Guyana Times Daily

Smuggling cocaine in agri produce hampering trade

Six homeless after Linden fire

GHTK donates equipment, supplies to GPHC No complacency in TB fight, Dr Shamdeo Persaud warns

Glitzy sixth Wedding Expo launched CanadianGuyanese creating history abroad Pensioner strangled in Linden

No complacency in TB fight, Dr Shamdeo Persaud warns

Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Shamdeo Persaud said though there has been a significant reduction in tuberculosis (TB) cases, there must be no complacence in the fight against the disease.

Dr Persaud was delivering the feature address at the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) Staff Appreciation Ceremony at the Pegasus Hotel on Friday.

Reflecting on the history of the TB fight in Guyana, he said the country has made significant strides from the time of the first diagnosis of the organism in 1882 to 2014. He said treatments are not only disseminated for the simple forms of tuberculosis, but some of the more complicated ones.

In the past 10 years, there has been a significant decline in TB incidence from 92 per every 100,000 in 2012 to 78 in every 100,000 in 2013. Once this trend is maintained, the programme predicts that by the end of 2005, there will be a further reduction of cases,

with 60 per every 100,000.

Dr Jeetendra Mohanlall, who has been the National Tuberculosis Programme (NPT) Manager for the past 10 years, underscored the importance of more laboratory personnel, nurses, clinicians and community volunteers in an effort to combat the disease. Additional health personnel to tackle the disease will help the country to

operate in keeping with the 2014 World TB Day theme “Reach 3 million, Find, Treat and Cure”. In the past, the Georgetown Chest Clinic was recognised as the only health institution which carried the fight against TB. At the time, it was led by Dr Moti Lall, who was assisted by a small staff complement and often times received support from the Guyana

an award was established in his honour. Quoting Dr Lall, the NTP Manager said, “I have seen this disease and it is a terrible, terrible disease. With the presence of HIV, I have seen TB spread, but we have to work together to keep it down. We have to work together if we are to see results… .There is a need for camaraderie if there is to be progression in any area of our life. If we don’t work as a team, we can’t be successful in our endeavours.”

without the help of God, colleagues at the Linden Hospital Complex and his parents. He has pledged to continue the great work in the region.

Chest Society. However, in 1994, the NTP received a much needed boost with additional staff under the leadership of Dr Shamdeo Persaud.

Yeoman service

“Dr Moti Lall worked for about 30 years fighting TB in Guyana until his passing two years ago,” Dr Mohanlall said. In recognition of Dr Lall’s commitment to the fight,

Dr Mohanlall added that HIV has been the main fuelling factor for TB in the country and in the fight against TB/HIV co-infection. NTP must build new partners to see greater results, he lamented.

Dr Roscoe McDonald, who hails from Linden, Region 10, received the top award; the Dr Moti Lall Award, for his dedication and commitment in the fight against TB at the regional level. Dr McDonald, one of Guyana’s many graduates out of Cuba, said he could not have done it

Meanwhile, the Mazaruni Prison received the Most Improved Prison in TB Control Award while the award for the Most Outstanding Volunteer in the fight against TB went to Lloyd Henrito of Region Eight. The retired health worker has given unwavering support to the fight. The Guyana Red Cross Society was awarded for its outstanding contribution in TB community services in hinterland regions while the Food for the Poor was rewarded for fostering partnerships and reaching the less fortunate TB patients. NAPS also received an award for partnering in the fight against TB/HIV co-infection.

Representatives from all 10 administrative regions were also recognised. Twenty certificates were also distributed to organisations and individuals who played a critical role in the TB fight.

Arson suspected in Family Planning building fire

Afire suspected to be arson in the wee hours of Sunday morning ravaged the Family Planning Association building on Croal Street, Georgetown, leaving millions in damage.

The fire started in the well secured building just after midnight and due to the materials inside, it spread rapidly. When Guyana Times visited the scene on Saturday morning, police were busy conducting their investigations.

They have already questioned several persons, including a security guard. The police are working with the theory that the building was purposely set on fire. Most of the damages

were concentrated on the upper flat of the building while the lover flat received damage as a result of the water from the fire engines. A few pieces of furniture were salvaged, but all the records and official documents were destroyed.

Family Planning Association (FPA) President Jason Shepherd said from reports received, the fire might have started as a result of an act of arson.

Agro-processors say

Smuggling cocaine in agri produce hampering trade

Agro-processors across the country on Friday expressed frustration over the use of raw and processed fruits and vegetables to smuggle illegal substances out of the country, saying it has been having a negative impact on their small-scale businesses.

The producers were at the time speaking at an Agro-Processors Forum held at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

formance and development of the agro-processing industry.

One of the major issues raised by the processors at the forum was the frequency of cocaine busts at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) in which processed and semi-processed foods such as achar and pepper sauce are used. These two products are the most profitable commodities for a majority of processors.

Speaking with Guyana Times, Savoury Food

The event was hosted by the Agriculture Ministry in collaboration with the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) to focus on issues affecting the per-

Managing Director

the situation has been severely affecting the performance and profitability of her business.

The manager stated that she has a market in Jamaica to which she supplies various pepper sauces, seasonings and other processed products on a monthly basis, but due to the frequent drug busts at the airports, she suffers huge losses on every shipment.

Callous checking

“When I’m exporting my products or I go through the airports with my products, the officers there would open every bottle or container with sometimes ... no respect for your property. They

more can be done to facilitate agro-processors in the export of their goods.

Ramnanan exports a large quantity of fruit juices, particularly to Canada, through the country’s premier airport. He related that his juices are well-packaged when taken to the airport, but after checks by the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU), there is much left to be desired in the appearance and presentation of his goods. This situation, he said, has caused buyers, particularly overseas-based Guyanese

don’t care how they open it as long as it opens and many times I would have to replace a lot of those bottles and labels. It isn’t easy because it is very expensive for me to import my packaging materials. When I have to keep replacing these every month, imagine my expenses at the end of the month. And you cannot raise the prices for your products to facilitate this because the consumers would not want buy it, so I will lose my market,” she explained.

Echoing her sentiments was Nateram Ramnanan, proprietor of Original Juices from the Cinderella County.

The man stated that too often he incurs losses from his already not so profitable business and thinks that

and tourists to become apprehensive in purchasing his products, resulting in a loss of potential customers.

“We all know that overseas people like to take back things like achar, pepper sauces and so on when they come to Guyana, but because of the harassment and time consuming procedures that you have to go through, they don’t bother to take it with them when they are going back, even if they want to,” he lamented.

Sunday Times Editor: Tajeram Mohabir

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

Mailing address:

238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

Sugar options

According to a report in yesterday’s edition of this newspaper, the outgoing President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Clinton Urling, has called for “the gradual privatisation of underperforming sugar estates”. The “under-performing sugar estates” were identified as Skeldon and Blairmont. This call comes amidst a national debate on the future of the sugar industry that has been occasioned by the need for the central Government to extend subventions to cover shortfalls in GuySuCo’s revenues.

Urling also supported previous calls for the corporation to accelerate and intensify its diversification plans and engage in the production of “energy, confectionaries, molasses and animal feed, among other byproducts of sugar cane”. While this newspaper has also called for selective privatisation of the sugar industry in this space, its rationale was somewhat different from that of the President of the GCCI. Even Urling conceded, any effective proposal to assist the sugar industry must be configured with an overall strategy that is geared towards its sustainability.

In the estimation of this newspaper, when it comes to the cultivation of sugar cane, which is the basis of the sugar industry, Berbice makes the most sense for several reasons. It has the greatest expanse of land that is suitable for the cultivation of the crop and has the greatest total annual sunshine. This is necessary for the ripening of the cane to increase the sucrose content to its greatest levels.

However, the identified “under-performing estates” are both in Berbice and for this reason, Urling’s proposal needs to be reconsidered.

The Demerara Estates, on the other hand, have historically been the highest cost locations – producing sugar at almost twice the cost as the Berbice Estates, in the best of times. This was because the soils in Demerara needed greater quantities of inputs such as fertilisers and lime in addition to more intensive cultivation practices such as ploughing, harrowing and flood fallowing.

To compound these comparative disadvantages, in the last decade, the economy in Demerara has improved out of proportion to that of Berbice, and has created a situation where the labour that traditionally gravitated to the sugar industry can now find more lucrative employment in other fields such as construction. The labour shortage hobbling the sugar industry is most intense in Demerara.

For these reasons we have advocated the privatisation of the Demerara Estates, since the “redundant” labour would be absorbed with the least disruptive effect and the need for the least governmental intervention.

From this perspective, the Berbice “under-performing” estates must be fixed. Strategically, former President Jagdeo’s decision to expand production in Berbice made eminent sense and if the Skeldon Factory had performed to plan, this country would have reaped its greatest sugar bonanza in the last decade, when sugar prices had its longest run of high prices in a century.

The 1998 Strategic Sugar Plan had interestingly proposed the expansion of the Blairmont operations and the closure of the Rose Hall Canje factory. The cane from the latter operation would have been transported to Blairmont across the Canje Creek as had been done at New Forest. There would be minimal loss of jobs, since the same acreage would be cultivated. The Albion factory, which was and remains the largest and most efficient producer, was also supposed to have been expanded.

In terms of Berbice then, we would recommend that we stick to the original plan but secure better management, possibly foreign, to execute it. We just have to get our act together at Skeldon.

With the recent injection of funds into sugar to secure its survival, we obviously agree that it must be spent wisely. As such, we do not believe that the latest $6 billion targeted for “mechanisation” ought to be deployed in the Demerara Estates because of the reasons outlined above. To summarise our position: secure and mechanise the Berbice operations and privatise the Demerara Estates.

The budget has superseded anyone’s expectations

Dear Editor,

Kindly publish this letter in your newspaper. It is now a foregone conclusion that neither the Kaieteur News nor the Stabroek News will publish any of my letters, since I do not tow their lines.

It is surprising that these papers do not see the hidden agenda of the AFC and APNU. I am positive they do, but their hate for the PPP/C is paramount to the nation’s interest.

2014 Budget

The 2014 Budget is here again and once again the AFC and APNU are ‘scissors happy’. The AFC’s Leader was so impatient that he and his cohorts leisurely strolled out of Parliament once again displaying utter disregard for their mandate to pursue the people’s business. It was the AFC’s ‘foreplay’. These people are so irresponsible and yet they do not feel that they are wasting taxpayers’ dollars!

The theme of the 2014 Budget, “A Better Guyana for ALL Guyanese”, is an apt one. It is amazing that when countries such as U.S.A., Canada, Japan and the UK are having economic growth of less than two per cent, our country is having a GDP of over five per cent and this is real economic growth!

For a period of over eight years this country has been achieving steady and sustainable progress in the

standard of living enjoyed by the Guyanese people.

The question people must ask is: What have been the contributions of the AFC and APNU towards this gigantic achievement? Absolutely nothing!

Instead, they have doggedly attempted to thwart and impede such progress. Can you imagine if the Opposition had co-operated with the PPP/C Government what our achievement would have been? Supporters of APNU and AFC I call upon you, please do some genuine research and stop reading the trash and garbage peddled by Stabroek News and Kaieteur News! The glass is not half empty!

This budget has superseded anyone’s expectations, right – thinking individuals, that is. It has addressed the plight of the poor and vulnerable of this nation: increase in old age pension, GPL subsidy to pensioners, $10,000 allowance for each child going to school, increase in the income tax threshold.

This 220 billion dollars budget has indeed targeted the needs of this country.

The President of Guyana, His Excellency Donald Ramotar and his team have done more for this country than anyone before, since no other Government had ever faced such adversities and hardships.

No one faced such an unrelenting, venomous and unpatriotic Combined

Opposition as the AFC/ APNU. This man has defied the labours of Hercules. Keep up the fight victory is in sight! The APNU and AFC will understand soon that the’ voice of the people is the voice of God’. The people of this country will not revert to ‘massa days’. The dark era of 28 years is gone forever!

GPL, Linden, Kwakwani

The Government has once again come to the assistance of GPL and the people of Linden/Kwakwani and this should be lauded. It is not a waste of taxpayers’ monies when such monies are used to assist a depressed area and an ailing service provider.

It must be recalled that GPL, formerly GEC, was in an utter state of disrepair under the PNC Government: monies were stolen, mismanaged and illspent. Capital replacement was very minimal and in some cases junks were purchased.

The AFC or APNU cannot deny this, but they feel that such a subsidy will put the PPP/C Government in a good light in the eyes of the people. If the subsidy is not given to GPL, electricity rates will go up, blackouts will be more frequent, the people will be devastated and who will get the blame? Of course the PPP/C Government! Once again their agenda to destabilise the Government will be successful.

Some people feel that GuySuCo is doing nothing towards the economic growth of this country and they are actually telling people that the sugar industry is dead and buried and could never ever be able to come to life again.

In fact, on March 12 the Leader of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan, was reported as saying in an INews interview that ‘the Party supports APNU in its call for a shift from decades of sugar production into a direction of ethanol production and aquaculture’. It does not take an MBA graduate to figure out what Ramjattan was saying – semantics or not his meaning was clear. APNU does not support sugar production therefore AFC does not! Then in the next scene Moses Nagamoottoo, realising that AFC supporters are also sugar workers, tried to repair the damage. He said that the AFC called for a ‘transformation’ of the industry ‘rather than COMPLETE closure’. His attempt at damage control cannot fool anyone. These leaders will never be able to come clear on certain issues. But this man knows little about sugar, so he can be excused! Please Moses, the PPP/C Government through the 2014 budget has everything in place for the revitalisation of the sugar industry and it is not through rearing ‘tilapia’!

continue on page 5

Maintain an atmosphere of benevolence

Dear Editor, For those of us who have been hoping for real unity and peace among our people amid the seemingly petty squabbling that has been consistently indulged in by those who are looking after our political affairs, the gesture of goodwill by the President and Leader of the Opposition during the Phagwah festivities comes as a breath of fresh air in an arid blizzard.

The fact that this pleasant expression of friendli-

ness arose from the celebration of a religious holiday must underline the truth that mankind can only be united when we make use of the religious traditions with which our people have been endowed from all our previous generations.

Because our politicians have mainly been copycats of the more advanced nations and insisted that our politics must always be of a secular nature, we have effectively precluded any exercise of religious prin-

ciples from our affairs, and, as is manifest daily in all aspects of our lives, we have been living as in a sea tossed around without a keel to steady us, without a definite course to follow, and without a port of call to fulfil the lofty aspirations of our people.

This is most certainly the result of our adoption of atheistic communism as our political creed, and we must now see that we need to make the effort to eradicate the tenets of this system from the way we

behave and carry out our political business.

I call on our leaders to maintain this atmosphere of benevolence and carry it over into your negotiations both in and out of Parliament, and remind you that this can be more efficiently accomplished when we strive to incorporate into these the religious principles of love, peace and generosity which we have all inherited.

Sincerely,

Roy Paul

Disappointed with cutting of President’s press conference

Dear Editor, I was very disappointed on March 27 when at approximately 19:00h, while I was listening to an interesting interview with President Donald Ramotar on (station name given), the duty announcer suddenly cut the interview to put on a paid programme called “Sail On”, and he never said if there will be a continuation of the interview later.

This type of action by the duty announcer would never have taken place under past programme managers, since any interview or programme involving the President takes priority over all other programmes.

The budget has superseded...

I want these gentlemen to understand that the sugar industry in 2013 contributed 8.3 per cent of our total exports or $112.2 million U.S. dollars.

Sugar contributed 3.9 per cent to our country’s gross domestic product. The sugar industry is ‘ailing’ but is still making a meaningful contribution to our economy.

In addition, the industry gives a livelihood to 18,000 workers and overall nearly 120,000 people of this country benefited directly or indirectly! Moreover, GuySuCo supplies nearly 50 per cent of the electricity demand in Berbice. Do you think ‘tilapia’ can make all these contributions? Is it wise to leave the known and blunder into the unknown? You never hear these facts on the ‘ALLIANCE CART ON THE MOVE’ on DTV 8 in Berbice.

The Government trans-

ferred 195 million U.S. dollars to GuySuCo from 2005 to 2013 but 145.9 million U.S. dollars out of this came from the European Union! So it is not the Government giving all the assistance to GuySuCo. The PNC molested and raped GuySuCo through the sugar levy, so it’s payback time.

The Government has already embarked on strategies at all levels and the Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, has the ability and competence to make GuySuCo the most viable industry in this country.

GuySuCo is one of the entities that was maliciously starved of capital investment during the PNC era. It was deliberately ‘milked dry’ through the sugar levy to support many of the PNC Government’s failed ‘investments’ so the industry will need the patience

and perseverance of the people of this country to allow it to bounce back.

The problems faced by GuySuCo are more operational in nature and I am positive that Dr Ramsammy and GuySuCo’s Chairman and Board will resolve these problems and transform the entity into an economically viable one! The 2014 Budget has already laid out various strategies to handle these problems and they are workable.

Support the budget

If the AFC and APNU have an iota of interest in this nation’s development they will support the 2014 Budget. Stop prioritising your own self-interest! The 2014 Budget is not a PPP/C budget, it is the people’s budget. It provides for the people of this country.

Stop wasting taxpayers’ monies in Parliament and make yourselves useful. I

Courbane Park CPG

has made some significant changes to the community

Dear Editor,

It is with great appreciation and respect for their work done that I and other community members would like to compliment the Courbane Park Community Policing Group (CPG) for their recently held Fish Fry, proceeds for which will be assisting the implementation of various safety measures that this group has devised for Courbane Park, Annandale.

rounding communities to participate in sporting activities, etc.

Moreover, they are available to assist in any problems their community has besides safety measures!

This is total disrespect to the President and the listeners and should not be allowed to happen again.

Sincerely,

Peter Fraser

from page 4

appeal to the Members of Parliament of both AFC and APNU to use their conscience to support and promote economic and social development of our country. One of you can make a difference so have the courage to think out of the box!

Lastly, remember the Chief Justice is ruling: you do not have the legal right to cut the budget! The Constitution says that! The PNC knows that, they framed the 1980 constitution to ensure that the Opposition cannot cut the budget!

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

AFC Councillor/ Region Six

The Courbane Park CPG has been in existence for a few years now, but the newly elected management of the group has made some significant changes to their community, such as more patrols day and night, the upkeep of the Courbane Park playground for the utilisation of the youths of that area, as well as sur-

So once again, I’d like to commend the Chairman Rohan Persaud and his hard-working and dedicated group, which comprises females and males of all ages for the great job they have done so far, as well as the initiatives they took to get better roadways for Courbane Park and keeping their community safer than it was before!

They sure lead by example. Keep up the good work, guys!

Best regards, R Kerut

Water service disruption

at Paramakatoi, Region Eight

Dear Editor, The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) wishes to advise that a report was received of a disrupted water supply service in Paramakatoi, Region Eight on March 20. The disruption is causing a number of areas, inclusive of Government compounds, to be out of service.

The Toshao of Paramakatoi reported that the reservoir that serves the area is leaking and requested GWI’s urgent assistance to solve the problem, since the village was unsuccessful in attempts

to resolve the problem.

The company wishes to advise that a technical team has been dispatched to the area to assess the situation and provide assistance to the community to solve the problem. GWI wishes to provide assurance of our continuous commitment to provide technical support to ensure that the water supply system is operable in all Hinterland communities.

Yours truly, Timothy Austin Public Relations Officer GWI

Page Foundation

Anu Dev

Those of you who love coffee can appreciate the simple pleasure of waking up to a nice, freshlybrewed cup of coffee in the morning. I guess those of you that like tea probably get some sort of satisfaction from tea, but “objectively” speaking, tea really doesn’t have anything on a nice cup of coffee. I know there are loads of tea drinkers, who have this air of selfrighteous as they look down on us for enjoying our caffeineladen drinks, but the thing is, I don’t think they quite realise that tea has caffeine as well.

The smell of coffee is just so warm and welcoming. For me it reminds me of home. In the morning and in the evenings it’s a familiar ritual to see my mom putting some coffee to brew and soon after the smell of coffee wafts through the house.

And there are so many options with coffee. You could have regular coffee or you could have an espresso or a cappuccino if you prefer. And why not have a slice of cheesecake along with your coffee?

So much can be done over a cup of coffee. You could make business plans while meeting

investors over a cup of coffee. You could meet up with a friend you haven’t met in a while and chat over a cup of coffee. You could curl up in bed with a book and a hot cup of coffee to stay warm and cozy. So many memories can be made over a cup of coffee – laughing over something with your family, or even the not-so-pleasant memories of having to charge up on coffee to stay awake studying.

And since exams are right around the corner I’m guessing that coffeemakers all round will be getting more use than they’ve ever gotten before as students try to pull all-nighters to try to absorb last minute information for their Spanish orals or try to cram the names of all of the arteries supplying the heart.

A cup of coffee

It’s probably better to have half of the knowledge with a clear mind rather than having all of the knowledge while your brain is all foggy. Because in exams, you have to be able to analyse the question, retrieve information quickly and apply that information to the question.

But I don’t really support the whole idea of pulling allnighters – your brain needs some downtime to process and file away all of the things you’ve learnt and it’s designed to do that while we’re asleep.

It’s important to try to keep calm in the days leading up to your exam. It’s very easy to become panicked and stressed out if you’ve left everything to the end. Or even if you’re wellprepared, sometimes nerves can cause you to become panicked. It’s always helpful to take a deep breath, go for a walk or find some other way to let off some steam. So take a break every now and again, work some past papers, take a deep breath and you’ll all be fine.

And for parents of the students taking exams – you’re as involved in the whole examtaking process as your kid! So keep them well-fed, make sure they’re not pushing themselves

too hard – we don’t want them to burn themselves out – and just be there to lend them a helping, supportive hand. Your kids probably won’t be the easiest to deal with around this time – they’ll be tense and snappish and sometimes they’ll probably be rude. But it’s because of the enormous amount of pressure they’re under. CSEC and CAPE are really important exams, they help to determine what colleges we can go to, what type of jobs we might end up having someday. And trust me; all of these thoughts are currently weighing down your child. But they’ll be back to being your lovable darlings when their exams are all over.

So good luck to all of the students who are quickly hurtling towards their first exams, whether it’s CSEC, CAPE, or end-of-semester exams!

And since Monday is a holiday here in Trinidad, I’ve planned out a nice day of lounging about in my pyjamas with a cup of coffee while reading a lovely book for the holiday. I’m kidding, I’ll probably be studying – the coffee part stays though. Oh the joys of being a med student!

Intergenerational activities for the elderly & children

BY KathrYn rateliff Barr

Older adults have much they can teach children. They have a wealth of life experience and skills, plus older adults might be retired with more free time than younger adults. Your child might be lucky enough to spend time with a grandparent, older caregiver, neighbour or member of your church who has earned her trust and yours. Earned trust can open the door for many enjoyable intergenerational activities.

Field trips

There are many locations an older adult and a child could explore. This is easier if the older adult is active, but not impossible if the adult is mobility challenged and uses a wheel chair or walker. A trip to the supermarket could teach your child about comparison shopping, how to pick ripe produce and what ingredients are necessary for favourite meals. If your child is preschool aged or older, he can assist with selecting and placing items in the basket and loading them in and out of the car. They could go to the park and let your child run or play a sport while the adult cheers. Other interesting options include trips to a children’s museum, library or children’s theatre.

Crafts

The elderly adult could have skills with various crafts such as crocheting, knitting, quilting, woodworking or painting. The adult can teach your child how to do those crafts, and

they might work on some projects together. With young children, the crafts could be simple projects, such as painting or making paper chains, puppets or frames for pictures of your child. Older children could make a quilt, birdhouse or clay sculptures.

Stories

Older adults have a wealth of stories they can tell, including stories about their childhood and history of the country. If the older adult is a relative, your child could hear stories about your life and family. The adult could read stories to a young child or help to write stories to create personalised stories for your child. The adult could also help your child dramatise stories, from the familiar folk tales and nursery rhymes for young children to more complex stories with older children.

Education Your child could learn academics from an older adult. The older adult could tutor your child in reading, math or other subjects to help your child perform better in school. An older adult with musical talent could teach your child to play an instrument or sing. Educational opportunities your schoolaged child could learn from an older adult include cooking, sewing and gardening. An older child could learn how to work on a car or perform home repairs. Your computer literate child could teach an older adult how to use the computer, send email or use various software programs. (Everydaylife. globalpost.com)

GHTK donates equipment, supplies to GPHC

Guyana Help the Kids (GHTK), a registered charity in Toronto, Canada and Guyana, continues to make considerable progress in providing aid to the local health sector.

GHTK’ mandate is to reduce infant mortality in Guyana and has once again donated much needed medical equipment and supplies to the Georgetown Public Hospital’s (GPHC) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

According to a release, GPHC Chief Executive Officer Michael Khan expressed gratitude for the equipment and the contin-

ued education of the doctors and nurses.

“The hospital is very appreciative of all that the GHTK organisation continues to do for the improvement of paediatric care in Guyana, both at GPHC and the regional hospitals. We look forward to their continued support.”

In January of this year, the GPHC received another shipment of eight Drager C-2000 incubators, an upgrade to the C-1000 that was donated to the hospital in 2011 and 2012. Adding to the donations were also transport incubators, neonatal ventilators, patient monitors, warm -

ers and an undisclosed amount of consumable medical supplies.

GHTK President, Dr Narendra Singh said the charity remains committed to reducing infant mortality rate in Guyana.

“We are committed to making a sustainable difference as evidenced by our success in the Paediatric Residency Programme, the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing Programme, the Hand Hygiene Programme and the infrastructural upgrades of the NICU, both at GPHC, Linden, New Amsterdam and soon, West Demerara Regional and Suddie Hospitals,” he said.

Arson suspected in Family...

He recalled that in February last, FPA workers and clients were robbed of cash and jewellery during a daylight robbery.

He also posited that there were several instances where persons attempted to break and enter the office. He said both the robbery and attempted break-in were reported to the police, but nothing came out of it.

ter the Health Ministry’s medex building at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara was burnt to the ground.

The building which housed the FPA Clinic and the Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic will require millions to rehabilitate.

Hundreds of persons who frequent the clinic on a daily basis would be affected.

GCCI to elect new President on Thursday

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) will this week elect a new President, following Clinton Urling’s demitting of office last Thursday.

The new President will be elected by a 21-member committee which will be elected at the chamber’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Duke Lodge, Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown on Thursday.

Members include Lance Hinds, Clinton Urling, Shanti Persuad, John Lewis, Molly

Doris Lewis, Jean GerinFrancois, Christopher Ram and Trevor Bassoo.

The new President will also firm part of a five-man Executive Committee. Urling demits office with an unblemished record, and the chamber prospered under his stewardship.

Smuggling cocaine in...

Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy told Guyana Times that the Ministry is currently in the process of implementing a number of measures and fostering beneficial partnerships with relevant parties.

The Ministry, he said, is currently holding talks with the Home Affairs Ministry and Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and hopes that a satisfactory agreement can be crafted to address the agro-processors' complaints.

“We are aware of the problem because it would have arisen before and we are working on finding a suitable solution for that. As of right now, we are in talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Police Force and CANU to see how best they can facilitate our agro-processors and their products. At the end of the day, every country has its fair share of

drug busts and drug trafficking and Guyana is no exception. Secondly, the CANU ranks are only doing their job and what they have been placed there to do. You cannot ask them to not do their jobs, but there is definitely room for improvement on both parties’ sides,” he explained.

The Minister added: “We are seeking to reduce the inconvenience and avoidable losses faced by the agro-processors and in doing so, we are hoping to hold talks and initiate workshops and find ways in which we can assist CANU ranks in examining the goods without damaging them in any way. However, while we are doing so, it is imperative that the agro-processors cooperate with the officers because some of them do not and in some cases that is how the losses would result.”

In recent times, numerous attempts to traffic cocaine in processed foods have been intercepted at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). On February 9, security agencies at the CJIA prevented a U.S. and Guyanese citizen from smuggling approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine concealed in tamarind achar onto a Caribbean Airlines flight bound for New York City, U.S.A. Just three days ago, a shipper and a customs broker were arrested by a CANU rank after they allegedly attempted to smuggle six kilogrammes of cocaine in fake awaras through the CJIA.

The cocaine was wrapped in plastic in the shape of awaras and sprayed with a similar colour as the fruit. Stems were then glued on to the fake awaras to make them look real.

While the police are treating the fire as arson, Shepherd is not sure who would have been the perpetrators. The building, he noted, is owned by the organisation. The fire is one of many over the past few months, and happens over a week af-

At the time of the fire, the facility was well equipped with a quantity of beds and electrical equipment.

When contacted, Fire Chief Marlon Gentle confirmed that the fire was purposely set. The fire, he added, was set at various points around the building. It is not

sure where the security guard was when the fire started.

He said that the fire service received a report of smoke billowing from the building and immediately fire tenders were deployed to the area.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire had already engulfed the interior of the building; hence, their attention was focused on saving the nearby buildings.

When the fire was contained, the damage was already done.

The police, he added, have taken up the matter fully while the Guyana Fire Service continues to lend their support. from page 2

Logwood taxi driver executed

Days after being threatened, a Logwood taxi driver was on Friday evening executed in his car on the Stratsphey Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara.

Roopchand Darsan, 24 of Lot 98 Logwood, Enmore, East Coast Demerara, was discovered with a single gunshot to his head in his car around 00:30hrs.

According to reports, the bullet entered the young man from his neck just un-

der his chin and exited from the top of his head. At the time of the discovery, his car was found with its front in a trench with the young man slumped over the steering wheel.

His hands were on the wheel and he was still wearing his hat. The engine of the car was reportedly running with music booming through the built in speakers.

At the home of the former Bladen Hall Secondary School student, his mother told Guyana Times that she last saw her son about 18:00h when he left for work. She said that after his father left for work at about 21:30h, she looked out from her verandah and saw his car and telephoned him to find out what time he was returning home. She said that he was not feeling well since he was suffering from the flu.

During their telephone conversation, he reportedly told her that he was going to come home in 30 minutes time; and as such, she retired to bed.

The devastated mother said that she was awakened by the voices of several people and upon getting up, she was told that her son was shot and was in his car at Stratsphey, Railway Embankment. The woman said that she hurried to the scene where she saw him in the car, but the police did not allow her to see him.

In tears, the woman related that after a while, the car

Eyew tness Talkaholism...

...in AFC

It’s funny the way when you discover a new word, how it suddenly pops out everywhere. In retrospect, it must’ve been always there but we just glided over it. It just never registered. But it can also happen with similar words.

Your humble Eyewitness used the word “hypergraphia” which described those folks like Ms Maxwell and Asquith Rose who just can’t stop sending missives to the press. And takes up valuable column inches that could’ve been used to inform us about more important things. Like sports.

was pulled from the trench, her son’s body was removed and placed into a hearse and taken away. The police, she added, then towed the car to the Vigilance Police Station.

Motive

As the woman poured out her emotions, she said her son never troubled anyone and was not sure of the motive behind the killing. She, however, added that a few nights ago her son was reportedly threatened at the Gajadar Service Station at Foulis, East Coast Demerara, but was not sure that his death had anything to do with that incident.

Roopnarine Darsan, the young man’s father, said that he left home at about 21:45h and at about 01:00h he received a call from his daughter informing him of the incident.

He said that he rushed to the scene where he saw his son’s car in the trench and he was sitting in the driver’s seat.

He said that they were barred from going close to the car but as the undertakers were removing the body, he recognised that his son had sustained a gunshot to his head.

He too stated that his son is not a trouble-maker and more so, said that from all indications, it was not a robbery since all the car parts as well as his personal items were intact. Guyana Times understands that the young man worked at two jobs to maintain his family.

As the father spoke to Guyana Times he broke into tears, reminiscing on the good times he and his son spent together.

The young taxi driver had been in the business for the past five years, but only recently he bought his own car. He leaves to mourn his parents and only sister. His body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Home where it is awaiting a post mortem.

His motor car, a Toyota Spacio, was dusted for fingerprints and is at the Vigilance Police Station as police continue their investigations.

And he discovered there’s a word that describes the even more abundant species in our midst – people who just can’t stop talking. Talkaholics. Yep...that’s right. And just like the alcoholics, Talkaholics can’t help themselves. In our private lives, we encounter them everywhere.

They buttonhole you at a party and keep on going not only till your eyes glaze over but until you keel over onto the floor – because you actually fell asleep. And your wife gets livid because you’ve embarrassed her since, according to her, now everyone thinks you’re an alcoholic.

Anyhow, it seems that most of these afflicted should gravitate to politics. Guyanese politicians seem to believe they have to be “talk men” and not “do men”. So you see them everywhere – TV, meetings (private and public), Parliament – just yapping away. No Guyanese politician has met a microphone he didn’t like. Or failed to romance. But there’s Talkaholics and there’s Talkaholics. And the worst Talkaholics are those in the AFC.

Now before these fellas Ramjattan and Trotman appeared on the scene – having bolted from the PPP and PNC (because they weren’t allowed to speak for more than three hours at a time at party gatherings, Roopnaraine was the champion Talkaholic. That fellow could carry on. But even at his best, he was no match for the AFC wankers.

It seems that talking is the main qualification for becoming an AFC executive. Have you seen their Bush Doctor from Berbice carry on on TV? Never mind grammar or syntax...that’s of no consequence to the Talkaholic. Just as how the alcoholic isn’t too particular about his choice of poison, the Talkaholic doesn’t fuss about petty things such as grammar. It’s the sound that matters.

And this brings us to the point that prompted this article: where’s Nagamootoo? Here it was this man was curling up his mouth and spewing fancy words at the drop of a hat – or the downing of a bottle – but suddenly we have the sounds of silence from his direction.

Having gotten rid of Trotman and Hughes and now Nagamootoo, is Ramjattan the last man standing in the AFC?

...in APNU

With Roopnaraine having lost his talking mojo, who’s the go to man in APNU??? Well in this department, the late departed Debbie Backer had a unique position. She was a standing indictment to all those in her party who thought being in parliament was just to babble on like a babbling brook. Meaning that they could just produce sounds and hadn’t the foggiest notion that they were supposed to make some kind of sense.

Backer was anything but that: wit and quick thinking were her trademarks. In her absence, the Talkaholics will now stick out like sore tongues. Have you ever had the misfortune to be in the vicinity of Basil Williams? It’s like being at the stock-scene of old cowboy movies where the out of control train inevitably careens off the tracks into the canyon. The only question was, “When?”

You know Williams will put his foot into his mouth... the only question is when. That’s the mark of the Talkaholic.

...in PPP/C

Now the PPP/C has its share of Talkaholics. They’re politicians, aren’t they? But they aren’t who you might think they are. The AG might be a bit prolix with his big words...but he does make sense. Never the Talkaholic.

Glitzy sixth Wedding Expo launched

Lights, camera, cakes, gowns, suits, flowers, wines and of course exquisite jewellery, all created a glittering atmosphere when the Roraima Group of Companies launched its sixth Wedding Exposition at Roraima Duke Lodge, Duke Street, Kingston on Friday.

Some 50 exhibitors made the event a scene to behold.

There was busy traffic around the various booths as spectators took in the blissful ambiance which featured from spectacular cakes to the intricate wedding gowns on display.

Speaking at the launch, First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar lauded veter-

an aircraft pilot, Captain Gerald Gouveia for his effort in promoting tourism through the expo over the past six years.

Former Georgetown Chamber of Commerce (GCCI) President Clinton Urling also echoed similar sentiments, noting that through Gouveia’s innovative business strategies, many small businesses were able to expand.

Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana Director Indranauth Haralsingh also sang Gouveia praise, while noting that the Tourism Ministry is committed to taking the sector to higher heights.

When the creator of the event, Gouveia, took to the

podium, he wasted no time to remind the gathering of Guyana’s potential for growth through the tourism sector.

Good investment

And on his note, he commended the $1 billion allocated in the national budget to enhance the aesthetics of the country and Georgetown, which should be the Garden City.

Gouveia had previously said the idea of a local Wedding Expo was taken from similar expos in Jamaica and other Caribbean Islands.

However, he noted that while those expositions would principally feature Christian weddings, the local expo takes on a whole new dimension, as not only colour is added, but other cultures are integrally apart.

The event saw dances and a mind-blowing fashion show of wedding apparel, with one of the models decked out in a painted-on dress, exposing her unapparent nudity.

The exhibitors at the event included Vixen Entertainment, Brusters Ice-Cream, Kings Jewellery World, Windsor Forest Estates and an entourage of other small businesses.

One exhibitor related that she was thankful to Gouveia and the Roraima team for the opportunity to showcase her business to thousands of prospective customers.

The woman related that she has been a part of the exhibition for a number of years and her business has managed to grow over that period as she has seen a steady influx of customers.

2014 budget most transformative – Community Council

TheNationalCommunity Development Council (NCDC) has hailed the 2014 budget as one of the most transformative, pointing out that it will engender positive development at all levels of society.

The NCDC came to the conclusion following a review of the budget by its members on Thursday.

The meeting sought to educate the leaders of CDCs on what the budget contains in all sectors that will impact the work of the various communities the represent.

According to a release, the $6.9 billion allocated for drainage and irrigation will prevent flooding in homes and businesses and assist in agricultural programmes, creating a healthier environment for all.

Councillors also expressed elation at the continuance of Government support to the energy sector. Rural communities, in particular, are pleased that Government plans to deliver on its promise to provide solar panels to specific communities currently without access to electricity.

They also supported Government’s plan to continue to pursue the Amaila Falls Hydro Project.

“Access to affordable electricity for rural communities creates opportunities for small business development, access to information through ICT [Information Communication Technology] and extends the reach of education for members of the community. The domino effect of such a basic utility has far reaching positive conse-

quences which will only contribute to the overall development of Guyana,” the release said.

The allocation of $2.5 billion to the water sector was also widely praised for its plan to reach remote, and hinterland communities, including Waikerabi, Santa Rosa, Arau, Taruka, Kanapang, Kathur, Aishalton and St Ignatius, which is expected to benefit approximately 20,000 residents

Social development

Councillors noted that Government increased the allocation to education by close to $4 billion and increases throughout other areas will help the elderly, single parents, youth and children.

It was noted that Government programmes targeted at these groups are essential to the overall empowerment of communities and the most vulnerable social groups.

Part of the NCDC’s goal is to create self-sufficient systems for communities to

blossom and become less dependent on Government; councillors are pleased that the programmes outlined in the budget are conducive to helping their respective communities achieve this goal.

“As a general reaction, the councillors are excited that the budget will provide the kind of support that is needed to strengthen the country through community development.

However, there is strong concern and fear that the Opposition will deliver on their promise to cut Budget 2014, and in so doing will set back the initiatives that would otherwise propel the work and achievements of the CDCs,” the release said.

Many councillors are worried that projects such as community centres which begun construction last year will become obsolete, that health centres will not be able to provide necessary and vital medications and trained staff, and that single parents will not have access to much needed public assistance, just to name a few concerns, should funding be discontinued this year.

Likewise, councillors noted that many of the rural communities are cash crop and livestock farmers who depend on manoeuvrable roads and bridges in order to transport their products to make an income.

Should funding to these infrastructural projects be cut, local communities and the families that comprise of these communities will feel the consequences, the NCDC said.

Canadian-Guyanese honoured for work in women's empowerment

Originally from Number 64 Village, Berbice, Guyana, Narine Dat Sookram, among several other things, is dedicated to coaching women in business to give the skills they need to be economically independent.

Sookram spends his own time and money, coaching women entrepreneurs on how to balance financial statements so that they can manage their bookkeeping themselves, thereby saving on start-up costs and giving them the confidence so that they have the extra knowledge and skills to run their businesses, or even apply the skills to other companies if they choose to work for another company.

Many of the women he has guided are now successful businesswomen in their own rights and are now living independently. They in turn are sharing their economic empowerment and motivation to help others as well.

Generous act

A recent recipient of the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Awards, Sookram donated his prize money to the Focus of Ethnic Women (FEW) because he be-

lieves that Focus for Ethnic Women is an organisation where women can come together and feel a sense of belonging, where each one can utilise the resources available to maximise her own potential, feel welcome, safe and accepted.

Each year, the TIAW World of Difference 100 Award recognises women and men who have advanced the economic empowerment of women, whether on a small scale in the developing world, or effecting change in the boardrooms of the business capitals of the world.

Established in 2008, the TIAW World of Difference 100 Award has garnered worldwide attention for the high calibre of achievement and change leadership demonstrated by its recipients. The awards celebrate the inspiring, courageous, tenacious and creative achievements of the extraordinary champions of women’s economic advancement.

Recipients of the 2013 TIAW World of Difference 100 represent 35 different countries on five continents and their accomplishments are truly inspiring.

The awards were presented at the TIAW World of Difference Awards dinner on March 27 in Washington, DC as part of the annual TIAW Global Forum. Sookram is the only person in North America to receive this prestigious award in the category of Championing Women's Economic Empowerment in that year and the only Guyanese in history, putting both Guyana and Canada on the radar.

Lot of potential

“I know that women have lots of potentials, but sometimes opportunities are not given to them. All they need sometimes is a little encouragement and someone to tell them that they have the ‘power’ to make positive contributions to become champions in society at large,” Sookram said.

Sookram, who is known for his philanthropic work, said when he puts his mind and heart to any project, his main goal is to make an impact.

He believes that “tough money” is important to tackle any project; people are losing the focus on what the project is intended for, because they are putting a lot of emphasis on money and how much they can get out of it.

“There are many times when I start off major projects with zero dollars in the budget, because I never measure my successes based on how much money raise, because I always think about others too. My hope is always though that others will be inspired by my work not to compete with me, but work together to achieve more,” he said.

Sookram continues to be a role model not only for his fellow Guyanese and West Indians, but to persons of other backgrounds. He is a good example for all to follow.

Ruminating

Satiricus enjoyed the letter columns of the Guyanese newspapers. In fact it was his favourite section. He could find out how the average Joe in the street thought. So he was intrigued by one fella who thought that reporters shouldn’t be chewing gum at press conferences by the President. Satiricus was going to say, “Presidential press conferences”, but realised that when put that way, it meant that the press conference itself had to be conducted a certain way – “presidential”.

That is, all prim and stiff and “proper” with nary anyone daring to crack a grin. So the fella who was taken aback by the gum-chewing members of the fourth estate must’ve been thinking about “presidential press conferences”. But what about those Presidents who don’t think that’s the way to conduct themselves. Easy going presidents like the late, lamented Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Lula of Brazil or our very own Pressie?

These fellas were all “sons of the soil”, who didn’t put on airs and pretend they have a rod stuck up their behinds. They didn’t have to follow those Presidents from up North who, after throwing out their Kings, wanted to be “Royal”. “Hey!” Satiricus thought, “If you want royalty, then get a King! We didn’t have no kings in Guyana.”

Satiricus knew the Americans, for one, insisted on their Presidents acting like Kings. (No Queens there!! Maybe Queen Hillary?) When you combined that hangup with their weakness for British accents – even Cockney ones – you know they just wished they never threw out old King George. Even though he was mad as a hatter.

“But we went another route, didn’t we?” muttered Satiricus to himself. Our founding fathers even threw away the suits and brought in shirt jacs. Nothing “presidential” – as in “stiff” – about the open-necked shirt jacs, was there? So the fella who complained about our chewing gum had to have one of those unreconstructed colonial minds, Satiricus heard about. He obviously didn’t know our Pressie...and why we can get away with calling him “Pressie” and not “Mr President”.

The gum complainer probably wanted a President like those in North Korea...who’re always strutting around in a General’s uniform at mass games – with their portraits made from flash cards held by thousands, moving in unison. And are always addressed as “the Great Leader” or “wise”, unique”, “brilliant” Leader, “Guiding Sun Ray”, “Sun of the Communist Future”, and 98 other names. But anyone who had to force people to bow and scrape before him, thought Satiricus, didn’t earn his respect. But maybe the stiff-necked, moral-police complainer was wrong about the pressmen chewing gum? He’d confessed he hadn’t actually opened their mouths and checked their wad.

Maybe the journalists, being the contemplative fellas they were, had been merely “ruminating” over Pressie’s remarks?

Six homeless after Linden fire

Afire on Saturday morning completely destroyed an upper flat wooden home located at 311 Determa Street, Mackenzie, Linden.

The home in which six occupants, including three adults and three children resided, went up in flames around 05:45h.

Rushell Bentick, her two children and her reputed husband Warren Arindell, who is a taxi driver, along with his sister Donna Arindell and her daughter, are now homeless following the blaze.

The family barely managed to escape the blaze which quickly spread throughout the building. Bentick told Guyana Times that the fire appeared to have started in the middle room of the three-bedroom home, while all six of the occupants were asleep.

She said they were alerted by her nine-yearold son, who was alone in the said room at the time and fled upon realising it was on fire.

The woman said she did not know what could have ignited the flames since everyone was asleep.

“The fire started in the middle room, my big son who is nine years old was sleeping in there and by the time he realised

the place was on fire, he jumped up and run outside... I was asleep in the front room. We couldn’t save anything. We had five freezers downstairs because we used to sell bulk ice. Everything burned but we don’t know exactly how it started because nothing was lit in the house as far as I know it,” a distraught Bentick related. She estimated her losses at about $10 million, indicating that the wellfurnished home contained many modern amenities.

Muffling sound Phillip Penninston, one of the neighbours who resides at 312 Determa Street, related that he

lem. Sometime after I looked out and I saw fire coming out through the middle bedroom window,” Penninston noted.

He said the occupants of the home appeared confused after making their way out of the burning building. The man related that he immediately started gathering some of his important documents since he felt the fire would spread to his home as well.

heard a muffling sound emanating from the home around the time the fire had reportedly started.

He noted that he did not pay much attention at first since he thought there was a quarrel.

“I was in my bed when I heard the noise. I heard some yelling but I thought it was a domestic prob -

Penninston said even though none of the adjacent homes were burnt, the heat from the flames was felt greatly by the occupants who resided in proximity to the torched home.

He commended the prompt efforts of the Linden Fire Station which also received assistance from Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated (BMGGI).

The two entities reportedly responded within five

minutes of the fire report.

Assistance was rendered from the BMGGI makeshift fire truck which was equipped with water.

“The majority of the fire was situated on the side of my residence, but by the time the fire tenders came, they were able to contain the flames before it could reach across

here. The fire attendants came in a jiffy. They were able to control it although it spread quick time,” he said.

The man said he was thankful that no lives were lost during the incident. The homeless family is currently staying with relatives at Wismar, Linden.

Pensioner strangled in Linden

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a Linden pensioner whose partly decomposed body was found inside her home on Saturday.

The body of Yvonne Adams, 72, was discovered by neighbours around 16:45h on Saturday afternoon inside the bedroom of her South, Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie home.

The woman, who lived alone, was reportedly last seen by neighbours on

Thursday evening. They became concerned after she was not seen on Friday and Saturday.

According to reports, the woman was discovered with an electrical iron chord wrapped around her neck with marks of violence on her body.

Reports say the house in which the woman lived was vandalised. However, neighbours reportedly did not hear any noise coming from the home over the course of the two days, which suggests that

something was amiss

It is unclear if any valuables were taken from the house. Investigations are ongoing.

This apparent homicide has come just three days after the body of 75-year-old Joyce Lewis was on Wednesday in North Ruimveldt, found by her sister who went to the house after she failed to make telephone contact with her.

Lewis’s was found lying on her back with her underwear around her knees and blood oozing from her mouth and

nostrils. Her hands and feet were bound.

The police are working with the theory that the perpetrators may have got into the house via a bedroom window in the upper flat, since there were several footprints on the white paint. The house was ransacked and a knife wrapped in a piece of cloth was recovered by the investigators at the scene.

An autopsy performed on the body of Lewis confirmed that she was strangled to death.

Consumers on average suffered 164 hours blackout

Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) has reported that consumers on average suffered 164 hours of blackout or about 6.8 days without electricity last year.

According to GPL Divisional Operations Director Elwyn Marshall, the power outages occurred mainly due to the execution of infrastructural projects.

These, he said include the setting up of several substations across the country, feeler trips and generator faults.

He noted that countrywide, Demerara and Berbice accounted for 95 per cent of

the power outages, which were due to limitations of the generators’ capacity at certain periods during the year.

Marshall, who was at the time speaking at a public hearing at the Public Utilities Commission at Roraima Duke Lodge, Kingston, Georgetown on Friday, said the power outages in Demerara and Berbice was two per cent below the intended target.

The hearing sought to review the power company’s operating standards and performance target.

The purpose was to measure GPL’s performance

against a comprehensive set of standards, and for the company to be provided an explanation for shortcomings.

On such standard dealt with the number of service interruptions experienced by customers. The standard was introduced to challenge the company to reduce power outages.

Also at the hearing, the power company related that generally, consumers are paying their bills on time, although there was some delay on the part of the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC).

GPL Chief Executive

Officer (CEO) Bharat Dindyal related that although the company paid in excess of $100 million annually, the post office fails to delivery electricity bills on time.

Dindyal maintained that GPL is looking at solutions and alternatives to address the issues since consumers constantly complain about it.

He added that the delay in delivery of bills is also causing the company a lot of unnecessary expense since persons would go into the commercial offices, requesting a reprint of their undelivered electricity bills.

Wanton garbage disposal polluting Pomeroon River

Several boat opera-

tors are calling on the Maritime Administration Department to intervene and shot the wanton dumping of garbage in the Pomeroon River by Charity residents.

The boat operators say the items which include plastic bags and coconut husks are contaminating the river and pose a danger to them.

One operator pointed out that the plastic bags would usually get entan-

gled in the engine of his boat, causing it to shut down with passengers on the river.

Scores of farmers are traversing the route on a daily basis, and they too have complained bitterly. According to information received, businesses in Charity are dumping their waste into the river on a daily basis.

The situation is said to also affect boat operators plying the Supenaam to Parika route.

Ryan Pereira wins trip to Caterpillar’s headquarters

Pereira Mining employee Ryan Pereira will get a chance to visit machine giant Caterpillar, in the U.S., following a recent raffle draw at the company’s head office at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

Customers, who would have purchased mining and construction equipment from the company during the latter half of 2013 were given the opportunity for one lucky person to visit Caterpillar’s office in the U.S. MACORP was founded in

1994 by GECOLSA, a wellknown CATERPILLAR dealer in South America with operations in Colombia, The Bahamas and some other countries with related businesses. MACORP is the only authorised Caterpillar dealer in Guyana.

The company has been very active in the country’s development, contributing directly with technical support and equipment supply to the most important productive sectors mainly, mining, agriculture, road construction, forestry and electric power generation.

Dr Jagan was committed to national unity – Prime Minister

Minister Samuel Hinds emphasising a point during the

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds on Friday reflected on the life of the late Dr Cheddi Jagan and his commitment towards making Guyana a better place for all citizens, ensuring the country’s growth through national unity and development.

In his lecture to the audience at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (Red House), Prime Minister Hinds noted that it was indeed an honour to deliver the annual 2014 lecture on such a great human being.

Focusing on Dr Jagan’s lifelong work for national unity and national development, the Prime Minister said, “ever closer unity and steadily further development are concerns for every nation, and these tasks have been particularly challenging for us”.

The Prime Minister noted that it is critical that every Guyanese irrespective of race, colour or creed, makes the best of working with others.

According to Prime Minister Hinds, Dr Jagan in his time was faced with more challenges than are being experienced today, but that did not stop his work for unity among the people.

“He was a first generation Guyanese when he left to go to school. He would have been living in a community of immigrants, he came up against clash of cultures when he attended school, and even when he went abroad to study, but he used the challenges he faced to fight for our independence.”

He alluded to the fact that Dr Jagan wanted to see change for Guyana, and he took on the task for change, for national unity and national development until the day of his death.

“He paid his dues and was ever ready to pay the price and pick up the pieces and try again. The challenges to national unity are wide and deep and we must all mark that journey along a

road which has been marked out with event in which intense feelings are inherent.”

Much to be done

Further, the Prime Minister added that there was still much to be sorted out, and much work to be done to make all Guyanese one people and one nation.

“It is my view that part of our problem has been that whilst all of us accept this idea to national unity, I think that we think of it in our own terms, in our own experiences, and that’s where the challenge is, and that makes it more difficult.”

Meanwhile, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Member Navin Chandarpal, who chaired the programme, also hailed the works of the late Dr Jagan.

“We are aware of the fact that he made a contribution to the freedom of our country, to its development, economic, social, political terms for the betterment of Guyanese people. He did this in a period of political activities that spanned from the mid 40s to 1997 until the time of his death.”

Chandarpal described Dr Jagan as the country’s first democratically-elected President, who today still stands out as having made a contribution that is unequal. He said it is for this reason a research centre was established, so that his life and work can live on.

“He was described in the category of Latin American presidents, he was an undisputable giant among pygmies; it is no overstatement to say that he was a towering figure in the 20th century and one of the few authentic contemporary democratic figures.”

The Dr Cheddi Jagan Lecture was started after the research centre was established. Each year on a day very close to his birthday, different persons give their perspectives on how they remember the late Guyanese leader.

Truth Simply the

Honouring Guyanese: Wordsworth McAndrew

There was an interesting thought from a columnist blaming the PPP/C for not honouring Guyanese. I avoid the blame game like a plague, but I do know that the accomplishments and contributions of too many Guyanese have gone unheralded.

Wordsworth McAndrew was mentioned as an example of one who has contributed, but whose contributions have been all but forgotten. He mentioned McAndrew’s “Ol Higue”, a dramatic (not a narrative) poem. It is a good poem. I saw Mac dramatise that a few times. I do not know if that poem is being studied in schools in Guyana today. If it isn’t, then it is unfortunate.

I knew Mac well. We met through Professor John Rickford who inspired his class at UG (when UG deserved the title university) to organise an event called “A Festival of Guyanese Words.” With Rickford and Mac, we organised an event attended by more than one thousand Guyanese.

I do not know of any such event since then (1974). One single class, under one single lecturer, from what was University of Guyana. Out of it came the most important publication on Guyanese language and culture to date: A Festival of Guyanese Words (1974).

McAndrew had an article in the book. The first edition was done quickly. We typed the whole massive thing on stencils (anyone remembers those? I still see some UG “exams” photocopied from stencil run-offs. Old, bad, but still being used by some UG lecturers to “educate” tuition-paying students).

I had to hold up stencils to the light to make sure that there were no mistakes. A single mistake meant having to re-type the whole thing! Mac, Rickford, myself, and a few others worked day and night to get it done. UG has produced nothing close to this kind of good work since then.

We rolled off 500 books and had them bound. I asked a young Alim Hussein to design the cover. The books were sold off in one day! Two years and much work later, there was a second edition, more sophisticated, hard cover, nice to look at, better to read. For this alone, McAndrew and Rickford should have been honoured.

McAndrew was second only to Louise Bennet of Jamaica as a West Indian folklorist. Mac and I worked for the University of Montana as research assistants on an ethno-anthropology project. It was during that period that I taught him to play chess. Mac took hours to make the first move. He was also a popular radio announcer, doing a programme entirely

in Creolese.

One day, Mac showed up on his shaky P-50 at Cummings Lodge Secondary where I was teaching. He came into the staff room like a storm. I was in a class, but heard his voice” “Where is Daaizzzaaaalll???” The teachers were agog! Here was THE McAndrew in the flesh! I rushed out of my class. Mac wanted to know the name of the only place where they ended sentences with the Creole marker “bin”.

He gave the example I have used ever since: “Abee binna guh, but abee nah worry guh bin!” I told him it was Albion. Mac said: “Dazzizzzaaalll! Rickford seh yuh brilliant! I seh yuh brilliant! But yuh wraaang! Is some bush, man!”

Thrown off, I started guessing: Black Bush? Bush

Lot? Doctor Bush? Guava Bush? “Yes!!!! Dats it! Guava Bush!” I told him that Guava Bush was in Albion. He was already back on his P-50, pleased as punch. And off he went, his danshiki fluttering in the wind. February of 1981 was the last time I met with Mac. It was in New Brunswick in Northeast Canada. The big annual event was Caribbean Night, attended by hundreds of people. I insisted that McAndrew be flown in from New York as Guest Speaker. I managed to get the student union to spring for the airfare and hotel.

Mac had left Guyana a celebrity and ended up in NY pushing boxes. He later got a job as an editor for a magazine. That night, I gathered together a select group of people. We talked and ate and drank. We talked of Guyana. My every intention was to return home after my doctorate. Mac warned me against it. There was a blizzard that night. We ran out of ice. Mac – unaccustomed to that kind of waist-high snow – insisted that he would go out with a big bowl and get snow for our drinks. Six feet from the door, Mac got lost. We found him. If we do not honour men such as these, we as a nation will be more lost than we are. And we shall never be found.

APNU discusses position on budget

The Leadership Council of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) held its statutory quarterly meeting at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Hadfield Street, Georgetown on Saturday.

Younge’s take

The great debaters of our time

Debating is an art form that is slowly dying in our current parliamentary configuration. The truth is, some of those tasked with representing the interest of thousands of Guyanese are continuously failing to do so by their very utterances and their actions during national debates.

for National Unity has also its best debaters in the front seat while the rest of its members are either irrelevant during this time or humdrum in their presentations.

The ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic has not only the experience on its side, as far as debating is concerned, but the ability to be equally dramatic as the AFC and humdrum as the APNU.

According to a release, the coalition’s Member of Parliament (MP) Carl Greenidge delivered a presentation on the 2014 budget after which members of the Council discussed and made recommendations for positions to be taken in the National Assembly.

work of the Special Select Committee on the AntiMoney Laundering and the Countering of the Financing of Terrorism amendment legislation.

The Council was also given an update of the

The meeting was chaired by APNU Chairman Brigadier David Granger, the release said.

Tomorrow, Guyana’s National Assembly will meet to begin a round of debates on the estimates presented by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh under the theme: “A better Guyana for all Guyanese”.

The three main parliamentary parties will field the best of their debaters to commence the discourse on Budget 2014 and end that discourse on a high point. Undoubtedly, very strong messages will be sent, facts will be bandied around, tempers will flare and egos will be hurt.

As is traditional with these debates, all three parties will try to score as many political points as possible. Some parliamentarians will not debate at all but engage in political warfare with the aim of extracting political blood from the onset.

The usual below the belt attacks are anticipated. And try as he may, the Speaker, will have to remind members of this honourable House about decorum and ethics. He will also be busy, asking members to stick to the issues at hand and to avoid veering off to other irrelevant and extraneous matters which border on slander, libel and defamation.

Many of the young parliamentarians on all sides of the divide, not to mention those members who have never formally uttered a word in the House, will have their début. Some will fail in their attempt to justify their existence in the legislature, because of scantily put together presentations, poor analyses and the inability to speak well, much less argue persuasively.

Some older parliamentarians will fall short, too. Despite being in Parliament for a number of years, some believe that the thumping of desks, theatrics and colourful words and expressions, their popularity, and positive media coverage will add more credence to their arguments in the House.

Sadly, the Alliance For Change is guilty of this sin, regardless of the elocution of their lead men and women. A Partnership

When all is said and done, the best debaters will dominate. Dr Ashni Singh, Anil Nandlall, Irfaan Ali, Basil Williams, Gail Teixeira, Moses Nagamootoo, Joseph Harmon, Carl Greenidge, Priya Manickchand, Khemraj Ramjattan Volda Lawrence, Winston Felix, Cathy Hughes and Robeson Benn are undoubtedly among the best debaters Guyanese have within the House.

The Opposition Leader is not among them and this is an indictment on his party’s behalf.

Sadly, there are no great debaters left. Winston Murray and Deborah Backer have passed on. Mr Trotman is now Speaker and no one is showing the qualities that this ilk of debaters possess.

For the record, great debaters are not only articulate, but they have the ability to simplify complexities while commanding the audience with the rarest of analogies. These debaters present with vigour and passion, but yet are able to respectfully acknowledge the deficiencies of others without becoming personal. Their positions are not cast in stone or iron; and they remain open to compromise, even if not publicly within their camps.

Hilary Clinton was right when she said: “What we have to do... is to find a way to celebrate our diversity and debate our differences without fracturing our communities”. Great debaters know this.

Nelson Mandela was right when he said: “A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end, he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger. You don’t have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed”.

Great debaters know this.

Things may change and maybe Guyana will see the birth of yet another great debater this week.

Ukraine crisis: Russia vows no invasion

Moscow has no intention of sending troops into Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said. His comments came after the U.S. and Russian presidents discussed a possible diplomatic solution to the crisis.

over in Kiev was a pro-fascist coup. Russia then annexed Crimea after the region held a referendum which backed joining the Russian Federation. Western countries condemned the vote as illegal and imposed sanctions on members of Putin’s inner circle.

Chinese ship steams to possible MH370 debris

AChinese ship is steaming towards a search area in the southern Indian Ocean after one of the country’s military aircraft spotted three suspicious objects that could be related to the missing Malaysia Airlines jet. China’s state news agency Xinhua reported that the Chinese military plane Ilyushin IL-76 had sighted three white, red and orange floating objects from an altitude of 300m on Saturday.

was not expected to reach the area until Saturday, AMSA said.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Paris on Sunday. Reports say Kerry was flying home from the Middle East on Saturday when he abruptly changed travel plans and instructed his plane to fly

The U.S.-backed plan calls for Russia to halt to its military build-up on the border with Ukraine and withdraw its troops in Crimea to their bases.

to Paris. Tensions over Ukraine rose following the overthrow of pro-Kremlin Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February, following months of street protests.

Moscow later intervened in Crimea, a predominantly ethnic Russian region of Ukraine where its troops are stationed, saying the take-

Meanwhile Ukraine’s interim authorities have been pressing ahead with elections due in May. On Saturday boxer and Opposition Leader Vitaly Klitschko pulled out of the race for president. He announced he was supporting billionaire Petro Poroshenko saying: “The only chance of winning is to nominate one candidate from the democratic forces.” Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has also said she will stand. In an interview with state TV channel Rossiya 1 on Saturday, Lavrov said: “We have absolutely no intention of – or interest in – crossing Ukraine’s borders.” (Excerpt from BBC News)

The Australian Maritime and Safety Authority (AMSA), which is coordinating the search, said late on Friday that five international aircraft had spotted “multiple objects of various colours”. Among them was a New Zealand air force plane, which had spotted “objects” that could be related to Flight MH370.

The sightings had to be confirmed by ship, which

Rowley threatens court action over

Opposition Leader

Dr Keith Rowley

Friday called on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to stop the TT$1.6 billion contract award to Super Industrial Services Ltd (SIS) for the construction of the Beetham Waste Water Treatment Plan, or she will face a legal challenge

in the court. Rowley made the threat during his presentation of a private motion on the contract in the House of Representatives, Port of Spain.

The project involves the construction of a wastewater recycling plant at Beetham and pipelines to run to Point Lisas in central Trinidad for use at the

industrial plants. In his contribution, Rowley said all was not above board with the project. “When I leave this Parliament I will collaborate with the legal fraternity outside to go to the court to have this project stopped, because it does not qualify under the laws of Trinidad and Tobago.”

He accused the Water and Sewage Authority (WASA) and the National Gas Company (NGC) of engaging in collusion and conflict of interest in the project. “In the case of the current award, sufficient public information exists that establishes a relationship between the NGC chairman and SIS to raise

The search operation had moved 1100km north on Friday after AMSA received new information from Malaysia that suggested the plane had run out of fuel earlier than thought. The shift followed analysis of radar and satellite data that showed the missing plane had travelled faster than had been previously calculated, and so would have burned through its fuel load quicker. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished from civilian radar screens less than an hour into a Kuala Lumpur to Beijing flight.

Malaysia says the plane was likely diverted deliberately but investigators have turned up no apparent motive or other red flags among the 227 passengers or the 12 crew on board. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Beetham deal

concerns of impropriety in the award of the contract,” he insisted. Rowley said the Integrity Commission should investigate the award of the contract.

With documents in hand, Rowley said WASA had applied to the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) for a CEC for the plant and the pipeline

route, but as at February 17, no CEC had been issued for the project. He told legislators that the EMA had also not determined if there was need for an Environmental Impact Assessment, but “they have gone ahead and committed taxpayers to a billion-dollar project. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

KKTC launches alumni body

The Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry on Friday launched its first Old Students Association for the Kuru Kuru Training Centre’s Youth Entrepreneurial Skills Training (YEST) Programme.

The programme aims at consolidating on the achievements that have already been made.

Assistant Youth Director Davenand Ramdatt, speaking at the launch at the Carifesta Sports Complex, said that it is the aim of the Ministry to establish such alumni bodies at other centres where the YEST programme is offered.

The programme is offered at the Sophia Training Centre, Symthfield Dropin Centre/Vryman’s Erven Training Centre and the New Opportunity Corps.

He maintained that this initiative must be done in a structured way, and as such,

a coordinating team and an executive committee will be established with clear terms of references to work in tandem with the administration of the KKTC to improve youth development and enhance the overall operations of the centre.

The Ministry has also commenced work on the development of a strategic plan for the KKTC. This will focus on better utilisation of its resources (mainly its 730 acres of land), review the relevance of the courses offered, and work closely with the Council for Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) to achieve the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ). These objectives will enhance the curriculum delivery and students’ marketability in Guyana and even in the Caribbean.

Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry Permanent Secretary, Alfred King said

the investments that the Government has made under the YEST programme have been giving good returns. Today, many persons who have successfully graduated from the programme are gainfully employed and/or have become entrepreneurs; while some have moved on to attain higher education at various technical institutes.

“We want you to seriously discuss the mandate, vision and guiding principles as a group… if well thought out, the intention can impact positively on the development of the institution,” the Permanent Secretary told the old students.

Last year, 424 students graduated from the YEST programme from four centres. Since the programme’s commencement in 2000, a total of 3481 students have successfully completed it.

Region Eight villages get vehicles

Amerindian Affairs

Minister Pauline Sukhai on Saturday presented one All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) each to the toshaos of, Kamana, Kaibarupai, Kanapang and Chiung Mouth during an outreach to Region Eight. The key to a new truck was presented to the toshao of Kato.

The presentations were done following a meeting, which was held with the villages’ leaders, residents, and community support officers.

Government has been seeking to make Amerindian communities more self-reliant by investing in sustainable economic ventures. There has been investment in farming tools and equipment, and the allocation of funds to create ventures in the case of the Community Development Project (CDPs). It has been providing ATVs, minibuses, pick-ups, and boats to boost transportation and make life easier for Amerindians.

Minister Sukhai in her address to the gathering noted that she was pleased that the Administration was able to follow through on the promises made to the communities.

The Minister called on the leaders of the communities, as well as residents to make the best of what is now available to them. She asked that the vehicles be treated and used with due care and consideration.

She advised the residents that the vehicles can be used to generate income for general maintenance as well as for other projects within the communities, and asked that in so doing, consideration be given to vulnerable groups such

idents and their leaders were brought up to speed on the 2014 National Budget presentation and what has been proposed for indigenous people and their communities. The budget provides $1 billion for rehabilitating critical hin-

as pensioners.

Meanwhile, the Minister also used the forum to address Community Support Officers (CSOs). She called on them to adopt a more proactive approach towards issues in their communities.

Minister Sukhai urged the CSOs to work hand in hand with the leaders of their community in an effort to lend support in weak areas, and reminded them that in their own way, they too are community leaders and should aim to be role models for the younger children of their respective communities.

Additionally, the res-

terland roads, including the Linden to Lethem road. The sum of $796 million has been allocated for the continuation of the Youth Entrepreneurial and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP) that was initiated in 2013 to benefit hundreds of Amerindian youths. Work will continue on the establishment of 100 hubs in 100 villages to the benefit of 57,000 people. Additionally, over 470 students will benefit from the $66.6 million allocated to the Hinterland Scholarship Programme, a Government Information Agency (GINA) report said.

Latin Americans want more transparent local govts

Latin Americans living in major cities want more transparency and participation in local governments’ decisions on new policies and investments involving urban infrastructure, according to the results of a groundbreaking survey released by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) on Friday.

The survey involved 5000 people in Buenos Aires, Mexico City and São Paulo, three megacities with more than 10 million people, as well as in Bogotá and Lima, two capitals likely to reach that category over the next decade.

The survey “Megacities and Infrastructure in Latin America: What its people think” also showed that security has become a top pri-

ority for urban dwellers, independent of their socioeconomic standing. For the middle class, public transportation is a major factor affecting quality of life. For poorer households, lack of access to water, sanitation and electricity services continues to be a major obstacle to improving their living conditions.

“Latin American megacities are experiencing strong economic growth, presenting huge challenges to policymakers responsible for providing high-quality public infrastructure and services,” said Alexandre Meira da Rosa, Manager of the IDB’s Infrastructure and Environment Sector. “This survey shed light on the priorities of urban citizens. We have to know what Latin

Americans expect from urban infrastructure so we can better work with governments to meet their needs.”

Today, Latin America is the world’s most urbanised region, with 82 per cent of its population living in cities. By 2050, it is expected to reach 90 per cent. Cities concentrate most economic activity, a reason why good urban infrastructure and public services are essential pillars for any country seeking to raise living standards and boost its competitiveness.

The study identified the most pressing challenges to promote sustainable development in cities as well as the biggest problems affecting access to basic infrastructure and public services and the quality of life in urban centres.

Some budget highlights

1. Low Carbon Development Strategy

2014

A*sum totalling US$90.6 million has been allocated for continued implementation of the GRIF projects.

* New interventions are expected to include ecotourism development, aquaculture development and rehabilitation works on the Cunha Canal.

* National Climate Resilience Strategy and Action Plan will be developed.

Fund (ADF), milestone disbursements were made to all 26 of the initial beneficiary communities for the implementation of their development plans in promoting sustainable village economies.

* Under the US$5 million Micro and Small Enterprise Development project, applications for loans with reduced interest rates have already started to be processed for entrepreneurs with business ventures in low carbon sectors.

* In the last quarter of 2013, the US$10.7 million Amerindian Land

industry for employment, making it still the largest single employer of all industries in Guyana

* It is estimated that some 120,000 persons are directly or indirectly affected by the industry.

* Government transferred a total of US$195 million to GuySuCo over the period from 2005 to 2013 in support of its various restructuring and turnaround initiatives.

* This exceeds the total of €110.1 million equivalent to US$145.9 million received from the EU under the accompanying measures programme

* A sum of US$80 million is allocated to meet Guyana’s equity contribution to the Amaila Falls Hydro Project.

2013

* To date, Guyana has earned three consecutive payments from Norway totalling US$115 million within the framework of our Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

* Four GRIF projects, with a combined approximate value of US$30 million, were in their implementation phases.

* Under the US$7 million Institutional Strengthening project significant progress was made towards the development of Guyana’s first national scale Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) System.

* . Under the US$6 million allocation to the Amerindian Development

Titling project was approved and commenced implementation.

2. Sugar 2014

* GuySuCo aims to substantially advance the mechanisation process.

* Increase yields through piloting the use of organic fertilisers.

* Lower transportation and production cost, by improving access to sugarcane fields.

* Create greater efficiency of the drainage and irrigation system.

* Establish a modern agricultural industrial complex 2013

* Sugar exports accounted for 8.3 per cent of total exports valued at US$112.2 million.

* The industry contributed 3.9 per cent of our country’s GDP.

* Approximately 18,000 families are directly dependent on the sugar

since its introduction.

2014

3. Bauxite

* BCGI is also expected to exceed investments of US$20 million on the development of the Kurubuka deposit

* Bosai’s projected investments will be substantially applied towards the conversion of heavy fuel oil to coal for the production of energy for their kiln which will promote energy efficiency.

2013

* Bosai and BCGI invested sums exceeding US$17.5 million in 2013

4. Gold

2014

* The Guyana Goldfields project at Aurora is advancing aggressively for a late 2014 start up.

* The ETK/Sandspring project at Toraparu is also poised for further

developmental works geared for a production start up by 2015.

2013

* The gold mining sector has for another consecutive year played an important role in the domestic economy and delivered record breaking production.

5. Oil

2013 /2014

* CGX Resources Inc remained optimistic about the prospects within their offshore prospecting areas.

* Repsol Exploracion Guyana SA and partners Tullow Guyana BV, plan an aggressive programme to unveil the geological complexities of the block.

* Esso and Shell have been preparing with surveys of their own and prior actions that could be consistent with a favourable analysis for further defining exploration activity.

* Government undertook to develop a policy which seeks to address such issues as licensing and contracting, fiscal framework, capacity building, transparency and accountability, environmental management and measurement indicators

6. Information and Communication Technology

2014

* $1.1 billion is budgeted in 2014 for the completion of works under the e-Governance project.

* Under the OLPF initiative, $2 billion is budgeted for the acquisition of a third batch of laptops, with an estimated 17,948 laptops scheduled for distribution this year.

* Before the end of the year, 100 per cent of our secondary schools will have functioning IT labs.

* Qualfon commenced construction of a new facility in Guyana described as one of the largest contact centres in the world and which will see the creation of 6000 new jobs for young Guyanese over the next five years 2013

* Under the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) initiative, 2013 saw an additional 9052 laptops distributed to beneficiaries in Regions Four and Five, resulting in a total of 35,884 laptops being distributed to date.

* 3494 recipients completed training in basic proficiency in the use of the computer, Internet browsing, and basic word processing and spreadsheet skills.

* $2.1 billion was invested by the Government to implement the eGovernance project.

* A data centre has been completed, which will act as the central hub for communications and computing for Government agencies.

* 41 of the intended 54 4G Long

Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) sites have been completed along the coast to facilitate transmission of eGovernance content and delivery of e-Governance services.

* The Telecommunications Bill No 18 of 2012 and Public Utilities Commission (Amendment) 2012 (no 17 of 2012) are currently under consideration by a Special Select Committee of the National Assembly.

* The passage of this suite of legislation will level the proverbial playing field for private sector entrants into the industry, increase competition, and lower the cost of related services to the end user.

7. Energy, power generation and supply 2014

* $7.7 billion is allocated to this sector. In excess of $200 million has been budgeted for the implementation of activities targeting improved management capacity and capabilities, operational efficiency and loss reduction.

* The completion of the distribution network in Matthews Ridge, expansion of the electricity network in Port Kaituma and the distribution of 540 solar home systems to 10 hinterland villages benefiting in excess of 3000 hinterland residents.

* In excess of $200 million has been budgeted for the relocation of the power plant in Lethem and the upgrading of power supply in Culvert City, Mahdia and Linden.

* GPL’s largest customer, Guyana Water Inc, will be investing approximately $338 million in an effort to improve operational efficiency through more efficient electromechanical and energy management.

2013

* An MOU establishing a Guyana-Brazil Joint Technical Group has been concluded which mandated the group to identify concrete actions and timelines for the construction of a hydroelectric plant in the Mazaruni and the transmission lines necessary to export electricity to Brazil and further afield.

* An amount of $10.6 billion was invested in the energy sector.

* Investments included the completion of two new substations at Sophia and Good Hope and continuing works on five others, the rehabilitation and extension of transmission and distribution networks, frequency conversion, and installation of 8846 prepaid meters, 785 Itron meters and 1800 smart meters.

* Guyana Power and Light Inc received substantial support in prioritising actions to ensure improvements in reliability of power supply and reducing both technical and commercial losses.

mArch 11,

(Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Finish what you start. Relationships may be confusing, but they should not be ignored. Be honest and don’t expect others to do your work for you. Equality is what matters.

(Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Old habits have been holding you back. When you take the necessary steps to rid yourself of negative behaviour and ideas, you will find a kindred spirit to help you along.

(Feb.20March 20)

Romantic opportunities will brighten your day. Being open and receptive will help you gain respect. A rewarding partnership will be based on sharing and compromise.

(March 21-April 19)

Resist the urge to say the first thing that comes to mind. Negative comments or complaints will not help your situation. Make a sincere effort to be more understanding and supportive.

(April 20May 20)

Others will be happy to cooperate with you if you are flexible. You will face opposition if you decide to challenge someone’s authority. Stay within your boundaries.

(May 21June 20)

You may be accommodating, but don’t let anyone intimidate you into taking on responsibilities that don’t belong to you. Stand your ground and stick to activities that serve you well.

By Bernice Bede Osol

(June 21July 22)

Refrain from letting your artistic temperament lead to hypersensitivity. You have all the skills necessary for success. Stay composed and let your talent do the talking for you.

(July 23Aug. 22)

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Keep a close eye on money matters. It’s time to finalise the details of your current venture. Don’t be discouraged if others refuse to go along. Your efforts will be well-rewarded. Love is highlighted. Be considerate and debonair. Discuss your personal goals and be receptive of the ideas being offered by someone you want to have in your life for a long time to come.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Physical activity will help you feel rejuvenated. Networking or spending time with people who share your interests will generate positive thoughts and expert tips on how to succeed.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

You may be feeling blue about personal issues. A change of scenery will give you a new perspective and help to take your mind off your troubles. Consider a getaway.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Reconsider a past partnership. You may have failed to live up to your end of the bargain or could be just as much to blame as your former partner. Make amends posthaste.

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Serena Williams beats Li Na to win Sony Open

Serena Williams defeated Li Na in straight sets to win the Sony Open and secure a seventh Miami title.

The 32-year-old world number one recovered from going two breaks down in the first set, and raced through the second for a 7-5 6-1 success.

In doing so, the American retained the crown she won last year and won her second title of the season.

China’s Li, the world number two, has not beaten Williams in six years and has lost 11 out of 12 matches overall.

“It was really important victory, especially against Li Na,” said Williams. “She started so well and if it hadn’t have been for the fans I don’t think I could have pulled through.

“At 5-2 down in the first set, I felt I had nothing to lose. I started to relax and, when I relax, I play my best tennis.”

Williams, who first

played in the Miami event as a 16-year-old, was strangely subdued early in the match, being broken in the first game before dropping serve again for a 5-2 deficit after fighting off three break points.

But she won the next five games to take the lead, saving set point on the way and decisively breaking her fellow 32-year-old in a 12th game that went through six deuces.

With her serve improving and the power of

her returning increasing, Williams galloped through the second set. A fierce backhand took her to 5-1 and victory was secured on the first match point. Williams, who lives in nearby Key Biscayne, had previously shared the record for Miami titles with Andre Agassi.

But her seventh success was also a 59th career WTA triumph and extended her winning streak against top-10 ranked opponents to 15 matches. (BBC Sport)

Spurs win 16th straight, beat Nuggets 133-102

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As the winning streak climbs, so does the stress level for San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich.

At least, that was Tim Duncan’s assessment after the Spurs ran their streak to 16 straight by beating the Denver Nuggets 133102 on Friday night.

This is their longest regular-season win streak

since reeling off 17 in a row from Feb. 29 to March 31, 1996. And Popovich seems to be growing more antsy with every victory.

‘’Oh, very. Very, very, very. Very much,’’ Duncan said. ‘’He’s a teacher and wants to teach. He wants the good and the bad. Even through this streak, he’s been on us a tremendous amount, making sure we

don’t rest on just the wins, but we’re learning from game to game.’’ Popovich found a teaching moment in the third quarter with the game well in hand. His team relaxed on one possession and allowed an easy transition basket by Randy Foye. Popovich quickly called timeout and voiced his displeasure to his team.

‘’Even as much as we’re up, he was still on us the entire game,’’ Duncan said. Hard to find too much fault with the Spurs’ effort in this one. Marco Belinelli scored 27 points, Duncan had 20 and the Spurs scored a season high in points.

San Antonio also maintained a three-game lead for the top seed in the Western Conference. It’s a quick turnaround for the Spurs, who host New Orleans on Saturday. (Yahoo!Sport)

Lewis Hamilton on Malaysian GP pole, Sebastian Vettel second

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton pipped Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel to pole position in a wet qualifying session at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Hamilton was just 0.055 seconds quicker than the world champion, as team-mate Nico Rosberg narrowly beat Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso for third.

Hamilton’s pole was the 33rd of his career, equalling the great Jim Clark’s record for a British driver.

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo was fifth from Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Hamilton, Vettel and Alonso were all well clear of their teammates in difficult conditions brought on by the tropical afternoon rain that so often affects the action at Sepang.

Hamilton headed Rosberg by 0.619secs, Vettel beat Ricciardo by 1.055secs and Raikkonen was 1.043secs adrift of Alonso.

KP plans 5,000-mile T20 commute (if he’s lucky)

Kevin Pietersen plans to play simultaneously in two Twenty20 competitions in England and the Caribbean as he becomes the ultimate jet-set commuter in his attempts to keep his career alive after his exclusion from the England side.

The age of the itinerant T20 cricketer has been upon us for a few years, but Pietersen has taken it a stage further by seeking to play in England’s relaunched NatWest Blast tournament and the Caribbean Premier League at the same time.

@KP24 - the Twitter handle which has now carries Pietersen’s pronounce-

Kevin Pietersen

ments, official and unofficial, on life, the universe and everything - promised: “I will be fulfilling ALL my @ surreycricket commitments and just flying into the Caribbean to honour this opportunity.”

It remains to be seen, though, if this regular 4000-miles-plus commute has a beneficial effect on his ability to hit a cricket ball in the area to which it is intended, especially as his regular diet of in-flight meals would not be countenanced by the England cookbook. Just think, some people can become disorientated by a daily commute from Paddington to East Croydon.

And, at least if the Kia Oval and the Caribbean are more than 4,000 miles apart that is nothing compared to the distance between England and Pietersen when it came to a meeting of minds.

If Pietersen is fortunate when the draft is finalised in a bar owned by Chris Gayle in Jamaica on Thursday, he will at least have a direct flight. As he indulged in a spot of repartee on Twitter with Gayle about whether they would be team-mates or opponents, it was a decent bet that he had not considered the possibility that he might yet be signed by Guyana Amazon Warriors: now that would add a few hours to the journey time.

(Cricinfo)

Man Utd come from behind to beat Villa

Wayne Rooney scored twice as Manchester United fought back to beat Aston Villa after a fly-by protest by fans calling for manager David Moyes to be sacked.

A plane carrying an anti-Moyes banner was booed by some home fans as it flew over Old Trafford in the second minute.

Ashley Westwood’s curling free-kick put Villa ahead but Rooney quickly headed United level, then scored from the spot after Leandro Bacuna fouled Juan Mata.

Mata slotted home a third before Javier Hernandez made it 4-1 in injury time.

Villa striker Christian Benteke missed two good second-half chances but, crucially for their underpressure manager, United were convincing winners and Moyes enjoyed a very public show of support.

The aerial message organised by disgruntled United fans read “Wrong One - Moyes Out”, but it was not well received by supporters inside the ground when it appeared overhead.

Just as significant was the reaction to Moyes emerging from the tunnel ahead of kick-off - before his players, unusually - with applause from all four sides of Old Trafford greeting his arrival.

That backing could easily have wavered when Westwood expertly bent a free-kick over the United wall and beyond a diving David De Gea in the 13th minute.

But the United fans continued to sing Moyes’s name and saw their side level seven minutes later when Rooney expertly steered Shinji Kagawa’s cross into the corner of the net.

EurAsia Cup: Europa and Asia tie 10-10 in Kuala Lumpur

Asia completed a remarkable comeback to tie the inaugural EurAsia Cup 10-10 in Kuala Lumpur.

Thongchai Jaidee’s team lost the fourballs 5-0 and trailed 7-3 ahead of the 10 single matches, leaving Europe three-and-a-half points from victory.

But after six Asia wins, the contest came down to the match between Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Hideto Tanihara.

Fernandez-Castano holed from three feet to par the last and conceded Tanihara’s shorter putt to ensure a tie.

Europe captain Miguel Angel Jimenez earned an early point with a birdie on the 18th to beat 23-yearold Malaysian wild card Nicholas Fung, but it was one of only two victories for the Europeans on the final day.

Jaidee beat former US Open champion Graeme McDowell 3&2 and reigning Asian number one Kiradech Aphibarnrat saw off Dane Thomas Bjorn 2&1.

“To end on the last, it’s fantastic. I have never seen a match like this. It’s very

close and amazing.”

Asia captain Thongchai Jaidee

In the final match, Scot Stephen Gallacher lost his ball with a wild tee shot on the 15th to complete a heavy loss against Siddikur Rahman, putting Asia ahead for the first time this week.

However, Joost Luiten, having seen a three-hole lead reduced to one, holed from five feet to par the 18th and beat Japan’s Koumei

Oda to level the scores. In the decisive final match out on course, Spaniard FernandezCastano missed a two-foot putt on the 15th to fall one down, but levelled with a stunning eagle on the 16th.

Japan’s Tanihara saved par from 10 feet on the 17th, and Fernandez-Castano held his nerve on the last before sparing his opponent from having to putt.

ICC World Twenty20...

England crash out as SA reach semis

S Africa 196-5 (20 overs) beat England 193-7 (20 overs) by three runs

England were knocked out of the World Twenty20 in the group stage as an AB De Villiers-inspired South Africa booked their place in the semi-finals.

De Villiers, standing in as captain for the banned Faf du Plessis, hit 69 off 28 balls as the Proteas scored 55 in the last three overs to reach 196-5.

Alex Hales (38) gave England a good start, but three quick wickets for Wayne Parnell turned the tide.

Spinner Imran Tahir then took 2-27 as England fell three runs short on 193-7.

England’s final match against the Netherlands on Monday is now academic, while Sri Lanka and New Zealand will play off for the second qualifying spot from Group One.

Remarkably, at 1445 after 16 overs, England were actually 13 runs ahead of where South Africa had been at the same point.

But the Proteas’ innings was given a sudden catalyst by the brilliant De Villiers and a wayward Jade Dernbach, who conceded 26 runs off the 18th over of the innings.

A further 29 followed off the final 12 balls as South Africa posted the highest score of the tournament so far and set England a target they were always unlikely to reach. (BBC Sport)

New Zealand ease past Netherlands

New Zealand 152-4 (19 overs) beat the Netherlands 151-4 (20 overs) by six wickets

Captain Brendon McCullum steered New Zealand to a routine six-wicket victory over the Netherlands that keeps their World Twenty20 semi-final hopes alive.

McCullum became the first man to reach 2,000 T20 international runs with 65 off 45 balls as the Kiwis chased down the 152 target with six balls in hand.

A third straight loss means the Dutch, who managed a creditable 151-4 batting first, are out of the competition.

England must beat South Africa on Saturday to stay in the World T20.

New Zealand will face Sri Lanka on Monday in

what is likely to be a shootout for a semi-final spot after comfortably disposing of the Dutch. (BBC Sport)

SCOREBOARD

Netherlands Innings 151 for 4 (20.0 overs)

Myburgh c Guptill b Boult 16

Swart st Ronchi

b N McCullum 26

Barresi c Ronchi

b McClenaghan 4

Borren c Williamson b Mills 49

TLW Cooper not out 40

BN Cooper not out 1

Extras: 1nb 2w 8b 4lb 15

Total: for 4 151

Bowling: Mills 3.0-0-20-1; Boult

4.0-0-25-1; Anderson 2.0-0-19-0; N McCullum 4.0-0-201; McClenaghan 4.00-29-1; Williamson

1.0-0-17-0;Neesham 2.0-0-9-0

New Zealand Innings 152 for 4 (19.0 overs)

Guptill c Barresi

b van der Gugten 9

Williamson c Barresi

b van Beek 29

B McCullum c Bukhari

b van der Gugten 65

Taylor c Barresi b van der Gugten 18

Anderson not out 20

Neesham not out 7

Extras : 0nb 2w 0b 2lb 4

Total : for 4 152

Bowling: Swart 1.0-0-6-0; van dergugten 4.0-0-30-3; Bukhari

4.0-0-31-0; Jamil 4.0-0-43-0; Borren 2.0-0-10-0; Seelar 2.00-16-0; van Beek 2.0-0-14-1

Ireland well beaten by South Africa

South Africa 165-5 (20 overs) beat Ireland 79 (20 overs) by 86 runs

Ireland women lost their third group game of the Women’s World Twenty20 as they fell to a crushing 86-run defeat by South Africa.

Devastating hitting from Chloe Tyron and Sune Luus helped South Africa make 165-5 in Sylhet.

South Africa scored a remarkable 63 runs off the last three overs.

Despite 33 from Mary Waldron, Ireland could not keep up with the required run rate and a late collapse saw them bowled out for 79.

Ireland restricted their opponents to 102-4 for the first 17 overs, before South Africa set up their winning total with their late onslaught of runs.

Amy Kenealy, Isobel

Villani’s 90 sets up Australia win

Australia Women 185 for 2 (Villani 90*, Lanning 50) beat Pakistan Women 91 for 9 (Perry 3-12, Coyte 3-14) by 94 runs

Australia Women have confirmed their entry in the Women’s World T20 semi-finals after their 94-run win against Pakistan Women. The second semi-final spot from group A will now be decided when South Africa Women take on New Zealand Women in a virtual quarterfinal. If New Zealand win, they will top the group, with Australia behind them, while if South Africa win, they will overtake New Zealand on account of a better net run-rate.

Australia made a surefooted start to their match after choosing to bat, as openers Alyssa Healy and Elyse Villani put together 61 for the first wicket. Villani anchored the innings after Healy departed and, in the company of Meg Lanning, boosted Australia to a mammoth 185. The pair added 104 at a scoring rate of nearly 10. Lanning was out in the penultimate over for 50 off 33 balls, but it was Villani’s innings that set Australia up, her unbeaten 90 coming off 54 balls with six fours and five sixes.

A solid opening stand of 57 off 68 balls was the only bright spot for an otherwise shaky Pakistan. Javeria Khan and Bismah Maroof, the openers, were also the only batsmen to score in double figures. Javeria’s wicket in the 13th over was followed by a slide which saw Pakistan

from 61

SCOREBOARD

Joyce, Eimear Richardson and Elena Tice took a wicket apiece

Vice-captain Waldron was promoted up the order to open the innings and justified the faith put in her, but the Irish fell well short in the end as they were bowled out for their lowest score in the tournament.

(BBC Sport)

Osborne 3.0-0-18-0; Coyte 4.0-0-14-3; Jonassen 3.0-0-142; Perry 4.0-0-12-3

‘Let’s build Guyana through sport’

– Government officials urge during NSC Sports Awards ceremony

Nation building through sport was the recurring theme on Friday evening when the National Sports Commission (NSC) hosted its annual sports award ceremony at the National Cultural Centre.

President Donald Ramotar, who delivered the keynote address, spoke on the economic benefits that can be derived from sport, while Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony dwelt on the health aspect and Director of Sport Neil Kumar revealed govern-

ment’s investment in the sector over the last year.

His Excellency, who was attending his second award ceremony since becoming Guyana’s seventh executive president, pointed out that sport can be used as a significant source of revenue generation and a massive platform for the promotion of sport tourism.

Ramotar intimated that his government is not oblivious to this, and as such has embraced the notion of using sport to build a nation.

He reflected on the administration’s massive invest-

ment in the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League in 2013, noting that the country would have benefitted tremendously from the hosting of four matches, which had a direct impact on the economy, as well as sport tourism.

Dr Anthony said his ministry is keen on having a fitter and healthier population, and will be looking to have more quality Physical Education programmes in the schools.

He noted that far too many young people are becoming obese, a direct result of limited physical activities. With this is mind, Dr. Anthony issued a call for all young per-

sons- young and old- to engage in some form of physical activity, as the aim is to have a healthy and productive population.

Kumar, the long-serving Director of Sport, shared similar sentiments, adding that the government had made it a priority to construct new facilities across the country and develop existing ones in order to encourage the hosting of sporting activities.

He explained that the administration was able to continue works on the synthetic track at Leonora and the warm-up/warm-down pool at the National Acquatic Centre at Liliendaal, as well as complete and commission the National Sports Resource Centre.

Kumar also highlighted that government made available $300 million for the upgrade of grounds countrywide, and that amount would be offered again this year under the budgetary allocation, with one million dollars per ground.

Awardees

In front of an appreciative audience that included several prominent individuals in the sporting arena, the top performers for the period January 1 to December 31, 2013, were honoured for their efforts.

The awards were quite diverse with persons from the disciplines of cricket, table-tennis, athletics, boxing, hockey and powerlifting being the recipients.

Differently abled tabletennis player Sarfaraz Gibran was the top awardee in that category for the second year in succession

Stabroek News Orlando Charles was adjudged the top photographer of 2013, while Avenash Ramzan of Guyana Times/TVG/RGI collected the Sport Journalist-of-the-Year (Non-Print) for the third year in a row and fourth time overall. Stabroek News Emmerson Campbell was the top journalist in the print category.

The Most Improved Association was the Guyana Boxing Association under the leadership of Steve Ninvalle, while the Guyana Table Tennis Association was the Association-of-the-Year.

Manager of the 2013 CARIFTA Games team, Amanda Hermonstine, and Guyana Table Tennis Association president Godfrey Munroe, won the Female and Male Sport Personality awards respectively, while the Guyana Senior Squash Team was voted Team-of-theYear.

Boxing coach Terrence Poole was voted Coach-of-theYear.

Table-tennis star Chelsea Edghill copped the Junior Sportswoman accolade from athlete Cassie George, while, while runner Jason Yaw was the Junior Sportsman with table-tennis player Shamar Britton being runner-up.

West Indies all-rounder Shemaine Campbelle won the Senior Sportswoman trophy, with hockey goalkeeper Alysa Xavier being the runner-up, while Test cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul copped the Senior Sportsman award for the seventh time, leaving powerlifter Winston Stoby to settle for the runnerup trophy.

Campbelle, Chanderpaul and Xavier were not present to receive their awards, due to overseas commitments, while Hermonstine was unavoidably absent.

The evening’s proceedings were capped by a special presentation to Guyana’s lone Olympic medallist, Michael Anthony Parris, by the Russian Federation of Guyana.

Parris, a former boxer,had copped a bronze medal in the Bantamweight division at the 1980 Moscow Games and was presented with a special token by Ambassador Nikolay D. Smirnov.

By Treiston Joseph

Defending Champions, St George’s Secondary, played some brilliant football on Saturday at the Ministry of Education ground, defeating Christ Church 3-0 to comfortably make their way to the final of the Petra Organized Milo School’s under-20 football tournament for a chance to defend their title.

St George’s came out attacking from the “get go” and constantly found themselves in the attack against their opposition, but had no success in finishing their build-up play until Ozeal Small released a powerful shot from about 30 yards out that rocked the top right- hand corner of the net in the 19th minute to open the scoring for St George’s. With the score on 1-0 in favour of the defending champions, both teams battled to the halftime break still 1-nil,

as Christ Church kept trying to find an opening in the well organized defence of St. George’s.

On resumption of the half, St. George’s maintained their attacking mode, looking to push the ball up field and utilized their crossing well to swing the ball from one end of the field to another. In the 57th minute, Orin Moore took St. George’s up 2-nil with an easy goal inside

the 18 -yard box as the keeper misjudged, leaving the goal wide open for the easy opportunity which was taken with grace.

St. George’s then played superb defence, thwarting the forward movement of Christ Church before they put the nail in Christ Church’s coffin in the 88th minute, with a goal from Marlon Duncan.

Meanwhile, Lodge Secondary found their way

into the final with a 3-1 victory over Dolphin Secondary in their encounter.

Both teams seemed tentative in the opening minutes of the game, as the players tried to find some consistency with their passing Orlando Gravesande would draw first blood for Lodge, when he drilled an easy attempt in the 16th minute against a Dolphin keeper that seemed very shaky and ner-

vous as the half ended 1-nil. Shemar Smith then got some luck with his goal in the 50th minute, as his shot bounced weirdly giving Dolphin’s keeper all the time in the world to punch it out or grab it; but somehow misjudged the ball that slowly went over his hands and into the goal.

Job Caesar then converted a brilliant free kick from about 20 yards out in the 56th min-

ute that rocked the top righthand corner of the net to make the score 2-1. However, Dolphin’s hope of getting back into the game was quashed in the 74th minute with a goal from Gravesande, who doubled to seal the deal for Lodge. The final will be played on April fifth at the Ministry of Education ground with the third place playoff beginning from 16:00h.

Pollydore rides away with Star Party Rentals feature race

By Avenash Ramzan

Brimming with confidence after winning the final leg of the Cheddi Jagan memorial cycling road race on Sunday last in Essequibo, the evergreen Godfrey Pollydore again demonstrated that age is no barrier to success in a sport currently dominated by young men, as he carted off top honours in the main event of the inaugural Star Party Rentals 11-race cycling meet on Saturday.

In fact, the experienced 38-year-old was severely tested by the youthful exuberance of Team Coco’s Michael Anthony, who had to settle for second after a tight sprint finish.

clock at one hour, 17 minutes, 0.68 seconds (01h: 17m: 0.68s).

Robin Persaud, Mario King, Paul deNobrega and Paul Choo Wee Nam rounded off the top six finishers in that order, with Pollydore and Alonzo Ambrose claiming two prime prizes each. Anthony, Persaud, King and Orville Hinds shared the other four prime prizes on offer.

In the other races of the day, Jeremiah Harrison, Sherwin Sampson and Esau Jaisingh were 1-2-3 in the BMX Boys 6-9, while Thuran Garbharran won the BMX 9-12 and Stephan Wilkinson and Rawle Small copped the BMX 12-14 and the BMX Boys Open respec-

Pollydore and Anthony managed to pull away from a chasing pack with five laps remaining, making it a showdown of experience versus youth in the quest for victory.

As it turned out, Pollydore had just enough in his legs to forge ahead of teenager Anthony on the finish line, winning by a matter of inches. Race official Joseph Britton stopped the

tively.

Avish Ramlakhan took top honours in the BMX 12-14 Boys and Girls, with Romello Crawford and Ozia McUally winning the Juveniles and Mountain Bikes races respectively.

The Veteran races were won by Junior Niles (Under-50), Linden Blackman (Over-50) and Roy Mendonca (Over-60).

At the presentation cer-

WICB Regional Four-day Tournament...

Barbados in control

JAMAICA are 273 runs behind at the close of play in their fifthround WICB Regional 4Day match against Barbados at Sabina Park.

Jamaica closed the day on 150 for four in reply to Barbados’ 423 in the first innings.

Nkrumah Bonner is unbeaten on 31 while Tamar Lambert (0) is yet to get off the mark. The last wicket to fall was Jermaine Blackwood for 64. The other batsmen out are JonRoss Campbell (31), John Campbell (19) and Brian Buchanan (0).

emony which followed, proprietor of Star Party Rentals, Lennox Cush, the former national cricketer, said his company was pleased to partner with the cycling fraternity.

Cush promised to make the event an annual one and committed to sponsoring a warm-up race ahead of the Independence Three-Stage in May.

National coach and or-

ganiser of the day’s activities, Hassan Mohamed, expressed gratitude to Cush and his company for investing in cycling and providing an avenue for the riders to compete.

Mohamed also announced that two more races are slated for the weekend, an 11-race programme in the National Park on Saturday and a road race the following day.

Earlier, Shane Dowrich scored a maiden century. The diminutive wicketkeeper batsman, scored 102 off 248 balls, resuming on his overnight score of 40. He batted for more than five hours.

Summarised scores: Barbados 423 (Kirk Edwards 105, Shane Dowrich 102, J. Holder 46, A. Nurse 40, C. Brathwaite 36, K. Brathwaite 29, J. Carter 22, R. chase 13; N. Miller 4-95, T. Lambert 2-42). Jamaica 150-4 (J. Blackwood 64, N. Bonner 31*, JR Campbell 31, J. Campbell; J. Carter 2-4). (SAT) (Barbados Nation)

Jonathan Carter has two wickets for a measly four runs, while Ashley Nurse and Carlos Brathwaite have one each.

Ramotar hails impact of Limacol CPL

By Avenash Ramzan

President Donald Ramotar has highlighted the positive impact of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the tremendous benefits that Guyana would have derived from the hosting of four matches in the inaugural tournament last year.

The head of state pointed out that the tournament is an excellent platform for the promotion of sport tourism, a concept his government embraces.

Delivering feature remarks at the National Sports Commission’s annual awards ceremony on Friday evening at the National Cultural Centre, president Ramotar spoke glowingly of the success and impact of the Limacol CPL, which was an immediate hit with the fans and players alike.

transportation system. As I said, this was according to the experts doing the economic impact study that was conducted by Mona School of Business and Management of Jamaica,” Ramotar explained.

The president said his administration will always invest in events such as the Limacol CPL, as marketing Guyana through sport is critical to the economic well-being of the country.

“When you look at that one example [the Limacol CPL], you will see that if we can look at how we can broaden our revenue base so that we can do more for our people by pro-

players donning the respective franchise colours were Mohammad Hafeez, Misbahul-Haq, Lasith Malinga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Vernon Philander, Shoaib Malik, Kumar Sangakkara, James Franklin, Martin Guptil and Ricky Ponting.

While pointing out that his government is keen on building quality sport facilities across the country, it is also committed to exploring the economic benefits of sport, thus a major investment in the Limacol CPL in 2013.

“Guyana invested US$175,000 and was to get about US$915,000 worth of marketing exposure for the country- that’s the estimate from the experts- and about US$4 million worth in direct and indirect value through our hotels, our restaurants and the

viding more goods and services and here this gives you a clear example that sports tourism is an area that we can seriously look at in order to enhance our revenue base and diversify even further the economy of the country,” His Excellency pointed out.

The Limacol CPL was played in front of sold-out crowds at all the venues across the region, with some of the biggest names in T20 cricket representing the six franchises. Among the international

The marquee West Indies players were Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine.

The second edition of the tournament is billed for July 10 to August 16 this year with some 200-odd players in the draft, which will take place at Chris Gayle’s Triple Century Bar in Jamaica on April 3.

When the action bowls off, the Jamaica Tallawahs will look to defend their title against last year’s runnersup Guyana Amazon Warriors, Barbados Tridents, Antigua Hawksbills, St Lucia Zouks and Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel.

Kerwin Clarke is Mr. Hugh Ross Classic 2014