saturDay, January 4, 2014 | guyanatimesgy.com
Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh has dismissed the concerns about the new $5000 note that was released by the Central Bank last month as “non-issues”.
Dr Singh said that none of the issues raised about the new note can stand the test of scrutiny, as he underscored the need and importance of the new currency denomination.
Speaking during a recent interview on the Current Issues and Analysis programme on Television Guyana (TVG) Channel 28, Dr Singh explained that he has received positive reviews for the note.
The minister said during a recent interaction with several members of the busi-
ness community, he was told that the $5000 note is less burdensome.
“I can tell you that they are dozens, probably hundreds out there who said to me they welcome the introduction of the $5000,” Dr Singh noted.
Monetary policy
Several shopkeepers, service operators and businesses have expressed skepticism about accepting the note, while other critics said the new denomination could negatively impact the country’s monetary policy and its valuation.
Dr Singh said all of the above concerns raised were
“non-issues” from an economic and purely rationale standpoint. He explained that all Guyanese have a choice as to whether they prefer to use $20, $100 or $5000 bills.
Opposition Leader David Granger had raised concerns that several administrative centres do not have adequate financial institutions.
In making reference to Mabaruma, Region One, Granger said that particularly in gold mining areas, huge amounts of money are moved and opined that the banking system is not sufficiently developed to handle this development. Granger
also posited that the new denomination could facilitate crime.
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) had indicated in a statement that the chamber does not envisage inflationary pressures or increases as a result of the introduction of the new denomination.
While the GCCI acknowledged that the $5000 bill would help with large transactions by companies and individuals, it however wants the law activated or amended to state the minimum transaction for which the note should be accepted.
The body noted that the only inconvenience envisaged is the use of the $5000 notes to carry out small transactions, where many smaller notes have to be provided in return as “change.” And as expected, minibus conductors and vendors are bothered by the challenge the new note has brought to them.
The GCCI is suggesting that the Central Bank issue an advisory, if permitted by law, on a minimum amount during a transaction where a $5000 note can be tendered.
The bill is intended to reduce the demand for other notes which continues to increase, due to higher economic growth and increase in income.
It is also expected to enhance the efficiency in payment systems. The $5000 bill was introduced and circulated by the Central Bank in December 2013.
Rocky Cumberbatch, aka Rocky Alexander, was on Friday remanded to prison after he appeared at the Georgetown, Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Faith McGusty on charges of manslaughter and escaping lawful custody. It is alleged that on January 22, 2009 at Tamakay Landing, Mazaruni River, Cumberbatch murdered Marvin Charles. It was also alleged that on January 24 at Mazaruni River, he escaped the lawful custody of Police Corporal Eugene Hunte.
Attorney-at-Law James Bond, who represented the defendant, told the court that it was clearly a case of mistaken identity, since the police were looking for a man by the name of Rocky Alexander and his client’s name is Rocky Cumberbatch. He also said that a bulletin was not issued for his client and the police only became aware that his client’s name was Cumberbatch after he had provided them with the national identification card of the defendant. Prosecutor Seon Blackman objected to bail, citing the nature of the offence and that the defendant is a flight risk, since he escaped custody on a previous occasion.
Cumberbatch was remanded to prison. He will return to court January 6.
BY MICHAEL YOUNGE AND SAMUEL SUKHNANDAN
Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh believes that the political opposition has lost and squandered lots of opportunities to work with the government in the National Assembly to advance the interests and development of all Guyanese.
Speaking with Guyana Times during an exclusive interview, Dr Singh, who is also a front-bencher for the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in the 65-seat legislature, said the new dispensation has not worked nor delivered on the expectations of the masses.
New dispensation
“Well let me say this, in my first budget speech of the 10th Parliament which would be the 2012 budget speech, I made the point that… while there are some that heralded this new dispensation for the opportunities that it presented, that we should be mindful of the challenges it would present,” he said as he reflected on the work of the House over the last two years.
According to him, the opposition has reduced the National Assembly to
merely a place where the flexing of political muscles, settling scores and bullyism appear to outweigh the potency and weight of advancing rationale arguments, scholastic debates and politics of patriotism.
“I think our experience since then has certainly vindicated my caution at that time. With the benefit of two years of experience in the 10th Parliament now, we have witnessed cutting of the budget; cutting of successive annual budget, we have witnessed attempts to withhold approval of legitimate funding needs for developmental projects and initiatives, we have witnessed attempts by the opposition to frustrate and stymie major developmental projects –the Amaila Falls, comes to mind,” he said.
The minister is convinced that the Parliament has also seen some of the most unbelievable developments in politics in Guyana, where reason and rationale are thrown to the wind.
Irresponsible actions
“And we have witnessed attempts by the opposition to use this dispensation to extract political rent and inflict wounds, even if it meant inflicting damage on Guyana’s domestic
economy and international credibility... and nowhere is this better illustrated than in the matter of the anti-money laundering legislation,” he argued.
Addressing the issue of budget cuts ahead of the presentation of this year’s budget, the minister said if one was to consider all of the cuts in the budget, and the attempts by the opposition to cut successive budgets, one would see that almost invariably every single item that has been cut from the budget has been cut without justification and on no rational basis whatsoever.
He argued that one must put Guyana’s interest first when a vote is taken in the National Assembly.
“And so the construction of a specialty hospital is a public good for all of our people and cannot be excised from the national budget by a parliamentarian who is responsible and who is concerned about the well-being of our people. I give this only as an example, but they’re many other examples,” he reasoned. Singh maintained that in order to avoid parliamentary gridlock, there is need for compromise and consensus. There is need for mature politics to be displayed and not actions akin to political gangsterism, pointing out that one cannot barter the future of Guyana for the attainment of any partisan political interest.
Editor: Nigel Williams
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In this new year, apart from the “political” issues that will transfix Parliament, there will be one that has dragged on for more than a decade without a resolution – decriminalisation of homosexual acts.
Back in 2000, as part of the constitutional reform process, the National Assembly had unanimously approved an amendment prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. Because of pressure from one section of the religious community, however, the then president did not assent to the change.
After much agitation, in 2012 the government held countrywide consultations on the issue and in 2013 submitted the question of decriminalisation of homosexual acts to a parliamentary committee, which should begin to receive public submissions early this year. According to the Kaleidoscope Trust, a London based organisation agitating for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual/transgender and inter-sex (LGBTI) rights in Commonwealth countries, Guyana is following the path of its British colonial impositions.
Last November, the group released a report, “Speaking Out”, of the state of the LGBTI community in the Commonwealth. It found that 41 of the 53 member states still criminalise homosexual sex. Guyana is one of the 41. This amounts to almost 80 per cent of the Commonwealth members, and amazingly, over half of the 78 states globally in which gay sex is illegal.
The report was timed to influence the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo, scheduled for later that month and followed from previous attempts to address discrimination at the forum.
Earlier, in March 2013, a new Commonwealth Charter was adopted which states that: “We are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds.” The charter failed, however, to include LGBTI identities in the list of protected attributes.
Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Sir Shridath Ramphal, said in his foreword to Speaking Out: “It is a reminder that for most of the countries of the Commonwealth, the desecration of our fellow citizens began in the law... As with the abolition of slavery, the decriminalisation of homosexuality in our time must be an act of law.”
Human rights had already become a major theme in the leadup to CHOGM. Several heads of government refused to attend in protest against Sri Lanka’s human rights record. Media attention focused on alleged war crimes perpetuated in Sri Lanka’s recent brutal civil war. While the Kaleidoscope report drew attention to other rights violations, including the criminalisation of homosexual sex and the harassment of LGBTI activists, the CHOGM heads were unmoved.
Other Commonwealth nations have also made global headlines recently for persecuting homosexuals. In 2009, the Ugandan parliament debated a bill that would have introduced the death penalty for serial offenders, HIV-positive people who engage in homosexual activity, and people having homosexual sex with a disabled partner.
A revised version of the bill was debated in 2012. While in Guyana, one report claimed that Guyanese attitude to homosexuality is quite tolerant, because of the laws on the books, cross-dressers, for instance, have been recently prosecuted, and there is still great social stigma attached to gay orientation.
As mentioned, the Kaleidoscope report proposed a trenchant explanation for why LGBTI discrimination is so prevalent in the Commonwealth: homophobic legislation is a relic of British Imperial rule.
When the British invaded and took possession of their various colonies around the world, “the unreformed law of England was transported through criminal codes by imperial masters to far flung outposts of empire”. This included legislation against “sodomy”, “attempted sodomy”, and, after 1885, “gross indecency” between men.
The British Empire began to be dismantled following World War II. Decolonisation was largely accomplished by 1967 when England and Wales began to reform their anti-homosexual laws. Unfortunately, homophobic law and “the attitudes that had followed the law”, imposed on colonised societies, largely remained after decolonisation.
There should be widest possible discussion this year, about this invidious colonial legacy.
Dear Editor, It boggles the mind why all those lawyers in the opposition, including leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan and Christopher Ram who, as part of their legal studies, would have studied a fair amount of public international law, would support the American Ambassador D Brent Hardt’s public declaration that he will ignore a decision of Guyana’s Cabinet of ministers.
In that course, they would have learnt the principles of national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of a country. They would have learnt that those are two of the most fundamental principles of public international law. They would have learnt that no foreign diplomat can challenge the authority of a democratically elected government.
Why then does the U.S. ambassador, who certainly knows that his public challenge to the authority of the Guyana government is against all established diplomatic rules and conventions, continue to ignore a decision of a legitimately elected government? And most importantly, why are the opposition parties so strong in their support of the U.S. ambassador in his bla-
tant act of disregard for Guyana’s sovereignty?
Those who are old enough or are knowledgeable enough about Guyana’s political history would not find it difficult to answer the questions posed above. It is simply the beginning of a replay of the U.S. intervention into Guyana’s internal politics in the 1960s. The difference may lie only in the purpose of the intervention.
The geopolitics of South America has changed. The two largest countries of South America; Venezuela and Brazil, are no longer governed by puppet regimes of the U.S. Any attempt to install such regimes in these two countries as was recently demonstrated in Venezuela, will not only be hugely expensive but also doomed to failure. This is where the strategic importance of Guyana to the U.S. comes in. Get it? Guyana is uniquely and strategically placed between these two countries.
How else then can the Americans ensure that they regain a firm foothold on the border of these countries without making Guyana a pawn in their geopolitics? The answer is a simple one. Go back to their old and trusted friends – the People’s National Congress (PNC),
now baptised as the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), and the cash strapped Alliance For Change (AFC), which is willing to play the role of the long disintegrated United Force (UF).
Over the past few years, the world has borne witness to this sort of intervention in quite a few countries in the Arab world, “democratising” them. The results of those interventions are seen every day on televisions worldwide. The American government has converted stable and prosperous societies into war zones and living hell for tens, if not hundreds of millions of people. All of those countries have been throw back decades in terms of their development.
The methods used in those countries are similar to those currently being used by the U.S. ambassador to Guyana, that is, supporting and building the capacity of reactionary opposition forces which cannot gain power through the ballot box.
Don’t forget, that APNU and AFC, whose capacities the U.S. ambassador wants to build, are the ones who for two consecutive years, cut from the national budget all major infrastructure and investment projects that were
designed to lay the foundations of a bright and prosperous Guyana.
We Guyanese, for the most part, are intelligent people who want to live in a peaceful, democratic society governed by the rule of law. We must therefore, guard against a few power hungry individuals who are willing to sell even their mothers for the sake of political power. Such selling out is nothing strange to those individuals.
When the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) was in power in the early 1960s, these individuals betrayed Guyana for the sake of political power. We are yet to recover from the effects of that betrayal. The PPP is once again in power and those very individuals are at it again. If we cannot stop a replay of this tragic episode, our history and Guyana would be destroyed forever. Do we want Guyana to be the Egypt, Tunisia, Libya or Syria of South America?
The people of Guyana, through a democratic process elected a president to make decisions on their behalf. His name is Donald Ramotar, not D Brent Hardt.
Yours sincerely, Faruk Mohamed
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Dear Editor, Why shouldn’t India be a completely symbolic Hindu state and when will this be achieved? The Queen of England is the Queen of all Great Britain. She is also head of the Commonwealth and the Christian Anglican Church. But she is a ceremonial figurehead with no defined power.
However, not only is she the symbol of an entire country, but in the English speaking world she is symbolically the royal monarch as well. Her status brings unity and worldwide pride for a particular culture and people. Others respect them as much as they are begrudged.
India’s civilisation predates many others and her ancient culture still thrives worldwide. But where is this embodied in a living unity symbol? Surely her children who were nurtured in her womb are sufficiently equipped to ensure that she recover her prominence and prestige to survive infinitely?
Restoring one India’s Hindu royalty to its pristine glory replacing the current ceremonial head of state president is practical as it is necessary. Previous commoners who were elected to the job only
brought transitory occupation, which embellished them rather the other way around. Then it was all fleeting. A Hindu monarchy’s longevity, uniting healing and prestige is cumulative to the benefit of the entire country. It not only showcases India overseas but emphasises its uniqueness by the reverence and importance royalty requires by its expectant presence and imposition. Royalty will glorify India’s magnificence worldwide.
India’s restoration of the Hindu monarchy is the best way for a progressive transition and institutionalisation of its glorious past. It will acknowledge its secular Vedic origins responsible for its birth, sustenance and existence. She did not fail them but can the same be said of those who can avoid failing her when needed?
Even those minority religions nurtured and existing within its original Hindu cultural genesis owe their accommodating existence to its wide bosom of tolerance from which they feed every day. They would still enjoy the same rights which gave them existence and continues to do so.
Obviously it was Hinduism’s magnificence
which inspired its originality to concede equality for all other minority religions. Why shouldn’t Hinduism be accorded justifiable symbolic credit for its origins, predominant ideas and culture?
Reliance on the monarchy as in England which keeps their nation intact, but which acknowledges its predominant Christian identify cannot be worse for India’s urgent fair recognition of its mainstream religion. There is only one original India from which all Hindus have sprung linking its worldwide following.
Its culture and religion require acknowledgment and protection as one would give their own mother. Not doing so nullifies all Indians existence. Allowing their mother to remain unprotected, unappreciated, and ignored is criminal.
A Hindu king in India will serve to unify all Hindus regardless of philosophy as it would institutionalise Hinduism as the genesis of India’s origins, culture, music, dress, food, ayurvedic medicine and tolerance.
As secular as England appears, the fact that it retains its royal blood line to hold the ceremonial position as head of state ensures Great Britain
will be forever reminded of their Anglo Saxon civilisation and country.
When Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many smaller Caribbean countries retain the Queen of England as their head of state it maintains and promotes their royalty’s magnificence, unlike India made whole by its Vedas, but yet to restore its living symbols within its entitled paramountcy. Apathy cannot be an option any longer among its children.
Choosing the best royal family to represent, assert and exemplify Indian culture, values and its historical narrative must be reflected by the existing royal candidate’s total family adherence to Hinduism by lifestyle, values, behaviour, adherence, national aspirations and track record which opposed colonialism for Indian existence.
Restoration of Hindu royalty can do no harm but give it back the respect and acknowledgement so overdue. Acknowledgement is the beginning of the restoration and no Indian should have any reservations to do what is only right.
Yours truly,
Vassan Ramracha
Dear Editor,
The Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) extends warm and sincere wishes to all Guyanese on the occasion of the new year. While some may have welcomed the new year with much rejoicing and merriment, others have used the opportunity for introspection and reflection of the year we have left behind.
Some would have lost their loved ones, while others would have welcomed their new born into the world. The joys, the sorrows, the realisation of dreams and the despair of unfilled ones characterise the dialectics of our lives on a daily basis.
Whatever the circumstances of our lives, we must always believe that the human spirit will always find ways and means to overcome the challenges of everyday living. The WPO encourages all to work harder and to make whatever sacrifices that are required to make their lives better.
We are heartened by the continuous growth of the economy and the steady improvement in the social sectors. We are concerned, however, with the actions of the joint opposition that have caused setbacks in relation to major developmental works such as the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project, the Specialty Hospital and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport expansion project.
We call on the opposition in this new year to desist from such unpatriotic acts and to support these and other projects as we continue to modernise Guyana. In the sphere of inter-personal relationships, we wish fervently that this year will see less murders and violence against women and that the atrocities of 2013 should be
a thing of the past.
The WPO also wishes to use this opportunity to call on all Guyanese – both citizens and officials – to take bold steps to resolve among others, two burning issues which are vexations to almost all Guyanese and visiting foreigners.
The first is the garbage menace which is a sore embarrassment particularly in the city of Georgetown where the incompetence of the council compounds the problem. We urge the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to do the decent thing and resign. We also call on all citizens to play their part by ending the dirty practice of littering and dumping of waste.
The second is the noise nuisance which seems to become more and more excessive in some parts of Guyana. We urge
the authorities to take strong action against the offenders and to make the necessary changes to the law as a matter of urgency.
We encourage all those who are guilty, whether in places of entertainment or worship to control the volumes of their noise instruments. Most annoying are the loud music sets and the increasing number of money making events involving deejays, who believe that screaming in the middle of the night and the early hours of the morning is entertainment.
All residents deserve the right to quiet and peace in their lives and we see this intrusion as a violation of their human rights. We call on all Guyanese to join in the discourse and actions to rid our country of these and other vexatious issues and
to create a more harmonious environment based on greater tolerance and mutual respect.
Let us all work to make 2014 a better year for our beloved country and all of its citizens. We extend best wishes to all and may God continue to guide and bless you.
Happy New Year, WPO
Dear Editor,
Please afford me some space in your letters column to express my wishes for peace and prosperity to my fellow men at the dawn of this new year, and ask all of them to join with me in this expression.
I wish that all Guyanese should first of all demonstrate a spirit of love and peacefulness with all others in all their activities, irrespective of race, gender, status, religion and area and condition of living. I wish that we should all appreciate that we are all basically responsible for the welfare of our fellow men, and that to truly enjoy peace and happiness for ourselves, we must pursue this objective on an all-inclusive and indiscriminate manner.
To our government and opposition alike, I wish that they will renew their commitment to the goals, which should be their major priority, of uniting all Guyanese and providing for us a standard of living by which we can enjoy throughout the year the spirit of serenity and togetherness which the past season engendered.
I wish they would pursue these goals in a nonprejudicial manner, with less consideration for their own interest and maintaining themselves in power. I wish they appreciate that their true mission is not just to foster economic development to provide material benefits for our citizens, but to create the environment by which each and
every Guyanese achieves fulfilment in all the other aspects of their lives – mental, social/emotional and spiritual.
I wish that all children be afforded ample opportunity to grow in peace and love, and be afforded the means to receive all the things necessary for their all-round development, so that their lives will be truly fulfilled and their ambitions be realised. I wish that the relevant authorities recognise that due emphasis must be placed on behavioural education of our students who will form the future citizenry of our nation.
I wish that the poor, the unemployed, the elderly, the abused, the disabled, the handicapped and those involved in criminal activities be endowed with the necessities to improve their circumstances so as to make full use of the available amenities to enrich their lives.
Lastly, I wish that your columnists and letter-writers continue to exploit this invaluable resource to air your convictions and opinions, and commend their courage and dedication in their efforts to effect some improvement to our national condition.
At the same time, I wish that they should always examine their expressions, and try to be truly balanced and non-prejudiced in their offerings to the public.
Yours sincerely, Roy Paul
Building a language rich environment is, on the face of it, an easy thing to do. Unfortunately, in today’s busy households and with the busy lifestyles of parents who have to work fulltime, it is harder to find the time to spend with your children than many of us realise. However, there are many opportunities to use and teach language in everyday situations and create a good environment for learning.
Make time for your children
Be aware that children learn speech and language through listening, watching, exploring, copying, initiating, responding, playing and interacting with others. For those first few years most of the important interaction is going to be between the child and their parents, carers and maybe siblings. Finding time to spend with your children and have a shared focus is very important if you want to help them to develop their speech, language and social skills. Oneto-one time will benefit your
child in the long term.
Avoid the TV
You are doing your child a disservice if you have spare time, but put them in front of the TV. There are a few (and only a few!!) children’s TV programmes that are in any way educational. Your child is more likely to learn about things from oneto-one playtime with his parent or carer. TV and video games are passive entertainment and do not encourage any interaction. Studies now show that children who watch too much TV in their early years are more likely to have difficulties with attention and listening when they reach school age.
Ditch the pacifier
There is also evidence to show that if the child uses a dummy/pacifier their speech can be delayed. Speech can be delayed because the child is not speaking, and because the development of the child’s oral musculature may be affected by the constant sucking of a dummy.
Build an environment that helps language flourish Building a language rich environment is about using every opportunity to use language, to interact,
to share a focus, to talk, to take turns. Building a language rich environment is also about building a nurturing environment, giving your child love and af-
fection and building their self-confidence. And finally, it is about building a learning environment, creating a place where love, language and learning can all take place together. So what do you do to create this environment? Well firstly look at yourself and how you are communicating:
* Remember your language level – One of the biggest things to be aware of when using language around your young child is the level and complexity of the language you use. Think about their age and how much language they use. A young child will generally understand more words than he uses in speech. You can use a milestones chart to have a broad idea of your child’s language level. Assuming your child is developing along normal lines think about where to pitch you language. For instance, if your child is aged two years and six months and is able to follow a short instruction containing two key words, be mindful of this when you talk to her. If you use long sentences she will not understand you. If your child does have difficulty understanding, just use key words, more intonation, and gesture, or point as you say the words.
* When talking to your child, try to talk about things that are in context or that the child can see, so they can use these things as a reference. Talk slowly and put emphasis on the key words if they are in a sentence, and use lots of intonation to help emphasise meaning. Give the child more time to respond than you would with older children or an adult. Younger children may need a little longer to process your speech and formulate an answer of their own. This is even more important if your child has difficulties acquiring language. If your child has language difficulties, or receptive language delay, limiting your words, giving them lots of time to process language, and using lots of gesture is essential.
Take a step back and feed in language
You can enhance your child’s development of language by sometimes taking a step back during play and letting them take the lead. This gives the child control of their environment and builds their confidence. Although you are still involved in the play you are not dictating what is happening. However, you can still be feeding language into the play as it is happening. So the takeaway here is not to feel you have to fill in any gaps of silence, just watch and listen and add language. For instance, if your daughter is playing with her dolls, just watch, add language to her words and dictate some of her actions.
Chloe: "Dolly tea."
Mum: "The dolly’s drinking tea, and that one is having a sandwich."
Chloe: "Sandwich."
Mum: "Mmmm, sandwich, what’s it got in it… jam, a jam sandwich mmm."
Chloe: "Mmmm, sandwich."
Mum: "Mmmmm, jam sandwich yummy."
Chloe: "More tea."
Mum: "More tea for dolly and teddy is drinking tea too."
Chloe: "Cake."
Mum: "Oooh, are they getting cake too? Yummy."
Chloe: "Yummy, cake."
Mum: "Yum yum yum, eating lots of cake." (rubs tummy)
This is a simple example and although mum is only adding a few new words she is acknowledging her daughter’s words and she is expanding on her sentences. Chloe can hear her words being put into longer more grammatical sentences and a couple of verbs are added (eating and drinking). Chloe remains in charge throughout the game, she leads the game and the dictates what is happening. This situation allows her control so there is no pressure on her to communicate and the communication environment is a relaxed and nurturing place.
As the spirit of Mashramani gets in the air, there is a call for more members of the private sector to participate in the Mash bands for the float parade on February 23, 2014.
Culture Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony is appealing to private sector companies to get involved with designers to showcase their bands in February.
“A lot of people come out with their families to look at the float parade, so the spectators are there but the bands are not enough. If more companies from the private sector are involved, we would have a better parade,” he said, addressing reporters at a press conference at his Main Street office on Friday.
The masquerade component of the event this year will benefit from DVDs featuring a variety of moves, to make the showpiece more entertaining.
The ministry has decided to provide the DVDs to bands after its Masquerade Symposium last year was nothing to “masquerade about”.
Dr Anthony lamented the shameful attendance, which
many believe did not bode well for the traditional art form.
In an attempt to revive some interest in Mashramani masqueraders, the ministry will provide DVDs along with a manual, featuring a repertoire of moves and how to groove. “This DVD will be uploaded on the ministry’s website and this footage will teach masquerade moves,” an exited Dr Anthony said.
Over the years, Mashramani has grown to be one, if not the largest of Guyana’s most colourful events, transcending all racial and cultural barriers.
Mashramani also attracts Guyanese overseas, many of whom return home for the event.
Apart from the children’s and adult float parades, the next big activity on the Mashramani calendar is the senior and junior calypso competitions, along with the chutney competitions.
These are usually held during the months of January and February leading up to Mashramani. The culture, youth and sport minister noted that dates for some of the competitions have already been set and after next week’s meeting, citizens will begin to hear and see results of the various competitions.
Dr Anthony said over the years, persons entered the competition without a recorded piece, but this year will be different, as the songs will have to be recorded.
Additionally, the steel pan competition sponsored by Republic Bank will be another big feature of the Mashramani celebrations.
Mashramani 2014 is being celebrated under the theme, “Cultural Folklore, Celebrating 44”.
The year 2014 got off to a fruitful start for livestock farmer Naleenie Narine of Agricola, East Bank Demerara, when one of her cows delivered two male calves Friday morning.
and I welcome twins and we are really excited,” said Narine, who, along with her husband, Deo, has been rearing cattle for the past 22 years, and runs a small, very successful cattle farm.
Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy Friday paid a visit to Narine’s Agricola home where the animals were inspected thoroughly by a veterinarian and artificial insemination technicians from the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA).
Much-needed rehabilitation works to the tune of $80 million will begin on the air conditioning, light and sound systems of the National Cultural Centre, Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony revealed at a press conference on Friday.
The minister explained that substantial works have not been done on the theatre, particularly on the air conditioning and the current units need to be replaced.
The minister also pointed to difficulties experienced with the lighting and sound at the theatre which seats approximately 1900 persons and said efforts are being made to upgrade both systems from analogue to digital.
Proposals
He disclosed that 10 companies were approached for proposals of interest, and two have since sent in proposals. A previous proposal was deemed too expensive for its scope.
Dr Anthony said the staffing at the cultural centre was also an issue and announced that those who have been underperforming will be replaced.
the investment needed to host shows. He noted that the centre is not making enough money to be self-sufficient, and its operations were highly subsidised by the ministry.
History
The National Cultural Centre is 62 feet high, 240 feet long, and 115 feet wide. Its stage is 48 feet deep with an orchestra pit, with a 72-ftx20ft opening.
Actual construction of the nation’s theatre began early in 1972 when general contractor SA Nabi & Sons, drove the first of 280 70-foot greenheart piles.
Although there was little hope that the auditorium would be completed in time for Carifesta’72, it was expected that the building would be useable for the first Caribbean festival of arts.
However, even this modest hope looked unattainable when almost continuous rains prevented work on the cement casting for the building and the work fell weeks behind schedule.
The two large tents were used to cover the foyer and the seating area and the third, smaller tent was erected over the stage. The open sides of the tents were enclosed with coconut leaves plaited together.
This makeshift arrangement was an instant success and contributed greatly to the success of Carifesta. Even with that incomplete stage, the Cultural Centre was being praised. Its stage, 72 feet wide and 48 feet deep with a proscenium of 24 feet, was recognised as the largest in the Commonwealth Caribbean. Carifesta came and went.
The grand experience and the euphoria of these eventful days subsided, but the makeshift theatre stood in its canvas and coconut garb awaiting decisions on certain modifications which were necessary. Towards the end of 1972, work was resumed, but soon afterwards a severe cement shortage brought work to a halt for several months.
Great experience
Four years and five months later, the Cultural Centre was finally ready. To all those who were involved in its construction, this was certainly a great experience. It was the first time that a structure of this magnitude and complexity had been carried out in Guyana. It had been designed, constructed and supervised by Guyanese. In terms of time and money, the building was costly.
The bulls, which weighed 26.5 and 24.6 kilograms respectively at birth, were one of the successful outcomes of government’s artificial insemination programme. The cow, called “Black Girl”, was impregnated with semen, which was imported from one of the top 10 ranked bulls in the world, “Mr Manso”.
Under the government artificial insemination programme, genetic improvement is an important strategy being used to increase meat and dairy production. In 2013, six sets of twins were born under the programme.
“I feel really happy right now. While this is not the first time we welcomed animals through the government’s artificial insemination programme; it is the first time my husband
The Agriculture Ministry’s artificial insemination programme has proven successful in improving the country’s breeding stock.
In addressing concerns over what were deemed excessive fees to rent the theatre, Dr Anthony said the costs were incomparable to
Before the festival, the building was still without walls or a roof and only the ground floor and stage were recognisable, and a surprise decision was taken. Three large tents were hired (and subsequently purchased) from an American tent contractor.
The funds devoted to it from the Indian Welfare Fund and from the Cultural Centre Trust Funds turned out to be less than a quarter of the final cost, but this building, with its elaborate amenities was certain to become one of the most important assets in the promotion of Guyana’s cultural life, providing a valuable home previously unavailable for large scale national spectacles and international presentations.
A17-year-old was remanded to prison after pleading not guilty to three counts of robbery under arms when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Faith McGusty.
It was alleged that the resident of Rema Street, Agricola, while in the company of others, robbed Margaret Greaves, Alicia Christian, and Simone Smith of items valued, in total, $220,000.
The court heard that on December 31, the defendant, along with two others, stormed the house where the virtual complainants resided and held them at gunpoint. The victims were subsequently relieved of items, including jewellery and cellular phones.
The bandits were cornered in the yard by publicspirited citizens while trying to make good their escape, after the victims raised an alarm.
The defendant told the court that he had just left his home at Rema Street when he was confronted by approximately 20 men. They subsequently dealt him several blows about the body and relieved him of his cellphone, jewellery and $46,000.
He further claimed that they then took him to Mc Doom where he was further beaten and then handed over to the police and charged with a crime he did not commit.
The defendant is to make his next appearance on January 23.
Aman who appeared to be of unsound mind appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday before Magistrate Faith McGusty charged with simple larceny. Andrew Gonsalves stood next to the docks charged with stealing a BlackBerry Curve on December 31, 2013 at Wellington Street, Georgetown. The phone belonged to Darran Singh.
Gonsalves pleaded guilty to the charge and when asked for an explanation he told the court “wrong place, wrong time”.
The man became increasing impatient as the magistrately was deciding his sentence and urged the magistrate to dispatch a speedy sentence because he wants to “go down the steps”. The man was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
Marvin Liverpool and Timothy Griffith appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Faith McGusty on Friday, jointly charged with robbery with aggravation.
It is alleged that on December 21, 2013, along
with an accomplice, the defendants robbed Candacy Button of one red purse valued $700 and 35,000 cash. They pleaded not guilty to the charge. The court was later informed by Button that she did not know Griffith and he was not one of the men who robbed her, but Liverpool was involved.
Button also told the court that she was approached several times by relatives and friends of Liverpool to drop the matter. She also claimed that they threatened to kill her if she did not do as asked.
Bail was granted for Griffith in the sum of $75,000; however, Liverpool was remanded to prison. Both defendants are to return to court on January 23.
Aseventeen-year-old boy from Walton Hall Village on the Essequibo Coast is in critical condition at a hospital after he ingested a quantity of poisonous substance Friday.
The teen allegedly attempted to commit suicide after a girl he liked reportedly rejected him. According to information received, he attended a birthday party at Paradise and was highly intoxicated when he approached the girl who ignored him.
Unable to cope with the rejection, the young man reportedly went to a shop at Paradise that sells insecticides and pesticides and purchased a bottle of a poisonous substance, and drank it.
He was rescued by relatives. Family members are praying for the teenager to survive. This is the first attempt of suicide on the Essequibo Coast for the new year.
...in transparency slander?
The worthies of the local Transparency International Guyana chapter (TI-G) – all nine of them! – claim it wasn’t them that provided the details that made its parent body once again malign Guyana as a hotbed of corruption. It’s purely coincidental that the movers and shakers in TI-G form a “veritable rogues” gallery of rabid anti-government activists. And the tooth fairy does leave money under your pillow when you lose your tooth.
And it’s not as if the TI-G – not to be confused with RI-G...that was the aptly named appendage of the People’s National Congress (PNC) – before they formed A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), hide their antigovernment vitriol under any bushels. Anand Goolsarran and Lalloo “Suspenders” Ram have unlimited access to the opposition MuckrakerKN and the Stabber News to vent their spleen. What do you call Enrico Woolford? Day in, day out, you can find them cussing personalities from the government, left, right and centre.
So we’re to believe their protestations that it wasn’t them – because, as their release pleads, they’re all “professionals”? Their “professionalism” doesn’t prevent them from writing and hurling all sorts of wild allegations against the government, but suddenly they can’t bring themselves to pass on the same opinions to TI-G? Pleeeeease! What a crock!!
Suddenly – and for the first time – we have the local quislings saying it’s not only the government and government officials that are involved in corruption. There’s also the private folks who offer bribes to the public officials. Well...whad’ya know? The prezzie’s been saying this until he’s blue in the face and all he got from the worthies of TI-G is deafening silence.
So what’s really going on? As usual it has to do with the self-interest of these ambitious men of lean and hungry looks. They crave the connections with the “international” parent... this is a subset of the overall Third World obsession for foreigners to pat them on their heads. But maybe it’s slowly dawning on them that these so called nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) have agendas of their own? And that those agendas are never unrelated to that of their country?
Well, we could hope these fellas would come to their senses...but really, it’s asking too much. The pats on the head from “foreign” come with some crumbs for their pockets. And it is this they’ll never forego. So they’re going to try to play both sides against the middle. But the government must always be on guard against these fifth columnists.
They merely provide grist for the machinations of the International Republican Institute (IRI)...to impose “democracy” – as they see fit.
...in rum
In the Caribbean, rum has a very colourful history. If sugar was the main plot of the Caribbean story, rum was a major sub-plot. After all, rum was made from a “waste” product of sugar – molasses. And provided a very nice profit to the planters, thank you. Not to mention a very nice “high” to its imbibers.
But in Guyana, we have seen the downside of that “high”: alcoholism – in those that become addicted to the drink. It was not only the damage to the mind and body of alcoholics that was the problem, there was the effect of the rest of the families and the community at large.
In a very positive step, the successor to long-serving Chairman of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) Yesu Persaud, Komal Samaroo pledged that his company will become more “responsible” in its sales of their product to the local populace.
And that’ll range from assisting to prevent the sale of alcohol to minors as well as a willingness to assist in the treatment of alcoholism.
We welcome this fresh approach.
...on race
Eusi Kwayana claimed, “There are two or three writers who feel that they can write whatever they like about Africans” and praised Freddie Kissoon for taking them on. Seems there are none who “write what they want about Indians”.
The Human Services and Social Security Ministry has reported that the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) received 2925 cases of child abuse in 2013, all of which were investigated and addressed.
The ministry also registered and licensed more than 200 day care facilities throughout the country, placing 207 children in foster homes, 212 in state residential care and 600 in privately run homes and orphanages.
Towards child protection, the Mahaica Children’s Home was commissioned for girls who have been victims of sexual abuse and incest. The new building was formally opened in November, accommodating 80 children.
Agreement
In September, the ministry signed an agreement to collaborate with ForwardGuyana and Child Link towards establishing the first one-stop centre for the victims of child sexual abuse.
In addition to protect-
tinued its efforts to cater for sections of the population who were affected adversely by poor socio-economic conditions and circumstances through the implementation of several programmes aimed at poverty alleviation.
The sum of $9.18 billion was spent, bringing greater relief to the vulnerable and included interventions inclusive of a 25 per cent increase in pension, electricity tariff waiver of $20,000 for pensioners, and the commissioning of a child-friendly home and another for the homeless.
Effective from May 1, 2013, pensioners began enjoyed a monthly grant of $12,500, an increase of 25 per cent while for the first time, pensioners who are on the Guyana and Power and Light (GPL) service benefited from an assistance of $20,000 per annum towards their electricity charges.
A total of 8523 pensioners from Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Seven benefited from this initiative.
Pensioners also benefit-
ing children across the country and to make them more aware of some of their fundamental rights, three updated booklets of the Child Friendly laws were printed for distribution.
These were the Adoption of Children Act (2009 & 2011), the Custody, Contact, Guardianship and Maintenance Act 2011 and the Status of Children Act, Number 19 of 2009.
The CCPA continued to play its role in investigating child abuse cases reported throughout the country in 2013.
National Commission on the Family in a bid to develop strong families, also conducted 20 workshops in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six, aimed at developing better parenting skills.
The ministry in 2013 con-
ed from the distribution of free spectacles under government’s eye care assistance programme, the privilege to travel free on government’s ferries and exemption from paying water charges to Guyana Water Incorporated in 2013.
Over 20,000 pensioners were exempted from paying water bills, while others, who so require it, received a grant in the sum of $10,000 as assistance for the acquisition of spectacles. This year promises to be better for senior citizens as the ministry will make provision for special training for health officials in caring for the elderly.
A great step was realised in 2013 toward moving the less fortunate off the streets.
In October, the Hugo Chávez Centre
for Rehabilitation and Reintegration located at Onverwagt was commissioned, and soon the ministry would begin looking at occupancy of the building.
Meanwhile, the Night Shelter in La Penitence continued to provide 200 homeless persons with a safe haven, meals and medical and rehabilitation services.
Programmes and policies to empower women, especially those who are single parents continued as hundreds more were trained under the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) for Single Parent and many more were empowered via the Women of Worth (WoW) programme
Thus far, 1326 women have received loans under the WoW programme, allowing them to establish small businesses.
Through BIT, 447 single parents were certified in 2013, empowering them and raising their living standards.
There continued to be a strong commitment towards the “stamping out” of domestic violence and violence against women and children.
The 16-days of activism to heighten awareness on the scourge culminated on December 10 with more calls for community involvement to fight against the social ill.
The Men’s Affairs Bureau continued to work with the Education Ministry in its mandate to sensitise students in schools across the country. They were engaged in helping and encouraging men and boys to realise and fulfil their potential as fathers, husbands, brothers, partners and positive role models in communities.
To protect women and children from falling victim to Trafficking in Persons (TIP), the ministry in 2013 again collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and embarked on a series of awareness campaigns to vulnerable hinterland communities.
The sum of $3.1 million was allocated by the ministry to support TIP victims. Eleven cases of trafficking in persons were reported and 38 focal points were based in the 10 administrative regions conducting sensitisation sessions on the issue.
The year just gone by was one of numerous challenges for President Donald Ramotar, particularly in the face of an uncompromising political opposition, but there were some accomplishments as well.
He scored big at the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) 30th congress, winning the majority 886 votes, topping the list of the Party’s Central Committee.
The year 2013 commenced with the head of state making major announcements, chief among which was a feasibility study for a new Demerara River crossing, in light of the heavy volume of traffic burdening the age old infrastructure.
The first LIAT aircraft touched down at the Ogle International Airport that was certified an international port of entry on March 26, and as part of the ceremonial commissioning, the head of state accompanied a delegation on a flight to Mount Roraima and back in the executive Cessna Citation XLS+.
Ogle airport
The head of state was pleased with the transformation of Ogle Airport, but there was disappointment over Delta airlines pulling out from the Georgetown to Miami route on profitability grounds; a rationale the government found unsubstantiated.
The situation, coupled with the suspension of EZJet’s licence following criminal charges laid against its boss, and RedJet being forced to terminate services as a result of operating costs, prompted the government to seek alternatives leading President Donald Ramotar to enter into talks with reputable airlines.
During that period Caribbean Airlines was granted flag carrier status, allowing it to conduct direct flights between Georgetown and New York, and Georgetown and Toronto.
The government through the Housing and Water Ministry continued its aggressive housing programme with numerous One Stop Shop exercises across the country. The president dropped in on a few to congratulate successful applicants who were on the road to owning their own home.
On several of those occasions, President Ramotar spoke of his government’s philosophy of every Guyanese having equal opportunities and realising their dreams, one of which is home ownership.
Meanwhile, residents of White Water, a small Amerindian village in the North West District, Region One and Kwatamang in Region Nine were also proud owners of their new homes under the hinterland component of the housing programme, a Government Information Agency (GINA) release said.
Some were moved to tears when the president handed over the keys, recalling the conditions under which they were living prior to the project coming to fruition.
The high-level engagement between the government and the indigenous people continued in 2013 when the seventh annual National Toshaos Council (NTC) meeting got under way. Amerindians utilised the presidential grants for income generating projects
continued with the same posture in 2013, slashing the country’s national budget and key priority projects, prompting reactions from all spheres in society.
The parliamentary saga continued with the opposition voting down the anti-money laundering legislation, making Guyana vulnerable to financial crimes. The president considered it the worst form of economic sabotage ever demonstrated.
The president was most appalled by the non-support for the firearms amendment bill in the National Assembly on March 14 which sought to strengthen the laws regarding the trafficking in firearms, and trading or possession of the components of
and were told that more were to be available. In November funds were released for payment.
At the opening of the NTC, the president witnessed the signing of a US$10.7 million land titling initiative between the Guyana government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for titling of 13 Amerindian communities and demarcation of 33 others.
The land titling process suffered a major setback when the political opposition cut funding from the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) projects.
Karasabai welcomed the head of state when he visited on September 7 as the South Pakaraimas community marked its heritage village celebrations.
Engagements with opposition
The political opposition
Non-support of the bill followed a string of attempts to discredit Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, who the political opposition had filed a no-confidence motion against, especially since the protest action in Linden over the restructuring of the electricity tariff resulted in three deaths.
The situation had prompted a halt in the proposed electricity tariff imposition and an agreement among the government, opposition and Region 10 administration for an independent commission of inquiry into the deaths.
A five-member panel of distinguished jurists from the Caribbean led the commission which after six months of hearings and examination concluded their findings.
Minister Rohee was cleared of any involvement and compensation was recommended for the victims’ families.
The body of a teenager who reportedly drowned on Thursday afternoon was Friday morning found in the Atlantic Ocean, leaving relatives with several questions unanswered about the circumstances surrounding his death.
Jerome Sturge, 16, of Lot 32 East Ruimveldt Front Road, Georgetown, was discovered floating in the vicinity of the Kitty jetty about 08:30h with blood oozing from his mouth.
The former Carmel Secondary School student was last seen swimming in the area along with two other teenagers, who were subsequently taken into police custody.
According to information
received, the teenager was standing on the jetty when he was thrown into the water by a high wave. He was not
a good swimmer and quickly disappeared.
Margaret Persaud, the mother of the dead teenager explained that she was at home on Thursday evening in bed when she heard someone inquiring about a young man.
The mother said she got up and inquired from the man who claimed that he was from the Kitty Police Station and was looking for a young man who lives in the village, but could not remember his name.
Inquiry
“He ask me if I know of anyone drown at the seawall but I tell he no… I ask if he had a name but he said no… so I ask if the person name Jerome, and he yea.” The
woman said she panicked and called a taxi and went to the Kitty Police Station where she met the two friends he left with.
“All they tell me was that Jerome was swimming and he went into the water and drown.”
She also alleged that the two boys are of questionable character and said she believes that they were smoking when the incident occurred, recalling that on Thursday evening, the two young men went to meet her son and she overheard them inquiring about “bamboo”.
She said that she threatened to call the police if she finds out they were substance abusers. Persaud said they giggled and left the yard. She added that she last saw her son about 10:00h on Thursday when he left home.
The woman said that it is a norm for her son to leave home and return late at nights.
Anita McIntire, a sister of the dead teenager suspected that her brother might have been murdered and disclosed that earlier on Thursday he was washing his clothes when he left with his friends.
She said that they learnt of the incident until the evening but was made to understand her brother went into the water since 14:00h. Persons who were in the area at the time reportedly refused to render assistance to her brother, she added.
Upon receiving the message, they went to the Kitty Seawall where they met the police and established a search party to look for the young man. They were unsuccessful and called off the search late Thursday evening.
The angry sister said that persons in the area knew what occurred but were of no help when they were questioned by police. Nevertheless, on Friday morning, McIntire explained that her brother was bleeding from his mouth when he was pulled from the water.
This, she added is unusual and thought that someone might have been responsible for his death. Guyana Times understands that the teenage was epileptic and the possibility exists that he might have suffered a seizure while he was at the seawall.
The young man, who is a school dropout, would spend a lot of time with his brotherin-law, who is a food vendor.
His body was taken to the Lyken’s Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem examination. Sturge is survived by his mother and eight siblings. One of his sisters celebrated her birthday on Friday.
Mook Lall is a man who accustom to runnin. When he was a lil boy he used to run away from school. So he head grow, but de brains stay de same way. Old people does call people like dem empty head. But is not so much that de head empty, is that de head got other tings besides brains. Young people does call that sh*t head. By de time Mook Lall grow big, he was runnin lil boys fuh ketch dem. He run dem fuh a long time and now he ketch some in he old age. By now, de lil boys he used to run get old too. Dem does call dem selves Dem Boys. De Mook got Dem Boys under full control. Just ask de headitor.
Over de years Mook Lall start runnin salipenter, runnin to plant pumpkin night time, and runnin from people who money he tek fuh backtrack wuk. After that, he start runnin from de police and de Eff-BEE-High till de U.S. tek away he visa.
Then he start runnin to de U.S. embassy to get back he visa. He couldn’t bribe de U.S. embassy, so he run he mouth and tell a bundle of lies bout businessmen who was doin better than he. At one time, he had run to de guvament and a certain prezzie fuh plenty favours. But de guvament run he out like when lil pickney gettin licks.
But de Mook was addicted to runnin. So he run a lil boy, tek away he paper and start runnin he mouth in de paper till it turn to a mud paper. De lil boy get so friken he end up runnin away far to Canada.
Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! Now de Mook had want to run fuh mayor, but he runnin from de sh*ty council because he owe a lotta money. So de Mook decide he gon run fuh prezzie. People know he had want to be like a certain prezzie a long time. But a Mook will always be a Mook till de day he dead!
Three person are hospitalised at various medical institutions nursing injuries following a shootout in the vicinity of the Ghetto Flex Bar, James and Albouys Streets, Albouystown on Friday morning. The attack reportedly stemmed from an argument over a cigarette.
According to reports, Andy Bharrat, 39, of Albouys Street, Albouystown sustained a gunshot injury to his back while Nikita Glasgow, 28, of East Ruimveldt was shot to her ankle and Courtney Sandy, 28, of Light Street, suffered an injury in the left foot.
Bharrat was admitted a patient at a private medical facility while Glasgow and Sandy were treated and admitted at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Speaking with Guyana Times, a sister of Glasgow claimed that they were at a “dance” held at the Ghetto Flex Bar and about 01:30h, she suddenly heard gunshots. The teenager said she did not look around and immediately scaled a fence as she ran for cover. After the bullets eased, she returned
to the spot where she was told that her sister was shot.
The young lady added that she later learnt that the injury her sister received was not that serious; thus, she breathed a sigh of relief. Glasgow, she added, was taken to the hospital where she was admitted. “I couldn’t see who had the gun, all I know I run for my life but I later hear that is the two other people who get shoot.”
When Guyana Times visited the area, persons were tightlipped about the shooting.
Based on information received, the two men had an argument over a cigarette. One of them reportedly had a cigarette when the other approached and took it away.
This spurred an argument, resulting in both men pulling out their firearms and discharging several rounds, hitting Glasgow to her feet.
Attempts to make contact with Bharrat and Sandy proved futile. Police in a release stated that they are investigating the incident which occurred on Friday morning.
Opposition Leader
David Granger is calling for 2014 to not be a year where government and the opposition parties collide in Parliament, but rather one of cooperation and transparency.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday at his Hadfield, Georgetown office, Granger said the administration should start by respecting the decisions made by the National Assembly as he pointed to the bills passed, but not assented to.
“We want President Ramotar to assent to the bills that the assembly has passed, we want President Ramotar to implement the resolutions of the National Assembly, we want good governance, that’s what we are fighting for,” Granger said.
The opposition leader is also calling for the establishment of a new so-
cial contract that will pave the way for national unity, guarantee human safety and foster economic development growth.
He said major sections of society, including the government, political opposition, trade unions, private sector and civil society should seek an agreement on a broad national programme to accelerate growth of the country over a two-year period.
Combined talents
The contract will combine the talents of a wider constituency and simultaneously create conditions for social cooperation and economic progress as it fulfils its objective.
“The three-fold purpose of such a contract would be to reach a broad consensus on the goals of national development; to establish a sustainable institutional architecture; and to create
effective policy instruments for the achievement of the objectives of the contract,” Granger explained.
Questioned whether the call is a realistic one, the opposition leader said he is more than optimistic. “Bearing in mind what the president had to say in
his New Year’s address, he seems to be very worried because he himself acknowledged that there were obstacles to what he calls the transformative agenda.
"Well, if he wants to remove those obstacles, let him come to the negotiating table, sit down with the opposition and let us decide how the country will move forward.”
In justifying the need for a new social contract, Granger opined the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration has demonstrated an inability to address issues of national interest, noting that the economic crisis has lowered workers’ standard of living.
“Protests by two of the country’s largest trade unions, the Guyana Public Service Union and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union, have demonstrated how labour relations between the
state and its workers have degenerated. The ranks of unemployed young people are increasing. Poverty is rampant,” the opposition leader noted.
Unimpressive rating
Reference was also made to the World Bank 2014 World Development Report which rated Guyana as the second poorest country in Caricom. According to the report, Guyana's Gross National Income (GNI) of US$3410 per capita is unfavourable when compared with The Bahamas, which has a GNI of US$21,280 per capita.
“The security crisis has disproportionately hurt the poor. Guyanese are pained by the surge in serious crimes last year, 2013, representing a seven per cent increase over the same period in 2012,” Granger said.
He added that there was an increase in the number
of armed robberies involving the use of firearms by 16 per cent while contending that other serious crimes include banditry in the hinterland, murder, piracy, fatalities on the roads and interpersonal violence.
Granger told reporters that the PPP/C administration should start addressing issues affecting Guyanese by honouring its obligation, noting that tripartite consultations with workers’ and employers’ organisations should continue in an effort to promote increased production and productivity.
APNU is also advising the government to establish a framework for genuine consultation among social partners and to implement national economic and social programmes, in keeping with the Caricom Charter of Civil Society for the Caribbean Community.
saturday, january 4, 2014 | guyanatimesgy.com
Five babies came into the world at the New Amsterdam Hospital on New Year’s Day, but sadly one did not survive.
Two 17-year-old mothers were the first to give birth followed by an 18-year-old later in the day, but the joy was tainted as one baby was a still birth.
The first baby, a boy, was delivered at 21:31h to Feona Felica Gibson of Sheet Anchor Village, East Canje. The 2.7kg infant was the first child for the 17-yearold.
Nineteen minutes later, another 17-year-old gave birth, also to a boy. Vidwattie Rajbally of Chesney Village, Corentyne, gave birth to a 3.4kg baby boy. Both mothers were discharged on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Gale DeYoung, 43, gave the hospital its first New Year’s girl when she delivered a 3.7kg baby at 19:56h. The child was the sixth for the Paradise Village, West Coast Berbice housewife. DeYoung said she was
advised to give birth either at the New Amsterdam or Georgetown hospitals.
She described the delivery as traumatic. “This one was terrible; the pain was coming and cutting off and come back again. The nurses were very patient with me,” said DeYoung, who was in labour for 24 hours.
Shortly after her delivery, Parbatie Chunilall, 18, delivered her first child, a 2.5kg baby girl.
“I was surprised when I went into labour but I am very happy now,” she told the Guyana Times
The success of the hardworking nurses was, however, cut short during midmorning when they tried to induce labour for Natolya Barran Obrian, but this failed, forcing them to perform a caesarean.
However, that was unsuccessful and the babby was still born at around 16:30h.
A disappointed but satisfied Obrian of Korthbaradt Village, East Bank Berbice told Guyana times that she visited a nearby health centre on Tuesday and was asked to go immediately to the New Amsterdam Hospital as there was no heart beat for the infant.
According to the 26-yearold community police officer, that evening, she started to feel cold and the colour of her hands started to change.
“I prayed and wrapped myself with my towel.”
She had been attending the high risk clinic, but was not told why she was advised to be part of the clinic.
Obrian said her parents were eagerly looking forward to their first grandchild. “I know, it could have been worst, but I have belief in Christ and I am very thankful to the nurses.” Floods
BY INDRAWATTIE NATRAM
Intense rain over the past few days in Region Two have resulted in massive flooding in the Cozier Agriculture Scheme.
Affected farmers are now calling on the Agriculture Ministry to give them assistance in the form of seeds/planting materials as their crops have perished in the floods.
One farmer, Carl Roberts, who is counting his losses, related that his farmland is under six inches of water which overflowed from nearby drainage trenches.
Roberts planted 10 acres of pumpkin, watermelon and corn, all of which perished in the floodwaters.
The farmer said the pumpkin plants were about to blossom when a mighty shower came down, causing overtopping of canals in the scheme. He said one tin of watermelon seeds costs him more than $10,000 and estimated his losses at $3 million.
Roberts said he depends on farming for his survival and is calling on the Agriculture Ministry to look into his plight.
Another farmer, Darrel Benn, said he lost three acres of young red peas plants. He is also appealing to the
Ministry in an effort to assist families to make a living through farming.
The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) recently rehabilitated a
With the challenges faced by the Region Two administration over the past few days to cope with high tides and flooding, the region is now in a better position to respond to the demands of farmers and residents.
The region has been able to acquire four new mini-excavators from the Agriculture Ministry through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).
The machines are expected to significantly improve drainage in farming and residential areas on the Essequibo Coast.
Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud said the excavators will be used to
provide Essequibo Coast residents with adequate drainage and irrigation (D&I). Persaud said he will be meeting with the Anna Regina Town Council and five neighbourhood democratic councils (NDCs) to discuss priority use of the machines.
He warned that all earthen and concrete bridges over drainage trenches that do not have the required circumference pipes or tubes will be dug out, and called on the Town Council and NDCs officials to put residents on alert.
The machines, which will remain in the region, will be maintained by the NDIA and the Region Two administration.
Continuous programmes and policies put into action by the administration continue to empower women; especially those who are single parents as hundreds more were trained under the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) while many more were empowered under the Women of Worth (WoW) programme in 2013.
Thus far, 1326 women have received loans under the WoW programme, allowing them to establish small businesses, while 447 single parents were certified through BIT.
The WoW programme is an initiative between the ministry and the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), and was introduced in 2010 to propel micro-financing to single mothers to start up a business.
Human Services and Social Security Minister Jenifer Webster during her year-end press conference recently, said 22 women who were recipients of loans prior, became second and third time borrowers seeking loans to develop their small businesses.
She added that the programme allows for sin-
gle parent women to access collateral-free loans in the range of $100,000 to $200,000. Women aged 18 to 60 years are eligible for the loans which attract a minimal interest of six per cent and a repayment period of 24 months.
“They were seeking loans in areas such as cosmetology, catering and poultry rearing to expand their poultry rearing farms, and garment construction, just to name a few,” Minister Webster stated.
Under BIT, they were trained in areas such as cosmetology, catering, sales, garment construction, among others.
Despite serious setbacks due to the opposition’s budget cut, the Amerindian Affairs Ministry was able to make progress in youth development, community development plans and land titling and demarcation.
With $833.78 million to carry out its mandate, Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai said the ministry made significant progress in terms of Amerindian development, amid the setbacks caused by the budget cut.
The $20 billion allocated to the Low Carbon Development Strategy was slashed during the 2013 national budget, reducing it to $1 billion. In so doing, the Amerindian Development Fund, Amerindian land titling, the Micro and Small Enterprise Development and the Building Alternative Livelihoods projects were affected.
Community development
The community development plans (CDPs) that are intended to secure livelihood options for Amerindians in approximately 180 commu-
Region One; Bethany, Region Two; Santa Aratak, Region Three; St Cuthbert’s, Region Four; Moraikobai, Region Five; Siparuta, Region Six; Paruima and Karrau, Region Seven; Itabac, Karisparu and Kurukubaru, Region Eight; Annai Central, Massara, Parikwarunau, Rupertee, Yurong Paru and Rupunau, Region Nine; and Sand Hills, Region 10.
These villages submitted their projects which were carefully analysed by the Amerindian Affairs Ministry and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and reflected various interests such as the construction of village shops and guest houses, eco-tourism and manufacturing ventures, poultry rearing, farming, aquaculture, logging, mining and transportation.
Other projects
Under the Secure livelihood programme, $5 million was disbursed to two communities to embark on agriculture and aquaculture related projects, while the money for the presidential grants was released in November and communities are expected to
nities had its first phase implemented, targeting 27 communities. Each will receive $5 million towards their venture.
During a year-end press briefing, Minister Sukhai disclosed that under the initial stage, 70 per cent of what was earmarked was disbursed, amounting to $95 million.
The beneficiaries are Barabina, Baramita, Hobodeia, Four Miles, Waikarebi, Kamwatta, Three Brothers, and Manawarin, in
uplift their sums shortly.
The Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP), aimed at developing young Amerindians in various skill areas saw 856 persons between the ages of 16-40 from Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine being recruited as community support officers (CSOs).
Placement of the CSOs in the various offices was done, with the majority being assigned to the various Amerindian village coun-
cils, while some were placed at the Guyana Forestry Commission, regional democratic councils and the health and education ministries.
The ministry is currently working to have more youths in the hinterland involved in the programme, bringing the amount to 2000, with Regions Two and 10 likely to be engaged in 2014.
Amerindian rights to land ownership continue to be a high priority for the government and the ministry reached its target to address this particular issue.
Minister Sukhai disclosed that three other communities were fully titled and received their certificates, while five were demarcated under the ministry’s Land Titling and Demarcation Project.
This programme was further heightened when the $10.7 million agreement was signed that paved the way for the implementation of the Land Titling and Demarcation Project, which is expected to provide absolute grants and certificates of title to eligible Amerindian communities and villages. There are 97 titled villages, while 77 others have had their lands demarcated.
Minister Sukhai said that 11 communities remain to be titled and of that number, the process has already begun for seven. The ministry will be working to process the first batch of 33 communities for land extension and 70 to be demarcated under the three-year Amerindian land titling project.
Transportation boost
During the year, several Amerindian communities benefited from transportation to assist in community projects, conveying students to and from school, and for emergencies.
Among the beneficiaries were St Cuthbert’s Mission that received a Hilux PickUp; Rockstone, a mini-bus; Manawarin, a tractor and trailer; Monkey Mountain, an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV); Laluni Creek, a new Nissan Navara; Kwebanna, a minibus; and Crash Water, Katoonarib and Awarewanau each received a John Deere tractor.
Kartabo, benefited from a mist blower and Agatash
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has reported that in an external context, 2013 did not encourage a strong economic performance in Latin America and the Caribbean. The high degree of volatility that rattled international financial markets and the fall in prices for basic goods took a toll on the region’s GDP growth, which averaged 2.7 per cent. In 2014, the growth forecast for the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole is three per cent.
uation tool. In the 2013 PISA test, Latin American youths did not perform nearly as well as students from other regions of the world.
received brush cutters to maintain the compounds of its educational and health buildings, while Riverview received a complete solar panel; Santa Aratak, a brush cutter; and Siparuta, a chain saw.
Government has recognised the importance of access to housing, and as such, under the Second Low Income Settlement (LIS 2) Programme, 122 houses were fully constructed and 86 roofs were replaced in White Whitewater, Manawarin, and Oronoque in Region One, and Central Annai, Kwatamang, Massara, Apoteri and Katoka, Region Nine.
“A less favourable external environment, along with weak external demand over the mid-term and latent risks in international financial markets, will require the region to accelerate growth without depending on the external conditions that helped us in the past decade,” IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno said in his year-end report to the bank’s board of executive directors.
“Therefore, our priority is to increase potential output over the medium term through reforms focusing on bottlenecks that are restricting growth in productivity, internal savings and investment,” Moreno added.
As an example, Moreno cited the need to improve the quality of education, as seen recently in the region’s performance in the PISA, an international educational eval-
Moreno added that Latin America and the Caribbean need to invest more in infrastructure, given the gap that exists in that area between the region and the world’s richest and most dynamic countries. Besides modernising their highways, ports and airports, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean must improve infrastructure and logistical services in order to lower transaction costs and make their industries more competitive.
According to preliminary data, in 2013, the IDB approved 167 financing packages worth some $14 billion, a figure surpassed only by that of 2009, when the bank´s financing hit a US$15.9 billion in response to the global economic crisis.
As for resources, new operations centred on high-priority sectors such as institutional development (37 per cent), infrastructure and the environment (33 per cent), social welfare programmes (21 per cent) and regional integration and overseas trade (nine per cent).
Among the loans and guarantees approved by the IDB in 2013, private-sector operations (without a sovereign guarantee) totalled US$2.1 billion.
January 4, 2014
The Spanish government is in talks with Panama to try and resolve a row over the expansion of the Panama Canal. Spain’s Public Works Minister Ana Pastor will fly to Panama this weekend, following a meeting between diplomats on Friday.
Work began on the expansion of the shipping hub in 2009, but it has gone overbudget by US$1.6 billion (£1 billion).
The group behind the project, led by Spain’s Sacyr, has threatened to halt work unless the extra money is paid. Sacyr’s chairman Manuel Manrique will also
fly to Panama to join in the negotiations. The building group, known as the Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC), is made up of Spain’s Sacyr, Italy’s Salini Impreglio,
Argentina accuses David Cameron over Falklands festive message
Argentina has stepped up a diplomatic offensive over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands with its foreign minister taking a direct swipe at David Cameron.
Héctor Timerman accused the prime minister of “forgetting the peace message… that Christmas should inspire” by stressing in his festive message the UK’s commitment to defend the disputed overseas territory.
It comes days after Argentina’s president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner set up a new taskforce to “better defend” the interests of what Buenos Aires calls Las Malvinas.
Cameron had used a Christmas message to condemn an attempt to deter oil exploration in Falklands wa-
ters through a new law imposing heavy jail sentences and fines.
He referred to a 2013 referendum, in which islanders voted by in favour of remaining British, saying Britain would “always be ready to defend the Falkland Islands”.
But Timerman dismissed the referendum as a “violation of United Nations (UN) resolutions” and said London’s refusal to negotiate on the issue “is compelling evidence that… the lion roars but does not inspire fear any more”.
Britain has “no moral authority, being the country that has most often ignored UN decisions, especially when it comes to bringing colonialism to an end”, he wrote in an article published by the Argentinian embassy in London. (Excerpt from The Guardian)
St Vincent and the Grenadines “still open for business”
St Vincent and the Grenadines remains “open for business,” despite last week’s serious storm, officials said Friday.
The damage to mainland St Vincent was primarily on the island’s North Leeward, North Windward, South Leeward, North Central Windward and North Windward sides. The Grenadines, on the other hand, were largely unaffected by the storm.
The damage done on mainland St Vincent will cost millions in restoring roads, bridges and homes, but the country’s tourism sector has weathered the storm “with little or no disruption” and hotels “continue to welcome guests,” according
to Glen Beache, CEO of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority.
Beache, who expressed “deep sympathy” to the victims of the storm, said that while some areas of the country’s main island of St Vincent were facing relief efforts, the country as a whole “remains fully operational.”
St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves met this week with banks, contractors, Caricom representatives and officials from neighbouring islands to discuss relief efforts. Local crews are working “around the clock” to restore St Vincent’s infrastructure, officials said. (Excerpt from Caribbean Journal)
Belgium’s Jan De Nul, and Panama’s Constructora Urbana.
It is in the process of constructing a third lock which will allow bigger ships to
pass through. It gave a 21 day deadline on December 30 to the Panama Canal Authority to make the extra US$1.6 billion payment. If it does not, GUPC says it will stop work on the expansion plans.
A spokesperson for Spain’s foreign ministry said: “Panama is a country that is close and friendly towards Spain, and we share the desire and interest to find a solution as soon as possible”. Spain’s ambassador to Panama, Jesus Silva, added that all stand to lose out if the contract fell through. (Excerpt from BBC News)
Christmas storm creates political fallout in St Lucia
The impact of the torrential rains and landslides that caused extensive infrastructural damage and loss of life in Saint Lucia appears also to include further disarray within the ranks of the opposition United Workers Party (UWP).
The UWP has been struggling for some months to deal with a dichotomy of leadership roles after Allen Chastanet was elected to replace former party leader Stephenson King.
However, as Chastanet has no seat in parliament, King has remained the official leader of the parliamentary opposition – a constitutional office appointed by the governor general.
In the aftermath of the re-
cent storm, Prime Minister Kenny Anthony invited King as opposition leader to a meeting of the Cabinet in order to discuss the way forward regarding the resulting damage.
It is not currently known whether that Cabinet meeting has yet taken place.
However, Chastanet has reportedly taken serious offence at the fact that King did not consult him before agreeing to attend the meeting.
In Chastanet’s view, King should have sought guidance as to what his position should be at the proposed meeting and claimed that King committed a serious infraction against the UWP by agreeing to attend a meeting of the Cabinet without first consulting with him and the UWP.
(Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)
Barbados: NUPW cries down same-day dismissals
“Extremely shabby, shameful and disgraceful!”
These were the strong words National Union of Public Workers’ General Secretary Dennis Clarke used to describe Tuesday’s dismissal of hundreds of employees from the Environment’s Ministry Drainage Unit.
“You have not given them any written notice, but you expect them to accept that the letter that they had that said their contract would come to an end the 31st of December would have been the end all and be all...You have workers that when the fixed term contract comes to an end, you don’t say to them ‘go home’
but they come back to work the next day and sometime after they receive a letter that would go back from the first of January, putting them on another fixed term contract.
"These workers were not given such a letter but were told verbally that their terms of service have come to an end. It is totally unacceptable what has happened to these workers,” he contended.
He outlined that several persons who were on vacation leave have also had their services terminated, while others had not received vacation or vacation pay and stressed that these matters needed to be reconciled. (Excerpt from Barbados Advocate)
Trinidad manufacturers want all stakeholders to find solution to crime wave
The Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) has called on all stakeholders including non-governmental organisations to join in finding a solution to the high level of murders, saying that it is also affecting the competitive nature of the oil-rich twin island republic.
Last year, 407 people were murdered and so far this year, seven persons have been killed including a pastor.
“Four hundred murders for 2013 is 400 too many for our society. We need all stakeholders (government and nongovernment) on board to work toward resolving this very serious problem in order to move forward with our nation’s developmental goals,” the TTMA said in a statement.
It said crime was affecting everyone in society and warned that the cost of doing business was becoming even greater due to high security costs, as well as employees’ inability to work night shifts out of fear for safety.
“These costs act as a disincentive to investors, and affect the country’s overall competitiveness.
"Crime and theft are cited as the main factors affecting business in Trinidad and Tobago according to the World Economic Forum’s 2013 Global Competitiveness Report,” the TTMA said. The TTMA called for stakeholders to conscientiously work together toward resolving the problem in a meaningful, sustainable and impactful manner. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)
Cubans can now buy new, used cars freely
Cubans are now able to buy modern cars freely for the first time since the revolution in 1959.
Previously, Cubans had to get a government permit to buy new vehicles. That requirement has now been abolished, but only a minority will benefit.
The state has a monopoly on new car sales and is marking up prices by 400 per cent or more. Freeing up car sales is the latest in a series of reforms in Communist-run Cuba.
Until new regulations in 2011, people could only sell cars built before the 1959 revolution.
The preliminary Register of Electors has been cleared for publication following an audit of the procedures used leading up to and during registration. Confirmation of this comes from the Commission spokesperson Anne Harewood George.
The audit became necessary last month when the
For new cars, people needed a much-sought government permit – a privilege mainly bestowed on senior officials, top athletes and art-
two individuals who presided over the process were ousted in line with a court judgment, which declared their appointments unlawful.
Subsequently, the electoral commission reinstated Lorna Simon, who should have supervised the registration exercise in the first place.
Observer Radio has now learnt that Simon, the
ists. Permits were often traded on the black market for large sums of cash.
Now, Cubans will no longer need the government’s
Supervisor of Elections and the one who conducted the audit, has approved the registrations done from September 30 to November 4.
Observer media understands that the list should be published some time next week, which is nearly two months after the commission initially projected.
With this development,
approval to buy new cars from state-owned sellers. But prices remain out of reach for many.
The BBC’s Sarah Rainsford, in Havana, says a new Peugeot 508 estate at a showroom in the Cuban capital is on sale for an extraordinary US$262,000 (£160,000). That is eight times more than what it would cost in Britain, for example. And used cars are not much cheaper.
A five-year-old Peugeot 206 is priced at US$85,000 (£52,000). The vast majority of people in Cuba earn a state wage of around US$20 (£12) per month. (Excerpt from BBC News)
the electoral commission has essentially responded to the Antigua Labour Party which had suggested merging the list that is to be published next week with published in June.
Sources have indicated that such a merger would be impossibly tedious and an unnecessary expense. (Antigua Observer)
The number of internally displaced people in the Central African Republic (CAR) has more than doubled to 935,000 since December, the UN says.
er last March, forcing then President Francois Bozize, who came from the majority Christian population, to flee into exile. The African Union has sent nearly 4000 troops while France, the former colonial power, has also deployed 1600 soldiers there.
Many foreign governments have begun to evacuate their citizens. The UN’s refugee agency warned the delivery of aid relief was being “severely limited” by attacks on civilians, looting and the presence of armed militia at refugee camps.
Three years after the revolution that sparked uprisings across the Arab world, Tunisia’s parliament began voting on Friday on a new constitution that will help put its turbulent progress to democracy back on track. Finishing the charter is a key step before a caretaker government takes office to end a crisis between Islamists and secular parties that threatened Tunisia’s transition after the fall of the autocrat Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.
tended the opening debate, where lawmakers began voting one by one on the introductory clauses to the constitution. Approval of all 146 articles is likely to take at least a week.
“This is a constitution for all of Tunisia’s people,” Mustafa Ben Jaafar, president of the transitional parliament, said at the session. “We are working hard with different parties to finish this process.”
The UN also warned the escalating violence was hampering efforts to reach “those in need of urgent assistance”. The conflict has pitted Christian and Muslim militias against each other.
The CAR is ruled by Muslim ex-rebel leader Michel Djotodia who seized pow-
More than 500,000 have fled their homes in the capital Bangui alone – almost half the city’s population. Some 60 per cent of those displaced are children.
Eleven people were shot dead as supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood clashed with police across Egypt on Friday, defying an ever-widening state crackdown on the movement that ruled the country until six months ago.
Islamists opposed to the army’s overthrow of President Mohamed Mursi in July have been holding daily demonstrations, even after the army-backed government declared his Brotherhood a terrorist group last week, increasing the penalties for dissent.
The government is using the new classification to detain hundreds of Brotherhood supporters. Thousands more, including top leaders of the group, have been in jail for months, arrested in the aftermath of the army takeover.
The crackdown has reduced but not entirely broken the ability of the Brotherhood to mobilise protests. It has lately been relying on students to sustain momentum against what it refers to as the “putschist regime” governing Egypt.
In the Cairo district of Nasr City riot police in bulletproof vests fired teargas at protesters throwing fireworks and stones. Similar clashes erupted across the country, as has become commonplace after midday prayers each Friday, not a working day in Egypt.
The Health Ministry said three protesters were killed in different districts in Cairo.
A security source said they died from bullet wounds, though it was unclear if the police or armed civilians had shot them. (Excerpt from Reuters)
French scientists discover way to block cannabis high
Just days after Colorado became the first U.S. state to allow recreational marijuana use; French researchers have reportedly discovered a way to reduce the negative effects of the marijuana “buzz”.
On Thursday, French scientists said their work had found that a naturally occurring hormone acts as spontaneous defence in the brain against the “high” caused by marijuana.
Studying lab rats, the researchers found that the steroid hormone pregnenolone reduced the activity of a particular brain molecule called the type-1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1).
The hormone, which was not previously believed to have any biological effect of its own, actually cancels out the mild euphoria induced by THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, according to lead author Pier Vincenzo Piazza of the
French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM).
“These researchers weren’t trying to be buzzkills,” said the journal Science, in which the study appears. “Their discovery could lead to new approaches to treating marijuana intoxication and addiction – and it may allow researchers to isolate the medicinal properties of cannabis while blocking its behavioural and somatic effects.”
About 147 million people globally (roughly 2.5 per cent of the population) use cannabis, according to the World Health Organisation.
While marijuana is known to relieve symptoms of depression, glaucoma, spasms and the nausea associated with cancer and AIDS treatment, they can also impair brain development, memory and lung function, and some specialists can lead to addiction. (Excerpt from France24)
“Our staff report that people are hiding in the bush, fearing fresh attacks,” the agency said in a statement.
It said the number of people sheltering at a makeshift camp at Bangui airport had doubled to around 100,000 over the last week. The UN said additional and more effective troops were needed as a matter of urgency. (Excerpt from
Its final steps to full democracy have been widely watched as a possible model in a region where Egypt, Libya and Yemen, which also ousted their leaders in 2011, are struggling with violence and instability as well as resurgent Islamism. About 192 of the National Assembly’s 217 members at-
The Islamist party Ennahda, which came to power two years ago, and the mostly secular opposition parties have agreed to finish the handover to the caretaker government by January 14, the third anniversary of Ben Ali’s fall, having passed the constitution and named an election date and commission. (Excerpt from Reuters)
India’s veteran prime minister, Manmohan Singh, has announced he will step down after almost 10 years in office, setting the scene for a polarising clash between personalities and ideologies in polls due within months.
The world’s largest democracy is likely to hold a general election – almost certainly the biggest such exercise ever – in April or May.
It will pit Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India’s first political family, against Narendra Modi, a controversial Hindu nationalist opposition candidate.
Singh, 81, told reporters in Delhi, the capital,
that Gandhi, whose father, grandmother and greatgrandfather all led India, had outstanding credentials to become the next prime minister and leader
of the Congress party. He said that if Modi was elected it would be disastrous for the country.
Congress, which has led coalition governments since ousting the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) in 2004, is expected to break with the tradition of not announcing a candidate before polls by naming Gandhi later this month.
The press conference –only Singh’s third in a decade – was interpreted by analysts as a belated attempt to change the perception that his leadership has been at best lacklustre, at worst negligent. (Excerpt from The Guardian)
Russia’s missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky (Peter the Great) along with a Chinese vessel will escort Danish and Norwegian ships taking Syria’s chemical weapons out of the war-torn country, a spokesman for the joint Danish-Norwegian operation has said.
The Russian vessel and a Chinese frigate, Yan Cheng, won’t be under Danish-Norwegian command, but will be coordinating closely with the other ships, Major Eystein Kvarving said.
“The four ships have now set a course toward a holding area in international water outside Syria, so we are most ready to enter the port of Latakia when the order arrives,” he said as
quoted by Reuters. In Latakia, the vessels and their warship escorts are to pick up more than 1000 tons of chemical agents.
Russia’s decision to provide an escort ship for the removal of chemical weapons was initially announced on
December 24, 2013. In addition to that, 75 armoured trucks were delivered to Syria, along with US$2 million in funds and other equipment to be used for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal, Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu said. (Excerpt from RT News)
At least four Cambodians were killed when police opened fire on striking garment workers, as opposition-backed protesters pressed their calls for wages to be doubled.
An Associated Press photographer and human rights workers said police fired assault rifles on
Friday, after several hundred workers blocking a road south of the capital Phnom Penh began burning tires and throwing objects at them. Several wounded workers could be seen after the shots were fired.
Phnom Penh deputy police commissioner Chuon Narinhas said that four
people have been killed.
The local human rights group LICADHO also said in a statement that at least four civilians were shot dead and 21 injured in what it described as “the worst state violence against civilians to hit Cambodia in 15 years.”
The statement said that security forces used live
ammunition to shoot directly at civilians.
“The use of live ammunition was prolonged and no efforts appear to have been made to prevent death and serious injury,” it said. “Reports suggest that security forces were also injured after being hit with stones.” (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
Hugh Howard, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in TT (AmCham TT), says one of the country’s top priorities for 2014 should be tackling crime and corruption.
“Those are the two areas we really need to look at. We must work feverishly so that the country can move forward. The country needs to look at white colour crime, which is something both national and foreign investors examine. We
need investor confidence,” he told the TT Guardian. Howard said he is pleased with the trade agreements TT signed with other Latin American countries in 2013.
“In 2013, we have been able to conclude a couple of trade agreements with Panama and Guatemala and they are partial scope. If TT’s manufacturers and service providers work with the government as the enabling agency then there would be benefits for the
country. For the economy to develop we must become more trade oriented,” he said. He also called for more accountability in 2014.
“People need to make proper decisions. The channels through which proper information can be passed from top to bottom – people on the street, people who hold high offices, everyone – we must be able to say this is what is being done for the good of the country. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)
AT&T Inc on Friday offered customers of number four U.S. mobile provider T-Mobile U.S. Inc a US$200 credit to switch to its service, firing the first volley in what may be a price war that benefits consumers but plays havoc with profits.
AT&T, the number two U.S. mobile provider, announced the promotion after months of direct marketing against it by T-Mobile, and in anticipation of a new competitive offer from its smaller ri-
val on January 8. The move might kick off a year of discounts from U.S. wireless operators, who are increasingly dependent on price to compete because they all offer similar phones and any network advantages are hard to prove.
MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett described AT&T’s move as the “early makings of a price war” that might boost customer switching, also known as churn.
“Everybody’s fighting for
market share because there simply isn’t an organic market share left to be had,” Moffett said. “The natural upshot to any strategy that pays customers to change service is higher churn.”
On top of the battle between AT&T and T-Mobile, analysts also worry that Sprint, which has been losing customers, will unveil some dramatic promotions in 2014 as its 80 per cent owner, SoftBank Corp, tries to regain ground. (Reuters)
The Zamfara’s state government on Wednesday said it has approved N300 million to conduct a census of its natural mineral resources across the state.
The state Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Mukhtar Lugga, announced this in an interview with newsmen in Gusau.
Lugga said the state government had already bought machines and was partnering with foreign mining experts
to realise the goal by the end of January. He said the project would start in Maru and Anka local government areas of the state and called on the communities to cooperate with the government.
He said the state was endowed with various mineral resources, adding that the exercise would help the government to identify all its natural mineral resources. According to him government will invite more than 4000 licensed min-
ing companies in the state to discuss issues on improved mining activities. He appealed to the state House of Assembly to formulate laws that would guide and regulate mining activities in the state. The commissioner said that the lawmakers had an important role to play in ensuring effective mining process in the state. He also said that mining activities required legislative backing to succeed. (allAfrica)
Chen Guangbiao has never acquired a company. The 45-year-old recycling magnate has also never worked in the media industry or become proficient in English.
But these facts have failed to puncture the preternatural bubble of confidence surrounding the controversial Chinese entrepreneur, who has his sights set on what he has deemed the world’s most influential news outlet: the
The decline in German car sales accelerated last year, falling below three million vehicles for the first time since 2010, reflecting troubles in Europe that have sent auto demand close to a two-decade low.
New car registrations in Germany fell 4.2 per cent to 2.95 million last year, the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) said, after a decline of 2.9 per cent in 2012.
Germany’s premium carmakers BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi each lost market share, suffering sales declines of 5.8 per cent, 1.4 per cent and 5.5 per cent respectively.
In the premium segment, updates to Porsche’s 911 and Boxster models in recent years helped the sports car manufacturer to register a 1.4 per cent rise in registrations.
Land Rover, which launched a new range of 4x4 vehicles, was up by 11.8 per cent and Jaguar
registrations jumped by 30.1 per cent, KBA statistics showed.
German mass market brand Opel, owned by General Motors, lost 2.9 per cent market share last year while Volkswagen sales fell by 4.6 per cent in its home market.
Compact cars made up 25.3 per cent of all new sales, helping Volkswagen to retain the crown as the biggest-selling brand in Germany with 21.8 per cent of the new car market. (Reuters)
New York Times Co.
To be sure, it is unlikely that the Times, which is controlled by the venerable Ochs-Sulzberger clan, would sell to Chen, an oddball tycoon and philanthropist known more for his publicity stunts than his business acumen.
Undaunted, Chen said in a phone interview on Friday that he had retained a financial services firm that, along with its in-house lawyers,
would assist him in his bid to acquire the Times.
“I’ve already spoken extensively with their lawyers the last time I visited the United States,” he said, adding that the U.S. firm did not want to be identified. He has said he will meet with a “leading shareholder” of the Times for dinner on Sunday evening to talk over his offer of US$1 billion. The Times current market value is US$2.4 billion. (Reuters)
Oman’s 2014 budget plan will slow growth in state spending as the government grapples with rising pressure on its finances, Financial Affairs Minister Darwish al-Balushi said on Thursday.
“The continuation and stability of growth require a careful examination of current financial reality,” Balushi told a news conference, stressing the need to keep state spending within “sustainable limits”.
His budget plan appeared
Keep it positive
Nothing impacts the tone of a conversation or an interview more than smiling and keeping positive. This doesn’t mean you should smile like an idiot the whole time, but you do want to come across as warm and engaging. Smiling while you talk helps with this and also helps the interviewer feel like they are connecting with you. Getting nervous or serious in an interview is definitely something to avoid as you don’t want that to be the impression that the interviewer walks away with.
to mark a shift towards more cautious fiscal policy. Oman boosted expenditure sharply between 2011 and 2013, spending on welfare programmes, public sector wages and job creation to ensure social peace after scattered street protests demanded more jobs and an end to corruption.
This put state finances under pressure. The International Monetary Fund warned Oman would need to reform its spending and find new revenue sourc -
es in the next few years to avoid falling into a pattern of ballooning budget deficits.
The 2014 budget plan seems to heed this warning. State spending this year is projected at OMR13.5 billion (US$35.1 billion), up just five per cent from the original plan in the 2013 budget, which envisaged a 29 per cent leap from 2012. Revenues in 2014 are estimated at OMR11.7 billion, up 4.5 per cent from the 2013 plan. (Gulf Business)
(CONTINUED frOM TUESDAy)
Dress for success
Wearing a suit is not always the way you want to go when dressing for an interview. You want to wear something that is appropriate for the context of your interview and appropriate for the atmosphere at the company.
If you’re applying at an accounting or financial services company, conservative and a suit is the way to go. If you’re applying at a Silicon Valley start-up you’ll come off as the uptight conservative type that won’t fit in.
Scope out the company ahead of time or ask a friend
what the dress code is where you’re applying.
Leverage your network If you don’t have a friend working at the company you’re applying you probably do have one at a similar company or at least one that knows about that company. Leverage that! Every bit of information you can find out about a company helps you make a better decision. This additional information may allow you to approach the interview better informed than others. (Business Dictionary)
John Legend says he is excited about being in Guyana to meet with Guyanese fans ahead of his much-anticipated performance tonight at the “Night of Love” Concert at the Guyana National Stadium.
Legend will share the stage with Jamaican reggae star Beres Hammond and Trinidad and Tobago’s crossover band JMCVeni, with its dynamic lead singer KI.
At a specially-convened press conference to announce his arrival, Legend thanked everyone for the warm welcome since he arrived in Guyana, reiterating that this is his first visit and hopefully not his last.
With a smiling face full of excitement, he explained that wherever he goes to perform, he tries to give the best show, promising Guyanese the same tonight. “Beres Hammond is ready to perform… I am ready to perform… the other band is ready to perform… we are ready to take to the stage and we promise we wouldn’t disappoint," he said.
“Night of Love”
He encouraged all of his fans to come out in their numbers, emphasising that it will, indeed, be a “Night of Love”. The international R&B star said he loves writing love songs and will not stop.
Known for hits such
as “Ordinary People”, “Tonight”, and “All of me” which have placed him on the billboards, the singer recalled his most memorable moment, when he realised that he had become famous.
It was in 2005, and he got a call from Whitney Houston and Magic Johnson on the same day, requesting that he perform at their functions. That was a defining moment for the artist.
He has travelled with his wife, and intends to enjoy Guyanese cuisine and more importantly, experience the country to the fullest.
Entertainment hub
Acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali reiterated government’s support to the entertainment sector as he expressed the view that the country can become the “entertainment hub” of the region.
He said that having Legend’s name attached to the Guyana brand is a major accomplishment for the tourism industry and he thanked the promoters for stepping up their game. He is convinced that Mc Neal Enterprises will step it up even more in the future.
Ali added that the government and the Tourism Ministry will back the promoters and all the positive vibes, with the intention of making Guyana the region’s entertainment destination.
“We are going to back the promoters big and we will ask the minister of finance to work with us to ensure that the Tourism Ministry be the largest ever so that we can back the promoters… not only by talking but financially as well,” he noted.
The minister added that it was time for government to intervene if it is serious about moving Guyana to another level.
Ronald Reece, chairman of Fly Jamaica, one of the sponsors for the Hits and Jams and Mc Neal Enterprises event, reconfirmed the company’s support for events of this magnitude. He welcomed Legend to Guyana and wished him a pleasant stay.
He also expressed excitement about this evening, noting that he cannot wait to hear the performance of the R&B sensation.
Meanwhile, who starts and ends the show is still unknown, but Legend is hoping that he ends the mega event. Again, he asked everyone to come out in their numbers and be a part of the massive concert.
Tickets for the concert are available at various locations at reduced prices. General admission is $4000 and VIP tickets are $23,000. These offers end at 16:00h today.
Aman was found with his head bashed in on Friday morning in a clump of bushes at Liliendaal, Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara about 11:40h.
The identity of the man was not known but from all indications, he is of African descent and appears to be in his 40s.
The man is medium built, dark in complexion and is about five feet, eight inches
tall. He sported long dreadlocks and was clad in a brown and black striped jersey and a pair of three-quarter jeans.
Police in a release said they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.
His head bore marks of violence. The body is at the Lyken Funeral Home awaiting positive identification and a post-mortem examination.
An eyewitness told me-
dia operatives that he passed the spot where the man was found about 08:30h and did not see any body. It was until he was passing back about 11:00h that he saw a hat on the roadway and stopped.
As he gazed further, he saw the man’s body in the bushes and immediately summoned the police.
He said that as he went closer, he saw the man’s head in a pool of blood with his head bashed in.
saturday, January 4, 2014| guyanatimesgy.com
Argentina has said the principle of self-determination adopted by the United Kingdom to substantiate its position regarding the Falkland Islands or Malvinas as know in Argentina is manifestly inadmissible and inapplicable to the sovereignty dispute.
The Argentine government in a release said Britain by invoking the principle of self-determination for the purpose of perpetuating a colonial situation; seeks to undermine such a principle, defeating the purposes for which it was created.
None of the requirements that give rise to the application of the self-determination principle are present in the Question of the Malvinas Islands.
Britain’s position is also contrary to UNGA Resolutions 2065 (XX), and to the resolutions on the Question of the Malvinas Islands adopted every year by the Special Committee on Decolonisation. Moreover, in 1985, on two occasions, the General Assembly expressly rejected the applicability of such principle to the Question of the Malvinas Islands.
Unlawful activities
In addition to its refusal to engage in dialogue with Argentina on this matter, the United Kingdom maintains its military presence, claiming false needs of defence, and constantly conducts unlawful unilateral activities on the Malvinas, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas, such as the granting of permits for fishing and for exploring and exploiting hydrocarbons.
These activities are manifestly contrary to UNGA Resolution 31/49, which urges both parties to the dispute to refrain from introducing unilateral modifications in the situation while the islands are going through the process recommended by the General Assembly.
“The United Kingdom’s colonial attitude is met with Argentina’s willingness to engage in dialogue, which the international community increasingly supports.
In this regard, the legiti-
mate and imprescriptible sovereignty rights of the Argentine Republic over the Question of the Malvinas Islands are firmly supported by the countries of Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa, as expressed by them at regional and bi-regional fora, such as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), MERCOSUR and the Third Africa-South America Summit, held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in February 2013.
In turn, the Ibero-American Summit, the Summit of South American-Arab Countries (ASPA) and the Group of 77 and China have called on the United Kingdom to resume negotiations with Argentina,” the release said.
Unanimous rejection
The region has unanimously rejected Britain’s military presence in the South Atlantic and has expressed its concern about the unilateral activities referred to above through several declarations at the summits of presidents of MERCOSUR member and associate states, UNASUR, CELAC, the Ibero-American Summit and the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone.
This has translated into commitments assumed by UNASUR and MERCOSUR countries to adopt concrete measures to prevent the consolidation of Britain s unlawful unilateral activities in the South Atlantic, and, as recently decided by the Latin American Energy Organisation (OLADE), into the recognition of Argentina’s right to pursue legal actions under international law against unauthorised hydrocarbon exploration
and exploitation activities.
The release said 181 years after the usurpation, the Argentine government reaffirms once again the Argentine Republic’s imprescriptible sovereignty rights over the Malvinas, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas, which are an integral part of its national territory, and reiterates its permanent and sincere willingness to resume the bilateral negotiations process with the United Kingdom, as demanded by the international community, in order to find a peaceful and definitive solution to the sovereignty dispute and thus to put an end to this anachronistic situation.
Military forces
On January 3, 1833, UK military forces occupied the Malvinas Islands, expelled the population and the Argentine authorities lawfully established there and replaced them with British subjects. The Argentine Republic immediately protested against such unlawful act of force perpetrated by the colonial power, without ever consenting to it. Britain’s unlawful colonial occupation has been further compounded by its provocative and continued disregard for international law, which is manifested through its persistent refusal to resume sovereignty negotiations pursuant to the United Nations mandate in force, established through Resolution 2065 (XX) and endorsed by nine subsequent resolutions passed by the General Assembly and 31 resolutions passed by the Special Committee on Decolonisation, with the most recent one having been adopted by unanimity on June 20, 2013.
Some children could be housed separately at NOC
Consideration is being given to restructuring the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) to have the more criminally-oriented children housed in confined areas, away from those affected by family and other social challenges.
Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony said the recommendation was made in a recent report by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).
He explained that the current structure, which sees the mixing of all children in one open area, has been the cause of several challenges at the institu-
tion.
“We have had children who came from different backgrounds, some of them from broken homes, abusive relationships, etc; we have to work with them. There’s another category of children who came to us. They are delinquents and they are all together and certain challenges can arise when people are all together like that.”
The minister said there are some children at the institution who are not necessarily delinquents and do not deserve to be there.
These children, he said are being evaluated and once the report is completed,
the recommendations will be implemented.
Over the years, some students at the juvenile detention centre have performed well at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
The minister explained that the students who wish to take their education to a higher level are assisted financially and supplied with materials to do so. On the other hand, those who intend to pursue a skill are given the opportunity, cash and equipment to so do, Minister Anthony said.
It’s best to lie low and allow someone else to take the lead. You will discover far more about this person if you remain passive. Don’t be forthcoming about your plans, or someone may try to beat you to the finish line.
By Bernice Bede Osol
(June 21July 22) (Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)
Be honest; it will be impossible to hide your feelings. Make your needs clear and search for a way to sort out existing problems. People who don’t understand your values should be regarded as acquaintances – not friends.
Reading will lead to valuable information. Idleness is the enemy. Make adjustments to your home environment, but stick to a budget. Keeping busy will help your mood.
Your ego will be bruised if you have allowed someone to make a fool of you. Trying to feel better through extravagance will not help. Choose to be a passive observer today.
(Aug. 23Sept. 22)
(July 23Aug. 22) (Feb. 20-March 20)
Make a point of mingling today. This will be a good time to network. If you are in the right place at the right time, an investment opportunity will arise. Stay motivated.
(March 21-April 19)
Decisions may be clouded by emotional issues. To avoid a misunderstanding, be open about whatever is distracting you. Face difficulties methodically so they don’t resurface later.
(April 20-May 20)
A physical activity may lead to new friendships. Someone from your past may turn up unexpectedly. Be cautious in order to avoid this person taking advantage of you.
(May 21June 20)
Meeting up with chums will be inspiring. Travel will stimulate you, and you may make new friends. As long as you are conservative with your money, investments can be made.
A financial endeavour may leave you disillusioned. Don’t allow loved ones to meddle in your finances – their suggestions won’t pay off. Offer advice, but don’t lend money.
(Sept. 23Oct. 23)
Now is a great time to travel. You can learn, have fun and make new friends. Conversations with fascinating and unique individuals will inspire and energise you.
(Oct. 24Nov. 22)
Professional changes are necessary. Look into taking a new direction or starting your own business. Others are unlikely to be helpful, but you will find satisfaction in doing the work yourself.
(Nov. 23Dec. 21)
Today, you will need to say “no.” Avoid projects that make you uneasy. Employ tact when handling other people’s concerns. Try not to get wrapped up in someone else’s drama.
saturday, January 4, 2014
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Amother of three was late Friday evening hacked to death by her common-law husband behind their home. The incident stemmed from an argument between the couple.
Dead is Malaika Adams, 23, of Second Street, Dazell Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara (ECD)
while her reputed husband, Paul Scotland of Mahaica, ECD, has surrendered himself at the Enmore Police Station.
Information reaching this newspaper revealed that about 20:30h, Scotland went home to the woman, who was at the time in the company of her children and two siblings.
After some time there, an argument broke out between them, resulting in the man becoming angry. He reported picked up a knife and attacked the woman.
Upon receiving the first blow, Adams reportedly screamed for help as she ran out of the house, but by the time help arrived, the man had already committed the gruesome act. The murder weapon was collected from the scene by police as evidence. As police continue their investigations, there are a number of conflicting reports as to the motive behind the murder.
Under the Strategic Management Department, the Guyana Police Force has undergone a series of trainings as part of the modernisation process of the security sector.
According to Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, training in the force in 2013 was given high priority. He was at the time delivering a year-in-review report of the ministry at the Officers Training Centre, Eve Leary, Georgetown.
Rohee disclosed that a budgetary allocation of $56 million was received to facilitate training, both locally and overseas.
noted that 14 ranks have applied, have been interviewed and identified for training at the aeronautical engineering school at Ogle, East Coast Demerara.
“My ministry has signed a contract with The Emergence Group (TEG) of the United States of America to establish a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team in the Guyana Police Force and to conduct the training for ranks who would be members of this specialised unit, which is intended to confront special types of violent crimes. The cost of this contract is US$796,987. An organisational needs assessment for the unit has been completed while actual training is targeted to commence in mid-January 2014.”
lot of recruitment within the force with regards to clerical positions. Some 60 civilians were employed as data entry clerks at five divisional traffic registries while 48 were stationed at police stations and the Georgetown Prison.
Evidence-based decision
“In 2013, 81 ranks from the level of constable to assistant commissioner benefited from overseas training in police procedures and operational issues, community-oriented policing, leadership and computer training among others,” he said.
In addition, he disclosed that measures are in place to build an aeronautical branch for the force and to also source a Fixed Wing Aircraft for its operation. In the meanwhile, the minister
Departure
The Strategic Management Department was established in the Guyana Police Force in May last year, with the employment of 10 professionals to oversee the implementation of the Guyana Police Force Strategic Plan; however, three of them have since left.
According to the minister, their departures did not seriously affect the progress of implementation of the plan, but measures are in place to have them replaced. The police force has contracted a British Consulting Firm, Capita Symonds, to assist with the modernisation process in four specific projects. A final report was completed and the ministry will be moving to finalise the details of each project so that work can commence early this year, Rohee said. Meanwhile, there has been a
“Their main responsibilities are to enter crime occurrences to populate the Integrated Crime Information System (ICIS) to support electronic data capture and analysis of crime trends and patterns leading to evidence-based decision making by the Guyana Police Force and the Ministry of Home Affairs,” the minister pointed out.
He mentioned that Cabinet gave its approval to employ an additional 25 data entry clerks to strengthen data collection efforts of the force. Additionally, a qualified civilian has been recruited as a policy analyst and is based at the force’s headquarters to assist with developing strategies and action plans targeted at combating crime and interpersonal violence.
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Murtland Lawson, a resident of Linden was sentenced to 18 months in prison after he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Faith McGusty
charged with damage to property.
It is alleged that on December 29, 2013 he smashed the glass door of Republic Bank’s Linden branch. Security officers on
duty at the time of the incident saw the man and apprehended him. He was subsequently handed over to the police.
The man pleaded guilty to the charge and told the court the bank had owed his father some amount of money and that he has the documents to prove it. The man further said that he was retarded and was once institutionalised.
Despite calls for the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) and Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) to unite, the trade unions are still at loggerheads on the way forward.
In his New Year’s Day message, National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) General Secretary Kenneth Joseph said “Let 2014 be a year when our trade unions must become trade unions again. NAACIE here enjoins FITUG and the GTUC to hammer out areas of common concerns, common objectives and common approaches.”
He added, “If there cannot be full unity between the two organisations, surely there can be consensus with respect to the common solutions necessary for improved conditions for the nation’s
workers.”
But GTUC President Leslie Gonsalves said NAACIE should “not only talk the talk but walk the walk”. NAACIE along with the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU) are aligned to FITUG.
Gonsalves explained that FITUG and the GTUC would have exchanged a series of letters with the aim of fostering unity in addressing issues of mutual interest. However, he opined that progress has been slow, throwing the blame on FITUG.
According to him, FITUG after giving its commitment reneged. Gonsalves said the GTUC is ready to move the process forward, but FITUG must now step up to the challenge. FITUG should indicate when it is ready to return to the negotiating tables, Gonsalves said.
“This is not the time for talking; this is time for us
to respect the principles…. We cannot talk and not walk the walk, we must talk and walk,” he said.
The blame game continued when Guyana Times sat down with the NAACIE general secretary. He said in 2001, NAACIE along with GAWU approached the GTUC to discuss unifying the trade union movement, but according to him “it never grew into anything”.
“Imagine during the last GTUC conference, FITUG was properly represented, we had good gaff with the leaders of the GTUC,” Joseph said. But while there were “good gaffs”, FITUG is of the opinion that the proposal for cooperation on issues of mutual interest was not well accepted.
Nevertheless, Joseph said unity among trade unions will create a greater force in addressing issues plaguing workers.
“Because of our division,
workers are suffering… and workers are not happy with the leadership of the three bodies and we need to get our acts together so the workers can be happy,” the NAACIE general secretary noted. “But, I am not seeing the eagerness to have a united trade union body in this country,” he further stated.
On May Day, Joseph said unity is ever so often spoken of but the sad reality is that unions are divided even on May Day. He also blamed the workers for not demanding more.
“The workers, they sit by and they allow the nonsense to happen and some of them criticise the leadership but that’s all they do. You need to have your leaders work on your behalf.” he said. If the unions do not move to unite or corporate on issues of mutual interest soon, the NAACIE general secretary said trade unions will continue to lose.
Steve Smith’s second century in three matches and yet another brilliant Brad Haddin counter-attack punished a weary England as the first day of the fifth Test followed a familiar script.
For the fourth time in these Ashes, England made big early inroads, reducing Australia to 97-5 having put them in to bat on an overcast, sweaty morning in Sydney.
But the next three wickets put on 228 runs as Australia advanced to 326 all out to move closer to a second whitewash in three series down under.
England then lost the sorry Michael Carberry for a duck as they limped to 8-1 at the close under a ferocious assault from Mitchell Johnson.
Only figures of 6-99 for Ben Stokes - the first fivewicket haul of his young Test career - brought England cheer as Smith’s 115 and Haddin’s 75 pulled the day from their grasp.
On a day when three new caps were given their debut, one of them - Boyd Rankin - limped out of the attack with a hamstring injury while the second - leg-spinner Scott Borthwick - went for seven an over.
It was symptomatic of a winter when only Stokes’ selection has gone right for England, as almost everything they have tried has backfired or failed.
Rogers play on for 11 as he tried to pull.
Stokes got rid of captain Michael Clarke with a fine delivery that took the outside edge through to Ian Bell at second slip, and when Shane Watson was trapped lbw to the last ball before lunch - England’s first lbw of the entire series - Australia were teetering at 94-4.
Straight after the interval that became 97-5 when the hapless George Baileyhis side’s only true failure of this almost totally successful Ashes - edged Broad to Cook for just one.
However, as in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne, that was merely the green light for another clattering fightback from Haddin, England’s happy torturer throughout the series.
With Rankin limping off and Borthwick under assault - his first three overs went for 21 - Haddin raced to his fourth half-century of the series, off 70 balls, with Smith in eager support.
Haddin became Stokes’ third victim - he edged to Cook for 75 with the partnership worth 128 - but Smith continued to pillage with England a bowler short.
A spiralling slog from Johnson brought Borthwick his first Test wicket, the first for an England legspinner since Ian Salisbury dismissed Inzamam-ul-Haq in Faisalabad 14 years ago.
Smith, happy to profit from the many short balls and full tosses, silenced any celebrations as he crashed a six and four in consecutive deliveries to move to his third Test century.
Ryan Harris followed
suit against a weary attack, smashing James Anderson for four on both sides of the wicket before driving Stokes to short extra-cover for 22.
Stokes then saw off Peter Siddle and Smith in the next three balls to finish with an admirable 6-99, while Borthwick recorded 1-49 off seven overs on a testing debut.
Carberry, surprisingly preferred to Joe Root, then fended Johnson to the diving Nathan Lyon at leg slip for a tortured nine-ball nought before Cook and nightwatchman Anderson clung on until stumps. (BBC Sport)
Australia 1st innings
Rogers b Stokes 11
Warner b Broad 16
Watson lbw b Anderson 43
Clarke c Bell b Stokes 10
Smith c Sub b Stokes 115
Bailey c Cook b Broad 1 Haddin c Cook b Stokes 75
Johnson c Sub b Borthwick 12
Harris c Anderson b Stokes 22
ST JOHN’S, Antigua –
The West Indies women’s team will have a full camp in New Zealand ahead of their eight-match series next month. The World Cup runners-up will arrive in New Zealand on February 10 and will have a one-week camp as they prepare to face the White Ferns in three One-Day Internationals and five T20 Internationals.
The ODIs will be played at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. The first three T20s will be at Queens Park, Invercargill, with the tour concluding at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui with the last two T20s. The series will form part of the preparations for the ICC Women’s World T20 in Bangladesh in March and April.
“It is great for us that we will have this camp in New Zealand before we play the matches there. This will be the first time for most of the players playing in New Zealand and we don’t know a lot about the foreign conditions, so it will be very useful to get there early and get acclimatised,” said long-standing captain and wicketkeeper Merissa Aguilleira.
“We played well in both ODIs and T20s last year and we want to take that good work into 2014. This will be
Their day, having begun in unprecedented fashion for this series when Alastair Cook won the toss for the first time in five matches, kicked on in promising fashion for England before taking a familiar path.
the start of a really big year for us and this will be a major tour. We have the ICC World T20 in Bangladesh and we want to win that, so the time in New Zealand will be a crucial step towards that goal.”
This is the second time the West Indies Women will face New Zealand Women in a short period. Last October, the Windies came from behind to win the ODI series 2-1 at Sabina Park in Jamaica.
The two teams were joined by England in the Women’s Tri-nation T20 Series at Kensington Oval in Barbados. The Windies won that tournament by defeating England in the final.
(WICB Media)
David Warner fell for 16 when he played all round a fine Stuart Broad inswinger, and Stokes then saw Chris
England were guilty of bowling too short, feeding the wicketkeeper his favourite diet of pulls and slashing cuts, and runs came at pace as the Australia pair tucked in.
It was a surprise when
Siddle c Bairstow b Stokes 0 Lyon not out 1
Extras (6-nb, 2-w, 10-b, 2-lb) 20 Total (all out; 76 overs) 326 Bowling: Anderson 21-2-671,
8.2-034-0, Borthwick 7-0-49-1 Fall of wickets: 22 (Warner), 51 (Rogers), 78 (Clarke), 94 (Watson), 97 (Bailey), 225 (Haddin), 269 (Johnson), 325 (Harris), 325 (Siddle), 326 (Smith) England 1st innings Cook not out 7 Carberry c Lyon b Johnson 0 Anderson not out 1 Extras 0 Total (for 1 wicket; 6 overs) 8 Bowling: Harris 3-1-50, Johnson 3-1-3-1 Fall of wicket: 6 (Carberry)
Angelo Mathews scored a career-best 116 to fashion a remarkable turnaround for Sri Lanka in the Abu Dhabi Test after they had conceded a 179-run lead to Pakistan in the first innings. He added 138 for the fifth wicket with Dinesh Chandimal, who missed out on his third Test century, and a further unbeaten 96
with Prasanna Jayawardene to transform a delicate situation on the fourth morning into, possibly, a matchwinning one. Only thrice before have Pakistan been able to chase down a target in excess of 241, which is Sri Lanka’s current lead.
The Pakistan bowlers managed a solitary wicket in the entire day and, for
most parts, appeared innocuous with the pitch hardly providing assistance to the seamers or spinners. Saeed Ajmal’s figures of 42-10-960 - the most overs he has bowled without picking up a wicket - highlighted the bowlers’ misery.
Mathews, though, stayed compact throughout the day, and apart from a brief period against the new ball, was largely untroubled. Unlike his counterattacking 91 in the first innings, he kept the lid on his aggressive instincts, choosing the slow and steady approach. His half-century came off 113 deliveries. His next 50 took even longer as he slowed down as he neared his first Test century as captain, taking 24 balls to score his last four runs.
Mathews did pounce
on loose deliveries, scoring a six and 11 fours, six of which came against Bilawal Bhatti. He was quick on the pull the moment the seamers pitched it short, but otherwise preferred playing in the V, with a few of his fours coming in the region between mid-on and midwicket. Along with Chandimal, he laid the foundation for Sri Lanka’s revival.
Pakistan had assumed a dominant position on the third day after earning three wickets in the last session, and needed similar intensity today from Bhatti and Junaid Khan to restrict Sri Lanka’s lead. They opened with the same pair in their search for quick wickets, but both bowlers lacked the zip that had brought them success the previous day.
(Cricinfo)
Fans of Michael Schumacher have held a vigil outside his hospital to mark the injured F1 legend’s 45th birthday.
Schumacher’s family said in a statement they had been moved to tears by the “incredible sympathies” shown by the Ferrari fans who gathered outside the clinic in the French city of Grenoble.
They said they were “utterly overwhelmed” and “deeply grateful”.
The driver is in a medically induced coma after suffering head injuries while skiing in the French Alps.
He remains in a stable but critical condition, his manager has said.
The German champion, who retired in 2012, had been skiing off-piste when he fell and hit his head on Sunday. His helmet cracked on impact after hitting a rock.
Supporters held a oneminute silence outside the
hospital on Friday afternoon.
Ferrari - the racing team with which Schumacher had 72 of his 91 F1 wins - said in a statement that it wanted to send him very special wishes for his birthday as he tackled “the most important fight of his life”.
Members of Ferrari clubs in France and Italy travelled to Grenoble to mark the birthday of the most successful driver in Formula 1 history.
Doctors confirmed on Tuesday that Schumacher had shown signs of improvement, but was still “not out of danger”.
They ruled out giving a prognosis for his condition in the coming days and months.
But it is medically possible for someone to spend several weeks in an induced coma and make a full recovery.
Ferrari said buses had been organised to transport
the Italian and French fans to Grenoble for the tribute.
Spokesman Renato Bisignani said people were encouraged to dress in red and bring flags, as “a sign of closeness to Michael Schumacher, done in a very respectful way”.
A large Ferrari banner was unveiled.
Michael Schumacher retired from F1 for a second time in 2012.
He won seven world championships and secured 91 race victories during his 19-year career.
The driver won two titles with Benetton, in 1994 and 1995, before switching to Ferrari in 1996 and going on to win five straight titles from 2000.
He retired in 2006 but made a comeback in F1 with Mercedes in 2010.
After three seasons which yielded just one podium finish, he quit the sport at the end of last year. (BBC Sport)
RCristiano Ronaldo has been awarded one of Portugal’s highest honours by the country’s president. Ronaldo, 28, will receive the Order of Prince Henry from president Anibal Cavaco Silva at a ceremony on Tuesday.
“He is a worldwide symbol of Portugal, making the country better known inter-
nationally and an example of perseverance for younger generations,” said a presidential statement.
Ronaldo said it was an “indescribable feeling of pride and honour”.
In November, the Portugal captain became the nation’s all-time joint record goalscorer.
He scored a hat-trick in the World Cup play-off win
against Sweden to move level with Pauleta on 47 goals.
The former Manchester United player is also third on the nation’s all-time appearance list, winning 109 caps since his debut in August 2003.
Ronaldo, who moved to Real for a then world-record fee of £80m in 2009, is one of a three-man shortlist for the 2013 Ballon d’Or. (BBC Sport)
World number one Rafael Nadal was given a sterner test than expected as world number 162 Peter Gojowczyk took him to three sets before giving way 4-6 6-2 6-3 in the Qatar Open semi-final.
Nadal lost 12 of the first 13 points before losing the opener, but came back strongly in the second.
German Gojowczyk kept battling however and broke Nadal’s serve early in the decider before he was overwhelmed.
Nadal will play France’s Gael Monfils in today’s final.
Monfils beat Germany’s Florian Mayer, who knocked out Britain’s Andy Murray in the second round, in the day’s second semi-final 6-3
6-2.
Although the world number 31 has lost eight of his 10 meetings with Nadal, both Monfils’s victories came in previous editions of
the Doha tournament.
Nadal admitted that he may be vulnerable to another defeat after undergoing fresh treatment on his longstanding knee complaint during the brief break between seasons.
“I need to play much better to have a chance tomorrow,” he said.
“If I don’t improve my level of tennis, my level of rhythm, and play more inside the baseline my chances of winning will not be big.
“I never win a title in the first week of the season, and tomorrow I have another opportunity.”
The Australian Open, the opening Grand Slam of the season, begins in Melbourne on January 13. (BBC Sport)
Sanath Jayasuriya, the Sri Lanka chief selector, has questioned Thisara Perera’s work ethic and asked him to work harder as the board moved to deny the allrounder permission to participate in the Big Bash League.
Perera had applied for the noobjection certificate required by players to take part in a foreign league, but Sri Lanka Cricket refused to provide it, largely on the recommendation of Jayasuriya’s selection panel.
“We are not giving him permission to play in the Big Bash. He has to work and stay in Sri Lanka,” Jayasuriya told ESPNcricinfo. “The reason is poor form. He’s been in very poor form with his bowling and batting. He needs to work on some things with the coaches in Sri Lanka.
“Before he thinks of playing
for Big Bash and all these things, he needs to do the work in Sri Lanka, if he wants to become a good allrounder. That’s what the selectors think.”
Perera was in Sri Lanka’s limited-overs squad for the December series against Pakistan in the UAE, but was dropped after the third ODI. He hit only 13 runs in the three one-dayers and was wayward with the ball, though he did take six wickets in five matches, including the two Twenty20 internationals.
Jayasuriya’s selection panel had already sent Perera a message about his work ethic when it omitted him from the squad for the ODI tri-series in the West Indies in June. Although he made significant gains in the home series against South Africa that followed, he has allowed his game to slip again, Jayasuriya said.
“After dropping him from that
West Indies series, he played really well. He worked hard on his bowling and batting and everything. But now, he needs to work hard again.”
Jayasuriya has designs for Perera to become a Test allrounder, particularly as the selectors do not want to overburden Angelo Mathews with the third seamer’s job in addition to his roles as captain and batsman. Jayasuriya said Perera’s path to regaining form should begin with England Lions’ tour of Sri Lanka in February. Perera has been asked to train with the Sri Lanka A team in the interim.
“He doesn’t need BBL match practice,” Jayasuriya said. “If he wants match practice, he can get it during the England A series. I want him to play Tests for Sri Lanka, not just ODIs and T20s. He has that potential, but he needs to work hard.” (Cricinfo)
As expected, members of the Slingerz Football Club are still in jubilation following their 3-2 win over Santos in the final of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Banks Beer Knockout Cup that took place on Wednesday night at the Guyana National Stadium.
The success has prompted head coach Charles “Lilly” Pollard to dedicate the team’s victory to the club’s owner and financier, Javid Ali.
Ali has a dream of creating the best football club in the country and the victory is one step towards realising that goal.
With advice from experienced and well qualified personnel within the football fraternity, Slingerz FC was given the name that was already well known in Guyana’s entertainment realms.
“Without a doubt, we had to win this tournament for Mr. Javid Ali. He’s what I call a Mr. Everything where money is concerned
for the club. He makes it all happen and therefore winning is the least we could’ve done to make him and his efforts feel appreciated,” Pollard said.
“I think the win,” Pollard further added, “will encourage him to invest a bit more into the programme, but more importantly, I hope it would also encourage other businesses and people to do the same.”
Pollard is one of Guyana’s most decorated players, having won basi-
cally everything local football has to offer, while also doing the same in the Trinidad and Tobago Professional League.
“This, personally, is a major accomplishment. It’s an entirely different feeling now that I’m a coach. I think also though, I need to say thank you to the guys. I played with most of them on the national team and I was their captain, so I think from the beginning we had a high level of respect and understanding for each other,
which makes it easy for me to impart my knowledge and set up a game plan,” the former national captain said.
Looking ahead, Pollard pointed out the club will be taking two weeks off to rest and enjoy a holiday, given the fact that they have been busy all year. He also made mention of the club’s youthful approach to the 2014 season while noting that competing within the Caribbean is also atop his agenda.
“We want to invest in the youths this year; bring some fresh faces to the club,” Pollard said.
He added, “It’s always important to have a youth structure as well. I think it would go well for what we have planned.
"Also, we want to compete out of Guyana, maybe as far as CONCACAF, but as it is right now, this is not the end, it’s just the beginning of what Javid’s looking for and that’s to be the best club in the country. It’s not going to be easy and I think we are prepared to work hard.”
other items.
The office of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) can now be easily located by visitors after the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) and one of its official sponsors, Bakewell, handed over an impressive signboard to the county board.
The 8’x4’ sign would welcome visitors to the BCB office and was described by BCB secretary Angela Haniff as a welcome gesture by the RHTY&SC and Bakewell.
The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) on December 29 last hosted a successful Annual General Meeting (AGM) at its Cheddi Jagan Street, New Amsterdam, office.
The meeting was attended by representatives of affiliated clubs Young Warriors, Bermine, Whim, Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, Berbice River Cricket Association, Mt Sinai, Chesney, Upper Corentyne, Bush Lot and Police.
Members present received a comprehensive financial report of the BCB for 2013 and annual reports from president Keith Foster, secretary Angela Haniff, junior selection chairman Leslie Solomon, senior selection chairman D. Somwaru and competitions committee chairman Carl Moore.
Recently re-appointed chairman of the Special Events Committee and the BCB 75th anniversary committee chairman, Hilbert Foster, sought and received the blessings of the board members for the committee’s proposals for 2014.
The work of the Special Events Committee in 2014 would be centered on countywide coaching, education, charity, personal development of cricketers and donation of cricket equipment to clubs in Berbice.
Members of the BCB expressed great disappointment at the non-selection of Shemaine Campbelle and Tremayne Smartt for the GCB Female Cricketer-ofthe-Year award, despite superior overall performances at all levels played during the year and the non-recognition of Campbelle’s achievement of becoming the first Guyanese female cricketer to score an international century.
The Executive Committee was also mandated to review the performances of the selection committee and also to take corrective steps at improving discipline among the county’s senior players. Special emphasis would be placed on school cricket in 2014 at the Under-15 and female levels, while all junior cricket at the inter-zone levels would be played over two days.
The AGM also took the decision to have fast bowlers bowling at least one third of the overs at the junior interzone levels. Another major decision of the AGM was for the BCB to seek the assistance of former West Indies coach Roger Harper to assist several Berbice players to develop their games. These players would include discarded Test players Brendon Bess and Devendra Bishoo.
In the history of cricket in Guyana, Foster stated no other club has assisted to develop a cricket board or sister clubs as the RHTY&SC has done over the last two years.
The RHTY&SC has raised millions of dollars for the BCB for off the field programmes and cricket tournaments and has also assisted over 100 young cricketers and cricket clubs in Berbice with gear, equipment and education materials among
RHTY&SC secretary/ CEO Hilbert Foster disclosed that his club was totally dedicated to the overall development of Berbice cricket and because of this has invested heavily into the development of cricketing talent in every area in the Ancient County.
Foster used the opportunity to call on other established cricket clubs to stop their criticism of Berbice cricket and to start assisting less fortunate clubs and cricketers in an effort to develop the game.
Foster, who was recently reappointed chairman of the BCB Special Events Committee, disclosed that the RHTY&SC would assist Berbice cricket in a massive way during 2014 and over 30 cricket clubs would receive assistance during the year as Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation was determined to assist others to enjoy success.
Haniff expressed grati-
tude to Rajin Ganga, General Manager of Bakewell, for his assistance and also hailed the RHTY&SC as a true friend of Berbice cricket. She expressed pleasure that the BCB office would now be easily identified via the very impressive signboard and also hailed the “Say No to Drugs and Yes to Life Message” that is on the signboard.
The BCB, she stated, is very firm on its anti-drugs stance for youths and the signboard would assist to spread that message. The RHTY&SC and the BCB in early January would join hands again to distribute coaching kits and other items to several clubs in Berbice.
Among the programmes approved for the BCB’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration in September 2014 are the publication of a special 75th anniversary full-coloured magazine, inter-faith religious service, cocktail reception and panel discussion on Berbice cricket, hall of fame for administrators, essay and quiz competitions, television programme, music festival with the Guyana Police Force Band, donation of television set to a children’s home, printing of souvenirs, primary school coaching programme and the unveiling of a billboard featuring the photograph of Berbice greatest cricketer.
The motion to establish a hall of fame for administrators was also passed and the first set of inductees would include Duncan Stuart, Leslie Amsterdam, Victor Omrow, Lennox Phillips and Ancel Hazel.
Members of the BCB also voted to debar all players in the GCB senior inter-county squads from playing at the Berbice second division level.
The president of the BCB, Keith Foster, at the conclusion of the AGM expressed gratitude to all present for the fruitful discussion and urged them to recommit themselves to the development of cricket in Berbice.
By Rajiv Bisnauth
Construction of the 25-metre warm-up pool at the National Aquatic Centre will definitely be completed this year, as government seeks to enhance the country’s ability to host prestigious regional and international meets.
The warm-up pool, which
is a prerequisite for the staging of regional and international competitions, is being built by Innovative Engineering Consultancy Services, which will install the base and decks. The project is expected to be completed within the next two months.
This was disclosed by Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Friday at his year-end press conference in the ministry’s boardroom at Main Street, Georgetown.
According to the minister, Myrtha Pools will supervise the installation of the pre-fab pool.
Sporting infrastructure
“We have focused primarily on building sporting infrastructure in the country. The warm-up pool is right now under construction. There are two contractors to that project; first we have to install a foundation which is
By Treiston Joseph
During a comprehensive report on activities conducted by the Sport Ministry in 2013, Permanent Secretary Alfred King reported that the stateof-the-art synthetic track and field facility at Leonora, West Coast Demerara, would be completed “sometime soon”.
King made the remarks in the presence of Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony during a specially arranged press briefing on Friday morning at the ministry’s head office on Main Street in Georgetown.
“This is our major project that we have been looking over a year, year and a half; we are hoping that sometime soon this facility will be functional and sometime soon it will be at a level where we can host regional, as well as international meets,” King divulged.
He added, “In the first phase of course we’re expected to be able to host national events and then once the entire facility is up and running and would have met all the IAAF requirements we expect to host regional as well as international events.”
Dr Anthony indicated that the laying of the track had to be suspended due to
the rain, and they are looking to re-invite German company Regupol to continue that aspect of the project sometime this month.
He also noted that a three-week period of sunshine is required to get the laying of the track done.
However, with the current rainy weather pattern, the ministry will be focusing on finishing off the inner field, which is 70-80 percent complete, according to the minister.
He also announced that the northern stands should take four months to complete, and that project has been awarded to BK International.
Dr Anthony also revealed that they will be looking to award a contract for a club house on the northern end of the venue.
“Once the facility is completed we will have everything for track and field; there will be areas for long jump and hammer throw and all the field events,” Anthony stated.
Further, Dr Anthony hinted at a possible deadline for the track to be completed.
“So you would see that sometime next year that the facility can become operational but we will continue based on the allocations that we receive to build out some more stands,” he said.
being done by a local contractor and they have been working there and we expect them to complete in the next two months or so the foundation and once that is completed Myrtha Pools, who had done the prefabrication for the 50-metre pool will return to install the 25-metre, which is also a prefabricated pool,” Dr Anthony explained.
He added, “So with that we feel that we would have completed the facility and that you will see by the second half of this year that will be fully completed and will be up for utilisation.”
“With the addition of the warm-up pool it will allow us now to host regional events and possibly international events, since the 50-metre
pool is of international standard,” Dr Anthony concluded.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Alfred King, indicated that all the pre-fab materials for the pool have already arrived in Guyana.
The Myrtha Pool components will cost US$288,000 or G$57,600,000, while the civil works from the local contractor to do the base and the decking will cost approximately G$37.5 million.
Upon completion of the 25-metre warm up pool, the Aquatic Centre will cost in excess of $675 million.
Meanwhile, Dr Anthony also announced on Friday that the contracts for the services of boxing coach Francisco Hernandez Roldan and swimming coach Isabel Maria Couso Fals were extended for another year.
The services of the two
highly qualified coaches from the Spanish-speaking country of Cuba were secured in 2012 with the aim of assisting the respective local athletes and associations in the areas of boxing and swimming to realise their full potentials.
“Boxing and swimming over the past year have seen tremendous improvements, hence we have decided to extend the contracts for another year for those two coaches,” Anthony said.
The 46-year-old Roldan holds a Bachelors Degree in Physical Culture and Recreation and majored in Boxing for the High Performance Sports, while the 45-year-old Couso Fals has a Bachelors Degree in Physical Culture.
Roldan is permanently based at the ‘Six Heads’ Lewis gym, while Couso Fals is based at the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
