2015 8 15

GUYANA No. 104282

SATURDAY AUGUST 15, 2015

The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com

GUYANA’S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER

GuySuCo in dire need of $12B Page

-Corporation to place emphasis on private farmers

PRICE: $80

INCLUDING VAT

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Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo addressing the gathering

Diversification of GuySuCo touted at National Cane Farmers Conference Page

Minister Patterson Jagdeo terminates Dindyal’s rejects engagement with GPL $500,000 Page

Former CEO of GPL Bharat Dindyal

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Pomeroon farmer Vilma Da Silva calls for diversification of crops

centre

...says coconuts are a hit on the int’l market

salary for $1.4M pension Page

RDC Councillor and farmers’ representative Vilma DaSilva

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Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

Diversification of GuySuCo touted at National Cane Farmers Conference

IT is believed that diversification of the sugar industry is critically needed for the revival and sustenance of the sector.

Despite mounting challenges, inherited by the new APNU+AFC Government, it is committed to this, as efforts are in train to strengthen the economic diversification and marketing of the sugar industry.

This was the focus of Agriculture Minister Noel Holder’s presentation at the opening of the first-ever National Cane Farmers Conference yesterday morning, at the Arthur Chung International Conference Centre.

The sugar industry does not produce sugar alone, as several of its by-products can be produced at every stage of the sugar-manufacturing process. Currently, bulk molasses is used by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), thus the minister stated that this is a good opportunity for Guyana to brand this product, as there is a significant interest in it.

GuySuCo has launched a new brand of packaged sugar for its United States and Canadian markets. The corporation is also working with Caribbean retailers to produce specialised brands of packaged sugars at premium prices for the regional markets.

Areas for diversification for GuySuCo as pointed out by the minister include: - Packaging and Storage of Rice – in addition to packaging sugar, GuySuCo is exploring the possibility of packaging rice using the existing staff and skills.

- Ethanol Production – GuySuCo has the capacity to produce 276 litres of ethanol per day, currently 96 is being produced per day.

- Aircraft Services – aerial application of fertilisers and chemicals to rice farmers at a cost of $192,500 per hour with the use of existing staff and equipment.

- Aquaculture Farming – Tilapia and Tambaqui (Pakoo) harvesting could be a possible alternative.

The minister is of the view that it is the mutual goodwill and partnership between cane farmers and the estates that

will see the industry develop. To this end, he urged the National Cane Farming Committee to continue its work in actively supporting farmers in their operation and development. “I expect that you will work with the farmers to increase their yields, the use of high-performing varieties, to assist in timely access of the inputs and basically improve agricultural standards that affect cane quality,” Minister Holder said.

Policy changes and measures for the revitalisation, resuscitation and encouragement of private cane-farming is another area of focus for the Administration. It is believed that this must be implemented to engage and stimulate more private cane-farmers. “Indeed, a part of GuySuCo’s existing strategic plan on action focuses on small private cane-farmers engaged in private cane-farming. However, I wish for us not to just address obstacles for the advancement, but a policy to advocate for private farmers,” Minister Holder

stated. He emphasised that there must be targeted initiatives implemented to achieve this, which will include financing programmes, land-preparation agreements and conditions of work, among others.

Prime Minister and First Vice President Moses Nagamootoo, who was also present and delivered the keynote address at the conference, echoed similar sentiments. In fact, the Prime Minister called for legislation to be enacted in this regard. “I ask for the respective ministers with portfolio for Agriculture, Finance, Business and Cooperatives to enact appropriate legislation to protect and support private cane-farming in Guyana, so that you, cane-farmers, can provide for yourselves and your families through enhanced earnings from cane-farming. Eventually, we hope that all cane-farmers would have improved living conditions and a better way of life,” the First Vice President said.

City Hall seeks public input in ‘Green Georgetown’ restoration THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has invited all citizens and stakeholders to a “Green Georgetown” restoration consultation to be held at the National Cultural Centre on Wednesday next at 10:00 hrs.

The municipal body is seeking advice and inputs from all stakeholders who share a vested interest in the restoration of the capital city.

The consultancy will see top officials from the Council being on hand to hear the concerns of the public, their interests and possible ideas on particu-

Newly-appointed Town Clerk, Mr Royston King

lar issues. The Council’s officers will also answer burning questions from the public and provide information and answers to matters within the purview of the Council.

Town Clerk Royston King said yesterday that the objective of the event is to raise awareness about the plans for Georgetown and its restoration within a green framework. “The general aim,” King pointed out, “Is to encourage all citizens to assist the municipality in its efforts, since the programme includes sharing of ideas, the vision for Georgetown and the dissemination

of green economy information and the role citizens play in this regard.”

The town clerk said that all organisations are invited and he looks forward to a good representation from the religious community, corporate community, non-governmental organisations, community groups and citizens.

The town clerk is hoping that renewed pride must come to the citizens of Georgetown as the Council returns the capital to its pristine state, to a level comparable to cities in the Caribbean and the rest of the world.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

GuySuCo in dire need of $12B -Corporation to place emphasis on private farmers

By Navendra Seoraj MERE months after receiving a “bailout” totalling $4B to pay wages to sugar workers, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is again calling for assistance amounting to $12B, which the corporation disclosed it sorely needs.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, while addressing cane farmers and other stakeholders at the first ever National Cane Farmers conference yesterday, made this disclosure.

“Within days of the new APNU+AFC coalition taking office, we gave the sugar industry a $4 billion bailout after we discovered that not a cent was left with GuySuCo…. In two years, Parliament authorised some $17 billion to be transferred to this corporation, whose leadership brought the industry to its knees,” he said.

The industry now badly needs an additional $12 billion, and even at this hard “bangaseed” time, the Government will not allow the sugar industry to sink, the

a new Board of Directors with the hope that answers could be found to help the industry move forward, the PM declared, because the industry and workers remain important, and works are being done to modernise the industry.

“It is no secret that GuySuCo contributes significantly to the country’s economy and society, to the extent that the nation’s economic fortunes are inextricably linked with that of the sugar industry.

“The industry has experienced far-reaching changes over the three and a half centuries of its existence.

These changes have had negative impacts on the industry, but together we can transform the industry,” the PM declared.

amount to approximately 11.5% of the total sugar production for this year, the prime minister disclosed.

Echoing the prime minister’s sentiments, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder disclosed in his presentation that

This is a notion which the Prime Minister supported. He said, “I ask for the respective ministers with portfolio for agriculture, finance, business and cooperatives to enact appropriate legislation to protect and support private

PRIVATE FARMERS The private cane farmers’ community, totalling 2,200 individuals, must be recognised for its sterling contributions to the overall sugar production drive of GuySuCo. Including their families, this will probably amount Minister Noel Holder during his address

A section of the gathering yesterday PM promised.

However, he said, “We need to cast out the political dead weights whose mismanagement has brought us to the point where we were forced to appoint a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the operations of GuySuCo.” GuySuCo has since been appointed

to over 10,000 persons who have, for many years, dedicated their lives to growing sugar cane. These farmers are expected to produce 26,132 tonnes of sugar this year. They have already made 8,991 tonnes in the first crop, and another 17,141 tonnes of sugar is expected for the second crop. This will

Government recognises the importance of private cane farmers, and has been involving them at all forums for decision-making processes for the growth and development of private cane farming in Guyana.

“After seeing the challenges facing the industry, we developed the CoI to review the structure and develop an environment that could improve the operations and sustainability of the industry, while also preparing a road map for the way ahead,” he said.

One such way, he highlighted, is developing and maintaining a sustainable private sector-led industry.

Policy changes and measures for revitalisation, resuscitation and encouragement of private cane farmers must be implemented to engage and stimulate more private farmers, to become part of GuySuCo’s existing strategic plan, focusing on small, private cane farmers engaging private cane farms.

“Policies also should be developed to advocate for private cane farmers, as there must be targeted initiatives that make it possible, including, financing programmes, land preparation agreements, conditions of work, and so forth,” Minister Holder said.

cane farming in Guyana; so that you, a cane farmer, can provide for yourselves and your families through enhanced earnings from cane farming… eventually hoping that all cane farmers would have improved living conditions and a better way of life.”

IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY Minister Holder, related to the fact that a tonne of cane per tonne of sugar (TCTS) ratio of 11.5 appears to be ideal for Guyana, as 13.12 was recorded in 2014 with the private famers securing 14.53 and estates at 12.97.

This, however, is expected to improve in 2015 with 12.43 for the industry, 13.56 for private farmers and 12.29 for estates.

While the estates have better productivity, it would be a valuable proposition to put more sugar cane production into private farms.

Many private cane farmers rely on sugar estates for land preparation. However, the timely availability of machine is lacking, resulting in a backlog on behalf of both the sugar estates and private farms.

The issue of bad access dams, he See page 7

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

China defends initial response to chemical fires after port blasts (Reuters) CHINA on Friday defended fire fighters who initially hosed water on a blaze in a warehouse storing volatile chemicals, a response foreign experts said could have contributed to two huge blasts that killed 56 people.

At least 21 fire fighters were among the victims of the explosions at the port in the northeastern city of Tianjin on Wednesday night, the official Xinhua news agency said, calling it possibly the highest death toll among fire crews since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

About 720 people were injured, 25 critically with 33 in serious condition, in a nation all too familiar with industrial disasters.

Columns of smoke from fires still burning on Friday rose from the site amid crumpled shipping contain-

Smoke rises next to a damaged building at the site of the explosions at the Binhai new district in Tianjin, China, August 14, 2015 Reuters/Jason Lee vivor from the wreckage, containers in the warehouse ers, thousands of torched later identified as a fire caught fire before the excars and burnt-out shells of fighter, a city official told plosions. reporters.

The State Council, Chiport buildings.

The warehouse, de- na’s cabinet, said a nationRescuers pulled one sursigned to house dangerous wide inspection of dangerand toxic chemicals, was ous chemicals and explostoring mainly ammonium sives would be launched nitrate, potassium nitrate in response to the disaster, and calcium carbide at the along with a crackdown on time, according to police. illegal activities to strengthXinhua has said several en industry safety.

“The disastrous explosions at the ... hazardous materials warehouse at Tianjin caused huge loss of life and injuries, economic damages and social impact,” the State Council work safety commission said on its website.

“The lessons are extremely profound.”

Chemical safety experts said calcium carbide reacts with water to create acetylene, a highly explosive gas. An explosion could be caused if fire fighters sprayed the calcium carbide with water, they said.

Lei Jinde, the deputy propaganda department head of China’s fire department, a part of the Ministry of Public Security, told state-backed news website ThePaper.cn that the first group of fire fighters on the scene had used water.

“We knew there was calcium carbide inside but we didn’t know whether it had already exploded,” he said.

“At that point no one knew, it wasn’t that the fire fighters were stupid,” Lei said, adding that it was a large warehouse and they didn’t know the exact location of the calcium carbide.

FIRE FIGHTERS STILL MISSING CCTV reported that 13 fire fighters were still missing. Xinhua said earlier that 66 firefighters were among the hundreds of people hospitalised.

David Leggett, a chemical safety expert based in California, told Reuters the acetylene explosion could have detonated the am-

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monium nitrate. The two blasts were about 30 seconds apart, the second much larger than the first.

“In my mind, the presence of ammonium nitrate makes it easier to explain the level of devastation,” he said.

Stuart Prescott, a senior lecturer in chemical engineering at the University of New South Wales in Australia, said water was recommended to extinguish the two nitrates but a chemical powder was needed for calcium carbide.

The explosions at the world’s 10th largest port were so big they were seen by satellites in space and registered on earthquake sensors.

Biochemical specialists said on state TV they were waiting for workers to clear a road into the site so they could begin assessing chemical contamination.

Several thousand residents were moved to 10 schools after apartment buildings and homes were damaged.

Foreign companies were assessing damage to facilities in and around the port, a gateway to northeast China, which accounts for about 40 percent of China’s imported cars, Xinhua reported.

French carmaker Renault (RENA.PA) said its warehouse at the port sustained severe damage and an early estimate showed nearly 1,500 of its cars there were burned. Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said more than 50 of its employees had been injured.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

US flag raised over reopened Cuba embassy in Havana fully restored only once it is lifted.

Fidel Castro’s letter was

published in state newspaper Granma to mark his 89th birthday.

Support for students who missed pass mark in math and English language

Mr Kerry THE U.S. has reopened its embassy in Cuba more than 54 years after it was closed, in a symbolic step signalling the warming of ties between both countries.

John Kerry, the first US Secretary of State to visit Cuba in 70 years, presided over the ceremony in Havana.

The U.S. flag was presented by the same U.S. marines who brought it down in 1961.

Cuba reopened its embassy in Washington last month but the former Cuban leader Fidel Castro has blasted the U.S. for not lifting its trade embargo.

In an open letter on Thursday, Mr Castro said the U.S. owed Cuba millions of dollars because of its 53-year-long embargo. The letter makes no mention of the reopening of the U.S. embassy.

Mr Kerry described the

described the occasion as “a truly historic moment” hoisting of the flag as a “historic moment” speaking during the ceremony on Friday.

But he also warned that the U.S. would not stop pressing for political change in Cuba.

“The people of Cuba would be best served by a genuine democracy, where people are free to choose their leaders,” he told a crowd of hundreds gathered outside the embassy building.

In the past, he conceded, U.S. policies have not led to democracy. “Cuba’s future is for Cubans to shape,” he added.

Three retired marines who lowered the American flag for the last time on 4 January 1961 handed it over to marines to raise it once again in Havana as the American national anthem played.

“I’m gonna love seeing

that flag go back up,” said former marine Jim Tracy, 78, in a U.S. State Department video released ahead of the ceremony.

Cuban leader Raul Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed to restore ties in December last year.

While trade and travel restrictions have been relaxed, the Republican-led U.S. Congress has not lifted the trade embargo the U.S. imposed on the communist-run island in 1960.

Mr Kerry’s visit to Cuba drew criticism from several leading Republicans, including presidential candidate Jeb

Bush who said it was “a birthday present for Fidel Castro - a symbol of the Obama Administration’s acquiescence to his ruthless legacy”.

He and Marco Rubio, another presidential contender and Cuban-American senator in Florida, also criticised the U.S. secretary of state for not inviting Cuban dissidents to the ceremony. Mr Kerry said he was due to meet dissidents at a private event later on Friday.

Cuba says the embargo - which it calls a blockade - is hugely damaging to its economy.

It says relations will be

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – THOUSANDS of students, who just missed the pass mark in Mathematics and English A in the 2015 Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) tests will benefit from assistance to improve their grades.

The Ministry of Education announced on Thursday that it will be setting up special support centres across the island to provide support for students, who achieved grade four in the subjects. Between 10,000 and 15,000 students will be accommodated at these centres.

“We call them on-the-cusp students. We are saying, since you come so near, we are devising a programme (for you),” Portfolio Minister Rev Ronald Thwaites said at a press conference at the ministry’s head office.

Each centre will receive support from three to four teachers from the public education system with a proven track record of success. The programme will also engage retired teachers, as well as members of the national mathematics and literacy teams.

“We have never done it before but it’s part of the zeal that everyone must get the chance to perfect their educational opportunity as far as they are able,” Rev Thwaites said.

He said the programme, to be kicked off before the end of September, is being devised with the view that students will be able to re-sit the examinations in January 2016.

Regional directors will work closely with principals in their Region to identify and direct targeted students to the support centres for registration and access to the schedule of classes.

The use of print, electronic and social media, where applicable, will be used to enhance class activities.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

EDITORIAL

Guyana

Constitutional Reform: Sounding the First Bell THE Prime Minister has just announced the setting up of a Steering Committee on Constitutional Reform. According to him, this Committee, which is headed by AFC Chairman and prominent Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes, is tasked with laying out “the scope of work and the priority areas to be reformed and how the reform process will do its work.”

Apart from Hughes, other members of the Committee include

Professor Harold Lutchman, former Deputy Prime Minister Haslyn Parris, Attorney General Basil Williams, Government Legal Advisor Geeta Chandan-Edmond, and Attorney-at-Law Gino Persaud.

That the Government has moved on this issue with some haste is indicative of the seriousness it attaches to constitutional reform. This is in sharp contrast to the previous Administration, which showed scant interest in the matter.

In 2011, the APNU had

campaigned heavily on this issue, but did not advance it as part of their agenda after the election. But at the 2015 election they again made it the centrepiece of their campaign. This time they were part of a larger coalition with the AFC, and this time around the coalition won the elections.

While the AFC has not been very vocal about constitutional reform, its Chairman who now heads the Steering Committee, has been a very enthusiastic supporter. He had even, on behalf of the party, put

forward some proposals for public comment. He therefore brings to the chairmanship a passion about and commitment to the issue.

One of the reasons advanced for the reluctance to vigorously pursue constitutional reform in the past is that such an undertaking needed the support of the PPP. It was reasoned that while it is in office the PPP was not interested in such an exercise, largely because the areas that are being targeted for reform could result in a reduction of executive power. Further,

Power Sharing or Shared Governance, which is being pushed by the coalition had not been embraced by the previous Administration since it assumed power in 1992. How the coalition plans to push constitutional reform without the PPP’s support is yet to be seen.

Haslyn Parris was a key player in the last constitutional-reform process.

So he brings institutional memory, in addition to a sound understanding of the

Constitution. And Professor Lutchman returns to a subject that he has written on extensively. It would be interesting to see how much scope the Committee would allow for the reform process.

Would they recommend tinkering, or would they go for comprehensive reform? Only time will tell. In the meantime, the Government should be commended for sounding the first bell.

Miss GDF delegates sashed THE 19 delegates vying for the Miss Guyana Defence Force (GDF) 2015 title were last Wednesday sashed at the auditorium, Base Camp Ayanganna, by their respective commanders. Amidst loud cheers, the female soldiers, representing various units, sub-units and departments of the Guyana Defence Force, introduced themselves and gave a brief description of the units/departments which they will be representing.

Unlike traditional pageants, the Miss GDF 2015 Pageant is not all about pomp and ceremony.

In her opening remarks, Commanding Officer of the Women Army Corps (WAC), Lieutenant Colonel Natasha Standford, said, “The Miss Guyana Defence Force Pageant is not only a

beauty pageant, but rather an organised showcase of the physical fitness, marksmanship, talent, poise and eloquence of a military woman.”

The ceremony was the first of five activities for the delegates. September 10, 2015, is the date set for the Talent Competition. On September 24-25, 2015, there will be a Run and Shoot Competition where the delegates physical fitness and marksmanship abilities would be tested.

This would be followed by a Swim Suit Competition on October 7, 2015.

The coronation event is set for October 23, 2015, at the National Cultural Cen tre. Th e d eleg ates will be competing in evening wear and will also battle for high scores in the intelligence segment.

The delegates with Brigadier Mark Phillips

The Miss Guyana Defence Force Pageant is among several activities organised to celebrate the Force’s 50th Anniversary.

The sashing also fea-

tured live music from the Guyana Defence Force Frontline Band, a dance performance by the Classique Dance Group and a special song by civilian

Jennifer Jones. The ceremony was attended by the Chief of Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips, other senior officers of the Guyana Defence Force,

Warrant Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, Junior Non-Commissioned Officers, soldiers, special invitees, and civilian staff.

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GuySuCo in dire ...

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

From page 3

noted, will be addressed. According to the minister, a petition was sent to Government for the rehabilitation of the drainage and infrastructure at the Enmore, LBI and Wales estates, and this saw farmers improving their cane yield.

ENCOURAGED INVESTMENTS These days, he said, small farmers benefit from small loans, yet there has been an abandonment of private cane farms totalling 1814 hectares of lands due to various reasons; but through continued investment along with GuySuCo, the farmers can work together to rebuild the land reclaimed by the industry.

“Investors have viable economic opportunities available in the cane-farming industry. There are abandoned lands that they can have access to, plus there is a review of duty-free concessions for machinery, which will produce many measures to encourage the operations of cane farms,” Minister Holder said.

Government will also work towards having established cane farmers look towards other alternatives, because, he pointed out, it is not the best option to have GuySuCo monopolise all segments of the industry. Therefore, farmers can play a fundamental role in taking the industry to a new level.

From left, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo; Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan; Minister Holder; GuySuCo Chairman Dr. Clive Thomas, and Mr. Anthony Vieira

Task force to spearhead discussions on funding for municipalities

By Ravin Singh A TASK force primarily mandated to spearhead discussions on the way forward for the six municipalities across Guyana will explore options to generate financing for the local democratic organs, given that this is the main issue preventing development within those regions.

Following a meeting of officials from the Ministry of Communities and municipal officers at the ministry’s boardroom yesterday, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan made this disclosure. He explained that the ministry convened the interaction principally to reinforce that it will initiate programmes which allow for, and lead to, local democratic organs functioning with authority provided for under the constitutional framework.

Minister Bulkan said that topping the list of challenges which were highlighted by the authorities within the municipalities was that of financing. Adherence to by-laws and the existence of archaic laws still featuring in the legal framework governing local government were also discussed between the two stakeholders.

To address these issues,

which could lead to resolution of most of the other issues plaguing the democratic organs, the minister disclosed, a task force will be established to continue the discussions which will commence today.

The task force responsible for addressing these issues will arrive at a decision regarding funding for the municipalities, to enable them to effectively discharge their functions.

But the main source of funding, the minister explained, is the payment of rates by property owners to the municipalities.

The minister alluded to the fact that no recent evaluation of properties has been done. In fact, he said, the last evaluation was done decades ago, which renders the need for current evaluation, which will form the basis to determine what percentage of revenue will flow to council.

Additionally, he said, Thursday’s interactive discussions have led the Ministry of Communities to acknowledge that the capacity of the municipalities has been damaged and degraded, while other democratic organs have been rendered dysfunctional as a result of many factors.

“The system is broken…the attention of the ministry is to focus on

repairing that system. It was recognised that too many of our communities across our country are in crisis, and these communities need constant care and attention; and the only way this can be made possible is for councils to be equipped to discharge their responsibilities to constituents,” the minister said.

He reiterated the ministry’s support for local democratic organs in this regard, and noted that the ministry remains “unequivocally” committed to collaborating and cooperating with the municipalities and local organs, not only to empower them, but to ensure that they’re meaningfully equipped so that they possess the capacity to deliver on their functions.

Just last month, the Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2015, which includes Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) in the local government system for all purposes, was passed in the National Assembly. The passage of the bill, according to the minister, has signalled rebirth and renewal of local democracy in the country, with the aim of enabling the Administration to set about the task to repair the broken system that was inherited.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

Jagdeo rejects $500,000 salary for $1.4M pension

By Ravin Singh

DR Bharrat Jagdeo, the former President and incoming Opposition Leader, announced last Tuesday his intention to reject a $500,000 monthly salary as Opposition Leader in order to retain his current presidential pension of $1.4M. Had he opted to accept the salary of Opposition Leader, he would have effectively disqualified himself from receiving his current presidential pension.

At a news conference held at Freedom House on Tuesday last, the former President gave reasons why he would not be accepting the salary of Opposition Leader, a position he is expected to fill when the

opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) assume their seats in the Eleventh Parliament on Monday: “I am not accepting it because I get a pension.”

But he was at the time offering a rebuttal to what appeared to be speculative assumptions that salary increases for Members of Parliament (MPs) were pending. Jagdeo said that if the proposed hike in salaries for MPs and ministers is implemented, then the salary of the Opposition Leader would be adjusted to $1.1M. Facing, over the years, heavy criticisms for receiving a hefty pension since he demitted presidential office, Jagdeo argued that if the salary proposals were implemented, then serving Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

would have been receiving a salary of $1.7M. Jagdeo explained that since the PM would have spent more than 12 years in Parliament, if the PM were to demit office today, he would be receiving a pension larger than Jagdeo’s.

“So, after two months in office, Nagamootoo would have had a pension bigger than mine. They [the Government] need to tell people that now, since they are talking about salaries in our era,” he added.

But just last month, numerous benefits to which Jagdeo was entitled were axed by the APNU+AFC Government, who had signalled intention to do same since its accession to office earlier this year.

The bill that was passed

in the House to cut the benefits of the former president

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo now limits expenses incurred for utilities such as electric-

ity, telephone and water to $25,000 each month.

The bill also provides for “services of personal and household staff, including a gardener, provided that the total number of such staff shall not exceed three persons, including any member of the staff who may be on earned vacation or sick leave.”

Dr Jagdeo has also now been restricted to a financial limit of $200,000 per annum for medical expenses; and expenses incurred for medical procedures done overseas would be reimbursed only if that medical treatment were not available at local public health institutions.

However, in relation to the financial allocation for the Opposition Leader’s office, Jagdeo explained that

that is a different issue, since that money will not be coming directly to him. “That’s not my benefit personally, it would come to people who come to the constituency and so,” he said, adding that anything which comes to him directly he will not accept.

The position of Opposition Leader is complemented by office accommodation which is fully paid for and furnished by the State, and is staffed with one Research Officer (RO), one Executive Assistant, and one Clerical/ Office Assistant.

He would also be entitled to one chauffeur, one gardener, two household assistants or domestic servants, and 24-hour personal security for his office and for his official place of residence.

Minister Patterson terminates Dindyal’s engagement with GPL

By Navendra Seoraj

AFTER thoroughly examining the performance of Mr Bharat Dindyal, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), and taking into consideration

other factual information relating to his contract with the company, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, has concluded Dindyal’s engagement with the GPL. Dindyal has been formally advised that a decision

has been taken to conclude his engagement with the GPL effective from 16:00 hrs yesterday, Friday, August 14.

According to a release from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Dindyal’s substantive contract came to an end on December 31, 2014, after which there was no renewal. Nevertheless, he continued to serve as GPL’s CEO based on what was described as “an understanding,” between himself and the previous subject minister, former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds. There has been no written documentation provided with regard to this “understanding.”

Based on information provided, this “understanding” was apparently valid for

a six-month period, which commenced on January 1, 2015 and concluded on June

Former CEO of GPL Bharat Dindyal

30, 2015.

However, Mr. Dindyal had communicated to the new subject minister, the Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, that he intended to part ways with GPL, but was prepared to remain as CEO for an interim transition period.

Minister Patterson, having thoroughly examined these pertinent facts along with Mr. Dindyal’s intervention in matters relating to staff (some of which were video recorded and have been extensively viewed on social media) and his own performance appraisal and other relevant information, last evening advised Cabinet of the decision to conclude

Mr. Dindyal’s engagement with GPL. A subsequent announcement will be made with regard to the plan relating to the administrative leadership of GPL. Meanwhile, when the Chronicle caught up with Minister of State Joseph Harmon, he disclosed that Dindyal was a contracted person, therefore the terms and conditions of his contract would be the document which determines the relationship between the company and himself.

“If it would have come to a natural end, it is a way of bringing an end to a contractual employee and a company,” said Minister Harmon.

CJ grants 13 petitioners bail amounting to $7.65M –pending determination of their cases

ACTING Chief Justice Mr. Ian Chang S.C., yesterday granted 13 petitioners bail in the sum of $7,650,000 pending determination of their cases.

Particulars follow: For possession of narcotics, Derick Favourite was placed on $350,000 bail; Bothram Garnette was placed on $2,000,000 bail; Paula Rodrigues $625,000 bail; Teshia Rodrigues, $250,000 bail; Jacky Rodrigues, $250,000 bail; Festus Hohenkide, $100,000 bail; Eustace Thomas, $250,000 bail, and Desmond Thomas,

$1,250,000 bail.

For intent to defraud, Bayney Prim Gargoo was placed on $200,000 bail.

For possession of arms & ammunition, Liso Lette La Cruz was placed on $300,000 bail.

For threatening language, Jermaine Williams was placed on $25,000 bail.

For robbery, Derrick Bentick was placed on $1,900,000 bail; and for robbery under arms, Jermaine Wilson was placed on $150,000 bail.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

Police hold community outreach at Yarrowkabra,EBD

By Leroy Smith THE Guyana Police Force on Thursday conducted a community outreach in the community of Yarrowkabra on the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway, where several security and community-related issues were raised, discussed, and solutions arrived at.

The team was headed

by Assistant Commissioner of Police and ‘A’ Division Commander, Clifton Hicken, who was accompanied

by Sub-Divisional Officer, Deputy Superintendent Norman Timmerman; and Officer in Charge of the Highway base, Inspector Lenox Barrington.

During his meeting with the nearly 100 residents,

Commander Hicken addressing members community on Thursday Hicken initiated moves to patrolling the area and makstart three Community Polic- ing the police knowledgeable ing Groups in the area. These of the hot spots within the will work with the police in community.

of the Yarrowkabra The residents were also presented with a vehicle to aid in their patrol duties. The vehicle, currently all in black, will, within a few days, be sprayed

in the standard colours of the Guyana Police Force and be affixed with logos and other markings for it to be clearly identified as a police vehicle.

During their discussion with the senior police officers, residents not only ventilated concerns on security matters, but also issues of community development in the form of recreation, sporting facilities, and resource centres.

The meeting first saw the putting together of a working committee to address the issue of formation of the policing groups, and a confirmed decision to place a police traffic rank at a location on the highway where schoolchildren and other residents usually have to cross to make their way into the community.

Hicken, in his address, spoke to the issues of breakand-enter as was previously raised by the residents. He also told of the intentions of the Director of Youth, Christopher Jones, Region-

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al Chairperson Genevieve Allen and Social Protection Minister Simona Broomes to work along with the police in addressing the issues of the community, especially those on the community development front.

The issues of community clean-ups and the reduction of crimes, primarily breakand-enter, were ventilated.

As they did in several other communities, the police will also provide the community with the resources to develop a cricket pitch and basketball court on an already identified piece of land, for recreational purposes in the community.

Early next week, the police will be ensuring that kits for Rural Constables in the area are delivered, according to Hicken, who was at the time responding to the issue after it was raised by several Rural Constables in the community. On Thursday, the police also delivered a small amount of sporting gear to the community.

Expired, unregistered drugs/pharmaceuticals seized in Region 4 -- following inspections by Food and Drug Department

The vehicle which will be used for patrolling the community after it is sprayed in the police colours

Some of the residents standing around the already packed facility where the meeting was held

THE Government Analyst Food and Drug Department has seized a number of items following inspections of both private and public health facilities in Region 4.

According to the department, from the inspections, 16 brands of prescription drugs/pharmaceuticals which were unregistered; 10 brands of prescription drugs/pharmaceuticals labelled in a foreign language; and 59 expired prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs/pharmaceuticals were seized.

In addition, several drugs/pharmaceuticals were seized and left on premises pending investigation on registration.

The seizures were made from visits to 16 community pharmacies, five importers’ bonds, six private hospitals and the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The inspection was aimed at ensuring that all drugs/ pharmaceuticals distributed and used in both the private and public health care system are registered, safe, efficacious, of the requisite quality, and are distributed in accordance with the Food and Drug regulations.

The exercise stemmed from several complaints emanating from customers and proprietors in the industry relating to the trade, supply and sale of unregistered, improperly labelled, improperly packaged, and expired drugs and pharmaceuticals.

According to the Food and Drug Act 1971 and Regulation 1977, Regulation 78 states that every new drug/ pharmaceutical must be registered, and Regulation 48 stipulates that all drugs/pharmaceuticals must be properly packaged and labelled.

“This exercise would be extended to other regions, and same would be continuous and ongoing to ensure that only safe, efficacious drugs of the best quality are distributed on our local market,” the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department has said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

Following immediate dismissal of workers…

GWU leads picketing against SAJ rice Inc.

By Ravin Singh SUPPORTED by employees from SAJ rice incorporated who were recently dismissed, the General Workers Union (GWU) yesterday led a picketing exercise outside the Social Protection Ministry to express their dissatisfaction with the operating procedures which guided the dismissal of approximately 20 employees.

Offering a comment to the media on the genesis of the issue, President of the GWU Norris Witter, explained that two weeks ago, employees of the said company approached officers of the union requesting information as to the procedural requirements for joining the organisation.

Subsequently, on Friday, July 31, officers of the union visited workers of the rice company, where discussions were held. He reported that just two days after that meeting, the

dismissal of 15 of those employees took immediate effect.

The dismissal letter was reportedly titled “Termination on the grounds of redundancy.”

After being made aware of this, Witter said, on Tuesday, August 4, the union contacted the Ministry of Social Protection and informed them of the situation. “We took the pains to point out to the ministry that the actions of the management was illegal; it was in conflict and violation of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act Chapter 98:08,” he said.

According to the Act, which provides for dismissal on the grounds of redundancy, “Prior to terminating the employment of any employee pursuant to the section, the employer shall inform as early as possible but not later than one month from the date of the existence of any circumstances…”

The Act further provides for summary conviction and

-Social Protection Ministry to examine issue within legal context

Some of the picketers at yesterday’s exercise staged outside the Ministry of Social Protection on Brickdam payment of a fine of $20,000 dollars and imprisonment for three months, if the employer contravenes any provisions of the Act. But this was alluded to by Witter when he contacted the Ministry of Social Protection.

In fact, he told reporters yes-

terday, he had made reference to the law, citing conditions for dismissal on the grounds of redundancy, which includes informing the employees and or the ministry prior to the decision taking effect.

This had, however, not

been the approach by the rice company. To this end, the union representative reasoned that the action of the employer was not only a violation of the rights of the employees, but was also a demonstration of disrespect for the ministry responsible for labour issues.

When this was pointed out to the ministry, Witter related, the SAJ response, one week later, was to continue with the same violation, this time terminating five more employees under the same condition of redundancy.

Against this backdrop, the trade unionist passionately expressed that the rights of workers are non-negotiable, and that no matter how good a budget is, the persons who are intended to benefit will not benefit if they are not employed.

“The reason for this protest

Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, in conversation with one of the dismissed workers as several others picket outside the ministry’s office

is that it is a reminder to the union that, despite the fact that there has been a change in political administration, there are still employers in this country who are prepared to continue to violate the rights of workers with impunity, and to treat workers contemptuously.

“We are sending a very strong message to any such employer, whether they be State employer or private employer; whether local employer or foreign employer; we are not going to condone these atrocities any longer. We are determined to exercise our militancy and bring an end to all acts of violation against workers of this country,” Witter affirmed.

Also weighing in on the matter was Minister of Social Protection Volda Lawrence, who stated that the ministry will be addressing this matter in context within the law, which she alleged was breached by the employer.

According to the minister, she was unaware of the situation, since the ministry had not received any correspondence from the employer. However, she assured reporters that there is currently an officer assigned to investigate the matter.

Additionally, Minister Lawrence explained that she will facilitate dialogue between herself and the Chief Labour Officer (CLO), who had earlier yesterday returned from another engagement.

“I’m going to have a chat with him [CLO], and I can assure you that, before the day is out, we will be addressing this matter,” she said.

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GPF crime-prevention strategy through community/police relations bearing fruit

By Michel Outridge

THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) is continuing its efforts aimed at crime prevention through police-community partnership programmes, along with social crime prevention interventions in the policing divisions, with special emphasis on empowering youths.

During last month, ‘A’ Division (Georgetown/East Bank Demerara) held its Annual Youth Challenge Camp at Madewini Gardens, Madewini, East Bank Demerara. The camp was attended by some one hundred and thirty six (136) youths between the ages of seven and 17, and was planned with the aim of promoting social cohesion, discipline, leadership, respect and vocational skills training among the youths, who were drawn from various communities within the division.

Educational classes were also held with the children of the various youth clubs with focus on Mathematics, English Language and Comprehension. In addition, the police awarded trophies to the top

performing students at the recent Grade Six Assessment Examinations from the Bel Air, Redeemer, St. Ambrose and St. Gabriel Primary Schools in recognition of their achievements.

In ‘B’ Division (Berbice), there were medical outreaches on the West Coast of Berbice, and at the Mount Sinai Nursery School in New Amsterdam. The Outreach on the West Coast of Berbice attracted residents from Ithaca to Belladrum, while the one at Mount Sinai catered for residents of the Angoy’s Avenue and New Amsterdam communities.

A Youth Empowerment lecture was held at the Kingston Development Centre at No. 79 Village, Corriverton, and it was facilitated by personnel from the Child Care and Protection Agency and the Domestic Violence Centre. Some 85 youths attended.

Areas dealt with included child abuse, the rights of the child, behaviour patterns, and the consequences of drug abuse.

The division also painted pedestrian crossings at both the Friends Primary

GPF statistics reveal increases in serious crimes up to August 5, 2015

By Michel Outridge THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday said that a total of 94 murders were recorded at the end of July 2015, in comparison to 80 murders at the end of July 2014. This increases the murder rate by 18%, as at August 13, 2015, four additional murders have been recorded.

There has been an increase of 68% in the number of reports of rape, with 243 reports at the end of July this year, compared to 145 for the same period last year.

Break-and-enter and larceny and burglary have shown an overall increase of 9%.

At the end of July 2015, robbery under arms overall had decreased by 2% in comparison to the same period in 2014.

The statistics indicate a decrease of 4% in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms; while the number of armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators has increased by 3%.

As at the end of July 2015, a total of 74 illegal firearms had been recovered by the police. Those comprised one sub-machine gun; 43 pistols, 18 revolvers; five shotguns; six rifles and one pen gun. As at the end of July 2014, a total of 46 illegal firearms had been recovered by the police.

Among the serious crimes being policed by the GPF are murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape, and kidnapping.

TRAFFIC In relation to traffic offences, 71 road

fatalities from 58 accidents have been recorded at the end of July 2015, in comparison to 67 fatalities from 61 accidents for the same period in 2014.

There have been decreases in all other categories of road accidents – serious, minor and damage.

Pedestrians have so far been the main category of road-users affected in road fatalities, with 25 such persons having lost their lives by the end of July 2015.

In addition, 6 pedal cyclists, 18 persons in motor vehicles, 10 motor cyclists, nine drivers, two pillion riders and one person who was being towed on a bicycle also lost their lives.

Speeding has been the major contributory factor to fatal accidents, having been the cause of 29 of the 58 fatal accidents unto July 2015.

Traffic enforcement by the police has resulted in a total of 31,201 cases being made against errant motorists at the end of July, 2015.

Of this amount, 13,129 cases were for speeding, 942 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 362 for using cellphones while driving, and 873 for failing to wear seat belts.

As at August 13, 2015, there have been five road fatalities recorded for August 2015. This compares to fourteen for the same period last year.

The Guyana Police Force is once more urging motorists to reduce their speed when using the roadways, and to take cognisance of the five Cs of defensive driving :– care, commonsense, courtesy, caution and consideration.

School and the Sisters Nursery School, East Bank Berbice and made a significant donation of cricket gear to West Indies U-15 selectee Kevin Sinclair.

The police in ‘D’ Division (West Demerara/East Bank Essequibo) conducted a six-day Vacation Bible School programme for 110 youths in collaboration with the Faith and Grace Assembly at La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara. Work is in progress with the construction of a shed with seats for the accommodation of pensioners while collecting their pensions at the Meten-Meer-Zorg Post Office. It is also planned to have a similar shed erected at the Den Amstel Post Office.

In the police ‘E’ Division (Linden/ Kwakwani), work continued among the youths with two one-week day youth camps being held at the Bayroc Community Centre Ground and at the Wismar/Christianburg Secondary School at Wismar, where a total of 135 members of police youth clubs in the division participated.

A quantity of sporting gear was also presented to members of the Kairuni and Silver Hill Police Youth Groups.

Divisional commanders also held a number of community outreach meetings,

where issues and concerns of members of the public were addressed.

During July 2015, there was a total of twelve (12) interventions supported by the religious community in the Cops and Faith Community Network, which treats with juvenile first offenders for minor crimes as a preemptive intervention to the New Opportunity Corps.

Since the launch of the Cops and Faith Community Network in September 2013, and unto July 31, 2015, there has been a total of 186 such interventions. In all cases, the youths were counselled by the religious leaders; and following the involvement of parents/guardians, and the victims where necessary, the majority of them were warned and sent away.

In relation to the family liaison for victims of serious crimes and domestic violence project, which is also under the Cops and Faith Community Network, there were eleven (11) interventions by members of the religious community in response to attempted suicide, fatal accidents and several cases of serious crime, including armed robbery and murder, where the affected persons, victims and relatives were counselled.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

GCCI pleased with Budget 2015 presentation THE Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) is happy that the 2015 Budget has finally been presented.

The GCCI issued the following statement last evening: The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) is first of all pleased that a budget has finally been presented to the National Assembly for the year 2015.

It is our belief that the budget provides the clearest picture of a Government’s intentions and therefore serves as a guide for the investment and related economic activities of the private sector. In this vein, our initial observations are as follows: The Government has committed to the enacting of legislation for e-commerce/e-transactions, the

recognition of electronic signatures for document certification and data protections. We would have also wished for a definitive commitment on the modernisation of our intellectual property legislation, but hope this will [be] a part of the overall process. We also hope for the enactment of all this legislation way before 2020.

In the education sector, the Chamber also supports the distribution of laptops to educators, students, institutions and community-based organisations.

This will address the issue of not enough students having access to tools critical for their education and development. The creation of an Information Technology School of Excellence is welcome. The Chamber urges that it is positioned carefully, taking into consideration the

critical role the University of Guyana plays via its Department of Computer Studies.

Government has provided relief for the gold industry with a waiving of custom duties. We are still not certain if this will completely solve the problems of the industry, since the price of the commodity continues to decline. It is hoped that efforts continue to be made to produce gold more efficiently.

We note the allocation of $8B to the sugar industry, but support without reservation the minister’s statement about the need to decide quickly on the future of the Guyana Sugar Corporation. It would be indeed unfortunate if the nation is faced with continuing to provide subventions of this size. The need to decide whether or not GuySuCo can operate under an economic model

that can contribute to the national economy is paramount.

This concern also pertains to the rice industry in terms of its ability to compete pricewise on the international market. The Chamber would also urge that a review of the functions and overall effectiveness of the GRDB should be part of the support given to the industry. We can ill afford to run the risk of subsidising rice as well.

We strongly agree with the minister about the need to inculcate a culture of data collection, data use, data dissemination and storage.

The implementation of benchmarks and rigid evaluation of same are also welcome.

We wish to congratulate the Minister of Finance on the presentation of a budget that is fair and shows

a clear understanding of the challenges that face us as a nation. We must comment, however, that at $G221 billion, this is a fairly large budget, especially when one considers that there are only about four and

a half months left in the year. The Chamber hopes therefore that all agencies understand that there must be an agile procurement and project-implementation process to ensure that these funds are spent effectively.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

Three teenagers remanded on break and enter and larceny charge THREE teenagers were refused bail when they appeared in the New Amsterdam Magistrates’ Court accused of stealing a washing machine and other items from a dwelling house in the town.

Nokosia Leitch, 17, of Lot 12 Mount Sinai; Winston Lewis, 17, of Angoy’s Avenue; and Marlon Deon, 18, of Charles Place, were not required to plead to the joint charge of break and enter and larceny when they appeared before Magistrate Marissa Mittleholzer.

Particulars of the offence state that on July 21 last, at Charles Place, they broke and entered the dwelling house of Andrew Scipio and stole a washing machine, a fan, a DVD player, a blender, a pair of speakers, a mattress and a bet sheet, all valued at $131,500.

The unrepresented men are expected to return to court on August 17 for statements and fixture.

Saturday, August 15, 2015 –– 05:00 hrs Sunday, August 16, 2015 –– 05:30 hrs Monday, August 17, 2015 –– 05:00 hrs

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Orealla, Siparuta to be models for disaster management

THE Civil Defence Commission (CDC), pursuing its mandate to ensure vulnerable communities become resistant to disasters, conducted training sessions at Orealla and Siparuta earlier this month.

Major Kester Craig, Training and Operations Officer of the CDC, indicated that work is currently ongoing in those communities, with the intention of making them model communities for

community.

“With the communities having established a committee of persons [one for each community] to lead the process, we are building the capacity of the team for disaster risk management and emergency response,” Wilson explained.

Wilson added that the CERT training is aimed at having a team of persons identified who have the requisite knowledge and skills, and so can respond

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) from Orealla and Siparuta practise how to remove fallen structures Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM).

Craig explained that training in community leadership and management is important, as it ensures the requisite knowledge and skills are in place to secure the sustainability of any project, and many community members lack capacity in these areas.

“We are hoping that we can partner with community-based NGOs and the Ministry of Communities.

Community-based training helps to strengthen the local government arms at the regional levels,” Craig said.

Anita Wilson, CBDRM Officer and Volunteer Coordinator of the CDC, in an invited comment, said that the CDC and its Region 6 volunteers are being funded by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), to implement a CBDRM project in the

to emergencies which may occur within the community.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e Community Leadership training was done so as to establish management teams that will be responsible for the implementation of the DRM’s plans for the community and which are being developed through the project.

“Community Leadership was specifically done because a concern was raised by the residents that they have had many committees established.

However, persons lack the leadership skills and qualities to continue the work after agencies pull out.

The training was done to mitigate and prevent such an instance in this case,” Wilson said.

Orealla and Siparuta were selected because the CDC’s Development of the Regional DRM for Region 6 had noted that

17

these communities were highly vulnerable because of their distance and remoteness from the rest of the regional network.

“We identified the need to build the

See page 20

Shameza David, a CDC volunteer, facilitating training in Community Leadership - Project Management and Finance

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

IICA continues help to beek

By Clifford Stanley THE local office of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) continued its support for local beekeepers by bringing in an expert who gave them training on permapiculture, a new and

proven way of beekeeping which will boost their productivity and the profitability of their businesses.

The IICA programme was held at the Mangrove Benab at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara, from Monday to Wednesday last, and the beekeeping expert,

who was the main resource person, was Dr Manuel David Sanchez Hermosilo, a beekeeper from Mexico, who also works as the IICA country representative in The Dominican Republic .

Members of the Guyana Apicultural Society (GAS), some from as far away as

Aliki and Mainstay in Essequibo,were the beneficiaries.

Mr Wilmot Garnett, the IICA representative to Guyana, told the Guyana Chronicle that the programme was one of a number of regional programmes in support of agriculture organised by IICA.

The traditional hive

Young delegates striving to make a difference through pageantry SIX young ladies who are striving to make a difference today compete in the Ms. Youth Ambassador Pageant to be held at the St. Stanislaus College.

The theme of the pageant is, ‘Enhancing Female Empowerment.’ The delegates hail from depressed communities in Georgetown and the East Bank of Demerara.

This initiative of empowering youths through pageantry, was implemented by the Guyana Police Force in an effort to help youths of depressed communities. Commander of ‘A’ Division, Clifton Hicken, in an interview, said, “The pageant could motivate other females to change their lifestyles so that they too can become models or representatives of their communities.”

The participants all seem to want to become better persons, and are keen on making a change within their communities. One stated that she wants “to be a role-model to other girls, and influence them to have confidence in themselves.”

Coordinating and training the young girls is Ms Eumani Buarne, former Miss Guyana Universe 2012 and Ms Congeniality 2015. Ms Buarne said that the pageant is focused on highlighting problems affecting teenagers, namely suicide, drug abuse and teenage pregnancy. She added that, “The aim of this pageant is to develop them [the participants] to become leaders.”

The young ladies are between the ages of 14 – 16 and are representing their communities. Vying for the crown will be Ms North Sophia, Lisa Smart; Ms Grove, Chatene Golliard; Ms Tiger Bay, Noami Rossan; Ms Albouystown, Onicka Lynch; Ms. Mocha, Marisha Joseph; and Ms Central Georgetown, Diandra Sampson.

Starting time for the pageant is 18:00 hrs and the public is encouraged to come and see the young and beautiful girls display their talents.

Dr Sanchez during a presentation at the Mangrove Benab, Cove and John, earlier this week

Pomeroon farmer Vilm calls for diversificatio

...says coconut

A bountiful cherry harvest from the Essequibo Coast

Water coconuts grown i

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

keepers This one, he said, fell under the heading of support for family agriculture with the objective being general improvement of apiary units in the Caribbean.

The permapiculture initiative also targets beekeepers in St Lucia, Barbados and Trinidad.

During the programme, Dr Sanchez told participants that the new technique of permapiculture was a beekeeping system conceived by famous beekeeper and agriculture expert, Oscar Perone of Argentina, with the aim of returning the bees to the possibility of developing their colony in keeping with their natural instincts and wisdom accumulated during tens of millions of years of existence with minimum human interference.

Permapiculture made beekeeping simple to the point that almost anyone in the right place, including people in marginal rural areas, can become

Dr Sanchez explains features of the Perone Hive to some beekeepers beekeepers, generate income by selling high-quality products without agro-chemicals and other contaminants, and help in the recovery of bio-diversity, eco-system conservation and agricultural productivity.

He told them that the bee hives for permapiculture, named the Perone Hive, costs about one third of the traditional hives they were accustomed to.

The Perone hive, which he was training them to build and use, was designed with the proportions of a “divine geometry” and imitated the holes in a large tree where wild bee colonies used to make combs.

Additionally, in permapiculture, the Perone hives are placed in the right point considering the magnetic lines of the earth, enabling a better development and performance of the bee

colony.

The hive, most importantly, does not require any type of management.

“The only interventions are the harvesting and restitutions of the empty sections.”

Wilmot Garnett said that IICA will provide the programme to improve apiculture in Guyana and other targeted Caribbean countries for four years.

He noted that the IICA local office had been providing support to the GAS for the past two years, even before this programme had been envisaged.

IICA assisted GAS members with the governance and structure for the GAS; with equipment, some suits, and some extractors.

He said that the IICA support for GAS will continue with the donation of

Perone hives.

He said, “We also have to consolidate since there is no one beekeeper in Guyana who can produce the volume demanded.”

He said that IICA will assist with quality assurance issues, so that all local producers could produce honey in a standard way and thereby guarantee the quality demanded by local and external markets.

ma Da Silva on of crops

ts are a hit on the int’l market

in The Pomeroon

RDC Councillor and farmers’ representative Vilma DaSilva POMEROON farmer Ms Vilma Da Silva is calling for the diversification of crops in the light of issues facing the rice industry.

Speaking at the recent meeting of the Regional Democratic Council at Anna Regina, the councillor, who is a large-scale cash crop farmer in the Pomeroon, said

A carambola tree on a farm in The Pomeroon now is the time for farmers to look at diversification.

She called on farmers to support each other and for the Ministry of Agriculture to help them with more ready markets for their produce.

Ms Da Silva, who also operates a water coconut bottling plant in the Pomeroon, said rice is in crisis, but she thanked God for coconuts.

She said coconuts from the

Pomeroon are in demand on the international market.

According to Ms Da Silva, The Pomeroon is the largest coconut-producing area in the entire Caribbean and prices for the water and dried coconuts are very attractive at this time.

She said she currently has markets for four large containers of coconut water for the Caribbean

every month, adding that coconuts are in demand as well as fresh fruits, and she called on farmers to look into areas of diversification. She said the late President of Guyana Dr Cheddi Jagan, had always said never put all your eggs in one basket.

(Rajendra Prabhulall in Essequibo)

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Orealla, Siparuta to be models ...

From page 17

community’s systems so that they can be better able to manage and respond before regional interventions are required. The CDC will continue to work with the communities and hopes to feature them during this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction,” Wilson said.

As the CDC continues to implement its project within the communities, upcoming missions will include the development and vetting of emergency disaster plans, and equipping the established committees with kits which would have the necessary equipment, uniforms and other accessories, to be used by committee members.

In 2016, the Civil Defence Commission will be focusing on CBDRM plans in the most vulnerable communities in Regions 4, 6 and 9.

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) from Orealla and Siparuta practise transporting a casualty on a stretcher

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) practise their newly learnt fire-fighting skills

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Ramdin cautions against ...

From back page

in a rebuilding phase and they have included a number of young players, so it is a good time to play them,” said Ramdin.

“However, we are not going to under-estimate them, as they are in their own backyard and a number of their players still possess experience and quality, like the captain Angelo Mathews and their wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal. We have to go there with great fighting qualities and play good cricket to be successful.”

West Indies are seeking to rebound from a 0-2 defeat

to Australia in the Caribbean earlier this year.

Before that series, however, Ramdin’s men earned a creditable one-all draw against England in the Caribbean.

“I would like to see the batsmen not settling for one good score in a Test series.

We need to be more consistent and score more centuries in order to give our bowlers something to work with,” the Test captain said.

“As far as the bowling is concerned we need to be more consistent. They need to do the basics right on a more regular basis.”

Ramdin’s comments followed his meeting with

the West Indies team management in Barbados on Wednesday.

Also attending were WICB president Dave Cameron, coach Phil Simmons, cricket operations manager Richard Pybus, chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd, manager Richie Richardson and limited overs captain Jason Holder.

“Basically we reviewed the last two tours at home.

The guys all made their contributions and it was good to be included because I was able to make an input in the plans going forward,” he said.

“As West Indies captain when you are invited to a meeting like this, it shows respect and I appreciated being there and making my contribution.”

Ronald Legall cremated ...

From back page

the gathering of Legall’s commitment to the game of cricket and his obvious need to assist in the sport’s development.

Williams said, “Ron Legall taught, developed and perfected the art of scoring and the compilation of cricket statistics to the extent that Ron Legall was known as the best cricket statistician in Guyana and arguably the best cricket statistician in the Caribbean.”

Legall, who was a veteran in the insurance business by profession, was also

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hailed as one of the outstanding figures at Demerara Mutual Life where he worked, before he passed on.

Members of staff spoke of his traditional approach to dealing with clients and his often displeasure with those who strayed from the principles of the career which he said shaped the financial lives of individuals.

Courtney Legall, in remembering the man that his brother was, stated that “There was a fellow by the name of Mr Barnwell who scored for Malteenoes and he taught Ron everything about

scoring. Then they took him to the Georgetown Cricket Club to show him how to do the scoring.”

Apart from being a statistician, he was also an exceptional billiards player during his time with competitive four-ball games that were, until recent times, the talk of the table.

He was one of the youngest members of the Guyana Legion and also the captain of the side.

Legall was born on January 29, 1943 in W Bent Street Wortmanville.

(Stephan Sookram)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

Chandimal heroics help Sri Lanka set India 176 for win SCOREBOARD (REUTERS) - Dinesh Chandimal inspired a Sri Lankan fightback with an attacking unbeaten 162, his highest score, as the hosts set India a target of 176 on the third day yesterday to win the opening Test at Galle.

India, in reply, lost Lokesh Rahul (five) to reach 23 for one wicket at stumps, still needing another 153 runs for victory. First-innings centurion Shikhar Dhawan (13) and nightwatchman Ishant Sharma (five) were unbeaten at the crease.

The tourists seemed to be cruising towards an inning victory after picking up three wickets in the morning but wicketkeeper-batsman Chandimal (162 not out) and Lahiru Thirimanne (44) stemmed the rot by adding 125 for the sixth wicket.

Chandimal, 25, stitched together another 82-run stand for the seventh wicket with Jehan Mubarak (49) during his 169-ball knock, which included 19 boundaries and four sixes, before the hosts were all out for 367 in their second innings.

The right-handed batsman walked into bat with Sri Lanka on 92-4 and it became 95-5 in the next over forcing him to launch a counterattack.

Chandimal, who was reprieved by a wrong decision by the umpire with him on single digit, played the sweep shot ferociously against the spinners and also employed the reverse sweep to good effect and picked up boundaries at will.

After a successful morning session for the visiting bowlers, Thirimanne was the only batsman to fall in the afternoon session.

Off-spinner Ravichan-

Dinesh Chandimal exults after getting to his fourth Test ton in Galle on the third day. dran Ashwin, who picked up six wickets in the first innings, took his third in the second by sending back Thirimanne after a catch

by Ajinkya Rahane at slip.

Ashwin also cleanbowled number 11 batsman Nuwan Pradeep to finish with a match-haul of 10 wickets.

Sri Lanka, bowled out in their first innings for 183, resumed the day on five for two wickets after dismissing India for 375 but lost nightwatchman Dhammika Prasad (three) on the first ball of the morning by fast bowler Varun Aaron.

Prasad could not handle the steep bounce Aaron extracted off the Galle International Stadium pitch and gloved the ball to Rahane at gully.

The dismissal brought home captain Angelo Mathews to the crease and he stitched together a defiant 87-run stand for the fourth wicket with retiring stalwart Kumar Sangakkara.

Mathews (39) suffered a painful blow to his body off fast bowler Ishant Sharma early in his innings and decided to take the attack to the Indian bowlers.

The experienced duo managed to keep the tourists at bay for over 90 minutes in the session before Rahane pulled off an excellent catch at slip off Ashwin to send back Sangakkara (40).

The 37-year-old, who will retire after the second Test against India in Colombo, walked off to a standing ovation.

India captain Virat Kohli then introduced Amit Mishra, who had taken a wicket in his first over on Thursday evening, and the leg-spinner took out Mathews, who edged a catch to Lokesh Rahul at silly mid-off.

Mishra, playing his first Test for India in four years, should also have had the wicket of Thirimanne after the left-hander fell to a batpad catch but the umpire ruled it not-out.

Australia beat England in Test match ENGLAND need to win all three remaining games of the series to retain the Women’s Ashes after Australia clinched the Test by 161 runs.

Starting the day on 90-4, Australia reached 156-6 before declaring for the second time in the match.

England were quickly reduced to 29-5, with Sarah Taylor out for a second consecutive duck.

Lydia Greenway and Georgia Elwiss stemmed the tide before England lost their last five wickets in 39 balls.

Australia seamer Ellyse Perry took career-best figures of six wickets for 32 runs, including removing Greenway and Laura Marsh with consecutive balls, as England collapsed from 80-6 to 101 all out.

It means Australia are now up 8-2 on points in the seven-match series, with three Twenty20 matches remaining that are each worth two points to the winner.

Ashes holders England can no longer win the series, but they could secure an unlikely draw by winning all three T20s. (BBC Sport)

SRI LANKA 1st innings 183 (A. Mathews 64, D. Chandimal 59; R. Ashwin 6-46) India 1st innings 375 (S. Dhawan 134, V. Kohli 103, W. Saha 60; T. Kaushal 5-134) SRI LANKA 2nd innings (o/n: 5-2) D. Karunaratne b Ashwin 0 K. Silva b Mishra 0 D. Prasad c Rahane b Aaron

3 K. Sangakkara c Rahane b Ashwin 40 A. Mathews c Rahul b Mishra 39 D. Chandimal not out 162 L. Thirimanne c Rahane b Ashwin 44 J. Mubarak c Rahane b H. Singh 49 R. Herath c Rahane b Mishra 1 T. Kaushal c Saha b I. Sharma 7

N. Pradeep b Ashwin 3 Extras: (b-3, nb-8, w-8) 19 Total: (all out, 82.2 overs) 367 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-1, 3-5, 4-92, 5-95, 6-220. 7-302, 8-319, 9-360.

Bowling: R. Ashwin 28.2-6114-4, A. Mishra 17-2-61-3 (nb-2), H. Singh 17-0-73-1, V. Aaron 7-0-39-1 (w-8), I. Sharma 13-0-77-1 (nb-6).

INDIA 2nd innings (Target: 176 runs) L. Rahul lbw b Herath 5 S. Dhawan not out 13 I. Sharma not out 5 Extras: 0 Total: (for 1 wickets, 8 overs) 23 Fall of wickets: 1-12.

Bowling: D. Prasad 2-1-2–0, R. Herath 3-0-13–1, K. Silva 3-1-8-0.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

Platini gets major FIFA Australia name Smith new Test skipper, boost with Sheikh Warner deputy Salman backing LONDON, England (Reuters) - FIFA presidential candidate Michel Platini has won the key backing of the head of the Asian Football Confederation, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain.

Sheikh Salman said in a statement backing the UEFA president yesterday that the world governing body would “need a leadership with experience, wisdom and ability to bring back stability to FIFA. “Mr Platini boasts such characteristics and has an ambitious vision to renew belief in the organisation,” he said.

The news will be a particular welcome for the early frontrunner Platini given his closest challenger to emerge so far is an Asian candidate -- South Korean former FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon.

FIFA will hold an elective congress on February 26 to decide on the replacement for outgoing president Sepp Blatter, who is standing down following the organisation’s corruption scandals.

While Sheikh Salman’s endorsement is a personal one at this stage he made it clear he wanted his region to be united in the vote “for the good of Asian football”.

Other candidates who have declared their intention to run are former Brazil great Zico,

UEFA President Michel Platin Liberian FA chairman Musa Bility and ex-Trinidad and Tobago midfielder David Nakhid.

Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, who was defeated by Blatter in May’s election, could be another Asian candidate while South African businessman and former political prisoner Tokyo Sexwale is weighing up his own bid.

A Platini team spokesman said: “Michel Platini is pleased with the official show of support from Sheikh Salman. This clearly illustrates that the UEFA president is a global candidate who has been able to garner support from outside Europe as well as within it.”

FIFA was thrown into turmoil in May when U.S. prosecutors announced the indictment of nine current and former soccer officials, many of whom had FIFA positions, and five sports marketing executives.

All candidates must gain the nomination of five national federations and submit their candidature to FIFA by October 26 when they will also be subjected to an integrity check.

The 60-year-old Platini is a former France international who also played for Italian giants Juventus. He later coached the French national team before moving into football administration.

PetamaEnt./Motor Trend Softball Results & Fixtures

THE PetamaEnterprise & Motor Trend-sponsored softball tournament began last Sunday and the results are: DCC Ground Masters: Parika Defenders def.

Park Rangers by 6 wickets.

Park Rangers 135 all out off 19.2 overs. Mohamed Rafeek 44, Danny Mohan-

ram 42; D. Canan 2-13, A. Wazim 2-23, A. Ali 2-28.

Defenders 136 for 5 off 18.2 overs. M Saffie 56, Bacchus 38; Hanoman Singh 2-26.

Floodlights def. Savage Masters by 21 runs. Floodlights 167-6-20 overs Yunis Yusuf 39, Wayne Jones 32 not out, Imtiaz Mohamed 28.

Wallace Joseph took 2-24.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Saturday August 15, 2015) Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market &The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: WI vs ENG, 1930 WI vs PAK, 1988 Today’s Quiz: Who has played most Test matches at Bourda?

Who has played most ODIs at Bourda?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Savage made 146-7 off 20 overs. S. Samaroo 31, Nadir Baksh 28 not out; Imtiaz Mohamed 3-27, Rabindra Singh 2-20.

Regal Masters def.

Fisherman by 9 wickets.

Fisherman made 111-5 off 20 overs. R Mohan 29, Ramo Malone 19, David Harper 17; Falim Mohamed 2-8.

Regal 115-2 off 11.4 overs.

Rudolph Baker 71, MahendraHardyal 18.

Open: Fixtures for Sunday August 16: DCC Ground: Pitch 1: 09:30hrs - Floodlights Masters vs Fisherman Masters. 12:30hrs - Floodlights Legends vs Savage Masters.

Pitch 2: 09:30hrs - Brickery Super Stars vs Farm.

12:30hrs - Herstelling Raiders vs Princess Hotel.

GNIC Ground: 09:30hrs: Regal Masters vs Park Rangers.

MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - Steven Smith will take over as captain of the Australian Test team following the retirement of Michael Clarke after the fifth Ashes Test against England, the country’s cricket board said yesterday.

Opening batsman David Warner will be Smith’s deputy in the Test and One-day International formats, Cricket Australia said in a statement.

Clarke announced his decision to quit international cricket after England won the fourth Test at Trent Bridge last week to regain the Ashes.

The 26-year-old Smith was expected to take the role having previously led the team when he replaced the injured Clarke as captain for three Tests during the home series against India.

National selector Rod Marsh said Australia had no doubt that Smith was the right man for the job.

“We have had a clear succession plan in place for the captaincy with Steve Smith gaining valuable experience leading the Australian Test team while Michael Clarke was recovering from injury last season,” Marsh said in the

David Warner statement.

“When Michael made his decision to retire last week it was a very straightforward decision for us to nominate Steve as his successor.

“He has big shoes to fill but everything about him suggests he is the right man for the job. At 26, he is a fine young man with extraordinary talent, excellent leadership qualities and a terrific temperament.

“He is highly regarded by the selectors and we congratulate him on being appointed to the role on an ongoing basis. He should be incredibly proud.”

Smith has clearly been Australia’s best batsman in the last year but his team is certain to have a very different complexion when the players embark on a two-Test tour of Bangladesh in October.

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, Chris Rogers and Shane Watson are all ex-

pected to have played their last Tests during their calamitous trip to England, while paceman Ryan Harris retired before the first Ashes Test after suffering another knee injury.

Besides Smith, the diminutive Warner is expected to carry most of the burden of Australia’s batting.

Nicknamed ‘Bull’ and one of the cleanest hitters in the game, Warner, when on song, can take a game away from opponents but also relishes a verbal battle out in the middle and his sledging has drawn multiple code of conduct violations in the past.

However, Marsh felt the extra responsibility would help the left-handed batsman.

“We have reached a point in time where we’ve had to look at our leadership positions again with an eye to the future,” Marsh said.

“David has matured and developed into an important senior figure in the Australian team. He has come a long way.

“We believe that he will respond well to the added responsibility of leadership.”

The fifth Ashes Test starts on Thursday at The Oval, London.

Amla leads S.Africa to comfortable win over New Zealand DURBAN, South Africa (Reuters) - Opener Hashim Amla fell two runs shy of a half-century as South Africa cruised to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Twenty20 at Kingsmead, yesterday.

Set 152 to win, the hosts were always up with the run rate and reached their target with 13 balls to spare.

Having won the toss and elected to bowl, South Africa restricted New Zealand to 151 for eight by taking the final seven wickets for 40 runs.

All the home batsmen then got starts but it was the steady hand of Amla (48 from 41 balls) that guided them to victory.

Captain AB de Villiers (33 from 21) and Rilee Rossouw (38 from 20) also gave impetus to the innings.

Earlier, opener Kane Williamson smashed 42 from 21 balls as New Zealand made a swashbuckling start before he was stumped off left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso.

Martin Guptill was more measured in his 42 from 37 deliveries while George Worker added 28 in 26.

David Wiese was the pick of the South Africa attack with two for 24 and young firebrand fast bowler Kagiso Rabada claimed two for 29.

The second and final Twenty20 is in Pretoria tomorrow.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday August 15, 2015

Massy 10Km and Fitness Walk launched

By Tamica Garnett IT’S ANOTHER year and lucrative cash prizes and gifts will be up for grabs when the fifth edition of the annual Massy 10Km Road Race and Fitness Walk rolls around next month, according to the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) president Aubrey Hutson.

The event, which is set for September 6, was officially launched yesterday afternoon at the Massy Group of Companies’ Ruimveldt head office. The event is a collaborative effort between the Massy Group and the AAG. The launch was attended by the company’s CEO Deo Persaud as well as other AAG and Massy representatives. Speaking on behalf of the company, Persaud noted that Massy’s pursuit of the event was on

par with his company’s objective of striving towards value, and the company will continue to support the event as it is a great way to give back to society.

“Our vision for Massy is creating value, transforming lives and what we are doing here is one of a number of things we see as our responsibility to the communities of Guyana. We value health and fitness, and we would very much like this partnership to continue.” Persaud said, to an audience of athletes and media personnel yesterday.

As with last year, this year the event will start at 06:00hrs from Vreed-enHoop, West Coast Demerara.

The athletes will proceed south along the West Bank main road, cross the Demerara Harbour Bridge, turn north along the East Bank highway and end at the company’s head office.

First place in the open

category, male and female, will walk away with $75 000 each while in the junior category the male and female athletes will each cop a $50 000 training grant voucher.

On hand to say a few words on behalf of the athletes was last year’s male runner-up Cleveland Thomas.

“On behalf of the athletes we are thankful to Massy to reinstate this event for another year, and come the September 6 we will have a very competitive race.”

Thomas said.

Last year, Thomas finished second after he could not overcome the skilfulness of distance ace Cleveland Forde. Forde championed the event to capture his fourth consecutive title.

According to Hutson, this race is the first of a list of 10km events that will culminate with the International

Webb appears in federal court

NEW YORK, USA (CMC) - Former president of CONCACAF Jeffrey Webb appeared in a New York federal court yesterday in connection with the FIFA bribery scandal that has sent shockwaves through the soccer world.

Webb, who is from the Cayman Islands, is one of seven FIFA officials who were detained in Switzerland last spring when the scandal erupted.

T h e f o r m e r F I FA vice-president and his attorney left court without speaking to reporters.

Webb, 50, has been

Jeffrey Webb arrives for his hearing at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse yesterday.

accused of soliciting a $2M bribe in exchange for marketing rights for the 2013 Gold Cup tournament.

He is the only official to agree to come to the United States, where he pleaded not guilty last month and was released on $10M bond.

14 men - nine soccer officials and five marketing executives - were named in the U.S. indictment, including former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, who is fighting his extradition from Trinidad and Tobago.

Webb has been ordered to return to the federal court in Brooklyn on October 9.

Meantime it emerged yesterday that a U.S. prosecutor is in extradition negotiations with lawyers of defendants in the FIFA bribery probe.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Norris told a judge that he’s hopeful the talks will result in more defendants appearing in court to face racketeering and other charges.

Prosecutors say the defendants plotted to arrange bribes of more than $150M - tied to the awarding of broadcasting and hosting rights for the World Cup and other tournaments.

Some of the athletes to participate at the Massy 10km Road Race pose with representatives from the Massy Group of Companies and AAG. South American 10km Road Race to be held in November. Hutson noted that these

events will give the athletes good training ground.

Hutson also extended

the Association’s gratitude to the company for sponsoring the event.

Fruta Conquerors host Fyzabad Secondary School ... Trinidadian school to play U-19 male and female teams

The teams and officials at a press briefing last evening.

FYZABAD Secondary School of Trinidad and Tobago arrived in Guyana last evening ahead of their two-day tour, compliments of Fruta Conquerors Football Club and the Guyana Beverage Company.

The teams, male and female, will play Fruta Conquerors U-19 male and female sides starting tonight at the club’s Tucville Community Centre home ground.

Club president Wayne Forde told the media at the briefing held upon the team’s arrival, that the school’s visit coincides with the Fruta Conquerors summer programme and will be used to showcase their skills against the unknown counterparts.

Managing Director of the Guyana Beverage Company, Robert Selman, hailed the club’s initiative and welcomed the school to Guyana.

Selman said that being a native of the Twin Island Republic and living close to where the school is located in South Trinidad, their (Fyzabad) visit to Guyana carries a lot of sentimental feelings.

Meanwhile, the coaches and players from the visiting side made it clear that they did not come to Guyana to lose.

Sport CHRONICLE

Webb appears in federal court Boyce and Jefford Classic gets under way in Linden today SEE STORY ON PAGE 35

The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com

FIVE finals are set to be completed, and a number of heats run off today when Guyana’s premier athletics event, the Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic, gets under way at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, Linden, with action beginning at13:00hrs.

Events expected to be completed today include the 3000m women, the 5000m men, the long jump women, the medley relays and the 4x100m finals.

Local clubs will begin the gruelling task of fighting not only against each other for the coveted $600 000 top prize but will have to withstand the pressure of competing against athletes straight out of the athletics powerhouse nation Jamaica.

Jamaica this year fields a team of four athletes, along with their coach Patrick Dawson. Jamaica’s contingent includes Nicholas Maitland (200m), Keno Burrell (200m) and Seidatha Palmer (100m, 200m).

In addition to the Jamaican athletes, the event will once again have athletes from the USA, Trinidad, Suriname, Grenada, the Bahamas and St Vincent.

From Trinidad are athletes Mark London (800m, 1500m) and Tonya Nero (1500m, 3 000m). There will be Danielle Clarke out of Suriname (100m, 200m), Kenisha Pascal (1500m, 3 000m) from Grenada, and Josh Hamilton (100m, 200m) of St Vincent.

In the six international events the top 3 winners will walk away with cash prizes of US$250, US$150 and US$100 respectively.

Defending overall champions Police Athletics Club will no doubt have an uphill task on their hands to over-

… Five finals to be contested

Flashback! Police Athletics Club celebrate their 2014 Boyce and Jefford triumph at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground. come every obstacle if they are to retain their title of the competition. On the local front, Police will face fierce competition with the Linden team coming as a united front

this year.

Additionally last year’s runners-up, the Guyana Defence Force, will be out to give Police the challenge.

Ronald Legall cremated after moving tributes

Ramdin cautions against underrating Sri Lanka West Indies Test captain denesh Ramdin

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad CMC) - West Indies Test captain Denesh Ramdin has cautioned his side against underrating their next opponents, Sri Lanka, even if they are a team in transition.

The West Indies next tour will be in October against Sri Lanka where they will play

two Tests, three ODIs and two T20 matches.

Ramdin says while the Sri Lankans are rebuilding by drafting a number of young players into the squad, they still should not be taken for granted.

“The Sri Lankans are SEE PAGE 31

The coffin of former GCB statistician Ron Legall is lifted out of Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church by cricket stakeholder Bissondyal Singh, Georgetown Cricket Association president Roger Harper and workmates.

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

VETERAN cricket statistician and scorer, Ronald Eustace Legall, fondly known as Ron, was yesterday cremated at the Memorial Gardens Crematorium after moving tributes and final messages at Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church on Shivnarine Chanderpaul Drive and North Road, Georgetown.

Legall passed away last week after a period of illness.

Speaking on behalf of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA), president Roger Harper stated that the cricketing world has lost an icon.

He added, “He took great pride in his work.

That was obvious in his tremendous preparation made to ensure that he was capable of delivering at all times what was asked of him, whether it was part of a broadcasting team for international cricket or he was conducting a scoring workshop for the GCA. He was always very well equipped and well on the ball.”

Former executive member of the Guyana Cricket Board, Ronald Williams, told SEE PAGE 31 Saturday August 15, 2015