Chronicle 02 11 2016

SAVING WALES No. 104459

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2016

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…aquaculture, dairy business, other crops for Wales

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DEA Regional Director Matthew Donahue; Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan; and U.S. Ambassador Perry Holloway unveil the DEA plaque on Wednesday at the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown

DEA to tackle ‘big fish’ 3

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‒ but effective judiciary crucial

Renewed fight PPP Govt gave against TIP 10 RPA $2.5M ...new dept, home for monthly 11 male victims on the cards P.

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Man dies after car slams truck 9

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 11, 2016

…Ramjattan says agents will advise, not arrest

indicates the importance of their role here. “This country loses a huge amount of money due to laundering and smuggling…you have a friend in this administration and country,” Ramjattan said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway, in brief remarks noted the significance of having the DEA’s presence in Guyana.

He said while the DEA has no arresting powers, it will advise and assist the Government of Guyana. There will be lots of information sharing, he remarked. “The DEA here does not have arrest authorities, they are not going to be kicking down doors, they are not going to be dragging people into their cars, it is not a show of cops.

They are here to advise and assist, their primary focus is on cases that have a U.S. nexus, cases that have something to do with a crime that is happening or will happen in the US.” He said the opening of the D.E.A. office here rep-

DEA big boost to law enforcement The emblem of the US DEA office in Georgetown

ALL SMILES : U.S. Ambassador Perry Holloway (second right) shares a light moment with Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan (r), Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh (second left) and Chief Justice (ag) Justice Yonnette Cummings-Edwards (left)

By Ariana Gordon THE United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officially opened its doors in Guyana on Wednesday amid calls for this country to forge alliances and strengthen international collaboration as the anti-drug agency alone cannot deal with the

narco-trafficking problem here.

Guyana over the years had been described as a transshipment point for cocaine destined to Africa, Europe and other Western countries. Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan said the presence of a DEA office in Guyana has many benefits and will see

a number of persons within the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the judiciary being trained overseas.

“It is important that we all do this together,” the Minister stated as he reiterated the need for all stakeholders to work as a team.

“There is so much crime and violence in our society

today…as a result largely of drugs. It is important for us knowing that and being science-based on how we are going to counter crime and violence,” The minister stated. According to him, the DEA office will be a significant asset to the law enforcement agencies here as much ancillary information would also be passed on. “It will be of tremendous help to Guyana,” Ramjattan noted.

The Public Security Minister believes that the “mere presence of this unit will have a deterring effect” on drug related crimes. He said while the DEA staff has no police powers their presence

resents a historic moment but noted that the DEA presence here “is not going to change things overnight. “…the bad guys are well funded, they are smart, they are motivated and they do not play by the rules unfortunately.” The DEA he added works with host nation law enforcement on very complicated cases involving financial crimes, smuggling, tax evasion and as such “one shouldn’t expect results overnight.” Ambassador Holloway said within the next few months and even years, fruits will be yielded. “Give them time to get the job done,” he said. The launch of the office saw a large contingent of invitees from the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force, Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit, and the Judiciary present.

The DEA office is being housed within the U.S Embassy complex, Kingston.

Linden kids taking advantage of free boat service

By Vanessa Braithwaite THERE has been a significant increase in children being transported by one of the two boats donated

by President David Granger last month for children residing up the Demerara River in the Linden area.

Regional Education Officer, Marcia Andrews told this publication that the boat made its first trip last Thursday, transporting 21 children down the river to attend their respective schools.

That number spiraled three days later as 33 children were dressed in their uniforms yesterday waiting to be transported.

The REO is positive that these children’s school attendances were hampered because of a lack of transportation and she is of the opinion that more children will be coming forward to benefit from the transportation. This will result in the boat making

will be permanently employed after receiving their maritime license.

three trips instead of two.

Every morning, the boat journeys as far as the community of Gold Hill and transports children to attend the Regma Primary, the Christianburg Primary and the Christianburg Wismar Secondary School.

Andrews said that a welfare officer would visit the community to ascertain other issues parents might be facing in having the children attend school so that the necessary assistance can be rendered.

“Maybe it is a case where they

don’t have uniforms or lunch so we will see how best we can help them,” she said. The Regional Education Officer has the responsibility of providing 50 gallons of fuel weekly.

Wages will be paid to the captain and “boat hand” who

BERBICE RIVER The other boat contributed

by President Granger is used to transport the children living up the Berbice River. These children who live in communities such as Arraculi and Upper Rosenburg attend primary and nursery schools at Kimbia.

Currently 23 children benefit from this transportation and the Education Office supplies 15 gallons of fuel per week. The boat is responsible for making four trips per day as it returns during the midday hours to transport the nursery children home. President Granger, at the commissioning of the boats described the transportation situation as a plight which resulted in scores of children dropping out of school every month. “Every month children are dropping out of school because they cannot afford the transportation cost to go to school. At 11 and 12 years children are already out of school,” stressed the President.

FIVE NOT THREE President Granger said that providing transportation was just part of the solution and that was why he had added breakfast and bursary to the previous equation of boat, bicycle and bus, as he was cognizant that children were facing more than transporta-

tion issues. He said that it not logical to have a child paddle to school on a hungry stomach as this would affect his or her performance in school. “If children go to school hungry they will fall down and sleep,” said President Granger. He said that a plan was already in the initial stages to provide breakfast for children of limited means. The breakfast would include milk and rolls with nut butter. The President also revealed that the children who could not afford other expenses would be given a bursary or scholarship to assist them in completing their education. “If you don’t have transportation we will provide it for you, if you don’t have food we will provide breakfast for you, if you don’t have money we will provide a bursary,” said the President.

President Granger said that he would be backing Region 10 in whatever way possible to have every child go to school, as not having education makes one unemployable. “The constitution says that education is a requirement and I want to fulfill this requirement,” posited President Granger. He urges every mother, every father and every councilor to make sure every child goes to school. He said that he believed in an equal society and that could only be built if everyone received equal education.

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DEA to tackle ‘big fish’ GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 11, 2016

‒ but effective judiciary crucial

By Ariana Gordon THE U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said that it is committed to capturing the big drug pushers here, but urged strong support from the judiciary, which has come under heavy criticisms over the years for some of the decisions it has made on narcotics-related charges.

These comments were made by DEA Regional Director Matthew Donahue at the launch of the agency’s office at the United States Embassy in Georgetown on Wednesday. Donahue said his team brings a wealth of knowledge to Guyana and stressed the importance of catching the ‘big fish’. “It does not do too much good to arrest a guy with heroin or cocaine or crack on the street if we can’t bring that back to the entire organisation and use the judicial programme here and the judicial support to bring the entire organisation down… that’s why you have conspiracy laws, that’s why you have cooperation… it is a worldwide problem,

tied into terrorism,” said Donahue, who is the newly-assigned regional head.

WORLDWIDE APPROACH He said the approach to transnational crimes must not be myopic and urged all stakeholders to “look at a worldwide approach” to the problems. The Regional Director stressed that the DEA is not a ‘fly-by-night’ entity and is open for ideas. “You need the support and we need the support,” he said, as he expressed confidence in being successful here.

“We are going to be successful; our people are going to work hard,” Donahue assured. The Regional Director said the establishment of the DEA office in Guyana provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to demonstrate what can be accomplished on an international scale.

“One thing you need to understand about the DEA and what we are going to bring to your country, the police and the military --- we look at things internationally, we don’t focus on just the small time drug traffickers,

we focus on international, who is going to be bringing the drugs in and who is taking the drugs out of the country.”

He said it is important for the public to understand that the DEA’s role is not just to support the local law enforcement agencies.

Additionally, Donahue said training will form an important arm in the collaboration, noting that his team has lots of experience and will work with stakeholders to ensure they too are knowledgeable.

TRAINING “Training is a big thing, we are going to bring a lot of training, a lot of experience. I think what we should look at now is historical knowledge, we are bringing people that have been around the world,” Donahue added. The DEA, he said, is not a big agency but it is very influential. He said that staff attached to the DEA work hard and make lots of sacrifices to get their goals accomplished. “We can’t do it alone, we come in, we forge relationships and we forge goals. We have noth-

DEA Regional Director Matthew Donahue

ing to hide, we will put it on the table, we know there are going to be losses, there are going to be problems, we lick our wounds, but if we don’t do it what is your community going to look like. What’s the world going to look like?”

CRIMINAL ORGANISATIONS Donahue was at pains to point out that the DEA does not only look at drug traffickers but focuses a lot

on organisations.“You see drug traffickers and you believe that is all they are, but we are not going to win the fight against drug traffickers because these are the same people that are human trafficking, that are illegally mining gold, illegally mining minerals that are committing assassinations.

They are all a criminal organisation.”

Given the transnational nature of the criminal activities, Donahue said DEA

will stand like a bridge for Guyana to cooperate with other territories and agencies. “We need to look at a worldwide approach to this and that’s why this office is so important. We really appreciate the invitation and this isn’t going to be a fly-by-night thing, we are not going to fix everything in two days. It is going to be another foundation to what you currently have and we look forward to being part of that. We are open for ideas, we are going to pass ideas, we are going to bring other countries in to work with us and we are going to take the military and the judicial branch to other countries as well to communicate directly with these countries,” the Regional Director explained.

Noting that Guyana is not a source country, he said, the problems of drug and crime are not unique to Guyana and so support is needed across the board.

“You need the support, we need the support. Focus internationally to target these people and not just arrest a few people here …to dismantle and destroy these organisations,” added Donahue, who has worked in several Latin American countries.

Private Sector urged to invest in Region 10 – Figueira

By Ravin Singh

APNU+AFC Member of Parliament (MP) Jermaine Figueira in the National Assembly on Tuesday called on the Private Sector to reinvest in Region 10 which has unlimited potential.

Figueira, the Region 10 representative, made a pitch

for the involvement of the private sector during his well-crafted 2016 budget presentation which he delivered with passion.

And extending his support for Minister of Finance Winston Jordan’s 2016 National Budget which was presented on January 29, he declared that the budget is

one which will surely stimulate growth and bring a good life to all Guyanese.

Adopting a more deductive approach in his speech which captured the attention of all sitting MPs, the Region 10 representative informed the House that the region has begun to realize the good life and eagerly anticipates the

stimulation of growth as a fresh approach beckons.

LEN He explained that the re-establishment of the Linden Enterprise Network, commonly known as LEN,

by President David Granger, is a glaring example of stimulating growth and restoring

confidence in accordance with Budget 2016.

In addition, he cited the commissioning of the two school-boats for the region, which he described as a welcomed and appreciative move which parents of school-aged children, particularly those in the riverain areas, have lauded.

RESTORING CONFIDENCE “This initiative has gained traction and has since motivated several businesses and individuals in the region to make similar contributions,” he said, adding that confidence is being restored.

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Saving Wales

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday February 11, 2016

…aquaculture, dairy business, other crops for Wales

By Tajeram Mohabir THE Wales Sugar Factory is set to be converted into a dairy/livestock business, and feasibility studies will soon commence in the areas of aquaculture and other crops as Government looks to return the estate to profitability.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder explained that the aim of these measures is to cushion the impact of the closure of the factory and simultaneously aid the economic viability of the estate, which has been projected to make a loss of some $1.6B this year.

Making his contribution to the budget debates on Wednesday, the Agriculture Minister said that from preliminary indications, professionally undertaken aquaculture would be a major profit-generator, providing reasonable employment.

Minister Holder also informed the House that work already done has indicated that

Don’t close Wales: PPP MP Komal Chand addressing the House on Wednesday

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a number of well-known crops can be successfully grown on the Wales soil. “Profitability and employment are key criteria,” he said, contending that the Opposition’s attack on the closure of the Wales Estate Factory is pure political rhetoric.

Also as part of the restructuring, an all-weather road will be developed connecting the Wales farmers to the Uitvlugt factory.

Farmers who currently rely on punt transport would have their lands replaced with cane lands that are more conducive to road transport, but ancestral lands will be retained by the farmers/community.

MINIMISE REDUNDANCIES Minister Holder also indicated that GuySuCo has commenced discussions with workers at Wales, offering them alternative employment at Wales and at Uitvlugt in a bid to minimise the anticipated redundancies.

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“It is expected that the number of redundancies at the end of the year would be lower than anticipated as the non-sugar activities would require skilled and unskilled labour; and vacancies arising at Uitvlugt in the course of the year will only be filled by workers from Wales. Workers would be encouraged to become farmers with extension services provided by GuySuCo,” the Agriculture Minister said.

But PPP Member of Parliament (MP) and veteran trade unionist Komal Chand contended that the planned feasibility studies on aquaculture and other crops for the Wales Estate is an arbitrary move as he passionately urged the Government to reconsider closing the factory. The closure, he stressed, will affect some 2500 workers directly and thousands more indirectly, bringing much hardship to residents of the

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community.

Minister Holder, who spoke earlier, however disagreed with this contention. To much approval from members of the Government’s side of the House, he said the Ministry of Agriculture is committed to the 1700 workers and 774 private farmers from Wales. Mr Chand, who is also President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), informed the House that the Opposition finds it difficult to comprehend the move

by Government to close the Wales Factory, as this was not recommended by the Commission of Inquiry into the sugar industry.

Further to this, he said the problems of poor drainage and the rundown state of the Wales Factory have been overstated, pointing out that vital components of the factory have, in recent years, been replaced.

He also claimed that sugar workers are being discriminated against, pointing out that though GuySuCo surpassed its production target in 2015, sugar workers did not, for the first time in 35 years, receive their Annual Production Incentive (API).

A CHALLENGE Added to this, the PPP MP said the $9B allocated for the sugar industry this year are $3B less than what the Government had promised. This, Mr Chand contended, would

negatively affect the Government’s plans to modernise and return the sugar industry to profitability.

Minister Holder, however, maintained that the Government is committed to securing the future of the 17,000 people employed in the sugar industry and their dependents. “This cannot be done by sustaining the industry in its present shape. To maintain the status quo would spell disaster for the industry and its employees sooner than most people think.

The future lies in an industry that is more than sugar. The financial woes of sugar are so grave, the needs of the economy are so great, that the transformation of sugar cannot be done gradually. Time is of the essence; the process has to start immediately; and while there will be some initial redundancies, opportunities for reemployment will be created in a relatively short period of time.

“Some current workers may find themselves becoming entrepreneurs in the near future. Wales Estate is the beginning of this process.

The attitude of the Opposition and GAWU is difficult to understand. They had 23 years to reverse the fortunes of the estates, but did nothing except take them further into depression. To date, neither has offered an alternative sensible constructive solution,” the Minister contended.

RESISTING CHANGE All stakeholders, the Min-

ister said, must appreciate that it cannot be business as usual for the sugar industry. He stressed that to resist change is wanting to see the demise of this industry. The $9B allocated to GuySuCo this year, he said, will be used towards assisting the industry in its recovery and modernisation programme, and for budgetary support to the Corporation.

The Coalition Government has made major changes in the management of the sugar industry since assuming power. After years of failing to reach its production target, GuySuCo achieved its target in 2015. “This must be attributed to the implementation of good management measures. These are the positive signs of recovery the APNU+AFC promised the people of Guyana. Mr Speaker, for the past two decades, GuySuCo’s former Board and the past regime were warned that the sugar industry needed to address its cost structure if it is to survive and be viable.

Sadly, these warnings were ignored by the Board and Government. The culture of cutting the industry’s capital expenditure and different kinds of bailouts were instead preferred. Such bailouts included the Government obtaining lands from GuySuCo and only paying for some of it; subventions from the Ministry of Finance; and latterly (in 2015), the very unusual act of disposing of the Skeldon Cogeneration Plant to the GPL/SEI.

GuySuCo cannot survive with sugar alone: Agriculture Minister Noel Holder making his contribution to the budget debates “In the absence of any programme to rationalise the Corporation’s debt structure, these knee-jerk actions served as mere palliatives as the sugar industry’s financial deficit escalated at an alarming rate.”

RE-ORGANISED “It cannot be business as usual,” Minister Holder said, stressing that the industry has to be re-organised, costs re-engineered, and operating deficits have to be reduced.

This year will see a marked decline in the cost of production at the East Demerara Estates, as the proper integration of LBI and Enmore is completed. A concerted effort is being made to reinforce the technical skill levels with the assistance of very experienced former technical staff of GuySuCo, and the sale of lands which are considered surplus to the industry’s requirements will recommence, with the pro-

ceeds applied to reducing the Corporation’s indebtedness to the banking system.

The Skeldon Cogeneration Plant, Minister Holder also announced, will be returned to GuySuCo, and an increase in the tariff per KWh negotiated. Other plans for the industry this year include the recovery of cost of services to third parties, including drainage and irrigation; an increase in value-added production at the Blairmont and Enmore factories; and each sugar estate will continue to keep its expenditure --- yields, recoveries and other related indicators -- under the microscope to ensure production and unit costs are significantly improved.

In Budget 2016, some $400M have been allocated to the Sugar Industry Mechanisation Project, which, among other things, deals with the purchase of machinery and equipment for semi-mechanical planting, mechanical har-

vesting and land preparation.

“From all the data we have seen, it is unlikely that the sugar business would become profitable in the foreseeable future. It is our hope that GuySuCo would not be about sugar only, but a business in which sugar is but one activity. And while sugar may be making losses, albeit at a much reduced level, the other activities (co-generation, other non-sugar crops, other forms of diversification) would be so profitable that when their results are consolidated with that of sugar, the business would show a profit and become cash positive.

“The Board and management feel that this is possible.

Let us all work with them and make it happen,” Minister Holder urged members of the Opposition.

Sugar production for 2016 is projected to be at 242,287 tonnes, a five per cent increase over the 2015 production.

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Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Editor

Godfrey Wray

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial

Making Article 13 work for all

THE purpose of our political system, as written in Article 13 of the Guyana Constitution, outlines that “the principal objective of the system of the State is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens and their organisations in the management and decision-making processes of the State, with particular emphasis on those areas of decision-making that directly affect their well-being.”

This article came out of the 1999 constitutional reform exercise which resulted from the then Opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), under the leadership of Mr. Hugh Desmond Hoyte, signing The St. Lucia Statement with then President Janet Jagan on 2nd July 1998. It was felt, among other things, that “measures and arrangements for the improvement of race relations in Guyana include the contribution which equal opportunities’ legislation and concepts drawn from the CARICOM Charter of Civil Society can contribute to the cause of justice, equity and progress in Guyana.”

The St. Lucia Statement has its genesis in the dissatisfaction at the outcome of the elections’ results expressed by the PNCR; and, more importantly, the fear and/or frustration of a significant segment of the population in regard to living under the administration of a party they had not supported to form the Government. This fear and/or frustration has/have its concerns rooted in persons’ opinions that they felt excluded from political decision-making, and that it has impacted their lives. There is no intent to argue the merits or demerits, validity or invalidity of these views; save to say that civility requires that if those fears, real or perceived, were expressed, they were deserving of being addressed.

For years, the society has been told -- and some have come to accept -- that ours is a winner-take-all politics, where the party which has not secured the Executive, and its supporters, are denied. Again, our purpose here is not to argue any merit or demerit of this claim, but to examine the article before us and see how we can make it work in our common good in the here and now, even as conversations continue about constitutional reform.

Careful examination of Article 13 shows that it speaks to a solution to the discontent of 1997. It lays the platform, via the nation’s supreme law, to establish and foster a political solution built on the involvement of all, irrespective of our diversity but inclusive of the political party supported. In that this article was assented to by the then President, Bharrat Jagdeo, it was not unreasonable to harbour expectation that he would have chartered a new course, consistent with its objective.

This notwithstanding, it does not mean that the

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday February 11, 2016

The truth about West Demerara estates

Dear Editor,

HAVING listened to the invited addresses and various comments from the floor at last Friday evening’s Moray House session on the Wales Estate closure, I am prompted to now share with the general public a perspective from my own intimate knowledge of the industry, going back to the early sixties.

First of all I must preface my remarks by saying I have not read the CoI report, as I have been unable to download it, having only received the link to it with the email on the Moray House invitation. I have, however, been reading excerpts on the CoI and the many letters on the pending closure of Wales Estate appearing in the local press.

I can intimate that not only have I served the industry for 35 years, from 1960 to 1995, but that three of the Commissioners -- Chairmen Vibart Parvatan, Harold Davis Jr and John Piggott -- were my colleagues in the sugar industry and were either directly or indirectly part of my technical staff during that time; and they would have had the benefit of my own technical knowledge and guidance over the years, as well as access to personal research documentation and other reports.

I can also mention that, as part contribution from my own agronomic specialization, I served over the years on the D.P. Sankar-headed Industrial Relations Committee of GUYSUCO as agricultural advisor in union negotiations and arbitration tribunals. On one ofthose occasions, Dr Clive Thomas appeared as advocate for the sugar unions.

In the late fifties/early sixties, the then agricultural director of Bookers Sugar Es-

tates, Dr Harry Evans, had the foresight to recruit and train local personnel to develop expertise to deal with the agronomic problems that were peculiar to Guyana’s sugar industry and regarded to be of strategic concern. I was one of those engaged, through a Bookers cadetship in 1960, to receive tertiary and post-graduate Biometrics training in the UK and elsewhere. I ultimately rose to the position of Diversified Crops and Agricultural Research Executive Director of GuySuCo, after reorganizing the Agricultural Research Dept over the years to undertake the developing agronomic challenges in the industry. By the 80s, the then Chairman, Harold Davis Snr, had recognized that the industry could not survive in its present form, with the ever-increasing production costs, low world sugar price, and looming loss of the European preferential market.

Therefore, in spite of only token support and scepticism from a number of his managers, Mr Davis initiated a crop diversification programme in 1984.

For our detractors, who could not comprehend or conceptualise the strategic importance of the programme, “diversifying” crops was a dirty word, and they termed the programme as ill-conceived “Other Crops” and did their best to talk it down.

Some were suspicious of it as unwelcomed competition for their own business activities. Inevitably, the use of sugar resources to fund the programme was the cause of serious discord, both inside and outside the industry, and the then Government could only provide moral support.

That support ended with the conditionality imposed by the World Bank/IMF for national

article cannot be activated in its fullest, and add fillip to the enveloping nationalism. The preference, harboured in certain quarters, to foster a politics of dissent or of “our time” does not negate, or should not obscure, the overwhelming desire of the ordinary man and woman to proceed along the road of inclusion. Whichever way it is looked at, a diverse nation stands to gain more when all feel that their voices are heard, their opinions and inputs valued, their choice of representative respected, and their taxes invested in them, irrespective of political or apolitical interests.

Few, if any, relish living in a nation constantly racked with silly divisions, whose laws work for some and not all, whose citizens oppose only for the sake of opposing; a nation com-

debt forgiveness and sugar rehabilitation funding.

Thus the fledgling diversification programme was terminated in the early 90s.

I was part of the industry during its most productive period -- in the sixties/early seventies -- when production rose to 371,000 long tons (imperial tons), translated to 377,000 metric tons (tonnes) in today’s units. True enough, this can be credited to a number of favourable factors which combined synergistically to produce a record performance.

The whole infrastructure and key agronomic practices of the Guyana sugar industry were developed on, and hitherto based on abundant, willing, and relatively low-cost labour. Field supervision at the different levels was strong, experienced and knowledgeable, and was made accountable by formidable management who brooked no half-measures, indiscipline or lapses.

In the earlier years, the availability of such ready labour facilitated the application of appropriate agronomic practices and, most importantly, the reaping of produced cane in spite of the generally unfavourable weather patterns and intractable soils for cane. Over the years, with an increasingly enlightened labour force which had aggressive union representation, the industry’s labour productivity, commitment and even numbers declined, particularly in locations near urban areas which had access to alternative employment. To put it in blunt perspective: “Massa day done”.

I have had the opportunity and privilege, over the years, of visiting and studying sugar industries all over the world

as part of my training, and can fully appreciate that Guyana has serious disadvantages as a cane-growing country.

Most sugarcane-producing countries, with the exception of Australia, South Africa and the US, still rely on labour for the most part for their field operations, but boast a long and reliable dry season to benefit the vital activities.

Analysis of rainfall data over the years has suggested that, on the coast, there is a fairly regular cycle of predominantly wet years, followed by relatively dry years which are correlated, among other factors, with yields and sugar production. Dry years promote good cane ripening and juice quality, and provide the “opportunity days” for enhanced tillage and subsequent planting, as well as reaping of the crop in good conditions, which is important for the development of the following crop. Guyana is, on average, a high rainfall geographic area with a wide precipitation range in the sugar belt, from about 70” in the East Berbice estates to 110” on the West Demerara estates.

Wales estate falls within that West Demerara ambit, and the injurious effects of heavy rainfall on soil preparation, and harvesting in particular, are clearly exacerbated under those conditions.

During my tenure in agronomic research, the strategy of optimum ratoonage was developed with the implementation of plants and four ratoons’ policy. This replanting strategy was first facilitated in the seventies by the adequate land preparation time afforded in the drier years of the weather cycle. It is pertinent to add that my statistical analysis of rainfall data, linked to soil

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prised of feeble men acting as though they are omnipotent, and engaging in endless back and forth, with none wanting to concede anything or listen to the other; all being more bent on talking past each other, and everyone out to prove they are right and the other is wrong.

That is not a healthy relationship for any people to cultivate, be it in the home or in public life. Guyanese, having gone past the stage of saying ‘enough is enough’, many continue to register disapproval and discontent with their feet.

Those who have stayed, or desire to return, are pleading with their leaders to give development for all a chance to work.

The best place to start is at Article 13, given that it aims to ensure a society wherein all can have equal opportunity to realise their God-given potential.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday February 11, 2016

The truth about West ...

From page 6 moisture-holding capacities, pointed out that notwithstanding total annual precipitation on the coast, rainfall appeared to be adequate and even excessive for cane cultivation.

Its distribution, as evidenced by accumulated moisture deficits, was not ideal for best cane growth and maturation.

Flood irrigation in times of drought conditions was a feature in estate cane husbandry.

It was not recognized as the best form of irrigation from an agronomic standpoint, but it was certainly the least costly.

Prudent and disciplined management of the water resources on the coast and on estates enabled irrigation of critical plant fields, except in times of extreme drought.

Similarly, good management of the water conservancies and careful attention to maintenance of internal and external drains in the cultivation, ensured that flood conditions in times of the high rainfall cycle were minimized.

Unfortunately, the advent of a wet cycle in the early eighties coincided with the period in the industry’s history when everything began to go wrong.

Progressive labour unrest for better wages and conditions, unavailability of

funds for vital rehabilitation, even absence of routine maintenance and increasing exit of skills, coupled with serious decline of work standards in the field, all contributed to the decline in sugar fortunes.

During the early eighties, by a process of field mechanization, serious attempts were initiated to deal with the exodus of willing and amenable labour, which, like every new untried activity, required at least some experimentation. However, mechanization is not only capital-intensive, but has limited application for the most part in our high rainfall and poor draining heavy clay soil.

This brings me to the belated conclusion, which would not be acceptable to proponents of the perpetuation of the industry in this form -- that in the long run, rice cultivation is more appropriate to the coast of Guyana than sugar cane. It was distinctly easier to fully mechanise rice cultivation in all its activities -- from planting to harvesting -- than it would ever be possible for cane. That was the way to go for rice farming in the light of increasing labour costs, availability and effectiveness.

Youths, as expected, will be progressively reluctant to embark on a career in a

perceived low remuneration manual farming when there are less onerous alternatives.

Leaving general considerations aside and returning to the specific issue of Wales, I can state that from agronomic studies and research done on the estate’s soils in my time -- ranging from the aluminium toxic heavy clays to the organic pegasse soil type -- it clearly showed that there were benefits from intensive hand work (forking and shovel work) and fertiliser additives (phosphate lime), which have now become costly in today’s context and can best be done only during favourable weather.

Additionally, the high rainfall in West Demerara will generally prohibit effective mechanical operations at the best of times. The inability to sustain these costly soil amelioration operations has, over time, reduced sugar yields, consequently progressively affecting the economic and financial viability of the estate.

With the dwindling price for sugar in the markets in the late 80s /early 90s, crop diversification became an option then, as it is now, once the necessary applied research could indicate the specific directions to pursue. With the limited capability of NAREI to provide, the industry took on that responsibility

on a trial-and-error basis as a start-up. A citrus project was initiated at Uitvlugt, and a dairy unit at Versailles. I am aware that NAREI is more capable now and can offer some support, but funding for more specific locational research may have to be accessed from international agencies or friendly governments.

With the pending closure of the Wales Estate, some thoughts for the future may be considered: From a crop diversification perspective, the Canals Polder area adjacent to Wales is known for its fruit, vegetables and ground provision potential, and already supplies the local market besides exporting to a small extent.

From national economic considerations the challenge is to upgrade this potential for a bigger export market by a combination of labour-intensive and mechanized production initiatives. Cut flowers are also a potential for the export market, as I know that heliconias and some lilies grow well on the organic soils in the West Demerara area.

The development of some non-traditional fruits for export should also be considered; fruits such as carambola and passion fruit, as done in other countries.

I have been on study tours of extensive papaw, citrus

Private Sector urged to invest in...

From page 3 Additionally, he posited that the $40.3B allocation to the education sector is sure to further build the confidence of people of Region 10, who look forward and welcome their ‘Boats, Buses, Bicycles, Books and Breakfasts’, which is a real demonstration of a ‘because we care programme’.

Further highlighting the restoration of confidence, the young MP noted that the illumination along Burnham Drive and Winifred Gaskin Highway (in Linden) for the first time, literally provided the region’s “deliverance from darkness” which adds to restoring the hope that a good life beckons.

“Region Ten is experiencing a renaissance, a resurgence of hope under this fresh approach to governance,” Figueira asserted.

MAJOR ROAD REHAB In addition to illuminated roads and highways, he told the House that many of the deplorable internal and external roads

have been identified for major rehabilitation.

“Additionally, the major access roads of several communities across the township have already been fixed. The fixing of these roads brought joy and deep comfort to the people who dreadfully struggled to get in and out of their respective communities,” he said.

But while the ‘glory story’ seems to be now unreeling for this region, Figueira lamented that over the last few decades nothing like economic development took place.

“Despite being declared an Economic Zone at the World Food Day Fair held at the Christiansburg Community Centre ground in 1999 by the then President Bharrat Jagdeo, nothing economical took place, unless one wants to refer to being economical with the information we received as a people by strangling us with one PPP propaganda TV channel and radio station or was it in fact the economic genocide we experienced,” he remarked.

Moreover, he underscored

the potential of the Upper Demerara -Upper Berbice region, arguing that it is the gateway to Guyana’s hinterland regions.

“Our region is the cradle of revolutionary ideas - Mashramani, Town Week, the Famous Mega Sporting events like Mass Games and Kashiff and Shanghai. Television programmes like Youth Scope and In de mix etc.

- all birthed from our people.

And with the inspiration and financial support provided for in budget 2016, he maintained that the region can be transformed.

“We will rival the transformed Georgetown that now boasts its clean drains, parapets and fresh air,” the MP insisted.

He pointed out that it is more than a matter of having to depend on the government, through its annual budget, to develop the regions. In fact, he contended, that it is necessary that the Private Sector, including the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce (GCC), as well as persons in the diaspora play an active role in the developmental agenda of the regions.

and mango orchards in Belize, providing for both fresh and processed value-added exports to North America; and I have visited in Brazil a passion fruit farm from which the processed juice was being exported to the EU. I also know there was a time when fresh cut flowers and carambola were exported from the African continent to the UK market. There may be markets for these products in North America.

The key to such export developments is aggressive marketing and reliable, low cost, efficient air freight services to the North American markets, either directly or through Central America with road transport thereon.

With respect to privatization of the cultivation only, leaving the factory to fend for itself, I would be wary of any expressed cane farmers’ confidence to be able to sustain a viable field operations from their own resources, or from proceeds received from less-than-optimum sugar recoveries from an ailing factory. Factory closure and transfer of cane and labour to Uitvlugt is an option the economics of which is at best dubious, as it would entail accounting for Wales’ substantive cane and labour establishments. In any event cane farmers’ utilization of retrenched labour from a closed Wales Estate may face similar problems with entrenched attitudes from the current pool of workers who may need to be cycled from cane farm unit to unit to meet labour require-

ments, a prospect not without its difficulties.

I do hope, for the sake of renewed fortunes in peasant cane farming, that I can be proven wrong in my assessment of the work culture, and that there will be a new ethic to field work standards.

I do agree that the closure of Wales Estate, either now or in the near future, will result in severe social hardship for many families in the West Demerara area, and I certainly support any reasonable arrangements to mitigate the immediate effects. However, the net costs of continuing with sugar operations at Wales in the short to medium term will need to be carefully weighed against the combined costs of paying compensation and investing in alternative long term activities.

In all of this, early attention and consideration must be given to the possible fate of other estates, and benefiting from the lessons that will be developing and become applicable from these experiences. I have no doubt that, with the lesser rainfall and superior soil advantages enjoyed by the more easterly-located estates, sugar cane agriculture can continue in some form; and that the returns from sugar production will make it worthwhile.

These then are my considered views, based on personal experience and knowledge of over 35 years in the industry, and interfacing with all its aspects.

Yours sincerely FRITZ C. MCLEAN

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 11, 2016

‒ Opposition MP concedes

Minister Garrido-Lowe said that perhaps it is not the government that the Indigenous Peoples have lost confidence in, but rather the PPP, since not only was it unseated from office, but it has also failed miserably to acquire a majority in the National Assembly.

Moving along, Minister Garrido-Lowe weighed in on the merits of the 2016 Budget, saying how elated she was that careful thought had been given this year to the plight of residents in hinterland communities.

Noting that the government will not only seek to finance those hinterland communities to aid in their development, she explained that the long-term goal is to position these communities to be self-sufficient.

“We’re not only looking to give better roads, but more emphasis will be placed on education to develop human capital,” she said, adding that youths in every indigenous community are suffering from lack of jobs, and that the government remains committed to addressing this issue.

“To not continue the previous government’s trend of wasting money, we need to train our Indigenous Peoples, and prepare them to be young entrepreneurs and for leadership roles in their communities. And this is what our government will be doing,” the Minister said.

Govt inherited good, bad and ugly

By Ravin Singh OPPOSITION People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament, Yvonne Pearson has conceded, albeit in a roundabout fashion, that the Coalition’s claims that it inherited “a broken system” are indeed justified.

“When the government took over, it took over the good, bad and ugly; and they must now fix it, because they promised to fix it…” she told the House Tuesday during the 2016 Budget debates.

Contending that all the Coalition government has been doing since taking office is complaining, Pearson said what they ought to be doing instead is addressing the issues which continue to affect Guyanese on a daily basis.

PRECIOUS LITTLE While she was at it, she

told the House that the 2016 Budget has precious little to offer poor people, particularly the Indigenous Peoples, who, according to her, have since lost all confidence in the government.

Pearson, a former Head of the National Toshao’s Council, recalled that while in opposition, both the APNU and AFC had accused the then PPP government of starving the Indigenous Peoples. But now the boot is on the other foot, she said, they’re singing a different tune.

“Where are the provisions for the starvation which Amerindians were facing?” she asked. Not particularly hoping for an answer, she said, “I believe they are more faced with starvation now, because the little that they had was taken away.”

One of the “little they had that was taken away”, as was

PPP Member of Parliament, Yvonne Pearson

skillfully rebutted by Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valarie Garrido-Lowe, was the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprentice Programme (YEAP), which had in fact expired in 2015.

Another fallacy propogated by the PPP now that they are out of office, was that the new administration terminated the contracts for almost 2000 Indigenous People who served as Community Sup-

Two arrested for restaurant owner’s killing ‘B’ DIVISION police have arrested two persons in connection with the shooting death of 49-year-old Chinese restaurant owner Xiu Yi Yang at Number 57 Village, Corentyne Berbice.

On Sunday, February 7, 2016, at about 20:00 hrs, two armed men entered the Jio Li Lai Chinese Restaurant through the back door, and demanded cash after confronting business proprietor Xiu Yi Yang, a mother of four.

Confused, Yang started screaming for help. She was shot to the face, and died from a single bullet wound in the region of the temple. The men fled the scene through the backyard of the restau-

rant. They left empty-handed.

Moments after the shooting, the mortally injured woman was picked up by a community policing group patrol that was a few houses away, attending a meeting at which Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Gobin Harbhajan, was present. The patrol responded after hearing the sound of the gunshot and later cries for help, and rushed the injured woman to the Skeldon hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The Guyana Chronicle has been reliably informed that the suspects detained are in their late twenties and are said to be living a few villages away from where the

shooting took place.

Meanwhile, Gobin Harbhajan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, expressed sympathy to the family of Yang, whom he has known for over 18 years.

He is appealing to residents who own empty lots to keep them clean of overgrown vegetation, as it serves as a hiding place for criminals.

His plea came as residents of the Upper Corentyne area complained of overgrown vegetation being a haven for criminal elements. The lot behind the Chinese restaurant, through which the two bandits escaped, has overgrown vegetation, and residents say the criminals hid there, unknowing to their victims, before making their move at the moment when the restaurant was most vulnerable.

In our edition of Tuesday, February 9, Vincent Su, son of the late Xiu Yi Yang, had given our reporter a version of events that contrast in some respects with the article featured above. Having done a thorough investigation into the tragic events of 7th instant, we are convinced that details featured in this story are an accurate representation of what had transpired on the night in question.

Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Valarie Garrido-Lowe

port Officers (CSO), when in actual fact, the programme through which it was funded had come to an end.

But, true to character, Pearson insisted that it was “ethnic cleansing”, in spite of the Granger administration painstakingly explaining on numerous occasions that the programme had expired.

Minister Garrido-Lowe was not going to let her get away with it, as she let the House know in no uncertain terms that “those individuals received 30,000 for doing nothing at all.” By that she meant that the 2000 or so people who were allegedly put out of bread by the Granger administration were in effect being paid handsomely by the PPP to campaign for them.

LOST CONFIDENCE Seizing the opportunity to take a well-aimed dig at her parliamentary colleague,

PLAN OF ACTION In 2016, the government

will be investing over $4B in support of the Plan of Action for Hinterland Development.

Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan in his budget presentation in the National Assembly on January 29 revealed that in excess of $280M has been allocated to the promotion of economic prosperity, tourism development and the preservation of cultural identity.

He noted that this sum is inclusive of grants for 211 Indigenous communities that will build village economies and fund eco-tourism projects specifically for the nation’s 50th Independence celebration.

Additionally, nearly $1 billion has been budgeted for the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) project. Launched in October 2015, the project will prepare youth for leadership roles in their communities.

The Finance Minister noted too that to help narrow the gap in living standards of residents of our coastal and hinterland regions, the Government has allocated over $2 billion for the establishment and improvement of physical infrastructure throughout the hinterland regions, in 2016. Of this amount, the sum of $1.7 billion has been identified for the rehabilitation and surfacing of roads in areas such as Mahdia, Bartica, Ituni, Kurupukari, Tabatinga and Port Kaituma.

Jagdeo missing from budget debates FOR the third session running Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has been missing from the budget debates ongoing in the National Assembly. Jagdeo is understood to be on an overseas trip in Europe.

Concerns have now been raised as to whether Jagdeo will be back from his overseas sojourn in time to commence his scheduled presentation during the budget debates on Friday. Jagdeo is scheduled to be the second speaker on Friday following APNU+AFC’s Joseph Harmon, Minister of State who is slated to open the sitting.

It has been observed by this publication that the Opposition Leader spends minimal time in the Assembly during sittings, preferring instead to lounge in the member’s lounge while the

business of the house is being conducted. One Member of the Parliament who did not wish to be identified was of the view that Jagdeo’s non-medical absence from Parliament demonstrates contempt for the highest legislative body in the land.

“As Leader of the Opposition, he should show leadership and present himself for this critical debate but he chooses to go overseas on a jaunt, refusing to present himself and represent his constituents,” the MP said.

“When President David Granger was Leader of the Opposition, he showed respect for the Parliament and always presented himself for the sittings, that is true leadership and representation,” the MP said.

In a statement, Jagdeo’s office said that he

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

was in Rome on Monday to chair the Steering Committee of COFO in preparation for its 23 session in July , 2016. COFO is the Committee on Forests of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. The office said he will participate in the budget debate.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 11, 2016

Bring the evidence …Hughes tells PPP to back up claims of “mass dismissals”

By Neil Marks The Opposition PPP/C continues to flood the 2016 budget debate with claims of mass dismissals in the public sector but Wednesday Minister Cathy Hughes asked for the evidence.

It was PPP/C frontbencher Gail Teixeira who continued to peddle the Opposition’s line that the Coalition government has acted with revenge and retribution in its first months in office; a claim the government has denied. Apart from labouring the case of the dismissal of close to 2,000 Amerindian Community Service Officers

PPP/C frontbencher Gail Teixeira

(which the government justified by saying the Officers

were being used by the PPP to do party work), Teixeira

Opposition wants govt to spend more on women

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

OPPOSITION Member of Parliament Dr. Vindhya Persaud on Wednesday called on the APNU+AFC Government to spend more to develop the lives of women here.

“In 2015-2016, my gender has been conspicuously ignored and marginalised,” she told the House on the third day of debates. She urged the government to move towards gender equality while noting that it failed to deliver transformative initiatives in the budget. According to her, women are at the bottom of the ladder when it comes to earnings and the budget fails to address this critical problem.

“The 230B Budget 2016 has failed to deliver transformative initiatives which will impact on women’s financial enablement and skills development and has not offered a plan for structural support to women in the throes of domestic violence or to those

Opposition Member of Parliament, Dr. Vindhya Persaud

struggling to survive and provide as single mothers.”

Dr. Persaud described the merging of Women and Men’s Affairs Bureau as a “cosmetic merger” and noting that that coupled with a new gender policy will not address the fact that women are still at the bottom of the earning ladder in a patriarchal society. She said too that women’s equality cannot be discussed in insolation of domestic violence. She accused the government of relegating the problem to the back burner.

The Opposition Member of Parliament said she would have been heartened to hear of initiatives to remove some of the burdens from women which include minimal cost daycare facilities for parents, special programmes for teenage mothers, parenting programmes, support programs for widows, survivors’ trauma, violence and abuse,

and labour policies to benefit women.

Dr. Persaud argued that women make up 50 per cent of the population and as such “investing in women’s capabilities and empowering them to exercise their choices contributes to economic growth, overall development and the future financial status of children are much more likely to reflect those of the mother than those of the father.”

Dr. Persaud said the 2016 budget cannot be supported as is because it fails to cater for all Guyanese.

“A government must be for all of Guyana as every Guyanese, each one regardless of their political persuasion or any other distinction or difference deserves equal opportunity and benefits.”

Finance Minister Winston Jordan in his presentation before the National Assembly said his government is “working assiduously to develop a society where all girls and boys, women and men live together in safety and harmony, with dignity and mutual respect.” In this regard, Jordan said Government is committed to establishing a national consultative process to create a national policy on gender and development. This he said is aimed at strengthening gender responsive structures, processes and mechanisms that support both men and women. The National Gender Policy will be launched, in 2016.

Minister Cathy Hughes

went on to refer to other dismissals, which she put as “hundreds of qualified people with university degrees,” professionals within the public service and state entities including all staff of special programmes such as the One Laptop Per Family Programme, Amerindian land titling, and the Climate Change Unit.

She said too that there were dismissals of workers in the lower levels of the public service, such as cleaners, clerks, and drivers who caught the government’s eye “as being politically incorrect.” Teixeira said too that contractors were told to halt works and after they were kept waiting for months the contracts were taken away and given to those whom the government considered “politically correct.” “In the interim, thousands of workers lost their jobs in the private sector, especially in the construction and manufacturing sectors,” she claimed.

Teixeira charged that this has resulted in highly skilled people having to migrate.

“You have in eight months contributed to the brain drain of this country which had, in fact been, slowing down.

“You dismissed or refused to renew contracts

for thousands of people, and therefore the government contributed to unemployment levels that could be taken back to the 1978 deployment of public servants, retrenchment of bauxite workers in 1976, and the 1986-87 period, and the closure of GNC centres in 1990.” She said that the public sector of almost 40, 000 was reduced to 28, 000 in 1992; this, Teixeira noted was done by the Desmond Hoyte administration so Guyana could be deemed credit-worthy by the International Monetary Fund and get funding for the Economic Recovery Programme.

“This country has not seen this level of mass dismissals, except in those times,” she stated.

She said the cost of this “retrograde action is phenomenally high” resulting in lost opportunities, lost investments, while trust and confidence has been eroded. “So, Mr Speaker, the culture of fear is creeping in as a result of this myopic, vindictive and irresponsible approach to governing this country and disregard for the basic tenets of democratic governance,” Teixeira.”

Teixeira said she was among those who were ter-

minated “willy nilly” but that she didn’t need to get a “nice official letter” from Minister of State Joseph Harmon that she was dismissed. She said she knew that with a new President she would be out of a job.

In rebuttal, Minister Cathy Hughes denied that there was a case of revenge and retribution, but suggested that the government was looking to fix the scams that defined the 23-years of PPP rule. She urged Teixeira to bring to the House a list of all the persons she claims were dismissed. Minister Hughes said the government had the right to review contracts. As an example, she noted that under the PPP, some $1 billion was spent to build a secondary school at Kato, but to date, no students can be housed in the school.

Then she pointed to infrastructure in the ICT sector. “Where is the fibre optic cable that we spent US$200 million and we have nothing to show for it?” “The past PPP government had to throw it aside.

“So… who is the vampire that sucked us dry?”

Further, Minister Hughes pointed to the travesty of other contract awards under the PPP. She noted that government pharmaceutical contracts were handed to one specific company which offered drugs that were “most expensive.” Further, she said that the company was paid upfront for the pharmaceuticals, some of which are yet to be delivered.

Under the One Laptop Per Family Programme, Hughes said that laptops were procured but could not be handed out. She pointed to 4,000 laptops without batteries which currently exists, and asked “how do we give those to the indigenous communities?”

Man dies after car slams truck A MAN was on Wednesday morning killed when his car collided with a truck on the East Bank Demerara Public Road.

Police said that investigations are being conducted into a fatal accident that occurred about 05:30h on the Supply Public Road, EBD, and which resulted in the death of Quilton Greene, 45 years, of La Penitence, Georgetown.

Investigations revealed that Greene was driving a motor car along the east bank roadway when he collided with a motor lorry that was travelling in the opposite direction. He received injuries and was taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The driver of the motor lorry is in police custody assisting with the investigations.

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 11, 2016

Renewed fight against TIP ...new dept, home for male victims on the cards

By Ariana Gordon THE MINISTRY Of Social Protection will seek funding to construct a home for male Trafficking in Persons victims 18 years and older, subject Minister Volda Lawrence announced on Wednesday during the third day of debates on 2016 National Budget.

“The government will approach international agencies to help provide both technical and financial assistance in our drive to stamp out human trafficking from our society. In the quest, we will seek funding to build a home for MALE TIP victims 18-years and above. This is part of a menu of measures we will pursue this year to shine the spotlight on human trafficking, which also ensnares many Guyanese males and we can’t afford, as a responsible society, to play the proverbial ostrich,” said Minister Lawrence.

She said too that the Counter Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP) Unit will be restructured this year and transformed into a Department that is furnished with additional staff, private investigators, legal officers, senior and junior case managers and an administrative officer.

Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence

“We are serious about TIP in Guyana and will spare no effort to put the critical infrastructure in place to ensure the eventual eradication of the man-made threat and in the meantime the severest punishment for all convicted perpetrators – female or male.”

Lawrence said TIP remains a priority for the APNU-AFC Coalition, noting that there are currently four TIP matters before the Courts. Thus far, there has been one conviction in a TIP

case where restitution was ordered for the victim. “We must rid our nation of this despicable man-made cancer,” the Minister of Social Protection remarked. The Minister noted that the labour sector absorbs just about 16 per cent of TIP victims. What she described as distressing in Guyana is “the preponderance of women who are TIP perpetrators.”

“The majority of the 31 suspects for last year were women. This is contrary to global statistics. Children

comprised more than 30 percent of the 59 victims for last year. In addition, sex is the major driver of human trafficking here. More than 80 percent of TIP victims are forced into ‘carnal economics’, the flesh industry,” said Lawrence.

Meanwhile, the Social Protection Minister announced the renaming of the Women of Worth (WOW) programme to the People of Worth Entrepreneurial Resources Project (POWER programme), stating that while in the past WOW focused solely on women, POWER will assist both males and females. Last year, Lawrence said the Ministry of Social Protection resuscitated the Women of Worth (WOW) Programme with the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), which provided loans for more than 90 female single parents.

“Regrettably, we inherited a bankrupt programme: from the $29.4 million in loans, approximately $22 million were non-performing at the end of December 2014, which represents 77 percent of WoW’s portfolio. It cannot be business as usual and we cannot continue on the same broken, ruined track,” she said.

That aside, Lawrence said her ministry’s objectives have been framed within the parameters of equitable distribution of benefits for all Guyanese from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of ending poverty (Goal 1); achieving gender equity (Goal 5); and reducing inequality within and among countries; the Ministry’s thrust in 2016 will take Guyanese closer to vision adumbrated by these laudable SDGs. “To help fulfill the vision there has been a 42 percent hike in the Ministry’s budget for 2016, taking us to 13 billion dollars. This will not only help us to improve

the services we offer, but also to expand our reach to vulnerable far flung communities. Hence, it will include the purchasing of two ATVs for the Labour Department to better monitor worksites in the hinterland to help stamp out child labour, prevent employers under-paying or withholding workers’ pay, and of course, be a fillip against likely TIP activities.”

CAMPAIGN TO END CHILD ABUSE Lawrence said it is her ministry’s goal this year to up its campaign against child abuse, noting that the launch of such a campaign this year, using the media, will raise the level of awareness of Guyanese to the plight of those affected. “This is in an effort to propel them into action to root out the scourge of child abuse in the society.

We want to cut a covenant with all communities in Guyana to be more protective of our children. Through this covenant the public will be educated on the destruction to the health and wellbeing of a child who is a victim of abuse and neglect,” remarked Lawrence. She said too that the campaign is aimed at, “stirring the nation into action,” stressing that “child abuse must be prevented at all cost. The Minister said the 2016 budget as presented

by Finance Minister Winston Jordan charters a course to increase the country’s wealth so that all Guyanese can live a good life; “a life where they are able to fight poverty and not be dependent on charitable handouts.” This, she added, will only become possible when jobs are created and persons are trained to fill the vacant positions.

“Beating the pinch of poverty was what influenced the rise in the threshold giving families an additional $60,000 in annual income,” Minister Lawrence stated.

THE ELDERLY Lawrence described the

Palms - the home for the elderly, located on Brickdam as “the eye sore that our senior citizens are housed in,” and said that government can ill afford to replace the home, but will be spending some $20M to purchase equipment to improve the “functionality and efficacy of that historic institution.” “While it is not ideal, given the variety of constraints, we have nevertheless addressed critical areas such as staffing at the institution and have done work to improve the aesthetics of the environment. Our broader vision is to establish a national minimum standards for Elderly Care Facilities,” The minister stated.

Additionally, the Ministry is working with specialists from the Georgetown Public Hosptial Corporation to correct the dietary deficiencies of the residents of the Palms.

Those specialists will assist in providing meals with specific dietary requirements for residents with identified illnesses.

“The elderly in this country have been, for too long, Mr. Speaker, forgotten. Their previously measly pensions epitomised that neglect,” she said, noting that in just a few short months, government has managed to hike their pensions by $5000. “Each old-age pensioner will now receive $18, 200 and we anticipate a fully automated system at the beginning of 2017 so that they would no longer require booklets to redeem their pensions, but can simply do so by producing their identification (ID) cards. Mr. Speaker, these things may seem inconsequential, but cumulatively, they are necessary to help lift the nation out of the retrogressive and punitive environment in which our people still access basic services.” Lawrence said the 2016 Budget “will go into the annals of history as the most significant budget in the last two decades.”

Canadians helping M&CC with new plan THE MINISTRY of Communities, working along with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, has helped the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to map out a ‘Municipal Development Plan’.

Such a plan would assist the M&CC to coordinate all of its activities within Georgetown and other areas, Town Clerk Royston King said recently.

“They (government) brought in consultants from Canada and other places to help

the various municipalities, and to provide a guide on how we can develop and advance the interest of the municipality,” King explained.

A questionnaire was served out to all councillors for them to rank in order of priority the various services that are needed.

The report was developed based on councillors’ feedback.

The document has already been made accessible to the City Council.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 11, 2016

PPP Govt gave RPA $2.5M monthly

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder told the National Assembly on Wednesday that the privately-run Rice Producers’ Association (RPA) had pocketed a $2.5M monthly subvention from the PPP administration over the past two decades.

An audit done at the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) has also revealed that the Guyana Rice Producers Association (GRPA) was yet to repay a $100M loan it had acquired from the GRDB in 2014.

RPA head Dharamkumar Seeraj, a serving People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament, had reportedly signed for the ‘loan’ in July 2014 with the understanding that it would have been repaid in October 2014.

The loan was reportedly approved by former GRDB General Manager Jagnarine Singh when Seeraj was serving as Vice President of the GRDB, a position he relinquished in July 2015. Also signing on to the agreement was then Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy.

In the House on Wednesday, Seeraj said the money was not paid to him, but to the RPA to help farmers. He said GRDB records would show that the funds had been

General Secretary of the RPA, Dharamkumar Seeraj

properly accounted for.

Minister Holder’s revelation mirrored a similar occurrence at the Guyana Sugar Corporation, when that company had paid the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) almost $18M in services between 2011 and mid of 2015. Those services were reportedly rendered to sugar workers by the labour college of a union whose head is a senior member of the PPP. The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Commission of Inquiry (CoI) had found the discrepancy, and had recommended that GuySuCo forthwith discontinue payment for employees’ participation in courses.

According to the report,

GuySuCo was paying each worker their average day’s pay for each day on the course. And using an average of $3000 per worker per day, the total cost to GuySuCo for the period between 2011 and August of 2015 would have been almost $18M, which the corporation was required to pay to the Union.

The typical agenda and curriculum for the five-day course for estate workers includes opening remarks; GAWU/GuySuCo Labour Agreements; Courtesy visit to the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (Red House); film show: Workers struggle/Thunder in Guyana; GAWU emergence and highlights of its struggles; Labour Relations; the importance of ideology, and Marxism-Leninism as the ideology of the working class; strengthening the Unions’ Organisational structure; Capitalism-Imperialism-Globalisation; Class struggle and the development of society; global crisis and its impact on workers; the role of the Ministry of Labour; our National Insurance Scheme (NIS); Occupational Safety and Health Act and safe work habits; Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act; Prevention of Discrimination Act;

City Hall face-lift to cost $300M THE Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) needs a whopping $2B in order to complete repair works on all of its municipal buildings, Town Clerk Royston King says.

Recognising the need for the Council to ensure that the buildings are all “fit and safe”, King told this publication that M&CC is committed to restoring these buildings as far as practicable.

“We believe that all our municipal buildings, including City Hall, Kitty Market, Stabroek Market, etc.; such repair works are not beyond the competence of our City Engineer’s Department.”

Works on the restoration of City Hall’s building have already commenced and more is planned before the celebration of the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary.

Some $300M is needed to do initial repair works on City Hall’s building, King informed. “We are talking about the roof, windows, the structural soundness and so forth.”

A ‘Restoration Fund’ will

have to be launched so that corporate citizens and individuals can make donations to the project.

Meanwhile, a complex to house staff of the M&CC will have to be built sometime this year to effectively facilitate rehabilitation of City Hall’s building. The intention is to have the structure, built in 1889, returned to its former glory.

City Hall boasts of a unique architectural design and is often described as “the most picturesque structure”, “the most handsome building in Georgetown”, and “one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the Caribbean.”

Mayor Hamilton Green had expressed optimism that the task will be completed this year. Just recently, he told this newspaper that the EU and the Ministry of Finance had already signaled their readiness to assist with the restoration project.

“It is a very complex building. There is a lot of iron work to be done and a lot of work to be done on the

roof as well. It’s a lot of work and so it will cost a lot, but I wouldn’t want to guess a figure,” he said.

It is unclear if the skills to get the job done are available locally.

In 1995, the Government of Guyana had proposed City Hall as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building was designed by architect Reverend Ignatius Scholes in 1887 and was completed in June 1889.

At 14:00hrs on December 23, 1887, Governor Henry Turner Irving laid the foundation stone for City Hall at the north-east corner of the main building, along with a glass jar containing original documents relating to the building.

City Hall was officially opened at 15:00hrs on July 1, 1889 by Governor-Viscount Gormanston. The Archbishop of British Guiana, William Piercy Austin, then blessed the structure.

The building has deteriorated significantly over the years and is in need of urgent repairs.

various forms of violence; suicide – causes and effects; alcohol and drug abuse and social habits

(for male participation); cancers in women (for female participation); work standards and quality con-

trol; GuySuCo corporate issues; cultural activities; and evaluation and closure of the course.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 11, 2016

GDF to help build bridges, roads in hinterland ‒ Pres. Granger COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF of the Armed Forces, President David Granger, announced the strengthening of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Engineering Corps to recommence the construction of bridges and roadways in the hinterlands.

This was disclosed while President Granger was giving

President David Granger inspects a Guard of Honour during the parade

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, David Granger hands over the award of the sword of honour to Best Graduating student Cleveroy Patrick during the parade

the feature address Wednesday at the Standard Officer’s Course #48 parade at the playfield, Camp Ayanganna, where 17 Ensigns who completed the course were promoted to Second Lieutenants.

Three additional officers were selected to undergo further training at the Brazilian Armed Forces cadet course. Two of the newly commissioned officers who graduated are from the Belize Defence Force and the other was a female from the St Kitts and Nevis Defence Force.

The best graduating student was Cleveroy Patrick, while the first runner up was Richard Asregadoo. Other graduates included: Jermine Nedd, Mark Bagot, Jermis Batson, Corenna VanLewin, Althea Rodney, Dwight Bonus, Daniel Phillips, Jermey Basdeo, Quason McAndrew, Rawl lord, Joel Amsterdam, Garvon Douglas, Stephion Gordon, Asthon Flowers, Xavier Ramirez and Zenra Ferdinand.

President Granger told the officers that the GDF reactivated the Guyana People’s Militia which is the reserve force that can be deployed to render assistance to regional administrations and communities in times of emergency.

“The militia will become again the citizens’ army, it will be based in communities in every region of our country in order to keep those communities safe, the Civil Defence Corps under the Civil Defence Commission is now being established to assist the government in times of environmental hazard,” the Commander-in-Chief explained.

President Granger charged the promoted cadets to uphold the complex mission and responsibilities of the GDF while abiding by the values of loyalty, discipline, courage, honesty, steadfastness and trust. Recognising the participation of three officers from sister Caribbean states- Belize and St Kitts Nevis, President Granger said their participation is in

accordance with Guyana’s commitments to regional integration and Guyana’s foreign policy to foster closer relations among the friendly countries and the defence forces of the Caribbean.

“We are committed to collaborating with each other to ensure the security of all states and to guarantee that the region remains forever a zone of peace…The newest officers of the GDF now have the legal authority with the appointment as Second Lieutenants, the instruments will allow you to fulfill your responsibilities of our country; our communities; these responsibilities are clearly outlined in the constitution of Guyana,” President Granger underscored.

He said the Constitution, the Defence Act and the Defence Board have entrusted the GDF with the responsibilities for the security of the country and for rendering services to our country. “The GDF for half of a century has been the sword and shield of our homeland; it has protected us from danger; it has suppressed revolt; it has repelled incursions; it has deterred would-be aggressors. The GDF has admirably guarded our nation’s skies, our waters, our territory and our patrimony and will continue to do so,” Pesident Granger noted.

The President added that the safety of Guyana’s citizens is the most important task of the state; and people must enjoy security in their homes and in their communities, especially in times of disaster and other circumstances of the state.

Meanwhile, best graduating student Cleveroy Patrick said the course was very challenging and it tested him mentally and physically. “I now have a clearer understanding of the familiar term, ‘mind over matter’.”

Chief of Staff, Brigadier General, Mark Phillips, said the GDF has utilised its best training staff at the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Officer Cadet School. He said military work requires judicious and skillful application of technology, aggression and discipline to accomplish given missions and tasks. This, he said, is the professional framework that must now guide the Second Lieutenants intellectual development as young officers of the force.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday February 11, 2016

$100,000 support for Two Friends fire victims PRESIDENT David Granger, through his Public Information and P re s s S e r v i c e s O f f icer, Ms. Lloyda Nicho-

las-Garrett on Tuesday provided $100,000 in initial support to Ms. Cidel Hector, a 22-year-old security guard, who lost her

home in a fire last week Monday at Two Friends, East Coast Demerara.

The fire has left her toddler son nursing first, sec-

Public Information and Press Services Officer Lloyda NicholasGarrett hands over cheque for $100,000 to mother of two, Cidel Hector, who lost all she owned in a house fire that has left her toddler son nursing first, second and third degree burns

ond and third degree burns.

In a release, the Ministry of the Presidency said that Ms. Garrett presented the cash to Ms. Hector at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where the mother of two has been staying to care for her son who has undergone a skin grafting procedure to treat the burns he suffered to his right arm and both knees. “President Granger is very moved by your situation,” Ms. Nicholas-Garrett told the woman.

“He understands that it is difficult as a young mother for you to support two children and then have to face a situation like this… his heart is touched by your circumstances and he has decided to help offset the initial expenses you will have [to help you get] back on your feet.” On hearing this, the woman stared in disbelief and then burst into tears as she repeatedly expressed her gratitude to the President, the ministry’s release added.

The Ministry of the Presidency will assess the situation and work with the Ministry of Social Protection to determine what

other social services can be provided to assist the young mother to adequately care for her young children and help her to get back on her feet. Ms. Hector, a single parent, left twoyear-old Ezekiel Malachi in the company of his four year old brother Nathaniel at her Two Friends Village, East Coast Demerara home, while she went to her security guard job. Neighbours were awakened by the children’s screams in the wee hours of the morning as fire engulfed their home.

As had been previously reported, Guyana Defence Force rank, Mr. Colin Jack, braved the raging flames and climbed through a window in the burning house to rescue the children. The elder child is currently in his father’s care.

On Monday, Hector told this newspaper that she was seeking help to rebuild her life. She said her son had undergone skin grafting.

Skin grafting is a process by which skin is removed from one area of the body and transplanted to another.

The boy was hospitalised after suffering burns to his

right arm and both knees during the early morning fire. Ms Hector told the Guyana Chronicle she had lost everything in the fire, and would welcome any help from Government, or from other organisations and individuals. Ever since the fire, she has been spending her days and nights at the Georgetown Hospital, where her son is still a patient.

A neighbour in Ann’s Grove had offered Cydel a small shop to stay in, but Cydel’s mom also told her she prefers that she stays at her home. Cydel says that while her mother’s home is the better place for her to stay, the house is not large enough to comfortably accommodate them all, and so she is asking for assistance from relevant donor agencies to construct a home for herself and children. She said she was informed that a Food for the Poor representative, Patricia Sam, was searching for her, but because of the time she has to spend with her son daily at the GPHC, she has not been able to get in contact with Ms Sam.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday February 11, 2016

World-class Durban Park arena taking shape …residents briefed on plan, facilities

By Leroy Smith THE six-month-old secret about the Durban Park project was let out of the bag on Tuesday evening when the committee responsible for its development met with residents of Hadfield Street and the Lodge Community for discussions.

The three-phase project includes the current prepa-

rations to accommodate a massive flag-raising ceremony on February 23, 2016 as Guyana gets ready to celebrate its 46th Republic Anniversary.

The second phase would be the acceleration of works to accommodate another massive flag-raising ceremony on May 26, 2016 when Guyana will celebrate its Golden Jubilee Anniversary.

The third phase would be

the final leg of the project, which is to develop the entire location to accommodate a state-of-the-art, world-class arena to seat 30,000 persons, twice the capacity of the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.

Additionally, there would be several other features at the location that is being geared to promote family-oriented activities.

The Lodge residents were

informed about the activities which are taking place at the location: The pile driving, construction of drainage infrastructure around the entire location, and the erection of a 200-ft flagpole to be first used on February 23, then again on May 26, and to remain a permanent fixture at the venue.

Public Relations Consultant, Alex Graham, in his powerpoint presentation, first

spoke of additional upgrading works which would be done to the 1763 Monument site. Immediately behind that monument, there will be a promenade, which, according to Graham, would be open 24/7, unlike the other parks in the city which are often closed at a certain time.

JUBILEE STADIUM Behind the promenade is where the proposed stadium,

to be named ‘Jubilee Stadium’, will be erected.

The Stadium, according to Graham, who showed images of an artistic impression of the facility, would be a three-decker facility.

Behind the arena, there would be a large area designated for sporting activities, including lawn tennis, go-cart racing, basketball, jogging and walking tracks, along with other facilities.

Children hold audience captive

By Daniel Haynes DESPITE the tears and blown expectations, the children of Georgetown have once again proven they have what it takes to hold an audience captive.

And hold it captive they did on a day dedicated to strictly dancing, and, as has been the custom over the years - at this particular time, the National Cultural Centre again played host yesterday to pupils and teachers who came to cheer on their respective schools as the annual Children’s Mashramani Competition entered Day 3.

The Nursery and Primary Schools of Georgetown once again made believers out of the Guyanese public. They not only proved that they belong on the same level as many of the secondary schools with regards to their performance, but also that they can compete with them on their own terms.

CATEGORIES The categories included religious beliefs, fantasy, legends and traditions, interpretive, games we play, masquerade, and social commentary.

The Primary School age groups were divided into two, namely 5-7 and 8-10.

At the Nursery level, competing in the religious beliefs category were three schools: Gracestock, St. Gabriel’s, and Headstart, with dances titled “Celebration of Praise”, “Uniting as one in 2016”, and “Jubilation” respectively.

First place went to St Gabriel’s nursery, with the second place going to Headstart, and third to Gracestack. Headstart Nursery also competed in the “Games We Play” category with an item titled “Small Days” and got first.

In the 5-7 category, “Religious Beliefs” saw J.E Burnham Primary in place third; St Angela’s Primary gaining second place; and St Pius Primary blowing the competition out of the water to take the first place without any doubts with their piece, “We Shall Rise.”

“Fantasy” featured St. Agnes Primary in second place and East La Penitence taking the first place.

LEGENDS, TRADITIONS At the Primary 8-10 lev-

el the legends and traditions segment saw West Ruimveldt Primary placing third, Stella Maris in second place, and Winfer Gardens taking the coveted first place. In the religious beliefs category, six schools competed, and again, St. Pius swept away the competition, taking first place and wowing the judges, much to the delight of the crowd. Redeemer Primary also acquitted themselves admirably, placing second, while ‘dark-horse’ Tucville Primary came from behind to place third, a decision that gave spectators even more to cheer about.

Interpretive dancing was done by seven competitors, and St. Margaret’s Primary claimed first, Westfield Prep second and St. Angela’s Primary third.

MASQUERADE The final category of the afternoon was “Masquerade”, which only comprised of four schools; the crowd saw Bel-Air Primary taking third, North Georgetown second, and East La Penitence Primary first in a marginal decision. The final school in the group, Rama

--as ‘Mash’ competition enters Day 3

Krishna Primary, did not space, and this decision saw the hearts of the Rama Krishna Primary school performers broken, as well as teachers and parents dismayed.

The entire day was filled with entertainment, and this was complemented by local artiste, Jomo, performing in the morning session. Jomo showed his flair and stage

presence with performances of two of his songs, “Fireworks” and “On the Road”. He called out the dancers on stage and had them dance backup to his performances.

“Legends and Traditions” winner, Winfer Gardens Primary

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 11, 2016

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 11, 2016

Rodney COI

Chairman drops off report at AG’s office …commissioners seeking separate writer’s fee AFTER claiming that he had run out of ink to print the final report of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI), Commission Chairman Sir Richard Cheltenham has reportedly dropped off the document at the desk of the confidential secretary of Attorney General Basil Williams.

He is now demanding a writer’s fee in addition to the already huge sums of money received for sitting to conduct the probe.

Contacted by the Guyana Chronicle, the Attorney General confirmed that Sir Richard and another member of the Commission, Mr Seenath Jairam, S.C., had on Tuesday afternoon dropped off the report at his office.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that these commis-

Commissioners of the CoI: From left are Senior Counsel Seenath Jairam from Trinidad and Tobago; Barbadian Queen’s Counsel Sir Richard Cheltenham, Chairperson of the CoI; and Queen’s Counsel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown from Jamaica

sioners have since departed the country without officially meeting with President David Granger. The report was slated to be handed over to the President on Monday during an official ceremony to which the media was invited.

However, upon arrival at the Ministry of the Presidency, the media were informed that the event was postponed to a later time due to no fault of the Ministry of the Presidency (MotP).

In a subsequent press re-

lease on Monday, the MotP revealed that a “lack of ink” on Monday had stalled the handing over of the report.

Minister Williams, in an interview with some members of the media on Wednesday, said he found the recent ac-

tions of the Chairman to be disrespectful. “He [Sir Richard] couldn’t hand it [report] to me. I was in Parliament…I indicated that the President would not be available, so he did the next best thing and took it to my Chambers,” Williams said.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General revealed that the Commissioners have not yet been paid, and will not be paid until Budget 2016 is approved in the National Assembly.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that Finance Minister Winston Jordan had requested that the Commissioners produce their contracts, but this could not be done, since it was revealed that they had not signed any contract upon being hired by the Donald Ramotar Administration.

According to Minister Williams, he finds this factor to be rather “disturbing,” since the Commissioners are now

seeking a separate “writers’ fee” for compiling the final report.

“On this last trip, they were seeking some writing fee, whatever that is. This should have been included in the fees charged, so we don’t know about a separate writing fee,” the Attorney General said.

Almost $500 million have been spent to conduct the Inquiry over a period of two years, with more than $150M going towards the salaries of the three Commissioners.

Another $16M had been spent to pay a reporter.

The team of international jurists was selected almost 34 years after the death of Dr Walter Rodney to probe the demise of the politician/historian. Dr. Rodney was killed on June 13, 1980 when a bomb exploded in a car in which he was an occupant.

Vendors back at Merriman Mall in 2 weeks IN ABOUT two weeks’ time, vendors who plied their trade on the Merriman Mall, between Orange Walk and Cummings Street in the City, will be permitted to return to their

original spots, Town Clerk Royston King has informed.

Vending was suspended at this location since early January, sparking outrage and protest actions from the affected sellers.

Thursday, February 11, 2016 - 05:00 hrs Friday, February 12, 2016 - 05:00 hrs Saturday, February 13, 2016 - 08:30 hrs

The City Council had justified its action by noting that the area in question was very untidy and was therefore inconsistent with its vision to make Georgetown ‘clean and green.’

On the sidelines of the City Council’s most recent statutory meeting, King told this newspaper that the suspended selling area would now be called the “Municipal Wholesale Depot.”

“Only wholesale business will be conducted at the moment. That facility was really for wholesalers, and we want to go back to the original plan

and the original use of that particular area,” he offered.

The wholesale vendors who operate in this vicinity had been invited to a meeting

with the Clerk of Markets, the Mayor, and the Town Clerk.

It was agreed at that meeting that the area would be transformed so that it could be clean and attractive.

The vendors had reportedly agreed that all stalls would be of one colour and size for uniformity, and had asked about adequate lighting, toilet facilities and security.

King had urged vendors to comply with the decisions of council, while noting that although some persons may have suffered temporary inconvenience, the end result would be beneficial to all.

President David Granger had said that the vendors must be provided with suitable spaces to operate, but that the City Council must also be able to enforce the City’s by-laws. “The City Council has responsibilities; it has by-laws and regulations. I have been advised that the Town Clerk actually had

meetings with the vendors, warnings were actually given months ago,” the President said.

The President urged the City Council to put in place arrangements to ensure that those displaced were given accommodation at appropriate locations to ply their trade. The vendors were subsequently granted permission to use another section of the Merriman Mall.

“There is a large vending population in Georgetown, and we must accept that. Some people prefer to buy from vendors, but vendors must conform to the laws. They must not leave debris and rubbish [scattered on the ground], and they must not go into prohibited areas. The City Council must provide areas for them, and they must abide by the municipality regulations,” the President said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, February 11, 2016

MPs see jobs in big infrastructural projects

By Svetlana Marshall NEGLECTED for far too long, Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice) is poised for great things with major infrastructural projects catered for in this year’s budget, according to A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) + Alliance for Change Member of Parliament Audwin Rutherford.

The upgrading of the Linden/Soesdyke Highway, the Linden-Lethem Road and the Linden-Kwakwani Road will directly impact the lives of the people of Region 10, Rutherford said during the opening day of the budget debates in the National Assembly on Monday.

“Mr Speaker, on May 11, 2015, that blessed day for the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, we inherited almost all the roads in Region 10 in desrepair, both internal and external. Linden/Soesdyke, Linden-Ituni-Kwakwani, Linden-Mabura-Lethem…. (but) we have started to fix them and will continue…,” he assured the House.

Approximately $6.72B has been allocated for the improvement of several hinterland, rural and urban community roads including the Ituni-Kwakwani Road.

HIGHWAY REHAB Additionally, the Government, through the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is collaborating with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to facilitate the rehabilitation of the 47-year-

Member of Parliament Audwin Rutherford

old Linden/Soesdyke Highway.

Concurrently, maintenance works will be undertaken on the Linden-Kwakwani corridor, but it is the aim of the Government to have the road fully paved, thereby opening access to communities in Ituni, Aroraima, Kwakwani, Ebini, Kimbia and other remote areas along the Berbice River.

“Mr. Speaker, Block 22, a community existing as long as the previous administration was in office, was completely off the developmental agenda, they are now on and we will not only upgrade their roads but this budget makes provision for a survey of the poor drainage

system,” Rutherford added, noting that these projects will bring much relief to the ever-expanding community.

Additionally, a sum of $30.8M has been budgeted to improve drainage and irrigation at Wismar, Hymara, and Old England.

REPAIR OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS In the area of education, Rutherford pointed out that three secondary schools, namely Mackenzie High School, Wismar Christianburg Secondary and Linden Foundation Secondary will undergo significant repairs, while the One Mile Primary School will have a trestle constructed, all to the tune

of $82M. “Our education delivery is also adversely affected by lack of transportation, Mr Speaker, and the sum of $6M will bring much relief particularly to schools in the wider reaches,” he said, adding that a further allocation of $15M will be used to purchase furniture and equipment.

The $61.5M budgeted for the Regional Health Sector is also a welcomed move, the APNU+AFC Parliamentarian noted.

Meanwhile, Region al Member of Parliament Haimraj Rajkumar applauded Finance Minister Winston Jordan on a job well done, positing that the allocations for Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) will significantly benefit residents in the areas of agriculture, health and education.

While acknowledging that El Nino or the “dry season” is severely affect-

ing the agriculture sector, particularly the rice industry, Rajkumar said farmers are comforted by the fact that the Government is putting measures in place to bring relief to the affected farmers.

In Region Two, $44.846M has been budgeted for the completion of the regulator at La Resource, and the sluices at Perth, Hampton Court and Lima.

Additionally, revetments will be constructed at Urasara and Spring Garden. An irrigation check at Huist’ Dieren, tail wall at Queenstown and a culvert at Bounty Hall will also be constructed.

The $44.846M will complement the $58M that was spent by the Government in 2015 for the commencement of the project which is slated to be completed by December 31, 2016. Upon completion, this drainage and irrigation project will improve agricultural yields,

drainage and irrigation facilities and access to farmlands.

Just recently, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo commissioned a drainage pump at Lima and according to Rajkumar the pump will see more than 3,000 acres of land being drained.

In the field of education, approximately $233M has been budgeted to boost the sector while $92M will be utilised in the area of health for the construction of an accident and emergency unit at the Charity Hospital, a waiting room at the Suddie Hospital, and a health post at Onderneeming.

People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Members of Parliament Zulfikar Mustapha and Cornel Damon, who pulled out the ‘race card’ and was subsequently condemned, were among those who spoke on Monday during the commencement of the 2016 budget debates.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday February 11, 2016

Multi-million SOCU seizure engaging CJ

THE OFFICE of Chief Justice (ag) Yonette Cummings-Edwards is presently reviewing the files complied by the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) in relation to the multi-million-dollar cash seizures at two locations along the East Coast Demerara two weeks ago.

This was confirmed by head of SOCU, Assistant

Commissioner of Police Sydney James, speaking with journalists at the official opening of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) office at the United States Embassy in Georgetown yesterday morning.

Asked to give details on the operations of the department, and more specifically the raids where the sums of cash were seized, James said

the matter was engaging the CJ’s Office, and for him to speak on a matter engaging her attention when she was present at the opening of the DEA office at the Embassy would be disrespectful.

However, he said the department has been engaged in a number of anti-money laundering operations, and some of those were done over the

weekend. He said the department would very shortly be updating the media on the new developments.

Asked about the persons whose premises were raided two weeks ago, when the large quantity of cash was seized, James told reporters that those persons were no longer in the custody of the police.

In response to questions

on the authority under which the department is conducting its seizures, James explained that the operations were being done under the Anti-Money Laundering legislation of 2009 and the amendments of 2015.

The Guyana Chronicle has been informed by persons in communities along the East Coast Demerara

that the SOCU operations of last week were conducted at Vigilance and another gated community between Plaisance and Beterverwagting.

It was reported that the police showed up at the two locations, identified themselves, and proceeded to search the premises. They were said to have taken away large sums of money.

NARI to support ‘agri’ plans in Region 10 THE National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) has embraced Region 10’s agricultural plans that are highlighted in the Plan of Action for Regional Development (PARD) and has already made a number of relevant contributions to the region.

Even though the region’s five-year developmental plan encompasses development in its entirety, agricultural development is being prioritised. With this focus in mind, the Regional Democratic Council is collaborating with NARI to create improvement in the region’s agricultural sector. Regional Chairman Renis Morian told this publication that NARI has pledged to donate transportation to the region to assist farmers who are having difficulty transporting their

produce to the market. The RDC has the responsibility of securing a driver for the bus.

SEED NURSERY He also revealed that NARI has promised to support the region in planting and managing a nursery as they have already donated a large number of seeds.

In view of the PARD, the region is to identify 10 acres of land to be used for demonstration purposes so farmers will be taught techniques to enable maximum output in sandy soil. In an effort to encourage more agricultural activity in the region, the team attached to PARD which comprises the Regional Chairman, the Regional Vice Chairman, the regional economist and a member of the public will be giving seeds to farmers who will be monitored in

terms of output and efforts are being made to have women join the agricultural sector.

Regional Chairman Morian acknowledged the importance of food security and with the decrease in bauxite production, agriculture should become the priority as it relates to diversification.

This is being encouraged especially in the hinterland communities located up the Berbice River where agricultural activities were stymied after the previous administration sold the boat used by the farmers to transport their crops.

“We now have an uphill task to have agriculture done all over again in these communities because the previous administration sold the boat used by the farmers and now a lot of

houses are closed because the people migrated from the community,” he said.

According to the Chairman of the Agricultural Committee, Douglas Gittens, the region is currently producing only 10% of what is consumed as the majority of its food is sourced from

other regions.

This is seen as a dangerous situation as the food crisis that faced the region during the 2005 flood can occur again in the event of another natural disaster.

“We do not want to produce food to compete with other regions but for our own

livelihood,” posited the Regional Chairman.

Meanwhile, two pilot schools have already been identified to include agricultural programmes in the curriculum so that from a young age students will develop an appreciation for the sector.

LGE costly, but a good investment– Bulkan

By Ravin Singh

AS THE political atmosphere slowly intensifies with overdue Local Government Elections just weeks away, Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, is of the view that although these elections are costly, they represent an investment in good governance and respect for the rights of citizens.

Bulkan made this declaration in the National Assembly last evening during his presentation at the 2016 budget debates. In six weeks, LGE, which has been overdue for 18 years, will be held for 9 townships and 62 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC).

Installed will be 71 new councils, which according to Bulkan will be accompanied by the new philosophy that sees central government providing support, as opposed to seeking to dictate and dominate the affairs of local government organs. “The hand of control has been replaced with the hand of collaboration and cooperation,” the Minister said.

Firm in his tone, Bulkan highlighted that the crisis conditions which currently characterize towns and villages will be replaced by community renewal in which people are allowed to practise their constitutional right to manage and develop their areas. The fresh approach to community management, he noted, will see partnership, not partisanship; respect, not a desire to dominate.

“The present rotten local government system will be rehabilitated. The degeneration of our communities will give way to rebirth and renewal when local leaders are elected and allowed to make decisions on those areas that directly affect their well-being,” the Minister told the House.

But according to Bulkan, each of the 10 administrative regions must be prepared to accept the challenge offered by the government and begin to take more ownership of their areas. Regions, he charged, must ensure that the bountiful natural and other resources that they are endowed with are used to attract investments, create jobs, and contribute to improving living standards; raise people’s quality of life, and bring about development.

He reiterated that the Ministry of Communities, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and other agencies local and international, are providing support to regional administrations in their task of creating their development programmes, also known as a Plan of Action for Regional Development (PARD).

The constitution, he said, provides for each region to craft its own development programme, a charge given to Regional Chairpersons at the time of their swearing-in by President Granger.

Additionally, the Communities Minister reflected on the President’s remarks that strong regions will lead to a strong nation. “Meaningful support will continue to be provided to the RDCs in equipping them to exploit their potential for the benefit of their residents,” he said.

After 21 years, the long overdue Local Government Elections have been set for March 18, 2016. The elections were last held in 1994, even though the constitution clearly stipulates that they should be held every three years.

Prior to being re-elected to executive office in 2011, the then PPP Government had committed to holding the elections within a year. However, subsequent to securing a victory at the polls, talks on the possible hosting of LGE at that time had ceased, and it was only in 2014 that the APNU and AFC, separate in nature then, intensified their campaigns for the PPP to host the elections.

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Bad publicity leads Nestle to end IAAF partnership ZURICH, Switzerland (Reuters) - Swiss food giant Nestle will end its partnership with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) because of scandal surrounding the sport, the company said yesterday.

The IAAF is in turmoil following widespread allegations of corruption and bribery.

“This decision was taken in light of negative publicity associated with allegations of corruption and doping in sport made against the IAAF,” Nestle said in a statement.

“We believe this could negatively impact our reputation and image and will therefore terminate our existing agreement with the IAAF, established in 2012.”

Nestle had a partnership with the IAAF Kids Athletics programme.

“The IAAF is in discus-

sion with Nestle concerning the final year of its five-year partnership with IAAF Kids’ Athletics,” the IAAF said in a statement.

“This has been a successful programme with 15 million kids aged 7 to 12 years in 76 countries taking part in fun team activities which

clique run by former IAAF president Lamine Diack covered up organised doping and blackmailed athletes while senior officials looked the other way.

Diack is under formal investigation in France on suspicion of corruption and money-laundering linked

Nestle partnership is another major blow.

German sportswear company Adidas AG will also end its sponsorship deal with the IAAF almost four years early, the BBC reported last month.

SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Vaal 08:25 hrs She’s A Flirt 09:05 hrs Will Pays 09:45 hrs Rocky Stallone 10:20 hrs Abashiri 10:55 hrs Tip Of The Glacier

A Nestle logo is pictured on sample products on display at the company headquarters in Vevey February 19, 2015. (Reuters/Denis Balibo) promote a healthy, active lifestyle.”

An independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency has stated in a report that “corruption was embedded” at the organisation.

The report said that a

to concealing positive drug tests, in concert with Russian officials.

Sebastian Coe, the British former 1500 metres Olympic champion, took over as IAAF president last year with the aim of cleaning up the organisation, but the loss of the

In this the year of our ‘Golden Jubilee’, keep on roaring, Lady Jags! – Jones AS GUYANA prepare to tackle Canada tonight at the BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas, Director of Sport Christopher Jones has conveyed a message of ‘good luck’ to the Lady Jags on behalf of the people and Government of Guyana.

Eyeing a spot at the Olympic Games in Brazil later this year, Guyana will have to get out of Group ‘B’ of the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifier tournament where they are placed alongside (apart from Canada) Trinidad and Guatemala.

“As the Lady Jags continue to fly the Golden Arrowhead high and proud for and on behalf the Government and people of Guyana, we at home will be cheering them on to success as they roar in Houston, Texas” Jones said in his message to the team.

The Director of Sport further added that today’s game is in the team’s continued quest for success to put Guyana on football’s world stage. “We are confident that this objective will be achieved. In this the year of our ‘Golden Jubilee’, keep on roaring Lady Jags!”

Guyana will next play Trinidad and Tobago on February 14 and Guatemala two days later. (Rawle Toney)

ENGLISH RACING TIPS Doncaster 09:15 hrs Willoughby Hedge 09:45 hrs Newsworthy 10:20 hrs Winter Escape 10:55 hrs Younevercall 11:30 hrs The Artful Cobbler 12:05 hrs Blue Fashion 12:40 hrs Our Kylie HUNTINGDON 09:25 hrs Beauboreen 09:55 hrs Baoulet Delaroque 10:30 hrs Vazaro Delafayette 11:05 hrs North Hill Harvey 11:40 hrs Genstone Trail 12:15 hrs Royal Debutante 12:50 hrs Bright Eyes CHEMSFORD CITY 13:10 hrs Ela Goog La Mou 13:40 hrs Kuanyao 14:10 hrs Bosham 14:40 hrs Winterlude 15:10 hrs Cultured Knight 15:40 hrs Welliesinthewater 16:10 hrs You’re A Goat IRISH RACING TIPS Thurles 09:35 HRS Kayf Supreme 10:40 hrs Milanesque 11:15 hrs Burgas 11:50 hrs Road To Respect 12:25 hrs Luckyinmilan 13:00 hrs Augustin ARAB EMIRATES RACING TIPS Meydan 11:00 hrs Polar River 11:35 hrs Alareef 12:10 hrs Start Time 12:45 hrs Murrab 13:20 hrs Liquid Mercury 13:55 hrs Rouleau 14:30 hrs Musaddas AMERICAN RACING TIPS Aqueduct Race 1 Take a Bow Race 2 Pearls for Girls Race 3 Adrestia Race 4 Big East Race 5 Aix En Provence Race 6 Smile Big Race 7 Send It In Race 8 Paulassilverlining

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday February 11, 2016

Cold comfort from home after Smith’s winning streak ends

By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - Steve Smith, now carrying the burden of leading Australia in all three formats, is feeling the heat from a disappointed home media after his first series loss as skipper.

The world’s top-ranked Test batsman and ICC Crick-

eter-of-the-Year enjoyed a golden summer on home soil, leading the hosts to emphatic Test series wins over New Zealand and West Indies, and victory in the one-day series over India.

But the accolades have dried up along with the captain’s output of runs as Australia lost their one-day series away to New Zea-

land 2-1 with the 55-run thrashing in Hamilton on Monday.

“The honeymoon is over for Steve Smith,” the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper declared yesterday.

“For the first time in the Australian captain’s reign he is short of runs and presiding over a team that is not winning.”

Like his team, which is top-ranked in one-day cricket and second in Tests, Smith has become some-

Australia Test captain Steve Smith thing of a victim of his own success, his prolific output of runs over the past two years setting the bar high for a demanding local media.

It was less than a month ago that Smith blasted a

match-winning 149 to have the hosts overhaul India in the one-day series opener in Perth.

But the 26-year-old has managed only 90 runs from his past five innings and looked out of sorts against the swinging ball on New Zealand pitches.

Smith has hardly been alone in his struggles, with explosive all-rounder Glenn Maxwell sandwiching a six between two ducks against the Black Caps and George Bailey averaging 11.66.

But as an increasingly reliable barometer of Australia’s fortunes on foreign pitches, Smith’s dip in form is untimely ahead of the two-Test series against New Zealand.

The last time the magic deserted Smith in the Test arena was during the Ashes series in England.

Having struck a glorious 215 to guide Australia to victory at Lord’s, Smith failed in both innings of the next two Tests and the series was lost.

As in England, Smith’s trade-mark shuffle across the crease has appeared less assured in New Zealand and prompted speculation that he might be feeling the pinch after a long summer.

His instalment as captain of the Twenty20 side in place of Aaron Finch a month before the World T20 has only added to his pile and the selectors’ preference for one leader across all three formats was met with scepticism.

“He’s only new into the Test captaincy really and captained a bit of one-day cricket here and there,” former Australia captain Ricky Ponting told Melbourne radio station SEN. “With T20, more than anything, you have to look a couple of overs ahead of the game.

“I think it’ll start catching up with him pretty quickly. It did with me, anyway.”

The first Test against New Zealand starts in Wellington tomorrow.

Steyn in South Africa squad for World T20 JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) South Africa have named fast bowler Dale Steyn in their 15-man squad for the World Twenty20 in India next month, but will ask him to prove his fitness following a debilitating shoulder injury.

Steyn, a key component of the South African bowling line-up, has missed most of the 2015/16 season with first a groin strain and then a shoulder problem that has required intensive treatment.

“Dale’s return is very good news,” convener of selectors Linda Zondi said in a media release from Cricket South Africa yesterday.

“He brings tremendous experience and leadership to the team, not to mention his skills as the outstanding fast bowler of his generation.”

The side will be captained by Faf du Plessis, who takes over from Test and one-day international skipper AB de Villiers.

Yo u n g f a s t b o w l -

er Kagiso Rabada, who impressed in the Test series against England, has earned his place in India while there are also

DALE STEYN places for batsman Rilee Rossouw and all-rounder David Wiese, who missed South Africa’s last series in India late last year through injury.

Aaron Phangiso has also been preferred to Eddie Leie as the second specialist spin bowler. “The

inclusion of Aaron means that we have all our spin bowling options covered.

He, Imran Tahir and JP Duminy will offer the different varieties. Left-arm spin bowlers tend to play big roles under Indian conditions,” Zondi added.

The same squad will do duty in the upcoming series against England and Australia during the course of the next four weeks.

South Africa open their World Twenty20 campaign against England on March 18. They will also play Sri Lanka and West Indies in their pool, along with the top side in the first round group that contains Scotland, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.

Squad: Faf du Plessis (captain), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Chris Morris, Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn, David Wiese.

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday February 11, 2016

Organisers of Desmond Dorsett Memorial Race in Region 6 stage successful event ORGANISERS of the annual Desmond Dorsett Memorial Race (DDMR) successfully held its annual Classic Run for athletes in Region 6 (East Berbice/ Corentyne) recently.

The event culminated in a grand Fun Day at the No. 53

of three kilometres (No. 47 Village to No.53 Village).

The invitees to the races and fun day included Director of Sport Christopher Jones.

Older athletes participated in the 5K in an effort to inspire the youths.

Deputy Commander of the Berbice Police Division for cheering him on when he felt most like giving up.

Organiser of the Classic Run and Fun Day event was Mrs Jean Dorsett, wife of former Superintendent of Police Desmond Dorsett (deceased).

Part of the action in the annual Dorsett Memorial race.

Village complex.

The road race for Under-15 and Under-19 male and female athletes involved Under-19s running a distance of five kilometres (No.43 Village to No. 53 Village) and Under-15s running a distance

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister in Region 6 Gobin Harbhajan showed determination in running and completing the 5K race.

Harbhajan later credited Superintendent Errol Watts,

She was assisted by Desmond Jr, Chanel and Darryl, three of her children.

Mrs Dorsett said that the Road Race was the idea of her late husband who had been a long distance runner while serving in the Police

Force.

The first event held in 2009 was scheduled for March 28 of that year. Unfortunately Mr Dorsett never lived to see his dream come true because he died five days before.

Despite being in a state of mourning his wife and children pressed ahead with the event.

He was laid to rest the day after. Mrs Dorsett said this year’s event coincided with his 85th birth date.

The winning athletes were rewarded with trophies, medals and cash.

The Fun Day programme also included a food exhibition by Women’s Groups and Youth Clubs.

The sale of these culinary delights against the background of events, such as boxing matches and tug-ofwar, softball cricket and folk games, added to the general ambience of festivity at the venue.

Harbhajan congratulated the organisers for holding a well-attended event. He said he will spend time in other communities to encourage residents to incorporate this type of event as part of their community life.

Pakistan’s Gul axed for World T20 (REUTERS) - Pakistan named uncapped bowlers Rumman Raees and Mohammad Nawaz in their squad for the World Twenty20 in India while leaving out experienced paceman Umar Gul, the second highest wicket-taker in the shortest format.

Left-arm fast bowler Raees and all-rounder Nawaz were rewarded for their strong domestic form and the same 15-man squad will play in the February 24-March 6 Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

Only skipper Shahid Afridi (91) has taken more wickets than Gul (85) in Twenty20 Internationals but the 31-year-old pacer, who was part of the Twenty20 squad that lost 2-1 in New Zealand last month, has been struggling for form as well as fitness in recent times.

… five uncapped players included

RUMMAN RAEES “The T20 team has been selected keeping in mind the conditions during Asia Cup and World T20 and the recent performances of some players in domestic and A Team tours,” chief selector Haroon Rashid said

in a statement.

“The team is a fine blend of experience and youth and the selectors believe that team will do well in both tournaments.”

Opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad was also dropped from the squad with his place going to Khurram Manzoor, who has played 16 Tests and seven one-day internationals but is yet to make his debut in Twenty20 international.

Batsmen Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed are the other players in the Afridi-led squad who have played one-dayers for Pakistan but are yet to represent them in the shortest format.

Towering left-arm paceman Mohammad Irfan, who

was rested for the Twenty20 series in New Zealand, also returned to the squad for the March 8-April 3 tournament.

Pakistan’s participation in the World T20, which they won in 2009, across the border, depends on government clearance as there are specific threats, according to Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan.

Squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Khurram Manzoor, Rumman Raees

Anderson stars in Lower Corentyne Secondary win ... Mahaica defeat Mahaicony in Combine Elite match

LOWER Corentyne Secondary defeated Port Mourant Secondary on the back of a scintillating century from Kevlon Anderson, while Mahaica won against Mahaicony in the Combine Elite Leg of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) National Secondary Schools Cricket League (NSSCL), sponsored by Banks DIH Ltd’s Coca Cola and Rainforest Water along with Digicel.

At Port Mourant ground, Lower Corentyne defeated Port Mourant by 102 runs, as Kevlon Anderson registered a superb unbeaten century. Batting first after winning the toss, Lower Corentyne amassed an imposing 163-4 in just 20 overs. Anderson led the way with an unbeaten 103, laced with 15 elegant fours. Keith Simpson supported well with 29.

Port Mourant, in reply, folded for just 61 in 12.4 overs as Ezekiel Kempadoo claimed 4-11 and Simon Naidoo took 3-13. Lower Corentyne have now booked their place in the final awaiting the winners of the Skeldon Line Path and Corentyne Comprehensive game.

Meanwhile, the first match of the Combine Elite leg of the competition commenced recently with Mahaica playing Mahaicony at Fairfield ground. Batting first, Mahaicony registered 109-5 in 25 overs. Wendell Fordyce top-scored with 49 while Shaquille Weekes claimed 3-17 bowling for Mahaica.

Mahaica in reply raced to 114-4 in 18 overs.

Phillip Doodnat led the chase with a composed 43 not out.

Matches in the tournament continued yesterday.

Training sessions for East Coast Demerara AS the GCB/Banks DIH Ltd/Digicel National Secondary Schools League continues, players with outstanding performances and those who demonstrated good promise have been earmarked by the selection committee of the league for training.

These training sessions will be used to select a Combine Elite team to represent East Coast Demerara, who will play against Mahaica on February 17 at Enmore ground.

The training sessions to select the East Coast Demerara 14-man squads and six reserve players will be held on Monday and Tuesday next week at Enterprise ground from 13:30hrs.

The sessions will be conducted under the guidance of Latchman Yadram and Jitlall Jowharilall.

The players called for training with a view of selection are: Rajendra Singh, Alex Downer (President’s College), Tameshwar Motterdam, Damuka Ngqindo, Mike Persaud, Vickey Rampersaud, Tyrese Assanah, Vinod Sundar, Chanderpaul Ramraj (Annandale Secondary), Daniel Motoo, Kedar Amsterdam, Khamraj Panaram (Institute of Business Education), Prakash Debidyal, Reaz Mohomed, Hemraj Mohabir (Cummings Lodge), Robin Williams Bhashkar Yadram, Pradesh Balkishun (Bladen Hall Multilateral), Nankumar Krishna-Kishun, Kumar Persaud (La Bonne Intention, Anis Goodluck (Buxton), Junior Sealey (BV Secondary), Mohamed Jamaladeen, Ghandra Mohan (Apex Academy), Naveen Rooplall (Hindu College), Himnauth Dindyal (Enterprise), Shemar Payne, Zakeer Ishmael (Plaisance), Hemraj Heeralall, Arjun Sookborrow (Institute of Professional Education) and Robin Williams (Lusignan).

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday February 11, 2016

Hockey home ‘critical’ for development - GHB

By Stephan Sookram WITH more and more youths getting involved in the sport of hockey, the drive to acquire and develop a home for the game has intensified, with cooperation coming from the government according to president Philip Fernandes.

Fernandes, who will resume as head of the local body, should no one else put his hand up

tage because “we are the only regional nation who compete internationally that don’t have an artificial pitch on which hockey can be played,” said Fernandes.

Fernandes, himself a veteran player, stressed that training is greatly affected because of the lack of a facility and no outdoor international hockey can be played in Guyana to showcase the game.

According to the board, while dressing

It is very critical for hockey for us to have a hockey home where we can develop a proper international playing surface - Philip Fernandes, GHB president

A section of a modern-day sand-based hockey pitch at the annual general meeting later this month, contended that it is critical for the sport locally to have a home.

“It is very critical for hockey, for us to have a hockey home where we can develop a proper international playing surface.

Right now Guyana is at a huge disadvan-

rooms and other added facilities are on its overall plan, they are simply asking for the field and a set of bleachers where fans can witness the game, something simple enough to ensure that the sport grows.

He continued, “If we had that bare minimum facility, our training could increase tremendously; our players would be able to learn techniques and tactics in one month when it would normally take them three to four months on normal grass; so it would make a significant difference to us in terms of preparation.”

The board is in talks with the National Sport Commission through its director, Christopher Jones, over a possible home for the sport, adding, “We have discussed a few options with him and right now, the ball is in his court to come back to us to see whether any of them has turned out to be viable. We are very excited by that.”

A fully sand-based facility, the most economical of the three, currently used on the world market, would cost the body a hefty sum, something that will not however deter

Lumumba reads Riot Act to Alpha United

PRESIDENT of Alpha United Football Club, Odinga Lumumba, read the Riot Act to club members at his Queenstown office, yesterday, threatening to pull the plug on supporting the entity if there were no visible signs of overall improvement.

According to a reliable source, the outspoken president lashed out at the lackadaisical attitude shown by players and warned that the writing may be on the wall for quite a few of them.

Alpha United, arguably one of the best teams in the English-speaking Caribbean, have been winning competitions over the years but in recent times have been forced to scrape home.

The source said that Lumumba attacked absenteeism at practice, and players’ general conduct during matches.

“Mr Lumumba has put his heart and soul into this club and quite evidently he is concerned about the approach or lack thereof, shown by players.

“I think that he made it quite clear to all and sundry that the straw is about to break the camel’s back,” the

ODINGA LUMUMBA source said.

Lumumba took over the presidency of the Alpha over a decade ago and has guided the club from being the whipping boys of Guyana to one of the Caribbean’s finest.

The two-time Kashif and Shanghai champions

recently reunited with several of their former players including striker Anthony `Awo’ Abrams and Dwayne Jacobs.

The veteran players are back home in the club in time for the first match of the STAG Beer finale. `The Hammer’ will face Fruta Conquerors tomorrow at the GDF ground in the opening game of a double-header card.

Meanwhile, coach Wayne `Wiggy’ Dover confirmed that there are a few injured players going into tomorrow’s game but that he still expects a positive outcome.

“There are a few injuries but we have found the necessary replacements,” Dover said.

Alpha clashed with Conquerors twice in the first round of the competition with both matches ending 2-0 in their favour. The coach added that the return of Abrams and Jacobs added depth to the team. “They are tried and tested players whose presence gives us a better chance of clinching top place in competitions.”

The national ladies team competed on an artificial surface in Trinidad last year. the board’s pursuit.

“If we’re looking for US$120 000, because that’s the ballpark figure for what I see this kind of facility costing, it’s difficult to go to an international body or institution and say, ‘We

land, which can take us one step closer to being able to approach the international federation.”

Fernandes noted that should the international bodies contribute a third or half the cost, then the GHB would lobby the private

We are the only regional nation that compete internationally who don’t have an artificial pitch on which hockey can be played - Philip Fernandes, GHB President have zero dollars and we need your input. It’s one of those situations where we feel confident that we can get assistance,” said the GHB boss.

He continued, “We’ve had verbal assurance from the international federations that they will assist in some financial way although they never usually cover the cost of the facility in any country; so we’re hoping that we can secure the

sector offering advertising and sponsorship opportunities as well as the government for the remaining funds.

A traditional field hockey size is 91.4 by 55.0 metres (100yards x 60 yards) with an area of 5 027 sq. metres (1.24 acres). There are run-off areas of five and three metres to the side and behind respectively.

NOTABLE DATES GUYANESE-born Egerton Marcus was 30 years old when he clashed with German Henry Maske on February 11, 1995 in Frankfurt, Germany. Both boxers were undefeated going into the bout which had the International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heavyweight title at stake.

The southpaw Maske earned his 26th professional victory when he triumphed by unanimous decision over Marcus, who suffered his first defeat in 15 fights. The Guyanese then lingered for two fights in the cruiserweight division before joining the `big boys’ in the heavyweight category.

Born in Guyana on February 2, 1965, Marcus represented Canada as a middleweight in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He drew a bye in a round. Fired up, he then knocked out Emmanuel Legaspi of the Philippines and Darko Dukic of Yugoslavia respectively.

Wins over Sven Ottke of West Germany and Hussain Shah Syed of Pakistan earned him a place in the final. However, Marcus was forced to take silver after Maske, who represented East Germany won the final 5-0.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday February 11, 2016) 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:

(1) WI vs AUST, Bourda, 1978 (2) Sri Lanka

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Which two made their Test debut against New Zealand?

Geoffery Greenidge; Maurice Foster; Mike Findlay; Clyde Butts; Carl Hooper (2) Where and when Clive Lloyd made his only ODI century?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday February 11, 2016

WI players given four days to accept terms THE prospect of West Indies sending a second-string team to the World T20 has increased after the sides failed to reach agreement in their contract impasse.

WICB CEO Michael Muirhead responded to the players’ request for a doubling of their remuneration package in the tournament by reiterating the view that the compensation package was agreed with the players’ union, WIPA, last year and would not be changed on the eve of the event.

Muirhead also stated that any player who had not confirmed his acceptance of the current contracts by February 14 would be presumed to have refused selection.

With only days to go before that deadline, it is becoming hard to see how

agreement can be reached.

The breakdown in the relationship between international players and their union would appear to have robbed the parties even of the mechanism for meaningful dialogue and there seems little time for CARICOM leaders to intervene.

The possibility that West Indies will send a second-string squad unable to reflect their No.2 position in the T20 rankings and, as a consequence, tarnish the tournament, is real and growing.

Darren Sammy, the captain of the West Indies World T20 team, had earlier written a second letter to the WICB repeating the view that his squad “don’t accept that WIPA can represent us” and insisting on an increase in the financial terms on offer

for their availability in the tournament. His first letter complained of a cut of up to 80% in the remuneration on offer to West Indies players at this event compared to previous global tournaments.

“WIPA became conflicted during its negotiations with you and compromised itself,” Sammy said. “It could not and did not actively represent the best interests of all West Indies cricketers.

“The difference between the remuneration on offer from previous World Cups and this one is shocking and we cannot accept the terms on offer.

“To now be offered just US$6900 per match across the board irrespective of experience is totally unacceptable. Players are being asked to start providing

services from nearly four weeks ahead of the World

Faf du Plessis,WICB chief executive officer Michael Muirhead Cup and be guaranteed just US$27600 if they play all the

Global stars for today’s CPL draft

By Rajiv Bisnauth THE Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has confirmed that a stellar line-up of cricketers registered to take part in this year’s competition.

Players from 14 nations have entered the Draft for the fourth instalment of the CPL which will be played from the end of June until early August.

Today’s announcement in Barbados includes the six marquee players who will be assigned to their respective franchises and all of the players entering the 2016 draft.

Five marquee players have been confirmed and those players are: Faf du Plessis, Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Kumar Sangakkara and Shane Watson. The other marquee player will be revealed ahead of the draft.

Some 289 players – 157 from West Indies and 132 from overseas – have been registered for the draft.

The 289 players do not include the six marquee players. Sixteen of the 157 West Indies players to register have already been retained ahead of the draft, leaving 141 eligible for selection on draft day.

This is 25 more than

the 116 who vied for spots at last year’s draft and represents a 22% increase.

Coupled with an 18% increase in international player registration, this is further illustration of the

MARTIN GUPTILL CPL’s growing stature as one of the foremost tournaments in T20 cricket.

The list of West Indies talent in the frame for the six franchises this year includes stars of the calibre of Chris Gayle, West Indies World T20 captain Darren Sammy and Lendl Simmons. Darren and Dwayne Bravo are set to join the number oneranked T20 international

bowler Samuel Badree, as well as Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard.

Among the assembled overseas stars is a 34-strong South African contingent headed by prolific top order batsman Hashim Amla, leg-spinner Imran Tahir and fast bowler Morne Morkel.

Sri Lanka will have 20 representatives in the frame including legends Tillekaratne Dilshan and Lasith Malinga who will be looking to join their compatriot Kumar Sangakkara.

There will be 23 players from Australia in the Draft, including the experienced Brad Haddin, Brad Hodge and Michael Hussey and a further 11 New Zealanders, such as the likes of Nathan McCullum.

A seven-member Bangladesh contingent features Shakib Al Hasan one of the world’s finest all-rounders while seven players from Afghanistan are in the mix.

Pakistan will be the most represented overseas nation at the CPL draft, with 37 players.

Outside the Test-playing countries, the draft will also include players from Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland and USA. Meanwhile, the League

will make a number of changes to its players’ draft format ahead of the new season.

The number of players that the franchises can retain before the player draft has been held has been reduced from four to three, while squad sizes increased from 16 to 17 for the new season.

The new rules also allow the six franchise teams to sign one ‘marquee’ player as a free agent before the draft process begins.

Further changes to the rules include a reduction in the number of players who must live in the franchise territory from four to two, while the limit on overseas players has increased from four to five.

2015 also saw the introduction of ICC Americas players, with two being selected for the Tridents and Patriots squads.

In 2016, at least six ICC Americas players will be guaranteed a contract.

Overall, the salary cap for each team has increased to US$780 000 from US$600 000.

CPL 2016 will give cricketers from across the Caribbean the opportunity to play with and against some of the best players in the world.

guaranteed matches (which) is a staggering reduction.

We are looking, even on 2012 figures, (at) reductions of between 50-80%.

“We suggest that 100% of prize money needs to be paid to the players as per previous tournaments. Twenty percent should not be retained by the WICB. “We also suggest that the match fees be doubled from US$6900. In summary, we cannot accept the terms on offer. The players are not happy and understandably so with such big differences.”

But Muirhead insisted that the players take up their issues with their player association directly with WIPA and gave no indication he was about to reopen negotiations over remuneration.

“The terms on offer were

negotiated and agreed between WICB and WIPA with the assistance of representatives from the ICC and FICA during a mediation process last year,” Muirhead stated.

“And all parties agreed that they were fair and equitable and acceptable to be offered to the members (of the) WI team selected for the relevant ICC Event.

“As mentioned in my previous email to you, this information was shared with all players following that process in May last year. Players were given an opportunity to discuss the new structure and no concerns were raised at that time.

“It is disappointing that you would choose to question the terms now, on the eve of the WT20 in India.”

(ESPN Cricinfo)

T&T franchise re-branded as Trinbago Knight Riders … Shah Rukh Khan excited to be part of the rich cricketing tradition THE Trinidad & Tobago franchise in the HERO Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign has been re-branded as the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) from the previous name of Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel.

As the reigning champions of the Twenty20 competition, the re-name reflects the vision of the franchise’s dynamic ownership for Trinidad & Tobago, which is headed by world-renowned Bollywood superstar Mr Shah Rukh Khan.

Mr Khan, co-owner of Trinbago Knight Riders, said: “It is a great honour to become part of the rich cricketing tradition of Trinidad & Tobago. We will do everything to uphold the tradition and thank all the people of Trinbago in advance for their passion and support.”

Venky Mysore, CEO of KKR added: “The acquisition of the Trinbago franchise is consistent with our vision to expand the ‘Knight Riders’ brand globally. We are proud of the powerful KKR brand we have built in India as part of the IPL as well as the ever-growing fan base.

“We now look forward to expanding our brand in Trinbago as well as the entire Caribbean as part of the CPL.”

Bad publicity leads Nestle to end IAAF partnership

See story on page 23

Lady Jags in David vs Goliath battle tonight in Texas

The Lady Jags at the BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas

... Guyana open CONCACAF Olympic Quaifier against Canada

By Rawle Toney in Houston Texas DAVID versus Goliath, one of the well-known stories in the Bible, is applicable in the case of Guyana, as the Lady Jags take on Canada

especially taking into consideration that the last time the two met (in the 2010 Gold Cup in Cancun, Mexico), the Guyanese women went down 8-0 in an inspiring performance nonetheless.

But, in all fairness to

Canada captain and all-time leading goalscorer Christine Sinclair tonight at the BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas when Group ‘B’ of the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifier tournament gets on the way at 19:30hrs (21:30hrs GY time).

Coach Mark Rodrigues’ team recently moved two places up the FIFA World Rankings to 89 while their opposition are placed at #11, but, as some may say, sometimes rankings don’t matter on the pitch, but rather who turn up to play big on ‘the’ night.

In contrast, however, Canada will enter tonight’s game as the clear favourites,

the Ashley Rodrigues-captained team, they were young and came up against a Canadian squad, led by Christine Sinclair who went on to lead her country to their second CONCACAF Gold Cup title that year (2010).

In women’s football, Sinclair is the equivalent to a Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi of world football. In 230 appearances for both club and country, Sinclair has scored 158 goals – only the USA’s Abby Wambach has scored more goals all-time (255 appearances, 184 goals).

However, a proven tac-

tician of the game and oftentimes praised for his success with Lady Jags, coach Rodrigues has assembled a squad predominantly featuring the same players that helped Guyana to play at their first CONCACAF tournament (the men team are yet to feature).

“The players are extremely excited and honoured to be on the same stage as a powerhouse like Canada, Guatemala and Trinidad. They will give them their due respect but they sincerely believe that they can compete,” said Rodrigues in a recent interview with Chronicle Sport.

Rodrigues also said that

he welcomes the team’s ‘underdog’ status at the tournament where they are debutantes, along with Puerto Rico.

“This is a new era of the Lady Jags. One that is more focused and committed, who understand the level of fitness that is required to compete, are more mature and experienced. They are determined to show and prove their worth as Guyanese,” Rodrigues said.

Guyana didn’t get to play any friendly matches since their 2-1 win over Jamaica to finish third in the CFU Qualifiers in Trinidad last year, with the US-based coach tell-

ing this newspapers that “understanding what you have to work with, the limited time with the players, little or no finances and resources, only highlight any success – as limited as it may be to some, even more: We are already successful”.

Coach Rodrigues’ roster reads: Chante Sandiford, Simone Busby, Ruth George (GK), Defenders: Julia Gonsalves, Kelly Pelz-Butler, Justine Rodrigues, Briana DeSouza, Bria Williams, Leah-Marie Ramalho, Kayla DeSouza.

Midfielders: Mariam El-Masri, Alison Heydorn,

Ashley Rodrigues (C), Kailey Leila, Ashlee Savona, Dana Bally, Olivia Gonsalves, Brittany Persaud and Forwards: Calaigh Copland and Otesha Charles.

Clement Brown will serve as Rodrigues’ assistant; along with goalkeeping coach Richard Reynolds, Sheron Abrams as manager and physiotherapist David Lawrence.

The United States have won the past three tournaments that determine the Olympic representatives from CONCACAF, and went on to win the gold medal in the last three Olympics.

In this the year of our ‘Golden Jubilee’, keep on roaring, Lady Jags! – Jones See story on page 23

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Head Coach Mark Rodrigues (L) and captain Ashley Rodrigues address the mesia last evening.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016