Guyana Times Daily - October 31, 2015

Prepare for lucrative oil, gas – Minister P13 Trotman tells stakeholders Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 2663

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Saturday, October 31, 2015

GTUC pits sugar workers against bauxite workers

PRICE

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Police issue wanted P11 bulletin for Port Kaituma murder suspect

Page 3

... accuses APNU/AFC Govt of “double standards” As crime spirals out-of-control

Gunmen hit Goed Fortuin shop Page 9

Former Prison Officer beaten in Reliance Lock-Ups Page 13

Diplomats join Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations

Dia de los Muertos! Several high-ranking members of the diplomatic corps on Friday joined the Deputy Head of Missions for the Mexician Embassy Gabriel Ferrer (not seen in photo) to be part of the cultural observances to mark the ‘Day of the Dead’. From left: Canadian High Commissioner Pierre Giroux, wife of US Ambassador to Guyana Rosaura Halloway, US Ambassador Perry Halloway with others at the Mexican Embassy (Carl Croker photo)

PSC concerned over Guyana’s CFATF blacklist status Page 8

Bagotstown man wanted for Hamson’s Trading owner’s murder Page 9

$80 vat included

GRA’s access to bank info…

Jagdeo says Govt fuelling fear among Guyanese

Page 7

Guyana, Mexican Govt mulls commercialisation of Guyana’s paddy P11

LBI man found not guilty of Survival Supermarket robbery P14 Fire completely guts store at Crescent Plaza Mall P7

Moruca duo granted bail for break and enter P11 and larceny First Lady wraps up second entrepreneurial P16 workshop

2 news

saturday, october 31, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

President David Granger commissions "David G 2" ...CGX school boat for Pomeroon schoolchildren BY: INDRAWATTIE NATRAM

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resident David Granger on Friday commissioned a new school boat, David G 2, for children living in the Upper Pomeroon River, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

The boat was donated by CGX Energy Inc. It is so far the second boat donated to children of the Pomeroon River. The first was by Essequibo businessman Alfro Alphonso.

The Presidential delegation included Minister of Social Cohesion Amna Ally, Professor Suresh Narine and Komal Singh along with regional officials, Regional Executive Officer Rupert Roopnarine and Regional Education Officer Baramadai Seepersaud.

President Granger commissioned the new boat at Charity waterfront, by ceremonially sprinkling water coconut on the bow.

Addressing the gathering of school children, APNU+AFC supporters, businessmen and regional officials at the A&S Supermarket in Charity, the President said the best investment one can make is in the education sector. He said during his birthday he called on businesses to come on board and donate boats that will benefit children.

President Granger thanked Professor Narine for the timely donation, adding that there would be more boats. He said the boat will ensure easier access for those children living in Upper Pomeroon as par-

President David Granger and Professor Suresh Narine at the commissioning of the school boat

ents previously complained over the exorbitant fees they have to spend to send their children to schools on the Essequibo Coast.

The President said the donation was inspired

through the need of parents who requested more boats to assist them to send their children to school. The President added that every child deserves to be in school and everyone be it private or

government have an important role to play.

The President urged parents to ensure their children receive an education by attending school regularly. President Granger explained that once children are educated then social ills such as teenage pregnancy, suicide, among others, can be curbed.

He also urged all Essequibians to stand up for their rights and not to surrender to Venezuela claims, He encouraged them to be good ambassadors.

Speaking about Charity, the President said it is his desire for the community to become a green town, eliminating all plastics.

“I want Charity to be a commercial centre: let it be a business hub, let there be the establishment is legitimate businesses so that funds can be generated; let Charity grow and develop and become a potential food bowl” Granger posited.

He urged persons to get into cottage businesses such as packaging plantain chips and bottle water coconut, hence generating income.

Meanwhile, Regional Executive Officer Rupert Hopkinson said the Region Two Administration supports the worthwhile donation and thanked Professor Narine for the donation.

Hopkinson described the donation as a “Top Good” one that will be used by all. He said education is a public good and investment should be made towards the enhancement in the sector.

“This boat is a gift for all of us, a strong positive relationship should be built.

Others should be involved in similar gestures, embrace

education” Hopkinson said.

Giving his word again to the people of Essequibo he vow to work along with them: “As the RE0 for this region, your joy is my joy, your pain is my pain”.

Donor CGX Energy Inc professor Suresh Narine said his company is happy to offer the donation towards the enhancement of education for the children living in the community of the Upper Pomeroon.

Professor Narine said education offers an opportunity to equalise the opportunities that were once closed. He described Guyana as a blessed nation with an abundance of natural resources.

He said that having heard the proposal by President Granger to get more boats for the Pomeroon River, CGX Energy signed onto the vision after hearing about the plight of children paddling for hours to access education. He said according to information most of the children who have to paddle to school were often too tired to listen to the teachers.

“Without investment in education the future is uncertain. The provision of a boat is a small goal from our side” Prof Narine noted.

He called on parents and the community at large to care the facility and charged residents to ensure their children attend school.

Prof Narine said a canteen will be donated to Providence School by the company.

At the ceremony parents expressed gratitude to the company for the donation.

Previously children had to endure the arduous task of cannoning.

news

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saturday, october 31, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, October 31 – 05:30h-07:00h and Sunday, November 1 – 09:00h-10:30h.

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, October 31 – 07:05h-08:35h and Sunday, November 1 – 07:50h-09:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily.

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Thundery rain showers can be expected in the morning, while heavy rain showers are expected in the afternoon. Partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees and 30 degrees Celsius.

Wind: East North-easterly to Northeasterly between 1.34 metres and 3.57 metres per second.

High Tide: 06:50h and 19:02h reaching maximum height of 2.57 metres and 2.62 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 00:22h and 12:36h reaching minimum heights of 0.46 metre and 0.71 metre respectively.

wednesday, October 28, 2015

LOTTERY NUMBERS O 04 06 07 10 15 19 28 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

Friday, October 30, 2015

Daily Millions

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

GTUC pits sugar workers against bauxite workers ...accuses APNU/AFC Govt of "double standards"

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he Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) is coming down hard on the APNU+AFC coalition government for its “double standards” in politics, governance and decision making which will undoubtedly result in disharmony among citizens and divisions of the working class with regard to treatment under the laws.

As such, GTUC is calling on the administration to treat all workers equally, respecting their rights in all instances and at all times, thereby bringing an end to the practices of “double standards.”

In a media release on Friday, the Union stated it is time for the country to move forward but this cannot be realized in an environment where the concept of “all are equal but some are more equal than some” holds sway.

Guyana Times was told the GTUC has taken note of the government’s move to engage the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) soon after the recent three-day strike action.

However, the Congress posited that this move clearly signals to workers at the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI), traditional public sector workers and others, that similar action may be required of them in order to have their rights upheld.

“In a month’s time it will mark six years of struggle by BCGI workers to have their grievances attended to consistent with the laws. The parties in government today when in Opposition were vocal in condemnation of BCGI mistreatment of work-

GTUC President Lincoln Lewis

ers and the PPP/C’s handling of the matter, they made this part of their campaign, and promised to ensure justice should they be elected… The government’s indecision and/or apparent complicity in this egregious matter require(s)explanation,” said the release.

Guyana Times understands GTUC is reiterating its call for the right to collective bargaining is respected for all unionized workers, not just for some.

“Equally as the government moves with promptness to correctly uphold same for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) workers, they must do so for public servants, bauxite workers, transport and harbours,

and others. Government is also reminded that contrary to what some officials are informing the public, the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Public Service has no power or authority to determine the setting of wage/ salary and working conditions. The Trade Union Recognition Act, Section 23 (1) is very clear on how matters of this nature ought to be treated and GTUC calls for the upholding of the laws,” the media statement explained.

According to the GTUC, this universal principle must also hold true for sugar workers, notwithstanding the CoI into the sugar industry.

This newspaper was further told the public sector which is vital to the nation’s development and efficient delivery of goods and services by the administration, has seen the Guyana Public Service Union members being denied the right to collective bargaining for more than a decade.

“Though this transgression was condemned by the administration when in Opposition, it has continued under its stewardship as seen in

the 2015 wage/salary determination. This nation continues to be held hostage to a discredited practice of politicians’ actions being inconsistent with their commitments.

GTUC reminds this nation that as GuySuCo continues to receive monthly bailout from the State coffers, this money includes the taxes of police officers, public servants, teachers, nurses and bauxite workers who are toiling under conditions of service deserving of improvement, still struggling for a living wage, and/or have the right to collective bargaining respected,” the GTUC contended.

This publication was further reminded by the GTUC that the APNU+AFC administration is being put on notice that workers did not cast their ballot for an “exchange” and the government officials shall be held accountable, even more so that their contract with the electorate was made on the commitment to do better than their predecessor in upholding workers/ citizens’ rights and governing consistent with the rule of law. (kristenm@ guyanatimesgy.com)

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guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, october 31, 2015

Views Editor(ag): Michael Younge Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134 Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Breadth of fresh air for rice industry E

ver since the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) took office the decline of the rice industry commenced with the trickling of betrayal felt by rice farmers almost immediately.

It is believed this was as a result of unrealistic promises made during the elections campaign compounded with the unsubtle approach to the most recent Guyana/Venezuela boarder controversy.

Earlier this month, our Spanish-speaking neighbour Venezuela officially ousted Guyana from another PetroCaribe deal, which sees the trading of fuel and rice at favourable prices, and opted to extend the benefit of such a welcomed deal with our Dutch-speaking neighbour Suriname.

However, a breadth of fresh air for the industry can be felt now that the People’s Progress Party/Civic (PPP/C), despite being in the Opposition, has placed pride behind, and announced that it has come up with an all-encompassing proposal which, when implemented, could help save the ailing industry.

The fact that the PPP/C is willing to work with the government to help save the rice industry shows not only political maturity but untainted care for farmers, who are suffering. The unveiling of this plan comes against the backdrop of frustrated farmers who have said outright they feel abandoned by the present administration.

As a matter of fact, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo met with hundreds of rice farmers over the last weekend in Region Two and the common trend of the over 45 meetings held across the region, was that rice farmers are suffering tremendously. The lamentations of farmers were that they lack finance to start the next crop since they are heavily indebted to local banking institutions. They felt betrayed and cast out by the APNU/AFC government.

The proposal which the PPP/C has generated calls for the resumption of negotiations with the Venezuelan government aimed at securing the PetroCaribe deal for Guyana once again. The second recommendation of the proposal speaks to the issue of negotiations with commercial banks to rearrange the loans, which the severely indebted farmers bear the burden of presently. This proposal if accepted can see the administration negotiating with local financial institutions to review the terms of agreement of the various farmers’ loans.

Thirdly the proposal outlines the need for government to suspend all payments on leases for those who have leases with Government. This will aid in the lifting of additional financial burdens which the farmers are carrying.

The proposal calls for a supplementary provision to the parliament for rice farmers, which can help them directly with the purchase of seed paddy and/or fertilisers. It also outlines the need for rice farmers to be offered duty-free fuel and tax exemptions on rice farming equipment.

Having reviewed the proposed intervention, it seems like the PPP/C has come up with reasonable intervention that will surely see the rice industry coming out of its deteriorating state.

Last week Agriculture Minister Noel Holder had announced that he was waiting on ‘suggestions’ from the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) for the betterment of the industry. Now that this proposal that was crafted by the PPP/C will be shared with the GRDB, it is hoped it is seriously considered and presented to the government as a viable option for the rice industry.

It is urged that the administration swallow its pride and collaborate with the PPP/C to bring back the glory days of rice in Guyana. This is not only for the benefit of the thousands who depend solely on the rice industry but for the benefit of all Guyana.

Third Year University of Guyana law students paint and assemble old tires to be reused as garbage bins on campus as part of their environmental enhancement exercise (Carl Croker photo)

Poor management and alleged corruption at GRDB Rice Research Station Dear Editor, The rice industry in Guyana is plays a vital role which contributes greatly to the GDP. The Burma Rice Research Station which is the premium institution for rice in Guyana is very poorly managed by a team of incompetent persons headed

by Dr Mahendra Persaud.

Some people would say it is like having “square pegs in round holes” The reason for saying this is: I have previously indicated through the press that there are serious problems in the industry, apart from finding high-priced market for

our rice, with: 1) Red rice weeds, 2) issues of paddy bugs and other pests and disease problems, 3) Poor quality of seeds produced at Burma and 4) Poor marketing and bias distribution of seed paddy produced by the station to farmers, etc.

This is all clearly due to “square pegs in round holes” who enjoying fat salaries and other allowances in excess of $8.5 million annually because of the ‘our boys’ syndrome employed by previous PPP/C administration.

It is also alleged that apart from poor management of the research work,

there are other highly corrupt practices happening at the Research Station which are covered-up and kept as top level secrets.

Issue such as thousands of litres of fuel and fertilizers unaccounted for and claim loss due to spillage, sole sourcing of contractors for repairs to residential houses and building other infrastructure at the research station and misusing of the Board’s vehicular resources, etc.

So these are allegations Minister Jaipaul Sharma and his audit team should look into and investigate.

In my view, the slow pace at which Dr Mahendra and

his team is working on addressing these issue facing the rice industry and mismanaging the Board’s resources, the industry will surely have a massive disaster in time.

It is a call to President David Granger, Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder to look into these issue and make the necessary changes so that the rice farmers of our country can receive better services from the GRDB, Burma Rice Research Station.

Your Faithfully, T Ross

Freddie’s half-truth unveiled Dear Editor, Freddie Kissoon can be excused for his admitted self-hatred, but his contempt shown some time ago against some poor indo-Guyanese selling papayas and vegetables is inexcusable.

These poor people do not have to be knowledgeable in sociology or governance to differentiate between right and wrong when their perception of same are based on the reality of prejudice, bias, victimization and harassment experienced on a daily basis by agents of the new ad-

ministration.

While some perceptions may be false, reality cannot be denied when it becomes factual, like targeting of Indo-Guyanese

by Afro-Guyanese bandits, or the burning of the PPP/C flag by an immoral APNU supporter, or, the burning down of an Indo-Guyanese house in Sophia, or, the statement of “abee time now” against Indo-Guyanese as stated by Harry Gill, or, the massive dismissal of Indo-Guyanese from the Public Service without due process, or, the contempt

shown to rice farmers, and, last but not least the escalating crime rate since May 11, mostly against IndoGuyanese.

Yet, despite the foregoing, this moron expects them to tell him that things are better now.

Freddie, Indo-Guyanese are aware of your inherent hatred, but you should take time to reflect on what happened at Wismar, Lusignan, Agricola, protest matches Uganda and Zimbabwe.

The bottom line, Freddie is, under similar circumstances irrespec-

tive of the company you keep, you will be treated as another “coolie” just like Nagamootoo.

As an Indian, I am proud of our culture but I am extremely disappointed at the crab-in-the-barrel-mentality of some, as recently exhibited by our venerable Security Minister and some misguided pandits who seem hell bent on dividing the Hindu community for political largesse.

Yours sincerely, D Singh

guyanatimesgy.com

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Suggestions for National Calendar Committee Dear Editor, I refer to a letter by His Holiness Swami Aksharanandaji in your October 28 edition and wish to thank him for bringing clarity to the question of the date

which is in consonance with a previous letter by Pandit Balbadar for observance of Dewali in Guyana this year which he established to be 10 October as appropriate for Maha Lakshmi Puja

and of course the traditional lighting of diyas.

I think his idea of a “National Calendar Committee” is very worthwhile, since it will allow different groups to work together and

to develop consensus on the dates that Phagwah, Dewalii and even for the observance of Parbs.

I would like to propose the following names as respectable and learned persons within the Hindu

community who can serve as Convenor maybe for a one-year period; former Judge Nandram Kissoon, Roopnarine Satram (Attorney), Purshottam Persaud Shivraj, Ravi Dev and Nowrang Persaud.

I look forward to hearing the views of others of the Hindu community.

Yours sincerely, Christopher Mahendranauth Persaud

Something must be done about stray animals Dear Editor, The stray animals on our roads should be a cause for concern to all motorists and all other categories of road users, but the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), Town Councils and Guyana Police Force should be of more concern because the onus and responsibility reside with them to implement the laws that ensure our roads are free from stray animals that cause and are contributing to the traffic accidents of all types, including fatal.

While the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act, Chapter 51:02 caters for animals to be on our roads, they are on the road legally only when they are being ridden, driven or lead.

That is to say that the animal is saddled or a rope attached, held by a person in whose charge the animal is in, so as to have that level of control.

The Overseer of the NDC who is the Finance and Administrative Officer, must take the necessary action as stipulated un-

der the Local Government and District Council Act, Chapter 28:02 and the Town Clerk who is the Finance and Administrative Officer of the Town Council (Municipality) must use the authority vested in them under the Municipality and Town Council Act Chapter 28:01 pertaining to stray animals. It is time for these persons to say what action, if any, is being taken, and the result yielded.

Both Acts 28:01 and 28:02 deal extensively with

impounding and redeeming of strays.

As for the Police, the Standing Order gives clear guidelines to the Pound Keeper who is the Subordinate Officer of the Police Station in relation to impounding and redeeming of strays brought in.

But the most critical role of the Police is ridding the roads of stray animals, enforcing the Laws relating to the Brands Act. And while my observation and subsequent comments are

made by driving on the Essequibo Roads where a lot of animals without brands can be seen, the same can be said of other Regions.

A few years ago the Ministry of Home Affairs had assembled a Stray Catching Unit; they did some work in Regions Four and Five. I am not sure if any work was done in Region Two, and if this unit is functioning.

The Brands Act speaks of the application of a brand, the making, the reg-

istration, the use and custody, the purpose, and a lot more, including the penalty of not using same as required by law. It is reasonable to say the owners of these stray animals — mostly cows — on purpose do not brand the animals so as to conceal their identify (the owners) in the event of an accident involving their animals and therefore ownership cannot be established, liability of prosecution claim can be made.

The NDC and Town

Councils have an equal role to play, the owners also the general public who always have more information than the police.

While cattle rustling are not prevalent in Region Two, and many owners of animals may not find it necessary to brand them, the laws are clear and must be maintained.

Archie Cordis Former AFC Councillor Region 2

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Foundation (Part 2)

BY GINA STEPP

Child abuse According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, fatalities resulting from child maltreatment increased fairly steadily between 2002 and 2007, peaking at between two and three deaths per 100,000 American children – although again, such incidents are considered to be underreported. But fatalities are only the tip of the childmaltreatment iceberg: for every 100,000 children in the general population, an estimated 1000 or more were victims of some kind of maltreatment, and more than half of these were under the age of seven. There has been some good news, however.

Between 1992 and 2000, substantiated cases of child sexual abuse in the US declined by about 40 per cent.

Sharon G Portwood, Executive Director of the Institute for Social Capital at Charlotte’s University of North Carolina campus, notes that “the vast majority of child victims (57 per cent) suffer from neglect, followed by physical abuse (19 per cent), sexual abuse (10 per cent), psychological or emotional abuse (seven per cent), and medical neglect (two per cent).” In roughly 80 per cent of the reported cases, one or both parents perpetrated the abuse.

When all forms of violence are considered, women and men are found to be

equally likely to physically abuse children, and women as well as men have been known to sexually abuse them. It should be noted that although the vast majority of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by males, this does not mean that biological fathers are the most common perpetrators. Those few studies that differentiate between biological fathers, stepfathers and other family members have found that biological fathers – especially those who are engaged and active in caretaking – are less likely than other male relatives to engage in child sexual abuse.

S a d l y, however, birth parents are most often responsible for child physical abuse, especially that resulting in death for children under five. According to David Finkelhor, University of New Hampshire Sociology Professor and co-Director of the Family Research Laboratory, “these preschool victim homicides appear to be mostly cases of fatal child abuse that occur as a result of parents’ attempts to control children or angry reactions to some of young children’s aversive behaviour – uncontrollable crying, hitting parents or siblings, soiling themselves, or getting dirty.

Such children,” Finkelhor says, “are frequently thrown against hard surfaces, struck hard with a blow to the head or belly, or smothered.”

While death from child abuse is horribly tragic, children who survive are not necessarily “lucky.” Many of these grow up with mental and emotional problems leading to high-risk and criminal behaviour, and parents who have been abused as children are at high risk for abusing their own children and continuing the cycle.

As one would expect, many of the risk factors connected to

child maltreatment are similar to those connected to IPV: impoverished social networks, community violence, domestic violence, and substance abuse, among many others. University of Chicago researchers Matthew W Stagner and Jiffy Lansing note that while some also list poverty as a risk factor, its validity is diminished by the fact that families in lower-income neighbourhoods are more likely to be reported than those in higher-income neighbourhoods.

On the other hand, protective factors against child maltreatment include “nurturing and attachment between family members; knowledge of parenting and child development; parental emotional resilience... and concrete supports such as food, clothing, housing, transportation, and services.”

The importance of attachment between family members has long been underscored by clinical research, and studies of abusive parents note deficits in this area. Typical characteristics of violent parents include anger control problems, low levels of empathy, and

poor problem-solving skills.

Barnett and her associates also observe that compared to non-abusive adults, “abusive individuals have been found to have unrealistic expectations and negative perceptions regarding their children.” In addition, they write, “such parents exhibit numerous deficits in child management skills. Compared with nonabusive parents, physically abusive parents interact with their children less; when they do interact with their children, they display higher rates of directive, critical, and controlling behaviour and a higher frequency of verbal and physical aggression.”

Interestingly, one study measuring the physical responses of mothers found that while both abusive and non-abusive mothers responded to a crying infant with increased stress, only the abusive mothers displayed increased stress responses to smiling infants as well. Could these patterns of interaction have been learned by the abusive mothers through other relationships? Given what is known about how neural patterns are shaped by repetitive human interactions, this is likely, even when genetic predispositions are present. To at least some degree, human patterns of interaction are learned from those with whom we interact most regularly, just as other patterns of behaviour are learned. The good news is that in many cases, a number of these patterns can also be unlearned. (vision.org)

Recovering from domestic violence

H

ealing in the aftermath of domestic violence is different for each survivor. While there are some commonalities among domestic violence survivors, each person’s needs and recovery process are different. At Safe Passage we support survivors in identifying the ways in which counselling and/or advocacy might help.

We base our work on these concepts: * The perpetrator is responsible for the abuse and it is not and never was the victim’s fault. * No one deserves to be battered or abused. * Survivors made the best choices that were available to them at the time. * It is possible to heal from the effects of violence. * You, the survivor, are the expert at your own recovery process. * First and foremost, we understand that violence is not about what the victim did

wrong. That’s the responsibility of the perpetrator. Period. In fact, one of the most insidious and isolating reactions that many survivors have to their experiences of violence is the feeling that they are somehow to blame. * Violence happens because of the choices made by the perpetrator, not because there is something wrong with the victim.

Many victims are left feeling that their lives and feelings are out of control. Counsellors focus on empowerment, a process of rebuilding a sense of personal power. By finding ways to build this sense of empowerment within yourself, you will be directing yourself in a positive direction. * While you may not always understand why you made a particular choice, it will be helpful to remember that survivors make the best choices and decisions possible for them, particularly given the constraints they are under at the time. These choices and decisions were often made under conditions of extreme fear or distress.

You may need to process your thoughts and feelings about these choices with a Counsellor or supportive friend. * Although it may take time and be difficult, every survivor can move through an individual process and recover from domestic violence. You have the ability to heal from traumatic experiences, particularly if you receive support and have time to heal and grow. (www.safepass.org)

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saturday, october 31, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Fire completely guts store at Crescent Plaza Mall

GRA’s access to bank info:

Jagdeo says Govt fuelling fear among Guyanese F O

pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has pointed out that the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition government seems to be fuelling the existing fear among Guyanese especially with its recent decision to allow the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) access to persons banking information.

Speaking with Guyana Times, the former President explained that when there is a legislation such as the Financial Institution Act (FIA), that is currently before Parliament to be amended, then it drives fear into citizens since the confidentiality of their personal information will be breached.

According to Jagdeo, there is nothing wrong with GRA having the ability to investigate and check bank accounts. However, he noted that it is the vindictiveness behind it that is causing uneasiness. The Opposition Leader further stated that the purpose behind this decision has been basically discerned by people because of the rhetoric that they’ve had.

“It is driving a lot of fear among people who have bank accounts, that the GRA will start to poke into their personal matters. I am very fearful that a lot of those people will start taking their money out of the banking system and converting it to US dollars or we will have massive capital flight because they think that the Government is becoming very intrusive in their business,” the former President outlined.

Jagdeo however underscored that he strongly supports any attempts to investigate money laundering or illegal proceeds because he does not want such activities to be practised in Guyana.

The Opposition Leader however noted that by giving GRA access to banking information, they are sending a signal to the business community that while there is freedom, Government is encroaching on this all the time.

“This is why I keep saying there is a crisis of confidence too and that is why we have such a precipitous drop in economic activities,” he remarked.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

Moreover, the former President went on to say Government is totally aloof and focusing on things they think are important. He pointed out that he has personally met with hundreds of Guyanese from all walks of life including Government supporters, opposition supporters, businessmen, workers and others, hence he knows what is happening on the ground.

“Government is totally out of touch with people’s concerns – their concern about jobs, about their future, about the payment of their mortgages, about the payment on their vehicles that they have taken instalments on. The businessmen men can’t make payroll because the retail trade and other business activities are so low,” the Opposition Leader stated.

Furthermore, Jagdeo outlined that the country’s supply is diminishing while the demand for currency is rising. He added too that there is great fear among the people that Guyana’s exchange rate would depreciate, as well as fears the banking system will get into problems because the loans they made to the rice industry would not be repaid, nor those loans to the housing sector.

“There are huge fears out there and they (government) are not addressing the fears, in fact they are exacerbating the fears with things such as the FIA legislation that is before Parliament,” he stated.

Persons have commented that the recent Bill introduced in Parliament to amend the Guyana Revenue Act, forcing banks to give unfettered access to people’s bank accounts is an assault on the Private Sector by the coalition administration.

This move is sure to lead to a run on the banks.

It exposes the banks to rapid and heavy withdrawals and parking of significant financial resources outside of the local banking system. If there is anything that ruins a small economy like Guyana’s, this is one of them for certain.

Furthermore, it is felt the amendment to increase the intrusive powers of GRA with people’s banking information will affect the stability and lead to renewed devaluation of the Guyana dollar.

ire on Friday morning completely gutted a clothing store located inside the Crescent Plaza Mall, Co-op Crescent, Linden.

Firefighters from Linden Fire Station were summoned to the scene when Indulgence Fashions went up in flames, at around 09:15h. Fortunately they were able to contain the fire, thus preventing others in close proximity from conflagration. At the time of the incident, the stall owners who are estimating their losses at around $6 million, were not at the store.

According to one of the owners, Donna Adams, at the time of the fire, the store was not yet opened for the day. Proprietors in the vicinity recalled seeing smoke emanating from inside the store but were unable to ascertain the cause.

Adams said her daughter a co-owner who runs the business, had planned a trip to Georgetown on Friday morning so the store had remained closed since Thursday afternoon.

“A boy just came and said that the stall was on

The interior of the clothing store after the fire

fire. Everything in the store burned, noting was saved.

All the mannequins and everything were burnt. The fire people said maybe it was electrical”, she explained.

The visibly shaken woman also related that firefighters responded promptly, however they were unsuccessful in saving anything.

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saturday, october 31, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

PSC concerned over Guyana’s CFATF blacklist status

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he Private Sector Commission expressed deep disappointed after learning that Guyana’s status with the Financial Action Task Force and the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force has not changed.

Even though legislative requirements were met by the passing of the amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, Guyana remains blacklisted on the CFATF Charter.

The Commission which represents the interests of local private businesses, said while it acknowledge the significant steps taken to remedy Guyana’s AML/ CFT deficiencies in the passing of this Act, Guyana had agreed to an Action Plan with the Financial Action Task Force in October 2014.

It said the implementation of this Plan remains crucial to the removal of the country from any list of countries that need to be monitored by the FATF and, until all the elements agreed to have been effectively dealt with, transactions emanating from Guyana will continue to be subjected to additional scrutiny.

The Action Plan it said included a commitment to ensuring a fully operational

Private Sector Commission Chairman, Norman McLean

and effectively functioning financial intelligence unit, the establishment of effective measures for customer due diligence and financial transparency and the implementation of an adequate supervisory framework.

The commission said it is deeply concerned that Guyana remains on the monitoring list by FATF and calls on government to urgently take the steps necessary to remedy the strategic AML/CFT deficiencies.

On Wednesday, Legal Affairs Minister/Attorney General Basil Williams said Guyana has been compliant to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and is “light years away from be-

ing blacklisted”.

He said the newlyminted A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) government came in for high praise from both the International Coordinating Review Group (ICRG) and the FATF Plenary, at the recently concluded Meeting in Paris, France.

The ICRG, he said, adopted the Assessors’ report of its regional arm, the Americas Regional Review Group (ARRG) which stated that the main development in Guyana is the enactment of the Anti-Money Laundering/Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Amendment Act 2015 which became enforceable on July 10, 2015.

According to Williams, the present position is that of the eight recommendations in the agreed action plan for which Guyana has fully implemented five and partially implemented three.

FATF, he said, has set a premium on the sincerity of high-level commitments given by the Governments and their political will to implement its measures.

“From the outset of this Administration, President David Granger wrote the President of FATF assuring him of the new

Eyew tness Who represents…

H

Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Basil Williams

Government’s commitment to remedying the deficiencies identified, and implementing its recommendations,” the AG said.

He said both the ICRG and Plenary Meetings noted that his presence was ample testimony to the Government’s commitment to expediting its commitments to the FATF process.

And so, according to him, from the foregoing it is clear that an APNU/AFC government is light years away from being black-listed.

As it relates to the strengthening of anti-money laundering institutions, the Attorney General says the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is fully functional.

…workers?

ow many times can we roll our eyes and mutter, “Plus ca change…”? The more things change the more they remain the same? This time your Eyewitness’ eye was caught by the protestations of the TUC that when it comes to deciding which is the “most representative” trade union body – you don’t pout, “Mirror, Mirror on the wall… Who’s the...”. Evidently it’s not “size (of the unions) that matters… but the “number of the unions” under the umbrella.

The TUC’s spokesperson sounded very much like Humpty Dumpty who told Alice (in a rather scornful tone), “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’ ’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’ ’The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.”

It would appear that today, the TUC is “the master”, or maybe “the master’s lapdog” which can very well bark like they’re the master. The whole issue arose when the competing Trade Union body, FITUG, pointed out that this year when the new Government – which had found an “empty treasury” – doled out $11M they got a measly $1/2M while the TUC scooped up a whopping $8M!! Talk about some getting “bone” while others feast on “meat”!!

While denying the quantum of money allegedly pocketed, the TUC didn’t deign to offer another number but went on to define “representativeness” - which was the criterion evidently used to make the not exactly Solomonic allocation. It did seem like a bit of misdirection – which isn’t only deployed by politicians. Or politicians who’re trade unionists.

The TUC boasted it had 10 member unions and the FITUG only had 4 – and that since 10 was more than 4, they were more “representative”. Forget that FITUG’s 4 unions has twice the number of members than TUC’s 4.

Who cares about “democracy” and all that. The TUC’s argument might sound plausible - if you didn’t know the sordid history of trade union subversion in Guyana.

Back in the (despotic) day, when Burnham wanted to control the Trades Union Congress (along with every other group in Guyana) he created a host of “paper unions” – just names and “leaders” without members – and made the same argument that the TUC’s making today!!

Ironically, Lincoln Lewis was one of those that opposed Burnham for this undermining of the movement. Plus ca change…

So the TUC, with its 10 emaciated unions – excepting the GPSU – will be calling the shots. Like making the recommendations as to who should be on the Trade Union Recognition Board.

So that they can recognise” more “paper unions” and continue to be “representative”. Plus ca change….

…the NIS on BBCI

The good news is that the Mexican Standoff between the Berbice Bridge Directors and the government might be settled soon. There’ve been all kinds of speculation as to how this happy circumstance came about. But from news report the Directors “consulted” all the stockholders and debt holders – and they said “go right ahead!!!”

Well we know there haven’t been any profits since the bridge opened to give the common stockholders even a dime. So with the subsidies just covering the lowered tolls, looks like they’ve agreed to continue to get “Larwah”. Imagine that!

And that Bondholder who’s due $500M on principal

by Christmas? They’ve agreed to have nothing in their stocking?!! Now that’s some Larwah!!

And last but not least is the NIS - now represented by a new APNU-candidate Director Dr Surendra Persaud. Has the goodly doctor expansively agreed to defer dividends on the $1 BILLION of PREFERRED shares that was bought with pensioners’ money?

Inquiring minds want to know – as to how intensively those pensioners will be further raped.

…the rice marketing

So the Agri Minister’s now saying they’ll be selling rice to Panama and Mexico. Due to the sterling efforts of the jet-setting PM. So will Nagamootoo be bringing back a contract.

Or more hot air?

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

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saturday, october 31, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Gunmen hit Goed Fortuin shop P

olice in D Division (West Demerara) are hunting a threeman gang that attacked and robbed a shop in Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara on Thursday evening.

The incident occurred around 19:10h during which the armed men robbed and injured two West Bank Demerara residents.

According to the police, the men entered the grocery shop of Mohabir Singh, 24, located at 406 First Street, Goed Fortuin, gun-butted his head and escaped with over $900,000 cash.

Sherwin Mayers, 37, a customer who was in the shop at the time, was also relieved of his cellular phone and $20,000 cash. When Guyana Times visited the shop on Friday, Mayers related what transpired.

He said at the time he was sitting just outside the shop while Singh and his father-in-law were at the gate standing when a car pulled up and three men, all armed, rushed out and help them at gunpoint. ”When they come in, one of them lash me in my head and took away my phone.

They then forced us inside the shop and put us to lie on the ground face down,” he recalled. Mayers noted that he can’t really say what transpired afterwards since he was face down.

This newspaper was told that Singh and his wife Liloutie, 23, along with their

The surveillance footage showing the armed men in the shop

two infant children recently moved into the house and have been running the stop for about four months. This is the first time they have been robbed.

At the time of the robbery, Singh’s wife, his children and two other young female relatives were in the shop. After seeing the gunmen, the females rushed upstairs to safety and locked the door but were forced to let the men in.

Singh’s father-in-law Khemraj Persaud explained that after the gunmen put them to lie in the shop, two of them jumped over the counter and went upstairs after his daughter while the other remained to watch over them. He added that the door upstairs was close so the other two returned downstairs and took Singh to get his wife to open the door, which she did.

When this publication

Bagotstown man wanted for Hamson’s Trading owner’s murder

A

lmost seven months after Farouk Ghanie was found murdered in his Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara home (EBD), the Police have issued a wanted bulletin for another suspect.

Kemo Tyron Evans, 20, of Bagotstown, EBD and of Sophia, Greater Georgetown, is wanted for questioning into the murder of the businessman who was found dead on April 16.

Subsequent to the murder, a handyman who confessed to clubbing the owner of Hamson’s Trading Limited to death, was charged for murder.

The suspect was arrested as he was making his way into the interior. He was subsequently taken to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters, where he was interrogated and later confessed to the murder.

He also revealed the names of two other persons who were involved in the murder – one of whom was Evans. Ghanie, of Lot 97 Collingwood Avenue, Nandy Park, was found dead at his home with at least two stab wounds to his chest.

The businessman was found by his girlfriend

Wanted: Kemo Tyron Evans

Vanessa (only name given) who went to check on him after several calls to his phone went unanswered. The man, who lived alone, was found lying on his back and might have been dead for more than 12 hours.

The businessman was last seen dropping off a worker in Georgetown before heading home. Neighbours claimed that they did not see any strange movements or hear any unusual sounds, except that the man’s house was in darkness the night before the gruesome discovery.

At that time, they thought that Ghanie was out of the country.

visited the house, Singh was not at home but his wife re-

lated that while upstairs, the gunmen demanded that her

husband hand over all the cash and jewellery. “When we give them the cash, they ask for all the jewellery but we tell them we ain’t got no jewellery. One of them then take his gun and hit my husband in his head,” she recalled.

Guyana Times was told the men were masked, however, surveillance camera in the shop caught the bandits entering and forcing the three men to lie on the floor while they emptied the cash register. They were also seen rushing out the shop.

Neighbours who saw when the men entered the shop related that they

called 911 emergency line but there was no answer as was the case when they contacted the La Grange Police Station.

Meanwhile, in a release the police said the village has an active and vibrant Community Policing Group however the group was not out on patrol during the robbery. Nevertheless, crime sleuths in the Division believe this gang will be apprehended soon since they are narrowing in on their investigations.

Ranks in this Division said they recently dismantled a criminal networking gang.

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saturday, october 31, 2015

News

GTT’s MMG service BMGGI allegedly using “incorrect formula” to calculate payments now available on – former employees both networks

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he Guyana Telephone Telegraph Company (GTT) on Friday announced that Mobile Money Guyana will be available to customers of the Digicel Network with effective from October 30, hence, the company is urging customers to take full advantage.

Since the launch of Mobile Money in March 2013, the service was limited to GTT customers only but with the demand for the service growing, the company decided to offer it to customers of other network.

Registration for Mobile Money is FREE for customers of both networks.

Once registered, users are able to make deposits into their phones; pay bills; send money to anyone, anywhere in Guyana; Cash-out funds from their phones and shop at approved merchants with just their phone, any time of day.

Customers Digicel’s network can now use Mobile

GTT Director Eshwar Thakurdin

Money on their Android or BlackBerry smartphones, via the Mobile Money App. The App can be downloaded from Playstore for all Android phones, or by visiting the MMG website:mmg. co.gy/app. GTT customers can access MMG via the App or by dialing *123#.

However, the purchase

of Top Up (Credit) by the Network is still unavailable.

GTT’s Mobile Money service has been making a big difference in the lives of thousands of Guyanese who prefer to make payments without joining long lines and wasting time.

With the introduction to the other network’s customers, the service will become even more popular and widespread throughout Guyana.

GTT Director, Eshwar Thakurdin said that “In 2015, we launched the App to simplify how payments are made. Only last month, we announced that all GTT bill payments are now updated instantly, and in a few days, Courts (Unicomer) Guyana will be joining the list of Bills you can pay with Mobile Money.

But today, we are expanding our base to “Do More” in making the lives of more Guyanese much easier.”

Flashback: workers on the protest line at the the Linden bauxite operations of the Bosai Minerals

A

mid an ongoing pay dispute involving former and present employees of bauxite company Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated (BMGGI), concerns are now being raised over an alleged ‘improper method’ used to calculate worker’s payments at the company.

Some retired employees are now alleging that they have not received their full payment as a result of the method.

According to a few former employees who spoke to Guyana Times on Friday, the company still owes them money after they were paid a sum using the alleged incorrect method.

The employees related that the formula laid out by the Labour Ministry to determine their payments (hourly rate) is to multiply their salary by 12 (months) and divide it by 260, then divide that by eight. However, some employees who pro-

vided their payment slips as evidence, outlined that the company is using 365 days instead of 260.

“My concern is that I was not getting my right pay at Bosai, from 2012, that is when I took this issue to the Ministry (of Labour)... the company is not using the right formula. The formula that they are using is 365 days while they should be using 260 days, and they are denying it to the Ministry of Labour.

I was made to understand that the Ministry is looking after the issue with short payment for over time. My entitlement is only two years (payment), although this happened since 2012. Up to now, I haven’t received any pay”, Alfred Carrington, a retired Plant Operations employee related.

Another concerned retired employee stated that his plight was brought to the attention of the

Labour Ministry. He said in 2007, employees working an eight-hour shift saw a 12-hour shift being put in place, from July 1, after an agreement between the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and industrial Employees (NAACIE) Union and the company was reached.

“Moving an employee from eight to 12 hours automatically means that it’s more the workers are supposed to be getting and we have received less. This matter was raised four years ago, under the previous [People’s Progressive Party/ Civic] Administration. They told them to fix it and they ‘duck’ it”, he said. The employee who prefers not to be named said the issue is presently in the hands of the current Administration; however, the company is still denying that it uses the incorrect formula to calculate payments.

“They take your salary, multiply it by 12 and divide it by 365... ask the labour people in Georgetown about the calculations. The labour people and the Union said they’ve never seen such calculations because nobody don’t work 365 days.”

He added that the suggested formula by the Ministry of Labour provided for a 52-week work schedule, which when multiplied by five (days) is equal to 260 days. The employee also alleged that affected workers are not being paid overtime by the company and their rights are being violated in terms of payment.

saturday, october 31, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

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News

Police issue wanted Guyana, Mexican Govt mulls commercialisation of Guyana’s paddy bulletin for Port

A

s Guyana and Mexico continue to strengthen bilateral agreements, talks have begun on the commercialization of Guyana’s paddy and crop diversification.

In a media release by the Embassy of Mexico on Friday, it was stated that Guyana’s Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Agriculture Minister of Mexico Jose Calzada met earlier this week where the above topics were priorities for discussion.

Commercialization speaks of a Stage in product development process where the decision to order full-scale production and launch is made. In essence when one speaks of Commercialization of paddy, they are seeking to maximize the level of production.

In respect of the Guyana situation, it would mean that more work (either manual or machine) to achieve the necessary amount. This also hints at a sole or group of operators taking control of the paddy industry in an effort to maximize output.

Guyana Times understands the meeting took place when the PM Nagamootoo visited Mexico

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Mexico's Agriculture Minister Jose Calzada

City on Sunday last to carry out a bilateral programme as well as to attend the Open Government Partnership Global Summit.

“In accordance with the three priorities set by President David Granger to the bilateral collaboration with Mexico, further developed at consultations by both Ministers of Foreign Affairs held on September 26, 2015 in New York, PM Nagamootoo’s activities in Mexico focused on food security, climate change, and regional security, as well as promoting capacity-building, business contacts, and commemoration of the 50th-

Anniversary of Guyana’s Independence in 2016.

Guyana’s Prime Minister met with Mexico’s Minister of Agriculture Jose Calzada and the senior staff in charge of international trade of agricultural products... As a result of the meeting, a short-term plan was devised to enhance dialogue with the private sector,” the release said.

Guyana Times understands the Embassy of Mexico in Georgetown will be the facilitator in a process that includes direct conference calls between producers and Mexican importers.

Moruca duo granted bail for break and enter and larceny

L

ennox Daniels, 21, and Ensor Emmanuel, 21, gold miners of Moruca, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini) were on Wednesday granted bail for breaking into a Charity stall.

The duo made their first court appearance before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Wakenaam Magistrate’s Court where they both plead-

ed not guilty to the charge after the Administration of Justice Act was applied.

Both are charged for Break and Enter and Larceny. The charge states that on Monday 26 October 2015, at Charity waterfront in the County of Essequibo, Guyana, they broke and entered the stall of Ramkumar Ramchand and stole a quantity of clothing val-

ued $65,000 and five pairs of boots valued $7000 total value $82,000, property of Ramchand.

There was no objection of bail by police prosecutor Rambajue (only name given).

They were granted bail at the sum of $150,000 each and the matter was adjourned to November 9, 2015 for the Charity Magistrate’s court.

Meanwhile, at Mexico’s National Institute for Statistics (INEGI), Guyana’s Prime Minister was informed of the successful execution of the Spatial Information System for the Caribbean cooperation project, as well as the delivery of state-of-the-art equipment to Guyana.

This newspaper further understands that new avenues of cooperation were offered, such as on-site shortterm training, visit(s) of experts to establish a survey on land use in Guyana, and the implementation of better information systems.

Also, a commitment was made to begin bilateral visits in the second quarter of 2016.

It was also mentioned that at the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation, AMEXCID, Prime Minister Nagamootoo received information about the results of ongoing projects regarding genetic enhancement of the coconut plant and digitalization of the Archives.

A shared goal was set to expand technical cooperation and make inroads in infrastructure construction. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)

Kaituma murder suspect

T

he Guyana Police Force on Friday issued a wanted bulletin for Gregory Emerson Hercules for questioning in relation to the murder of Arlene Morgou who was killed between October 23 and 24 at One and a half Miles, Port Kaituma, North West District (NWD).

The 29-year-old suspect’s last known address was given as One and a half Miles.

Port Kaituma, NWD. Morgou, a 28-year-old mother of five was beaten to death on Friday last, allegedly by the suspect with whom she shared a six-year relationship.

It was reported that on the night of the incident, the suspect who works at Eight Miles Backdam was told that the woman was having an affair with another man.

This prompted him to travel out of the Backdam, and in the process of doing so; he saw the woman consuming alcohol with neighbours while the children were left at home.

In anger, he reportedly collected a cutlass and a piece of wood and allegedly dealt the mother of his children several blows to the

Wanted: Gregory Emerson Hercules

body. Morgou in an unconscious state was dragged from the neighbours’s home to her home where she was left to die.

The suspect subsequently went into hiding. Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Gregory Emerson Hercules is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 226-1333, 225-2722, 2269941, 777-4007, 911 or the nearest Police station.

All information will be treated with strict confidence.

12 news

saturday, october 31, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

EU hosts Human Rights Film Festival – urges Guyana to abolish death penalty; decriminalise same sex intimacy

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uring an inaugural ceremony on Thursday evening of the European Union Delegation’s Human Rights Film Festival, which began on Friday, the European Union (EU) Ambassador Jernej Videtic urged the Government of Guyana to abolish the country’s death penalty and to revisit the Lesbians Gays, Bisexual and Transgendered laws, among others.

Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Videtic stated that the European Union has made human rights the silver thread that runs through its foreign policy, assisting democratic transitions around the globe and helping minorities, social groups and NGOs to voice their concerns. “We have been working with the Government and civil society in Guyana on a range of issues, and on this note, I would encourage the Government of Guyana to abolish the death penalty, to decriminalise same sex intimacy, and to strengthen their efforts to combat domestic abuse and trafficking in persons” the Ambassador stated.

He shared that on

Ambassador Jernej Videtic

ity of them are fleeing from war in Syria, the terror of the Islamic State in Libya or dictatorship in Eritrea.

Many of the men, women and children trying to escape danger have unfortunately lost their lives in the Mediterranean due to their exploitation by people traffickers who pack them onto unsafe vessels,” Videtic explained.

He stated that the most immediate objective of the EU’s policy on migration

Camp4Change, Help and Shelter and the Justice Institute; all of which had an opportunity to highlight the work they do to promote human rights of all in Guyana.

The EU Ambassador shared that the EU has for many years provided support to these organisations, and added that those who care about human rights in Guyana “should be thankful and proud of them for the important work they

A section of the gathering at the inaugural ceremony on Thursday evening

November 23 and 24 this year, the EU will be organising a Caribbean Regional Conference on the Abolition of the Death Penalty, which will take place in Georgetown. It will bring experts and media from the Caribbean and Europe to discuss the abolition of the death penalty and raise awareness of this important issue throughout the whole Region.

The Ambassador added that Europe of course also has its own human rights issues to deal with, and one of the main ones at the moment is the issue of migration. “As you all know, Europe is in the midst of a refugee crisis – since the beginning of the year, nearly 500,000 people have made their way to Europe. The vast major-

is to save lives and prevent the exploitation of innocent people, for which sake they have redoubled their efforts to tackle smugglers and dismantle human trafficker groups and triple their presence at sea. “Over 122,000 lives have been saved over the last few months. The EU is committed to dealing with this crisis in a manner that is fully in accordance with international law and respect for human rights” he added.

At the event, a number of local civil society organisations which are active in the promotion of human rights in Guyana gave presentations on their work. These organisations included ChildLink, the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD),

do”.

The films, which were provided by a number of European Union countries, each address several key human rights issues such as migration, the death penalty, and the rule of law.

It must be noted also that the Ambassador also paid tribute on behalf of all who work at the EU Delegation at the passing of Zenita Nicholson.

“Having recently arrived in Guyana, I never met Zenita myself; however, my colleagues informed me that she was very highly thought of, both as a person and due to her outstanding work on behalf of equal rights for all. Our deepest sympathy to all her family, friends and colleagues,” the Ambassador said.

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saturday, october 31, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Prepare for lucrative Former Prison Officer beaten in Reliance lock-ups oil, gas – Trotman A tells stakeholders

Minister of Governance and Patrimony Raphael Trotman

M

inister of Governance and Patrimony Raphael Trotman on Friday said Guyana’s prospects in the oil and gas sector is encouraging and all should be prepared for the transformative effects it will have.

Trotman was addressing a host of technicians, experts, environmental organisations and other stakeholders at the first oil and gas seminar under the new government at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Georgetown.

The seminar comes months after US oil and gas exploration giant Exxon Mobil reported its discovery of oil in the Stabroek Off shore block, a find that was said is enough to put Guyana on the road to economic recovery.

Trotman told the gathering Guyana remains proactive in its approach to this emerging sector to ensure all mechanisms necessary for the effective management and the best outcomes for its people are in place even before the first barrel of oil is brought to the surface.

“Oil is coming; we must prepare and become adept of what is going to be bequeathed and placed into our hands. We must make the necessary efforts to ensure that in decades to come we have something to show for our sustainable utilization of our natural resources”, the Minister told the gathering.

According to him, government has demonstrated its willingness to take advice and support by embracing not only United Nations Development Programme, but also the Commonwealth Secretariat with its support in the development of the Draft National Upstream Oil and Gas Policy; the Canadian Government’s offer of the depth of resources available in the University of Calgary to guide the development of a Sovereign Wealth Fund; and the United States Government’s support through the Energy Governance and Capacity Initiative (EGCI).

“We are serious about utilizing our national patrimony in the best interest of the people of Guyana and this is demonstrated in steps being taken to strengthen our policy frameworks within the natural resources sector and our plans to set aside a meaningful percentage of everything earned from gold, diamond, forest, bauxite, water and oil for future generations”, he said.

According to him, the development of the oil and gas sector is notorious for the risks and threats it poses to economic, social and political stability, and the environment.

According to him, the policies and regulations that are being sought will provide clear standards and expectations for actions to be taken by those subject to regulation as well as the regulator.

“This robust regulatory framework must be supported by a well-thoughtout and open enforcement scheme in which regulation is applied consistently according to the criteria of a defined framework; all are intended to ensure a transparent regulatory system of the sector”, he said, continuing that the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is one international mechanism that seeks to ensure transparency in the management of extractive industries and is currently at the top of governmental agenda to be pursued.

A focal point and group of stakeholders have already started to be engaged to take Guyana’s efforts forward in this regard. Another is the Open Government Partnership (OGP) that promotes similar ideals of transparency, and the sharing of information, he explained.

He said government has resolved against all opposition, whether foreign or otherwise: “We regard our responsibility as a sacred one entrusted into our hands to act as guardian and stewards over the affairs of state and the national patrimony of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

“Today, tomorrow and forever, the people of Guyana want freedom – freedom from fear, freedom from oppression, freedom to utilize the resources and freedom to live peaceably with each other and our neighbours. We have earned that right to be free – give us our freedom.

“We promise to be responsible, to be open, and to share information as we start Guyana on this odyssey of extracting, regulating, sharing and preserving the resources of this beautiful and green land of Guyana.”

former Prison Officer who was attached to the New Amsterdam Prisons is alleging he was beaten by a prisoner while in the Reliance Police Station lock-ups. He is also alleging that a police officer witnessed the beating, and also joined in.

Danny Sankar, 26, who was employed by the Guyana Prison Service between 2008 and 2009 was taken into police custody on Monday, October 26, as police were investigating an armed robbery.

Sankar a taxi driver told this publication that when he was at the Reliance Police Station, East Canje, Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) someone went there to take meals for a prisoner who is known to him and with whom he has an old grievance.

Sankar said the grievance stemmed from when he was employed as a Prison Officer.

According to him this was reported to a senior Detective (CID) who instructed that Sankar not be placed in the same cell with the other pris-

Danny Sankar

oner (name given).

“They put me in the back cell Monday night and Tuesday morning when the officer come and he calling out the prisoners names, is then he know (name given) that I in the back cell and he tell the officer that he want him to open cell so he could clean it out. He say he got someone to look after in the back cell.”

Sankar noted that the cell with the other prisoner

was opened as requested and the back cell in which he was in was also opened. “There were eight of us in the back cell and six of them come out and when I go to come out (name given) push me and I fall down, an the office stand up right by the door watching everything.”

According to Sankar he was also assaulted by the officer and then stamped repeatedly by the prisoner.

He said when they were put back into their respective cells he requested medical attention as he was vomiting blood.

The incident took place at about 07:00h on Tuesday.

At 09:00h another officer arrived and Sankar made another plea for attention.

According to Sankar on Wednesday afternoon when the Station Sergeant arrived, he made a complaint and was promised to be taken to hospital. “Is not till about 8 O’clock (20:00h) in the night when my mother hear what happen and go the station an start to make noise that they take me to the hospital to get a medical.”

Sankar said he was later released from prison and told he will be able to take his story to the Commander after giving a statement: “The officer who taking the statement told us that she can’t put certain things that we say in the statement because she ent business bout that.” Sankar said this was in relation to the use of marijuana and cellular phones in the prison.

He added that they were advised to wait at the Reliance Police Station on Thursday for further instructions. “Me an another boy who was in the lockups with me, waiting whole morning and then we decide to leave the station at go to Central in New Amsterdam to see the Commander. When I reach we see the three officers at the Commander office. They did not tell us that the Commander want to see all of us.”

The Office of Professional Responsibility took statements from several persons who were in the Reliance lock-ups at the time and has started an investigation.

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saturday, october 31, 2015

Regional

26 successfully complete SASOD Public Policy Advocacy Training

T

he Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) on Friday hosted the closing ceremony for their Guyanese Vulnerable Communities Capacities Strengthening Project; Civil Society Public Policy Advocacy Training, of which 26 participants successfully completed their training and were awarded certificates.

The project which was funded by the Delegation of the European Union to Guyana was aimed at building civil society capacity to better engage policymakers at all levels of Government.

The participants each endured six days of training and were introduced to the strategic enquiry process, which SASOD head, Joel Simpson stated is needed if they wished to become public policy advocates.

The participants were also charged with completing an assignment covering whatever public issue they were interested in for public policy advocacy and implement what they had learned from the strategic enquiry process.

In his feature address to the participants, EU Ambassador Jernej Videtic shared that this training

programme formed an integral part of the European Union funded Guyanese Vulnerable Communities Capacities Strengthening Project which is being executed by SASOD. The European Union is proud to provide financial assistance to SASOD in order to strengthen the public policy advocacy skills of the directors and members of different Non-Governmental Organisations.

He congratulated Joel Simpson and the entire SASOD team for the important initiative and congratulated the different partici-

Dharmic Sabha express sympathy on passing of Swami Vidyanandaji

pants on their efforts made during this training which will be of important use in their future work.

The protection of vulnerable groups in society is high on the human rights agenda of the European Union, and cannot be reached without the efforts made by NGOs. He added that advocacy is an important element in this process and must be exercised with the intention of building strong relationships with different key players in order to positively influence decision-making and strengthen democracy.

Construction worker charged with chopping and stabbing wife C

Swami Vidyanandaji Maharaj and former President Bharrat Jagdeo during a celebration at the Cove and John Ashram

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construction worker was on Friday brought before Magistrate Fabayo Azore in Court Five of the Georgetown Magsitrates’ Courts to answer to a charge which alleged that he attacked his reputed wife with a cutlass.

Forty-eight-year-old Andre Robertson of Roxanne Burnham Gardens was not required to plead to the indictable charge which read that on Friday, October 23,

at his Roxanne Burnham Gardens residence, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded the Virtual Complainant (VC) Denice Fredricks with the intent to maim, disfigure or cause grievous bodily harm. The Administration of Justice Act was applied and the accused denied the allegation.

According to the facts presented by Police Prosecutor, Corporal Simone Payne, the accused and the VC are reputed husband and wife who

have one child together. The prosecution’s facts stated that on the day in question, an altercation occurred between the two over a pair of slippers. Subsequent to the argument, while the VC was getting dressed for work, the accused attacked her with a cutlass and dealt her a chop to her arm and a stab to her abdomen. The accused reportedly injured himself during the incident as well.

The VC argued with the prosecution’s facts differ

greatly from what she alleged in her statement. She claimed that it appears that the statements have been tampered with and requested that this be investigated. The Prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the offence; adding that the two live together and the accused may interfere with the VC. The Magistrate remanded the man to prison and transferred the matter to Court One for November 5.

LBI man found not guilty of Magistrate reprimands Survival Supermarket robbery taxi driver for

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hirty-eight-year-old Milton Eastman of Lot 12 Kersaint Park, La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara, was on Friday found not guilty of a break and enter charge which alleged that he broke into the Survival Supermarket.

The charge read that between January 27 and January 28 at Georgetown, being in the company of others, he broke and entered Survival Supermarket and stole 37 .32 live rounds of ammunition along with 2 .32 magazines which totalled $25,000 and $6 million cash which belonged to Parsram Arjune.

According to the facts that were presented by the Police, on January 27 at around 23:30h, Arjune secured his business and went home.

The property is protected by a 24-hour security firm. On January 28, at around 03:15h, a security guard heard a strange noise. Upon checking, he saw three persons in the building.

The security guard contacted the Police, as well as the owner of the business.

The three men after being confronted by the Police discharged an alleged firearm with the intention of escaping. However, one of the three men was apprended by security. The court heard that $2

million was recovered by the Police and it was lodged at the station.

In delivering her ruling, the Magistrate stated that the Prosecution had called several witnesses to the stand with the key witness being Michael Singh. Singh’s testimony stated that on the day in question at around 05:30h, he saw two individuals with large, bulky bags laying flat on the terrace of the second floor of the supermarket.

He claimed that when he approached, the two men attempted to escape and discharged several rounds at him, and he returned fire. He testified that he saw the perpetrators clearly, and he managed to capture one of them – the defendant.

Magistrate Fabayo Azore, who presided over the case, posited that she had considered the witness’s statements and found the evidence lacking as the witness has said that the area was dark, and he was unable to say how he saw the men’s faces clearly.

She stated that his testimony conflicted with that of another witness and those circumstances did not satisfy her beyond a reasonable doubt. As such, she found the defendant not guilty and dismissed the case.

defrauding Nigerian ... sentenced to pay fine

M

agistrate Fabayo Azore on Friday referred to a taxi driver’s offence as “despicable” after she found him guilty of fraudulently obtaining money from a Nigerian. The case was heard in Court Five of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Forty-one-year-old Claude Peters was found guilty of the charge which read that he obtained a sum of $100,000 from a Nigerian national by falsely pretending to be in a position to obtain a car engine for him.

The Nigerian had reportedly hired the defendant to take him to Robb Street; however, the defendant took him to the bank and convinced him to give him the sum of cash in exchange for the engine. However, after receiving the cash, the defendant failed to procure and deliver the engine.

According to Magistrate Azore, in reviewing the evidence and testimonies presented, she took diligent notice of the fact that the

defendant continuously stated that there is no proof such as a receipt that the Complainant ever gave him the money. She stated that the defendant continuously said that he was knowledgeable that the Complainant is a foreign national who does not speak or understand English well. She stated that the decision was one based on credibility, and the Prosecution had proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt. She told him that it was a despicable act to take advantage of a foreign national who does not speak English.

Magistrate Azore informed the defendant, who is a father of one, that she had found him guilty and that the offence carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. However, she stated that given the circumstances she would sentence him to pay a fine of $100,000. He was given one week to pay the fine or an alternative of 12 months in prison.

ondolences continue to pour over the passing of Swami Vidyanandaji Maharaj, 79, with the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha extending sympathy.

In a statement on Friday, the Sabha expressed heartfelt condolences to executives, members and devotees of the Cove and John Ashram and the America Sevashram Sangha on the loss of Swami Vidyanandaji, a Spiritual Leader and Director.

“Swamiji distinguished himself as an educator and spiritual mentor to many persons and served selflessly in Guyana and the Diaspora. He advocated, through the Ashram and the Cove and John School, for educational, cultural and spiritual growth and development,” the Sabha said.

The religious body further noted that his loss will be felt deeply by the Hindu community but there is no doubt that his teachings will live on through those he in-

spired and taught.

The Spiritual Leader died in his sleep on Wednesday at the Long Shore Hospital in New York.

Swami Vidyanandaji was a famous historian, theologian and strong believer in his spirituality. He fashioned his lifestyle after Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj who came to Guyana from India decades ago.

Swami Vidyanandaji, who was born on July 3, 1936, returned to the West Indies in 1976 as Guyana’s first ordained Hindu monk of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha.

Back in April, the Guyana Sevashram Sangha hosted a day of honour, tradition and literature at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara where the book “Journey of the Guru” by Richard B Mahase was launched.

The book, which honours the memory of the founder of the Sangha – Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj, is written from the perspective of Swami Vidyanandaji.

Labourer remanded for stealing from Massy Industries

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labourer was on Friday remanded to prison after he appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore in Court Five of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with larceny.

Forty-three-year-old Jose Hamilton of M41 North Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was not required to plead to the indictable charge which read that on Tuesday, October 27, at Kitty, Georgetown he stole one Lenovo tablet valued at $91,600 and one Datamax printer valued at

$215,000, all to a total value of $306,287; the property of Massy Industries.

The Administration of Justice Act was applied and the accused subsequently denied the charge.

Police Prosecutor, Corporal Simone Payne made no objections to bail, adding that the investigation is still incomplete.

The Magistrate granted bail in the sum of $75,000 and transferred the matter to Court One where it will come up before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on November 5.

saturday, october 31, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the world

India pledges US$600M to help Africa

US to send dozens of Special Forces to Syria as first boots on ground

U The meeting is being seen as an attempt by India to improve its ties to Africa

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ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced US$600 million (£393 million) in assistance for development projects in Africa at a major summit in Delhi.

More than 50 African leaders are attending the India-Africa Forum Summit, unprecedented in scale, in the Indian capital. Although India’s trade with Africa has more than doubled to US$72

billion since 2007, it is still comparatively small.

The meeting is being seen as an attempt by India to improve ties with Africa. A record number of African leaders, including South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, President Sisi of Egypt and Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir are attending the summit – part of India’s big push to increase its presence in Africa.

Reports say the summit represents the highest number of foreign dignitaries to descend on India since 1983 and is thought to be the biggest ever overseas gathering of African leaders.

Welcoming them, Modi described India and Africa as the “two bright spots of hope in the global economy”. “The hearts of 1.25 billion Indians and 1.25 billion Africans are in rhythm. We

are united by youth – two thirds of India and Africa are below 35. And, if the future belongs to the youth, then this century is ours to shape and build,” Modi said.

The BBC’s Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says India is using its historic ties with the continent, where a large number of Indians migrated during colonial times, to strengthen its economic links. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

Jamaica attracts US$350M free zone investment

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amaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) has facilitated investment totalling over US$350 million for a free zone to be opened in Spanish Town, St Catherine, with provision of some 2500 jobs.

The companies operating in the zone will also provide 300 engineering scholarships to Jamaican students.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, to announce the Spanish Town Free Zone, president of JAMPRO, Diane Edwards, said the facility is being set up under the Jamaica Logistics Hub Initiative, to leverage Jamaica’s connectivity to manufacture products for regional markets.

She told her audience, which included international investors, that the investment will have a tremendous impact on St Catherine and the wider Jamaican economy, noting that her agency will continue to work with

15

S officials disclosed plans on Friday to station the first American boots on the ground in Syria in the war against Islamic State fighters, saying dozens of Special Forces troops would be sent as advisers to groups fighting against the jihadists.

The announcement of the small ground force came as diplomats from more than a dozen countries held talks over Syria, which for the first time in the more than four-year-old civil war were attended by President Bashar al-Assad’s ally Iran.

In a rare hint of diplomatic progress, Tehran signalled it would back a sixmonth political “transition” period in Syria followed by elections to decide Assad’s fate, although his foes rejected the proposal as a trick to

keep the president in power.

The Vienna talks ended without a specific conclusion apart from an agreement to reconvene in some form next week, delegates said. In addition to Assad’s fate, key sticking points have long included the question of which rebel groups should be considered terrorists and who should be involved in the political process.

In Washington, US officials said the small Special Forces contingent in Syria would work with local “moderate rebel” groups to fight against Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. Washington has targeted the group with air strikes for more than a year since fighters seized swathes of eastern Syria and northern Iraq and proclaimed a caliphate to rule over all Muslims.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Trinidad and Tobago formally withdraws Commonwealth nominee President of Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Diane Edwards (2nd left); Chairman of Jamaica Logistics Hub Taskforce, Dr Eric Deans; Executive Director for Masada Jamaica, Dr Robert Melamede; Director of Gulfray Americas Manufacturing, Jacob Shnurman; and Executive Director of the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI), Dr Fritz Pinnock

the investors to complete the first phase of the project, slated for June 2016.

“The Logistics Centre being built in Spanish Town is expected to make a significant contribution to the community, and Jamaica as a whole,” she said, adding

that the greater effect is the inspiration and hope it will bring to young Jamaicans – those who seek employment, financial independence and economic prosperity.

The operation, which will be delivering scores of high paying jobs, is

a joint venture involving Gulfray Americas and China National Automotive Industry International Corporation (CNAICO).

It will be administered by Masada Jamaica Limited.

(Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

UN says climate curbs will slow, but not reverse, temperature rise I

(L-R) Sir Ronald Sanders, Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley

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lans by 146 countries to curb greenhouse gas emissions will slow climate change this century and keep alive a goal of limiting a rise in temperatures to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), the United Nations said on Friday.

But even if these 10 to 15year plans are fulfilled, humanity will have used up threequarters of its carbon “budget” by 2030 and must slash green-

house gas output even more to avoid devastating climate impacts, the UN’s Climate Change Secretariat warned.

“An unprecedented world-wide effort is underway to combat climate change, building confidence that nations can cost-effectively meet their stated objective of keeping a global temperature rise to under two degrees Celcius,” it said in an assessment of the

country pledges.

At the same time, “much greater emissions reductions efforts... will be required” to meet the target endorsed by the UN 195-nation climate body, it said.

“The longer we wait, the harder and more expensive it will become to cut back the fossil fuel emissions that drive climate change.” The Secretariat’s 66-page review comes exactly one month

before the Paris summit tasked with finalising a historic global pact.

As they stand, the pledges place the world on track for warming of some 2.7 degrees Celsius by 2100 – “by no means enough, but a lot lower than the estimated four, five or more degrees of warming” that would have otherwise taken place, said UN climate chief Christiana Figueres. (Excerpt from France24)

n a statement on Thursday, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Rowley, announced the formal withdrawal of Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie as the country’s nominee for the office of Commonwealth Secretary General.

Rowley said that the Secretary General of the Commonwealth has been advised by letter, through the appropriate diplomatic channels, that Trinidad and Tobago has exercised its discretion to formally withdraw its nominee.

He said that his Government will give its full support to Sir Ronald Sanders, the candidate put forward by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and urged other Commonwealth Caribbean Governments to do likewise.

“We believe [Sanders] is

best placed to execute the responsibilities of the office of Secretary General in a manner that would be a tribute to the peoples of the Caribbean Community,” Rowley said.

“It is our hope that others in our region will in the limited time left, make common cause by unifying our region around Sir Ronald’s candidature,” he added.

Rowley noted that, over recent months, several reports have appeared in the media regarding the fact that Commonwealth Caribbean governments have not been able to reach a consensus on a single candidate to stand for election as the new secretary general of the Commonwealth when Commonwealth heads of government meet in Malta from November 27-29, 2015.

(Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

16 news First Lady wraps up second entrepreneurial workshop saturday, october 31, 2015| guyanatimesGY.com

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group of women from communities in Region Ten on Friday wrapped up a four-day “Self Reliance and Success in Business” workshop rolled out under the auspices of the Office

of the First Lady Sandra Granger.

The First Lady present at the launch last week in Linden, on Friday returned to the mining town at the Blueberry Hill Secondary School where the clos-

ing ceremony was held. In her remarks to the participants she lauded them for staying the course as she committed to offering further assistance in an effort to help them realise their true business potential.

First Lady Sandra Granger with participants of the “Self Reliance and Success in Business” workshop which ended on Friday, at Blueberry Hill, Wismar, Linden

“We hope to see you as success stories and hope you can help and guide others, and in that way help to give back to your communities,” the First Lady told participants.

The First Lady was very encouraged by the commitment and keen interest shown by participants in the workshop. She said she is pleased they have chosen to clean their surroundings as their community project. The participants were also urged to become active players in their respective villages and to work along with the regional and local authorities in an effort to build and strengthen their communities.

Meanwhile one participant Montayne Solomon lauded the initiatives, stat-

ing that the community has been starved of such programmes. “This is platform to extend our knowledge and to go forward in our business ventures, and your initiative was well received,” Solomon told the First Lady.

The workshop, opened on October 20, was facilitated by Wayne Barrow of Interweave Solutions, which is a non-governmental organisation that helps local organisations and congregations to develop and create self-reliance by providing them with the necessary training to implement and promote their own business plans.

The aim of these workshops is to empower women and teach them to manage and sustain their small

entrepreneurial ventures.

Over the coming days the participants will be guided through a model that focuses on three key life areas: business, home and community.

As outlined by the facilitator, when the strengths of these three spheres come together, every circle is made stronger through education, and this will enable people to achieve the social and economic self-reliance essential to growth and development. The first workshop was held at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara with a total of fifteen persons. A graduation ceremony will be held next week at State House for all successful participants.

GWI set to increase pumping hours

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ew Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) Dr Richard Van West-Charles says disparity in pumping hours and correcting leaks are among priorities, as the utility streamlines new strategies for boosting water supply across the country.

In terms of increasing access, the Government Information Agency (GINA) has reported that Dr Van West-Charles said focus will be on improving infrastructure, responding to the need and growth of the population. He explained also that with regards to pressure, the goal is to ensure the supply is improved so that it is able to go up to homes about 15 to 20 feet.

The CEO said too, that in looking at access, precedence will be placed on schools, health facilities and eating establishments.

He said there will also be focus on countrywide disparity in terms of pumping hours, with specific emphasis on increasing pumping capacity of communities

Dr Richard Van West-Charles

such as Agricola, which at present has access to only nine hours of water a day.

He explained that solving this problem is critical, as the countrywide disparity in itself also contributes to problems with the water utility’s equipment. It also affects the pressure in the system, and it gives a false impression in terms of the demands of the country, he noted.

“We need to be very clear what the demand base of the population is, and what is the present state of our capacity, with regard to that demand, so

we are going to increase the pumping hours across the country,” he said.

In increasing the pumping hours, GWI will also be looking at the overhead tanks in communities, “to see how they can be integrated in terms of the further supply of water to the different communities,” Dr Van WestCharles said. Efforts in this regard have already begun, and currently, a team from the utility is in La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara.

As part of increasing access, GWI is also set to form a close partnership with communities, and in so doing, have residents monitor leaks. This is part of an effort to aggressively push the utility’s Leak Detection and Correction drive, the CEO said.

He noted that leak correction is essential, because if there are leaks, they affect the areas in the system as a whole, explaining that not only is the pressure compromised, but there is the opportunity for the system to become contaminated.

17 Suspect in Plaisance murder captured D news

saturday, october 31, 2015 | guyanatimesGY.com

Slain NYPD Officer to be laid to rest today Akeem Greene

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uyana-born New York Police Officer Randolph Holder will be laid to rest today at the Le Repentir Cemetery, following a funeral service at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, more commonly referred to as the Brickdam Cathedral.

Holder’s body arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Thursday evening to a solemn atmosphere. Holder, who was a third generation Police Officer, was killed in the line of duty in New York on October 20, while pursuing a criminal. The arrival of Holder’s body saw scores of Guyanese and local and international media officials in attendance, with the ceremony empathising the feeling of many.

The casket was wrapped in a white, green and navy blue with stars in ceremonial fashion and was carried to a

Guyana-born NYPD Officer Randolph Holder

waiting Merriman's Funeral Home hearse by neatly dressed NYPD officers in blue who slow marched in tandem. As the procession neared the hearse, some family members broke down in tears, and had to be consoled. Holder’s maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Lovell, who it is understood cared for him for over 19 years was inconsolable.

Guyana Times understands that it was Holder’s wish to be returned to Guyana in the advent of his death in the line of duty.

The procession saw both NYPD officers and local law enforcement officers engaged in the ceremonial tribute. The dead officer’s colleagues expressed sadness over his passing and described him as an outstanding Police Officer. Captain Rhonda O’Riley Bovell of the NYPD said “we are all hurt as a department; it is extremely emotional to lose a fellow colleague”. Sergeant Paul Adams also attached to the NYPD expressed words of support for the deceased officer’s family. Adams said “we are all here to give support to the family as officer Holder was an outstanding professional.”

Several dignitaries were present, in addition to A Division Commander Clifton Hicken and other military men and women.

Police nab suspect in Ghetto Flex Bar murder T

he Guyana Police Force on Friday nabbed one of their most elusive suspects who had been evading police for quite some time.

According to a police statement, the suspect was arrested in the heart of the city. He is wanted for the murder of Sanasie Lewis, 22, which occurred on September 04, at the Ghetto Flex Hangout Bar in Albouystown, Georgetown.

The suspect is also wanted for questioning in connection with a series of armed robberies and violent crimes. He is currently in custody assisting with investigations.

Reports revealed that Lewis of Vlissengen

Place, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was shot at least nine times by two men who appeared in front of the Ghetto Flex Bar, James and Albouys Streets, Albouystown.

According to information, Lewis was among a group of people at the Bar when a car drove up in front of the night spot. Two men exited and opened fire indiscriminately, injuring four men but Lewis was the lone fatality. Those injured were Jonathan De Freitas, 20, of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara; Kurt Francis, 16, of 32 Princes Street, Georgetown and Jamal Bascom, 23, of Independence Boulevard, Georgetown.

From all indications, Lewis was the target. The two gunmen then calmly walked back to the car and left the scene. The injured men were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where they were admitted.

However one day after the shooting, Keron Taylor, 24, of Charlestown turned himself in. He was said to be one of the persons who opened fire on the four men.

Taylor was remanded to prison by Magistrate Ann McLennan after he appeared before her slapped with the capital offence of murder.

He was charged back in 2012 for the August 18, 2012 shooting of Kevin Singh on Waterloo Street.

iligent investigative work by ranks of C Division (East Coast Demerara) has resulted in the arrest of a suspect in the murder of a Plaisance, Greater Georgetown, resident.

The suspect was arrested on Friday and is said to be the prime suspect in the August 05 murder of Yorrick (only name obtained), 23, of 78 Prince William Street, Plaisance.

According the police, legal advice has already been sought from Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) office. Charges are expected to be laid shortly.

Reports revealed that the suspect, who also lives in the area, was accused

of breaking into several homes just before the murder incident and on the day in question, he thought that a group of men were coming to get him. As such, he reportedly pulled out the firearm, pulled the trigger twice but it malfunctioned.

Yorrick and a group of his friends, who were hanging out together, retaliated and gave chase when the man spun around and discharged several rounds, hitting Yorrick to his abdomen before escaping. Yorrick succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital just after 22:00h on the fateful night.

On the other hand, law

enforcement officers in C Division have also reported that two other suspects, who were part of a threeman gang that robbed a Mahaica, ECD, family on Thursday evening were apprehended.

Gansham Jorie and two family members were at their Prospect, Mahaica, home when three men attacked and robbed them of a car, a quantity of cash, and jewellery. The victims positively identified the men during an identification parade on Friday.

Additionally, the vehicle along with part of the booty was also recovered during police investigations.

Charges are to be instituted shortly.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

saturday, october 31, 2015

ARCHIE

A physical challenge will help distract you from (March 21- troubling emotional issues.

April 19) Update your residence to increase your comfort and to put a positive spin on the way you think and feel.

ARIES

Give your spirit a lift by TAURUS spending time with close (April 20- friends or younger family May 20) members and it will counter any depression you’ve been feeling. Games or contests will provide a diversion.

dilbert

Don’t allow others to take GEMINI (May 21- credit for your hard work. An June 20) innovative idea regarding domestic improvements will be prosperous. Your unorthodox method of problem-solving will come in handy.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

A romantic relationship will need some tender, loving care. Compassion and patience will help to get through a temporary setback. Don’t let anyone meddle in your private affairs.

A practical fundraising LEO idea will bring you recogni(July 23tion. Involve yourself in comAug. 22) munity activities where you can highlight your novel concepts. An unexpected expense will catch you off guard.

Calvin and Hobbes

Putting in extra hours at VIRGO work will be a viable solution (Aug. 23to avoid a personal situation Sept. 22) at home. Your employer will appreciate the effort, and you can momentarily reduce your stress.

Changes you make today LIBRA (Sept. 23- will have a positive effect on Oct. 23) your future. Embrace an opportunity to travel and you will gain beneficial insight into other cultures and philosophies.

SUDOKU

Your patience and trustworSCORPIO thiness will help you take care (Oct. 24of problems concerning an elNov. 22) derly relative. A financial gain through loan repayment, found money or cutting corners will give you the means to travel.

A past business associate SAGITTARIUS will make you an attractive (Nov. 23offer. Updating your qualiDec. 21) fications and resume will allow you to take advantage of what’s being proposed.

Advancement is within reach.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

CAPRICORN Be honest when it comes (Dec. 22- to your expectations and inJan. 19) tentions. You will give the wrong impression if you just blindly follow the crowd. Be bold and let your voice be heard.

AQUARIUS Keep all matters up to date

(Jan. 20- with financial, medical or leFeb. 19) gal institutions. Penalties will be incurred if your personal documents are lacking information or have lapsed.

Careful investing will lead to PISCES (Feb. 20- financial gains. Your pleasant March 20) attitude will make you an interesting dinner partner or business associate, so accept any intriguing social invitations. A travel opportunity is apparent.

thursday, october 29, 2015

19

Jeffrey wins Tour of FIFA’s Blatter says attacks from sponsors Guyana third leg politically motivated – Ospina still yellow jersey holder

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fter three legs of the Tour of Guyana FiveStage cycling meet, it has been all about the men in the black and neon green uniform.

Team Coco’s riders have etched their names as winners of each of the three completed stages, and it appears only a pullout could halt the dominance of the strong nine-man team.

On Friday, it was local boy Raynauth Jeffrey’s turn to take centre stage, as he won the third leg to join his foreign teammates Carlos Ospina (Stage One) and Jaime Ramirez (Stage Two) as stage winners in 2015.

Competing in the Wales to Parika leg, the shortest

Raynauth Jeffrey

stage of the Tour of Guyana, covering just 35 miles, Jeffrey pipped Ospina in a sprint to the line to win in 57 minutes, 13 seconds (57m: 13s).

Raul Leal (Team Gillette Evolution) finished third, followed by Hamzah Eastman (Team

Coco’s), Alonzo Greaves (Team Mengoni), Marloe Rodman (Heatwave), Michael Anthony (Team Gillette Evolution), Darren Matthews (Team Coco’s), Marlon Williams (Team Gillette Evolution) and Mark Harris (Team Coco’s).

Meanwhile, Ospina is the overall leader heading into today’s penultimate stage, which will be contested from Supenaam to Suddie, covering a distance of 62 miles, starting at 07:30h.

The fifth and final stage on Sunday will commence in Linden at 08:30h and finish in Georgetown, also going for a distance of 62 miles.

WICB/GCB/Scotiabank Kiddy Progression One Cricket…

Hopetown Primary through to final

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ed by an unbeaten 78 from Kemol Mentore, Hopetown Primary booked a place in the final of the West Berbice District when play in the GCB/ Scotiabank Kiddy Progression One Cricket continued recently.

Hopetown Primary defeated Belladrum in the first semi-final by 25 runs. They batted first and amassed 1543 in their full complement of overs. Mentore’s innings was the cornerstone of the huge total set by Hopetown Primary, as he smashed eight fours and six sixes. Mackordell Walters contributed a blistering 30, which included five fours and one six.

In Belladrum’s reply, Coin Noble struck an unbeat-

Kemol Mentore

en 41 and Russel Wilson 32, but in the end the Hopetown Primary’s total proved to be

too much as they could only get to 129 before their overs expired.

Meanwhile, in a second round match of the New Amsterdam/Canje District, Rose Hall Primary defeated Sheet Anchor Primary by 55 runs. Rose Hall Primary posted a challenging 145-5 with Vivic Cyril scored an impressive, unbeaten 30.

Sheet Anchor Primary never really challenged the total as they reached 90-8 when their allocated 14 overs finished. Parsram Doobay and Farvesh Mohabir had figures of 2-9 and 2-6 respectively.

The second semi-final of the West Berbice District between Number Five Primary and Blairmont Primary was played on Friday.

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mbattled football boss Sepp Blatter has rejected complaints made by the sport’s biggest sponsors over a bribery and corruption scandal, saying they were politically motivated and made at the behest of the United States.

Blatter has been suspended from FIFA as part of the fall-out from a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into bribery, money-laundering and wire fraud at the sport’s governing body.

The 79-year-old had initially been set to remain in his post until next year, despite a string of arrests of top FIFA officials, until a group of major sponsors issued coordinated calls for him to go. Blatter was suspended a few days later.

“It is the American companies,” Blatter told the Financial Times in an interview in a reference to sponsors including Coca-Cola Co, McDonald’s, Visa, and Budweiser owner AnheuserBusch InBev. “The other companies haven’t said anything. So you are intelligent enough to make the connection with American companies and the American investigation.

I do not need to underline that.”

FIFA, which Blatter ran for 17 years, is engulfed in the biggest scandal of its history, with 14 football officials and sports marketing executives indicted by the United States.

Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini are both serving 90-day suspensions imposed by FIFA’s Ethics Committee, which

Sepp Blatter

is looking into a 2 million Swiss franc (1.32 million pound) payment Blatter made to Platini in 2011 - a case that is also part of a separate Swiss criminal investigation.

The interview with the FT is the second Blatter has given this week after he also spoke to Russian news agency TASS. In that interview Blatter revealed that he had planned for Russia and the United States to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

“The solution that has been agreed, not in writing, but it has been agreed [was], let’s go to the two superpowers in the vote for the World Cup: let’s go to Russia and let’s go to the United States,” he told the FT. Blatter said that decision had not been taken officially by FIFA’s full executive committee but was rather an agreement taken “behind the scenes”.

“It was diplomatically arranged,” he added.

The plan fell apart, according to Blatter, when Platini changed his mind

and backed Qatar for the 2022 World Cup under pressure from the then-French president, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Blatter said the problems at FIFA had all started with the vote to award the tournament to Qatar a small desert country with no real football tradition and where daytime temperatures can top 40 degrees Celsius (104F).

“If you see my face when I opened it (the envelope containing the winning bid), I was not the happiest man to say it is Qatar,” he said.

“Definitely not.”

Blatter repeated his contention that the U.S. multimillion-dollar investigation was a direct result of the United States missing out on the right to host the 2022 World Cup. “It took a political dimension,” Blatter said of the race to host the World Cup. “I am looking now to see what were the political reasons.

The easiest thing would be to say (they are) bad losers.”

(Reuters Sport)

Russia World Cup 2018 organisers - bid vote was not pre-decided

T

he Russian team that successfully bid to host the 2018 World Cup had no knowledge of who would win until the vote on choosing a host was publicly announced, the head of the Russian organising committee said on Friday.

The committee “only learnt about the decision of the FIFA Executive Committee when it was

made public on 2 December 2010 and was beforehand neither aware of or involved in discussions as mentioned in recent media reports,” committee chief executive Alexei Sorokin said in a statement released by the committee.

“With the bid as a whole, our country presented a compelling proposition that we believe was convincing and competi-

tive. We are sure Russia won the right to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup based on the excellence of its concept,” Sorokin said.

He said the bid was in full compliance with the code of ethics of FIFA, world football’s governing body, and with rules governing the bidding process.

The committee issued the remarks in response

to comments earlier this week by FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has been suspended for 90 days by FIFA’s Ethics Committee amid a corruption investigation.

Blatter told Russia’s TASS news agency about the bidding process: “It was agreed that we go to Russia (for 2018) ... and for 2022 we go back to America.” (Reuters Sport)

Head of the organising committee for the 2018 World Cup Alexei Sorokin

20

guyanatimesGY.com

saturday, october 31, 2015

Brathwaite to continue Final round of quarterfinals to begin today aggression Courts Pee Wee tournament…

A

ll-rounder Carlos Brathwaite says he will continue to back himself with his new aggressive approach, as he gears up for Sunday’s start of the three-match One-Day International series against Sri Lanka.

The 27-year-old blasted an astonishing 113 off 58 deliveries as West Indies beat Sri Lanka Cricket President’s XI by 43 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method, in a warm-up one-day game at the R Premadasa Stadium on Thursday.

He added an up tempo 193 for the eighth wicket with Andre Russell who smashed 89 from 54 balls, as they pulled West Indies out of trouble at 109 for seven in the 30th over.

“It obviously gives me a lot of confidence. I got a fifty in the preparation match for the Test game. I was a bit annoyed that I didn’t make a bigger score but thankfully today it came off,” Brathwaite said afterward.

“It’s just about me taking my same process and same method into the ODIs if selected. One thing myself and Russell spoke a lot about is that the way we play won’t always come off, sometimes you will get out and it will seem like a stupid shot, but we will have days when we can take attacks apart and do what we did today.”

The right-hander stroked ten fours and seven sixes – mostly clean shots back overhead – to reiterate the form he displayed in the three-day game at the start of the tour when he belted a top score of 54 from just 46 balls.

Russell chimed in on Thursday with six fours and sixes and Brathwaite said

Carlos Brathwaite

that when he came to the crease, his initial plan was just to sit back and allow his Jamaican partner to dominate the bowling.

“I decided to give him as much as the strike as possible and basically sit back and watch the ‘Andre Russell show’. But I started to hit a few in the middle of the bat and decided to take it from there,” he explained.

“Fortunately, as I got into my groove, everything just flowed and everything just came together as I would have wanted it. I couldn’t have imagined playing that knock when I went out to bat but it just happened and I give thanks to God for giving me the health and strength.

“I wasn’t feeling as well as I wanted to this morning and to be able to do that for the team and put them in a

good position – in a match winning position – thanks must go to the Father and to Russell for the partnership that we had.”

Brathwaite had said earlier in the series that he intended to bring a new dimension to his batting, which included imposing himself on bowlers from the start of his innings, and batting aggressively throughout.

And he reiterated that once selected for the upcoming series, he planned to carry the same mind-set into those games. “[Coach Roddy Estwick] always told me that tall guys are supposed to hit the ball straight and it is something that I didn’t really understand until I actually got it done successfully for a while,” he said in reference to his explosive straight hitting.

“It is just a matter of me continuing to practice that and make that my go-to shot, even if I’m in trouble, even if I’m not in form, I need to realise that’s the way I play and where I get most of my success.”

He added: “For me personally, it’s doing what I have been doing all the time.

I am not really a big fan of batting in the nets and facing the bowlers. However, there are times when you need try a couple things against the rhythm of the bowlers.

“It’s just about me continuing to do the things that have gotten me where I am right now and hopefully transitioning those methods into the game if selected.”

Brathwaite is yet to play a Test and has played only four ODIs and two T20Is for the Windies. (Windies Cricket)

By Treiston Joseph

W

ith each passing weekend, the Courts Pee Wee tournament continues to pick up steam as the competition gets closer to the final.

With the final set of quarterfinal games to be played today at the Banks DIH, Thirst Park ground, some of the top primary schools will be eager to lace their pegs and hits the ground running.

The big match-up of the day will definitely be defending champions, Stella Maris going up against the impressive Enterprise Primary squad.

Enterprise, known for their ability to score goals, will meet with a Stella Maris squad that is more defensive-minded.

The team that plays to their strengths and executes well will definitely stand a better chance of winning a game come down to the wire; but as the old saying goes ‘sometimes the best defence is a good offence’.

Some of the action during the earlier rounds of the tournament

Meanwhile, Winfer Garden will open the day’s proceedings against North Georgetown in a game that should go the way of North Georgetown due to their better offensive ability.

St Agnes Primary will do battle against St Ambrose in a game that should go the way of St Agnes. St Margaret’s will also do battle with West Ruimveldt Primary School.

FE Pollard Primary will meet St Stephens Primary, while Comenius Primary and Smith’s Memorial will square off against each other.

Tucville Primary will come up against St Angeles, while the final game of the day will feature St Pius and South Ruimveldt Primary School. (josepht@guyanatimesgy. com)

All-round Dottin hands Windies lead

D

eandra Dottin took centre stage for the first time on the tour as West Indies barely broke a sweat in disposing of Pakistan Women by eight wickets in the opening Twenty20 International of the three-match series here Thursday.

Opting to bowl first at the National Stadium, West Indies Women restricted the visitors to 74 for nine, with seamer Dottin taking two for ten from her two overs.

She then returned to stroke a fluent unbeaten 38 as the hosts cruised to their target with 22-balls remaining, to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

West Indies Women were slumping at 24 for two in the sixth over after losing openers Hayley Matthews (9) and Stafanie Taylor (8) cheaply but Dottin partnered with former skipper Merissa Aguilleira, 15 not out, in an unbroken 54-run third wicket stand, to pull the innings around.

The right-handed Dottin was the dominant partner, facing 39 deliveries and stroking three fours and a six while Aguilleira consumed 28 balls without striking a boundary.

For Dottin, the knock was her first one of prominence on tour after getting a string of low scores during the preceding fourmatch One-Day International series, and it earned her the Player-of-the-Match award.

Earlier, she took key wick-

ets and was supported by fast bowler Tremayne Smartt who finished with two for 13, as Pakistan Women never really got going. Aliya Riaz, batting at number seven, top-scored with 16 and was only one of only three players to reach double figures.

Pakistan were off to a horrid start when the usually prolific Javeria Khan was run out in the second over for one and wickets

continued to tumble to leave the visitors tottering on 24 for five in the ninth over.

West Indies Women were briefly held up by a 36-run, stand between Riaz and Nida Dar (13) but once the partnership was broken, the innings went into decline once again with Dottin helping to ensure a swift collapse. The second T20I is scheduled for Saturday at the same venue. (Windies Cricket)

SCOREBOARD Pakistan Women innings (20 overs maximum) Javeria Khan run out (Matthews/†Aguilleira) 1 Ayesha Zafar b Smartt 1 Iram Javed c Dottin b Connell 13 Bismah Maroof c Cooper b Smartt 5 Nain Abidi c †Aguilleira b King 1 Nida Dar run out (Dottin/†Aguilleira) 13 Aliya Riaz c King b Matthews 16 Asmavia Iqbal c & b Dottin 4 Sana Mir* c †Aguilleira b Dottin 9 Rabiya Shah† not out 1 Extras (b 1, lb 1, w 7, nb 1) 10 Total (9 wickets; 20 overs) 74 Did not bat: Anam Amin Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-8, 3-22, 4-24, 5-24, 6-60, 7-61, 8-67, 9-74 Bowling: TD Smartt 4-0-132, S Connell 4-1-10-1, SACA

King 1-0-7-1, DJS Dottin 2-010-2, ASS Fletcher 3-0-170, A Mohammed 4-0-100, HK Matthews 2-0-5-1.

West Indies Women innings (target: 75 runs from 20 overs) HK Matthews c Nida Dar b Aliya Riaz 9 SR Taylor* c Iram Javed b Anam Amin 8 DJS Dottin not out 38 MR Aguilleira† not out 15 Extras (lb 1, w 7) 8 Total (2 wickets; 16.2 overs) 78 Did not bat: Kyshona A Knight, B Cooper, ASS Fletcher, A Mohammed, TD Smartt, SS Connell, SACA King Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-24 Bowling: Asmavia Iqbal 1-07-0, Anam Amin 4-0-12-1, Aliya Riaz 3.2-0-21-1, Sana Mir 4-0-17-0, Iram Javed 1-05-0, Bismah Maroof 1-07-0, Nida Dar 2-0-8-0.

Singh and Arinda ensure...

Soesdyke Secondary reply got off to a flying start as they posted 110 for the first wicket in just 12 overs, with openers Noel Bradford and Ronaldo Blair scoring 23 respectively.

However, Alex Arinda was introduced into the attack in the 14th over and began spinning webs around the Soesdyke Secondary batsmen. The off spinner took the next five wickets to fall as they eventually crumbled for 190 in 22 overs.

Arinda finished with match figures of 5-49. He was supported

by Sachin Lim, who took 3-44.

Meanwhile, In the West Berbice District, No 8 Secondary was also victorious over Ash Secondary at the De Edward Ground.

No 8 Secondary won the toss and decided to bat first.

They scored a huge total of 3039 from their allotted 30 overs.

Dishan Phillips top-scored with 53, which included nine fours and two sixes, while lower order batsman Chitram France contributed a valuable 40, which included 6 fours and a six. Bowling for Ash Secondary Jamal Hemerding grabbed

from page 22

3-25.

Ash Secondary in reply found the task impossible, and never looked capable of pulling off a victory. They tried to smash the ball to gather quick runs, but were bundled out for just 64, giving No 8 Secondary a 239-runs victory.

Just Trevitte Charmichael and Charles Scott were able to reach double figures, scoring 13 each. Bowling for No 8 Secondary, Dishan Phillips took 6-34 and Nigel Deodat 3-13.

Play in the league continued on Friday with three games.

sports

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Is day-night test cricket really the boost cricket needs?

Asks Akeem Greene

A

s the game of cricket evolves on all fronts, the day and night version of Test cricket has now arrived.

The inaugural, experimental day-night Test will be played at Adelaide Oval, South Australia, with a pink Kookaburra ball in the third match of the series between Australia and New Zealand, between November 27 and December 1.

Undoubtedly, the ultimate aim is to regenerate the support for the game in countries where it is certainly waning.

There are 10 Test playing countries but only countries such as England, Australia, India, and South Africa draw large crowds during high profile series.

Turnout for Test cricket in comparison to the shorter formats is abysmal; however, there are justifiable reasons.

The invent of the 20-over format, which lasts just about three hours, is more alluring to the younger cricketing populace and the new ODI rules makes the 50 overs format more interesting. It can be easily deduced that to a large extent, many person prefer to see the “big hitting” by batsman in a dashing innings. The reality at hand is that Test cricket lasts five days and could be very dreary to watch. However, this version of the game embodies what cricket is all about, as it actually gives players a thorough examination of their skills.

It can be argued that any batsman can bat for half an hour and hit the ball to all parts of the ground but to apply the mental and technical exploits needed to bat for sometimes two days is a totally different requirement.

The fans are asking for more excitement and the International Cricket Council (ICC) is in a race to not only keep the five-day version of the game alive and raise funds at the same time, but have now arrived with the concept of a day and night version to the game.

Former Australian Test Captain Steve Waugh is of the view that “cricketers need to look at the bigger picture when it comes to day-night Test cricket, believing the format could be the saving grace of the longer form of the game worldwide”.

After a day-night tour game between the touring New Zealand Side and Cricket Australia XI, Australian Player Adam Voges expressed his view on the ball, stating that “the pink balls used at Manuka Oval “got pretty chewed” once the exterior lacquer coating was worn off… There wasn’t much pink left on it at the end of the game… To be honest it didn’t hold up very well at all tonight.”

The major issue with the day and night game is the condition of the ball and if it can last 90 overs. If the game is played on more abrasive surfaces in places such as the West Indies, the colour of the ball could be lost which now makes

visibility of the ball difficult for batsmen. The red ball on some occasions has issues standing up to the rigorous nature of test cricket, so the advent of a different ball will be certainly testing.

Australian quick Mitchell Starc has opinioned that “It’s definitely not a red ball,” Starc said.

“It doesn’t react anything like the red ball, in terms of swing and the hardness of it anyway. It goes soft pretty quickly, I didn’t see a huge amount of reverse swing in that game and I don’t think it swung from memory too much until the artificial light took over. It definitely reacts very, very differently to the red ball.”

The impact of this venture remains unknown but the thrust and the ratio behind the implementation of this new version may be successful.

The assumption can be made that success will occur in areas where the game is currently enjoying rich success.

Series such as the Ashes or if India tours to one of the top test playing nations are always well supported but it is when the minnows take the field that the interest dies and powers that control the game are hoping this could revive interest among supporters for the game.

One would hope that venture can be sustained and the game begins the enormous benefits that can be derived. (akeemg@ guyanatimesgy.com)

Fireworks expected as tournament moves to Ruby ground this weekend

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T

he Ruby ground will be buzzing with excitement in the form of music, fun and games as the Mobile Wizard 10/10 softball cricket tournament, organised by the Guyana Softball League in collaboration with West Demerara Softball League continues on Sunday.

The tournament is being sponsored by Mobile Wizards of Parika, East Bank Essequibo; Trophy Stall; Wolf’s Furniture Store; and V&P Supermarket of Leonora, West Coast Demerara.

The day promises to be another exciting day as teams’ battle it out to go on top and to start on a winning note.

The matches to be played are: Omesh XI versus Linden XI – Omesh XI is an experienced team that has been around the circuit and has always equipped themselves well. Omesh Parboo and Vickram Kissoon have been the all-rounders to carry the team so far and will be looked upon to play their roles again if they are to come out on top against this strong combined team. The experienced Aftab Bacchus and Marky Jabbar will lead the batting. Linden will depend heavily on the hard hitting Doodie Bridgelall who is in prolific form in the Linden 10/10.

Leonora Primary School versus Cornelia Ida Primary School – the clash of the schools will see Leonora Primary School brimming with confidence as they take on Cornelia

Imtiaz Hack receiving his prize from a representative of Mobile Wizards

Ida Primary. The latter has the advantage since they have the ability to win from most situations.

Young Guns XI versus Vipers XI – the Young Guns XI are an exciting bunch and with players like Narendra Hussain and Ravendra Yarde, who will carry the team in both batting and bowling, they will be a tough opposition. Vipers XI will depend heavily on Arif Hoosein and Manoj Persaud to bat them to victory no matter the score. Other contending teams are Brickery XI versus Next Level XI; Crossbreed XI versus Zeeburg Warriors; United Muslim Youth XI versus MeterMer-Zorg XI. The day will also see an

exhibition match between a Linden combined male team and a West Coast team.

The exhibitions will also involve a Leonora Primary School Team which defeated Meter-Mer-Zorg Primary on the opening day taking on a very confident Cornelia Ida Primary school team. Three more matches in the tournament will be played and the teams are all clamoring to be on show.

The day’s proceeding will also have incentive games for the spectators’ compliments of Imran Hack and Mobile Wizards. All teams are asked to be at the ruby ground for 09:00h. (akeemg@guyanatimesgy.com)

22

guyanatimesGY.com

saturday, october 31, 2015

Digicel Horse Race Classic remains in limbo

Former Sport Director urges local riders to step up

– Company still to make a decision on the way forward, says Abrams

Digicel’s Senior Louanna Abrams

Sponsorship

Executive

By Rajiv Bisnauth

T

he return of the much anticipated Digicel Classic Horse Race Meet remains in limbo, since the telecommunications giant is yet to finalise its commitment towards the staging of the fourth edition.

Digicel’s Senior Sponsorship Executive Louanna Abrams in an invited comment on Thursday, revealed that the company is still to make a decision on the way forward.

“We at Digicel are yet to make a decision, but what I could assure you is that discus-

sions for the return of the Classic are ongoing,” she said.

The Port Mourant Turf Club (PMTC) was expected to host last year’s fourth Digicel Classic, but separate horse-race meets between the PMTC and Budhan’s Memorial Sports Complex and Race Track had forced the telecommunication company to pull the plug on its sponsorship deal with the PMTC. Both the PMTC and Budhan’s Memorial Sports Complex and Race Track had planned separate horse race meets for July 27, but Digicel ended the partnership, claiming that as a corporate entity, the company wishes to stay clear of conflicts.

In August, former Digicel Events and Sponsorship Manager, Gavin Hope revealed that the company is working feverishly in putting all arrangements in place for the return of the one-day event in the near future.

“We are yet to fix a date. Like I said, we know the importance of the event and we know the importance to be a part of horse racing fraternity. We know the benefits towards the horse racing fraternity and we want to be a part of the development of horse racing, so you can look forward for the return of Digicel Classic,” Hope had said.

The Digicel Classic was first held in 2011, and the Norman Singh Memorial Turf Club, located on the West Coast of Berbice, was host to the telecommunication service provider for that year, as well as in 2012.

In 2013, the Bush Lot Corentyne-based Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC), which is Guyana’s oldest horse racing club, hosted the third edition. (rajivb@guyanatimesgy.com)

Former Director of Sport Neil Kumar presents the jersey to stage two winner, Jaime Ramirez of Team Coco’s

F

ormer Director of Sport Neil Kumar has implored local riders to up their game if they are to seriously challenge their overseas counterparts at the Tour of Guyana Five-Stage cycling.

Kumar made the comment on Friday morning at Wales,

West Bank Demerara, where he presented second stage winner Jaime Ramirez of Team Coco’s with his jersey ahead of the start of stage three.

“I want you to take the sport to another level, and represent the Golden Arrowhead well,” Kumar said. The parlia-

mentarian added that Guyana is not short on talent, as he made reference to the strong local presence in Team Coco’s unit, which has been a dominant force at the country’s premier cycling event.

Kumar said he would be grateful for the day when a strong Team Guyana can take command of events like the Tour of Guyana and the Independence Three-Stage.

He also congratulated the organisers for continuing with the current five-stage race, which started under his tenure as Director of Sport, within the then Ministry of Sport.

Kumar wished the riders well on the remainder of the four-day activity, and urged citizens to witness the race as it passes through the various villages.

The event will wrap up on Sunday with the final stage from Linden to Georgetown, while stage four will take place in Essequibo today.

GCB/BANK DIH/DIGICEL NSSCL…

Singh and Arinda ensure easy victory for Camille’s Institute

– No 8 Secondary also on the winning side

F

ormer national Under-15 batsman Bhognarine Singh stroked a stylish century and spinner Alex Arinda took a five-wicket haul to lead Camille’s Institute to a comfortable 62-run victory over Soesdyke Secondary when play in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) National Secondary School Cricket League (NSSCL) continued recently.

Camille’s Institute post-

ed 252 all out in 25.5 overs at the Thirst Park ground.

Bhognarine Singh punished all the bowlers, smashing 12 fours and eight maximums, before being dismissed for 115 runs. The only bowler to stand out amid the destruction was leg spinner Neeraj Khan who took the last six wickets to fall, including the priced wicket of Singh, to end with 6-58. turn to page 20

Alex Arinda

guyanatimesGY.com

saturday, october 31, 2015

South American 10k...

23

Guyana Softball Cup 5...

Josiah-Tanner ready to Haniff hits 1st hundred of competition bring Guyana glory G G

By Treiston Joseph

uyana’s best female distance athlete, Euleen JosiahTanner is ready for the South American 10k circuit which begins today in Suriname.

The 40-year-old distance running queen in an exclusive with Guyana Times Sport noted her preparedness. “My training has been going really well, for the past week it has been raining. I just completed a 5k on Sunday which I won, so it’s shaping up really good for me,” Josiah-Tanner who resides in Georgia, USA noted.

With the event set to start this afternoon, JosiahTanner did not hesitate to talk of her eagerness.

Euleen Josiah-Tanner

“I feel really great at the moment, I will leave no stone unturned. I am going

to run and run hard by the grace of God,” She highlighted.

Meanwhile, with the second leg set to hit Guyana in November, Josiah-Tanner made clear her intentions.

“I will be in Guyana, I would like to give Guyana there first South America 10k victory on home soil in the female category... Each race is different but I will put myself in a position to win,” Josiah-Tanner posited.

Josiah-Tanner will also represent Guyana at the third leg of the event in Panama which is slated to run off on November 15.

The Guyana leg is set to start at 15:00h at the Earth Station on Carifesta Avenue. (josepht@guyanatimesgy.com)

Inter-Ministry/Corporation futsal tournament…

Customs unstoppable on night 3

Action during the last round of the tournament

By Treiston Joseph

C

ustoms had a superb showing on Thursday evening with a 6-0 win against the Guyana Nationals Industrial Company (GNIC) when action in the Banks Beer InterMinistry/Corporation futsal tournament continued at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown.

Carlos Monkhouse scored back to back goals in the fourth and fifth minutes while Terrence Adams’ opening goal in the third minute as well as his 18th minute goal led the way for Customs. Criswall Willis in the 14th and Rawle Johnny in the seventh were the other scorers.

Meanwhile, in the night’s opening game, Transport and Harbours pulled off a 6-3 win over Bank of Guyana.

Ulric Bourne (14th and 15th), Sheldon Chapman (10th and 17th) and Lloyd Prince (8th and 20th) were the scorers for the Transport and Harbours side while scoring from the losing side came from Jermin Junior with a hat-trick in the third, 18th and 19th minutes.

The Ministry of Infrastructure topped the Public Security Ministry

with a 5-2 win to seal a highly competitive encounter.

Josephus Charles hattrick in the sixth, ninth and 20th minutes led the way for the men of Infrastructure.

Dexter Daniels in the 11th and Mark Phillip in the 20th were the other scorers.

Scoring for Public Security came from Shaquille Duncan and Sherwin Vincent with goals in the third and 18th minutes respectively.

Oasis Water watered the Forestry Commission with a flow of goals to win 4-1 in an all-round effort. Oasis displayed their teamwork as four different persons scored in the win.

Gerald Gitten, Jarel December, Bryan Lewis and Delwin Carrington scored a goal apiece in the seventh, 16th, 19th and 20th minutes respectively.

Game four of the night saw the Agriculture Ministry drawing 3-3 while game six of the night was a 2-2 draw between Republic Bank and John Fernandes Ltd. However, game five of the evening saw the Guyana Power and Light having a blackout when the Foreign Affairs Ministry registered a 2-nil win.

Joel Bond and Dominique Hunt were the scorers with

goals in the fifth and 12th minutes respectively. The only game to go to walkover was the final game of the evening as the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) got the easy win against Wärtsilä. The tournament will continue on Sunday at the same venue. (josepht@ guyanatimesgy.com)

uyana Softball Cup 5 bowled off on Friday with Petama XI’s batsman Z Haniff earning the distinction of scoring the first hundred of the 2015 tournament.

His heroics could not inspire victory though, as his team went down to Shakib XI by one wicket in the Open category.

Also among the runs were Richard Latiff (83), Ramo Malone (81*), K Mohamed (75), S Mohamed (70), Jagdesh Persaud (70), Pooran Beria (68), Danny Mohanram (65*), Wayne Jones (64*), Ravindra Ramnauth (63), Chanderpaul Hemraj (57*), Shameer Sadloo (55), Ken Sanichar (55), Uniss Yussuf (53), L McKoy (52*) and R Persaud (51).

Among the wicket takers were Bobby (4-8), Kelvin Orford (4-14), E Sukhdeo (4-14) and Nankishore Narayan (4-28).

Below are summarised scores from the Open category matches.

Regal XI defeated Wolf’s Warriors by four runs.

Regal XI 211-8 in 20 overs.

(Richard Latiff 83, Sachin Singh 39*, Mark Harold 2-25, Wazir Hussain 2-27) Wolf’s Warriors 2078 in 20 overs (Ravindra Ramnauth 63, Safraz Karim 38, Azad Azeez 32, Khalid Hashim 2-30, Richard Latiff 2-37, Rohit Dutchin 2-46).

Shakib XI defeated Petama XI by one wicket. Petama 192 all out in 19.3 overs (Z Haniff 114, Khelawan Tulkhan 19, N Boodhoo 3-27, Marvin Bobb 3-46) Shakib XI 194-9 in 20 overs (Ameer Khan 58, Nandshyan Boodhoo 37, Quazim Yusuf 28, Kelvin Orford 4-14, Lionel Persaud 2-29).

Karibee Strikers defeated Zameer XI by

five wickets. Zameer XI 118 all out in 18.5 overs (Cornelius Jaisingh 34, Shazim Hussain 20, Eion Washington 18, David Lukenauth 3-20, John Percival 2-21, Chandrashakker Arjune 2-16) Karibee Strikers 120-5 in 11 overs (Royston Crandon 27, Clinton Pestano 23, Chandrashakker Arjune 23, Imran Hamid 2-21).

Mercenaries defeated Corriverton by eight wickets. Corriverton 143 all out in 19.5 overs (S Murray 32, L Frances 29, Nankishore Narayan 4-28, Balieram Beharry 2-23, Dharampaul Singh 2-28). Mercenaries 144-2 in 11 overs (Chanderpaul Hemraj 57*, Greg Singh 36, Gajanand Singh 15).

NYSCL All Stars defeated Hyde Park by seven wickets. Hyde Park 1559 in 20 overs (R Reid 45, Ricardo Adams 39, Bobby 4-8) NYSCL All Stars 159-3 in 18.1 overs (Pooran Beria 68, R Persaud 35, Amar Singh 27).

Below are summarised scores from the Masters category.

Invaders Masters defeated NY President’s XI by four wickets.

NY President’s XI Masters 179-5 wickets in 20 overs (Danny Mohanram 65*, Mark Bobb 37, Rudy Rodrigues 24, Richie Bishop 2-26). Invaders Masters 185-6 in 18.5 overs (Raj Rampersaud 34*, Linden Daniels 31, Rickey Persaud 2-25, Mark Bobb 2-36).

Savage Masters defeated Parika Defenders won by 20 runs. Savage Masters 181-4 in 20 overs (Ramo Molone 81*, Talesh Ramatar 44).

Parika Defenders 161 all out in 19.5 overs (S Mohammed 70, R Rambharose 41, Nandall Randolph, Ramo Molone and Perriera Randolph two

wickets each).

Better Hope New York defeated Industry Super Kings by seven wickets.

Industry Super Kings 1707 in 20 overs (Jagdesh Persaud 70, Ishwar Persaud 27, Deonauth Sumeer 21, Jagmohan Hrimaas 2-15) Better Hope New York 1713 in 18.2 overs (Shameer Sadloo 55, Ken Sanichar 55).

Wellman defeated SCI Miami by six wickets. SCI Miami 179-6 in 20 overs (K Mohamed 75, D Persaud 2-16) Wellman 180-6 in 17 overs (L McKoy 52*, M. Wright 40*).

GFSCC defeated Orlando Masters by 138 runs. GFSCC 259-7 in 20 overs (U Yussuf 53, R Persaud 51, W Jones 64*, R Singh claimed two wickets) Orlando Masters 121 all out in 19.3 overs (R Singh 31, Tony Kisson 25).

Mahaicony All Stars defeated Tri-State Masters by four wickets. TriState Masters 126-8 in 20 overs (Latchman Yadram 34, Dayanand Mangru 24, Naresh Chatura and Desmond Butts claimed two wickets each) Mahaicony All Stars 130-6 in 17 overs (Naresh Chatura 33, Baim Chatura 21, E Sukhdeo 4-14).

Regal Masters defeated New York Legends by seven wickets. NY Legends 89-5 in 20 overs (L Griffith 31, David Harpers 2-16) Regal Masters 90-3 in 7.5 overs (M Chunilall 20, Randolp Baker 19*, R Seeram 2-16).

Albion Masters defeated Brooklyn Queens Masters by nine wickets. Brooklyn Queen Masters 108 all out in 17 overs (S Sookhoo 36.

R Ramcharitar 3-13) Albion 112-1 in 10 overs (J Bosh 48, R Latcha 31).

The competition will continue today with more matches in Georgetown.

saturday, october 31, 2015

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

Jeffrey wins Tour of Guyana third leg – Ospina still yellow jersey holder

All-round Dottin hands Windies lead

Pg 19

Pg 20 Deandra Dottin squares for cut during her all-round performance

Raynauth Jeffrey pumps his fist after winning Friday’s third stage

Guyana Softball Cup 5...

Haniff hits 1st hundred of competition Pg 23

NYSCL All Stars players gather for a team talk before they take the field

A Hyde Park batsman loses his off-stump against NYSCL All Stars

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