IMCA Modified stars shine at Hancock County Aug. 13, 14 specials
Spectator admission will be $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, veterans and students, and free for kids ages 12 and under. Pit passes are $35. Modifieds race for $3,000 to win and a minimum of $250 to start on Thursday, and for $4,000 to win and a minimum of $300 to start on Friday. Both features are 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying events and will be 50 laps, with four $250 mystery position awards given at halfway. Pit gates open at 4:30 p.m. and the grandstand and bar open at 5 p.m. both days, with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and racing to follow. BRITT, Iowa – All roads lead to Hancock County Speedway for a pair of the biggest IMCA Modified events of the season, the Aug. 13 Night of 1,000 Stars and Aug. 14 Night of 10,000 Stars. Modified drivers need to register online on My Race Pass. Entry fee is $125 on Thursday and $150 on Friday. Transponders are required and will be available to rent. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods race for $1,000 to win and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Mach-1 Sport Compacts are also on the card both nights. The track website is www.hancockcountyspeedway.com.
Rock-bottom Villa are now nine points behind fellow strugglers Norwich and go to Carrow Road on Monday. They remain winless in the league since the opening day of the season – a club record run of 17 games – and boss Remi Garde admitted this result represented two points dropped. He said: ” When you look at the game I think we deserved more points, but West Ham defended very well. We knew that because they’d had three clean sheets in a row. “The feeling is frustration more than anything else, because when you play like we played we gave 100 per cent and deserved more than that. “If you add the last 45 minutes at Newcastle it’s now a long time we’ve played good football without being rewarded with goals. It’s a little bit frustrating, but the way we put them under pressure was a very nice feeling. I’m disappointed for the players.” The centre-back signed a new two-and-a-half year contract on Thursday and was his side’s outstanding player in Boxing Day’s 1-1 draw. Collins cleared Alan Hutton’s header off the line in the second half as the Hammers hung on for a point – their fifth straight Barclays Premier League draw. Aaron Cresswell had fired them ahead only for Jordan Ayew’s penalty to level, but Bilic believes Collins, who re-joined West Ham from Villa in 2012, showed why he deserved a new deal. He said: “He was again outstanding. He is in good form. It’s not just today, it’s ever since I came here. At the beginning he didn’t play a lot, but every time he’s played he is not only reliable, he has been magnificent. It’s great to have him. We decided to offer him a new contract way before and he deserves it. “He’s a good player and I watch him in training every day and he’s good on the ball. It’s not just kicking the ball around. His presence is a very dominant one. “I wouldn’t call those players old-fashioned, he’s just a really good centre-half.” But the Hammers chief was unhappy at Mike Dean’s decision to give Villa a penalty after Rudy Gestede went down under Angelo Ogbonna’s 62nd-minute challenge. Bilic also felt the Hammers should have had two spot-kicks of their own for handballs against Leandro Bacuna and Ashley Westwood. “I’m West Ham manager and I’m not objective, but I’m trying to be,” said Bilic. “When it happened I saw Ogbonna in front of Gestede and Gestede came in front not because he was quicker, but because he pulled his shirt. It was long enough for the referee to notice. “After that we had a couple of situations with handballs which, considering that penalty, these ones should have been given to us.” Press Association Boss Slaven Bilic hailed James Collins after the defender celebrated a new deal to help earn West Ham a point at Aston Villa. 
USC’s child care services provider, Children’s Creative Learning Center, ended its relationship with the University this summer, leaving families at both the University Park and Health Sciences campuses at risk of not having a nearby child care provider.CCLC Vice President Sharon Lytwynec announced the move in an email to parents, citing divisions between families and the center.“I’ve learned that a partnership with all families — even when there are disagreements — is critical to the success of any center,” Lytwynec wrote. “Without parents’ trust, we simply cannot provide the type of education, care or healthy environment that children deserve.”The decision came fewer than three weeks after CCLC employees at the UPC location voted to unionize under the Service Employees International Union Local 99 group, which represents education workers throughout Southern California. They became the first group of workers under CCLC’s parent company, Kindercare, to unionize.In a letter to parents, Provost Michael Quick and Senior Vice President for Administration Todd Dickey explained the reasons behind CCLC’s decision.“CCLC tells us that their decision was due in large part to recent adversarial interactions with some parents at the University Park location that have eroded CCLC’s ability to meet their commitments to USC,” Quick and Dickey wrote. “They feel that there have been unreasonable demands put forward by parents, as well as intimidating behavior directed toward CCLC staff.”The announcements by USC and CCLC did not elaborate on the specific behavior that prompted the closure of the child care centers. Neither USC nor CCLC responded to requests for comment. However, many parents and teachers feel that the closure was intended to punish unionized workers.“Parents are angry,” Terry Carter, a spokesperson for SEIU Local 99, wrote in an email to the Daily Trojan. “They feel that their children are being used as pawns by the company to get back at teachers and even parents for speaking up about critical health, safety and staffing issues.”Teachers decided to unionize in response to poor working conditions such as low teacher-to-student ratios, unfair treatment and safety hazards, according to Gina Sandoval, a teacher at the center. At the child care center, which provides for children as young as six weeks old, parents found maggots in a trash can and earlier this month, the center was broken into because it had no security system.When teachers informed CCLC’s parent company Kindercare of their decision to unionize, administrators initially seemed responsive to teachers’ concerns. However, they remained resistant to the proposed union and hired “union-avoidance” firm Cruz and Associates to persuade teachers not to unionize, according to Carter.Despite those efforts, teachers successfully voted to unionize in late May with the support of many parents, who shared teachers’ concerns about the state of the center, and had previously sent a letter of no confidence to CCLC administrators.“It’s really important to me because of how wonderful the teachers are at USC daycare, how hard they have worked across the board, that their rights as workers and their rights to unionize should be respected and upheld by employers and people who have contracts that pertain to those workers,” said Joshua Goldstein, a UPC parent.Sandoval, who led the unionization effort, believes that Kindercare made an example out of the center to avoid similar union efforts at its other child care centers. She recalled a teacher from another district who had said in a union meeting that other Kindercare centers were facing similar struggles, which made her think the UPC unionization could be the start of a national movement.“If I was working in another Kindercare center and I heard about this center being unionized, and there were bad things happening in my center, I would gather up my teachers and say, ‘If they can do it, we can do it too,’” Sandoval said. “It’s pretty scary for Kindercare to hear that.”The UPC and HSC child care centers are currently still open, as Kindercare has not yet announced when it will officially cease its operations at USC. In the interim, families are left unsure of whether they will need to seek outside child care services, and the center’s 31 teachers do not know yet if they will need to look for new jobs.“Employees are also feeling very discouraged,” Carter wrote. “They risked standing up to the boss to bring urgently necessary improvements for the kids and families. They have said repeatedly that their struggle to form a union was never about making more money. It was about having a voice.”USC has begun the process of searching for a new child care provider to minimize the repercussions for families. Teachers and parents remain optimistic that the new operator will allow teachers to continue working at the center, and that the change will present new possibilities for USC.“I would love to see USC take a big stand — use the awesome research it has at its fingertips to create a model early childhood education center that removes financial barriers to early childhood education and allows all of our children an awesome learning environment,” UPC parent Johanna Maska wrote in an email to the Daily Trojan. “USC has an opportunity here — and I’d love to see them take it.”
Let’s face it, when it comes to Los Angeles sports, in a lot of ways we’ve been a bit spoiled.The Lakers have been the gold standard of the NBA for decades. The Dodgers haven’t won a World Series since 1988, but their illustrious past and perennial playoff contention make them the envy of baseball fans across the country. USC football has its ups and downs, but the decade under Pete Carroll was as dominant as any we’ve seen in college football. Throw in UCLA basketball, the Angels, the recent success of the Kings and the Galaxy … and we have it pretty good.But as the Clippers’ stunning collapse Thursday in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals reminded us, it hasn’t always been peaches and roses in the City of Angels. From time to time, we’ve had our hearts ripped out, stomped on and handed back to us in a crumpled mess.We felt the pain, shed the tears and tried to forget. But the devastating moments have a way of sticking with you. If the Clippers go on to lose Game 7 to the Rockets on Sunday in Houston following inexplicable Game 6 meltdown in which they squandered a 19-point third-quarter lead and got outscored 40-15 in the final period, we might look back on Thursday’s choke job as the single greatest swoon in L.A. sports history.Photos: Worst meltdowns in L.A. sports historyThe Clippers had a chance to push through to their first conference final in franchise history, and maybe change the narrative that they walk around with a perpetual black cloud hanging over them.Instead, they froze up, zoned out and fell so hard they actually strengthened the fear they might actually be cursed. Newsroom GuidelinesNews TipsContact UsReport an Error
The only question now is the level of devastation it will carry through history. The good new is the Clippers have a chance to render it a minor inconvenience if they can muster up the strength to win Game 7.The bad news is, when we analyze it alongside the great choke jobs in Los Angeles sports history, we can’t help notice the common thread in each magnificent meltdown — it either resulted in or preceded a stunning, bitter end to the season.And not to take a trip down Heartbreak Lane, but here is a list of the most memorable collapse jobs Los Angeles history — one the Clippers might actually top if their season comes to a close Sunday.5. Lakers vs. Celtics 2008 NBA FinalsWith a chance to tie the 2008 finals at two games apiece, the Lakers built a 24-point lead against the hated Celtics at Staples Center. With Game 5 looming in Los Angeles, everything was set up for the Lakers to take a 3-2 lead back to Boston with a chance to close things out in Beantown.Only it didn’t quite work out that way. The Celtics came charging back, erasing the big lead on their way to a stunning win to take a 3-1 series lead. The Lakers responded with a Game 5 win, but it simply delayed the inevitable as the Celtics blow-torched the Lakers in Game 6 to win the series.Ouch!!!4. Dodgers vs. Cardinals 1985 NLCSThe Dodgers win the first two games of the National League Championship Series, only for the Cardinals to come roaring back to take a 3-2 series lead after light-hitting shortstop Ozzie Smith’s ninth-inning homer off a worn-down Tom Niedenfuer in St. Louis. Still, the Dodgers take a one-run lead to the top of the ninth. But with two on and two outs, Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda lets Niedenfuer pitch to Jack Clark despite first base being empty. Clark clocked the first pitch into the left-field bleachers for a three-run home run, and the Cardinals win the pennant. 3. Dodgers vs. Yankees 1978 World SeriesThe Dodgers wallop the Yankees by winning the first two games, and who can forget a young Bob Welch striking out Reggie Jackson at Dodger Stadium? Then the inexplicable happens. Seemingly well on their way to avenging a loss to the Bronx Bombers in the 1977 Series, the Dodgers can’t catch a break. Graig Nettles starts making unbelievable plays at third base, Reggie Jackson hip-checks a Bill Russell throw to first into the outfield and the Yankees rally to tie the series at 2-2. New York goes on to win it all in six games.2. Lakers vs. Celtics 1969 NBA FinalsAfter years and years of suffering heartbreak against the Celtics, the Lakers get Game 7 at home at the Fabulous Forum and seemed poised to finally break the long spell against Boston. The Celtics build a 17-point lead, the Lakers come roaring back, and with Wilt Chamberlain benched by Lakers coach Bill van Breda Kolff, series MVP Jerry West makes a great defensive play, knocking the ball loose in the closing seconds. But it flies to Don Nelson, whose jumper bounces high off the rim and back through the hoop for the game-winning basket to give the Celtics their sixth straight finals victory over Los Angeles.1. Angels vs. Red Sox 1986 ALCSThe Angeles stand one out from reaching their first World Series in franchise history, a fitting gift to longtime owner Gene Autry. But with two out in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the American League championship series, and the Angels leading the Red Sox by a run and standing on their dugout steps ready to celebrate, disaster strikes. Ace relief pitcher Donnie Moore gets rocked for a two-run home run by Dave Henderson, stunning the afternoon crowd poised to blow the lid off the Big A. The Angels end up losing the game in extra innings and getting routed in the next two in Boston to blow a chance to reach the World Series. It will be years before they finally get there, and unfortunately it occurs after Autry’s death. Tragically, nearly three years after that forgettable Game 5, Moore shoots his wife and kills himself over personal problems that haunted him since that one pitch.
Loading … Do you think teachers or administrators should be allowed to spank children in school? Yes. No. View Results Close Forgot password? Please put in your email: Send me my password! Close message Login This blog post All blog posts Subscribe to this blog post’s comments through… RSS Feed Subscribe via email Subscribe Subscribe to this blog’s comments through… RSS Feed Subscribe via email Subscribe Follow the discussion Comments (18) Logging you in… Close Login to IntenseDebate Or create an account Username or Email: Password: Forgot login? Cancel Login Close WordPress.com Username or Email: Password: Lost your password? Cancel Login Dashboard | Edit profile | Logout Logged in as Admin Options Disable comments for this page Save Settings Sort by: Date Rating Last Activity Loading comments… You are about to flag this comment as being inappropriate. Please explain why you are flagging this comment in the text box below and submit your report. The blog admin will be notified. Thank you for your input. +6 Vote up Vote down longtimeresident · 336 weeks ago I was told by my father that if I was spanked in school, I would also get one at home. Maybe, if more spanking happened at home now days, but done properly, there would be less need for spankings in school. Report Reply 0 replies · active 336 weeks ago +6 Vote up Vote down guest · 336 weeks ago No. But I think the Parents should spank them when they get home if they needed spanking at school. I was spanked and turned out fine. My kids were spanked and turned out fine. Don’t beat them just spank them so they know consequences. Thats whats wrong with kids nowadays. Report Reply 0 replies · active 336 weeks ago -1 Vote up Vote down Grandma · 336 weeks ago I’ll do my own spanking thank you very much. When I was in grade school the principle had a board with holes in it. They all so don’t know their own strength. Report Reply 0 replies · active 336 weeks ago +6 Vote up Vote down CueballSumnernewscow 94p · 336 weeks ago I’m a bit surprised by this vote. 60 percent in favor to 40 percent against as of 9 a.m. Wednesday. My feeling is there are better ways to discipline a child and I’m not comfortable with someone at school touching my kid unless by the shoulder to get his/her attention. Did I spank my kids at home? Yes, but rarely, and never when I was upset. I tried to avoid spankings at all costs. Report Reply 0 replies · active 336 weeks ago +1 Vote up Vote down Grandma · 336 weeks ago Spanking was taking away from parents years ago when 911 was taught to the kids. I do agree spanking abuse and abuse was done. Some kids took advantage of the treat 911 your parents then I can do what I want. And the kids have and do lie about abuse. That is heart breaking to the parents. Report Reply 0 replies · active 336 weeks ago +1 Vote up Vote down wellmom · 336 weeks ago I believe in spanking but not someone else spanking my child. I agree, I’ll take care of that myself thank you for much. I have a non verbal child and just the thought of someone having open permission to spank them gives me the hives. Report Reply 0 replies · active 336 weeks ago +1 Vote up Vote down wellmom · 336 weeks ago I also think it would be interesting to see the age demographic that reads Sumner News Cow. I do think the opinion varies greatly generationaly. Report Reply 0 replies · active 336 weeks ago -1 Vote up Vote down Grandma · 336 weeks ago I agree with the spanking. Maybe if this had been done alot of what goes on in the schools today would not be happening. When my children were in school it was allowed, The parents who did not agree were the parents that usually had the out of control kids. Most of the parents not agreeing are the ones who don`t make there children mind @ home. Report Reply 0 replies · active 336 weeks ago +1 Vote up Vote down Big Dave · 336 weeks ago Spare the rod and you spoil the child. Report Reply 0 replies · active 336 weeks ago +2 Vote up Vote down Grandma · 336 weeks ago Their are two Grandma’s on here. My two comments are above Cue and one below Cue. Wellmom, I am Grandma of 6, Mom of 2 and I am 65. Report Reply 1 reply · active 336 weeks ago 12Next » Post a new comment Enter text right here! Comment as a Guest, or login: Login to IntenseDebate Login to WordPress.com Login to Twitter Go back Tweet this comment Connected as (Logout) Email (optional) Not displayed publicly. Name Email Website (optional) Displayed next to your comments. Not displayed publicly. If you have a website, link to it here. Posting anonymously. Tweet this comment Submit Comment Subscribe to None Replies All new comments Comments by IntenseDebate Enter text right here! 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CHARLES CITY — A Charles City man injured in a motorcycle crash in Mitchell County last month has died from his injuries. 34-year-old John Carpenter was driving a motorcycle on the afternoon of August 24th and lost control while negotiating a curve near the intersection of West Main and Commercial Streets in the town of Mitchell. Passenger Ashley Carpenter was thrown from the motorcycle, which then struck multiple trees, with the motorcycle landing on top of John Carpenter in the west ditch. A social media post by the Charles City Fire Department, where Carpenter was a firefighter, says he died on Monday due to his injuries.
LIVERPOOL, England (AP):Christian Benteke scored his first English Premier League goal for Liverpool yesterday to give his new team a 1-0 win over promoted Bournemouth in a game that was marked by two disputed refereeing decisions.Benteke met a cross at the far post for an easy tap-in in the 26th minute, although the goal was questionable, as Philippe Coutinho had tried to reach the ball first from what was a clear offside position.Under new rules implemented for this season, players can be flagged for interfering with play, even if they don’t touch the ball.”Under the new rules, that’s clearly offside. Clearly, our goalkeeper was affected by the movement in front of him,” Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said. “It was hugely frustrating for us tonight. … The big decisions have gone against us.”Liverpool also won 1-0 at Stoke in the opening round and is one of four teams with six points from the two opening rounds, along with both Manchester clubs and Leicester.Benteke was bought from Aston Villa in the offseason to provide more of a presence up front for Liverpool, and the Belgium striker also hit the bar from close range in the 90th minute.
Jo Koy draws ire for cutting through Cebu City traffic with ‘wang-wang’ Lights inside SMX hall flicker as Duterte rants vs Ayala, Pangilinan anew Mori was asked about the advice Coates gave him in private.“There were so many items,” Mori replied. “Some specific advice. I don’t think I’m able to single out one point, or two points. There were many points.”Unlike some Olympics, expectations are high that Tokyo will deliver efficiently and on time. But organizers have hesitated to explain their progress to the satisfaction of some sports federations and national Olympic committees.That prompted direct questions last week from the heads of world sailing, judo and triathlon.World Sailing head Andy Hunt suggested planning for his event might be a year behind and complained about problems with fishing fleets working in what will be the venue for sailing.ADVERTISEMENT Truck driver killed in Davao del Sur road accident In addition, Tokyo’s municipal government has said it will spend an added 810 billion yen ($7.5 billion). That spending is for projects described as being “directly and indirectly related the games” and brings overall games spending to $20 billion.About 70 percent of the total spending is from public money.Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next Carpio hits red carpet treatment for China Coast Guard PLAY LIST 02:14Carpio hits red carpet treatment for China Coast Guard02:56NCRPO pledges to donate P3.5 million to victims of Taal eruption00:56Heavy rain brings some relief in Australia02:37Calm moments allow Taal folks some respite03:23Negosyo sa Tagaytay City, bagsak sa pag-aalboroto ng Bulkang Taal01:13Christian Standhardinger wins PBA Best Player award ‘Stop romanticizing Pinoy resilience’ LATEST STORIES Scientists seek rare species survivors amid Australia flames In fight vs corruption, Duterte now points to Ayala, MVP companies as ‘big fish’ International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice President John Coates, left, speaks as Yoshiro Mori, right, president of the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, listens during their joint press conference in Tokyo Tuesday, April 24, 2018. Coates, the head of an IOC inspection team, urged organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to be more direct answering questions about preparations with the Games opening in just over two years. The advice from Coates on Tuesday came a week after several sports federations openly criticized Tokyo’s preparations. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)TOKYO — The head of an IOC inspection team urged organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to be more direct answering questions about progress and planning on Tuesday.The advice from John Coates, which followed a two-day inspection tour, came a week after several sports federations openly criticized Tokyo’s preparations. The games are just over two years away.ADVERTISEMENT
P16.5-M worth of aid provided for Taal Volcano eruption victims — NDRRMC Coates said work is largely on track, but said organizers have hesitated to fully explain their planning. Coates hinted at cultural differences between his direct Australian style and the more reserved Japanese.“You just have to answer the questions, and be forthright in doing so,” Coates said, sitting next to organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori — a former Japanese prime minister — and CEO Toshiro Muto.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSGinebra beats Meralco again to capture PBA Governors’ Cup titleSPORTSAfter winning title, time for LA Tenorio to give back to Batangas folkSPORTSTim Cone, Ginebra set their sights on elusive All-Filipino crownThey both sat still and showed little emotion.“It might not always be in your nature, but I think the questions are going to increasingly come,” Coates added. Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. “There are a number of things where they (organizers) are making great progress, but until it’s finalized they will not present it,” said Christophe Dubi, executive director of the Olympic Games. “That’s the issue.”Coates warned that organizers could be bombarded with questions when 206 national Olympic committees meet in November in Tokyo.“They’ll want to know about the best arrangements for their athletes,” he said. “Now we’re down to all the little things — those little things that could mount up.”Mori said he was worried about eventually hosting a delegation from North Korea at the Tokyo Olympics. He brought up the unresolved issue of Japanese citizens abducted decades ago by North Korea — and unreturned.“Japan is close to the Korean peninsula — neighbors — and we are living under the threat of nuclear weapons,” he said. “We have lived under a difficult situation.”He said Japan had been “betrayed” before by North Korea.“It happened in peaceful times. Japanese citizens were abducted,” he said.Coates said Japan is obligated under Olympic rules to accept a North Korean sports delegation at the Tokyo Games.“That’s not to say a host government does not have control over who it invites in terms of political leaders and people outside the (sports) delegation,” Coates said.Tokyo organizers have said the Olympics will cost 1.35 trillion yen — $12.4 billion at the present exchange rate. Green group flags ‘overkill’ use of plastic banderitas in Manila Sto. Niño feast Volcano watch: Island fissures steaming, lake water receding Calisaan determined to get one over Zark’s-Lyceum MOST READ View comments
An contest was held at the David Kuyon Human Rights and Culture Center (DKHRCC) in Gbarnga, Bong County, to honor late traditional story teller and cultural icon, Peter Y. Ballah.The competition was organized and held under the auspices of the DKHRCC on March 29.The ceremony was intended to highlight the important contributions of the late Peter Ballah to traditional storytelling and the preservation of Liberian culture and values.During the small but very important event, several Liberian storytellers were recruited from 15 of Liberia’s political sub-divisions to take part in the competition.Speaking at the ceremony, the Director General of the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Service (LISGIS), Dr. T. Edward Liberty, called for the support and preservation of Liberian culture.Director Liberty urged Liberians and cultural practitioners to work with DKHRCC in the overall enhancement of the cultural heritage of the nation.He extended thanks and appreciation to the organizers of the Peter Ballah storytelling award initiative and said that Liberians must be forerunners of protecting the cultural heritage of the country.For his part, the founder of the DKHRCC, Rudolf Janke, urged Liberians and their partners to continue telling traditional stories in their original forms in order to enhance and encourage tradition and creativity.He expressed delight over the participation of the traditional storytellers in the Peter Ballah storytelling competition.Mr. Janke also underscored the need for the participation of as many Liberians as possible in the DKHRCC’s next storytelling competition.Making remarks, the Director of the National Museum at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT), Albert Markeh, stressed the need for Liberians and partners to assist the Liberian Government in the development of the cultural heritage of the country.“Since this is an event associated with culture and its practices, our support and cooperation cannot be over-emphasized,” Director Markeh said.During the traditional storytelling competition the storytellers thrilled the audience with well known traditional stories.Out of the traditional storytellers who narrated stories in the fiercely contested competition was dropped; while three out of 14 who remained were chosen to further narrate their stories for the audience and judges at the DKHRCC in Gbarnga City, Bong County.At the end of the storytelling competition, Mr. Emmanuel Tamba was chosen as the winner of the competition’s US$250.00 prize for a story that contained all the elements the judges were looking for.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
State of the economy…due to few exports and oil importsWith Guyana’s balance of payments deficit on the rise, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is warning of the need for the Government to be prepared for external shocks on the financial market.This is contained in the report from the IMF Executive Board following the conclusion of its Article IV consultations. The report was released a few days ago. According to IMF, Guyana’s vulnerability is due to the reliance placed on so few exports.“The exchange rate should play a more active role in cushioning external shocks going forward. Guyana remains vulnerable to external shocks given the concentration of its exports in a few commodities and its reliance on imported oil in the short term,” the group stated.As it is, facilitating a robust commercial sector is crucial to enhancing not only traditional exports but opening up new export opportunities. According to the IMF, this should be a primary goal of the government.“Enhancing competitiveness and supporting inclusive growth should remain a high priority. Greater efforts are needed to lower the cost of doing business by addressing infrastructure-related bottlenecks, reducing energy costs, and cutting red tape.”“Increasing female labour force participation and bridging the gaps with the hinterland can boost growth and help spread its benefits more widely,” the IMF team also advised the Government.Balance of paymentsThe balance of payments is statistical data on a country’s fiscal transactions, including imports and exports. To therefore record a deficit, Guyana would have had to spend more on imports, among other things, than it earned from exports.According to the 2017 macro-economic report, Guyana’s overall balance of payment in the 2017 fiscal year showed a deficit of US$69.5 million. This is a hike when compared to US$53.3 million the previous year.On the one hand, the current account shows a deficit of US$287.4 million for the year 2017. But in the previous fiscal year, the report notes, this was just US$12.4 million. The report admits that this is because of a negative balance on the merchandise trade account.“The further weakening was due to the negative balance on the merchandise trade account. Merchandise exports were slightly lower than projected, mainly on account of lower export earnings of gold and other exports in the last two months of the year.”When Finance Minister Winston Jordan presented the 2018 Budget last year, he had announced that merchandise imports were estimated to grow by 9.6 per cent. This had been attributed to increased imports of mining machinery, chemicals, fuel, and lubricants. According to the report, imports exceeded the Government’s projections.“Imports were slightly more than the US$1.59 billion projected at the time of the presentation of the 2018 Budget. As a result, the merchandise trade deficit of US$196.2 million was considerably higher than the projected deficit of US$147.2 million.”“Notwithstanding, the deficit on the services account was lower than estimated. The improvement in the services account more than offset the weaker balances on both the non-factor services and unrequited transfers accounts,” the report states.