Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 13-02-2023

THE much-anticipated International Energy Conference and Expo returns on Tuesday and exhibitors were applying the finishing touches to their booths on Sunday. At this conference, which runs from February 14 to 17 at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana’s energy sector and other spin-off developments will take centre stage (Adrian Narine photos)

Man dies in Windsor Forest fire

- Another fire displaces Nootenzuil family

A MAN identified as ‘Slowie’ on Sunday Afternoon perished in a fire that destroyed his house at Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara

(WCD), Region Three (Essequibo Islands- West Demerara).

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the building, located at Lot

194 Seventh Street, Windsor Forest, also housed a grocery store and a small church.

Several government officials were on the scene

The charred remains of a section of the Windsor Forest building (DPI photo)

offering their comfort to the man’s wife who sat inconsolably watching as firefighters battled the blaze.

It was reported that the man’s wife and two sons were at home at the time of the blaze. They managed, however, to escape the building. They were rushed to the West Demerara Hospital to have treated, injuries they sustained.

The Guyana Fire Ser-

vice is investigating this fire and is expected to offer additional details on the blaze and the firefighting response subsequently.

Meanwhile, a family of four were displaced after their two-storey Nootenzuil, East Coast Demerara home was engulfed in flames on Sunday morning.

This publication was made to understand that the family was not at home

tion that he was at work when he received the devastating news.

“I went to work and me wife and mother went ah funeral and my two children, they went by their grandmother and then I get a message that the house was on fire. By the time I left work and come the house burn down. Is everything gone, I can’t say how much I lost right now, but is everything gone, I lose

at the time when the fire started. Upon observing smoke emanating from the wooden and concrete building, neighbours and other residents nearby quickly alerted the Guyana Fire Service.

One occupant of the home, Kemraj (only name given), told this publica -

everything” the distraught man added.

Kemraj’s mother and wife, who resided in the house, were distraught as they stood watching their home being ravaged by the flames. An investigation into the cause of the Nootenzuil fire is also ongoing.

The Windsor forest home in flames

The house that was destroyed by a fire at Nootenzuil, East Coast Demerara

President’s ‘Agri Youth’ initiative bears fruit

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha announced on Saturday that the government’s Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP) has earned more than $10 million to date.

During an outreach at Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice- Corentyne), Minister Mustapha highlighted the success of the innovative venture, and shared several plans for its expansion.

“The project already earned more than $ 10 million. On a monthly basis and a weekly basis these crops are being sold to the

–– earns over $10M

oil and gas industry, to the hotel chains in our country,” the Minister was quoted as saying by the Department of Public Information (DPI).

The initiative was launched by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali in January 2022, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). The President posited that the flagship undertaking will stimulate and promote significant economic growth to the benefit of young agriculturists.

More than 100 young graduates of the University of Guyana and the Guyana School of Agriculture are engaged in the shade house

farming; growing crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and romaine and iceberg lettuce.

Initially, about 25 shade houses were to be established for the cultivation of three high value crops. However, the success of the programme prompted the government to invest further in the initiative.

By the end of 2022, 120 shade houses were constructed to support the production. The administration aims to engage a further 100 new young ‘agri’ entrepreneurs and increase the production of the crops by 50 per cent.

The ambitious goal will benefit young people by pro-

viding them with employment opportunities, and boost the country’s economy by increasing food security and exports of high-value crops.

The AIEP is touted as a game-changer for Guyana’s agricultural sector, and it is expected to have a significant positive impact on the country in the short and long term.

“When you look at the agriculture sector the prospect is very bright, we must not have a tunnel vision and just concentrate on cash crop and rice production and believe that is all. We have to move on, consolidate, expand and diversify,” the agriculture minister told residents

Shade house at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD) (DPI photo) of Black Bush Polder during the outreach.

Looking to the future, the government has allocated

$200 million in its 2023 budget for the expansion of the youth farming programme this year.

ExxonMobil starts early works on Wales gas-to-energy project

By Clestine Juan

OIL and gas giant ExxonMobil has been pushing ahead with key infrastructural works needed to facilitate the construction of the multimillion-dollar Gas-to-Energy project at Wales, West Bank Demerara (WBD), the company’s local President, Alistair Routledge, said.

Routledge provided an update on the project during a press engagement held on Thursday at ExxonMobil’s operating centre in Kingston, Georgetown.

“We have been progressing early works in Region

Three. Some of you may have seen bridge improvements, roads, laydown areas (and us) bringing a lot of sand in to begin the preparation of the land over there for that development. A lot is going on,” Routledge told reporters.

Though these works have commenced, ahead of the facility’s construction, the official said the company has not yet settled on its Final Investment Decision (FID) since it is currently awaiting the outcome of a review from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

ExxonMobil Guyana submitted a revised Field

Development Plan (FDP) for the Liza field, in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, to incorporate facilities and plans to export gas from the field to onshore.

Currently, about 380,000 barrels of oil are being produced from the Liza Phase One and Lize Phase Two projects in this block. Now that the natural gas reserves will be tapped to supply the Wales project, the FDP has been modified.

The company has already completed an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and received the Environmental Permit in November 2022.

“We are in the review process with the Ministry of Natural Resources currently on the Field Development Plan and the update to the licence for the Liza field. Once we have gone through that step, we’d be able to make all the Final commitments, Final Investment Decision (FID) around all the investments that are needed,” Routledge said.

He, however, highlighted that the company has determined that it can supply up to 50 million cubic feet of natural gas without impacting the quality of oil in any significant way.

The Gas-to-Energy Project will see a 200km 12-inch diameter pipeline channelling natural gas from the

Liza Phase One and Liza Phase Two Floating, Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessels to a power plant and Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility that will be built in Wales, on the West Bank Demerara.

ExxonMobil’s local affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)- the operator in the Stabroek Block, and its coventurers are constructing the pipeline. That pipeline will be landing on the West Coast Demerara shore and continue approximately 25 kilometres to the NGL and power plant facilities. It has an estimated cost of US$1 billlion and is cost recoverable.

The power plant and

NGL facilities will be funded by the government. Last December, the Government of Guyana and US-based integrated energy solutions group – LINDSAYCA –in partnership with a local firm – CH4 Group – signed a US$759 million contract for the construction of the facilities.

The conversion of natural gas from ExxonMobil’s offshore operations to electricity is a key component of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government’s objective to lower energy costs by at least 50 per cent through an energy mix which incorporates gas, solar, wind, and ‘hydro’ power.

An artist’s impression of the Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) plant (Source: EEPGL)

President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge

Actions of the Police Force during 2020 elections must be

SENIOR Counsel Sophia Chote has called upon the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to review the conduct of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and the events that un-

folded subsequently. Chote, who is the counsel for the Commission, urged the CoI’s Chairman Justice (Ret’d) Stanley John and commissioners — former Chancellor, Carl Singh and Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith to place weight on

reviewed – Elections CoI lawyer recommends

the testimonies of witnesses and the voluminous evidence.

On March 5, 2020, ranks and officers from at least three sections of the Guyana Police Force converged at Ashmin’s building in the midst of a bomb scare. Several of those ranks were accused of aiding attempts to clear the building, even after concern was expressed about the safety of Statements of Poll (SoPs).

“What happened there was abysmal, nothing short of it. [This] is why I think that conduct of some members of the GPF must be looked at [and] must be addressed in the [CoI’s] report,” Chote said.

Further, she noted that Captain Gerald Gouveia, former Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), told the CoI s that it soon became clear that the efforts of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the GPF and agents of the APNU+AFC were not on the side of democracy.

She also read a statement from the PSC which noted that the police force seemed to have been acting under “direct political direction.” It stated that members of the PSC and its observers “witnessed the deliberate and forceful intervention of heavily armed police in preventing the oversight of SOPs at GECOM by physically removing accredited political party representatives, accredited observers, including private sector observers, and the members of the media.”

Additionally, another witness, former Police Division 4 ‘A’ Commander, Edgar Thomas, told the CoI that a number of security decisions were made without his knowledge during the 2020 elections fiasco, and that he was

later punished for refusing to carry out instructions.

Thomas was reassigned and was reportedly told that retired Police Commissioner Leslie James was not pleased with his performance and was not answering his cellphone while on the ground. Thomas had testified that the reassignment was not one for his rank and noted that he was provided no accommodations to work.

Meanwhile, James testified that his ranks may have “violated” his orders and simply went rogue.

“What I was seeing was total disorder,” James said, noting that he recalled watching the livestream of events on national television.

According to James, after seeing the “mayhem and total disorder”, he had to take immediate action.

However, James stressed that he gave no instructions for persons to vacate the buildings, but for the officers to “secure” it instead. He had related, however, that he watched on the live relay as the ranks defied his orders, but he chose to do nothing.

During his testimony, James also said he called Thomas’s cell phone and even his radio set several

was used as a tactic to “intimidate” persons who were left in the building.

“Nurse came and pretended, in my respectful view, that he didn’t know about the first exercise. He only knew about the second one and then he could not stick to one description of the second one.

“But we do know the tactical services unit, a heavily armed unit, specially trained to deal with the most extreme provocations in law, were called out to deal with citizens sitting down and waiting … that night,” Chote said.

times to find out what was ongoing on the ground on the day in question but all went unanswered.

This eventually led to the then “Top Cop” making a “personal decision” to remove Thomas without his knowledge.

In reflecting on the evidence before the CoI, Chote said that she is conflicted on the testimony of former officer-in-Charge of the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) Guy Nurse, who had denied claims that he had handed down instructions to escort the GECOM Chair out of the Ashmins building on March 5.

However, TSU officers had previously testified about receiving instructions to “clear” the building and “lock it down.”

“Now this whole thing confuses me, and reading over the evidence quite frankly didn’t offer me much resolution. Because we are told that- by the chair and by other witnesses- that [Senior Superintendent, Phillip] Azore took the chairman out of the building.

“I think you can make a finding that there was absolutely no reason for the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) to be called out to Ashmins building,” Chote said. She added that TSU

With concerns mounted about the work of the Guyana Police Force, Chote expressed hope that the CoI’s Chairman would seriously review the actions of the officers as he assesses all the events that unfolded after the last elections.

The CoI commenced in November 2022 and is expected to hand over “its report, findings and recommendations” to the President, in writing, within seven months.

According to the Terms of Reference, the commissioners will make recommendations as deemed fit and necessary to permit GECOM to discharge its statutory functions as prescribed by the Representation of the People Act.

Guyanese, after casting their votes on March 2, 2020, had to endure a five-month wait for the results of the elections, as they witnessed alleged unlawful acts and a slew of legal challenges.

It was only after the legal challenges and international intervention that a national recount of all votes cast was convened, and the figures showed that the PPP/C had received 233,336 votes, while the APNU+AFC coalition got 217,920 votes.

Senior Counsel Sophia Chote of Trinidad and Tobago

Mc Calman- Nelson is National Poetry Slam champ!

TWENTY of Guyana’s poets gathered at the Castellani House, Georgetown, on Saturday night for the National Poetry Slam and, at the end of the night, Jamicia Mc Calman- Nelson emerged as Guyana’s poetry slam ‘champ’.

The ‘slam’ featured several dramatic pieces with the poets speaking about societal ills and tackling local issues in their own way. Mc Calman- Nelson- through her piece ‘Another One’- tackled the scourge of domestic violence.

Passionate and clear, hers was a message that too many women are hurt and lost to violence. And before another woman winds up hurt, or worse, dead, she pleaded for the scourge to end.

Her chilling piece found favour with the judges, allowing her to edge past 19 other finalists and cop the first place prize of $200,000.

“Honestly, when it reached second place and I heard that my name was not called, I started walking back to my car, because I believed that there are many amazing presenters.

“… But God gets all the glory. When I found myself stumbling with my words, I asked God to say them as he wants me to say them. I wrote this piece since 2018, and this is the first time, I tried learning it. I trust that it sent across the right message to the audience,” the poet

told the Guyana Chronicle moments after it was announced that she won.

After Mc Calman- Nelson came Jalen Chancellor while Kean Dey took third place. They also walked away with cash prizes. Importantly, all of the finalists took home $10,000.

Franale Holder, the coordinator of the event, told this newspaper that the aim of the event was to spotlight some of the talent that exists locally.

“… It is to bring to the fact that we have great writers in Guyana and the fact that they are very expressive

and are able to articulate themselves in a very dramatic manner. So, the purpose of this is to encourage them to do what they do best and that is writing dramatic pieces or just doing slam poetry in general,” Holder said. She also opined that local poetry, once nurtured and supported, can be internationally recognised.

The National Coordinator further explained that she has done her best, sharing her knowledge with the poets to keep them going on from strength to strength.

“I would have shared my knowledge with them, being a writer myself, as to how you can present your pieces to the world and even if they aren’t cut for the stage,

they also continue to write and definitely have actors or somebody else do your pieces because, as they say, the proof is in the pudding,” Holder said.

Well-known playwright and dramatist Al Creighton said that the poetry event

was part of the Guyana Literary Festival that was held at the weekend. The festival was organised by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. Another highlight of the festival was the return of the Guyana Prize for Literature.

Jamicia Mc Calman- Nelson is Guyana’s poetry slam ‘champ’ (News Room photo)

Some of the National Poetry Slam finalists before their performance at the Castellani House on Saturday night (Delano Williams photo)

Deficient and Inadequate

IN the National Budget, the Minister of Finance usually outlines planned programmes and policies of the government over the next year and how they will be financed.

This year, the National Budget was presented in the National Assembly after wide consultation with the public. After its presentation, as per norm, there was a debate. One expected a lively response from the parliamentary opposition with better ideas. The opposition had a whole week (from January 16 till January 23) to prepare for the budget after it was unveiled by the Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, on January 16. The debate lasted almost two weeks. The opposition’s response was, however, lacklustre, poor, and deficient.

The budget debate was supposed to provide the opposition with an opportunity to critique the budget, exposing flaws and showing how it would have better spent the funds. There was hardly any from the APNU+AFC. The budget was pragmatic with doable programmes. The need for practicality is very important in a country with limited capital. The opposition did

not outline any practical ideas worthy of consideration by the government.

Regrettably, the opposition came to parliament with what critics described as one of the worst responses to a budget –seemingly unprepared as one listened to the incoherent, unfocused responses of opposition members of parliament. They offered no meaningful alternatives on what government ought to do. The opposition appeared confused about what they should do in a budget presentation. They came across as unprepared; it appeared they didn’t do any research. The government MPs were more focused and made far more intelligent comments on the budget than their nemeses, although some government MPs were not up to par. It is the opposition that is supposed to hold the government to task, not the other way around.

Clearly, these opposition MPs did not even read the budget or study it to make constructive critiques or offer suggestions that government could consider for funding and implementation that would help transform the economy to boost development. It was a budget to improve lives today and building prosperity for the future. It is designed to accelerate development.

There was nothing constructive from the opposition, no ideas to improve peoples’ lives, prepare the country for tomorrow’s challenges, or fast track development. They praised nothing in the budget -- not even the school and uniform grants that they cut when in government (2015 to 2020); not even meals for kids in public schools; not even an increase in the pension for that vulnerable segment of the population; not even the measures to mitigate costof-living increases; not even programmes that will uplift poor communities and marginalized people, and not even for the allocation to revive the sugar industry that was decimated under their cutbacks.

One critique of the opposition response was that most presenters simply muddled through their presentation with unfocused, disjointed, unconnected remarks. They were not synchronized. There were repetitions by presenters, including by the Opposition Leader, suggesting inadequate preparation or caucusing among opposition members on how they would tackled the budget. The opposition did not expose valid holes in the budget. It could be that the budget was so good that the opposition could not find much fault with it.

Some of what was said by opposition MPs was unclear, unintelligent, and incomprehensible. Some MPs garbled utter nonsense. Some criticized the budget for criticism’s sake with no meaningful objective; their criticisms did not impress the pubic. The budget was given an overwhelming approval of 88% by the general public by a poll, clearly suggesting that the Finance Minister and the government MPs did a better budget in presenting and supporting the programmes and funding in the budget. It appeared that they didn’t find favour with any aspect of the budget.

Clearly, the opposition failed to do their homework in Budget 2023. A budget is not only information recorded on a statement for parliament or for the opposition to critique. It is a serious document, having implications for the lives of everyone in the nation. The opposition should not have taken the budget lightly and ignore its many benefits for the country and the population. MPs should have been more prepared to debate the budget with sound analyses.

They would do well to come prepared for the next budget presentation.

Asset recovery needs to be integral part of financial crime prevention

Dear Editor,

I’D like to commend the Special Organised Crime Unit’s (SOCU) recent success on the arrest of the Herstelling money-laundering family syndicate published by various media entities on February 9, 2023.

This success was most likely achieved with the help of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), which is responsible for processing Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs), although they did not get much credit from the press. The staggering G$4.1 billion in laundered funds causes me to ask two simple questions.

Firstly, what plans are there for criminal asset recovery? Criminal prosecution goes as far as to punish culprits and uphold the law so that an example is made out of the Herstelling family for other Guyanese. However, asset recovery would be a welcome gift to the public coffers and show that SOCU is a net gain

for the taxpayer’s dime.

The UK’s Serious Fraud Office essentially pays for its own operations through recovered assets and court fines. In future, it is important for journalists and the public to ask questions about asset recovery to encourage this element of financial crime prevention.

A money-laundering report is incomplete without this crucial factor. For illustrative purposes, G$4.1 billion is nearly as much as the entire budget allocation for sport ($4.3 billion) in 2023.

In other words, a full asset recovery or court fine, could just about triple current pensions (i.e. appx. G$2.1 billion of current government expenditure on pensions (budget speech data) + G$4.1 billion in asset recovery of laundered funds = G$6.2 billion or triple the expenditure for pensions) for one year.

Not to mention that the court fines could well exceed the G$4.1 billion in laundered funds if we prosecute the com-

panies that are responsible -- and this is just one case.

This brings me to my second question. What are the arrangements being made to prosecute these businesses? It takes two to tango and the other half of the coin is the Chinese businesses that were using this family to launder their money.

Given the significance of the amount, I dare posit that it is perhaps more in the public interest to prosecute the foreign businesses responsible and not just the private citizens.

If you have seen ‘The Ozarks’ (a popular Netflix show about money laundering), then you would know that American law enforcement habitually cuts deals to obtain useful information to bring down the bigger fish.

I wonder what this case could have achieved if SOCU had offered the family a reduced sentence in return for their cooperation to incriminate the businesses for which they were working.

This case provides a golden opportunity for Guyana to showcase the excellence of its AML (anti-money laundering) regime to avoid any future blacklisting from CFATF (Caribbean Financial Action Task Force).

I do hope that the authorities have recognised the opportunity to make a request for mutual legal assistance to the Chinese embassy in accordance with FATF (Financial Action Task Force) Recommendation 37, so that we can recover the proceeds of crime and bring the 22 culpable companies in China to account.

We should be seen to be working towards a golden standard in Anti-Money Laundering.

SOCU at the very least appears to be turning the gears in the right direction. I wish our investigators every success.

Yours faithfully, Othniel Lewis

Editor Navendra Seoraj

President Ali’s leadership is respected and trusted locally and globally

Dear Editor, GROWING up in Guyana, the Caribbean and elsewhere, one of the lessons we were taught by our parents, teachers and elders is to always tell the truth under all circumstances.

It is one of the most important lessons that is known worldwide. It is a value that should be cherished and respected by all, and President, Dr Irfaan Ali is no exception.

Since being sworn in as President on August 2, 2020, President Ali has told the nation that no matter the situation, he will always be honest and respectful not only to those who elected him to office, but to all persons regardless of race, ethnicity, or party affiliation.

Few can deny that President Ali has not been honest to the people and dedicated to the cause of improving their lives. In return for his honesty and dedication, Guyanese from coast to coast and in the diaspora have placed their trust and confidence in him to make Guyana a prosperous nation.

This is being exemplified by his style of governance, his “One Guyana Initiative” and his 1000-man programme, both of which are geared towards uniting the people, bridging the poverty gap and inspiring our youths to become law-abiding, decent and productive citizens.

However, his outreaches to the people in the rural areas of the country, especially his recent visit to Berbice where he was greeted by thousands, is a clear indication that the people believed in him and trusted him to do the right thing for them and the country.

It has become natural for citizens to trust President Ali because during his campaign for the presidency, he ran on a mainly economic platform, that cited declining growth, increased joblessness, and the high crime rate under the Granger administration.

As a result, he promised to create 50,000 new jobs over five years, provide house lots to those who needed them, construct houses for vulnerable Guyanese, rebuild the economy and increase the country’s Gross Domestic

Product (GDP) and reduce crime. After two and a half years in office, President Ali is on his way to fulfilling the promises outlined in the PPP/C manifesto. His government has already created more than 30,000 jobs, awarded more than 20,000 house lots to citizens, built more than 200 houses, reduce crime, and the country’s GDP is hovering around 35 per cent, which is perhaps the highest in the world.

In the area of housing, President Ali has promised other initiatives that are being implemented across the country to meet Guyana’s housing demand. Those are free building materials for selected categories of new homebuilders, low interest rates and long-term mortgages and low-cost housing.

President Ali has also stuck to his promise to reopen the sugar estates that were closed by the APNU+AFC government, even though they had promised not to close the estates in their 2015 campaign.

During the 2020 campaign, Dr Ali had made it abundantly clear to all and sundry that except for the Wales Estate on the West Bank of Demerara, where sugar cultivation has been discontinued, the infrastructure dismantled and lands sold, a PPP/C government will ensure that the three other estates closed by the APNU+AFC government are reopened.

And while many in APNU+AFC had criticized his plans to reopen the shuttered sugar estates as unrealistic, President Ali has once again proved them wrong. He has not shied away from the pre-election commitment to reopen sugar estates.

In fact, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha on February 1, 2023, stated that the Rose Hall estate will be reopened by the end of September this year.

On the international scene, President Ali has undeniably positioned Guyana as the leader of the Caribbean and the Global North (First World) countries in several areas, including climate change, energy, and food security.

According to His Excellency: “The government is managing the country in a way that will ensure sustainability, resilience and prosperity.”

He said: “We want to position Guyana through the leveraging of our natural assets, and through the leveraging of our natural competitive advantage, position Guyana at the front seat of all three of these areas.”

After two and a half years in office, many of President Ali’s counterparts in the Caribbean and elsewhere have respected and trusted him and have commended him for his strong leadership and dedication to climate change, energy and food security, all of which have existential economic, political, and social outcomes for all nations, especially those in the Global South (Third World).

Yours sincerely, Dr Asquith Rose

The 21st Century Goldrush for Oil Dorado

Part 3: Guyana’s Golden Gateway to Economic and Energy Security

Ahead of this week’s February 14-17, 2023 Guyana Energy Conference and Expo, this four-part series follows the original search for Guyana gold five centuries ago that preceded the 21st Century oil rush that’s fueling the Cooperative Republic’s fortunes into a golden future!

THE historical information in Parts 1 and 2 of this series was sourced exclusively from the online information provider Wikipedia.

But the unending El Dorado legend has many other extensions; and although neither the fabled man, city, kingdom or Empire of Gold were ever found, the name continues inspiring movies and stories in the 21st Century.

And it’s a popular name too for villages, towns and cities across The Americas and Caribbean, also adopted by bars, tourism and entertainment facilities.

Guyana’s gold (in its interior) always attracted diggers from across the Caribbean and neighbouring Brazil, French Guiana and Venezuela over long decades, illegally panning for the precious metal, just like their predecessors did.

But the arrival in Guy-

ana of the giant Canadian-owned Omai Gold Mine in the 1990s changed the state of play, creating the largest gold extraction operation in South America, producing over 3.5 million tons between 1993 and 2005.

ExxonMobil started drilling in the early 2000s and by 2015 started entering into agreements for continuity in Guyana, where the payload below its waters is a vast and endless new ocean of subterranean (liquid and gas) energy.

The Stabroek Block –being drilled by a consortium comprising US-based ExxonMobil and HESS and including China’s National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) -- is today uploading endlessly from the Guiana Basin, with plans on fast-track for production of one million barrels per day (bpd) by 2027.

Stabroek is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers) large, with its gross recoverable resource now estimated at more than 11 billion oil-equivalent barrels from successful exploration wells.

Guyana’s offshore fields are estimated to have po -

tential resources of more than 25 billion barrels and estimated reserves of over 11 billion barrels.

But already, even though the boom has just started, oil resources, reserves and revenues have transformed one of the poorest nations in the Caribbean and continental South America from a junior player on the global energy market in 2020, to the world’s fourth-largest oil producer and supplier in 2023.

The government, earlier this month, withdrew US$200 million from the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) – mainly contributed to by taxes, royalties and other payments from the investing companies – as its first draw-down for 2023, to finance national development priorities approved in the recently-approved US$3.7 billion 2023-2024 national budget.

Some US$607.6 million was withdrawn last year to finance projects and the National Assembly also approved US$1.002 billion to be transferred during the current fiscal year.

The government also aims to increase the nation’s share in its newfound wealth through roy-

alties and sale of 14 new oil blocks next month, at prices between US$10 million and US$20 million, to increase the national stake in local energy this year, from 14.5 per cent to 27 per cent.

Guyana will also be one of 65 nations offering blocks on the global platform in May, expanding its base as a new global energy player.

For decades derided as the Caribbean’s “most resource-rich, but dirt-poor nation”, Guyana today continues to attract global, regional and domestic interest while pitching for investments from both North and South, including new American, Canadian and European firms, as well as from Africa, China, India, Gulf and other Arab states, while cooperating with oil-producing neighbours Brazil and Suriname.

In mid-January 2023, ExxonMobil and Hess both announced finding more oil and intentions to build new rigs, the first of which has also arrived to drill the first well owned by Canada’s CGX; and CNOOC launched a $10 million fund for University of Guyana scholarships.

On Tuesday (February 14), a four-day 2023 Guyana International Energy Conference and Expo (ending February 17) will be

held at the Georgetown Marriott hotel, the third in an annual series also supported by Suriname.

The main address will be by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at University of Columbia, a former United Nations advisor, wellknown, highly-experienced and globally respected for his vast knowledge and understanding.

He will address the conference theme Harnessing Energy for Development and can also be expected to draw the interesting links between Big Oil, Small Nations and Huge Hopes.

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali says aggressive exploitation of the Caribbean region’s natural gas potential is needed to ensure Caribbean energy security and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) – which will also attend the conference -- is showing strong interest in financing energy projects in Guyana, which CDB President, Dr Hyginus ‘Gene’ Leon, says, “has every right to all the benefits it can earn” from its Oil and Gas resources.

The CDB also aims to help attract more regional involvement in opening-up Guyana’s golden energy gateway.

Delegates started arriv-

ing for the conference over the weekend, including 20 new Canadian companies.

According to Canada’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman, “They are not all oil and gas, as there will be some others, including renewables and tech companies… involved in the energy sector.

Meanwhile, ExxonMobil, which posted record global profits of US$56 billion in 2022, says it sees “greater potential for further expansion” in Guyana in 2023, with eyes on the new oil blocks to be auctioned in March.

ExxonMobil’s Guyana President, Alistair Routledge, says: “We’re always interested in new acreage, and, clearly, where we’ve had some success, it brings a certain degree of interest, and we should be knowledgeable on it. We’ve registered for the bigger end.”.

Clearly, thanks to its emerging energy revolution and the prudent management of the sector, as its new High Commissioner to Canada, Keith George, said recently, “Guyana has transitioned from A Land of Great Potential to A Land of Promise!’

NEXT SUNDAY: A Rearview Review in Fast-Forward!

Fire Service confirms welding residue cause of Parika Market Fire

THE Guyana Fire Service (GFS), on Sunday, confirmed that residue from a welding torch came into contact with nearby combustible materials, leading to the horrific fire that recently destroyed a large portion of the Parika Market Complex, East Bank Essequibo.

According to a press release from the Fire Service, reports of this fire were received at about 15:14hrs. on Friday. Five water tenders, a bowser, and two support vehicles from the Leonora, La Grange, Eccles, Campbellville, Central, and West Ruimveldt fire stations were dispatched to the location.

High winds and market area’s clustered layout, however, constrained fire-fighting efforts. Consequently, the entire building and its contents

were destroyed before the fire was extinguished.

Subsequently, an investigation was launched and it was found that residue from a welding torch that fell into a

storage bond, igniting nearby combustible materials.

Many vendors have been affected by this fire. On Friday, they were seen running from the fiery blaze and

shielding themselves from the thick black smoke. They had no choice but to leave all their belongings behind.

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, who was at

the scene at the time of fire, assured the vendors that officials from the government will be meeting with them shortly.

“We intend to meet with

those who claim they have losses and make listings for consideration, evaluation and assessments and then we will take it from there,” he said. He added that the issue must be approached in a systematic way.

Head of the Region Three Private Sector Inc. (R3PSInc), Halim Khan, who was also at the scene, said that this will be a hard economic hit for the region.

“Everyone knows that the market here has been existing for decades. We have goldsmiths, we have all other persons selling electronics and everything is completely destroyed; and so, everyone who sells in the market here, they have to start back from scratch,” he said.

The market was said to be in the second phase of rehabilitation works that were sched

The ravaged remains of the Parika Market Complex (Guyana Fire Service photo)

Firefighters attempting to extinguish the blaze (Guyana Fire Service photo)

‘Predictable policies not bad decision-making’

- President Ali says gov’t focused on maintaining investor confidence

WITH Guyana’s development on an incline in several sectors, President, Dr Irfaan Ali said his government is focused on predictable policymaking in an effort to maintain the interest of investors in Guyana.

The Head of State made these remarks as he spoke at the commissioning ceremony for US$25 million heavy-lift berths at the Guyana Shore Base Inc (GYSBI).

During his address, President Ali explained that bad policymaking led to the delay of GYSBI’s expansion and several other projects along the coastline. In fact, upon entering office, he met with several developers along the coastline who

were waiting for more than two and a half years for their permits for works to be looked at. The President added that those issues were fixed in months and many of these facilities have completed work

within two years.

“So, two and a half years these companies were waiting for permits; in the last two and a half years, as a result of granting those permits, more than $25 billion has been invest-

ed directly along the coastline by those companies,” Dr Ali highlighted.

The unlocking of this approximately $25 billion investment brought more jobs to the sector with the

building out of support services and other things. And bad policymaking, the President stressed, cost these businesses and investors quite a lot.

Without the muchneeded approval for the expansion of these facilities for over two years, the investor would have had to incur at least a 20 percent increase in the capital cost of building this facility.

Dr Ali, however, added that these instances do not bode well for investors and would cause them to lose confidence in investing here.

President Ali said, “A country and a government must have a level of predictability that must have investors’ confidence. If you

lose predictability in policymaking, you lose investors’ confidence.”

With that, he indicated that the crafting of a strategy to develop and advance Guyana is precise, delicate and structured work that is being done at the moment.

“I assure you there is no guessing about what we’re doing, that is why there is so much predictability about where we are going,” Dr Ali said.

This he said has fostered an environment with the most dynamic and innovative business operations. The head of state noted that when one is to reflect on the growth and dynamism that is taking place, one can be proud to see what has evolved.

President, Dr Irfaan Ali

New agro-processing facility, drainage works to help Reg. 6 farmers - Minister

A NEW agro-processing facility and much-needed drainage works are among the areas where the Ministry of Agriculture will be investing significant sums of money this year to aid farmers in Region Six (East Berbice- Corentyne), Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said on Saturday.

According to a release from the Ministry of Agriculture, Minister Mustapha conducted an outreach activity on Saturday in Crabwood Creek, Corentyne Coast, and there he said about $50 million will be spent to rehabilitate dams in the cultivation areas.

While responding to issues related to access to farmlands,

of Agriculture

Minister Mustapha said that the sum was allocated last Friday following consultations with the National Drainage and Irrigation (NDIA) and the Regional Officials.

Minister Mustapha, according to the release, also said a $25 million agro-processing TURN TO PAGE 11

Minister

Customers win big at Massy’s largest promotion

up at 02:00hrs in the morning with the episode still replaying in his head.

Fuelled by this, he got up early and headed straight down to Massy Stores Mega where he was finally reassured that it was not a prank but in fact, the truth.

Moreover, the General Manager of Massy Guyana, Robert Singh, in his feature address not only commended Weeks for his loyalty to the store, but also on winning the prize.

“I would like to point out also, that these successful promotions spread love and happiness, even beyond the immediate winners,” Singh said.

He further stated that because of the success attained through the promotion, not only has the company profited in terms of expanding its customer base, but also even the friendly customer service representatives were rewarded for their excellent performance.

STEMMING from the idea of increasing the store’s customer base, Massy Guyana, through their Christmas Jackpot promotion, has managed to pull off their largest promotion to date, raising the bar in terms of winning prizes.

A brand-new 2022 Nissan X-Trail, a sofa set, a trip to a local tourist destination and $300,000 cash were among several prizes up for grabs at Massy Stores, nationwide.

Thousands participated in the promotion which ran from November 14, 2022January 31, 2023.

Colin Weeks, a retired colonel of the United States Army, is now the winner of a brand-new 2022 Nissan XTrail, worth over $8 million.

Weeks, in delivering brief remarks, called the prize a

“blessing” and not just mere luck.

He also stated that he frequently shops at both the Massy Stores Mega and their branch at Providence, not only for baby supplies for his young son but also products for the entire household.

Recapping the surreal moment, he said that when he received a phone call telling him he was a winner in the Christmas Jackpot promotion, he thought someone was playing a prank on him.

He claimed that the scenario kept repeating in his mind and that it took some time before it actually occurred to him that he had won.

Weeks, who was still very skeptical, revealed that he went to sleep, but woke

According to Singh, within the last few months, because of the promotion the number of local suppliers for Massy Guyana has increased by over 25 per cent.

Meanwhile, other prize winners included Surojanie Roopchand who shopped at Massy Stores in Providence and won a trip for two to a local destination; she chose Iwokrama.

Also, a new sofa was won by Michael Brazao, who shopped at the Montrose location.

Janakdai Persaud, a shopper at the Massy branch at Vreed-en-Hoop, also won a new Samsung gas stove; Amanda Munro won a new AKT motorcycle with her entry at the Ruimveldt location and Charlyn Artiga, who shopped at the Massy Stores Mega, won a chance to win up to $300,000 in cash.

The winner of a brand-new 2022 Nissan X-Trail, Colin Weeks with his wife Dominique Williams and their son

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha (right), engages a farmer during his outreach to Region Six (East Berbice- Corentyne) on Saturday (Ministry of Agriculture photo)

of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha (right), engages farmers during an outreach activity to Region Six (East Berbice- Corentyne) on Saturday (Ministry of Agriculture photo)

New agro-processing facility, drainage works to help...

FROM PAGE 10

facility will be constructed in Crabwood Creek. With that facility, he emphasized, farmers will be able to move to more value-added businesses instead of solely selling their harvested produce.

At the meeting, farmers reportedly raised numerous concerns about flooding and called for critical drainage works to be executed. Although many farmers indicated that they were well aware of the interventions made by the government to develop the agriculture sector over the past two years, they told Minister Mustapha that they were still having challenges.

Minister Mustapha assured the farmers that the government will continue to support them as agriculture remains one of the most important sectors in Guyana.

DRAINAGE WORKS

That said, he highlighted that work was being done to improve the drainage infrastructure in Crabwood Creek and that farmers will soon benefit from improved drainage with the installation of a new pump which is expected to be operable before the end of the first quarter of 2023.

“We can’t build a new sluice now. What I can commit to is ensuring Crabwood Creek gets a new pump. This will happen within a month. It will be a 100-cusec pump and will be here permanently so that the farmers can benefit. Engineers from the NDIA will come back to the area to do an assessment and we’ll make machines available to desilt all of the canals,” the Minister said.

During a meeting with farmers from Black Bush Polder, he also assured them that they will benefit from improved drainage and irrigation. Farmers noted that with Black Bush Polder being the largest agriculture scheme in the Region, they needed to receive optimal drainage.

The Black Bush Polder farmers also sought an update from the minister on the fertiliser for cash crop farmers that was announced by the government sometime last year.

While responding to the farmers’ concerns, Minister Mustapha said that NDIA will be constructing two pump stations in the scheme this year.

“We started it last year - to build two pump stations in Black Bush Polder so you’ll have drainage and irrigation. We are also looking to construct the Hope-like canal so that Joanna and other areas can get drainage there. We will also do work in the Cookrite Savannah so that farmers can have access to their animals,” he said.

He also disclosed that cash crop farmers from Black Bush will begin receiving the promised fertiliser in the coming week.

“When we saw that the price of fertiliser was going up and farmers were hard-pressed, the government made $1 billion available to purchase fertiliser to give to the farmers. $900

million for the rice farmers and $100 million for the cash crop farmers. I want to announce that (cash crop) farmers from Black Bush Polder will begin receiving their fertiliser from Wednesday,”

he noted.

Cash crop farmers present also raised concerns about the presence of chemicals in the irrigation canals. They explained that persons who are contracted

to carry out routine maintenance of the irrigation canals are using chemicals to kill the vegetation and it was affecting their crops.

While noting that the contract clearly states that the use

of chemicals is prohibited for the maintenance of the canals, Minister Mustapha told the farmers that closer monitoring of those works will be done by the regional officials and the Water

Users Association. He also said that a team from the Pesticides and toxic Chemicals Control Board will be visiting the region to conduct tests on the irrigation canals.

Seedling nursery contributes to coconut farmers’ success in Lethem

FARMERS in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), will now have easier access to an adequate number of highquality seedlings at an affordable cost. That’s according to the General Manager of Hope Coconut Industries Limited (Hope Estate),

runs at its full capacity,” Roopchand said.

It was noted that this intervention is aligned with the government’s Manifesto promise to develop the agriculture sector, with an emphasis on making it both competitive and substantiable.

And according to Roopchand, such in-

nut fibre, also known as coir, which, as the General Manger noted, are excellent organic materials for composting and seedling growth.

Finally, Roopchand said that farmers in Region Nine are being encouraged to make full use of the opportunity, as the coconut business is both lucra-

Ricky Roopchand, who told the Sunday Chronicle during an interview that the acquisition of the highquality plants was made possible by the recent establishment of a coconut seedling nursery in Lethem.

This was specifically recognised as being the 10th seedling nursery in the country, which was made possible by the Ministry of Agriculture, and the government’s National Coconut Decentralisation Programme.

“The establishment of the 10th nursery will now make it possible for the programme to produce 206,000 coconut seedlings, annually, if it

terventions will enable food security, as well as improve the livelihoods of farmers.

“The Agriculture Minister also said that the coconut sector in Guyana is very important, and has tremendous potential for improvement, especially in the area of producing valueadded products, which is more lucrative,” Roopchand said.

With that in mind, Roopchand explained that three coconut fibre machines have been purchased by the government, and are expected to arrive in the country very soon. Those machines will help “jump start” the production of coco -

tive and inclusive, in that everyone can get involved, regardless of their gender.

Last November, Guyana imported its first batch of Brazilian Green Dwarf Coconuts from the Brazilbased Tecnologia na Produção de Coqueiros (COHIBRA).

The Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha had noted that the investment is considered to be a “game-changer” for the country’s economy.

It was also noted that the seed nuts are reportedly from a three-year highbreed coconut that has the capacity to produce copra, water and oil.

Hope Estate General Manager, Ricky Roopchand (second left) and employees of the Region Nine Coconut Seedlings Nursery

A section of the coconut seedling nursery in Region Nine

Prison Officers urged to exhibit professionalism

PRISON officers were on Saturday urged to adopt methods to execute their duties with more expertise, accountability and change.

This call was made by Director of the Prison Service (ag), Nicklon Elliot at the Prison Headquarters’ first quarterly muster and general inspection of officers.

According to a press

as officers at all times, no matter the circumstances.”

Elliot also added, “Prison officers must enforce all the rules and policies that the prison officials institute in order to maintain good order and discipline within the prison walls. Without prison officers, prisons would be running by the inmates and complete chaos would occur.”

Under the theme, ‘Pro-

release from the Guyana Prison Service, Elliot noted that such conduct would play a major role in the attempt to deliver an effective and efficient service, not only to the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), but also to the general public. He further explained in the press release, “Prison officers play a vital role in the existence of the Guyana prison system. They are the first line of defence within the Prison Estates. They are ultimately responsible for the safety, security, and supervision of inmates that are under their care, so you must remain disciplined and adopt [sic] to changes

moting Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Prisoners’, Elliot stated that the Prison Service has a duty to give inmates the skills necessary to make it easier for them to reintegrate into society.

He further explained that an aim of the prison is to assist the inmates in realizing their errors and improving themselves as people.

Moreover, Deputy Director of Prisons, Kevin Pilgrim, emphasised the necessity for careful selection and thorough training, which are key for the crucial public service as prison staff.

Director of Prisons (ag), Nicklon Elliot inspecting his Prison Officers

Local business analytics firm gets Local Content Certificate

SPHEREX Professional Services Inc., a 100 per cent locally owned company established in May of 2022, recently obtained its Local Content Certificate from Guyana’s Local Content Secretariat.

The company is principally owned by Shivani Bhagwandin and provides business intelligence and analytics services in Guyana. The firm also provides professional advisory in business and finance.

Director of Business Intelligence and Analytics, Joel Bhagwandin, in a press release, stated that, with the emerging

oil and gas sector that is driving the economic transformation and development taking place in the economy, there is an increasing need for this type of service targetting foreign investors in particular, and local companies.

The release further noted that SphereX carved out a niche market for itself against the backdrop of the inevitable and unprecedented paradigm shift in the local business landscape wherein companies have come to recognise and appreciate the value of data-driven decision making.

In keeping with Guyana’s Local Content law, a Guyanese national or Guyanese company issued a Local Content Certificate by the Secretariat receives preferential treatment in the award of contracts by the oil companies and their sub-contractors. This document confirms that the Secretariat is satisfied that the holder of the certificate is a Guyanese national or Guyanese company. Oil companies and their sub-contractors are more incentivized to utilise vendors that are approved by the Secretariat, which falls under the purview of the

Ministry of Natural Resources. When registering with the Secretariat, suppliers are

asked to submit certain crucial documents, depending on the type of proprietorship. Once those necessary documents have been lodged, applications go through a rigorous screen-

ing process by the Secretariat’s Registration Unit. This firm system is designed to filter out companies that wish to circumvent the spirit of the law. Registration is free of cost.

Border-Gavaskar Trophy moved out of Dharamsala

( ESPNCRICINFO ) - The third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia will not be played in Dharamsala, because the venue is not ready to host

after an unfavourable report from the Board’s inspection panel

As reported previously, the panel visited the ground on February 11 , and noted several bare patches on the

Dharamsala was, incidentally, the venue where India clinched the 2016-17 series against Australia , by winning the fourth Test by eight wickets

India are up 1-0 in the

the match.

The BCCI is yet to finalise the new venue, but Indore and Rajkot are reportedly the frontrunners A final decision is expected to be taken soon ESPNcricinfo has learned that the BCCI took the decision to move the fixture out of the venue in the Himalayas

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CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday February 13, 2023)

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Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

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Answers in tomorrow’s issue

The HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala will not host the third Test • ICC/Getty Images

City clobber Aston Villa to move three points behind Arsenal

(BBC) - THREE first-half goals helped Manchester City see off Aston Villa in their first game since being accused of more than 100 rule breaches by the Premier League.

Those allegations have made it a testing week off the pitch for the defending champions but they responded in impressive style with some vibrant early attacking play, and were able to survive a slightly nervy finish

It was not quite a vintage display by Pep Guardiola’s side, who will go top of the table if they beat leaders Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, but they were much more like their old selves

The noisy atmosphere certainly helped Guardiola had issued a defiant response to the charges before the game , and City ’ s fans reacted in similar fashion at a vibrant Etihad Stadium , singing songs about their situation and in support of their manager, and also the club’s owner Sheikh Mansour.

City’s players appeared galvanised too , and made the perfect start when Rodri headed home Riyad Mahrez’s corner, but they had to wait until just before the break to add to their lead

Calum Chambers ’ attempt to cut out a Kevin de Bruyne through - ball saw him head the ball beyond his on-rushing keeper Emi Mar-

tinez and , although Erling Haaland could not convert from a tight angle , he had the composure to look up and find Ilkay Gundogan for a tap-in

Mahrez made it 3-0 from the penalty spot soon afterwards, after Jacob Ramsey had clipped Jack Grealish inside the box

That should have been the end of Villa’s hopes, but they were gifted a way back into the game just after the hour mark

Bernardo Silva ’ s error allowed Ollie Watkins space to run through and he beat Ederson with a cool finish

City still had the cushion of a two-goal lead but continued to be sloppy when they played out from the back and

were grateful to see a longrange effort from Philippe Coutinho deflected just over, while Jhon Duran hit the bar with a fierce volley in the dying seconds

City fans turn up the volume

Guardiola had promised beforehand that his team would ignore any off - field noise concerning the club’s situation , but City ’ s fans created plenty of that themselves

They showed they were able to smile at some of the possible punishments they face if found guilty, singing “City going down with a billion in the bank” as the team bus arrived, and the chants about their situation continued once the game started.

Wu Yibing becomes first Chinese man to win an ATP Tour title

There were banners too, including one with a rude gesture directed at the Premier League , with the accompanying message reading “investigate this”.

But the commotion certainly did not distract City’s players - if anything they appeared more fired up than they have been in recent weeks, reflected in their fast start which proved enough to earn them the points

Villa start badly but end well

On paper a second successive defeat might indicate a backward step for Villa after their good start to the year, but Unai Emery’s well-organised side eventually showed why their results have been much improved in 2023

For long periods before the break Villa sat back and looked to hit the home side on the break , but were let down by needless defensive mistakes - the worst of which cost them the second goal

They got greater rewards when they pressed higher up the pitch in the second half, bringing loud groans from the home side whenever they won the ball back

The pace of Watkins was a constant threat, but the non - stop running of substitute Duran set the tone for Villa’s efforts in the final minutes, and he was unlucky not to pull another goal back before the end.

(BBC) - Wu Yibing became the first Chinese man to win an ATP Tour title, with victory over John Isner at the Dallas Open.

The 23-year-old, ranked 97th in the world, won 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (14-12) in just under three hours

He saved four championship points against American

former world Number Eight, Isner

Wu is set to rise to world number 58 when the rankings are updated on Monday, making him the highest-ranked Chinese player in ATP history Wu, who was playing in his maiden Tour-level final, did not compete on the Tour from March 2019 to January 2022 because of numerous injuries

Prior to competing in Dallas, he had recorded just six wins on the Tour, but defeated American top seed Taylor Fritz, and Canada’s third seed Denis Shapovalov en route to the final.

Narine, Russell help Comila Victorians reach fourth BPL final

(ESPNCRICINFO) - DE-

FENDING champions Comilla Victorians made it to their fourth BPL final after trouncing Sylhet Strikers by four wickets in Qualifier 1 in Mirpur Strikers will now face Rangpur Riders, who beat Fortune Barishal in the afternoon’s Eliminator, in Qualifier 2 on Tuesday. Sylhet would rue missing three chances during Comilla’s chase Mushfiqur Rahim was involved in all three - dropping two skiers and missing a stumping It could have made a difference

It was Comilla’s varied and experienced bowling attack that set up the victory Andre Russell , Mustafizur Rahman and Tanvir Islam took two wickets apiece , and Sunil Na -

rine, Moeen Ali and Mukidul Islam picked up one each

They combined great lengths with a wicket - taking approach that left Sylhet with

no respite

Shafiqullah Ghafari, the 21 - year - old uncapped Afghan, fell to Russell in the second over, before Tanvir

ran out the in-form Towhid Hridoy with a direct hit When Moeen’s extra bounce took out Zakir Hasan in the following over , Comilla

had Sylhet on the ropes at 16 for 3.

Their recovery came through the surprise appearance of the veteran Mashrafe Mortaza who promoted himself to No 5 He cracked two sixes and as many fours in his 17 - ball 26 , and lent a helping hand to Najmul Hossain Shanto who was batting calmly at the other end

But the pair fell within eight balls of each other when Mashrafe skied Russell and Shanto was bowled by Tanvir Tanvir dented them further by removing Ryan Burl on the next ball to make it 78 for 6 in the 11th over Mushfiqur tried to resuscitate the innings but to no avail, as Strikers were bowled out for a paltry 125 in the 18th over

Narine gave Comilla a

rollicking start, hitting four sixes and three fours in his 18 - ball 39 He fell in the fifth over, but it had a lasting impact despite Comilla floundering in their chase Litton Das had earlier fallen in the fourth over , while Johnson Charles and Imrul Kayes couldn’t get going Moeen Ali , though , struck a 13-ball 21, and Mosaddek Hossain played the anchor ’ s role with an unbeaten run-a-ball 27

There was another wobble when Moeen and Jakir Ali fell in the same over but by then the target was just 19 runs away Russell, who was the beneficiary of one of Mushfiqur ’ s dropped catches , smashed a couple of sixes to complete the win in the 17th over.

Andre Russell and Co celebrate a wicket (Comilla Victorians)

Wu Yibing had won just six Tour-level matches before the Dallas Open

Haaland set up Gundogan to score his third Premier League goal of the season

Motie bags career best 7-37 to leave Zimbabwe wobbling

(ESPNCRICINFO)

- JUST like a more high-profile surface several thousands of kilometres away, the pitch at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo offered plenty of turn as early as the first session on day one, and West Indies' left-armer Gudakesh Motie used the assistance to run through Zimbabwe with figures of 7 for 37. By stumps, the visitors had already taken a first-innings lead.

Zimbabwe were shot out for just 115 in the 41st over, having lost eight wickets for 41 runs. Innocent Kaia top-scored with 38 and Donald Tiripano's unbeaten 23 helped drag the hosts past 100.

The day had begun with West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel extracting considerable bounce at high speed from

the slow surface, but that quickly made way for Motie's left-arm spin troubling the batters out of the rough.

Motie had conceded 16 runs in his first four overs, but eventually accounted for the last seven Zimbabwe wickets. His first victim was Milton

Shumba inside-edging to short leg, after the lefthander skipped down to defend a ball turning into him. Two overs later, the slow turn away from the right-hander Tafadzwa Tsiga had him ballooning a catch to point. And in the 27th over, Craig Ervine was trapped in

front when he missed an attempted sweep.

When Wellington Masakadza inside-edged Motie to leg slip in the 29th over, Zimbabwe were 81 for 7, and he completed his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket by dismissing Brandon Mavuta. Perhaps trying to take the attack to the bowler, Mavuta tried to loft a flighted delivery that dipped around off stump. He got an outside edge that bounced off wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva's pads towards slip, where Jermaine Blackwood caught it on the second attempt.

Motie bowled all his 14.5 overs unchanged; his spell interrupted by only the lunch break.

In their reply, West Indies lost captain Kraigg Brathwaite in the eighth over - also to the leftarm spin of Wellington

Masakadza - but Raymon

Reifer and Tagenarine

Chanderpaul added 73 for the second wicket. Despite losing Chanderpaul for 36 - top-edging legspinner Mavuta to short fine leg - West Indies were well placed at 117

for 2 when a mix-up with Blackwood cost Reifer his wicket shortly after bringing up his half-century.

The visitors also lost Blackwood to Mavuta before stumps, and finished the day on 133 for 4, leading by 18 runs.

Sri Lanka cruise to win over Bangladesh women

(BBC) - Sri Lanka made it two wins from two at the Women's T20 World Cup with a seven-wicket win against Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka, who shocked hosts South Africa on Friday, slipped to 25-3 in pursuit of 127 amid an inspired opening spell from 18-year-old Marufa Akter.

But Harshitha Madavi hit 69 not-out, and Nilakshi de Silva an unbeaten 41 to secure victory with 10 balls to spare.

Sri Lanka had earlier made a ragged start with the ball before

recovering to restrict the Tigers to 126-8.

Bangladesh capitalised on wayward bowling in the powerplay to reach 64-2 from eight overs, but their scoring ground to a halt after Sobhana Mostary was bowled by a visibly frustrated Sri Lanka skipper, Chamari Athapaththu, who attempted a Mankad earlier in the over.

Athapaththu, Sri Lanka's top scorer with 68 against the Proteas, was caught at mid-on for 15 off Akter in the fourth over of Sri Lanka's chase, the seamer's opening spell the first

moment of real quality in a match previously littered with mistakes by both sides.

She had Vishmi Gunaratne caught behind

and bowled Anushka Sanjeewani first ball, giving her figures of 3-0 after 1.3 overs.

But Harshitha and De Silva remained

calm under pressure, with a composed stand of 104, which first halted the Tigers' momentum, and then clinically finished the

match.

With 41 from 30 balls needed, Harshitha cut a no-ball for four before swinging a big six over the leg side off the subsequent free hit.

The win means Sri Lanka, who play Australia on Thursday, will likely reach their first World Cup semi-final if they beat New Zealand in their final group game. Even if they lose, they could still go through if other results go their way.

Bangladesh are fourth in Group A, and play Australia in their second match on Tuesday.

Harshitha Samarawickrama hit an unbeaten half-century to guide Sri Lanka home • Getty Images

Henry hopes West Indies perform better after England drubbing

CMC – PACER Chinelle

Henry said she hoped the performance of West Indies Women against England Women in their ICC Women’s Twenty20 World Cup opener can spur them to better things in the remaining matches.

Hopes of the Windies Women landing an upset were dashed when the English brushed them aside by seven wickets on Saturday at Boland Park.

Though the batting of the Caribbean side managed to cobble together a decent 135 for seven from their 20

overs thanks to a top score of 42 from their captain Hayley Matthews, the target proved insufficient for England Women, who coasted over the line with 33 balls to spare.

“The result was not what we wanted,” Henry said.

“But to come here and say that I’m not proud of what we did would be not true.

“Looking at where we were a couple of days ago, or even a month ago when we played England and lost 5-0 to them in the Caribbean, I would say we came out here, and we definitely did

compete with them. So, the next three games it’s just for us to improve on this performance.”

She added: “I mean they’re actually playing the same cricket they did in the Caribbean, which is the fearless cricket. If you realise, everybody that came out there to bat, they weren’t afraid of anything.

“They really came at us. And that’s the England we’ve been playing for the past month – and we didn’t expect anything different.

I think that’s what makes them so special. They came

at us, but it was just going out there and just playing our game.”

The defeat for West Indies was the sixth straight to England and 14th on the trot overall, and they will now face 2020 T20 World Cup losing finalists, India, in their crucial second match on Wednesday.

“What I saw from our team especially against a side such as England, I would like if we could go in our next game and do the same thing,” she said.

“I have no doubt that when we come together as

a unit on any day, like what everybody says, that West Indies just knows how to turn up, so I mean, if we go there and play our game against India, like we did in this match, then we definitely could beat them.”

West Indies welcomed back former captain and leading batsman Stafanie Taylor for her first match in five months after recovering from injury.

Though she was clearly not at her fluent best, Henry expects her fellow Jamaican to improve in the remaining matches.

“You know, after being out for such a long time and then just be thrown back into a World Cup match especially on our opening day, I think that’s tough,” Henry said.

“But I think she has been doing this for a very long time, so moving forward in the next games that we have, definitely expect to see improvement from her. On that part, there’s not really much to worry about there, it’s just about backing her as a team and we know that she will deliver.”

Brathwaite leads Gulf Giants to ILT20 trophy

CMC – Measured bowling, led by former West Indies Twenty20 International captain Carlos Brathwaite, set things up, and purposeful batting, led by Caribbean Premier League recruit Chris Lynn, led Gulf Giants to a breezy seven-wicket win against Desert Vipers in the final of the inaugural ILT20 on Sunday.

Watched by a crowd that included outgoing Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt, Barbadian Brathwaite grabbed 3-19 from his allotted four overs to earn the Player-

All

of-the-Match award, and helped restrict Vipers to 146 for eight from their 20 overs after they were put in to bat at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Australian Lynn followed up with an unbeaten 72 off 50 balls that included nine fours and one six, and embattled Windies batsman Shimron Hetmyer was notout on 25, and the Giants successfully completed the run chase with seven balls remaining.

Lynn formalised the result when he pulled a short delivery from West Indies left-arm pacer Sheldon Cot-

three CFU teams lose CONCACAF U17 openers

CMC – All three Caribbean Football Union teams – Curaçao, Barbados, and Trinidad & Tobago – in action on Saturday, lost their opening matches at the Concacaf Under-17 boys’ championship.

All but T&T endured a crushing loss, as Mexico, Canada, the United States, and Panama carved out opening day wins in the championship, which is being played across two venues, the Estadio Nacional Doroteo Guamuch Flores in the Guatemala capital, and the Estadio Pensativo in the central highlands city of Antigua.

Eight different players found the back of the net for defending champions, Mexico, when they pounded Curaçao, 9-0, with Stephano Carrillo scoring twice in the first half in the

23rd and 45th minutes to lead the demolition with a brace.

Similarly, Cruz Medina, a product of U.S. Major League Soccer outfit, San Jose Earthquakes, logged first-half strikes in the 25th and 43rd minutes, and returned to bury another in stoppage time at the end of the match to lead the Americans past Barbados, 5-0.

Kyler Vojvodic scored in each half, and Canada soaked up the pressure from Trinidad & Tobago to land a 3-2 win.

After the Canadians took a 2-0 lead through a 27th minute item from Vojvodic, and a 61st minute strike from Chimere Omeze, Malachi Webb answered for T&T in the 67th minute.

But Vojvodic restored the twogoal advantage for the Canadians, before Lindell Sween cut the deficit again, one minute later.

In a battle of Central American sides, Panama edged hosts Guatemala, 1-0, on a Kevin Walder goal in the 16th minute, from a header off a cross from the left.

On Monday, Curaçao will be hoping to get their first result when they take on Panama in Group E, in which Mexico will try to make it two wins in two matches when they face Guatemala.

Barbados will be hoping to be another tough opponent for Canada in Group F, and the U.S. and T&T will renew a longstanding rivalry.

trell through mid-wicket for his final boundary, to seal the deal for the Giants, who had topped the preliminary phase of the tournament.

Brathwaite and New Zealander Colin de Grandhomme were miserly in their opening spells, and the Vipers limped to 30 for three at the end of the Power Play.

Brathwaite made the breakthrough in the second over when he got England batsman Alex Hales caught at mid-off for one, and he completed the run out of Rohan Mustafa four balls later, when the Vipers batsman got into a mix-up with English left-hander Adam Lyth.

De Grandhomme followed up with the scalp of Lyth, caught by Brathwaite at deep fine leg for 13 in the fifth over, but the Vipers consolidated and reached 62 for four at the halfway stage, after Barbados-born England pacer Christopher Jordan held a return catch to send South African Vipers captain Colin Munro packing for six in the ninth over.

Hetmyer (right) after taking a wicket against Desert Vipers in the final of the ILT20 on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, Unit -

Sri Lankan Wanindu Hasaranga, whose 55 off 27 balls, including six fours and two sixes, was the top score, and England international Sam Billings with a run-a-ball 31 added 72 for the fifth wicket to beef up the Vipers total.

Brathwaite returned for his third over, and got Billings at mid-off in the 15th over, and the Vipers could not find the impetus to finish the innings strongly, losing three more wickets – two to Afghanistan leg-spinner Qais Ahmad –in gathering only 30 in the final five overs.

Giants had a shaky start, and stumbled to 34 for two at the end of the Power Play, losing England international James Vince for 14, and de Grandhomme for one in successive overs.

Namibian Gerhard Erasmus came to the crease and shared 73 with Lynn to get the Giants on track for victory, before he fell with 47 needed from the final 33 balls.

Hetmyer cracked five fours from 13 balls to tilt the balance towards the Giants, and Lynn remained unflappable until the end to bring over the finish line.

ed Arab Emirates. (ILT20 photo)

Carlos Brathwaite (left) celebrates after taking the wicket of Desert Vipers opener Alex Hales (ILT20 photo)

Qayyim Academy registers second archery school club under Archery Guyana

QAYYIM Academy has registered its school’s archery club under the auspices of Archery Guyana.

Archery Guyana Head

Coach Nicholas Hing presented to Qayyim Academy’s Principal Bibi Romena Constantine-Mohamed their official certificate of registration and affiliation, together with a bowand-arrow set, at a simple ceremony at the school’s compound.

“Qayyim Academy”, also the name of the school’s archery club, has been quite active for a few months now under the guidance of Archery Guyana member Mr. Saeed Karim, who is also a teacher there. Miss Romena, as

the Principal is normally addressed by her students and teachers, is very enthusiastic about having the students involved in sports, and is excited to have archery as one of the sports developed in schools.

The club has already built their own targets and quivers, and has also acquired some equipment in the form of bows and arrows.

This is another step in Archery Guyana’s vision of developing the sport at the grassroots level, beginning in the schools, with the aim of discovering and encouraging athletes from the primary to the university level, thereby ensuring the widest possible

Tiger Rentals under-13 football…

participation in its effort to find the best archers to represent Guyana, both regionally and internationally, specifically at the Olympic Games.

Archery Guyana is committed to providing the necessary training for instructors and certified coaches and judges, both junior and senior. With this in mind, Archery Guyana sees archery as an additional event at school sports, whether Inter-House, Inter-Schools or Nationals, thereby fostering a competitive spirit among learners, as well as the camaraderie that archery is internationally known for.

East Coast & G/Town remain top of points standings

THE youths from East Coast and Georgetown Academy Training Centers (ATC) both registered victories to end match-day four of the Tiger Rentals’ under-13 national development tournament on 10 points, extending their stay at the top of the points table while Bartica made two wins in two after

being winless in their opening two matches.

East Coast Demerara defeated West Berbice 6-1 led by a brace from Isaiah Williams and one goal each from Tyrell Walcott, Sheneil Callender, Mark Glasgow and Malaki Washington.

Meanwhile the youngsters from Bartica smashed six unanswered goals past

East Berbice to move to six points from four games.

It took two late, unanswered goals from Georgetown to get past the resilient West Demerara team. Upper Demerara had a similar 2-0 victory with one goal each from Trayvon Collymore and Jamal Scott against East Bank.

Everest congratulates Chanderpaul, Nandu on momentous achievements

IN a statement on Sunday, the Executive members of the Everest Cricket Club extended congratulations to Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Matthew Nandu on their phenomenal accomplishments on the field.

Chanderpaul, who had a sterling Test debut in Australia, converted his maiden Test

century into a majestic 207* in just his fifth innings during the ongoing tour of Zimbabwe.

He became the first Windies opener not called Kraigg Brathwaite to score a Test hundred since Chris Gayle in March 2013.

He and Brathwaite produced the first-ever triple-century opening partnership for

West Indies in Tests, as they batted for 114 overs in Bulawayo to put Zimbabwe through the grind.

More so, he became the 10th West Indian to convert his maiden Test century into a double, and the young Chanderpaul has also moved beyond his father, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, best score of

203* in Tests.

On the other hand, 19-year-old Nandu became the fourth Guyanese and the first since Sudesh Dhaniram in 1987 to score a First-Class century on debut, with a score of 126 against Barbados Pride at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua. He followed that up with a

battling 60, which helped the Guyana Harpy Eagles draw against Windward Volcanoes in Grenada on Saturday.

“Chanderpaul and Nandu, two of our young promising talents, have done not just us here at Everest but Guyana and the West Indies proud with their accomplishments. Their efforts and immense patience

is a testament to the desire of both young men to succeed at the highest level, and we wish them further success in the future,” the statement added. With an active youth programme, Everest hopes to nurture young talents to ideally go on to play the sport at the highest level.

Qayyim Academy’s Principal receiving the club’s Certificate of Affiliation from Archery Guyana’s Head Coach Nicholas Hing, while flanked by two of the school’s budding archers

Part of the play during the match between Georgetown and West Demerara (left)