before the National Procurement Tender Administration Board.
Current programmes
As it relates to the Recurrent Budget for the 10 RDCs, Croal reported that more than 51 per cent of the current programmes have been achieved. “This will move by the end of September, because all of the regions under the education programme are carrying out their maintenance programmes within the schools. Most of the awards have already been made and so we expect that when we report to you next month, the per cent will move up dramatically,” he explained.
At the level of the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry, 40 per cent of its capital budget has been expended and more than 60 per cent of its recurrent
Local Government Ministry Permanent Secretary Collin Croal
projects have been completed. Croal added that the ministry is pushing ahead to ensure that its programmes, as well as projects, are completed on time. Among the projects executed by the ministry are the construction of a sanitary block at the Buxton Market Tarmac and the extension of the Mabaruma Market. Additionally, the ministry has procured a quantity of solar panels and a pickup truck to aid in the monitoring and evaluation outreach programme.
Meanwhile, the 65 neighbourhood democratic councils (NDCs) have received their first tranche of subvention to the tune of $97.5 million, while five of the six municipalities: Anna Regina, New Amsterdam, Linden, Corriverton, and Rose Hall have received $22 million in subventions. The Georgetown Mayor and City Council, however, has not received its first tranche of its subvention.
friday, august 23, 2013| guyanatimesgy.com
AFC says it did the right thing in voting for
The Alliance For Change (AFC) said after considerable review, it has determined that its parliamentary actions in relation to the Amaila Falls Hydro Power Project were consistent with its commitment to Guyanese consumers, as well as its commitments to renewable energy and making Guyana an attractive venue for investors.
The AFC has been criticised for voting with the government on the hydroelectricity bill and the accompanying motion of debt guarantee. In a statement on Thursday, the party said in light of what has since transpired, it was convinced that it acted in a rational and responsible manner to safeguard both the people of Guyana and the project, pending an ongoing analysis by the Inter- American Development Bank (IDB).
The AFC, in recognition of the advanced stage of the project financing process, and in appreciation of what it takes to bring a project of such magnitude to this stage, took a position to approve two parliamentary measures intended to support the project. “Neither of these measures, as approved, present any risk whatsoever to the people of Guyana. The party wishes make it clear that it has, by no means, endorsed this project in its current form.”
The AFC added that Guyana has entered a new era where the government must, in a timely and meaningful manner, consult the people and their representatives on all matters pertaining to the country’s development.
“The AFC still believes there is a window of opportunity for the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project to remain
on the table pending its thorough analysis. We urge all interested stakeholders to engage meaningfully, and free from confrontational and incendiary language, in an attempt to find a solution to what has become a national embarrassment. Significant sums of taxpayers’ money have already been spent. If we are to salvage any of that, we must act now.”
Earlier this week, the United States government urged all political parties to come together in the national interest to support the investment “that will improve the lives of its people with less expensive and more reliable energy”.
In an op-ed column, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana D Brent Hardt said the demise of this project is likely to diminish Guyana’s future attractiveness to international investors, and make future investments in the energy sector riskier and more costly.
Sithe Global, the New York-based company that was contracted to develop the project, had cited the lack of political consensus for its withdrawal from the project. The project legislation secured the votes
of the government and the minority opposition party, AFC to gain passage through the National Assembly, but the main opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) voted against it. The coalition cited a lack of transparency by the government and the need for more information, and was also sceptical as to whether the project will succeed.
In its statement, Sithe Global had said that because the project was not supported by all three political parties, it cannot move forward, despite 16 years of work, more than US$16 million of independent expenditure and more than US$15 million of government expenditure.
“We had hoped that the project’s 40-91 per cent reduction to power prices for consumers, its significant environmental benefits and material positive to impact on the economy via access to low-cost reliable power would have been sufficient for all political parties to support such a non-partisan project that would have served as a catalyst for growth for generations to come,” Sithe Global had said.
...on meeting
Some persons really think people are stupid. Here it is, the President of Guyana, Donald Ramotar has been calling for a meeting with the leader of the opposition David Granger for weeks to address the objections by A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) to the Amaila Falls Hydro Electricity Project (AFHEP). His people kept saying, “What’s to discuss?” A project that could generate power for our use and industrial development for the next 100 years, that’s what. One he’s been allowed to apply a minority veto.
The private sector has also pleaded for him to meet: they know what energy AFHEP could give Guyana’s “engine of growth”. The labour movement (the part that represents actual workers, that is – not the one that exists on paper) pleaded for him to sit down with the president. We heard that Granger was “away”. Then the U.S. ambassador stepped up to the crease...pointing out the consequences of losing the present financing for the project.
And guess what?? The suddenly “present” Granger says, “I never received an invitation from the president”!!! Come on...I mean how ridiculous can you get? What’s this?? It’s like you’ve been cussing down your neighbour for years...he tells the entire world he’d like to meet to deal with your gripes. You then expect him to send you a gilded invitation when you haven’t even hinted you’re amenable to a meeting?
But Granger’s inflexibility on Amaila was exposed by his response to the urging of the U.S. ambassador. It boiled down to “get your blasted nose out of Guyana’s business...you’re meddling.” The fella wasn’t “meddling” when he spoke about the garbage problem in Georgetown. He wasn’t “meddling” when he called for local government elections for God knows how many times. He wasn’t “meddling” when he spoke about our media. In fact APNU publicly supported the ambassador on all those interventions.
But the most ironic part of his response was when he said that “this is a national matter and the president is quite capable of
representing the interest to the nation and to me.” Now this was exactly what the U.S. fella was saying, wasn’t he?? But how the heck is the president going to “represent the national interest” to Granger when he won’t even sit down with the president?
Through press statements??? Been there, done that. Every one of Granger’s and APNU’s objections have been addressed. To no avail.
Well we think that even if President Ramotar sends over a gilded invitation to Congress Place, nothing’s going to change on Amaila. Granger knows if this project even gets going, his party’s goose is cooked for another 20 years.
...in lovers’ spat
With all the shenanigans and gamesmanship, APNU’s inflicting on our long suffering Guyanese people by withholding relief on their “light bills”, they certainly need some light relief. And they’ve been provided some with the publication in the MuckrakeKN, of a torrid series of plaintive letters between Mark Benschop and Freddie Kissoon.
It’s rather incredible, though, that these two fellas who pontificate on everything under the sun – and then some – when it comes to the (evil) government would want their soiled linen to be hung out in the open. I mean do they really think they’ll be taken seriously after this public spat?? Look at all the intimate, embarrassing details surfacing. How they spent their night in a cell at Brickdam together. Do we really need to know who made what noises during the night? Really, it’s embarrassing. Even for jaded campaigners like your trusty Eyewitness.
...on “rice shipment”
Now when you’re talking about playing the fool, what can beat this story – and it has to be a story – about rice being shipped to Venezuela via The Dominican Republic (DR)?? Venezuela is 100 miles from us –while DR is 1000 miles away. Twenty tons of rice?? Who cares?
The Australian Institute of Business (AIB) and Nations University (NU) are working to strengthen their partnership to foster a more vibrant Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme here in Guyana.
On Wednesday evening, the two educational institutions hosted an interactive session with prospective and current students. AIB Marketing Director Joel Abraham and NU MBA programme coordinator Liam O’Toole both agreed that the initiative offers a brighter future to students seeking to achieve degrees which could see them being accredited internationally.
like other educational institutions.
“What we want is for people to have a degree to gain international accreditation, Guyana has always had issues with that, so we are proud of the AIB MBA course here… I feel that I gained a lot from the MBA, because I did the course also,” he added.
MBA programme, said the session was a major success.
“My visit was more about this new collaboration, we have been in partnership for more than 18 months now and we bring a very distinct MBA programme all the way here and the only one offered here in Guyana,” he said. The MBA programme, he said, is a very distinguished one.
T“Last night {Wednesday night], we had a fantastic night and it was important segment, close to 100 potential students were there and they stayed the full hours,” he said.
The programme taught here in Guyana is a practicalbased one and one of the perquisites is that the facilitators have hands-on experience un-
O’Toole said this has always been a challenge for many students in Guyana and the MBA programme enables them to widen their reach.
He explained that unlike some institutes where students are taught by an academic who never worked in the field, “the beauty of this MBA course is that your facilitators are people who work for Caricom, DDL, and Banks… within the sector in which we are teaching so they are people who would have worked in the field”.
Abraham, who visited Guyana especially for the reason of shedding light on the
Abraham said the session was informative, and interactive and students were urged to take their academic lives to a brighter path of development.
The AIB MBA programme is one of the leading programmes in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK).
The MBA 2012 Australia review shows that the AIB was outperformed only by the University of Woolongong Sydney Business School which scored 79 points and Macquarie University Graduate School of Management with 76 points.
In the International Graduate Forum (IGF) MBA ratings, the AIB ranked 10th with the top 10, scoring between 75 and 87 points.
wo fast food outlets in GT de Garbage Town happen to close down fuh only a short time and it got plenty people worried and frettin de whole day. Dem turn up and find de doors closed. When dem see de closure sign, dem start behavin like fish outta water. Dem mek it look like de whole of Guyana ain’t got no more food, and de world comin to an end fuh dem.
One minibus man turn up hot and sweaty and he turn back more hot and sweaty. Even de conductor didn’t want to wuk after he see de place close. One fella who was passin seh is de first time he see a minibus conductor get so quiet. Is amazin how people can behave fuh a piece of fry chicken and fries. But if only dem know what dem was eatin all de time, dem woulda lose all dem appetite.
Is just that some of these people in Guyana don’t like to cook. Cookin fuh dem is too much hard wuk and it does tek too much time. Every ting dem do dem does want to do it fast. So dem like fast food. Dem like to drive fast. Dem want to mek a fast dollar. And some of dem just fast in people business.
Talkin bout fastness and food, de Lunch Man was on fire at he own press conference. De Lunch Man put so much heat pun Green Jah and Green Bridge that both of dem turn red, just like de red pun de PPP-CEE flag. Is right away time dem run fast to de Kocheur man.
Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! Well, ever since de Kocheur man get ban from Regent Street, he like when man runnin fast to he!
Acharge of break and enter and larceny was dismissed against a 20-year-old man when he appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore on Thursday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
It was alleged that on July 29 at East La Penitence, Georgetown, Osafo Swain, of Lot 100 East La Penitence, broke and entered the house of Kasande Leander and stole one cellphone, one television, one DVD player, and quantity of cash, a total of $251,000. He pleaded not
guilty to the charge read against him.
According to the facts, on the day in question, the virtual complainant secured her home at 228 Freeman Street, East La Penitence, around 23:30h and went to bed. She woke up around 03:30h and discovered her front door open and two louvre panes from the front window missing.
Upon checking, she noticed the articles mentioned in the charge missing.
A report was made and the police conducted an investigation. The defendant was arrested and admit-
ted to stealing the items and selling them to a man by the name of Terry in Albouystown. The police’s efforts to contact the individual proved futile, and none of the articles were recovered. The VC, who is a cosmetologist, told the court she did not want to go ahead with the matter, and Magistrate Azore dismissed the case.
In a dramatic end to the case, the mother of the virtual complainant collapsed outside the courtroom, and was taken to receive medical attention.
Awoman charged with two counts of trafficking in persons was remanded by Magistrate Fabayo Azore when she appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday. She was the second woman remanded this week for the offence.
Sequila Glywn allegedly transported a 26-year-old woman from Georgetown to 14 Mile Issano on May 15 for the purpose of exploiting her into prostitution, and between May 15 and
July 7 at Isaano, trafficked a 16-year-old girl who hails from the North West District, by the means of abuse of power. She pleaded not guilty to both charges. According to the facts, the matter was brought to the attention of the police by the Guyana Women Miners’ Association.
Attorney Roysdale Ford, who represented the defendant, told the court that she is 41 years old and has a fixed place of abode at Kaneville, East Bank
Demerara. He requested reasonable bail for his client.
Prosecutor Ramsahoye Rambaju objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness and prevalence of the offence. Also, if granted bail, there is a strong likelihood, the defendant will tamper with the witness.
Magistrate Azore refused bail and the defendant was remanded to prison. The matter was transferred to Court One for September 20.
The residents of the Palms geriatric institution and children under state care are the latest recipients of gifts donated by the New York Guyana Medical and Humanitarian Mission (NYGM) during a recently-concluded visit to Guyana.
The group donated clothing, toys, equipment and other supplies to the Child Care Protection Agency, some state homes, and the Palms, the Human Services Ministry said.
NYGM Vice President
Holly Persaud said it was the group’s way of adding a little sunshine to the lives of the children and older citizens. NYGM has been hosting humanitarian and medical outreaches to Guyana for several years now, and has planned to expand its reach during the next visit. The group also regularly donates to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
Persaud explained that the group’s interventions are based on the needs highlighted during its interaction with government, civil
society, and non-governmental organisations in Guyana.
The NYGM, comprising New York-based Guyanese, is a charitable organisation incorporated in the state of New York .The mission is funded by the group’s members and friends. Group members volunteer their services and in 2013, the visiting team included Drs Tara Singh, Anila Ramphal, and Mala Shewram; and Holly Persaud, Shana Persaud, Sarah Persaud, Samantha Persaud, Christopher Jaglal, and Jean Oumdeo.
Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) Director General Percival Marie is set to embark on his first official visit to Grenada since that country assumed chairmanship of the regional bloc, with effect from July 1.
The chair of CARIFORUM plays a leadership role in relation to intra-CARIFORUM matters, as well as the CARIFORUMEuropean Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and its institutional arrangements, the Caricom Secretariat said in a release.
Marie will today hold discussions with Grenada’s Economic Development, Trade, Planning and Cooperatives Minister,
CARIFORUM Director General Percival Marie
Oliver Joseph. The meeting will cover general CARIFORUM matters, EPA implementation, and development cooperation.
It is expected that the exchange of views will help shape the focus of the regional bloc. Marie will be accompanied by two senior CARIFORUM Directorate aides, EPA Implementation Director Carlos Wharton, and Development Cooperation Director Eugene Petty.
The chairmanship of CARIFORUM rotates among its members in alphabetical order for a period of 12 calendar months commencing with effect from July 1. The Dominican Republic held the office immediately prior to Grenada. The 15 signatory CARIFORUM States to the EPA are the independent Caricom member states and The Dominican Republic.
A42-year-old man was sentenced to three months’ community service by Magistrate Fabayo Azore on Thursday for possession of narcotics.
Andave Thakur pleaded guilty to having in his possession 4.2 grams of cannabis on August 21 at Kurupukari Landing, Essequibo when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
On the day in question, about 04:00h, ranks from
the Police Narcotics Branch went to the business place of the defendant and conducted a search. The substance was found in the pocket of a pants which was next to where he was sitting. He was cautioned and admitted to using the substance for recreational purposes. Thakur was arrested and brought to Police Headquarters Eve Leary where the substance was weighed in his presence and amounted to 4.2 grams.
Thakur was represented by Attorney Roysdale Ford, who told the court that his client has five children and a wife who is pregnant. He said Thakur, who owns a restaurant, regretted what had happened. Attorney Ford also requested that the minimum fine be imposed.
Magistrate Azore sentenced Thakur to community service every Friday for two hours, for the next three months starting August 30.
One hundred and thirty-five youths between the ages of 15 and 24 graduated this week from a four-week “Work Ready Now!” training that the United States is funding through its agency for international development (USAID) Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment (SKYE) programme.
The SKYE programme is part of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) partnership between the U.S. and the Caribbean.
USAID Mission Director Daniel Smolka participated in a graduation event for some of the youth. He said, “Investing in and supporting our youth is not only a compassionate, but a smart investment for Guyana’s future. The cost of not making
such smart investments places much greater burdens on society.”
Smolka also expressed the hope that “the partnerships developed through this programme will be further deepened and strengthened to bring about effective and lasting change in support of the young people of Guyana”.
According to a release from the U.S. embassy here, Work Ready Now! training transfers a set of basic employability skills, knowledge, and behaviours essential for the success of young people as entry-level workers or entrepreneurs. This training is one of several SKYE programme elements to assist youth in gaining the self-confidence necessary to find and retain employment. It draws on the experience of local pub-
lic and private sector employers who provided vital tips for success in employment, helping to guide young Guyanese to better understand what businesses are looking for when selecting employees.
The training was implemented by the programme’s local partners: Catholic Relief Services and Youth Challenge International Guyana. The SKYE project will continue to work with at-risk youth, mainly males, who are school dropouts, youth who have completed formal education but do not have the necessary skills to find employment, and youth involved in the juvenile justice system. A total of 1500 youths in Regions Four, Six, Nine, and 10 will receive Work Ready Now! training by August 2015.
The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) on August 16 recognised the achievements of 17 of its employees’ children at the company’s annual bursary award presentation ceremony. The awards were for children who were successful at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examination. GT&T Chief Executive Officer RK
Sharma, the Guyana Postal and Telecommunication Workers Union (GPTWU) representative Hugh Park along with past bursary awardee Dr Tonia Archer all addressed the students.
Sharma said the award ceremony was a celebration with the students, since “we believe in you”. He also advised them to never allow challenges to thwart their dreams, and to consider “today as the first day of the
rest of their lives”. Heading the list of bursary awardees was Kerryann Rodney who secured a place at the Bishops’ High. The bursary assistance continues for five years, as long as the child stays in high school with an extension of an additional two years if the child enters the sixth form.
The top student was also awarded complimentary DSL service.
Leaders of employers’ organisations from 19 International Labour Organisation (ILO) Caribbean member states and non-metropolitan territories will attend the fourth Caribbean Academy for Management of Employers’ Organisations (CAMEO), which will convene at the Halcyon Cove Hotel, Dickenson Bay, Antigua and Barbuda from August 26 to 28.
The meeting will focus on strategic issues of management and leadership under the theme: “Analysing and Shaping the Business Environment to Influence Policy Development”, a release from the ILO said.
CAMEO is being organised by the ILO’s Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean (DWT/OPOS) based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in collaboration with the Antigua and Barbuda Employers’ Federation (ABEF).
Antigua and Barbuda National Security and Labour Ministry Permanent Secretary Sharon Peters will address the opening ceremony of the meeting, along
with ABEF President Acres Stowe, DWT/O-POS Director Dr Giovanni di Cola and International Organisation of Employers Secretary General Brent Wilton. ILO’s Bureau for Employers’ Activities Director Deborah FranceMassin will also attend the meeting.
At the forum, senior officials of employers’ organisations will: identify national and regional priorities; build on their management knowledge and assess their effectiveness in influencing others in support of business positions; gain a better understanding of the wider international and regional environment (economic, social and political) in which they operate; and discuss lessons learned from national initiatives that can be applied at a regional level.
Supporting business
Presentations at the three-day meeting will focus on identifying strategies for supporting and representing business; influencing policy development at national and regional levels; operating within the Caribbean Single Market and Economy frame-
work; and developing an enabling environment for sustainable enterprises.
“Given the continuing focus on the Caribbean Single Market with the pivotal requirements of free movement of capital, goods, services and labour, it is imperative that representative employers’ organisations strengthen the channels of communication amongst them,” Dr di Cola said. The DWT/O-POS director added that “a collaborative approach to developing policy positions will best support viable and sustainable enterprises throughout the region”.
CAMEO was launched in 2007, and is a collaborative programme between the ILO and business institutions of higher learning created to support executives of employers’ organisations in the English-and Dutch-speaking Caribbean. The ILO is a specialised agency within the United Nations system committed to advancing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security, and human dignity.
An invitation has been extended for President Donald Ramotar to visit Palestine as diplomatic relations between Guyana and the Middle Eastern country grow.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Al Malki paid a courtesy call on President Ramotar on Thursday, and extended the invitation and words of appreciation about the patronage Guyana has shown his country. Guyana was the first Caricom member state to establish diplomatic relations with the Palestinian National Authority. It gave recognition to the State of Palestine based on its 1967 borders and supports the nation’s aspirations to full membership of the United Nations. Guyana is also a party to the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. Cabinet approval in October 2012 confirmed the diplomatic relations between Guyana and the State of Palestine, which also include the accreditation of ambassadors on a non-resident basis.
During President Ramotar’s inaugural address at the seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly in September last year in New York, he reaffirmed solidarity with the government and people of the country locked in sectarian conflict with Israel since the mid 20th century.
The Guyanese Head of State had underlined Guyana’s strong support for the peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a prerequisite to lasting peace in the Middle East. “The Palestinian people deserve the same rights as people everywhere: to live in dignity, security, freedom and independence, at peace with all their neighbours, and with the right to move
freely within their homeland,” President Ramotar said.
Palestine’s bid for nonmember state observer status in the UN was backed by the government of Guyana and approved in a historic UN session last November when 138 countries voted in favour of the resolution.
During the courtesy call, Minister Riad Al Malki delivered brief remarks to members of the press in the presence of the Guyanese head of state, Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and members of the visiting delegation.
“My main purpose of this visit is to extend our thanks and appreciation as Palestine, the Palestinian state, the leadership and the Palestinian people to Guyana – the president, the people and the government for their strong committed position in support of justice around the world, but also justice in Palestine,” the minister said.
The fact that Guyana has recognised the state of Palestine, he said, meant that the two were able to establish diplomatic relations.
“This is really an important sign,” Minister Al Malki said. The further development of relations between Guyana and Palestine featured prominently during the foreign minister’s discourse with President Ramotar. Very soon, a Palestinian ambassador within the Caribbean and Latin American region will be assigned to Guyana, while Guyana’s ambassador to Kuwait will also be appointed.
President Ramotar told the press that Guyana remains steadfast in its position that the people of Palestine have a right to live in freedom and that he was pleased to convey these sentiments to the Palestine foreign minister.
Hours before the staging of Jamzone International Night 2013, the headline act of the event R Kelly fell ill, following a lengthy tour to South Africa, and promoters quickly explained that the turn of events was beyond their control.
Odinga Lumumba of Mc Neil Enterprise told media operatives on Thursday during a press conference that he received a telephone call from the superstar’s management team that Kelly had fallen ill. It was later learnt that the illness was associated with the aircraft ride from South Africa.
Lumumba further stated that they have been negotiating with the superstar for another date. He said, so far, the organisers have seen excellent tickets sales. He explained that, after a few days, they received another call on Thursday morning about the new date for the R Kelly concert, which was initially set for September 28, but later changed to October 19.
The new date is October 19. He said that the artiste, over the next week, will be releasing new “drops” to highlight he will be in Guyana.
The head of the Mc Neil Enterprise
stated that people have a choice whether to collect a refund or wait on the new date, promising if they do, it will be fireworks. Those who wish to collect their refunds can listen via the media as to locations.
He stated that they are in contact with two other international artistes to perform on the same night with R Kelly, and that the names will be announced in the next week. Guyana Times understands that the two artistes are likely to be popular hip-hop and R&B entertainers.
When asked if he can guarantee R Kelly’s appearance on October 19, Lumumba stated that he cannot, given that anything can happen. He noted that he believes that once a contract is signed, the artiste is obligated to perform, but there have been instances in the past when unforeseen circumstances can unfold.
He added that a typical contract states that an artiste can refuse to perform based on a number of factors, including health issues and political unrest in the country. He said that once an artiste falls sick, there is nothing that could be done.
Lumumba said he is looking forward to an entertaining show on October 19.
The Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) is calling on regional policymakers and regulators to engage broadcasters meaningfully so that they can arrive at an amicable plan and appropriate timeframe to accomplish the switchover from analog to digital transmission.
Speaking during a press conference after the CBU annual general assembly, the union’s vice president, Gary Allen said discussions during the assembly revealed that the switchover will be an expensive venture for broadcasting entities in the region.
Digital switchover
As such, he said, rushing into the conversion could see the possibility of a collapse in sections of the television sector. “It became very clear to us that across the Caribbean, digital switchover is going to cost us tens of millions of U.S. dollars per territory. It would be significant depending on the number of transmitter sites that will have to be retrofitted.
However, CBU General Secretary Patrick Cozier highlighted that new media have been introduced into the process through technological development, changing the face of traditional broadcasting. As such, he said, “Broadcasters have got to utilise their greatest strength, which is the content, the intellectual property as a means of fuelling through the different distribution layers that are making themselves available.”
Meanwhile, Allen said with the level of investment expected, the CBU was concerned that those who have already switched to digital transmission did not have welcoming news, regarding possible new revenue streams that broadcasters can look forward to.
“A greater concern is the fact that if the timelines…. are facilitated, it could lead to significant dislocation in the television media sector at both the business level and consumer level,” Allen pointed out.
He reasoned that if there was not absorptive capacity to fund the kind of investment that is needed, then broadcasting entities could find themselves starting a process that they would not be able to properly complete.
The CBU vice president said, “Consumers can find themselves in a situation where they also need to find funds to buy new television sets.”
Rights to broadcast
He noted that the CBU is also concerned about a new trend of some regional cricket activities no longer being available for broadcasters in the Caribbean to carry live, since the matches are being sold to international entities, without consideration for regional broadcasters.
Allen said the CBU is a stakeholder of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), but noted the number of changes taking place in how the WICB
does business. He added that cricket represents the Caribbean’s heritage and socio-economic landscape.
This new development, he said, presents a difficulty “not just for us not to get that activity on our screen, but it presents a difficulty for those who do not have cable TV and depend on broadcast to understand what is happening to their sporting culture and socio-economic aspects of cricket”.
Allen added, “If people cannot afford to subscribe to cable, they might very well be at the point where their children might not be able to access West Indies cricket and to understand this game that is so much a part of our heritage.”
Disadvantage
Broadcasters, he said, are being placed at a disadvantage, given that they are prevented from carrying cricket on their stations when the game is being played in certain territories, unless the stadium is sold out. However, cable operators have the sole rights and are allowed to carry the match whether the stadium is sold out or not. In this regard, he said the CBU will be engaging the WICB to reach a solution.
Also stemming from the four-day general assembly was the appointment of a new board of directors for the CBU. However, there were only two new additions. Shida Bolai was re-elected at the union’s president and Allen as its vice president.
Govt would have pursued dialogue even with a majority – president
Dialogue with the political opposition would have been sought by the government even if the ruling party had won a parliamentary majority following the 2011 general elections, Head of State Donald Ramotar has said.
Appearing on a TVG special interview recently, President Ramotar admitted that the combined opposition’s parliamentary majority has made the tasks of the government difficult. He noted that had the government been in the majority, there would have been better results in Parliament, but his approach to the opposition would have remained the same.
“I think that if I had the majority in Parliament, I would have done the same consultations that I have done with them on the very project, because I think it is important to convince people of the goodness of some of these issues,” President Ramotar said.
Since winning a one-seat majority, the combined political opposition struck several blows to parliamentary norms, beginning with a majority vote favouring opposition nominations for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions, and the slashing of budgetary funding for important projects and public agencies, down to a marginal $1 in some instances.
Delaying development
Important development initiatives like the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, the Specialty Hospital, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport expansion project, airstrip maintenance, and projects under the purview of the Low Carbon Development Strategy all suffered budget cuts at the hands of the opposition.
For the past two years, the opposition has used its one-seat majority to vote down or delay many critical bills needed to advance key projects.
At the ruling party’s last
congress, President Ramotar had argued that the opposition fails to realise that every time it pats itself on the back for supposedly embarrassing the government, it is, in fact, a defeat for the brighter future it claims to want for the populace.
It was the same posturing that resulted in Guyana losing prestigious international partners and a hydro project that was the closest in the country’s history to becoming a reality. The main opposition party A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) voted against the Hydro Electric Power (Amendment) Bill and debt ceiling motion, and while the Alliance For Change belatedly supported the bill, it reduced the debt ceiling from $130 billion to $50 billion. As a result of the lack of consensus, the project developer Sithe Global pulled out.
Determined to win opposition support for critical development projects, President Ramotar recently made another pitch for the opposition to sit and review the different positions on the stalled project. “I know that there is history, I know that we have a past, and I know that there would be suspicions, sometimes I believe that the opposition get carried away with their own propaganda and start believing some of the things themselves that they are saying, so that is why I think that dialogue is very important,” he said.
The Office of Climate Change, in collaboration with the Mangrove Restoration Project, on Thursday held an awareness session engaging stakeholders from the village mangrove action committees of Regions Four and Six at the Cove and John mangrove centre on the East Coast Demerara.
This is the first of many seminars and training sessions on mangroves and climate change.
European Union Delegation to Guyana head Robert Kopecký noted that the mangrove project was very important, because without it Guyana will be in serious jeopardy.
He noted that the mangrove project is vital, and charged the stakeholders to share information
on the importance of the project. He stated that the European Union was taking actions also to curb the emissions of carbon dioxide.
Office of Climate Change head Shyam Nokta noted that the importance of mangroves cannot be emphasised enough. He stat-
ed that it forms a natural sea defence and protection from erosion and flooding. Nokta stressed that recognising threats is critical to protect mangroves.
It was noted that the effects of climate change will also impact agriculture. He further stated that mangroves provide
livelihoods for people and more than 35 per cent of the world’s mangroves are gone. Nokta revealed that from now to 2015, a major focus of the Low Carbon Development Strategy will be on adaptation and climate resilience.
According to Nokta, in efforts to manage the effects of climate change, the population needs to recognise threats, which will critically protect mangroves. “Work being done by the mangrove project includes protection, management, and expansion. Building climate resilience and adaptation is key priority.”
It is predicted that Guyana will be subjected to a 3.5 to four degrees temperature rise and threefoot sea level rise by the end of the century.
The Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project is funded by a partnership between the government of Guyana and the European Union.
The project is implemented by the Agriculture Ministry, through the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI). The objective of the project is to seek the commitment of Guyanese towards the protection and development of sustainable mangrove forests.
The long-term sustainability of the project will depend on the alternative funding sources, and revision and modification. The momentum built through successful implementation will contribute to long-term sustainability. To this end, a well-conducted campaign
of visibility and education is a vital part of the programme.
The overall objective is to respond to climate change and to mitigate its effects through the protection, rehabilitation, and wise use of Guyana’s mangrove ecosystems through processes that maintain their protective function, values and biodiversity, while meeting the socio-economic development and environmental protection needs in estuarine and coastal areas.
The project commenced activities in February 2010, with work being done in the areas of administrative capacity development, research, community development and capacity building, mangrove restoration (replanting), monitoring, and awareness and education.
bolster economic and diplomatic ties
The governments of Jamaica and China Wednesday signed four agreements, among which will see the Asian superpower providing the island with billions of dollars in grants and loans to facilitate infrastructure development. The signing followed an official welcome ceremony for Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, and reaffirmed the growing ties between Jamaica and the communist country, which is now the island’s biggest trading partner.
“It is really a pleasure for us to be here and I want to
thank you, on behalf of the delegation, for the warmth and hospitality we have received since being here,” Simpson Miller told Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during the ceremony.
The Jamaican leader, who is on a five-day official visit to China, was given the red carpet welcome and a gun salute.
The signed agreements include a preferential loan deal with the China Exim Bank for the US$353million three-year Major Infrastructure Development Programme (MIDP), though it was not immediately clear how much funds will be disbursed. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf emirates – with the notable exception of Qatar – remain unfazed by last week’s bloody crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, events that left around 1000 people dead and many more wounded.
Arare rocket barrage from Lebanon on Thursday deepened Israeli concern that al Qaeda-linked Islamist militants are opening a new front for confrontation with Israel.
The Israeli military said four rockets were fired from southern Lebanon. Two struck Israeli communities without causing casualties, a third was intercepted by the “Iron Dome” missile shield and the fourth fell outside Israeli territory, it said.
A U.S.-based group which monitors Islamist militants said the Brigades of Abdullah Azzam, an organisation linked to al Qaeda, claimed credit for the rocket attack.
“A group official, Sirajuddin Zurayqat, who has appeared in prior releases from the Brigades, posted on his Twitter account that its Ziad Jarrah Battalions is ‘behind the firing of the four rockets’,” the SITE monitoring group said.
Southern Lebanon is a stronghold of Shi’ite Muslim Hezbollah guerrillas, who fought a 2006 war against Israel. But Israel blamed Thursday’s salvo on a “global jihadi organisation”, its term for the Sunni Muslim al Qaeda and its offshoots.
In Syria, Sunni Muslim jihadi fighters are battling alongside rebels trying to oust President Bashar alAssad, who is supported by militants from the Shi’ite Hezbollah. (Excerpt from Reuters)
United Nations Secretary General Ban Kimoon asked the Syrian government on Thursday to allow UN inspectors to investigate the latest alleged chemical attack in the country’s civil war “without delay” and grant them access to the site near Damascus.
Ban has asked the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Angela Kane, to travel to Damascus to push for access for the UN
team, which arrived in Syria on Sunday to investigate several previous claims of chemical weapons use.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government is under increasing pressure from Western and Gulf Arab countries and Assad’s ally Russia to allow access to the rebelheld site of Wednesday’s predawn attack. The opposition Syrian National Coalition has also urged UN access.
“The secretary general believes that the incidents reported.... need to be investigated without delay,” Ban’s press office said in a statement. “A formal request is being sent by the United Nations to the government of Syria in this regard. He expects to receive a positive response without delay.” Syria’s government offered no immediate public response to calls on Thursday for the UN team to inspect the site. (Excerpt from Reuters)
The European Union and the United States are pondering cutting off their financial aid to Egypt. But the authorities in Cairo have the luxury of a blank cheque from the Saudis who say they are prepared to make up the shortfall of any drop in Western cash.
This promise follows a commitment, made well before the brutal crackdown on pro-Morsi sit-in camps across Egypt, by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates to give the interim authorities in Cairo two billion dollars.
These conservative monarchies have voiced their support for the country’s army since it deposed the democratically-elected Islamist leader on July 3 and are maintaining their promise of financial support for the interim authorities despite severe international misgivings, especially in the West.
(Excerpt from France24)
Demanding that criminals be brought to book, a tough-talking Dr Keith Rowley says he will call on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to introduce draconian penalties for criminals who “take out” witnesses to prevent the prosecution of their cases. The opposition leader, speaking at a PNM meeting at Hi-Lo carpark, St Augustine, on Tuesday night said he intended to put the request to PersadBissessar in a meeting today which he requested to discuss the crime spike in
the Duncan Street area. Rowley said the opposition was now in a position to influence government policy. He said he walked on Duncan Street last Saturday and the fear was such that “you could have cut it with a knife.” There was an escalation of violent crime in the area over the last few weeks, including the murder of two teenagers. Rowley said: “We empathise with the victims of east Port of Spain and we demand that the criminality be brought to book. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)
The Finance Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that the government missed the August 17 interest payment on the US$500 million Housing Development Corporation (HDC) bond due 2024. A ministry source said the missed interest payment was due to an “administrative delay between the ministries of housing and finance” and not as a result of TT’s inability to meet its debt commitments.
The administrative problem was sorted out on Wednesday, five days after the monies should have been in investors’ accounts, said the ministry source. Arrangements were made for the payments to be disbursed during the course of today. The 15-year HDC bond was issued at par in February 17, 2009, giving investors a yield to maturity of 8.25 per cent, according to information on the results of
the bond issue on the Central Bank’s Web site.
This means that the interest payments would amount to about $20.62 million every February and August until 2024. Asked whether the missed payment was considered to be a default, the Finance Ministry source said: “I don’t have the details with me but there’s usually a grace period before a demand is made. (Trinidad Guardian)
Activity in the U.S. man-
ufacturing sector grew at its fastest pace for five months in August, with a pick-up in new orders, a survey has indicated. Markit’s purchasing managers’ index rose to 53.9, up from 53.7 in July and its best showing since March. A reading above 50 indicates growth.
The index for new orders rose to 56.5, a seven-month high, from 55.5 in July.
Analysts said the figures
pointed to stronger U.S. economic growth for the rest of the year.
“Hopefully the faster growth of new orders seen during August will translate into increasingly strong production gains in coming months, and also boost hiring,” said Markit’s chief economist, Chris Williamson.
The Markit survey is a preliminary report, based on replies from about 85 per cent of the U.S. manufacturers
surveyed. A final reading will be released on September 3.
The positive news comes as economists and investors speculate as to when the U.S. Federal Reserve might begin winding down its huge monetary stimulus programme.
Increasingly, investors expect the Fed to start slowing its monthly bond purchases this year, with many betting the central bank could begin the process as soon as September. (BBC News)
British high-end phone manufacturer Vertu announced its collaboration with Italian carmaker Ferrari to launch yet another exclusive range. The limited edition Vertu Ti Ferrari is designed after the ergonomic lines of the Ferrari F12berlinetta, and metal elements of the phone are protected by a Diamond Like Coating (DLC) similar to that used to protect the engine components of the F12berlinetta. The phone is enclosed with
the same finely stitched leather that is seen in the car’s cabin and also features a Ferrari app, unique to Vertu.
The Vertu Ti Ferrari app is available in three languages –English, Italian and Chinese – and features a Ferrari inspired home-screen clock, four customised ringtones and eight Ferrari wallpapers.
Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari design director, stated: “It is always exciting for Ferrari to work with Vertu. We share the same values for crafts-
manship and excellence of performance. By collaborating together in the design of the Vertu Ti Ferrari, we have created a model of phone which encompasses aspects of design unique to the Ferrari brand.”
Vertu Ti Ferrari is built by a single Vertu craftsman, whose signature is engraved in the handset as an assurance of Vertu’s commitment to quality. Only 2013 of these luxury phones will be released, and price is available upon application. (Arabianbusiness)
The vicious cycle of violence – with more than 900 people killed in the span of a week – is tearing the social fabric of Egypt and threatens to put the economy into a tailspin when it can least afford it. Two core drivers of the region’s most populous country, tourism and foreign investment, are under threat as violence spreads to the Sinai Peninsula.
At least 25 Egyptian police-
The “world’s cheapest car” is getting a makeover because buyers have shunned the low-budget image. The Nano, made by India’s Tata group, is being re-positioned as a smart city car following disappointing sales.
“We are now focusing on increasing the features and the perceived value of the
LATAM Airlines Group, the biggest carrier in Latin America, is stirring popular sentiment against Argentina, the country’s airport regulator said on Thursday, in a standoff threatening operations at a key Buenos Aires airport.
The seizure of a hangar at the Aeroparque Jorge Newbery from local unit LAN Argentina is part of a campaign to damage the airline in the country, LATAM Vice President Enrique Cueto said late on Wednesday.
men were killed in an ambush close to the town of Raffah on the border of Gaza. This was the same location where 16 soldiers were killed a year ago, which led then President Mohamed Morsi to make a power grab over the military.
The area is considered lawless, with a toxic mix of Bedouin tribes and a fresh flow of Islamic militants who have come in after conflicts in North Africa.
But the Sinai is a vast area, covering 60,000 square kilometres (23,000 square miles). The two attacks happened in the north, but worries have spread quickly to the Red Sea resorts in the south. A tourist was killed last week during violence in Hurghada, part of the south. Now, authorities recommend that tourists who remain there do not leave their resort compounds. (CNN)
Nano with every subsequent model launch,” said chairman Cyrus Mistry.
Launched in 2009 with a price of 100,000 rupees (£1400), the car’s poor sales were blamed on an image problem.
Tata, which owns the UK’s Land Rover and Jaguar brands, hoped the Nano would appeal to Indian fami-
lies looking to enter the carbuying market. Mistry told Tata’s annual shareholders meeting, in Mumbai, that new Nanos would include power steering options, an improved interior and exterior, be available in more colours, and have better fuel efficiency. “We are now focusing on making it a smart city car and targeting the young customers,” he said. (BBC News)
* Provide a realistic forecast based on macroeconomic conditions. Turmoil in the markets has shown us that at any time, any number of economic risks can sink a product’s profitability. Rising commodity costs can sink multiple products – raw materials and fuel can adversely impact your product’s projected margins, depending on the components. You should outline your financial plan realistically, based on your knowledge of the world markets. This shows foresight and preparedness for turbulent times ahead and will reassure investors.
* Outline the impact of prospective competitors. Are there any products in the mar-
Argentine regulators have given LAN until the end of the month to vacate the Aeroparque hangar where it maintains a dozen Airbus A320s which fly on 14 domestic routes in the country. The airline has said the demand threatens its operations in Argentina, sparking warnings from an airport workers’ union that the regulators were endangering jobs.
“We asked for the hangar, but we never said they had to stop flying. LAN said that to generate alarm among pas-
sengers, unions and the rest of society,” Gustavo Lipovich, the head of airport regulator ORSNA, told a state news agency on Thursday.
The dispute has triggered a flurry of diplomatic activity between Argentina and neighbouring Chile, home of the airline’s major shareholders, which once included Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. LAN Argentina is the chief domestic competitor for state carrier Aerolineas Argentinas, which was nationalised in 2008. (Reuters)
ket that are similar to yours, and how is your product different? What makes your product stand out from the rest of the pack – such as better cost, design, or function? Investors need to be reassured that your product isn’t entering a crowded, fragmented marketplace where it will be pronounced dead on arrival. Investors also like products which have high barriers to entry, which are hard to be replicated by just any Chinese factory. Patenting your product can instantly set up high barriers.
* Create a Prototype. If your idea is a physical product, investors will want to see a working prototype, rather than fancy sketches. Having a working prototype will give
investors hands-on experience with the product, letting the experience speak for itself. You can also detail the costs of the components of the prototype, breaking the cost down section by section, and the savings to be attained through higher volume mass production.
* Outline a PR and Advertising Campaign. Investors will want to know how your product will be marketed to the masses. Present it to them as if they are the target audience, and make them want to buy it. A catchy logo or slogan can also help reinforce the image of your product as a complete one, and attract them to your product. (Business Dictionary)
By Bernice Bede Osol
You’ll be forced to deal with people who are quick to judge and make assumptions. Don’t let them jeopardise an important relationship. Deal with a stressful problem before it escalates.
20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)
Refuse to let anyone stand between you and your plans for success. You’ll need to go out of your way to discuss what you have to offer with someone who can help you.
(June 21July 22)
It’s a good cycle to firm up any offers or ask for perks that will make a decision easier or a change more inviting. Put your goals ahead of your personal feelings for the moment.
Let your feelings be known regarding an important matter. Whether you are in a relationship already or pursuing someone new, you can spark a flame and commit to building a happy future.
(Aug. 23Sept. 22)
(July 23Aug. 22) (Feb. 20-March 20)
You can stabilise your legal, financial or medical situation through the contacts made while networking or attending a seminar or conference. New things you learn in the process will prove quite valuable.
(March 21-April 19)
Slow down and enjoy what life has to offer. Step back from a situation that is tiresome or potentially damaging to your emotional wellness. A little self-pampering will lead to a better attitude.
(April 20-May 20)
Get out and have some fun. Partying with friends, taking part in a fun activity or traveling to an enticing destination will enhance your outlook and your relationships.
21June 20)
You need to ask questions if you suspect you are being misinformed. Go over your personal papers and make sure you have everything in order before making a major decision.
A reunion with colleagues, peers or classmates will get you thinking about past relationships. Don’t dwell on them – new relationships will have more to offer.
(Sept. 23Oct. 23)
A change in the way you feel about someone is likely. Don’t overreact or jump to conclusions. Be prepared to ride out any storm you face until you have more options.
(Oct. 24Nov. 22)
Go out of your way to take part in an adventure that encourages learning and meeting people from different walks of life. Your overall focus could change, with positive, if drastic results.
23Dec. 21)
You’ll find plenty of ways to improve your surroundings as well as your relationships. A move due to a job opportunity looks promising. Be prepared to adapt to shifting trends.
Seven beautiful young ladies will be clashing head on as they vie for the title of Queen of Anna Regina this Saturday at the Anna Regina Car Park.
The delegates will be competing in introduction, casual wear, talent piece, evening gown and intelligence. This pageant is being hosted in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry as Anna Regina stages its inaugural Town Week celebration slated from August 23-25.
The beauties were selected from within the township of Anna Regina and will be focusing on social issues affecting the society in Essequibo.
The newly crowned queen will overlook and also sit on several committees of the Anna Regina IMC. She will assist the town in implementing new projects as well as work along with youths from the various villages.
number one: Ahide Marcia Pearson, 19, of Mainstay/Whyaka. Her hobbies are modelling and swimming and aspires to become an agriculturalist. She was crowned Miss Amerindian Heritage, 2011.
The much anticipated Jamzone International Night, which was slated for August 24 at the Guyana National Stadium this Saturday, has been put off tentatively. A new date has not been set but Hits and Jams Entertainment is working tirelessly with Mc Neil Enterprise in pulling off the event which was forced
to be put off due to circumstances beyond their control.
The international night would have seen international R&B singer, R Kelly headlining the show with Jamaican reggae crooner Christopher Martin. Among the others performing would have been KI and JMC 3VENI; Timeka Marshall and Jumo Primo.
Tickets went on sale a few weeks after the event was advertised and they went like hotcakes about two weeks ago during various promotions. Persons flocked various location nationwide as the general admission tickets were reduced from $5000 to $3500 and the VIP from $30,000 to $20,000.
This Sunday, all road roads will lead to the Splashmin’s Fun Park and Resort for the Jamzone Summer Break, 2013 beach jam and concert. This year, Guyanese will be treated to one of the most impressive ski groups as they perform at the Jamzone Beach Jam.
Known for their broad spectrum of water sports and water ski shows, “Stars of Florida” will showcase their incredible talent in Guyana for the much anticipated Jamzone 2013.
In an effort to continuously develop Guyana’s biggest summer event, Hits and Jams Entertainment has added to their Jamzone beach day a string of events including this magnificent spectacle of
Eighteen-year-old Royden James is a contestant in the Mr Guyana Talented Teen Pageant which is slated for October. He was born in New Amsterdam to Norman and Jacklyn James and is the last of six children.
His other siblings are Nichola, Jeffen, Royston, Raulston and Rauldon James. They grew up in a small village on the East Bank of Berbice known as Heathburn as very humble people.
Like any other child, he was troublesome but he always stayed by himself. He would teach the walls or the neighbours children. He is presently pursuing a degree in Public Management/Administration after completing primary and secondary education at Edinburgh Primary and Tutorial Academy, New Amsterdam rewpectively.
James also noted that “pageantry is not about being on stage and showcase your looks and clothes in different segments, you learn a lot, you get to meet a whole new family you meet new people in the outside world and it also helped me to be more bold and speak out on the things that matters to me”.
top show skiers in performances that will thrill and delight spectators.
These professionals are trained in practically all aspects of the sport including bare footing, jumping, swivel, adagio doubles, pyramids, wake boarding, air chair/ski sky and even delta wing hang gliders are choreographed into one grand performance.
Stars of Florida has performed in Japan, Paris, Jordan, Colombia, Turkey, Malaysia, India, Egypt, Las Vegas, Norway, Korea and other exciting locations. These talented performers are sure to provide a splendid show for patrons.
Tickets for the event cost $2000 and are available at the Ashmin’s office, High Street, Georgetown and at the gates on the day of the event. Showtime will be 15:00h.
When night falls, patrons will be treated to some exhilarating performances by some of the best local talents including Jory, Jay Anderson, X2, Fogo and the Heat Waves band.
Apart from the Beach Jam, The Stars of Florida will be on display today at the same venue commencing at 15:00h. Tickets cost $2000 and can be uplifted at Ashmins.
The National Cultural Centre is the place to be this Saturday when the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha hosts its 18th Edition of Naya Zamana before a packed audience.
“Taal Dhamaal”, the new theatrical production follows the hopes and dreams of a diverse group of dancers who have been granted highly coveted spots in
a premiere dance academy. The supremely gifted dancers train with the rigour of Olympic athletes as they vie for an ultimate prize.
An abandoned bride, an imperious diva, a Shah Rukh fanatic and a lovestruck Romeo are all part of the mix. The audience will be taken on a veritable roller coaster of emotions ranging from love and laughter
He had his freedom owing to the fact that he was the last child for his parents thus getting off whenever he was in trouble. Although being a little troublesome, he aspires to become an immigration officer within the Guyana Police Force.
He sees himself as someone who likes to explore, hence his involvement in pageantry. “It all started in high school, every year my school would have a female pageant and in 2009 they decided to start the male segment, however, I became involved in 2010 after advice from my friends”, James explained.
In that pageant, he secured the 2nd runner-up position which made him more determined to participate in 2011. This time around, he won the coveted title.
He started to spread his wings and participated in other pageants such as Mr interschool pageants involving high schools in Berbice.
In 2012, he won the Mr Berbice High Senior pageant and then gained the 2nd runner-up position in the Mr Guyana African Heritage pageant. He is now eyeing the Mr Guyana Talented Teen, 2013 title which is the first of its kind.
James stated that he does not have much challenges since he is pretty new in the fashion industry. “I try to correct every mistake the second time around but I have serious time issues but I’m now seeing changes”, he added.
His greatest role models and inspiration are his parents, Martin Luther King and Guyanese Fashion icon, Sonia Noel –for they have all taught him that “gold is not to live forever” but to create something that will.
His advice for young men who aspire to become models is to ignore the stigma attached to male pageantry. “I strongly believe we have the right to do what makes us comfortable, so I would advise them to do it because they want to do it because a few years from now, people’s opinion won’t be needed on our CV but what we did is what counts”.
The young model does not have a favourite food but eats anything. He likes the colours blue and black and is frequently called a ‘traffic police’ by his sister. He hopes to be married at the age of 27 and would like to have three children.
to anger, sadness and desperation.
Cutting-edge choreography, riveting drama, superb music, opulent sets and stunning costumes all lend to the feel that film has come to stage. The production, which is written, choreographed and directed by Dr Vindhya Persaud, will feature a diverse musical palette reflective of 100 years of
Indian cinema. The cast comprises 60 talented dancers and actors who have been working dedicatedly to present a unique show that will be remembered for a long time after.
In addition to the Sabha’s Dharmic Nritya Sangh, Taal Dhamaal will feature Amit Shah who wowed the audience with his performance as Yash Kapoor in
Bollywood Dreams. The new addition to the cast is the talented Prashant Sitaram, choreographer of the Rangeela Dance Troupe of New York. Indhira Harry, Gina Arjoon, Zahrah Alli, Tonya Singh, Rishi Dubraj and Ananda Latchman play the other key roles.
If you have never been to a Naya Zamana production, this is the perfect opportuni-
ty to treat yourself and family to the pleasure of experiencing one. Tickets for the production cost $3000, $2000 and $1500 and are available at the Dharmic Sanskritik Kendra (227-6181), National Cultural Centre; Red Mango, Robb Street; Bhagwan’s, Water Street and the Murti Shop, MetemMeer-Zorg, WCD.
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As summer winds down, some of the hottest concept parties are planned that will see patrons getting their grooves on. Taking the head start, Pulse Entertainment will host a two-night affair tonight and Saturday evening with the party called “Summer Swing weekend”.
The event is slated for Palm Court, Main Street. Pulse DJ’s are ready to create the right atmosphere as they entertain with the latest Summer Hits while patrons sip on some of the coolest cocktails. There will also be the gorgeous, colourful Pulse Girls to add to the excitement.
Ladies will be admitted FREE until 22:00h and $2,000 afterwards. It’s the “Summer Swing” Weekend so get those dancing shoes... your summer outfits.... let’s swing this weekend!!! The event is powered by Pulse Entertainment, Guyana’s Premier Entertainment Company.
Jamzone “Jazz Night” powered by Hits and Jams Entertainment, which was scheduled for August 23 at the Promenade Gardens, will now be held on Saturday evening.
Patrons will once again be taken on a journey of soothing jazz, delicious food and exquisite fashion all of which will be presented by local groups at the Promenade Gardens.
On Saturday evening, Guyanese will be treated to this beautiful affair which remains unique in Guyana’s
culture. It is that one time of the year when ladies and gentlemen can come out elegantly dressed and enjoy a relaxing evening of fine entertainment. Young, refreshing local bands will provide live entertainment in a calm, tranquil atmosphere. Also, spoken word poets will deliver their own creative art in this form at this event. While enjoying the very best of Guyana’s poetic minds, patrons can indulge in delicious cuisine which will be on sale.
uyanese born singer, Delon Anthony Moffett aka Muff Dawg, has released his latest tune “Front Door”. Moffett was born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana and attended St Stanislaus College, where he developed an interest in athletics, cricket, Scrabble, debating and
The name “Muff Dawg” was bestowed on the singer because of his surname and the interest he showed in entertaining small crowds at his school with what he called “witty lyrics and gestures”.
After graduating high school in 2010, the young man was given an opportunity to study abroad at
As the night unwinds, designers of the local fashion industry will share in the opportunity to display some of their most imaginative pieces out of their latest collections.
When all of these amazing art forms fuse together under the stars at the Promenade Gardens, Hits and Jams Entertainment calls it "A night of Jazz, Food and Fashion".
Tickets cost $2000 and are available at Ashmin’s.
Monroe College; he wasted no time in accepting this opportunity. Presently he is studying Public Accounting, maintaining a 4.0 GPA while being on his college track team.
“Music for me is just a hobby and a change to ease some stress from the long hours of travelling and studying, however, I plan to record new songs whenever I’m free.”
When asked about his reason for singing "Front Door" he had this to say: “I abhor the message that Super Ray and Burning Flames have out there, so I made the chorus and sang it to my friends and they liked it. So I went to college and recorded it. I didn’t wait for it to be mixed, so the first time I heard the song I was surprised by the end result".
…await winner of Tallawahs/Tridents clash tonight
Amazon Warriors fans had to celebrate on Thursday
Guyana Amazon
Wariiors booked their place in Saturday’s final of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (LCPL) after clinically disposing of Trinidad and Tobago’s Red Steel at the Queen’s Park Oval in the first semi-final last night.
The Warriors’ seven-wicket victory came in 16.2 overs with Ramnaresh Sarwan, whose captaincy was astute on the night, ended the game with a four to the midwicket boundary.
Winning the toss, the Amazon Warriors never gave the Red Steel, whose horrid run in the tournament ended in anotherdefeat, a chance to settle, eventually closing the home franchise for a belowpar score 103 in 19.3 overs.
Kevon Cooper (27) and Dwayne Bravo (26) were the principal scorers for Red Steel as Man-of-theMatch Tillakaratne Dilshan, who had a superb all-round game, Krishmar Santokie, Veerasammy Permaul and Lasith Malinga, all picked up two wickets apiece.
The Amazon Warriors responded with 107-3 with Dilshan topscoring with 39. The Amazon Warriors now await the winner of the Jamaica Tallawahs and Barbados Tridents match-up tonight at the same venue.
Meanwhile, Amazon Warriors had an early setback when they lost Lendl Simmons for eight in his battle with Barbadian pacer Fidel Edwards. However, shortly after Dilshan pulled Edwards sweetly only for Kevin O’Brien to make an equally brilliant save on the square leg boundary.
The next ball though, Dilshan played his trademark ‘Dil-scoop’ that went for six off Edwards. Two overs later they lost William Perkins to a leading edge tht went to cover.
Thereafter, it was all Dilshan, scoring at over a 100 with is deft touches. However, his dismissal came when he was deceived by a slower ball from Cooper, who took a simple return catch.
Sarwan and James Franklin eventually led the Warriors to victory with ease. Earlier, Sarwan’s choice to open with Jamaican medium pacer Santokie and Sri Lankan off-spinner Dilshan paid early dividends. The dangerous Kevin O’Brien was the first to go, caught and bowled by Dilshan, followed by Mahela Jayawardena, who was deceived by by a slower Santokie deliver and was caught at mid-off by Sarwan when the score was 14, after three overs. Sarwan’s use of his bowlers was admirable, with spinners Sunil Narine and Permaul causing causing trouble for aggressive New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor, who eventually holed out to Christopher Barnwell on the midwicket boundary. With the Red Steel pegged
down after the loss of the early wickets, the Amazon Warriors continued to make their mark on the game, as they had done initially in the tournament.
In the quest for quick runs, desperation also stepped in for the Red Steel batsmen. Adrian Barath tried to pull a single out of thin air and was run out by some distance off the last ball of the eighth over and Darren Bravo was caught off the first ball of the next over.
Precariously poised at 37-5 after 10 overs , captain Dwayne Bravo and 17-yearold Nicholas Pooran tried to repair the earlier damage but the Amazon Warriors bowlers gave very little away. Pooran hit the first six of the innings off the first ball of Permaul’s second over but the bowler was vindicated the next ball when the teen was caught behind by Ramdin for 14, as the Warriors tightened the Red Steel.
After 17 overs, the Red Steel had only hit a pair of fours and sixes. Cooper started started the 18th over with a straight six off Narine. However, Narine had Cooper caught five balls later, with the Red Steel barely creeping over three figures.
Santokie, the highest wicket taker in the tournament, struck again at the “death” when he had Sulieman Benn caught by Permaul, ending with two runs coming off his final over, and 2 for 20 of 4 overs.
Dwayne Bravo was caught in the last over by Permaul attempting a big shot for six before Malinga uprooted Edwards’ middle stump, leaving the bowler on a hat-trick. The Red Steel folded in 19.3 overs.
Guyana Amazon Warriors innings
L Simmons c Benn b Edwards 8 W Perkins c Badree b Benn 18
12
M Jayawardene c Sarwan b Santokie 2
R Taylor c Barnwell b Permaul 6
DM Bravo c Franklin b Dilshan 3
DJ Bravo* c Permaul b Malinga 26 N Pooran† c †Ramdin b Permaul 14
K Cooper c Franklin b Narine 27
S Benn c Permaul b Santokie 0 F Edwards b Malinga 1
S Badree not out 0
Extras: (w4) 4
Total: (all out, 19.3 overs) 103
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-14, 3-25, 4-32, 5-32, 6-56, 7-101, 8-101, 9-103, 10-103
Bowling: K Santokie 4-0-20-2, T Dilshan 4-0-14-2, S Malinga
3.3-0-18-2, S Narine 4-0-291, V Permaul 4-0-22-2
The World Anti-Doping Agency has warned Jamaica it risks expulsion from the next Olympics and other major competitions if it does not address failings highlighted by a former senior employee.
WADA director general David Howman urged the island’s government to investigate claims by the former executive director of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission that its drugstesting programme was completely inadequate.
Renee Anne Shirley accused Jamaica’s politicians and administrators of ignoring her warnings that the positive tests returned by Asafa Powell and four other athletes were a “disaster” waiting to happen, saying: “They believe Jamaica does not have a problem.”
Howman warned that if the country refused to take its responsibilities seriously, WADA could deem JADCO non-compliant with the WADA code, which could have dire consequences for
the country’s elite athletes – including world recordbreaking sprinter Usain Bolt.
“Our normal approach if we have issues falling into the category of either complaint or concern is to try to work with the particular signatory and remedy it,” Howman said.
“If nothing happens, we can ask our board to declare any of the signatories non-compliant and that has implications as to whether teams from the country would be admitted into various events.
“We report the noncompliance to people who can then consider whether other sanctions ought to follow. That would be the International Olympic Committee and International Association of Athletics Federations and so on.”
Shirley went public with her concerns this week in an article for US magazine ‘Sports Illustrated’. Howman said: “We were certainly concerned by the comments and would anticipate that the government and the agency itself would be appropriately responding.
“It’s serious. And I think that if responsible people in Jamaica are looking at it then they will address it. If there’s a lack of response then it’s something that we at Wada would want to take up with the Jamaican government.” (Daily Telegraph, London)
St George’s, GRENADA
-Jamaica subdued Barbados by six wickets at the national stadium Thursday to retain their title as champions of women’s T20 cricket in the Caribbean.
An all-round effort from Stafanie Taylor and a top score of 44 from Natasha Mclean guided the Jamaicans to victory as they finished the tournament undefeated.
T Dilshan c & b Cooper 39
R Sarwan* not out 18
J Franklin not out 16
Extras: (lb2, w5, nb1) 8 Total: (3 wkets, 16.2 overs) 107
Did not bat: CD Barnwell, D Ramdin†, SP Narine, V Permaul, K Santokie, SL Malinga Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-47, 3-78
Bowling: F Edwards 3-0-251, S Badree 3-0-21-0, S Benn 3-0-24-1, DJ Bravo 4-0-170, K Cooper 3.2-0-18-1
Winning the T20 tournament also meant Jamaica had made a clean sweep of regional women’s cricket titles this year after capturing the Super 50 staged earlier.
The Bajans run rate was heavily restricted after they won the toss and decided to take first knock.
Kycia Knight spearheaded the fight to restore credibility to their innings with a top score of 25 and receiving some support from Shaquana Quintyne 20, Charlene Taitt who was run out for 16 and Kyshonna Knight 15.
Vanessa Watts led the Jamaican bowling with 2 for 17 in four overs while Karla Cohen, Shanel Daley, chedean Nation and Stafanie
Taylor took a wicket each.
A powerful 79 run opening partnership between Taylor and Mclean set the stage for the Jamaican victory.
Mclean cracked four fours to reach her 44 from 45 balls while Taylor, who was lbw for 32, had earlier picked up a wicket for 18 runs in her four overs.
The main wicket taker for Barbados was Shakera Selman with two for 18 as Jamaica romped to victory at 106 for 4 in 16.5 overs.
Total: 105/7 (20 Overs)
Did not Bat: Shakera Selman*, Shanna Thompson, Shamilia Connell Extras: (4lb, 4w, 1nb) 9 Fall of Wickets: 1-20, 2-39, 3-69, 4-71, 5-78, 6-91, 7-105 Jamaica Bowling: Vanessa Watts 4-0-17-2, Karla Cohen 4-0-33-1, Shanel Daley 4-09-1, Chedean Nation 4-0-241, Stafanie Taylor 4-0-18-1
Nation not out 2
Total: 106/4 (16.5 Overs) Did not Bat: Tameka Sanford+, Karla Cohen, Vanessa Watts, Roshana Outar, Alecia Bookal Extras: (2lb, 5wd, 1nb) 8 Fall of Wickets: 1-79,
Sixteen Guyanese will be waving the Golden Arrowhead on the final two nights of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (LCPL) in Trinidad and Tobago this weekend.
Eight of them were winners of a Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) promotion, and they will each be accompanied by a guest to the second semifinal this evening and final on Saturday evening at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain.
The winners were on Thursday presented with two airline tickets, two tickets each for the second semi-final and final, accommodation at the world renowned Hilton hotel and spending money. They will depart Guyana today and return on Sunday.
The winners were selected after patron participated in a promotion run by DDL, through its flagship brand, El Dorado.
The LCPL started on July 30, and during the period August 5-20, the company held several on-premise promotions at retail outlets across the country, as well as the “El Dorado Express Yourself” competition on the three match days at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
For the on-premise promotions, consumers were required to purchase either an El Dorado 12 or 15 Year Old Super Premium rum to gain automatic entry into the draw, while fans became eligible for the “El Dorado Express Yourself” competition by covering their bodies to a canvas showcasing the El Dorado brand.
Narine Ramroop was adjudged winner of the “El Dorado Express Yourself” competition, while Savita Jardine of Campbellville, Lilowtie Singh of Cummings Lodge, Bissoon Ramnarine of Mackenzie, Anjanie Narayan,
Hema Sharmoon of Newtown, Kitty, Rawle Drupaul of Fifth Avenue, Onderneeming, and Prem Raghubeer of Campbellville won the onpremise promotions.
Sales Manager at Demerara Distillers Limited, Alexis Langhorne, wished the winners well, adding that DDL is pleased to play a part in allowing them to witness first-hand, the excitement being generated by the Limacol CPL.
DDL is a corporate partner of the inaugural League, and according to Langhorne, the company “will continue to sponsor as long as the organisers will have us.”
The winners expressed gratitude to DDL for affording them the opportunity to watch the games, noting that they will make maximum use of the opportunity to see some of the best regional and international T20 stars on show. (Avenash Ramzan)
Guyanese junior tennis player, Afruica Gentle, showed her class to whip St Vincent player Amarlia Benn 6-1 6-1 at the Grassroots Tennis Centre in St Vincent and the Grenadines on Wednesday afternoon.
In the process, the talented Gentle won the Girls 14’s title, convincingly beating her St Vincent opponent in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior tournament.
Gentle wore her rival down before applying relentless pressure on Benn. By lifting the title, Gentle became the second Guyanese to do so, following in the footsteps of Aretta Dey.
Also in winner’s row was Gentle’s doubles partner, Jamaali Homer, who outplayed St Vincent’s Anastasia White in straight sets 4-1 4-1 to progress to
the Girls 14’s Consolation finals.
However, Jordan Beaton found the going tough on day three in his semi-final encounter, as he was bounced from the tournament in straight sets 4-1 4-0 by Vincentian Richard Hoyte. Hoyte, the second seed, will now compete against top seed Danyel Angus out of
Trinidad in the finals.
Angus defeated Antiguan Justin Marcano 4-0 4-2 on his way to the championship game.
In the Boys 14’s Doubles, the Guyanese found the going tough and were eliminated. Beaton and Keshon Reece were comprehensively beaten 6-0 6-2 by the pair of Adriel Bousquet and Jean Philippe Murray.
The girls, on the other hand, remained on course to capture a second title when the Girls 14’s duo of Gentle and Homer gained a walkover from the Trinidadian pair Candace Cook and Anya King.
Gentle and Homer will now contest the final against the winners of the other semi-final, featuring an all St Vincent line-up: Amarlia and Gabrielle Benn against Anastasia White and Alexi Humphrey.
Port-of-Spain, TRINIDAD and TOBAGO – The inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League (LCPL)is set to finish with a bang after it was confirmed that the two semi-finals and final at the Queen’s Park Oval are sold out.
The “full house” signs going up for the three matches – saw Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel meeting on Thursday night and today seeing Barbados Tridents clash with the Jamaica Tallawahs before Saturday’s final – confirm a trend that has been clear throughout the event involving six regional franchises that began on 30 July.
That trend has included, most recently, sell-outs on successive days at Sabina Park, Jamaica last weekend, and the first-ever sell-out at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua last Saturday.
It is a trend the players have noticed.
Jamaica Tallawahs captain Chris Gayle said: “To get such a huge turn-out in the (Limacol) CPL is fantastic. The only other place where
With an improvement in the weather in the ancient county, the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has decided to use the opportunity to run off the 2013 Republic Bank Under-17 Inter-Zone cricket competition, set to bowl off on Monday at the Albion Community Centre ground.
West Berbice, East Bank/ New Amsterdam/Canje, Lower Corentyne and Upper Corentyne will compete in the tournament.
The competition, now in its fifth year, will consist of one-day, two innings matches, each of which will start at 09:00h with the first innings of each team limited to 60 overs.
The two semi-finals are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday with Lower Corentyne taking on West Berbice at Albion on Monday, while defending champion East bank/New Amsterdam/
you get these sorts of crowds is in the IPL (Indian Premier League).
“So (the Limacol CPL) ranks right up there with the other tournaments, which is really great to see. I am really happy that things have progressed and it can only get bigger and better from here on.”
Barbados Tridents captain Kieron Pollard said: “In international games this year (in the Caribbean) and in the years before, we (the West Indies) have not gotten this type of support and this type of crowd. “It is good for us as cricketers and good for the Caribbean people and hopefully it can continue and get bigger.”
Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik, Pollard’s teammate with the Tridents, added: “The response from the West Indies people has been awesome. Whenever you are playing a league it is about people coming to the ground –that is the key to success, and I have seen that here. People have been coming from everywhere. I was talking to the Jamaica players and they were saying ‘We were not expecting much of a crowd in Jamaica’, but we played there
Canje and Upper Corentyne will play at the Cumberland ground on Tuesday.
The Albion Community Centre ground has been identified as an alternate venue for Tuesday’s game. Below are three of the four squads.
West Berbice: Adrian Singh, Mohan Deodat (Vicecaptain), Randy Wade, Navendra Mahadeo, Grisean
and even in a day game I saw the ground full and energetic. It is a great thing.”
Limacol CPL Chief Executive Officer Damien O’Donohoe said: “We always believed the Limacol Caribbean Premier League had potential but the public interest, reflected in the attendances at all the matches, has still been beyond our expectations.
“The high attendances have gone hand-in-hand with the strong commercial support for the tournament, illustrated by the significant number of sponsors we have on board, and the interest in the event from outside the cricketing world, with Hollywood stars Mark Wahlberg and Gerard Butler taking equity stakes in the Barbados Tridents and the Jamaica Tallawahs respectively.
“It is all indicative of an event that has not only been a huge success but also one that has the potential to continue to grow in the coming years. Cricket fans in the Caribbean are the best in the world. The carnival atmosphere at every game has been phenomenal and on behalf of everyone at LCPL I want to thank them for their support,” he added.
Grant (Captain), Akeem Miller, Shawn smith, Jason Johansen, Bramdat Singh, Loris Ramnarine, Imran Imitiaz, Terrence Dhanraj, Kishun Arjune and Parmanand Ramdhan. Lower Corentyne: Balchand Baldeo, Ritesh Omrow, Brandon Persaud (Vice-captain), Daniel Lewis (Captain) Joshua Harrichan, Jason Anderson, S. Dookhna, Navendra Permaul, Kevindra Persaud, Asif Ali, Asif Khan, Veeramootoo Senwansane, Daniel Samaroo and Joshua Gobin. East Bank/New Amsterdam/Canje: Shimron Hetmyer (Captain), Leon Andrews, Jerome Andrews Jnr, Clifton Lindie, Steve Deonarine, Filon Crandon, Kyle Michael, Kevin Sinclair, Devon Anderson, Jalim Jafar, Isaiah Lewis, Omar Weatherspoon and A. Thomas.
Port-of-Spain, TRINIDAD and TOBAGO – If there is one person champing at the bit ahead of today’s second semi-final of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League, it is lively JamaicaTallawahs all-rounder Andre Russell.
Almost unnoticed, the 25-year-old has emerged as the hero for the Tallawahs, producing match-winning knocks and incisive spells, to help propel the Kingstonbased franchise into the final four of the Limacol CPL.
With the crucial semi-final against Barbados Tridents at Queen’s Park Oval fast approaching, Russell says he can’t wait to line up again, as he seeks to steer Tallawahs into the grand final.
“I’ve been working hard on my batting and bowling so I am not really surprised by form at the moment. I’m bowling good yorkers, I’m hitting the ball cleanly and I’m waiting for my type of balls to dispatch so I’m happy,” Russell said.
“We’ve qualified for the semi-finals but we want to keep up that winning momentum so we just want to take it step by step.”
Russell announced himself with a scintillating unbeaten 42, an innings which fired Tallawahs to a seven wicket victory over Antigua Hawksbills, in their second match of the inaugural tournament.
In the next match against Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel, Russell snatched the two key wickets of Adrian Barath and skipper Dwayne Bravo at critical moments in the game, as the Tallawahs stole a narrow five-run win in the last over.
Subsequently, strokefilled, unbeaten knocks of 47 and 27 also saw Tallawahs post important triumphs and Russell says his performances were testament to the determination he has shown since losing his spot in the
West Indies team.
“I’m feeling good. I got dropped from the West Indies team but I know what I have to do and I know how important it is for me to work harder than everyone else,” said Russell, who last played for West Indies on Zimbabwe’s tour of the Caribbean in March.
“As an all-rounder you have to be extra fit. I’ve been doing a lot of work. I’ve played in England for Worcestershire and I’ve been doing a lot of running and stuff like that.” He added: “Getting dropped made me stronger. I went back in the nets. I have my own training facility at home with a bowling machine so I made use of that. I know what I have to work on and I spent extra time working on those things.
“I know what it is to play international cricket and I know what it takes to stay there. I’ve been dropped but when I return to the West Indies team I think I will be a better player.”
In danger at one point of not qualifying for the semis, the Tallawahs’ surge in form saw them finish second in the standings behind Guyana Amazon Warriors, and set
Tup a highly anticipated clash with the Tridents today.
Russell, who has played 34 One-Day Internationals and 15 Twenty20s for West Indies, said much of the Tallawahs’ success had been as a result of the senior players and the atmosphere they had created in the camp.
“The guys that we look up to like Chris Gayle and Murali (MuttiahMuralitharan) … they are all fun guys and that is very important when guys like those can come and say something funny and you laugh. It really keeps the team going,” Russell explained.
“Muraliis a true legend –off the field, on the field – and that’s one of the best things. We just have to keep going and keep doing well. We have the team and we have the confidence. Our confidence is sky high right now because winning gives you momentum.” (CPL)
he Selection Committee of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has invited 30 cricketers for three 50-over trial matches in preparation for the upcoming Senior InterCounty 50-over competition, which is scheduled to start on September 11.
The first trial match is scheduled for Sunday at Albion, while the other two are fixed for next Tuesday and Wednesday at the same venue.
Among the players called up are Assad Fudadin, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo and Narsingh Deonarine, all of whom have represented West Indies in the past, as well as former West Indies opening batsman Sewnarine Chattergoon. Also earning a call to the trials is Guyana Amazon Warriors fast bowler in the current Limacol Caribbean Premier League, Keon Joseph.
The two teams will be captained by Fudadin and Permaul, subject to their availability.
Below are the two squads: Permaul’s squad: Veerasammy Permaul, Kandasammy Surujnarine, Arthley Bailey, Narsingh Deonarine, Joemal LaFleur, Seon Hetmyer, Delbert Hicks, Eon Hooper, Jason Sinclair, Keion De Jesus, Shawn Pereira, Kevin Ramdeen, Keon Joseph, Keyron Fraser and Yudendra Harrinarine.
Fudadin’s squad: Assad Fudadin, Shimron Hetmyer, Sewnarine Chattergoon,
The matches are scheduled to start at 09:00h each day and the players must report to the ground no later than 07:45h.
