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GUYANA DAILY NEWS
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GRA Assures More Money For Workers The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) in a press release issued today, stated that the proposed formula announced in the 2017 Budget guarantees more take home pay for each category of persons whether low, medium or high income. The release also quoted Finance Minister Winston Jordan’s speech that the rate of Income Tax will be determined in proportion to the individual’s gross earnings. It was pointed out that “it was stipulated that a monthly gross income of $180,000 or less will be taxed at the rate of 28% with a proposed threshold of $60,000 while monthly earnings above $180,000 will be taxed at two rates of 28% and 40% for every dollar of chargeable income. However, it is important to note that the threshold for a person earning more than $180,000 will be one-third (⅓) of their gross salary.” Apart from this, the tax body said such individuals will attract the 28% Income Tax rate on the first $120,000 of their chargeable income and 40% Income tax rate on every dollar of chargeable income above $120,000. The GRA is urging persons not to be despondent since, according to the calculations based on the proposed formula, all categories of individuals will be taking home higher net salaries or income in 2017, which will be more than they would have taken home in 2016 based on the current rate of 30%. The release further noted that GRA is reminding that in the process of ascertaining the chargeable income of employees, National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions must be treated as a 5.6 % deduction of the gross salary with $11,200 being the maximum NIS deduction for salaries $200,000 and above.
GPHC Commissions First Cardiac Intensive Care Unit The first Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) was commissioned on Friday at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Services offered at the facility will be free of cost while cases requiring surgery will be referred to the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI). The costs for these surgeries will be subsidised by the Government of Guyana. The CICU was commissioned with the unveiling of a plaque, and an official opening of the doors of the unit. The unit will now provide services including a heart failure clinic, cardiac catheterization, electrocardiogram or ECG, stress testing echocardiogram, and angiogram among others. Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton at the opening indicated that, “The opening of this, the first public cardiac care unit in the Caribbean is a pivotal step in decreasing the number of deaths caused by cardiovascular disease in our beloved country. Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death in Guyana and the Government of Guyana is cognisant of its importance of providing the best quality cardiac care to change this condition.” Equipment for the unit cost US$300,000 which has eight monitoring patient beds, eight bed side monitors, five step down care beds and also pulmonary artery monitoring equipment among others. Guyanese with heart diseases and other complications have been seeking care at the Caribbean Heart Institute where a significant cost was attached for the services. Now with the opening of the CICU, Government is working towards providing advanced cardiac care, as well as free heart surgeries. It costs US$500,000 for 10 patients to receive cardiac treatment, but with this new facility, it would cost the government the same amount for the treatment of 100 patients. This unit was made possible through collaboration among the Ministry of Public Health, GPHC, and the University of Calgary in Canada. Medical personnel from the Calgary University had been volunteering services in the field of cardiology in the past four years at the GPHC. A number of local physicians and nurses are being trained to provide support services in the unit, while the foreign doctors continue to serve in their capacities. “The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit functions as a closed medical unit in that all orders and patient care decisions are made by the cardiology medical team Minister of Public Health, under the direction of the medical director or his replacement,” Dr. Norton Dr. George Norton explained. (GINA)
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS Jagdeo Engages Vendors, Business Owners In Walkabout PAGE 3
Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, M.P., today undertook a walkabout along Regent Street, Georgetown where he interacted with vendors, store owners and other citizens on budget 2017, among other issues negatively aecting the country. The Opposition Leader was accompanied by Mr. Peter Ramsaroop, a candidate on the PPP/C list for the May 2015 General elections.
Regent Street Walk About By Opposition Leader
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS Education Minister Collapses During British Reception PAGE 5
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
At a reception held in honor of visiting Prince Harry, Minster of Education Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine collapsed. The government in a statement said “During the outdoor event Dr. Roopnaraine experienced a brief episode of syncope (commonly referred to as a ‘fainting spell’). The conditions were hot and, Dr. Roopnaraine was at the time also dehydrated.” “Medical attention was rendered to Dr. Roopnarine immediately and he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. Dr. Roopnaraine is stable, conscious and alert and receiving treatment for dehydration. He is expected to be discharged subsequently,” the statement further noted. The Minister was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he received medical attention for dehydration. The reception was held at the Minster of Education residence of the British High Commissioner. Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine
Social Protection Ministry Pushing For Strong Family Units The National Commission for the Family hosted its third round table forum at which religious and stakeholder groups of West Demerara, Region Three gathered at the West Demerara Regional Hospital to discuss issues affecting the family. Chairperson of the Commission, Sandra Hooper, in explaining the basis on which the round table discussion concept was developed, said, “This concept of round table is used to give everyone the feeling that today, we sit as equals to have this discussion which we hope will achieve the objective the commission has set for this programme.” The objective of the family commission is mainly to identify leadership and other resources which will enhance the development process of family life, create legal and service mechanisms to protect the rights and wellbeing of family members who are victims of violence, support families in parenting skills, assisting them in teaching their children core values, and advocate with the government (national and foreign) to recognise the importance of maintaining the family unit in migration policies. Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence who delivered the feature address at the forum said that parents have a responsibility to send clear messages to children indicating that ‘they care’. Minister Lawrence said, “At the Ministry of Social Protection, we are pushing this subject of the family. Strong families will result in strong households, strong households will result in strong communities and strong communities will result in a strong nation.” Minister Lawrence also emphasised that strong families stabilise the society however, a number of challenges affect the growth and development of children. These vary from matters of abuse, anger management, drugs, alcohol and depression among others. The forum is expected to be held in all 10 administrative regions. Two sessions have already been
held in Regions Four and Six. These round table discussions are aimed at providing information that will guide the Ministry of Social Protection in the implementation of family -oriented programmes.
Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS Prince Harry Visits Surama, Region 9 PAGE 6
The penultimate day of Prince Harry's tour is already making news. As part of his tight agenda, the Prince traveled during the early hours of this morning, to the remote wilderness of the Guyanese Hinterland. There, the Indigenous Village of Surama, Region 9 was expecting him. He was received by the Surama villagers, and the local authorities. The welcoming ceremony was held at the Totem Pole located at the center of the community. His royal highness was warmly received by the locals, with traditional garments that reflected the hospitality of the people. After enjoying the colorful performance of the locals, Harry participated in a small conference about the life in the region and how through the centuries, the legacy of our forefathers was kept alive and pounding. The elders introduced him to the official language of the community, ‘Makushi’, followed by narrating brief tales about the culinary art of the region, sometimes denominated as ‘exotic’. After the short, but historic visit, the Prince headed to the village's Eco Lodge to see how the community is embracing eco-tourism. From this friendly welcome, His Royal Highness will fly to the Iwokrama International Centre. Prince Harry will meet with rangers to learn about the forest, the steps being taken to protect this important reserve, and the broader conservation efforts of the Amazon. Before arriving at the reserve, Prince Harry will briefly call into Fairview Village and pay his respects to the village Elders, as well as visiting the local school. The final stop of the day will be at the Kaieteur Falls. The last day of Prince Harry's Caribbean tour will finish with a visit to Joshua House Children's Centre, in the center of Georgetown. The charity, established in 1977, is currently home to more than 70 children, between the ages of 5 and 12. Prince Harry will meet with the children living in the residence, the staff and volunteers. That afternoon, Prince Harry will return to Eugene F. Correia airport, where he will inspect the final guard of the tour before departing for London. His Royal highness arrived at Eugene F. Correia airport in Georgetown. On Friday afternoon, at the 13:00hrs.
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His first stop was at the Ministry of the Presidency, where he met President Granger, and held closed-door meeting. Later that afternoon, Harry laid a wreath at Georgetown's Commonwealth War Graves, in honour of those who lost their lives during the two World Wars and the pre-independence period. In the evening attended a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner Greg Quinn. The Prince’s visit to Guyana will wrap up his two-week visit to the Caribbean on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II. Source: https://www.royal.uk/
Prince Henry of Wales and the village of Suraman, Region 9
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS Government Ministers Says Naysayers Ignoring Many Positives In Budget 2017 PAGE 8
Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan are of the view that it is unfortunate that Budget 2017 discussions have centered around one or two measures, particularly the Valued Added Tax (VAT), to be paid on water and electricity. The Ministers was at the time speaking during a televised programme, “Budget in Focus”, on Thursday, where he pointed out that because of the provisions in the 2017 Budget, “a small contractor could right now, walk off the road, form a company, immediately get compliance and tender for a job from January 1, but there are no discussions on those things,” the Minister said. Minister Patterson says that there aren’t “valued discussions on the other measures” contained in the budget that would bring benefits to thousands of Guyanese. Minister Patterson also noted the measures in place to provide for green energy. “You can set up a company tomorrow…produce your own electricity and have two years’ tax- free holiday. All the equipment is also duty free, so it is quite unfortunate that we allowed the discussions to center around these two things,” Minister Patterson said Minister Bulkan also believes that if the public was to look at the measures contained in the budget, their conclusion would be more optimistic. He noted that “a lot of its measures are directed to allow for and enable a greater take home pay for the ordinary person.” He also pointed out that the Budget invests heavily in education and in health, “two critical areas that impact on the welfare and wellbeing of our people. If we look at the measures in total, and we are objective about the measures in this budget, there is much to be excited about,” the Minister said. The 2017 Budget proposes that citizens pay 14 percent VAT on electricity bills exceeding $10,000 monthly, and water bills exceeding $1500 monthly. There has been outcry about the measures from the Political opposition and the Private Sector Commission (PSC), but Government have said that about 85 percent of Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) consumers will be exempt from paying the VAT. Minister Bulkan explained that with regards to the VAT on the water, he has done some calculations. He said that, for the VAT consumption at $1,500 per month, the tariff for someone living outside of Georgetown is about $61 per cubic meter of water and that this, “works out to 12 of those large black tanks per month so if a consumer can keep their consumption at two-and-a-half days for one of
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those 400 gallon black tanks, then the VAT does not apply.” The tariff in Georgetown is higher but Minister Bulkan explained that for a person living within the town, to keep their utility bill under $1500 per month, they would have to make one of those large black tanks last for four days. On the question of the 14 percent VAT on electricity at $10,000 per month, Minister Bulkan also did some calculation and he said, “for the consumers that have a fridge, a washing machine, two fans, a microwave and a television and standard lighting, with the current tariff of $43.43 per kilowatt, their light bill will average $8,500 per month.” He noted that this speaks to over 85 percent of the customer base of GPL. “It is only the persons who are well off who have air-conditioned, and such would the VAT apply to,” the Minister said.
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
UK Threatens To Cut Commonwealth Funding Notwithstanding the persistent allegations of cronyism (said to be “a form of corruption”) as secretary-general of the Commonwealth, Baroness Scotland is expected to deliver Transparency International UK’s 2016 Anti-Corruption Lecture on December 8, 2016. Photo: TI-UK By Caribbean News Now contributor LONDON, England -- Just weeks after British Prime Minister Theresa May called on Dominica-born Baroness Scotland, the Commonwealth secretary general, to answer allegations of profligate spending, a new UK government report has warned that the Commonwealth Secretariat is failing in its role delivering taxpayer-funded aid and could lose funding. The Secretariat, headed up by Scotland, was among the worst rated in a review of overseas aid organisations by the Department for International Development (DFID). The report says the Commonwealth Secretariat “requires urgent organisational reform”, saying its performance needs to improve in areas such as transparency and budget discipline. It warns future spending will be linked to “performance improvements”, warning the Secretariat was “unsustainably reliant” on UK funds. The report will add pressure on Scotland’s stewardship of the Secretariat and risk embarrassing the Queen, who is head of the Commonwealth. See the full report here A Commonwealth Secretariat spokesman said: "The study was undertaken before SecretaryGeneral Patricia Scotland took office. She was unanimously elected to the post and given an unequivocal mandate to reform the Commonwealth Secretariat. "The secretary-general acknowledges the challenges facing an organisation which is not your typical development agency and is determined to ensure it continues to serve all 52 countries, many of which are small states and vulnerable, and its more than two billion citizens.” However, the statement by the Secretariat seeks to perpetuate the myth that Scotland was “unanimously elected” when in fact she won the post of secretary-general with fewer than 50 percent of the votes at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM) in Malta a year ago, becoming the first secretary-general ever to be elected on a minority vote. On the final round of voting, of the then 53 member states, Scotland received 25 votes, with former deputy secretarygeneral, Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba of Botswana, securing 24 and 2 votes spoiled. Scotland nevertheless continues to claim she was elected unanimously. “Contrary to the impression being built later, there were a lot of countries who were against her,” Indian sources asserted. The statement also ignores the fact that, following her appointment in April of this year, Scotland quickly began bypassing normal procedures, against the advice of Secretariat officials, to hand out US$240,000 of lucrative contracts to friends. She appointed two friends, Matthew Doyle and Joe Phelan, as her “special advisers” on US$20,000-a-month contracts. And she handed
her fellow Labour peer and close friend, Lord Patel of Bradford, a US$38,000-a-month consultancy to be her “change manager” in a deal criticised by British MPs. Scotland reportedly bypassed the Commonwealth’s normal tendering process by hiring Patel, who the baroness apparently calls her “partner in crime”, as a consultant without putting the job out to other bidders. Sir Henry Bellingham, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Commonwealth, said, “There is a conflict of interest in this instance and the contract should be cancelled and put out to tender. Parliament would expect nothing less.” Scotland also hired one of Patel’s friends, former BBC journalist Barnie Choudhury, as the Commonwealth’s director of communications – even though someone else was doing the same job. A source told Britain’s Mail on Sunday newspaper: “There were secret meetings to decide how to explain it away to the media.” Another issue is the appointment of former Barbadian diplomat Lolita Applewhaite as head of Scotland’s private office at the Secretariat. As previously reported, Applewhaite was heavily involved in Scotland’s campaign for the position of secretary general, including accompanying Scotland on visits to other Caribbean countries.
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UK Threatens To Cut...cont... However, Applewhaite has exceeded the age at which she persistent allegations of cronyism (said to be “a form of should be employed at the Secretariat since, other than the secretary general, everyone must be under 60 years of age. Notwithstanding its professed commitment to transparency, the Secretariat has failed to respond substantively to requests for comment on this and other matters. Scotland has also been under fire after leaked documents set out plans for lavish spending at the Commonwealth head’s grace and favour home in Mayfair, London. While a refurbishment budget of £250,000 (US$316,000) was agreed in January before Scotland took over, the costs have since ballooned to an acknowledged £330,000 (US$417,000) and possibly as much as £450,000 (US$569,000) according to media reports – an increase of anywhere between 32 and 80 percent. British MPs have called for a parliamentary probe of Scotland’s use of public funds. Amid the ongoing reports of alleged financial profligacy and cronyism by Scotland, Indian officials are also said to be reviewing whether the country should remain in the 52member grouping or cut its financial contributions and divert the money saved towards the UN – which has been a principal platform for recent Indian diplomatic efforts. According to official sources, India has been “concerned” about the recent controversies surrounding Scotland. “She was already under a cloud when she came in, so after that, when the reports about renovations are published, these compound our worries about her effectiveness,” Indian officials said. Notwithstanding the
corruption”) as secretary-general of the Commonwealth, Scotland is expected to deliver Transparency International UK’s 2016 “Anti-Corruption Lecture” next week. When asked about the ongoing series of troubling reports in British media concerning Scotland, especially as they relate to alleged cronyism, apparently supported by compelling documentary evidence, Transparency International UK spokesman, Dominic Kavakeb, said that the invitation was extended to Scotland long before the allegations emerged. “But the lecture does have a Q&A and we certainly expect that the public and press there will want to ask questions and we hope that the Baroness will respond directly to those questions,” Kavakeb added. “I can't wait!” responded one British journalist who has been closely following Scotland’s activities as Commonwealth secretary general. Other observers have suggested that providing a platform for Scotland to claim legitimacy is itself a form of corruption and offering her such a platform throws genuine doubt about Transparency International’s own capacity to question the corruption of others. Transparency International was also embarrassed earlier this year by the so-called “Panama Papers” leak, when the president of its Chilean branch was forced to resign after documents showed he was linked to at least five offshore companies domiciled in The Bahamas. (Caribbean News Now!)
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
Protesters Prevent MPs From Entering Bermuda House Of Assembly OBA MP Susan Jackson taking in the action of protesters gathered at the perimeter of the House of Assembly in Hamilton, Bermuda, preventing MPs from entering the grounds. The controversial Airport Redevelopment deal was set to be debated on Friday morning By Carla Zuill Today in Bermuda HAMILTON, Bermuda -- "We've been here since 5.00 this morning and will remain here for as long as it takes," said one of many protesters who gathered around the perimeter of the House of Assembly grounds in Hamilton, Bermuda, preventing MPs from entering the property. Their actions are a result of discontent with the One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) government's plan to table what the opposition Progressive Labour Party described as "a secret deal that will privatise our airport to a Canadian company for 30 years and give away hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue that could be spent on education, seniors, healthcare, economic development and on training and retraining our workforce for job opportunities". In a statement circulated Thursday night, opposition leader David Burt said: "The PLP knows that we need to do something about our airport, but we must make progress while obeying the law and adhering to the principles of good governance. As your political representatives, the PLP have exercised and exhausted every political option at our disposal to bring openness, transparency and reason to the conversation surrounding the OBA's airport scheme and the government in their arrogance continue to refuse to share the full details of this airport privatisation. "The PLP has put forward a common sense compromise that will request the auditor general to review this deal in advance, and provide MPs with an independent assessment of the cost of this secret deal to the Bermudian taxpayer. This would allow the auditor general to look at the deal before we are locked into a 30 year contract that will cost the country hundreds of millions in lost profits. The OBA has rejected our proposal, and tomorrow will ask Parliament to approve an agreement that MPs have not seen. Tomorrow's proposed debate flies in the face of good governance and should
offend all Bermudians as a yes vote by the OBA majority will give a blank cheque to Bob Richards and the OBA. "That is why the PLP are calling on all Bermudians to Stand Strong for Bermuda's future and join us at the House of Assembly... starting at 9.00 am to let the OBA know that they cannot move forward with this secret deal without having an independent review by the auditor general. Recent History has shown that, though the OBA can ignore the PLP, they cannot ignore the will of the people. When it came to furlough days the OBA wouldn't listen and the people forced them to listen. When it came to Pathways to Status, the OBA wouldn't listen and the people forced them to listen. "Now it is time for the people to demonstrate our strength yet again, because you know, as we do, that 'the power of the people is far greater than the people in power. "It is vital that we all come together tomorrow to show our people power and demand that Premier Michael Dunkley and the OBA request an independent review of this 30 year secret deal by the auditor general. Let’s make sure that December 2nd will be remembered as a day the people earned a victory for our children. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow." (Caribbean News Now!)
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
Trinidad's Election Body Blatantly Skews Poll Results To Favour Ruling Party Freelance Journalist PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -- The Trinidad and Tobago Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has manipulated polling results again; only this time more blatantly than before, in what seems to be a clear case of vote rigging. After declaring a win in the Sangre Grande corporation for the opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Monday’s local government elections, the EBC changed that initial result to a tie between the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM), with the popular vote reflecting that the UNC had the edge over the PNM, with over 500 more votes in that corporation. However, in an unusual turn of events, PNM chairman Franklin Khan hurried into a news conference late Tuesday morning, announcing that PNM had won the popular vote in Sangre Grande; a position that can only be taken by the EBC. And in what looked like a case of flipping the figures, the more than 500 votes that Khan claimed for his party is what the EBC announced for a UNC win on election night. Khan’s unorthodox declaration seemed to dare the EBC to challenge the PNM’s position of claiming the Sangre Grande Corporation, even after the EBC had declared the marginal corporation for the UNC, including a popular vote win. Khan further claimed that the PNM will retain control of the corporation as a result and even claimed it as an eighth corporation for the PNM, in spite of a deadlock of 4 – 4 for both UNC and PNM. The opposition responded to the PNM’s news conference in a news release calling it false and nonsensical, after the PNM sought to take control of the corporation by its own reasoning. On Friday, in releasing its official results, the EBC walked back its initial declaration of a win for the UNC in the Sangre Grande Corporation, with the popular vote going to the UNC, to award the popular vote count to the PNM by 80plus votes after a recount, sought by the PNM. This is after the EBC’s preliminary results for the Sangre Grande Corporation showed the EBC giving the PNM the corporation by over 200 votes, after it had previously declared the opposition UNC had won by over 500 votes. UNC supporters questioned how the EBC could have miscalculated over 500 votes. This action by the EBC follows objections by UNC attorneys who witnessed the recount, that one of the envelopes with ballots was not sealed; a strong indication that the votes were tampered with over night. It is not known at this point if the UNC will mount another court battle in relation to the unsealed ballots and changing results. This questionable conduct by the EBC is consistent with the many hiccups that occurred on election day that weighed against the opposition UNC and favoured the ruling PNM. For instance, a clear scenario where the EBC’s mathematics continue to mystify citizens, the PNM picked up more votes in the UNC stronghold of Chaguanas than it did in
its own stronghold of Port of Spain. The PNM amassed 9,811 votes in Chaguanas, while amassing only 7,413 votes in Port of Spain, the capital city. EBC’s bizarre actions Local election day voting started off on a bizarre note for the UNC political leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who showed up two hours late to cast her vote because, in what looked like gross unprofessionalism, the EBC was shifting the location of polling stations in the UNC strongholds of Chaguanas and Fyzabad on the morning of the elections. There were complaints from other UNC campaign managers that this exercise was carried out in other parts of the country, where the UNC had a stronger concentration of voters than the PNM. The opposition leader ended up casting her vote two hours later than her scheduled time because of the inefficiencies and incompetence of the EBC, who shrugged off concerns about their actions as simply an administrative error. This action was augmented by the police creating road blocks and massive traffic pile up, again only in the opposition UNC districts, preventing hundreds from casting their votes. One polling station in the Fyzabad Corporation opened two hours late, causing early voters to turn away. Strangely enough, the PNM won that polling division by a mere 64 votes in what is, again, substantially a UNC stronghold. Supporters of the UNC voiced their displeasure with the process on Facebook, asking the UNC political leader to challenge the EBC’s actions in the courts and seek a by-election in the Fyzabad and Sangre Grande corporations.
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Trinidad's Election Body Blatantly...cont... More EBC flip flopping In its official results released on Friday, the EBC’s figures changed drastically from its election night tally, when it was announced that it was the lowest voter turnout in recent history of local elections in Trinidad. For that matter, a question on the low voter turnout from Newsday journalist, Sean Douglas, triggered a vexed response from Prime Minister Keith Rowley, who seemingly questioned the reporter’s political interest. The reporter asked the prime minister if he thought the low voter turnout was a rejection by the electorate of his party. Rowley responded by saying you can only know the full figures when the EBC counts all the people who voted. The reporter responded: “I don’t know about that,” to which Rowley snapped: “You don’t know! You in politics?” PM Rowley then noted in Thursday’s post cabinet news conference that, as far as he knew, the voter turnout was 34%. The EBC then released its official results, increasing its initial figure of a 23% voter turnout to a far greater 34.34%. The UNC won the popular vote by over 6,000 votes and total number of votes cast is now said to be 362,254 votes. EBC official results: UNC: 180,758 PNM: 174, 754 Electorate: 1,054,817 Total votes cast: 362, 254 However, according to one Facebook poster: “So as the ballots were counted on Monday night, where were misinformation journalists getting the updated numbers from EBC or the top of their head? Is the EBC's results or UNC / PNM party financiers results? On Tuesday EBC released an estimate total voter turnout of 239,609. Back then, ‘preliminary’ numbers said 122,558 votes went to the PNM and 117,051 votes to the UNC. Today Friday, the total final voter turnout jumped 115,903 votes. Where did these extra ballots come from? How did Rowley get the result total yesterday, before the EBC released it? Are these numbers true or rigged? When next the media wants election results they should ask the prime minister as he's usurped the role of the EBC.” Another questionable exercise by the EBC has been gerrymandering boundaries to favour the PNM. In the case of Arima and the
Tunapuna/Piarco Regional corporations, only some 28,000 people are registered to vote in the Arima Borough. And while Arima is actually a borough, Tunapuna is not, yet the Tunapuna/Piarco Corporation registers 170,000-plus voters in that corporation, which also includes voters from Arima itself. When the EBC changed the boundaries, it placed Arima districts containing a concentration of PNM voters into the marginal Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation. The Siparia corporation also saw the EBC changing the boundaries and placing two districts from the PNM’s La Brea constituency into that UNC stronghold to aid a possible PNM win against the UNC in that corporation. The race was nail bitingly tight in the Siparia Regional Corporation this time around, with the UNC getting five seats and the PNM four as a result. A caller to a popular local radio programme gave many other examples of how the EBC changed boundaries in other parts of the country to favour a PNM win in more corporations throughout Trinidad and Tobago. Earlier misconduct by the EBC in last year’s general election saw an election petition challenge to the EBC by the UNC on its decision to extend the voting time by one hour. That ended with the courts saying the EBC acted illegally but there was no penalty for their illegal actions when the court dismissed the matter, saying the extension did not affect the election results. Then one week before the local elections, an EBC official was seen having lunch with the PNM’s minister in the ministry of education, Lovell Francis. Former permanent secretary, Victor Jones, was also reported to be hiring public servants to work for the EBC during the elections, after he instructed a public official to set up a printer and computer in the old education ministry in Port of Spain to work for the 2016 local elections. Persad-Bissessar, who gained ground in the election and picked up a dozen seats previously held by the PNM, including in PNM strongholds, hailed the 2016 local government elections as a victory for the people. (Caribbean News Now!)
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
UN Secretary-General Apologizes To People Of Haiti, Outlines New Plan To Fight Cholera Epidemic NEW YORK, USA -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban access to care and treatment when sick, while also addressing Ki-moon on Thursday apologized to the people of Haiti, expressing deep regret for the loss of life and suffering caused by the country’s cholera epidemic, and outlined the way forward including immediate steps to stem the outbreak and long-term support for those affected – while also highlighting the need for adequate funding of the proposal. “On behalf of the United Nations, I want to say very clearly: we apologise to the Haitian people. We simply did not do enough with regard to the cholera outbreak and its spread in Haiti. We are profoundly sorry for our role,” Ban told UN member states at a gathering of the General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York, and at which he launched his report on the matter, entitled A New Approach to Cholera in Haiti. “Eliminating cholera from Haiti, and living up to our moral responsibility to those who have been most directly affected, will require the full commitment of the international community and, crucially, the resources necessary,” he added. “The United Nations should seize this opportunity to address a tragedy that also has damaged our reputation and global mission. That criticism will persist unless we do what is right for those affected. In short, UN action requires member state action.” Haiti has been dealing with a cholera outbreak since October 2010, some nine months after it suffered a devastating earthquake. The outbreak has affected an estimated 788,000 people and claimed the lives of more than 9,000. Concerted national and international efforts, backed by the United Nations, have resulted in a 90 percent reduction in the number of suspected cases. While the number of those affected remains high, and recent outbreaks – partly heightened by the impact of Hurricane Matthew – show the continued vulnerability of the population to the disease, UN officials have said the challenge is not insurmountable. Track 1 – reducing incidence of cholera Costing around $400 million over the next two years, the proposed United Nations package will centre on two different elements, known as ‘Track One’ and ‘Track Two.’ The former consists of a greatly intensified and betterresourced effort to respond to and reduce the incidence of cholera, through addressing Haiti’s short- and longer-term issues of water, sanitation and health systems and improved access to care and treatment. This is expected to involve intensifying efforts to mobilize adequate funding for an increased number of rapid response teams; strengthened epidemiological surveillance; the rapid detection, reporting and treatment of cases; the combined use of cholera vaccinations with targeted water and sanitation interventions; m o r e f o c u s e d g e o g r a p h i c a l t a rg e t i n g ; i m p r o v e d communication and behavioural change strategies; and strengthened support to longer-term water and sanitation services. “We would like to see improvements in people’s
the longer-term issues of water, sanitation and health systems,” Ban said. “Work on Track One is [well] under way.” In this respect, the UN chief also mentioned recent vaccination campaign, backed by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO), which reached more than 729,000 people in Haiti’s areas devastated by the hurricane, and that a total of more than 1.2 million people will soon have been vaccinated. Track 2 – a community approach The second track of the UN response is the development of a package of material assistance and support to those Haitians most directly affected by cholera, centred on the victims and their families and communities. It is expected that it will also involve affected individuals and communities in the development of the package. “Track Two is a concrete expression of the regret of our Organization for the suffering so many Haitians have endured. On that basis, we propose to take a community approach that would provide a package of material assistance and support to those most severely impacted by cholera,” Ban said.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses an informal meeting of the General Assembly on the United Nations’ new approach to cholera in Haiti. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
continued on next page...
REGIONAL PAGE 18
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
UN Secretary-General Apologizes To People...cont... “The support would be based on priorities established in consultation with communities, victims and their families.” According to the secretary-general’s report, preliminary consultations have been held in both New York and Haiti with the United Nations country team, experts, human rights and advocacy groups and networks, non-governmental organizations, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Haitian government and other member states. In addition, information has been gathered with respect to the impact of cholera in Haiti, the systems established to record infections and deaths, and the records and data that might be available, in order to consider and assess the feasibility of potential elements of the package. While stating that "some have urged that the package also include an individual component, such as the payment of money to the families of those who died of cholera," the UN chief said further on-the-ground consultations would be needed, while also acknowledging the difficulties involved. “This approach would require identification of the deceased individuals and their family members. It would also require the certainty of sufficient funding to provide a meaningful fixed amount per cholera death,” Ban said. “Additional evaluation is needed on whether and how the limitations of information on deaths from cholera – including the identities of the victims – can be addressed and on the challenges and costs associated with that effort. Whatever the eventual design of the package, a familiar obstacle once again stands in the way: adequate funding.” Funding required The issue of funding for the package resonated throughout the secretary-general’s remarks. “I understand the reaction of being overwhelmed by what seems to be a never-ending list of pressing humanitarian needs around the world. In Haiti’s case,
the hurricane has brought added suffering and understandably diverted resources,” Ban told the member state representatives. “Yet,” he continued, “I want to stress that on the scale of global humanitarian and development needs, limited sums are required to eliminate cholera in Haiti. This mission is realistic and doable. Cholera is a treatable and preventable disease. It can be controlled and eliminated. What is standing in the way is adequate resources and means of delivery.” According to the secretary-general’s report on the issue, funding is a key aspect for this track. For the past six years, both the immediate response and longer-term efforts have been severely hampered by funding shortages, which have made it impossible to fully treat or eliminate what is generally a treatable and preventable disease. Test for international community In his remarks, the secretary-general also highlighted how the response to the epidemic would be an “important test” for the international community – a test of its commitment to the most vulnerable, of its long-standing relationship with the Haitian people, of its ability to demonstrate compassion while preserving the ability to do good in many other places around the world, and a test of its collective responsibility for the crucial endeavour of peacekeeping. “I will not pretend that this new approach is without risks or difficulties,” he said. “Without your political will and financial support, we have only good intentions and words. Words are powerful – yes. Words are necessary – yes. But words cannot replace action and material support.” “So many people have suffered grievously. The United Nations and its member states have the power to recognize and respond to that suffering,” he added. “Let us step up in solidarity to our moral duty and do the right thing for the Haitian people and our United Nations.” (Caribbean News Now!)
REGIONAL PAGE 20
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
Economic Benefits Of New St Kitts Hotel To Be Felt For Generations, Says Developer BASSETERRE, St Kitts (SKNIS) -- Hotel developments such as the Park Hyatt St Kitts- Christophe Harbour provide sustainable, long-term economic benefits to the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis for generations, says Mohammed Asaria, vice chairman of Range Developments. “Whether that is a 350 permanent employment opportunity created by the hotel’s ongoing operations or the ongoing taxes generated by the hotel, which is significant and substantial, almost on a more macroeconomic basis through enhancing the island’s tourism product, through the opening of Park Hyatt’s first Caribbean offering in St Kitts, all these will result in a different type of tourist visiting St. Kitts and Nevis once the hotel opens, and the benefits of this transformational project must be felt across the island’s economy,” he said. Asaria said that Range Developments is on the verge of completing the hotel but the other stakeholders must work hard to ensure the economic benefits are not just felt by the hotel but across St Kitts and Nevis. He reported that currently there are 850 workers onsite and another 50 in management positions all working late into the night to complete the project. He also reported that over 50 percent of the labour force is local. Asaria said that Park Hyatt St Kitts is a hotel investment through the St Kitts and Nevis economic citizenship programme and to date the project has contributed US$44 million to the treasury and has “paid money in government taxes”. He said that, once completed, that figure is projected to rise to US$55 million which is government payments and taxes through the various citizenship by investment fees. “The project is a beacon of light to the industry, not just to the citizenship by investment industry but also the tourism industry in St Kitts and Nevis,” Asaria said.
“On that note, Vogue, Forbes and the New York Times have lauded the development to date and have described the hotel as one of the most anticipated hotels opening in the current months. The Telegraph newspaper has described the Park Hyatt St Kitts as the envy of Antigua and Barbados.” According to Range Developments’ website, the hotel is an approved project under the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme. Once completed, Park Hyatt St Kitts will be an ultra-luxury 5-star hotel and will be the first Park Hyatt in St Kitts and the Caribbean. Founded in 2011, Range Developments is an investment and hospitality company, operating across the Eastern Caribbean. Its flagship project is Park Hyatt St Kitts- Christophe Harbour. (Catibbean News Now!)
Mohammed Asaria, Vice Chairman of Range Developments. SKNIS Photo
REGIONAL PAGE 21
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
Rainy Week In Eastern Caribbean Causes Property, Infrastructure Damage BRIDGETOWN, Barbados -- The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CEDEMA), through its national disaster coordinators on the ground, has provided this summary of conditions in affected member states during this week’s tropical disturbance, which brought heavy showers and thunderstorms. Barbados, Dominica and Saint Lucia experienced flooding, while St Vincent and the Grenadines experienced flooding and landslides: St Vincent and the Grenadines: The latest Situation Report issued by the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) on Wednesday provided the following updates:
Grenada: • There were reports of flooding in Carriacou and heavy rains in the northern part of the main island • The MET Service has issued an advisory warning of possible flooding and landslides. Saint Lucia: • There was minor flooding reported in certain parts of the island. • Few fallen trees and some debris inclusive of rocks were also reported. These have since been cleared by Public Works.
• 177 persons were in shelters • Schools were suspended 29 November, 2016 • 15 houses reported destroyed, 20 houses damaged and 6 flooded • 15 reported cases of landslides
• Several public information announcements were issued by NEMO (Caribbbean News Now!)
• 8 reported damaged bridges • 8 reported damaged roads (The Roads Bridges and General Services Authority is conducting assessment and clean-up operations) • Reported extensive damage to water systems and downed power poles/lines due to landslides Barbados: • 8 houses reported damaged as result of flooding • 2 downed power poles • A number of roads were declared impassable • 4 fallen trees • The Emergency Services responded to five reports of persons in distress and requiring assistance Dominica: • Some flooding occurred but no major damage reported. • The National Meteorological Office and the Office of Disaster Management (ODM) issued advisories and PSAs. • Government engineers will conduct assessment of critical infrastructure
Flooding and property damage caused by heavy rains this week in St Vincent and the Grenadines
REGIONAL PAGE 23
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
Remains Of Fidel Castro Reach Its Final Stop The mortal remains of the Leader of the Cuban the mortal remains of the Cuban national hero, Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz reached the city of Jose Marti are also resting. Santiago de Cuba. The capital of Cuba's Source: http://www.granma.cu/ southeastern Province. This will be the leader’s last resting place. According to the Granma Newspaper, a multitudinous procession will take place this afternoon, where the people of Santiago de Cuba will have the opportunity to give their last farewell to the late leader. The burial is scheduled to take place tomorrow Sunday, at dawn. The city of Santiago the Cuba received the funeral procession at early hours in the morning, with thousands of citizens waving flags, banners and intoning chants in remembrance to the life of the Cuban leader. The funeral procession lasted for 4 days, going through the main ‘arteries’ of the The mortal remains of the island, so the whole country could take part of this Leader of the Cuban Revolution, historic ‘adieu’. The ashes will be deposit Fidel Castro in Santiago de Cuba tomorrow in the cemetery of ‘Santa Ifigenia’, were
People of Santiago de Cuba receiving the funeral procession
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 24
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
Trump-Taiwan Call: China Lodges Protest China's foreign ministry says it has lodged a complaint with the US after President-elect Donald Trump spoke to Taiwan's leader in a phone call. China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province. US policy set in 1979 cut formal relations with Taiwan. Mr Trump's transition team said he and Tsai Ing-wen noted "close economic, political, and security ties". The US is Taiwan's most important ally and provides Taiwan with sufficient weaponry to defend itself. China said it had lodged a "solemn representation" with Washington. According to the state news agency Xinhua, China urged the US "to cautiously, properly handle Taiwan issue to avoid unnecessary disturbance to Sino-US relations". Foreign Minister Wang Yi dismissed the call as a "petty trick" by Taiwan, Chinese state media said. What happened? Mr Trump tweeted on Friday that Ms Tsai had called him to congratulate him on winning the US election. His team said that the US president-elect had also congratulated Ms Tsai on becoming the president of Taiwan last January. No US president or president-elect has spoken directly to a Taiwanese leader for decades. Following media reports pointing out the risks of angering China, Mr Trump tweeted: "Interesting how the US sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call." The White House has said Mr Trump's conversation does not signal any change in US policy. US media reported that the White House learned of the call only after it had happened. Mr Trump's spokeswoman said he was "well aware" of US policy towards Taiwan. The split between China and Taiwan goes back to 1949, when the Republic of China (ROC) Kuomintang (KMT) government fled the mainland to Taiwan after being defeated by the communists under Mao Zedong. The KMT held China's seat on the UN Security Council and was, for a while, recognised by many Western nations as the only Chinese government. But in 1971, the UN switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing. Only a handful of countries now recognise Taiwan's government. Washington cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979, expressing its support for Beijing's "one country, two systems" concept, which states that Taiwan is part of China. But despite the cut, the US remains, by far, Taiwan's most important friend, and its only ally. The Taiwan Relations Act promises to supply Taiwan with defensive weapons. It says that any attack by China on Taiwan would be considered of "grave concern" to the US. China has hundreds of missiles pointing towards Taiwan, and has threatened to use force if it seeks independence. President Tsai, Taiwan's first female leader, led the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to a landslide victory in the January 2016 election. The DPP has traditionally leaned towards independence from China. President Tsai's administration does not accept the "One China" policy. Read more: Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's shy but steely leader Mr Trump's decision to turn his back on four decades of US protocol on Taiwan and speak directly to a president of Taiwan has stunned policymakers in
Beijing. Since his election last month, they have struggled to understand who is advising Donald Trump on Asia and what his China policy will look like. This move will turn concern into alarm and anger. Beijing sees Taiwan as a province. Denying it any of the trappings of an independent state is one of the key priorities of Chinese foreign policy. China's reaction is relatively mild. It doesn't want to get off on the wrong foot with Mr Trump. And it sees Mr Trump as an inexperienced politician, so for now it's willing to forgive him and not play this up. It may also be somewhat reassured by statements from the US that its policy on China and Taiwan has not changed. But behind the scenes it's safe to say China is working hard to "educate" the Trump team on not repeating such diplomatic faux pas. This move by Taiwan's President Tsai will further infuriate Beijing and make it distrust her even more and see her as favouring Taiwan's formal independence from China. (BBC)
Donald Trump's team said he "congratulated" Tsai Ing-wen on becoming president of Taiwan in January(AP)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 26
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
Aleppo Siege: Syria Rebels Lose 60% Of Territory Close to two-thirds of rebel-held areas of east Aleppo have now fallen to the Syrian government after another district was seized. A UK-based monitor said the Tariq al-Bab district fell on Friday, opening up a link between government-held areas and Aleppo's airport. Swathes of east Aleppo held by rebels have been seized by government troops and militiamen in the past three weeks. Some 250,000 people remain trapped in besieged areas of the city. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced. The United Nations this week said conditions in east Aleppo were now so dire that medical operations were being conducted without anaesthetics. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Tariq al-Bab was recaptured more than four years after falling into rebel hands. Clashes in the district left tens of fighters on both sides killed or injured, it said. Map At least 300 people have been killed since the government-led offensive on east Aleppo, The BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet, who is in west Aleppo, said the seizure of Tariq al-Bab meant that 60% of the areas formerly held by rebels was now in government hands. Heavy shelling of the east continued throughout the night, she said. Thousands of people fled Tariq al-Bab into neighbouring areas as fighting intensified. Earlier this week, Stephen O'Brien, the UN's humanitarian affairs chief, said besieged areas of the city risked becoming "one giant graveyard". He said some people inside opposition-controlled areas were so hungry they were reduced to scavenging. On Thursday, Russia, that
supports President Bashar al-Assad's government, indicated it was ready to discuss opening four safe corridors for humanitarian access. Aleppo was once Syria's largest city and its commercial and industrial hub before the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011. It has been divided in roughly two for the past four years. But in the past 11 months, Syrian troops have broken the deadlock with the help of Iranian-backed militias and Russian air strikes. In early September they reinstated a siege of the east, and launched a large-scale offensive later that month to retake full control of the city. The Syrian Observatory says more than 300 civilians have been killed in rebel-held districts since the offensive was stepped up in mid-November. (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 27
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
Oakland Fire: Nine Die During California Club Night At least nine people have died in a fire during a club night near San Francisco, authorities say. The fire started at 23:30 local time on Friday (07:30 GMT Saturday) in Oakland, police told the BBC. The venue was hosting a concert by electronic group Golden Donna. The event's Facebook page indicates a number of people are missing. Local broadcasters said some 13 other people were missing. The KTVU network said about 50 people were inside. The building housed artists in studios, it said. It did not appear to be a formal concert venue. One of the artists who lived in the building, photographer Bob Mule, told the East Bay Times he tried but failed to help a friend get out. "I literally felt my skin peeling and my lungs being suffocated by smoke," he said. "I couldn't get the fire extinguisher to work." Fire chief Teresa Deloach-Read told the newspaper the building had no sprinkler system. Videos posted on social media by the fire department showed a large fire burning through the roof of the building. Three fire engines were called out. The event's Facebook page said the event, that featured seven acts, was to
be held in a secret location in the east of Oakland, that was announced only on the day it was held. (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 29
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
Mh370 Relatives Go To Madagascar In search Of Debris Relatives of those who died on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are travelling to Madagascar to lobby for the search for debris from the missing aircraft to be expanded. They said in advance of their trip that if necessary, they would take the search into their own hands. All debris thought to be from the plane has so far been found in east Africa. The plane disappeared on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014 with 239 people on board. It is thought that missing jet is most likely to have crashed into the southern Indian Ocean. Campaigner Grace Subathirai Nathan, whose mother was on the plane, is making the self-funded journey with six other MH370 relatives - three from Malaysia, two from China and one from France. "It has fallen into our hands to take on this search upon ourselves," she told reporters at Kuala Lumpur airport. "After repeated requests for mobilisation of a search along the east African coastline, nothing has been done to date." The families of those on board the flight say that the search for wreckage has not been systematic and that some possible findings appear to have been ignored. The search for MH370 has concentrated off Australia's west coast, but no debris has been found there. It is due to be suspended early next year unless it makes a significant new discovery. So far, at least six pieces have been found in east Africa that are considered certain or highly likely to have come from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. The relatives say they will hand out brochures when in Madagascar that will provide advice to villagers on how to recognise aircraft debris. Their trip will last until 11 December, a statement posted on Facebook by the group Voice 370 said. Voice 370 said last month that it had "no other choice except
to take it upon ourselves to do something to find answers and closure". Malaysia is in charge of co-ordinating the collection of any suspected debris, most of which has been sent to Australia for examination. The Malaysian authorities in September responded to criticism of delays in retrieving suspected debris, arguing that they were acting on possible discoveries and that everyone should "allow the experts to conduct the verification processes". (BBC)
Relatives are pointing out that it is now more than 1,000 days since the mysterious disappearance of MH370(EPA)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 30
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
Airline Pilot Suffers Heart Attack At Glasgow Airport An airline pilot suffered a heart attack as he taxied the plane to the runway at Glasgow Airport. The captain of the KLM aircraft became unwell as he was about to leave for Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. He was resuscitated by the crew with the help of a passenger, and firefighters helped take him off the plane. The Dutch pilot was then taken to the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank where he was in a "stable condition". The co-pilot of the plane, which had 128 people on board, took the aircraft back to the gate. The flight was supposed to leave at about 17:00, but because of the emergency it was cancelled and passengers had their flights re-booked. A spokeswoman for KLM said: "During taxiing to the runway on this KLM flight to Amsterdam the captain became unwell and the staff treated him with the help of a passenger. "He was taken to hospital where his condition is stable." A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said:
"We took a call that a man was having a heart attack at Glasgow Airport. We attended the scene and arrived at 5.25pm." (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 32
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
Obama Presses Trump On Cybersecurity Donald Trump should elect a cybersecurity ambassador to help keep the US secure, a new report says. The 100-page document highlights areas where the US falls short and calls on the private sector to help hasten the improvement of digital services. President Barack Obama set up the commission in preparation for the new administration. He said its recommendations should be followed within the first 100 days of Mr Trump's presidency. "Now it is time for the next administration to take up this charge and ensure that cyberspace can continue to be the driver for prosperity, innovation, and change both in the United States and around the world,'’ the outgoing leader said. However, the report is only advisory and Mr Trump could choose to ignore its suggestions. Botnet attack In its 16 recommendations, the Presidential Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity also suggested implementing a kind of “nutritional label” system for devices. The label would contain independent advice on how secure a particular device may or may not be. Earlier this year it was discovered that thousands of poorly-designed webcams were hijacked by criminals to use in a botnet attack - a technique which involves directing large amounts of internet traffic to one target in order to overwhelm a system. By alerting consumers to potential security risks - such as default passwords - this kind of situation could be avoided in future. But the commission said it ultimately wanted to remove the burden of cybersecurity away from the general public and instead deal with it from the top down - suggesting, for example, that companies prohibit the use of popular passwords such as “password” or “password123”. It set a target of eliminating identity theft by 2021, a task which the experts said would need 100,000 new workers trained in the field of cybersecurity. Russia intrusion The report’s backdrop comes amid ongoing concern about how weak cybersecurity is allowing other nations to interfere with US governance. During
the election campaign, Russia was blamed for a hack on the Democratic Party’s emails, causing a storm over, among other things, supposed efforts to suppress the emerging success of rival Democrat candidate Bernie Sanders. The report said the cybersecurity ambassador should take up the challenge of establishing global rules over how nations behave when it comes to carrying out cyber-related operations. The commission, which was made up of 12 security and legal experts, also said the private sector should work together with the government to utilise the best talent that may be working at the likes of Facebook, Google and others. One hurdle to overcome, however, was what the report described as a “distrust” between Silicon Valley and government, fuelled by the fall-out from the Edward Snowden surveillance revelations. Mr Trump’s team has not yet commented on the report. During the campaign, the president-elect outlined his own cybersecurity plan. It involved forming a cyber review team to assess the country’s readiness. (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 33
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
Today 3 rd December Is Disability Day The theme for 2016 disability day is : Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want. Disability Day, or the International Day of People with Disability, is a day that has been promoted by the United Nations since 1992. The aim of Disability Day is to encourage a better understanding of people affected by a disability, together with helping to make people more aware of the rights, dignity and welfare of disabled people, as well as raise awareness about the benefits of integrating disabled persons into every aspect of life, from economic, to political, to social and cultural. Disability Day is not concerned exclusively with either mental or physical disabilities, but rather encompasses all known disabilities, from Autism to Down Syndrome to Multiple Sclerosis. The History of Disability Day Everything started in 1976, when the United Nations General Assembly made the decision that 1981 should be the International Year of Disabled Persons. The 5 years between the making of that decision and the actual Year of Disabled Persons were spent contemplating the hardships of the disabled, how the opportunities of the disabled could be equalized, and how to ensure the disabled take part fully in community life enjoying all of the rights and benefits non-disabled citizens have. Another issue that was touched on was how world governments could go about preventing disabilities from touching people in the first place, so much of the talk was about the viruses and other illnesses that lead to various kinds of disability. The decade between 1983 and 1992 was later proclaimed the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons, and during that time, all of the concepts previously created became parts of one long process that was implemented in order to improve the lives of disabled persons the world over. How to Celebrate Disability Day Each year since 1992, a variety of events are held in many countries. Disability Day is used for holding discussions, forums and campaigns relating to disability, and communities are encouraged to organize meeting, talks, and even performances in their local areas. These can range from hosting a musical to a play, with disabled people being involved in these productions. The overall aim is to show non-disabled people that a person with a disability can be a vibrant member of society, as it happens that the entirely healthy are not always quite aware of this fact, which can lead to different kinds of discrimination of varying degrees of severity. The disabled, on the other hand, benefit from such performances by proving to themselves that there are many things
they can still do, despite their conditions, which can help with their self-esteem and avoid mental issues such as depression from plaguing them. In general, these kinds of events are meant to challenge and them get rid of various stereotypes so that disabled people can enjoy lives free of discrimination and additional hardship. Each year the day is celebrated there is an emphasis on a new aspect related to improving the lives of people living with a disability. In 2007, for example, the theme of the year was: “Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities”. In 2013, last year, it was “Break Barriers, Open Doors: for an inclusive society and development for all”, a call to help disabled people live in an inclusive society in every country, and to make sure that society was as accessible as possible for disabled people in all of its aspects, from making sure buildings are wheelchair accessible to installing braille on elevator buttons. Source: https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/disability-day/
CLASSIFIEDS PAGE 35
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS
VACANCY
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PAGE 36
Football Leaks: Ronaldo And Mourinho Accused Of Tax Avoidance owned by a British Virgin Islands company, according to the
Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho have avoided paying tax on millions of dollars of earnings by channelling money abroad, according to claims based on a huge document leak. Ronaldo, the Real Madrid star, and Mourinho, the Manchester United manager, allegedly moved large sums to the British Virgin Islands. The allegations are said to be based on two terabytes of leaked information which include original contracts. Ronaldo and Mourinho deny the claims. Football agency Gestifute, which represents both men, said in a statement: "Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho are fully compliant with their tax obligations with the Spanish and British tax authorities. "Any insinuation or accusation made to Cristiano Ronaldo or Jose Mourinho over the commission of a tax offence will be reported to the legal authorities and prosecuted." The claims were published by an international consortium of journalists which obtained a trove of about 18 millions documents. Other top players were named in the documents. The European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) consortium includes German newspaper Der Spiegel, Spain's El Mundo and the UK's Sunday Times. The consortium says it intends to publish a series of articles under the banner "Football Leaks" over the next few weeks. The leak comes eight months after the so-called Panama Papers lifted the lid on how the world's rich and powerful use tax havens to hide their wealth. One of the papers in the consortium, the Dutch NRC, alleges that Ronaldo moved €63.5m (£53.1m, $67.7m) to the British Virgin Islands at the end of 2014. The paper says the striker received sponsorship fees which were moved via two Irish companies to the tax haven, 11 days before Spain changed an advantageous tax law. The NRC says Ronaldo has so far not responded to questions asked by the consortium. The leaked documents relate to the time that Mourinho spent as manager of Real Madrid, between 2010, and 2013, acccording to El Mundo. The club, Ronaldo's current employer, did not respond to requests from news agencies for comment. Manchester United said the allegations related to events before Mourinho's arrival at the club and so it would not comment. Mourinho is reported to have moved €12m (£10m) into a Swiss account
EIC. According to the reports, Friday's first batch of leaks centred on "a system" put in place by Mr Mendes, whose company has denied any wrongdoing. His company, Gestifute, said in a statement that neither Ronaldo nor Mourinho "have been implicated in legal proceedings of the tax evasion commission in Spain". It noted it had taken legal redress against claims of tax evasion and stressed it had always acted with "the highest degree of professionalism in relations with [its] clients and authorities". The company accused the media consortium of operating in an "insidious" way concerning the stars' tax obligations. How do tax havens work? Tax havens are often based on small island countries which offer banking secrecy and very low or non-existent taxes on financial transactions. They include the British Virgin Islands, Macao, the Bahamas and Panama. Although there are legitimate ways of using tax havens, they are often used to disguise the owners and origin of money and to avoiding paying tax. This is often done via the creation of shell companies based in the havens, which have the outward appearance of being legitimate businesses but have no real offices, staff, services or products, other than to manage money while disguising those who own it. (BBC)
Cristiano Ronaldo is said to be named in a leak of documents(AP)
PAGE 38
St Kitts And Nevis Eager To Showat allImrpovement At U20 Champs times and make its mark in the confederation. “For me, to say
St. Kitts & Nevis’ only previous participation in the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship came in 2007, the last of five straight editions in which no champion was crowned. The Sugar Boyz performed admirably, posting a 0W-1D-2L record, scoring three goals and conceding six. Closely-contested losses to Mexico (0-2) and Costa Rica (2-3) were followed by a 1-1 draw with regional-rival Jamaica. In October, SKN earned a place in the 2017 version of the competition by finishing as the best of two third-place team from the final round of Caribbean qualifying. The excitement of that achievement was heightened Tuesday, when the official draw was conducted in Costa Rica, the host nation. After all the balls were pulled from the bowls, St. Kitts & Nevis learned that it will face the Haiti (February 18), Panama (February 21) and the United States (February 24) in Group B. Technical director Lenny Lake expressed his delight at SKN’s return to the CONCACAF, but is fully cognizant of the challenges ahead. “First, let me say thanks to God for a wonderful opportunity like this,” Lake told CONCACAF.com. “I am quite excited about up the upcoming tournament as it presents to us, the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, an opportunity, experience and exposure. “We have an opportunity to play against some of the top football countries in this region and for me that is priceless. This is an opportunity for our young players to measure their efforts and talents against the talented players of these countries. Finally, gaining an experience that will be a lifelong memory to the players, coaches and our country.” Lake wants the side to focus on playing to its maximum
win the competition will be highly improbable,” he commented. “Even though it is possible to win it, we are realistic. After taking all the factors into account, I would say that our goals for now are to compete to best of our abilities, to proudly represent our country, to enjoy and learn from this experience and finally to humbly accept the outcomes.” With such a talented young group, the CONCACAF event represents an opportunity for SKN to take the next development step. “We are growing at all levels and building our reputation is a key aim for us here,” finished Lake. “We are hoping to entertain the region and the world with our talent on the pitch." (SportsMax)
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We Had Enough Chances To Win - Guardiola because they won and we lost." Guardiola refused to criticise
Kevin De Bruyne missed a glorious opportunity to put Manchester City 2-0 up and his side went on to lose 3-1. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insists his side created enough chances to have won their table-topping clash with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium. The Premier League leaders ultimately claimed a 3-1 victory, with Diego Costa, Willian and Eden Hazard all finding the net in the second half after Gary Cahill's own goal had gifted City the lead on the stroke of halftime. And to compound a miserable afternoon for the home side, they lost both Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho to red cards as tempers flared over in stoppage time. City's Kevin De Bruyne had earlier hit the crossbar from just three yards out when his side were 1-0 up, while Aguero had also gone close and Fernandinho's headed effort was correctly ruled out for offside. And it was those near-misses that Guardiola felt cost his side dear. "It was a very good performance from us and we created a lot of chances," he said. "We had a lot of the ball and created enough chances to win the game, but we were not strong enough in the box. "De Bruyne should have scored, but we did not lose the game because of that particular bit of action. There were many incidents. We created two or three more chances after they went 2-1 up. "They had three chances and scored three goals and that is a huge talent. In the box, they are so strong. "Our level was quite good, I'm so proud of how we played. We created more chances than we did against Palace and Burnley. But football is all about goals, conceding them and making them and ultimately Chelsea are right and we are wrong
Aguero, who was sent off deep for a dangerous lunge on David Luiz that left the Brazilian writhing on the ground. But the Spaniard did express regret over the ensuing touchline fracas which culminated in Fernandinho also being dismissed. "Both players went in strong and that's it," he said. "It's a pity it finished like this. I don't like that. I apologise for what happened." The result marked a first home league defeat for City under Guardiola and leaves them four points adrift of Chelsea, who consolidated their position at the top of the league with what was their eighth straight top-flight win. (SportsMax)
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Sports Minister Olivia Grange Hails Record-Setting Bolt On IAAF AOY Award The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Thompson was among the three female finalists but lost out to Honourable Olivia Grange, has congratulated Usain Bolt on being named the IAAF World Male Athlete of the Year for the sixth time. Bolt was presented with the award at Sporting Monte Carlo on Friday. Minister Grange said Bolt was “most deserving of this award” following his exploits at the Olympic Games in Brazil. “Usain continues to set records on and off the track,” Minister Grange said. “He has now won the IAAF Male Athlete of the Year title for a record sixth time – a most deserving award after his record-setting performances at the Olympics in Rio. Congratulations Usain! We are proud of and continue to be inspired by you.” At the Rio Games in Brazil in August, Bolt completed a historic ‘three-peat’ or ‘triple-triple’ – three gold medals, in three events (100m, 200m and 4x100m) at three consecutive Olympic Games. Minister Grange also commended Omar McLeod and Elaine Thompson on being nominated for male and female athletes of the year titles.
10,000-metre Olympic champion and world record holder Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia. (SportsMax)
20 Called To West Indies U-19 Camp A 20-member Under-19 squad has been selected by the selection panel of the West Indies Cricket Broad (WICB) to begin preparations for defence of their title at the World Cup, scheduled for New Zealand from January 12 to February 4, 2018. The squad, selected from players across the six territories, will be in camp from Friday, December 9 to Tuesday, December 20 in Grenada. “This initial camp is to prepare a team for the Regional Super50 as was done the last two years and we will also have a pre-tournament camp for the final team, January 17 – 21,” Project Officer, Rawl Lewis explained. “A comprehensive programme has been developed for the 2018 World Cup preparation which started with the regional under 17 and 19 tournaments over the summer. The 23-month long programme will include a mini-series with New Zealand in January 2018, just before the World Cup.” The squad will be comprised of Keagan Simmonds, Kirstan Kallicharan, Cephas Cooper, Navin Bidaisee, Matthew Patrick, Te-Shawn Alleyne, Johann Jeremiah, Emmanuel Stewart, Johnnel Eugene, Daneal Dupigny, Alick Athanaze, Jerellius Louis, Javier Spence, Kian Pemberton, Nyeem Young, Joshua Bishop, Shian Brathwaite, Joshua Persaud,
Bhaskar Yadram and Jeavor Royal. The management team will include Dwain Gill, Anthony Gray, Graeme West, Khevyn Williams and Zephyrinus Nicholas. They will be in charge of operations during the 10 days. The team will be supported by WICB staff Lewis and Senior Player Relations Officer, Ayana Cooper. (SportsMax)