Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 10-10-2022

Foreign investors signal interest in agriculture sector

Healthy returns on investments

IT has been a truly memo rable and fun-filled experi ence for the hundreds of patrons who visited Guy ana from the Caribbean and further afield to par ticipate in the close to twoweek assortment of activities as part of the Caribbe an Premier League (CPL) matches and inaugural Cricket Carnival festivities that concluded with a bang

two Sundays ago.

As the local streets lit up with an explosion of cel ebrations and events, sev eral Bed-and-Breakfast (B&B) providers across the country are still smil ing with satisfaction from seeing increased bookings. These providers also had the perfect opportunity to offer patrons exceptional accommodation and hos

pitality services to unwind and refuel, so they could have immersed themselves in the cultural extrava ganza.

The Guyana Chronicle caught up with Jannice Chesney of Lexie Ville located at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, who ex pressed happiness at see ing a return on investment at the newly minted B&B

residence that was fully booked for the period.

“I am happy because do ing the service made me see the benefit of my in vestments and it not only help to put Guyana on the map and promote what the country has to offer, but it also demonstrated the level of hospitality,” she said.

Health Minister: Mental health services more accessible

Berbice sugar estates surpass weekly production targets

Young Buxtonian helping school dropouts, unemployed in community

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali on Sunday received an update on the progress of repairs to the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB). The bridge was hit by a fuel tanker on Saturday morning. The President thanked the workers for responding instantaneously to the situation

working

bridge repaired

possible (Office of the President photo)

Young Buxtonian helping school dropouts, unemployed in community

By Naomi Parris

WITH the hope of changing the gen eralised narrative of his home village, Dwright Ward, a 22-year-old Buxtonian youth activist recently launched a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) workshop, targeting school drop outs and unemployed youths.

“I came up with this initiative by see ing persons like myself dropping out of school, walking the road, loiter ing, not doing anything with their life [sic],” Ward said in an Inter view with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday.

With his background in youth activism, chairing a local youth

group ‘Youth’s Arise,’ Ward decided to reach out to the Board of In dustrial Training (BIT), where he began discus sions for a workshop in his community.

“I wanted to find a

solution to this, and I wanted to reach out to these persons, so what I did I thought of dif ferent ways I can get these people involved in training.”

The university grad

uate said after a long thought process and in teracting with many of his peers in the commu nity, vocational training was the best initiative he found and the work shop ‘Every Ghetto has a Star’ was officially launched last Friday at the Tipperary Hall in Buxton.

The turnout, he said, was overwhelming.

“It was amazing because persons who did not sign up came, because their friends told them about it and they came out as well and that shows persons are willing and want to have a change in soci ety.”

wanted to shed some light and show them that good things come out of Buxton.”

After interacting with several residents and young people, he said the name ‘Every Ghetto has [a] Star’ was birthed.

“It speaks volumes to the people in my

“Skill is wealth and with skill today, you are being able to earn as much as possible; when you have a skill no one can take that away from you, especially when you are certified in that skill.”

With the help of BIT’s Technical Of ficer, Stanislaus Willis, classes are offered in electrical installation, block-making and in formation technology, with just over 40 per sons applying.

CHANGING THE NARRATIVE

Ward noted that while the initiative aims to give the youths much-needed push and support, it also aims to change the narrative of communities that have been negatively gener alised by society.

“Some of these vil lages along the East Coast, especially Bux ton, is [sic] dubbed as ‘ghetto,’ places where people are still fear ful of coming in, so I

community, to let them know that not because you are from Buxton and its deemed as ‘ghet to’ that you have to now strengthen that gener alisation, so what I did I went out into the street, I spoke to some people and the name come to me ‘Every Ghetto has a Star’”.

Persons who are interested in attending the workshop can contact Ward for more information on 687 1240 or 693 8045.

A few of the participants who will commence training under the ‘Every Ghetto has a Star’ workshop

BIT’s Technical Officer Mr Stanislaus Willis is honoured with a token from Dwight Ward on the launch of the ‘Every Ghetto has a Star’ workshop in Buxton

Healthy returns on investments

boost

Cricket Carnival in Guyana

By Shari Simon

IT has been a truly memora ble and fun-filled experience for the hundreds of patrons who visited Guyana from the Caribbean and further afield to participate in the close to two-week assort ment of activities as part of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) matches and inaugural Cricket Carnival festivities that concluded with a bang two Sundays ago.

As the local streets lit up with an explosion of celebra tions and events, several Bedand-Breakfast (B&B) provid

ers across the country are still smiling with satisfaction from seeing increased book ings. These providers also had the perfect opportunity to offer patrons exceptional ac commodation and hospitality services to unwind and refuel, so they could have immersed themselves in the cultural extravaganza.

The Guyana Chroni cle caught up with Jannice Chesney of Lexie Ville lo cated at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, who expressed happiness at seeing a return on investment at the newly mint ed B&B residence that was fully booked for the period.

“I am happy because do ing the service made me see the benefit of my investments and it not only help to put Guyana on the map and pro mote what the country has to offer, but it also demonstrated the level of hospitality,” she said.

Chesney revealed that the 12 visiting patrons were from the United States (US) and Trinidad and Tobago (TT). They had the comfort of enjoying the grandeur of

Lexie Ville that comprises four main rooms, including three self-contained bedrooms along with basic amenities such as a bathroom; a fully furnished kitchen; a dining space; air-conditioning sys tem; first-aid equipment; a fire extinguisher; a security system and potable as well as drinkable water supply, since she also runs a waterpurification and distribution business.

In her view, the hosting of the CPL finals in Guyana for the next two years and Cricket Carnival is definitely a way to drive economic growth for B&B providers. It allows them to enhance the standards of their accommodation and hospitality services, with es sential support from the Min istry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA).

She went on to commend the efforts of the GTA team in ensuring that her residence offered a quality standard by conducting inspections and giving recommendations to make the ‘home-away- fromhome’ experience a good one. Currently, she is looking for ward to transforming the envi rons of Lexie Ville and move on to introduce transportation and laundry services and the provision of breakfast to ease the hassle for patrons who return to destination Guyana.

INCREASED BOOKINGS

Moreover, Andrea (only name given) of Windsor Es tate Splendour on the Ea st Bank of Demerara and Ro raima Elegance at Versailles, West Bank Demerara, indi cated that it felt really good to see increased bookings as well as to be fully booked for the period.

She had guests from India, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States, who were able to have a luxurious stay and bask in the relaxing and tranquil ambience.

For the B&B provider, keeping the residences up to par involves paying atten tion to the needs of guests and using recommendations from reviews to improve the service in order to guarantee a worthwhile stay. Addition ally, she emphasised that there is need for capacitybuilding to provide greater opportunities to benefit all B&B providers at different locations in the country.

Over at EESA Bed and Breakfast residence, Mark Carban stated that he was

booked out, but his guests had other items on their agenda besides cricket and carnival. He shared that a patron even opted to leave on the first night of an initial three-day stay because their favourite team had a crushing defeat. Carban further shared that with B&B services tai lored to tourists interested in exploring all things Guyana, he is committed to make his service safe, secure and com fortable for patrons.

Earlier in the year, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) encouraged Bed and Breakfast providers to be come registered as part of the B&B programme that aimed

GTA Director Kamrul Baksh

event, it will go beyond the period and it is great because it allows individuals to gain meaningful incomes from the Bed and Breakfast pro

to promote the accommoda tion spaces to people visiting for the cricket and carnival period.

GTA Director, Kamrul Baksh, said the B&B pro gramme was developed to advance accommodation solutions due to the lack of room capacity for the in creased number of travllers and it has become a ‘novel thing’ for Guyana.

“Given the great recep tion that we had from this initial Cricket Carnival 2022

gramme,” Baksh told this publication.

He added: “We will con tinue to encourage home owners, apartment owners and so forth to let their rooms out. There was a great impact on income being derived for micro businesses and small busi nesses [and] we will con tinue to provide the support to build out on the bed and breakfast for other major expos and events.”

Entrance to the EESA Bed and Breakfast (B&B) residence (Photo by Mark Carban)

The living room section at Lexie Ville B&B residence (Photo by Jannice Chesney)

Lexie Ville offered three self-contained bedrooms for patrons (Photo by Jannice Chesney)

Patrons got to relax in comfort at Windsor Estate Splendour (Photo by Windsor Estate Splendour)

Windsor Estate provided the ambience and space to unwind after a terrific day at the events (Photo by Windsor Estate Splendour)

The Roraima Elegance B&B residence at Versailles

Deadly landslides sweep away homes in Venezuela

Deadly landslides have swept away homes in Venezuela’s Las Tejerias city, south of the capital Caracas.

At least 22 people have been reported dead, and a further 52 are missing after the torrential rainfall caused by La Niña weather pattern.

Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez visited one of the worst-affected areas on Sunday. Rescue services are working to find those still missing, she said.

President Nicolas Ma duro described the situation as “difficult and painful”.

About 1,000 emergency personnel were taking part in search and rescue opera tions, deputy civil protec

tion minister Carlos Perez Ampueda added.

The landslides hap pened after the El Pato river burst its banks, and the resulting floodwaters swept away several houses and shops.

Carmen Melendez,

a 55-year-old local, told AFP: “The village is lost. Las Tejerias is lost.”

Las Tejerias, which is some 67km (42 miles) from Caracas, has been hit the hardest in Venezuela by this year’s La Niña weather pattern.

La Niña is a naturallyoccurring event, which involves a cooling of the Pacific Ocean and usually brings wetter conditions to Asia, Africa and Latin America. (BBC)

Tiger that killed nine people in India shot dead

Police in India have shot dead a tiger after it killed at least nine people in Champaran, Bihar state.

Dubbed the “man-eater of Champaran”, the beast was killed after a hunt by around 200 police offic ers and district officials. Some officers patrolled on elephants to find it.

The male tiger had been terrorising commu nities around the Valmiki Tiger Reserve.

India is home to more than 70 per cent of the world’s wild tigers.

India’s tiger reserves –protected areas where the animals can live – have not expanded at the same rate as its tiger population.

That has forced some big cats to turn to humandominated landscapes for survival, which leads to livestock, and sometimes

people being killed.

The operation was led by Bihar police, who sur rounded a sugarcane field near the village of Sitaltola Baluwa to kill the threeyear-old tiger known as T-104.

Kumar Gupta, chief wildlife warden for the region, told the Times of India the tiger had been identified as “dangerous to human lives”.

Valmiki Tiger Re serve’s director, Nesam ani K, said the final hunt to find T-104 had begun on Saturday, shortly after news emerged that a moth er and her child had been killed in a tiger attack.

“It was a sleepless night for the whole vil lage,” Paltu Mahato told the Hindustan Times.

“While some of us kept banging stones against

each other, others kept beating tin containers to shoo away the tiger.”

Attempts to tran quilise the animal were unsuccessful and the tiger showed a “complete lack of fear” when surrounded by teams, Gupta added.

Two teams, on two el ephants, went into the for est, and a third one was on stand-by where authorities thought the tiger would exit from.

T-104 was shot at 15:15 local time on Saturday.

Bihar’s wildlife war den said there was no information available to suggest the killings of people had been carried out by another tiger. Ac cording to government data published in 2019, between 40 and 50 people are killed by tigers each year. (BBC)

Rescue efforts continue in Las Tejerias, as torrential rain has caused deadly landslides (AFP photo)

Vigorously pursue new harbour bridge

- to facilitate increase in maritime activities, growth in business - PSC tells government

PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali, and Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill on Sunday visited the section of the Demerara Habour Bridge that was hit by a fuel tanker to inspect the “significant” repairs already done, and to get a first-hand update on the situation which has disrupted commute for thousands.

Minister Edghill, who was the first to visit, said teams of workers will con tinue with emergency repair works in an effort to return the bridge to functionality.

During his visit, he stat ed that everything that needs to be in place has been put in place, and that works will continue to have the bridge back in operation in the shortest possible time.

President Ali and a team later visited the location. Engineers and other officials who were on site informed the Head of State of all the work that has been done thus far, and other works that are required to return the bridge to its normal state.

Subsequently, Minister Edghill, on his official Fa cebook page, revealed that

the instruments of appoint ment were handed out to the members of the Board of Inquiry (BoI) which was established to investigate the incident.

The BoI comprises of Captain Joseph Lewis, Mar itime Administration De partment (MARAD)’s legal officer, Thandi McAllister, Youland Hughes, Lieutenant Colonel David Shamshu deen, Patrick Thompson, Dimitri Ally and Inspector Ross of the Marine Depart ment of the Guyana Police Force.

On Saturday, October 8, around 02:00hrs, the MV Tradewind Passion, a ship which was consigned by GuyOil to transport fuel, which also carries a Pana manian flag, crashed into the bridge.

The ship was supposed to traverse in a southerly direction to pass through

who were on the bridge at the time for routine main tenance, scampering. One staff, Andrew Duke, who was communicating with the vessel via radio up until the point of collision, sustained a fractured leg, and is pres ently hospitalised.

CONCERNED

Meanwhile, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) last evening expressed con cern at the increasing num ber of accidents involving the bridge.

“In light of another sig nificant accident where a marine vessel crashed into the aged Demerara Harbour Bridge, the Private Sec tor Commission expresses grave concern, and calls on all captains and opera tors of vessels traversing the Demerara River to take maximum precaution to avoid accidents, especially when in the vicinity of the Demerara Harbour Bridge,” the Commission said in a press release.

The organisation pointed out that thousands of Guya nese depend on the bridge to go about their daily lives, and hundreds of millions of dollars is lost daily when the bridge is out of commission.

on both sides of the river.”

Further, the PSC said it is fully aware that increased marine traffic, because of the oil and gas industry, exponentially increases the risk of such accidents.

business, and the lives of the citizenry.

the opening of the bridge. However, it went in a south easterly direction and hit the bridge at Spans Nine and Ten with its front and rear.

As a result of the impact, the two spans of the bridge shifted some 45 degrees out of alignment. The collision sent a number of workers,

It added, “Over the past few weeks, there have been significant damages sus tained to the bridge due to barges hitting the infrastruc ture. We are fearful that the frequency of this situation can eventually lead to the Harbour Bridge becoming compromised, and out of service for extended periods, causing a national disaster, especially in the context of the major developmental projects that are taking place

In this regard, it said, it is imploring “the Gov ernment of Guyana to as siduously pursue the highly anticipated New Demerara River Bridge,” adding: “It is evident that Guyana needs this project to allow for the passage of larger vessels which are required for the proper functioning of the Oil & Gas sector as well as the traditional ones.”

The release added that the PSC envisages that a modern four-lane solid-state bridge will lead to faster economic growth, and maxi mum utilisation of resources on both sides of the river, as there will be 24-hour access daily, thereby positively impacting private sector

“The Commission takes this opportunity to urge all regulatory agen cies to do better. As we await the findings of the investigation underway, we urge that better sys

tems be put in place to ensure safer operation of this important infrastruc ture. It is our expectation that the Maritime Admin istration Department will take a more proactive ap proach in supervision on the bridge,” it added.

They Wear Many Hats

REGARDLESS of when we attended school, most of us have vivid memories of our school days and the teachers who helped mould us. Some of us can name those we liked and even those we disliked, recalling incidents which may have helped shape our attitudes towards these educators.

Those of us who were students in the 60s, 70s and the decades before that in this part of the world, no doubt remember the iron discipline with which teach ers ruled their classrooms, ‘wild cane’ at the ready.

Today the great majority of teachers in schools are committed to their jobs and worthy of our respect and

appreciation, because on their shoulders lie the edu cation of future generations.

It is in honour of those who work hard to help mould our youngsters that UNESCO (The United Na tions Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation) launched World Teachers’ Day on October 5, 1994.

On this day each year, and celebrated last Wednes day, we say ‘thank you’ to teachers this year under the theme: ‘The transformation of education begins with teachers’.

UKFEIT – The Educa tion Development Forum – declares that this is a day to celebrate the transforma tive and critical role that teachers play in growing

learners’ potential. The or ganisation urges that we en sure teachers have the tools they need to effectively carry out their jobs and that they be recognised for their ‘key role.’

While UNESCO is ad dressing calls for action made at a recently held ‘Transforming Education Summit,’ UKFEIT partners are working to strengthen the role of teachers and provide them with the nec essary support.

One such group, PEAS (Promoting Equality in Af rican Schools) takes a look at the role of senior female teachers, noting that they play a central role in em powering female students, prepare girls to create and

achieve goals after leav ing schools and serve as a source of inspiration for their young charges.

In her blog, Dr Lindsay Brown, Steinhart Institute of Human Development and Social Change makes the salient point that few of us were prepared to take on the role of teacher fol lowing the school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. She suggests that these pandemic years should have taught us the value of student-teacher contact.

She cites research which confirms that, “teachers are the most important schoolbased factor in student learning and their effects can be detected well into

adulthood.”

However, Dr Brown de livers a scathing criticism of our attitude towards mem bers of the profession, say ing: “But while we expect teachers to don the hats of social worker, psychologist, and mentor, among others, we collectively do little to support them in their work.”

Certainly in this country far too many parents are still inclined to visit the school for a confrontation with teachers rather than to attend a parent-teachers meeting where they can be of help to both the teacher and the school and learn of their child’s progress.

Researchers observed that in developing coun tries, teachers, who often

face many of the difficulties that their students encoun ter, may be met with chal lenges the children them selves bring from home.

Dr Brown notes: “Pov erty, domestic violence and [in conflict areas] the emotional toll of losing a parent or sibling can all contribute to inconsistent student attendance, diffi culties concentrating and disruptive classroom behav iour.” These are issues that teachers are often called on to deal with and expected to do so effectively.

Thus, one Teachers’ Day greeting, in the words of a child, says it all: “If parents give us life, teach ers teach us how to har ness life to the fullest.”

Nigel Hinds is either lazy or mischievous

Dear Editor, REFERENCE is made to Mr Nigel Hinds’s letter pub lished in the Stabroek News dated October 8, 2022, with the caption, “Budget ques tions for the Senior Minister with responsibility for Fi nance.”

Editor, all of the informa tion Mr Hinds is requesting the minister to provide him, are publicly available. I am immensely taken aback that Mr Hinds, who is a chartered accountant and a former prime ministerial candidate of a political party that contested the 2020 elections, is unaware that all of the information he is seeking is publicly avail able. One can only reasonably conclude, therefore, that he is either lazy, mischievous or vexatious, or perhaps a combi nation of all of the foregoing.

Editor, I am unreservedly unapologetic about the above statement, especially since I have noted the outrageous ly extreme posture taken by Hinds with the allegations against the government on dis criminatory policies, that the economic policies pursued are discriminatory. Yet, Mr Hinds fail to credibly justify his ar gument with sound evidence and policy analysis.

Given the fact that Mr Hinds has proven to the world, inter alia, his public letter to the minister seeking answers on information that he can in dependently obtain and verify, confirmed that he has abso lutely no clue where to find the data and all of the financial information on the country’s public finances, which are all publicly available on the Min istry of Finance website, and

he has effectively discredited his own extreme contentions about discriminatory practices and policies by the govern ment. Let me make it simpler: if he has no clue where to find the information to do any analysis to justify his outland ish and extremism claims, then it goes without saying that his arguments have no basis, no merit, hence, devoid of truth altogether.

Nevertheless, let me help Mr Hinds by pointing him to the source of the information he is seeking so he can do his own homework. Hereunder mentioned are the questions Mr Hinds posed to the minis ter followed by my response pointing him to the source documents.

What is the regional budgetary allocation for each region of Guyana? Kindly

provide breakdown between current allocation and capital allocation by region? This information can be found in the budget estimates, volumes 1 & 2, and can be accessed from the Ministry of Finance website. For ease of refer ence, here is the link: https:// finance.gov.gy/budget/budgetestimates/.

How much is budgeted for construction contracts for each region? This can be found in the budget estimates as stated in (1) above.

How much is budgeted for subventions to Non-Gov ernmental Organisations, the amount for each organisation and the names of these organi sations? This can be found in the budget estimates as stated in (1) above.

For the nine months end ing September 30, 2022, how

many contracts have been ap proved for over GY$100 mil lion; what are the names of the contractors for the individual contracts and what is the total value for each contract ap proved? The award of all gov ernment contracts is not state secrets. All of the information can be found in the media.

What amount of royalties is budgeted to be received in 2022 under the 2016 Pro duction Sharing Agreement (PSA), between the Govern ment of Guyana and Exxon and its partners? This can be found in the appendix of the budget 2022 speech and can be accessed on the Ministry of Finance website.

How much royalty was received by the Government of Guyana in 2021 under the 2016 PSA? This can be

found on the Bank of Guyana website. For ease of reference, here is the link. https://bankof guyana.org.gy/bog/researchpublications/natural-resourcefund/quarterly-reports. Please note that monthly, quarterly, and annual reports are pub lished with this information on the bank’s website, regularly and in a timely fashion.

How much were the prof its received by the Govern ment of Guyana in 2021, un der the 2016 Profit-Sharing Agreement with Exxon and its partners? I appreciate the minister’s timely response. Again, this can be found from the same source cited above at number six.

Editor, I hope this is helpful to Mr Hinds.

Yours faithfully, Financial Analyst, Joel Bhagwandin

Foreign investors signal interest in agriculture sector

By Naomi Parris

GUYANA’S agriculture sector has been receiv ing significant recogni tion across the region as the country forges ahead with major investments and strategic solutions to reduce the country’s, and, by extension, the region’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.

In a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Agriculture Minister Zulfi kar Mustapha disclosed that several investors, both for eign and from the Guyanese Diaspora, have signalled a renewed interest in the country’s agriculture sector.

“We have a number of investors; more and more

people are coming to Guy ana to invest,” he said, add ing: “We have a number of persons from the Guyanese Diaspora who want to come and invest in various sectors in agriculture.”

Noting that the AgriInvestment Forum and Expo held back in May served as a catalyst for investors, Minis ter Mustapha said: “The investment forum was a catalyst to bring in investment and we have re ceived a number of propos als coming in now.”

Following the forum, investors from Brazil, Trini dad and Tobago, Israel and other countries signalled their interest in various subsectors.

Most recently, the Israe

lis expressed their interest in hydroponics, a non-tradi tional way of growing crops.

This investment will see the increase in the number of shade houses used in the production of high-value crops such as broccoli, car rots and cauliflower at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

In addition to this es tablishment, another hy droponics farm near the Soesdyke-Linden Highway is underway.

This farm, once com pleted, is anticipated to be the largest hydroponics pro ject in Latin America and the Caribbean. Blueberries, strawberries and other ex otic crops could be grown there.

At the 33rd Inter-Ses sional Meeting of the Con ference of Heads of Govern ment of CARICOM (Carib bean Community) held back in march, the decision was made to host the investment

forum as a decisive step to achieving the ‘25 by 25’ agriculture target (reducing the region’s US$6 billion food import bill by 25 per cent by the year 2025).

The premier event,

which was held from May 19-21, saw over 500 del egates and 100 exhibitors participating. Over the three-day period, several regional heads met to foster discussions on their future plans to achieve the said target and to discuss the cur rent grave global situation of the shortages and high prices of imported food fer tilisers and other agricultural inputs as well as the severe problems affecting transpor tation and logistics.

Action plans to address food security, regional transportation, trade bar riers and the inclusion of women and youth in the agriculture sector were also discussed at the fo rum.

GNBS puts together grand plan of activities for National Quality Week 2022

Dear Editor,

SUNDAY October 09 marks the beginning of National Quality Week (NQW) 2022, which is spearheaded by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS). This year, the GNBS has several engaging activities planned to commemorate the occa sion for its staff, its stake holders, and the public.

The week of activities surrounds World Standards Day, which is observed an nually on October 14. For World Standards Day this year, the focus continues to be on standards to build a world that is fairer and more sustainable for our future generations. The theme iden tified by the key International Organisations for Standards is “A Shared Vision for a Better World”. As in 2021, this theme for 2022 contin

ues to focus on affirming the importance of the SDGs to “build back better” after the COVID-19 pandemic.

To start off the week, on Sunday, October 09 and Monday October 10, video messages will be aired by the Hon. Oneidge Walrond, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, and the Act ing Executive Director of the GNBS, respectively. These messages will be published on social media and other media outlets.

On Tuesday, October 11, the GNBS, in collaboration with the CARICOM Region al Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and CARIFORUM will host a National Dialogue forum for Agro-processors at the Regency Suites, Hadfield Street, Georgetown. This forum will focus on increas

ing the awareness and the use of quality infrastructural services to build competitive ness in the local industry. Additionally, the intent is to identify the challenges of the industry, and to develop an action plan to provide sup port. The GNBS encourages agro-processors to participate in this half-day forum.

For Wednesday, October 12, the GNBS will conduct a Media Launch of the Nation al Quality Awards (NQW) for 2023. This early launch will outline plans for the prestigious Business Awards, and make way for earlier ap plications from participating companies. Meanwhile, the Bureau’s Marketing Depart ment will also launch a Made in Guyana Video Campaign on social media to encourage more local businesses to ap ply to use the Mark on their

products.

On Thursday, October 13, the doors of the GNBS will be fully opened as it hosts an Open Day and exposition at its Exhibition Site, Sophia Head Office for students, clients, and members of the public. At the event, which commences at 09:00hrs, par ticipants will be exposed to a wide range of standards and services provided by the Bu reau to ensure consumer pro tection and business growth. An outside radio broadcast on NCN 98.1 FM from 10:00hrs will also be done to highlight the proceedings of the day’s event.

On World Standards Day, Friday, October 14, the fo cus will be internal to the GNBS as it hosts its Staff Ap preciation Day and Awards Ceremony. As is customary, employees who have been

with the Bureau for five, 10, 15, 20 and more years will be awarded for their longev ity with the standards body. The list of awardees includes two staff members who have worked with the Bureau for 35 years.

Throughout National Quality Week, the GNBS Corporate Communications and Marketing Departments will share information, via the newspapers, radio, tel evision and social media to

ensure that the public is up dated and involved. On this occasion of National Quality Week, the GNBS encourages all Guyanese to get involved with standards.

For further information on this subject, please con tact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0064 or 2190065 or WhatsApp us on 692-4627.

Yours sincerely, Guyana National Bu reau of Standards

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

GPOC taking steps to reduce carbon emissions

THE world on Sunday celebrated World Post Day under the theme, “Post for Plan et”, which saw postal operators around the world making a com mitment to reduce their CO2 emissions by half by 2030.

The Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) held their cel ebrations on Friday, where Prime Minister Mark Phillips was ex pected to deliver fea

ture remarks. While he was unable to attend, he sent his written remarks in which he noted that in Guyana, the post is taking steps to transi tion towards a green and sustainable postal sector.

In the written re marks which were read by Post Master General, Karen Brown, the PM indicated that the coun try is working on the development of a road map to build a sustain

able future and foster social advancing and human wellbeing.

To this end, it was stated that in keeping with the theme, this year’s observances call for immediate consid eration of the adjust ments that can be made in order to achieve this goal.

“The post is unique ly positioned to assist in the fight against climate change and to achieve this, there must

be meaningful part nerships between all stakeholders committed to building a sustain able green economy,” Brown read.

Added to this, the PM emphasised that the infrastructure of the postal sector makes it a key player in at taining the sustainable development goals, na tionally, regionally and internationally.

While noting that global postal operators have made the commit ment to halving their collective CO2 emis sions, he said that some key areas of focus are green buildings, clean transportation and re duced consumption of water, fuel and reduce waste to achieve same.

Locally, the GPOC has demonstrated its commitment by invest ing in solar energy at its head office. This move to solar power will be replicated through the network of post offices to reduce the carbon foot print, the PM said.

Small measures such as these implemented over a period of time will result in the nec essary changes for a sustainable green econ omy.

PM Phillips in his remarks pointed out that the government has signaled its support for the GPOC in its efforts.

He highlighted the importance of the post and noted that it can be argued that without the post there would be no email, without the concept of mailing

letters there would be no mailing of packages and cargo and by exten sion online shopping.

This year’s Post Day, according to the prime minister marks the 148th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union and as such also aims to bring awareness to the role of the post in the eve ryday lives of people and businesses as well as its contribution to global, social and eco nomic development.

Mental health services more accessible

last two years, says Health Minister

THE Health Ministry has made great advances to improve and make mental health services

more accessible to the people of Guyana in the last two years, Health Minister Dr. Frank An thony said on Sunday in a message to mark World Mental Health Day 2022.

Today is World Mental Health Day, and the oc casion is being observed under the theme, “Making Mental Health & WellBeing for All a Global Priority”.

establishment of a Men tal Health Board, whose members, among oth ers, will include a human rights specialist, a user of mental health services, and a family member or caregiver of a person with a mental health disorder.

The Board will work to ensure the protection of the rights of people with mental health disorders.

The minister noted, too, that despite their in dependence from the Min istry of Health (MoH), the Salvation Army and

Resident Psychiatry Pro gramme, increasing train ing in the subspecialties of child and forensic psy chiatry, and also student exchange programmes for fellowships and observer ships,” the minister said in his message.

He added that apart from these successful partnerships, the ongo ing decentralisation of mental health services has seen the establishment of clinics at several re gional hospitals and health centres in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

Senior police officers graduate from Hugh Wooding Law School

Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony

“Significant progress has been made thus far with mental health legis lation. In July 2022, the Suicide Prevention Bill 2022 was tabled in the National Assembly for the first time. This addresses preventive measures to combat suicide and men tal health awareness. This Bill also provides for the repeal of the section of the law that criminalises per sons who attempt suicide,” the minister said.

He also noted that in August 2022, the Men tal Health Protection and Promotion Act were tabled and passed in the National Assembly, thereby replac ing the archaic Mental Hospital Ordinance of 1930.

This modern legisla tion aligns with all the major international instru ments relating to the rights of people with mental ill nesses. This new Bill, the minister said, will see the

Phoenix Recovery Centre continue to receive fund ing through government subventions to support their in-patient drug reha bilitation projects.

EXPAND RESEARCH

“The MoH continues to expand research in mental health, through its current partnership with several international or ganisations. Among those is a collaboration with Columbia University, De partment of Psychiatry, geared at examining the risk factors for mental health in Guyana. We have also commenced anoth er collaboration with a Canadian charitable or ganisation, International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF), to address mental health in vulnerable communities.

Plans are also ongoing for a partnership with the North Well University and Mount Sinai in several areas, including the ex pansion of the Ministry’s

There has also been an expansion of psychiatry satellite clinics for adults across all regions, except for Regions Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), while children and ado lescent clinics have been established across Regions Three, Four, Five and Six.

The Health Ministry, the minister pointed out, has also established sev eral Mobile Psychiatry Clinics which cater for persons with mental illness who are unable to go to the hospital to receive medical treatment, and to facilitate admission if necessary.

Currently, this encom passes Regions Three, Four and Five, also facili tating the re-integration of discharged patients to their homes.

“Additionally, Alco hol and Substance Mis use clinics have been established, and cater for adults, children and adolescents. The MoH will continue to work towards improving the quality of mental health services throughout Guyana. What has been accomplished so far are indicators of the pro gress that will continue over the coming years,” the minister said.

Four senior officers of the Guyana Police Force on Saturday graduated from the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago. The officers who have obtained their Legal Education Certificate are Deputy Commissioner (Administration), Calvin Brutus; Deputy Commissioner (Law Enforcement), Wendell Blanhum; Assistant Superintendent, Delon Fraser and Assistant Superintendent, Dominick Bess (Guyana Police Force)

Family problems

EVEN the closest-knit family will have prob lems sometimes; prob lems are inevitable once you are in the world. If you deal with them methodically and without drama, you set a good example to children, and they will take a leaf out of your book when they are in dire straits. Fami lies should always be a child’s safe haven when problems occur, but not all families of fer this type of refuge. Some family circles are vague and uncertain; they break down when difficulties arise, and children suffer the con

sequences. As a result, some families never heal and remain fragment ed. On the other hand, strong families weather the storms and the test of time. They become more resilient as life throws them ‘curve balls’ and accept lessons they de rive from problematic en counters. Look at the fol lowing family problems; how would you deal with them? Try our quiz then check your answers with the ones below.

1) Arriving home un expectedly, you find your 15-year-old son kissing a girl on the sofa. Do you -

a. Chase the girl out of the house and tell her

don’t ever come back there – or else?

b. Give the young sters a serious talk about ethics, dignity and selfcontrol?

c. Tell the youngsters they should be ashamed of themselves and ground your son indefinitely?

2) After setting a trap, you catch your 8-yearold stealing from your purse, which she has pre viously denied. If you tell her Dad, she will get the ‘licks of Lisbon’. What do you do?

a. Punish her and monitor her closely for change; while you inves tigate the reason behind her stealing and lying.

b. Scream at her; use a belt to slap her fingers and wash her mouth with soap; then send her to bed without dinner.

c. Threaten to tell her Dad unless she promises not to do it again.

3) Your daughter (14) is a straight ‘A’ student and doing well. One day you push her bedroom door while she is chang ing and see what looks like evidence of selfharm on her body. Do you -

a. Scream in horror and ask her if she is mad. Then knock her about until she tells you why she did it?

b. Ask her what the marks are and how they got there. Analyse her answers and take steps to address what you both should do next?

c. Tell her she is a disappointment to the family; she has embar rassed you, and you will never trust her again?

4) You think your husband’s heavy drink ing is influencing your children. Especially when your 13-year-old son takes two ‘shots’ of High Wine at a par ty and comes home drunk. Do you -

a. Ask your husband to speak to him about the pitfalls of alcohol and under age drink ing?

b. Threaten him, once he is sober, about what will happen if he ever gets drunk again?

c. Explain your fears to him and the consequences of his actions. Seek profes sional advice before his drinking escalates?

5) After check ing the history, you find out your 9-yearold son has watched

graphic pornography online. Do you -

a. Explain to him that X-rated material is not for children and he must not do it again?

b. Talk to a profes sional for advice on the situation and monitor his internet use?

c. Stop him from us ing the internet unless you can be there to mon itor what he is doing?

6) Your 12-year-old daughter is jealous of her younger brother (10) to the point where she pinches and provokes him, driving him to dis tress. Do you -

a. Keep them separate to prevent a toxic atmos phere?

b. Slap your daughter whenever she ‘troubles’ her brother?

c. Explore the reasons behind her resentful be haviour. Search online for information you can use?

7) Your 15-year-old daughter becomes aware that her father is flirta tious after seeing him with a woman. She vows never to trust him again. Do you -

a. Tell her she has much to learn about life and men in particular?

b. Tell her, now she knows what you’ve put up with all these years?

c. Tell her father how she feels and pray he finds the correct words to make amends?

ANSWERS: 1 (b) Without adequate guid ance, teenagers will get up to mischief. Adults must supervise them and ensure they respect rules and boundaries. 2 (a) Negative behaviour can be a passing phase or a cry for help due to a deeper problem. Parents need to investigate the root cause of adverse

behaviour. 3 (b) Some youngsters are good at hiding their pain and in securities from adults. Self-harm is a genuine cry for help and needs professional intervention without delay. 4 (c) An alcoholic father cannot deter his son from drink ing or advise him on life style choices – the child will not take him seri ously. Parents should as sess and determine when their problems need pro fessional assistance. 5 (b) Children can be equally fascinated and trauma tised by things they see and learn online; without realising the long-term effects on their develop ment. When parents are confused, worried or un sure, they should speak to experts and not leave anything to chance. 6 (c) Sibling rivalry can be profound without any apparent reason or basis for the negative emo tion. Parents must moni tor and intervene where necessary. Giving chil dren individual attention and promoting healthy, practical communication skills, tolerance and love.

7 (c) Girls learn how men treat women based on how their fathers treat their mothers. Once a child has lost respect for a parent, it takes time and a lot of work to regain the bond and trust that once existed.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the CPA hot line on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@ gmail.com

Foreign Service Officer on training course in India

ORNISSA Gordon, a Foreign Service Of ficer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co operation, has been selected for the 69th Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats (PCFD).

The High Commis sion of India which made the announcement in a statement, said the course is being held at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Ser vice, Ministry of Exter nal Affairs, Government of India for a period of one month, from 3-28, October 2022.

Gordon of Region 10 will be part of the 50 delegates from 50 dif ferent countries around the world, who are at

tending this course.

The Foreign Service Officer, on September 29, paid a courtesy call on the High Commis sioner Dr KJ Srinivasa.

The release noted that PCFD courses have been restarted after a three-year gap due to the COVID-19 restric tions. The flagship Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats (PCFD) is held twice a year and is of four weeks’ duration.

The objective of the course is to improve the diplomatic skills of selected participants and familiarise them with political, economic, social and cultural realities that sway foreign relations. During their visits to

India, the participant will also be educated on the culture and his tory of India, the re lease said.

Foreign Service Officer Ornissa Gordon with High Commissioner Dr KJ Srinivasa and another senior officer at the Indian High Commission in Georgetown

Berbice sugar estates surpass weekly production targets

THE Albion/Port Mourant and Blairmont sugar estates have sur passed their weekly pro duction target for the week ending October 8, 2022 by almost 10 per cent.

This development is a continuation of the good performance recorded by the sugar industry within recent times.

According to the in formation reaching this publication, aside from the Berbice estates, the Uitvlugt Estate, which is located in Region Three, surpassed its weekly tar get for the week ending October 1, 2022.

This publication was told that the Albion Estate exceeded its target by some 8 per cent, while the Blairmont Estate ex ceeded its weekly target by approximately 7 per cent.

Both estates began the second crop of 2022 at the end of July 2022, following an abnormal rainy season. Just prior to the commencement of the second crop, the Central Corentyne area saw a 52 per cent increase in rain fall compared with 2021.

This publication un derstands that in Septem ber, which is usually the driest month, there was a reported 32 per cent increase in rainfall com pared with September 2021.

Meanwhile, at the Blairmont Estate, better weather conditions were seen; however, there was a lower turnout of field workers for the second crop when compared with the first.

The Guyana Chroni cle understands that Guy SuCo has introduced a number of incentives to motivate workers to re turn to work at the es tates.

As a result, those who worked 80 per cent or more days for the week when targets were surpassed, are expected to benefit from an ad ditional tax-free day’s pay.

Spotlight on funding opportunities for climate action in Latin America, Caribbean

AT a meeting in Costa Rica, agriculture min isters and high-level of ficials of more than 30 countries of the Americas listened to presentations by representatives of multilateral credit or ganisations and global fi nancing funds, who gave details on opportuni ties for the development of projects on climatechange mitigation and adaptation in agricul ture.

The session was part of a meeting organised by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agri culture (IICA) in San Jose, Costa Rica, with a view to enabling the region’s agri cultural sector to develop a joint position to take to the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Confer ence (COP27), which will be held in Egypt in No vember.

Henry González, Dep uty Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), gave details on how the largest multilat eral climate change fund operates.

González explained that the GCF was estab lished under the Unit ed Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and was recog nised as one of the funding mechanisms of the Paris Agreement.

Specifically, he ex plained that, “We support developing countries to transition towards low emission and climateresilient economies. We go where the private sec tor cannot go and have adopted a high-risk and long-term vision.” He also indicated that, “IICA is one of the entities most recently accredited to ac cess GCF projects.”

González revealed that the GCF has already funded projects to the tune of $10.8 billion, but has managed to mobilise ap proximately $30 billion from other entities, bring ing the total value of its portfolio to $40.2 billion.

“The fund represents approximately two to three per cent of total climate change funding in the world. Approximately 49 per cent of our projects are for adaptation and 51 per cent for mitigation. Thus, we are extremely close to achieving our objective of

Henry González, Deputy Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund; Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility; Christian Asinelli, Corporate VicePresident of Strategic Programming at the CAF-Development Bank of Latin America; Satya Tripathi, Secretary-General of the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet; and Craig Cogut, co-founder and co-managing partner of Pegasus Capital Advisors

creating a balance between the two.”

The official also indi cated that the organisation has funded 70 agriculturerelated projects, valued at $1.1 billion, focusing on issues such as agroecology, the reduction of methane in rice, resilient and low-emission live stock production and the reduction of losses due to food waste.

CROSS-CUTTING

Carlos Manuel Rod ríguez, CEO and Chair person of the Global En vironment Facility (GEF), commended IICA on or ganising the meeting to discuss the position of the agricultural sector of the Americas, in view of COP27, stressing that: “The environment is a cross-cutting issue today and is not the exclusive property of ministers of the environment.”

Rodríguez revealed that the GEF, which was established at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992, has channelled $121 billion in funding over the last 30 years, benefitting 163 developing countries.

“The problems of cli mate change and lost bio diversity are two sides of the same coin, because both are a product of a model based on irrational consumption that aspires to limited growth, with no knowledge of plan etary limitations,” said Rodríguez, who was the Costa Rican Minister of the Environment on three occasions.

“Although our work has concentrated primar ily on ministries of the environment, GEF funds are available to ministries of agriculture.

“Sometimes I ask myself what is the dif ference between minis tries of agriculture and the environment. I think we have transcended that dichotomy, because pro duction and conservation are not in competition. The ministries of agriculture are working with domesti cated biodiversity and the environmental ministries with wild biodiversity, both with the same eco nomic and social actors and the same landscapes,” he said.

Christian Asinelli, Corporate Vice-President of Strategic Programming at the CAF-Development Bank of Latin America, indicated that a recent shareholder meeting of the regional financial in stitution had approved, by consensus, a$7 billion increase in capital – the largest in its history.

GREEN BANK

He maintained that, “We want to be the green bank of Latin America, with 40 per cent of our projects focusing on cli mate change-related is sues, and also to be the economic recovery bank.”

Asinelli stated that, in view of the fact that all countries in the region had committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emis sions, CAF had developed an initiative to create a

Latin American carbon market, in which the agri cultural sector would play a leading role, as it could move from being a net

emitter to being a net sink that captures the gases that produce climate change.

“We are talking a great deal about the envi

ronment and climate, but we are doing too little. We need to wake up to the re ality of the climate-change challenge. No one is com ing to save us; we have to save ourselves, with imagination and innova tion,” said Satya Tripathi, Secretary-General of the Global Alliance for a Sus tainable Planet.

Tripathi referred to the central issue that countries are appealing for private funding for climate action.

“Don’t fool your selves. One billion dollars is not available every year for climate change. The money is not going to come,” he said in refer ence to the amount that the developed countries had committed to under the Paris Agreement.”

Thus, he felt that, “Working with the pri vate sector and develop ing respectful partner ships could produce out standing results.” (IICA)

President emphasises importance of human dignity, equity and respect

at Youman Nabi service

PRESIDENT, Dr Mo hamed Irfaan Ali has emphasised the impor tance of the protection of human dignity, eq uity and respect in or der to achieve peaceful co-existence.

The President was speaking at an event at the Meten-MeerZorg Masjid in Region Three, in observance of Youman Nabi on Sunday.

Youman Nabi (Mawlid al-Nabi) is ob served by Muslims each year to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. Youman Nabi also represents the struggles for justice, peace and equality.

“Human dignity brings respect, it brings balance, it brings produc

tivity,” President Ali said while acknowledging the critical role the reli gious community plays in bringing that balance.

Similarly, he said that the government’s role is to guide the holistic de velopment of the country and formulate policies and programmes to en hance the living stand ards of the people. He said the administration or religious community must not assume the role of imposing on peoples’ personal lives.

“So, when we work as a government to increase productivity; to support the elderly; to support children going to school; to support the sugar in dustry; to support the fisherfolk; to support the

President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali

rice farmers; to support those in Buxton; to build roads; to build health centres; to train nurses;

to bring scholarships-that is part of bringing productivity, that is part of bringing a healthy

human development, hu man achievement, creat ing dignity – and this is how the government is integrated into ensuring human dignity is pro tected,” he said.

In reflecting and cel ebrating the life of the Holy Prophet Muham mad, President Ali said that people must under stand that human dignity is fundamentally the way of life of Islam and many other religious structures.

“If you throw away food and your neighbour goes to bed hungry, you are not doing justice to human dignity. We must collectively understand our responsibility.

“And let me say this: this is not a responsibil ity for the government or the religious leaders or the diplomats alone.

This is not the responsi bility of the rich, because sometimes we think only the rich will be answer able; even if you don’t have anything you are responsible for achiev ing human dignity,” the President reiterated.

President Ali also interacted with per sons who used the op portunity to highlight some of the issues and challenges they are fac ing. Some of the issues raised include pen sions, NIS benefits and support for persons living with disabilities.

He has committed to sending a team led by the Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, to meet with residents and address their con cerns. (DPI)

Cuban Medical Brigade lauded for ’invaluable’ service to Guyanese

It was noted that she went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure they were comfortable, taking into consideration that they were away from their homes and families.

Among those in at tendance at the event were the Cuban Ambas sador to Guyana, Narciso Reinaldo Amador So corro; Chief Medical Of ficer (CMO) of Guyana, Dr. Narine Singh, and the ministry’s Regional Health Services Coor dinator for Indigenous Peoples’ Communities, Michael Gouveia, who chaired the evening’s proceedings.

THE members of the de parting Cuban Medical Brigade were applauded and thanked for the work done during their stint in Guyana, at a dinner and appreciation ceremony held at Duke Lodge on Friday, October 7.

In his feature address at the farewell event, former Health Minister and cur rent Adviser to the Min istry of Health, Dr. Les lie Ramsammy, thanked the Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, Narciso Reinaldo Amador Socorro, and the Cuban Medical Brigade, on behalf of the Govern ment of Guyana and Min ister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony.

Dr. Ramsammy said that Guyana is proud and grateful for the medical service and friendship that the two countries have shared for decades, noting that, “Guyana and Cuba may be separated by a sea, but, having a bond for over 50 years, we do not see that we are separate people.”

He added that Cuba has given much to Guy ana, the Caribbean and the world at large and he expressed hope that Guy ana and Cuba will have an

everlasting friendship.

“Our health sector to day can stand on its own because 45 years ago, young Cuban doctors, men and women, left their homes and families and served the Guyanese peo ple and, today, it is because of them that Guyana has its own specialists and doc tors who have graduated from our own university,” the former health minister said.

He used the opportunity to urge all Guyanese to never forget that the Uni versity of Guyana’s School of Medicine started with Cuban doctors and Cuban professors.

He also praised Cubans for “Operation Miracle,” a global Cuban public ser vice that restores the vi sion of people all over the world, allowing many

to Guyana and to this re gion what few have given and for that Guyanese are grateful.”

Meanwhile, DirectorGeneral of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Vishwa Ma hadeo, thanked the Cuban Medical Brigade for their service and dedication to wards helping Guyanese living on the coast, in Re gion Nine and other parts of the country, especially during the COVID-19 pan demic, which was a very challenging time for all.

Dr. Mahadeo thanked the Chief of the Cuban Medical Brigade, Dr. In eldo Ruiz Arcia, whom he described as a good friend of his and “the best that I have met so far.”

to see their families and grandchildren for the first time.

As the government and people of Guyana say fare well to the batch of Cuban doctors, Dr. Ramsammy reminded the Cuban Am bassador and the people of Cuba that “Cuba may not be a rich country with money, but Cuba has given

He said the head of the brigade has a passion for his work and was always willing to accommodate any request coming from the ministry.

Dr. Mahadeo also made special mention and thanked the coordinator for the brigade, Nirmala Sukhna. He said that the presence of the ministry official made a significant difference as she ensured that the doctors were well taken care of.

Chief of the Cuban Medical Brigade, Dr. Ineldo Ruiz Arcia, and coordinator of the brigade, Nirmala Sukhna of the Ministry of Health (Adrian Narine photo)

Some of the Cuban doctors display the appreciation certificates they received from the Ministry of Health (Adrian Narine photo)

From left to right: Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, Narciso Reinaldo Amador Socorro; Adviser to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and DirectorGeneral of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo (Adrian Narine photo)

How sustainable forest management can enhance the world’s biodiversity

PROCTECTING the ani mals, plants, fungi and mi cro-organisms that thrive in forests must become a fundamental goal of sus tainable forest management worldwide, according to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and partners

Forests are home to most of the world’s terrestrial bio diversity, yet forests and their biodiversity continue to be lost at an alarming rate.

Deforestation is the greatest driver of the loss of valuable biodiversity, with around 10 million hectares lost to deforestation each year, mainly for agricultural expan sion. Other threats include

Through a series of case studies from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethio pia, Finland, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru and the United Kingdom it explores lessons learnt and identifies good practices.

The report recommended various measures and actions that governments and devel opment partners can take to facilitate the mainstreaming of biodiversity in forest man agement.

These are halting and re versing deforestation, com bating illegal and unregulated forest activities, recognising the forest tenure of Indigenous Peoples and local communi ties, preventing the conver sion of natural forests into

over-harvesting of timber, invasive species, climate change, desertification and forest fires.

“The conservation of the world’s biodiversity is utterly dependent on the way in which we interact with and use the world’s forests,” said Tiina Vähänen, Deputy Director of FAO’s Forestry Division, of the report, Mainstreaming Bi odiversity in Forestry, which was launched at the 8th World Forest Week on the sidelines of the 26th Session of FAO’s Committee on Forestry.

Inspiring action, the world’s forests provide habi tats for about 80 per cent of amphibian species, 75 per cent of bird species and 68 per cent of mammal species. In addition, about 60 per cent of all vascular plants occur in tropical forests.

The critical importance of sustainable forest management in halting deforestation and forest degradation, and the associated decline in supply of ecosystem services, is well recognised.

But, says the report, much more needs to be done to make sure that the conservation and sustainable utilisation of biodi versity are embedded at every level of forest management.

The report assesses tools and methods of ensuring the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity is integrat ed into forest policy, strategy and management.

monospecific forest planta tions, ensuring the sustainable management of harvested spe cies, managing and controlling invasive and overabundant species, leveraging global momentum on restoration to enhance biodiversity conser vation, adopting a multisecto ral perspective, providing eco nomic incentives, facilitating market-based instruments and investing in knowledge and capacity development.

“We hope that the wealth of information and recom mendations made in this study will inspire action from those involved in forest manage ment and conservation,” said FAO Forestry Officer Kenichi Shono, who supported the preparation of the report.

The role of forests in maintaining biodiversity is explicitly recognised by the United Nations Strate gic Plan for Forests 2017–2030 and in 2019, FAO adopt ed the Strategy on Main streaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors.

The new report was commissioned as part of a review of progress world wide and to inform future efforts in forestry. It was produced through a part nership between FAO, the Center for Interna tional Forestry Research (CIFOR), and CGIAR’s Re search Programme on For ests, Trees, and Agrofor estry. (FAO)

Deforestation is the greatest driver of the loss of valuable biodiversity (FAO photo)

World Champion!

Verstappen wins 2022 World championship with Japan victory

(Formula 1) - Max Ver stappen claimed victory in the Japanese Grand Prix, and took the 2022 world ti tle with it, after a dramatic late penalty for Charles Leclerc put the champion ship beyond doubt.

Verstappen won a re started race amid persistent rain at Suzuka, with Leclerc initially looking set to finish second. But the Ferrari driv er was penalised for cutting the chicane on the final lap

as he defended from the oth er Red Bull of Sergio Perez.

The dramatic points swing means Verstappen heads to the United States Grand Prix, and the final four races of the season, with an unassailable lead over Perez and Leclerc –confirming him as cham pion.

The race originally got under way as planned at 1400 local time, with Ver stappen defending from Le clerc after a close run to Turn 1, and only two laps being completed before the action was red-flagged amid intense spray and a series of

incidents – which included Carlos Sainz crashing out.

A lengthy delay fol lowed, with the overall three-hour race limit ticking down, and the two-hour window coming into force an hour after the initial start, as Race Control waited for a suitable gap in the weather to get the action going again.

With just under 50 minutes to run on the race clock, the Safety Car led the field out of the pit lane for a planned rolling start, which was soon carried out and released the pack of cars – all of them this time forced to run wets, rather

than having the choice to use intermediates.

From there, Verstappen mastered the switch from wets to intermediates as the track surface gradually improved and edged away at the head of the field, eventually crossing the line more than 20 seconds clear.

Leclerc was on course to finish second, and to keep the title race alive, but he was penalised for cutting the final chicane on the final lap to keep a charging Perez at bay, with the points difference meaning Verstappen sealed the crown.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Monday October 10, 2022)

Esteban Ocon took a fine fourth for Alpine af ter some fierce defending against Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, with Sebastian Vettel recovering from a clash with Fernando Alonso at the initial start to take P6 on his final Suzuka ap pearance.

Alonso bolted on an other set of intermediates in the closing stages to come home in P7, ahead of George Russell, Nich olas Latifi – who, along with Vettel, made an early switch from wets to inter mediates – and McLar en’s Lando Norris.

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD- 83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Shakib Al Hassan (BANG)-41 wickets (31 matches)

Ajantha Mendis-6/8 (SL vs ZIM, Hambantota, 2012)

Today’s Quiz:

Who has scored most runs in a single ICC T20 World Cup tournament to date?

Who has picked up most wickets in a single tournament?

tomorrow’s

South Africa Racing Tips

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West Indies warm-ups crucial – Head Coach

CMC – Head Coach Phil Simmons says West Indies will use the two official warm-up games to finalise their planning for the cru cial qualifying stage of the Twenty20 World Cup.

The Caribbean side face minnows United Arab Emir ates on Monday (Sunday, 8:00 pm Eastern Caribbean time) at Junction Oval here before taking on the Neth

erlands at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednes day at 7:00 pm (4:00 am EST).

“The two warm-up games are about getting things to work together, about getting the plans we have in place, about making sure players are getting sharper and sharp er as they go along,” Sim mons said.

He added: “The mood in

the camp has been very good. We played two games … and we lost the two games but at the same time, some of the things we’re trying to put in place are starting to come in place and the mood in the camp has been excellent.”

West Indies are coming off the back of a clean sweep to world champions Australia in a two-match series last week, losing by three wickets

in Gold Coast and 31 runs in Brisbane.

The series loss was their third in a row following similar results against New Zealand and India in the Ca ribbean, and they have now won only two of their last 10 T20 Internationals.

Not for the first time, the West Indies batting under went a severe testing and was found wanting, but Simmons

said work was ongoing in this aspect.

“The batsmen understand what we need to add to get to where we want to be and they’ve been working hard,” he explained.

“We had a good net ses sion with everyone and ev eryone is looking forward to playing in the practice games, getting in the middle and doing what is necessary

for the team.

“So far, the enthusiasm and excitement is there in all the players, so that’s good to see.”

Following the warmups, West Indies will take on Scotland, Ireland and Zimbabwe in Group B of a tricky qualifying series, with the top two teams from Group A and B ad vancing to the main draw.

Two-time champions out to rekindle Calypso magic

…West Indies team preview

WITH their squad bereft of some of the stalwarts of the game, the West In dies have given some new blood a chance to make a name for themselves and usher in a new era of Ca lypso dominance.

Best finish at tourna ment Champions (2012 and 2016)

The most successful side in the history of the compe tition, West Indies are the only team who can claim to be two-time winners of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

In 2012, they managed to make it out of the Group stage by the skin of their teeth. After losing their first game to Australia, West Indies and Ireland met in a must-win clash. The game was called off due to rain and they qualified on net run rate with just one point to their name.

In the Super 8 stage, the Windies kicked off with a win over England but lost their next game to Sri Lanka. They emerged vic torious over New Zealand in a Super Over to keep their tournament hopes alive. As a result of Sri Lanka beating England, the Daren Sam my-led side made it to the knockout stage by finishing second in Group 1.

They blew Austra lia away with the bat in the semi-final, posting a mammoth total of 205/6. In response, Australia were bowled out for just 131.

The final was a low-scoring affair where West Indies had to defend 137 to win. An inspired

bowling effort led by Sunil Narine’s 3/9 skittled Sri Lanka out for 101 as West Indies got their hands the T20 World Cup for the first time.

Rewind: West Indies win the 2012 ICC World Twenty20, celebrating with a famous dance

In 2016, West Indies had a near-perfect start in the Super 10 stage with wins over England, South Africa and Sri Lanka; the only blemish being Afghanistan upsetting them in their final game.

Playing India at their home, West Indies held their nerve to clinch a fierce ly-contested clash by seven wickets and punched their ticket to the final to meet England.

In the final at Eden Gar dens, chasing 156 for the win, West Indies needed 19 off the final over. Carlos Brathwaite produced one of the greatest moments in T20I history by smashing four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes and etched his name in history as West Indies were crowned cham pions for the second time.

In 2016, Carlos Brathwaite hit England’s Ben Stokes for four consec utive sixes to help the West Indies lift the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Results in the last 10 T20I games (most recent first) L L W L L L L L W L

Fixtures

v Zimbabwe (October 19) - West Indies are one of the favourites to make it out of the group and Zimbabwe have emerged as one of the most improved teams in T20I cricket in recent times.

When the two teams clash in their second game of the tournament, not only is it going to be an exciting contest but also one that could decide their fate in the tournament.

The two teams have only faced off thrice against each other, the last time being in March 2013. West Indies hold the edge with two wins against Zimbabwe, though a lot has changed in the last nine years between the two teams.

Nicholas Pooran - Cap tain. Wicketkeeper. Mid dle-order lynchpin. In the absence of several key play ers who have bid farewell to the game, Pooran will undoubtedly be West Indies’ most important player at the T20 World Cup.

Having made his debut in 2016, it wasn’t until late 2018 that Pooran became a regular in the West Indies side. In 67 matches, he has scored 1398 runs at an av erage of 27.41 and a strike rate of 130.77. Being the most experienced member of the squad, there will be added responsibility on him, especially as a batter.

Following Kieron Pol lard’s retirement earlier this year, Pooran was named the white-ball captain but the start to his stint as perma nent skipper has been far from ideal with only three wins in 10 games.

The upcoming World Cup thus gives Pooran a chance to shine both as cap tain and batter. Though West Indies will want to make it deep into the tournament, Pooran’s first task will be to ensure that he can take his side into the Super 12 stage.

West Indies will enter the T20 World Cup, per haps for the first time with an air of unfamiliarity. The two-time champions, once an unstoppable force in the shortest format, will have to go through the First Round before they can make it to the Super 12.

The dressing room too bears a new look, bereft with some of the stalwarts of the game who have now bid adieu. However, it gives the new blood a chance to make a name for themselves and usher in a new era of Calypso dominance.

At the forefront of it will be Pooran, who wears sev

eral caps - that of a captain, a middle-order enforcer with the bat and the man with the gloves behind the stumps. He is also their most in-form batter with the most runs this calendar year.

The recent emergence of Rovman Powell, Kyle May ers and Brandon King and the return of Evin Lewis are certainly going to be a huge boost for West Indies head ing into the marquee event.

Jason Holder will pro vide much-needed balance to the team, but his role as the leader of the bowl ing attack is likely to take over his ability with the bat. Holder has been the Wind ies’ most prolific bowler this year with 23 wickets and will be supported by Akeal Hossein and Obed McCoy. Odean Smith provide the team with much-needed firepower both with the bat and ball.

On paper, West Indies

are favourites to make it to the Super 12 stage but how deep they go in the tourna ment will much depend on how their bowling attack comes together.

The lack of quality spin-bowling options might hurt the side in the latter stages of the tournament, especially on the bigger Australian grounds.

The absence of Shimron Hetmyer, who was dropped from the squad after missing his flight to Australia, leaves a gaping hole in the middle order.

Squad Nicholas Pooran (c), Rovman Powell, Yannic Cariah, Johnson Charles, Sheldon Cottrell, Shar marh Brooks, Jason Hold er, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Raymon Reifer, Odean Smith. (ICC Media)

Flashback: West Indies players celebrate after winning the 2016 T20 World Cup

Callender tied for first in U-1400 category at Barbados Women’s Tournament

NATIONAL chess player, Jessica Callender, finished tied for first in the U-1400 class(rating) at the Annual Margaret Prince Memori al Women’s Rapid Tour nament, which was held online earlier this month.

The talented Guyanese finished with the same points as Barbadian, Alesha Lovell.

The tournament, host ed by the Barbados Chess Federation’s Women’s Sub-Committee, was held on October 1st – 2nd and attracted 26 participants from ten countries – Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barba dos, British Virgin Islands, Guyana, Jamaica, Marti nique, Netherland Antilles, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

BETTER PERFORMANCE

Callender finished 10th overall, which is an im provement from last year’s

inaugural event, where she placed 15th in the sev en-round tournament.

This year, she won matches against Philana Johnson, Shanelyh Fabias, Alexandra Kumar and Kayla Martin. Callender continues to improve; she registered an exceptional

performance at this year’s FIDE Chess Olympiad where she was one of the top performers on Guy ana’s Women’s team and also earned her condi tional Women’s Candi date Master (WCM) title. Guyana’s Ciel Clement, a 13-year-old up-and-com

ing player, gave a stel lar performance in the tournament as well, fin ishing 18th overall. The youngster from Region Six had impressively won the women’s division of the National U-14 Rapid Open Tournament just a few months prior.

Courts Pee Wee Football Big wins for Enterprise

Primary, Marian Academy

THERE were big wins on the opening day of the 2022 edition of the Courts Pee Wee football tournament on Saturday at the Minis try of Education ground.

Enterprise Primary and Marian Academy were two of the biggest winners on the day as the 2022 edition of the tournament kicked off with support from Sterling Products.

Sophia and Victoria Pri mary who were scheduled to play first were no shows while Colaaco went down 1-3 to Winfer Gardens. Win fer Gardens had Shamar Bishop (8th and 12th) on tar get as well as Isiyah Williams (11th) while Wesley McDon ald scored Colaaco’s goal.

St Pius gained a walk over from Den Amstel who failed to show while Enter prise decimated Craig Prima ry 5-0. A pair of braces from Dontay Kowlessar (11th and 24th) and Jashan Haynes

(12th and 14th) along with Isandro Vincent (34th) were the scorers.

Soesdyke Primary won 1-0 against F.E. Pollard thanks to Mickel Arthur while Kaleigh Todd (13th and 15th and Nyhl George (18th) helped Marian Acad emy to a 3-0 thumping of Timehri Primary.

In Game 7, Ann's Grove Primary had a walkover from Graham's Hall Primary while St. Agnes and Mocha Prima ry were no shows.

West Ruimveldt beat St. Stephen’s Primary 3-0 thanks to Aaron Archer (13th and 15th) and Malachi Alleyne (40th) while Donald Choo (9th) and David Decosta (18th and 26th) helped Re deemer past North George town.

St Margaret’s and Smiths Memorial played to a goalless stalemate Matches continue next weekend.

football league

Big wins for North Ruimveldt, CWSS

THERE were big wins on Sunday for North Ruim veldt and Christianburg Wismar/Secondary School (CWSS) as the GUYOIL Tradewind tankers schools Football league continued.

At the Ministry of Edu cation Ground, North Ruim veldt decimated Friendship Secondary 5-1.

Jevon Pluck opened the scoring for the North Rui mveldt team as early as

the 14th minute with Brian Wharton’s brace (18th and 22nd) setting the stage.

Josiah Joseph (27th) and Jerimiah Moore (50th) moved the scoreline beyond the reach of the opposition,

Zidane Alexander scoring the losers consolation goal in the 45th.

Meanwhile Christian burg/Wismar Second ary School beat Dolphin Secondary 3-0 thanks to

strikes from Krishtian Lew is (32nd), Kelvin Hintzen (50th) and Daniel Adolph (69th).

President’s College also registered a 1-0 win over West Ruimveldt

Secondary thanks to Juan Moses in the 21st while Kelvin Richard son’s brace in the 13th and 50th helped Golden Grove beat Cummings Lodge Secondary.

Jessica Callender

Ciel Clement

CWSS goal scorers (Krishtian Lewis (32nd), Kelvin Hintzen (50th) and Daniel Adolph (69th)/ (Adrian Narine Photo)

North Ruimveldt goal scorers from L-R (Josiah Joseph, Brian Wharton, Jevon Pluck and Jeremiah Moore

Big wins for North Ruimveldt, CWSS