THE ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is heartened at the passage of the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill which now paves the way for a more organised management of this sport.

The National Assembly last Thursday night passed the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill that seeks to provide legal administrative guidelines for cricket, which over the years has become a national sport.
Cricket is not just a sport in Guyana, but more of a way of life for all of us regardless of our age, gender or religious belief and as such we must continue to speak with a unified voice, when our way of life is threatened.
We recall that this piece of legislation was crafted after extensive consultations with all stakeholders, and more so, following recommendations in a ruling made by the Honorary Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang in 2011.”
This Bill addresses a number of critical issues affecting the sport, including;
– Making into a legal entity, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) which is to be established as a corporate Body comprising the Demerara, Essequibo and the Berbice Cricket Boards respectively, all of which will also be made corporate entities;
– Eliminating the issue of phantom voting for the election of persons for administrative positions and at the same time will give limited power to the Minister of Sport;
– Creating the position of a Cricket Ombudsman, who will be tasked with the responsibility of verifying and registering clubs; he or she will have ample time to verify legitimacy of clubs;
– Providing for better financial accountability and requiring the GCB to present timely audited financial reports to the National Assembly, as well as the National Sports Commission (NSC);
As a Party which has always been committed to transparency and accountability we feel that with greater scrutiny and oversight of financial records of the GCB, allegations of financial impropriety that were made in the past, will be reduced;
The PPP also takes note of the Alliance for Change’s non-support for this important piece of legislation and wishes to remind Ramjattan and his acolytes that history will record them as neglecting efforts to rescue a sport that is so dear to all of us.
We are not confused as to the reason why the AFC did not lend support to a law that is geared towards financial accountability.
It is the same AFC which is on a public charade about the Procurement Commission to ensure transparency and accountability that decided not to support the Cricket Administration Bill, which seeks to address the very issues in the Guyana Cricket Board.