Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 13-04-2021

TUESDAY 13th April, 2021

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Massive support

No.106329

organised for St. Vincent –– first shipment with emergency supplies expected to leave today –– Guyana waiting to hear specific needs of Guyanese in St. Vincent See story on page 14

The Miss Meena vessel which will be transporting the emergency supplies organised to the island of St. Vincent (Delano Williams photo)

Greater levels

of responsibility for 02 local government bodies PAGE

30,000

Benn ‘sweeps’

vaccines received

elections

Yarde in GPSCCU additional Sputnik V PAGE

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SOCU charges senior police officers with fraud

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Reckless behaviour!

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

–– President Ali chastises Guyanese flouting COVID-19 guidelines

By Vishani Ragobeer AMID the significant increase in efforts to enforce the COVID-19 guidelines instituted to help keep the population safe, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has chastised those persons who continue to breach these measures and those who have made light of the enforcement efforts.

The President, while speaking at the sidelines of an event held at the Office of President on Monday, highlighted that the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) engaged in more aggressive patrols over the past few weeks.

Earlier in April, Covicurb patrols were conducted by members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

Through these patrols, the officers found scores of persons breaching the national curfew and flouting social distancing guidelines, by congregating in bars, at parties and at other similar gatherings.

After these patrols were conducted, few videos began circulating on social media wherein the persons detained in the GDF and GPF vehicles, and who were

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali urging Guyanese to adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines (Delano Williams photo)

later arrested, were verbally abusing the officers and engaging in other disorderly behaviours. Subsequently, memes emerged on social media labelling the GDF bus as a “party bus”, making light of the situation.

“What they were behaving with in that bus was reckless. It’s reckless,” the

President lamented.

The President related that members of the Task Force are patrolling every night until about 04:40 hrs the next morning trying to ensure that persons adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines. The national curfew is from 22:30 hrs to 04:00 hrs, but businesses such as bars, restaurants

and supermarkets are to be closed by 21:30 hrs.

He, however, stressed that Guyanese must recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic is no joke. In fact, he emphasised the severity of the pandemic, stating that many people can lose their lives if the novel coronavirus is allowed to spread.

“It is time for us to understand that sometimes we need to take responsibility, and this is a case and a scenario in which we have to exercise that responsibility,” the President underscored.

Over the Easter weekend, the Guyana Chronicle reported that 140 individuals had been arrested in various

locations for flouting the COVID-19 guidelines. More arrests followed in the days after and this past weekend, another 40 persons were arrested in various places across the coast.

Health officials, including the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, cautioned that an increase in social activities would lead to a surge in the number of cases and deaths recorded in Guyana.

And, for the month of April, thus far, 24 people have died in the country. A recent statement from the Ministry of Health highlighted that the country is facing a third, deadlier wave of the dreaded coronavirus, which is rapidly spreading across the country and attacking the younger population.

With individuals continuing to flout the guidelines, however, the President lamented that it seems as though Guyanese are behaving as though the pandemic is non-existent.

“So Guyanese and I call on all Guyanese, we need to understand that this thing can only be managed if we are all responsible and we have to act in a responsible way,” he emphasised.

30,000 additional Sputnik V vaccines received –– Guyana engaging ‘Johnson and Johnson’ for ‘one-shot’ vaccine

–– President Ali says supply, logistics of vaccines a challenge

By Vishani Ragobeer GUYANA’S COVID-19 vaccination capacity was further boosted on Monday as an additional 30,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) via the Amerijet International.

A total of 200,000 doses of this Russian vaccine was purchased by Guyana through an arrangement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the cost of US$4M (or more than GY$800M).

The vaccine has about a 91.6 per cent efficacy and it is administered in two doses, given 28 days apart.

On Monday, during his daily COVID-19 Update, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, highlighted that this particular vaccine required cold chain storage at a temperature of about -18 degrees to -20 degrees.

It is important to note, however, that there was a dearth of experience using vaccines that require cold chain storage in Guyana. As such, local health personnel had to receive training on how to administer this Russian vaccine. With this second consignment of the Sputnik V vaccines, the Health Minister posited that there would be a more efficient roll out, since the personnel

their first dose of one of the three COVID-19 vaccines.

In addition to this Sputnik V vaccine, Guyana has also been using the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from India.

The second batch of the Sputnik V vaccine purchased by the Government of Guyana from Russia arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on board the Amerijet International (Ministry of Health photo)

would be better acquainted.

Additionally, the minister

highlighted that as of Monday morning, about 60,172

persons across all 10 administrative regions had received

JOHNSON & JOHNSON Earlier this year, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali highlighted that it was his Government’s aim to vaccinate the entire adult Guyanese population by the end of 2021. To achieve this target, he affirmed that significant resources would be used to secure vaccines.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Greater levels of responsibility for local government bodies

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–– as economy continues to grow, President Ali tells newly sworn in Local Government Commission members

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali (centre); Prime Minister, Brigadier Mark Phillips (fourth from right); Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall (second from right) and Minister within the Ministry of Local Government, Anand Persaud (fourth from left), with the newly appointed members of the commission (Delano Williams photo)

By Navendra Seoraj DRIVEN by sustained growth in key productive sectors, Guyana’s economy will, over the next decade, undergo economic and social transformation, the benefits from which local government bodies will have a larger role in administering effectively and efficiently, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has said.

Experts believe that, in order for there to be effective economic transformation, prudent management is needed at all levels, so that there would not only be better utilisation of resources, but also equitable distribution of benefits, especially at a community level.

“Guyana’s continuous economic development over the next decade is expected to result in economic transformation, but, importantly, economic and social transformation at all levels of society, of which local government organs play a critical part in ensuring that transformation

is administered efficiently and effectively,” President Ali said following a swearing-in ceremony for the members of the Local Government Commission, at the Office of the President, on Monday.

The newly sworn-in members of the commission are former Minister of Local Government, Norman Whittaker; veteran Trade Unionist, Carvil Duncan; former Regional Chairman of Region Three, Julius Faerber; former Ministerial Advisor, Clinton Collymore; former Regional Chairman of Region Four Clement Corlette; former Town Clerk, Carol Sooba; former school teacher, Joan Romascindo and Nicola Trotman.

According to the Local Government Commission Act, the commission shall consist of eight members: three appointed by the President acting in accordance with his own deliberate judgement and three members appointed by the President acting on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition,

after consultation with other parliamentary parties.

For the latter, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, via a correspondence, engaged Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, who submitted the names of Trotman, Romascindo and Corlette.

Further, one member is appointed by the President after approval by the National Assembly upon a nomination by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Appointments from persons submitted by trade unions within the local government system, and one appointed by the Minister of Local Government after consultation with local democratic organs.

The Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the commission will be chosen from among the commissioners following an internal process; this process is likely be done at the first meeting of the eight-member commission.

The mandate of the commission is expressly decreed by the Constitution of the

Cooperative Republic of Guyana, which, at Article 78 (a) states: “Parliament shall establish a Local Government Commission, the composition and rules which empower the commission to deal with as it deems fit, matters related to the regulation and staffing of local government organs, and with dispute resolution within and between local government organs.”

Although the role of the commission largely remains the same, President Ali has said: “I wish you all success in doing so, I want to reemphasise the point that as development expands itself, as our budgetary allocations expand, greater levels of responsibility will be placed on local government bodies.

“There will be larger budgets and there will be a greater need for enhanced oversight, professionalism, accountability not only to the Auditor General for finances but importantly, accountability to the people, who you all serve.”

President Ali affirmed

that development is foremost, about improving the livelihoods of people. And, it is the Executive’s intention that the country’s forthcoming development is balanced and more importantly, safeguarded at all levels of society: the national level, at the levels of the regions, and at the community level.

“In order to guarantee such an outcome, it is vital that we establish efficient and effective local government organs to deliver enhanced welfare to citizens, particularly within our towns, villages, and communities.

“The Government is crafting policies to give effect to local development, and it values the important role which the Local Government Commission can play in ensuring that its policies and programmes are not retarded by obstructionism, poor implementation, the absence of professionalism and by disputes between and within local government bodies,” the Head of State said.

It is for this reason that

30,000 additional Sputnik V ...

On Monday, the Health Minister highlighted that the Government has been engaging other bodies to secure additional vaccines.

“Last week, we had some discussions with Johnson and Johnson to explore the possibility of accessing the vaccine from that particular company,” he highlighted. These discussions with Johnson and

Johnson are, however, still in the preliminary stages.

The Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, unlike the other vaccines being used locally, is a one shot vaccine.

This vaccine has an efficacy of about 66 per cent, based on the studies from a large international study. In a smaller study, conducted in the United States, the vaccine had an effi-

cacy of 72 per cent.

PROCUREMENT CHALLENGES Meanwhile, at the sidelines of an event on Monday, President Ali lamented that sourcing vaccines has been a challenge owing to the global demand for these commodities.

“Most countries are going

through a spike (in COVID-19 cases) so getting the vaccine itself is a great difficulty,” the President said. He added that the production line of some of the more popular vaccines including the Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines has become “stressed”.

Even so, he reminded members of the media that Guyana has been able to se-

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the Government endorses the need for and the activation of the Local Government Commission.

With the constitutional body in place, it creates an avenue for issues affecting local government authorities to be addressed. Specifically, the commission will be able to address issues related to the employment, transfer, disciplining and dismissal of public officers within the local government system. It will also be tasked with resolving disputes within and between local government entities.

In pledging his support to the commission, President Ali said: “I assure you of the support of my administration and my personal guarantee that no attempt to interfere or at interference in the discharge of your function, specified under the Constitution and the Local Government Commission Act will be tolerated.”

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cure 200,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccines and that the country would be expecting another 200,000 doses subsequently.

Explaining why these Russian vaccines have been arriving in smaller tranches, the President noted that the procurement of the vaccines also present logistical challenges. These challenges

include getting specialised air and land transport, cold storage and transporting the supplies in a short period.

“The logistics is a great bugbear and also now it is getting more and more difficult to get supplies,” the President highlighted.

150 jobs to be created 4

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

–– as MoU signed for operationalisation of Tuschen Call Centre

A whopping 150 new jobs will be generated to benefit residents of Region Three as the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, on Monday, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), paving the way for the operation of the Tuschen Call Centre.

The MoU was signed with Arrowhead Communications, which is expected to take

possession of the property on May 1, 2021.

The building was constructed in 2015 by the previous People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration but has since remained inoperable.

The MoU was signed by Permanent Secretary, Sharon Roopchand-Edwards, on behalf of the ministry and Justin Nedd on behalf of Arrowhead

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Oneidge Walrond

Communications.

As part of the MoU, Ar-

rowhead Communications has committed to training staff as

well as retrofitting the facility.

After the signing, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, noted that the government continues to work towards delivering on its manifesto promise of 50,000 jobs for Guyanese.

“Tuschen is a unique catchment area; this call centre opens up employment opportunities for residents on the West Coast of Demerara to Parika and possibly the Leguan, Wakenaam and other islands,” she said.

“As a government, we want our people employed and we are happy to endorse projects and to partner with private sector agencies that embark on projects that provide employment,” she added.

She also elaborated that the government continues to provide the enabling environment for investment with a wide vision of ensuring development is not restricted or limited to

Georgetown or Region Four (Demerara – Mahaica).

“President Ali has made it clear that the government is aggressively working to ensure our governmental systems are effective so that we create a conducive environment for investment. The government continues to roll-out our transformational agenda and I must stress that the developmental approach is not just restricted to Georgetown or Region Four,” she said.

In those regards, the minister promised that Guyanese can expect to see greater investment projects being undertaken in various regions across the country.

“We want to signal to the local private sector and international investors that Guyana is open for investment and the country remains an attractive investment location,” she said.

Duo jointly charged with murder of Kitty contractor

DANIEL Parris also known as “Black boy” and Derryck Favourite called “Rastaman”, were, on Monday, jointly charged with the December 7, 2020 murder of Kitty contractor, Peter Gonsalves.

They appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’

Tuesday April 13, 2021 04:0hrs

Court and were remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

They were not required to plead to the indictable charge.

The charge stated that, on December 7, 2020, at Garnett Street, Newtown, Georgetown, they murdered

Peter Gonsalves in the course or furtherance of a robbery under arms.

Kacey Heyliger was the first person to be charged.

He made his first court appearance on December 11, 2020. Subsequently, Parris was charged. He made his first appearance in court on February 8, 2021 and was remanded to prison.

After being on remand for two months, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) withdrew the charge against Heyliger.

It is unclear when Favourite was arrested but this newspaper understands that following a police investigation, he and Parris were jointly charged.

According to reports, on the day in question, around 21:00hrs, Gonsalves and his co-worker, were at a bar located at Garnett Street, Kitty, Georgetown, when two men, who were both armed, opened fire in their direction.

After firing shots, the two assailants then escaped on Gonsalves’ XR motorcycle, CJ600. Gonsalves was hit several times and later succumbed to the gunshot injuries, while his co-worker escaped unharmed. Police subsequently collected CCTV footage from the bar.

Paris was allegedly nabbed with the stolen motorcycle.

The duo will return to court on May 4, 2021.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Benn ‘sweeps’ Yarde in GPSCCU elections FORMER head of the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC), Trevor Benn, is most likely to be elected Chairman of the Guyana Public Service Cooperative Credit Union (GPSCCU), after his team members won all the spots on the 12-member Committee of Management (CM) when the official results were declared on Monday.

This now paves the way for Benn to continue the work he started as Chairman of the GPSCCU Interim Management Committee (IMC), and dashed the hopes of returning to power for the team lead by the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) President, Patrick Yarde. Yarde’s team members did not win any spots, according to the elections results.

However, with accusations of voting irregularities, questions surrounding the count in Region Four, a recount and delayed declarations of the official results, the unfolding of the elections over the past two days was reminiscent of Guyana’s 2020 general elections.

Notwithstanding voting having closed since 16:30hrs on Sunday, and just over 1,000 of the credit union members having voted, it was not until late Monday evening that the official results and declarations for the elections were finally made available.

Though the results for nine of the regions were declared since Sunday afternoon, the official declaration was stalled pending the results from Region Four, where the request for a recount by the Chief Coop Development Officer, Suresh Jaigobin, was ordered. Approximately 300 ballots are said to have been cast in Region Four.

The recount began by midday on Monday.

Benn garnered a total of 1055 votes. Aside from Benn, rounding out the top 12 are Patrick Mentore (905), Arthur Gibbs (867), Jermain Hermanstyne (866), Leslyn Noble (854), Rajdai Jaganauth (846), Gillian Pollard (845), Kirwyn Mars (844), Ruth Howard (832), Saskia Eastman-Onwuz-

irike (813), former Tourism Ministry Permanent Secretary, Karen Vansluytman-Corbin (778), and former Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle (749).

Yarde’s team had included former GPSCCU Chairperson Patricia Went, GPSU Vice-President Dawn Gardener, former Public Service Permanent Secretary, Reginald Brotherson, Karen France, Dr. Victor Allen, Jennifier Melville Nelson, Althea Tucker Bristol, City Councillor Ivelaw Henry, Moses Rampal, Leon Parks and Trevor Daly.

Aside from electing the members of the Committee of Management, electors also voted for the three persons who would constitute the Supervisory Committee. The spots were won by Glendon Fogenay, Dvane St John and Coretta Braithwaite-Walton, all members of Benn’s team.

For the Supervisory Committee, the Yarde team’s nominees were GPSU General-Secretary, Kempton Alexander, former member of the GPSCCU Committee of Management, Thomas Nestor and Mortimer Livan.

A motion moved at the credit Union’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) has called for the Management Committee to be increased to constitute 15 members and the Supervisory Committee number being increased to five. However, this must be ratified by the Chief Coop Development Officer (CCDO) before it can go into effect.

The first election to be held by the credit union in eight years, the elections saw a low turnout as less than five per cent of the credit union’s 23,000 members participated in the voting process.

This year’s elections saw a heated contest between the two teams, with the GPSU side making claims of voter disenfranchisement, and voter irregularities on the elections day. Prior to elections day, the GPSU side had also called for the removal of Benn as Chairman of the IMC, and had filed a court order on Thursday.

However, the order was not for the removal of Benn,

GPSU VP Gardener had confirmed in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Monday. She could not say what the court order was for but noted that it has already concluded. She is unsure what the results were either.

She said she was not accepting the results of the elections because it was not fair and credible.

New GPSCCU Chairman, Trevor Benn

GPSU President, Patrick Yarde

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Tajeram Mohabir

Greater inclusion HIS Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali’s declaration of the “One-Guyana” initiative is a step in the right direction. In the words of President Ali, “Today we are moving in one direction… we are going to create this Corridor of Unity” to move Guyana forward, and all communities will be involved. These words will continue to reverberate across Guyana and the One-Guyana initiative will be a rallying cry of the Ali administration for the next four years.

This initiative will be split into sub-initiatives such as the “Republic Unity Cup” to reach numerous communities to ensure inclusion, management, and execution. In this process, the probability of errors will be minimised, and the drive to defeat parasitic,

partisan politics to achieve unity and progress sounds realistic. Guyanese prefer the politics of patriotism, but how and when this preference can be achieved would be a humungous challenge for the One Guyana Commission, the body tasked with the responsibility of fostering unity among Guyanese.

The President’s remark that nation-building requires a movement from “abstraction to action”, is impressive, because ideas must be backed by actions. Too often many ideas are brought to the table, but few resources are available to support them, thereby causing them to hit a dead end. Howbeit, one must not be discouraged by sharing ideas since thoughts not expressed are generally wasted thoughts, buried in the mind. That

said, the One Guyana Commission is up against some formidable obstacles in the drive for a new Guyanese order.

On an international level, after more than 50 years of independence, Guyana is still struggling to meet the average expectation of growth and development for its 750,000 citizens. There are, of course, a range of reasons for Guyana’s predicament: neocolonialism; capital flight; structural adjustment programmes; foreign interference; dubious foreign investment; the border controversy; and not a high standing in world affairs, save for environmental stewardship in the rainforest.

At the national level, Guyana suffers from corruption; electoral fraud by opposition elements; out-migration; unease in relation

to race; an unskilled civil service and the refusal of the opposition to recognise the sitting administration. In one sentence, these are homegrown problems. There are, of course, many more domestic challenges plaguing Guyana, which, if explored further, will provide fodder for any comedian. Every Guyanese politician is aware of Guyana’s potpourri of problems since they have not been external to them.

To their credit, myriad measures and mechanisms have been used to tackle Guyana’s challenges, but for some reason, their attempts have not provided or produced any substantial solutions, save for a few.

Guyanese are aware of the country’s potential oil wealth, which will be used to promote growth and development of the coun-

try. The main hiccup of the One-Guyana initiative, however, is the acceptance of it from the opposition, which has so far shown mixed signals. The opposition has welcomed the One-Guyana initiative, but has also blasted it as an attempt to hoodwink Guyanese. One expects the opposition to critique the One-Guyana initiative, but we will have a better feel of the opposition’s take when the One Guyana Commission shares its plan with the public. While we wait for the One Guyana Commission’s plan to arrive, a few important steps could be embraced. The current situation is fertile ground for new ideas when regime change occurs, particularly when democracy was comprised to meet the neologism of bizarre narratives.

Some of these steps are: (a) the upgrade of institutions to maximum functionality, so much so that they regulate the individuals who are assigned to them rather than the individuals regulating the institutions on their terms; GECOM comes to mind; (b) promote and support an active civil society versus an “armed” society, while not ignoring the needs of the military and police; (c) establish with the opposition a mutual understanding of national affairs; and (d) develop policies and plans under a top-down and a bottom-up approach in which they meet at a point of mutuality, that golden spot of exchange

CIOG commends President Irfaan Ali

Dear Editor,

THE CIOG commends His Excellency President Irfaan Ali and the Government of

Guyana for their prompt response to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This is a laudable initiative to our sister CAR-

ICOM nation.

Disasters are a part of life, a test for those afflicted and a test of response for those who are saved from the disaster.

Guyana and Guyanese have always been recognised for their generosity.

We pray that God Almighty, bless the Govern-

ment and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines with strength of faith, unity and courage. May He grant them relief and protect

them and their property.

Yours sincerely, Gulzar Namdar President (ag.)

GWI committed to completing new well at El Paso, Region Eight Dear Editor,

THE Guyana Water Incorporated wishes to respond to an article published in the Kaieteur News on April 12, titled ‘Five months later, Region 8 residents forced to use creek water as GWI still to complete $5M well.’

Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) wishes to reassure the residents of El Paso that a new well will be completed before the end of Au-

gust 2021 to provide access to groundwater. GWI has received the sum of $4.5 million from the Mahdia Town Council for the drilling of a new well in this community and a contract was signed with contractor, Fox Services, to undertake drilling of this new well for the sum of $5.1 million for which GWI would have assisted with the additional funds.

Currently, the contractor is drilling a second well for

GWI in Port Kaituma, which is intended to assist in the transition from the use of water from the Port Kaituma River. This will provide relief to the residents from using water of poor quality from the Port Kaituma River to groundwater which is of safe quality.

Originally, the contractor was required to drill one well in the Two Mile area – Port Kaituma to supply the residents with access to potable

water for the first time. This well was successfully completed and works are currently being done to interconnect it to the new water system before the end of April 2021.

GWI also undertook a study of the possibility to provide the other residents that are supplied with river water with groundwater, which was possible with the drilling of another well. As such, a decision was made to drill a second well in Port

Kaituma, since the drilling rig is already mobilised in the community, which is a very expensive cost.

It is expected that this new well will be completed by the end of May, 2021, and the equipment will be mobilised to El Paso within the month of June, 2021. It is expected that this new well will be completed over a period of two to three months thereafter.

GWI continues to work

towards improving our services across the hinterland and assures our fellow Guyanese that we are committed to providing safe water to all and are working to achieve this within the shortest possible time.

Sincerely, Ramchand Jailal GWI Executive Director of Hinterland Services

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

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Love all

―says President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali in Ramadan Message

I extend Ramadan Mubarak greetings to the entire Islamic community of Guyana and, by extension, to all Guyanese.

Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. It is a period of reform

- a month of returning to piety and spiritual purity for Muslims. It is traditional at this time for Muslims to not only fast from food and drink but to desist from evil thoughts, words and actions.

Ramadan is also a time

for reforming and perfecting our character. It reminds us that a sign of good character is showing care and consideration and beneficence towards others.

Ramadan is also a period for expressing gratitude. As

we reflect on the challenges posed in a COVID-19 environment, let us be grateful to Allah Almighty for blessing us with the observance of another Ramadan, so that we can inculcate the correct attitude and behaviour necessary for our success here on earth, as well as in the hereafter.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed our vulnerabilities and helplessness, but Ramadan teaches us the powerful and redeeming virtues of humility, empathy, and gratitude. During this Holy Month, let us therefore never forget to express our gratitude for God’s infinite love, mercy, and wisdom.

Fasting brings us closer

to God and grounds us in the desirable values of humbleness and understanding.

Fasting offers a pathway to piety but requires that we clean our hearts of every form of hatred, envy, and prejudice.

Ramadan teaches us to have love for all and hatred for none, The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) reminded us that: You will not enter Paradise until you have faith, and you will not have faith until you love each other.

Shall I show you something that, if you did, you would love each other? Spread peace between yourselves.

During this Holy Month, may we all strive to live as

Brothers and Sisters. May we banish hatred, envy, and prejudice from our hearts and from our relations with one another.

May we follow the example of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him), whose generosity is worthy of emulation.

Ramadan Mubarak to all of you and your families.

May this Ramadan bring with it true blessings and success for all of us as we fast. Remember those who are less fortunate, remember every Guyanese, remember all humans in our prayers as together we seek to exit this pandemic.

Ramadan Mubarak.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

‘Dharmic Sabha’ urges strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines

–– as Hindu community celebrates Navratri THE Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha has extended greetings, and wished the Hindu community a blessed Chaitra Navratri, which commenced on Monday.

During the sacred ninenight period, devotees worship the principal forms of Shakti Ma as Durga, and Lakshmi and Saraswati, seeking to dispel darkness and negative energies to be illuminated with spiritual wisdom and knowledge.

It is a disciplined period of fasting, prayers and introspection. The transformative period of Navratri allows the seeker to surmount difficulties in life.

During this period, the Dharmic Sabha is advising all mandirs to adhere to strict COVID-19 prevention guidelines. “The variant of COVID-19 is deadly and easily transmissible, and we are deeply concerned by the escalating numbers of positive cases and deaths across the country,” the Sabha said in a statement.

As such, it is recommending virtual Navratri satsanghs on social media; not having more than 40 per cent capacity when having satsanghs at mandirs; adherence to the six-feet distancing rules at all times; devotees, singers, musicians

and pandits must wear their masks at all times in mandirs; bhojan/food/prasad must be served in boxes/bags for take-away, and not be eaten at mandir; mandirs encouraging staggering of attendance to prevent crowds (persons can attend services on alternate days to allow for smaller numbers); and that there be handwashing facilities or sanitisers available.

President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Dr. Vindhya Persaud said she is cognisant of the difficulties the world is facing through the COVID-19 pandemic, and has also noted the natural disasters plaguing Guyana’s neighbours.

She urged the Hindu community to offer prayers for all the people of the world “to be blessed by Aad Shakti Ma with resilience, health and faith to surmount these adversities and challenges”.

She also encouraged persons to use this period to extend support and kindness to those in need, by sharing hampers and meals. Dr. Persaud exhorted all to recognise this as a period “when, as we worship the feminine aspect of the divine, to continue to be staunch advocates against violence and abuse meted out to women and girls”.

The Guyana Hindu Dhar-

President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Dr. Vindhya Persaud

Devotees worship the principal forms of Shakti Ma as Durga, and Lakshmi and Saraswati, seeking to dispel darkness

mic Sabha will be bringing the mandir to homes through programmes, chant-

ing, bhajans, kirtan and online satsanghs on Facebook throughout the period in an

effort to keep persons safe.

“We encourage prayer at home, fasting and disciplined observance of the period which dedicates nine nights to the worship of Ad Shakti Durga Ma. We know that the Hindu community looks forward to this sacred period for collective worship or satsangh, but we are in a period that threatens health and life with the increasing

transmissibility of this deadly variant of COVID-19, so it is important for all the stay safe.

“As you worship Durga Ma to dispel negativity, Lakshmi Mata to usher in abundance and light, and finally Saraswati Mata for knowledge and wisdom, it is our fervent hope that you will all be safe and enjoy good health,” the Sabha stated.

President Ali ‘shuts down’ Norton’s divisive claims of racism DESCRIBING recent accusations of racism against his administration as ‘reckless,’ President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has said that there is no evidence to substantiate such claims, and a factual analysis would, in fact, prove how ‘horrible’ those allegations are.

In responding directly to such claims from People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Executive, Aubrey Norton, President Ali said: “I think it is a horrible statement; I think it's a reckless statement, it’s a statement that has no basis in facts and I don’t want to do this. I do not want to do this.”

Norton, in a statement posted on the PNCR’s Facebook page, accused the Government of crafting policies to benefit only one section of the population.

“The PPP is back to running Guyana as if only Indo-Guyanese and PPP supporters are Guyanese. All others

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali

are to lose property and pushed into, or remain, in poverty. This is just one area of the acts of discrimination that are practised on the people of Guyana. There are many more,” the PNCR Executive claimed.

In rejecting Norton’s claim, President Ali, who was speaking on the sidelines of a swearing-in ceremony for members

of the Local Government Commission, said: “Let us just have a factual analysis of all the entities in Government. What nonsense is Mr. Norton getting on with? Is this the way we are going to move our country forward?”

The President, who was evidently perturbed by Norton’s statement, further said:

PNCR Executive, Aubrey Norton

“If every single morning you wake up, the most hurtful thing I see on social media is the level of racist attacks that Guyanese would put at each other, and then to have Mr Norton, without any basis, making such a statement; there is no evidence he could point to… making such a statement is reckless.

“It shows his depth of leadership, it shows his commitment to national healing and national development, and it exposes his intention to create mischief, to create distrust, to create disharmony and for that I have no respect.”

President Ali, in his first address as Head of State of Guyana, had assured the nation that he will uphold the oath he had taken and will work in the best interest of the people of Guyana.

“There is only one future, and that requires a united, strong Guyana. That future requires every Guyanese to play a part in building our country, and ensuring we leave a better Guyana for the next generation.

“We are in this together; we are not separated by class, by ethnicity, religion or political persuasion. We are united in the true Guyanese spirit,” the Head of State said.

The new administration,

he said, will be focused on a development agenda that will reflect the priorities of every Guyanese.

“We are building a country for every Guyanese. There is no need for fear; there is no need for distinction based on political persuasion, religious belief or ethnicity. This is a Government for all of Guyana,” President Ali assured his audience at his inauguration.

The President, in February, this year, had announced the establishment of a “One Guyana Commission,” which would be chaired by Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips.

President Ali explained that the commission would set out to take practical steps to cement Guyana’s one society by encompassing and respecting the diversity from which the ‘oneness’ springs.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

UG launches Zoom Rooms under Greater Guyana Initiative THE University of Guyana (UG) in a simple ceremony on Saturday launched its ZOOM Room project to fulfil its first aspirational goal of producing at least one graduate per Guyanese household.

The initiative is part of a gift under the Stabroek Block Co-venturers Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), to the tune of US$70,000.

The 18 rooms will service 18 different locations across the university’s nine campuses in Georgetown, Linden, Berbice, Bartica and Anna Regina, enabling live classrooms to be broadcast to anywhere with a strong Internet connection.

The Six ZOOM Rooms likened and demonstrated included one at Tain Campus in Berbice; one at IDCE Johns’ Science Centre in Berbice; one at the IDCE Centre in Linden; one at the IDCE Centre in Georgetown and two at the university’s Turkeyen Campus -one at Natural Sciences Chemistry Laboratory and the other at the Centre for Information (CfI).

Director of UG’s Tactical Online Services (TOS), Malcolm Williams, performed a demo to show how the ZOOM Rooms work and was able to link all six rooms, explaining that students will now be able to benefit immediately.

He explained that ZOOM Rooms are specially enabled rooms from which live classes can be viewed in an interactive way by multiple participants in multiple remote areas.

The ZOOM Rooms will (1) implement planned, and enhance existing, initiatives that enrich the quality and impact of the delivery of tertiary education, and (2) expand the reach of UG’s instructions and the capacity of its classrooms, through facilitating hybrid - inplace and remote - mode of education.

According to the university, the latter is consistent in keeping with the university's vision.

Among officiating officials were UG Chancellor, Professor Edward Greene; Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin; President of ExxonMobil, Alistair Routledge; and Senior Adviser, Government and Public Affairs, Matthew Scharf among other senior officials of the company.

Speaking via link from Washington DC during the launch, Chancellor of the university, Professor Edward Greene, congratulated the UG Teams for conceptualising and executing the highly complex technical project.

CRITICAL AND DYNAMIC TOOL Chancellor Greene further noted that the

physical-space issues that would have to be managed in a foreseeable future that will still require some level of physical distancing.

President of Exxon Mobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, proceeds to cut the ribbon to officially launch the ZOOM Room project in the presence of Vice-Chancellor Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin and special invitees

ZOOM Rooms are a critical and dynamic tool for enhancing the conferencing and blended learning operations for UG and expressed appreciation to ExxonMobil Guyana and partners for supporting the initiative.

“I extend appreciation to ExxonMobil, CNOOC and Hess for the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), out of which this significant gift has been made possible and for the cooperative spirit in which they so willingly partnered in making this venture a reality. I commend Mr. Alistair Rutledge, President, ExxonMobil Guyana and his team for their willingness to invest in the human development capital in our university that will in turn contribute to the development of Guyana.

I offer best wishes to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin and the senior management team for their vision for ensuring that the faculty, staff, students and friends of this university community stand to benefit from this transformative moment,” the Chancellor said.

He added: “I am intrigued by how this investment in the ZOOM Rooms is indeed an investment in human-resource development that would drive engagements for student, staff and citizen success and at the same time deliver measurable results, so well articulated in UG’s evolving Blue Print 2040.”

In her brief remarks, Vice-Chancellor,

Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin recalled that the original mission of the project when it was first negotiated by the Office of Philanthropy and Civic Engagement (PACE) in 2019 was to establish a digital information room to serve as a central space and operations centre to facilitate local and international teleconferencing meetings, virtual classrooms instructed from universities outside of Guyana, and a data-bank facility and was intended to cater for 30 persons per session.

However, the VC explained that in 2020, the university’s vision was modified in response to the needs created by extended COVID-19 conditions, the funds were repurposed, and the project redesigned to create 18 ZOOM Rooms across the University of Guyana system with an in-person capacity of over 150 instead of 30.

The VC noted that one of the challenges in higher education across the world, is how to manage those courses that have a practical components to them. However, she highlighted that one innovative way the university is using the technology is to place the facility in laboratories, so that during periods requiring distancing, students who are out of the laboratories can still be remotely immersed in the process and so still also benefit from what is happening.

The rooms will also assist with any

DELIGHTED President of Exxon Mobil Guyana Alistair Routledge, in his remarks said his company was delighted to work in partnership with the University of Guyana on the project, noting that while it is the first of the Greater Guyana Initiative, it is not the first project ExxonMobil is involved in with the university.

“We work hard to find through exploration and develop, and monetize the resource of the country offshore. That transformation will drive the transformation of the economy.

But the University of Guyana plays that critical role of transforming the education system and building the capacity of the country to really deliver a sustainable economy. I think there’s a clear partnership, one that we are very happy to enjoy and one that is growing in the future,” Routledge noted.

He added: “The blended learning is a great initiative and these are tools we had before the pandemic, but again the adversity is the mother of invention and here, we are realising how much we can utilise the hardware facilities we have, the laboratories we have available to us to make learning more inclusive across the country and more accessible, which I know is a big part of the Blueprint 2040 and is an ambition that we have too that the wealth is generated from what we do and benefits the whole country and not just the people that are closer to the main centres of activity in Georgetown,” Routledge expressed.

Director of the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education, Dr Jacqueline Murray, noted that the ZOOM Rooms will enable the institute to reach students far and wide as it was unable to do before and will help in the expansion of its course offerings.

Director of the Berbice Campus, Professor Gomathinayagam Subramanian, expressed appreciation to ExxonMobil for their generosity in providing most of the funds for the initiative and noted that students and staff of the campus are very grateful, as it will make learning easier for them due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

24 countries for Tradewinds conference here in June MILITARY representatives from the U.S. and 23 partner nations are participating this week in the final planning conference for the Tradewinds exercise, a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored, multinational, Caribbean security exercise.

According to the U.S. Embassy in

Georgetown, Tradewinds 2021 will occur in June and will be held at several Guyana locations.

“All training locations provide opportunities to conduct joint, combined, and inter-agency, partner-nation capacity-building focused on increasing regional cooperation in

complex multinational security operations, as well as in humanitarian assistance and disaster-response operations,” the embassy noted.

This year’s exercise will include participation by officials and senior leadership of CARICOM and its functional sub-agencies, many of whom are participating in this

week’s planning conference.

“The strong relationships forged during Tradewinds through the exchange of knowledge and expertise are key to maintaining regional security and prosperity throughout the Caribbean,” the embassy added.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Eight more tourism businesses reopened

Photo credit: Old Fort Tours

AS the tourism sector continues its journey towards recovery through resiliency, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has granted conditional approval for the reopening of an additional eight tourism businesses.

According to a release, Adventure Guianas, Bimichi Eco Lodge, Jungle Bug, Kanuku Tours, Manari Ranch, Old Fort Tours, Ride Along GY and Roraima Tours can now commence hosting travellers.

These businesses have been inspected and received their approvals, which are tied to the National COVID-19 Safety Measures, as well as the GTA’s official Hygiene and Sanitation Protocols.

This confirms that 31 tourism businesses are now deemed safe to operate.

“The GTA has done a great deal of work to ensure travel operations are done in a safe way. We want to reiterate that it is absolutely essential that travellers, both domestic and international,

only schedule their destination getaways with the GTAapproved tourism businesses that have been inspected and marked Safe for Travel.

You must do your very best to avoid putting yourselves, your families, and by extension your communities, at risk,” Carla James, Director of the GTA cautioned potential travellers.

Businesses that fail to comply with the stipulations outlined in their conditional approvals guided by the National COVID-19 Safety Measures, and the GTA will face immediate revocation of their reopening approvals, the GTA said. The GTA will be releasing a survey, which will be shared with the general public, so that patrons can provide their feedback on the implemented hygiene, sanitation and safety measures and improved customer services that they have been experiencing at these establishments in light of reopening. The GTA is continuing along its 2021 mandate to ensure that inspections and the necessary training sup-

port are provided to tourism businesses, as the sector continues to safely reopen. The mandatory two-step process entails the submission of the business’s written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to the GTA for a desk review, and two, on-site inspection of businesses to verify the implementation of the SOPs, and approval by the GTA. These on-site inspections are conducted by the GTA’s inspection team, along with a representative from the Ministry of Health. Given the GTA’s role and procedure, a separate inspection by the Ministry of Health is not required. For more information on the two-step conditional approval process for the reopening of tourism businesses, persons are asked to contact Micheala Lindore, Tourism Business Support Officer within the GTA at micheala@guyanatourism.com or Carla James, Director of the GTA at carla@guyanatourism.com

Bel Air Park woman wanted for operating pyramid scheme THE police on Monday issued a wanted bulletin for 33-year-old Keziah Jeuel Roberts, who has allegedly been operating a pyramid scheme in Guyana.

The woman is accused of falsely obtaining monies from several Guyanese between September 2020 and February 2021.

Roberts’ last known address is Lot 88 Eping

Avenue and Ituni Street, Bel Air Park, Georgetown.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Keziah Jeuel Roberts is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 2253079, 225-3085, 268-2328, 268-2298/2222, 226-7065, 911 or the nearest police Wanted: Keziah Jeuel Roberts station.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Several arrested for COVID-19 breaches; vehicles towed away of the house where the party was being held, to the upper flat in a bid to escape.

The ranks made enquiries and based on information, arrested a 30-year-old self-employed woman who allegedly hosted the party.

Reports indicate that efforts were made to arrest the attendees, but they escaped and went into hiding.

The house where the party was held on Sunday night

SEVERAL persons were arrested for COVID-19 breaches and vehicles were towed away when cops in Region Three acting on information, swooped down on a private party that was in full swing at Lot 60 Church Street, Stanleytown, West Bank Demer-

ara, on Sunday night.

The police ranks went to the said location where several vehicles were observed parked along the street.

When those at the party saw the police approaching, they reportedly started running “helter skelter” from the unfinished bottom flat

Kokerite Hill residents to receive electricity soon

Some of the utility poles planted at Mabaruma

HOUSING and Water Minister, Collin Croal, over the weekend visited Kokerite Hill, Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini), where works are ongoing on the electrical network for that scheme. The scheme falls under the purview of the Ministry of Housing and

Water.

Works being undertaken include the construction of approximately 800 metres of primary network; 6,000 metres of secondary network; planting of six 40-foot poles; 36, 30-foot poles and the installation of four KVA transformers.

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However, a tow truck was summoned to the location and seven vehicles were removed. Six have been lodged in the La Grange Police Station compound and one in the Wales Station compound.

Part of the music system at the party was also seized and lodged. Eventually, seven persons, five drivers

along with two occupants were arrested after they came out of hiding and claimed ownership of their vehicles.

According to Police Commander for Region Three, Senior Superintendent Errol Watts, they were placed in custody at the La Grange Police Station for breach of restrictions on social activities and will be

charged.

The national 10:30pm to 04:00am curfew is active, along with the restrictions on social activities and other measures.

The restriction on private parties, wedding receptions, wakes and the usage of hotel pools remain in effect, along with the closure of cinemas.

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Radio Essequibo laun GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

–– Minister McCoy urges business community to take a

Minister Kwame Mc Coy being interviewed liv broadcaster Rajendra Prabhulall, immediately

Minister Kwame Mc Coy oversees cutting of the ribbon to launch Radio Essequibo

MINISTER of Public Affairs within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, on Monday launched Radio Essequibo, 95.5 FM. The station, which is now fully operational, offers spon-

sored local programmes, advertisements, death announcements, and greetings designed for entertainment, educational, religious and developmental purposes.

Minister McCoy said that

the launching was testimony to the fact that the PPP/C administration has always been, and continues to be fully committed to ensuring that citizens are able to exercise their constitutional and fundamental human right

to freedom of expression.

“Today, we proudly unveil the addition of necessary human capacity to facilitate local broadcast content designed to educate and inform on developments in Guyana’s largest county, Essequibo,” McCoy said.

According to the minister, Essequibians will now be able to contribute to relevant discussions on specific programmes and give views on issues that matter to them the most.

During his address, he mentioned that the radio station will cover 53 kilometres radius and will be a major conduit of information throughout the coast and in the Pomeroon River.

He therefore urged members of the business community to take advantage and to use the station to promote their businesses or local products.

Shedding some light on the work of the Prime Minister’s office, he said within two months of him taking up the ministerial position there was a formal announcement of a total and complete liberalisation of the telecommunication sector, effectively ending decades of commercial monopoly.

He said among the visions of the office is the provision of better access to information in the hinterland. He asserted that “short wave” radios will be provided to households and maintenance

training done across the communities. He said independent indigenous content creation for community radio stations through youth and community groups will be facilitated.

Board Chairman of the National Communications Network (NCN) Raymond Cummings, in his remarks, said the launch paves a new opportunity for residents to listen to the news and other events happening in Essequibo in real time. He said that the radio station will provide a platform for those persons who have completed communication studies to practise what was learnt and to expand the broadcasting spectrum in the region.

Meanwhile, Region Two

Three new casualties take COVID-19 dea

WITH the passing of three more persons from COVID-19, Guyana’s overall death toll now stands at 258, the Ministry of Health has announced.

The latest fatalities are two 64-yearold men from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and a 60-year-old woman from Region Three (Essequibo Islands West Demerara), all of whom died while receiving care at a medical facility here on Sunday.

Meanwhile, there are currently 1,194 active COVID-19 cases in Guyana, following the addition of 40 new cases, as at Monday April 12, 2021, according to the Health Ministry’s COVID-19 dashboard.

On the flip side, however, 30 persons are reported to have recently recovered from the virus, thus bringing the total number of recoveries to date to 9,751.

The 40 newly confirmed cases were recorded in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demer-

ara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice, and Six East Berbice-Corentyne).

Of the lot, 25 are females, and while Region Four accounts for 17 of them, Region Three comes a close second at 12, followed by Region Six on six; Region Five on four; and Region One with just one.

According to the Ministry of Health, the 40 new cases are as a result of the 397 additional tests that were recently done countrywide.

This means that the country has now recorded a total of 11,189 confirmed cases since the first COVID-19 case was reported here back in March 2020.

There are currently 1,194 active cases, 17 of which are being kept at the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. There are also 74 persons in institutional isola-

tion pres and 13 in the perso to be asy exhibitin with the The Measure until Apr or amen Health, vailing pandemi As p ever, ev face mas distancin also imp is 22:30h toms of COVID226-748

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nched at Cotton Field GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

advantage

ve by freelance after the launch.

Chairperson Vilma De Silva said the launching of “Radio Essequibo” is a historic moment for the region. De Silva said the studio was launched at an opportune time,when communication plays an important role during the pandemic. She therefore assured the minister and the NCN team that the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) will make full use of the radio station to inform residents of development works occurring within the region.

Regional Executive Officer (REO) Devanand Ramdatt remarked that as a rural region, it is important for there to be access to quality information. He said too that the launching was historic and that the RDC will fully uti-

ath toll to 258

sently; 1,090 in home isolation, n institutional quarantine. Many of ons infected with the virus are said ymptomatic, in that they are not ng any of the symptoms associated disease. updated COVID-19 Emergency es are in force from April 1, 2021, ril 30, 2021, but may be extended nded by notice of the Minister of after an assessment of the prepublic health conditions of the ic. per the current measures, howveryone is required to wear a sk when leaving home; physical ng and adequate sanitisation are portant. The current curfew time h to 04:00h. Persons with sympCOVID-19 are asked to call the -19 hotline numbers: 231-1166; 80; or 180/181 for assistance.

Freelance staff are pictured with Minister of Public Affairs, Kwame Mc Coy; NCN’s Chief Executive Officer, Michella Abraham-Ali; NCN’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Neaz Subhan and Chairman of the NCN board, Raymond Cummings

lise the facility to better inform residents.

The branch manager will be Mohanlall Suellall and the studio will have two freelance broadcasters, Mayor of Anna Regina Rajendra Prabhulall and Indrawattie Natram.

NCN operates seven other regional radio stations within its national broadcasting network.

Radio Essequibo 95.5 frequency was launched in November 2019 and the relay station was commissioned in January, 2020, at Cotton Field in the

township of Anna Regina, but it was never operationalised.

Also in attendance at the simple launching ceremony were President of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry Aadil Baskh; Chief Executive Officer of NCN, Michella Abraham-Ali; Deputy Chief Executive officer of NCN, Neaz Subhan; Regional Vice-Chairman Humace Oodit, and Commander of ‘G’ Division, Crystal Robinson.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Massive support organised for St. Vincent –– first shipment with emergency supplies expected to leave today –– Guyana waiting to hear specific needs of Guyanese in St. Vincent

By Vishani Ragobeer MASSIVE support has been organised locally for the Caribbean island of St. Vincent that has been thrown into a state of emergency following the eruption of the volcano, La Soufrière there.

“We’re trying to get at least 350 tonnes of items, and then during the course of the

week, we are going to send more items,” President Ali highlighted on the sidelines of an event on Monday.

The supplies organised for the country include water, sanitation supplies, hygiene products and food items. The President emphasised that continuous support will be provided to the country, as efforts in collaboration with the

private sector will continue.

This first shipment of supplies will be transported on board the vessel, ‘Miss Meena’. Before the supplies were loaded onto the vessel on Monday, President of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), Rafeek Khan told this newspaper that the Private Sector was able to raise

about $8M in cash, and about five container-loads of cargo, including food, sanitation and hygiene supplies.

“I am deeply touched and moved by the generosity here in Guyana, and from the Private Sector,” Khan said. He, however, noted that the relief organised for this first shipment was drawn primarily from people and businesses in

Georgetown and Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), given the speed at which the relief was organised. As such, he called on more Guyanese to contribute to subsequent shipments to the Caribbean island.

Sukhdeo Chutkhan, owner of the ‘Miss Meena’, the vessel that will be transporting the supplies to St. Vincent, told the Guyana Chronicle that its maximum capacity is 350 tonnes. The ship, which is manned by six crew members, will also be taking several members of the local Coast Guard to St. Vincent.

He mentioned that he opted to lend his ship to the local relief efforts since he was asked by President Ali to do so.

“I’m willing to help anytime they’re ready; I want the people of St. Vincent to know that we’re here to help,” Chutkhan said.

Meanwhile, Captain of the vessel, Randolph Kamarang said that he and his crew are ready to set sail and complete their mission of transporting the supplies to the island. When asked if he has any reservations about travelling to the volcano-hit island, Captain Kamarang said that he’d sailed the Caribbean Sea after the volcanic eruption in Montserrat in 1997, and as such, he’s not daunted by the task.

HELP FOR GUYANESE Head of the newly-established Diaspora Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ms. Rosalinda Rasul explained that this initial shipment will be given to the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to distribute to all affected persons.

She, however, has been in contact with the Honorary Consul of Guyana to St. Vincent & Grenadines to ascertain what help is needed for the Guyanese on the island who have been affected.

According to information received from the Consul, Guyanese on the island are only now starting to come forward and engage the body.

On Monday evening, the Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a notice, advising all Guyanese affected by ongoing volcanic eruptions in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to make urgent contact with Nigel Russell, Honorary Consul of Guyana to St. Vincent and the Grenadines or Rasul.

Russell can be contacted via 784-453-1222 (office) and 784-526-5159 (mobile/ WhatsApp), or via his email: nigelrussell612017@gmail. com and newguyanasvg@ gmail.com. Meanwhile, the Diaspora Unit, Protocol and Consular Affairs Department can be contacted on: 592226-1606; 592-226-1608, ext: 249, 342, 326, 279 or via WhatsApp on 592-619-0734.

Once the affected Guyanese on the island make contact with the body in St. Vincent, Rasul said that a list will be made of all the supplies needed, and the local authorities will organise those supplies and send to the group in a subsequent shipment.

The volcano erupted at 08:41hrs on Friday, after the government on Thursday night issued an evacuation notice for persons living in the Red Zone, which is in the northernmost part of the island where the volcano is located. This evacuation order was issued following an increase in seismic activity, indicating that the volcano would erupt soon. The Red Zone at reference is said to be “the danger zone”, along with the Orange Zone (the section just south of the Red Zone).

News 784 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines reported that Geologist and Professor Richard Robertson said that more explosions are expected soon, and that the first one was not the biggest.

“If there is a much bigger explosion, the ash can spread further [sic] to the south. This could continue for days or weeks, and monitoring will continue,” News 784 quoted Robertson as saying.

It was also reported that after the initial explosion, it is likely that others will occur. Later, on Friday afternoon, at 14:45hrs and then at 18:35hrs, other eruptions were recorded. At 05:00hrs on Saturday, yet another eruption was recorded. Videos posted on social media by residents of St. Vincent showed ash spreading to communities, covering buildings and surfaces. On Saturday, Barbados Today reported that the ash had spread to Barbados.

Amid the unfolding natural disaster in St. Vincent, a number of other countries within CARICOM have also affirmed their assistance to the Vincentian Prime Minister and his people.

Kokerite Hill residents to ...

FROM PAGE

The first phase of the works is expected to be completed Monday; this entails planting of the poles. This will be followed immediately by the installation of wiring, after which the transformers to serve the area will be installed.

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Additionally, another seven households just outside of the boundary of the scheme will be connected to the electrical network upon completion of the works. Currently, only a small section of the scheme is receiving electricity.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

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SOCU charges senior police officers for fraud

Woman Superintendent of Police, Loraine Saul

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kurt Smith, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Delano Williams Photo)

TWO police officers , on Monday, charged with fraud by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) of the Guyana Police Force for falsifying payments for meals supplied to ranks of the Guyana Police Force.

The officers are woman Superintendent of Police, Loraine Saul, the former officer in charge of the Brickdam Police Station Other Ranks Mess and Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kurt Smith, who was the officer-in-charge of the Police Finance Department of the Guyana Police Force.

The Brickdam Police Station Other Ranks Mess provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner for ranks stationed at various stations and locations within Regional Division 4 ‘A’.

It was alleged that Saul falsified and inflated accounts, for meals provided

by Brickdam Police Station Other Ranks Mess, for reimbursement at the Police Finance Department.

The matter was reported to SOCU, which subsequently investigated and found that Saul prepared an account and petty contract dated December 18, 2020 for meals purportedly supplied to ranks who performed duties at ‘A’ Division Riot Unit Training between December 1 to 15, 2020 to the amount of $1,350,000, when in fact no such training was done for that period.

Further, it was found that Saul also prepared another account and petty contract dated the same period for meals purportedly supplied to ranks who performed fixed point duties at the Georgetown Prison between De-

cember 1 to 15, 2020 to the amount of $ 648,000. However, she inflated the number of ranks and amount of meals on this account in the sum of $ 465,000.

The investigation also revealed that Smith colluded with Saul to defraud and authorise the payments when in fact no such training nor the amount of feeding took place, and as Finance Officer (ag) knowingly authorised the payments from the government funds.

The duo was jointly charged with two counts of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony contrary to Section 34 of the Criminal Law Offences Act. Saul was also charged separately with two counts of Falsification of Account contrary to Section 208 (b) of the Criminal Law Offences Act. Smith appeared before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, at the Georgetown Magistrates’Court where he was not required to plead to the charges as they were indictable, while the court was informed that Saul was not currently in the country.

Smith was represented by attorney-at-law Mark Waldron who claimed that his client was not aware of the document he was signing, as it was brought to him to be signed by another rank.

He was placed on $100,000 bail on each charge and the matter was adjourned to May 14, 2021.

Recently, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kevin Adonis and three other ranks of the Guyana Police Force were charged with conspiring to steal over $19 million from the Guyana Police Force.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Matsuyama becomes first Japanese player to win the Masters HIDEKI Matsuyama has won the 2021 Masters Tournament, becoming the first Japanese man to win one of golf’s four major championships.

Matsuyama shot 10-under par over the four-day tournament held at Georgia’s Augusta National Golf Club, finishing one shot ahead of

American Will Zalatoris . Minutes later, Matsuyama, ranked 25 in the world, donned the fabled green jacket awarded to Masters winners. A decade earlier, he had finished as the lowest-scoring amateur in the 2011 event as a 19-year-old.

Matsuyama, 29, had already established himself as the best Japanese golfer in history with five victories on the US PGA Tour, and had risen as high as second in the world rankings, in 2017.

His form suffered thereafter, however, and he failed to win a tournament for almost four years. His win came just a week after Japan’s Tsubasa Kajitani won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, a top competi-

tion that the club inaugurated in 2019 for non-professional women’s players.

Matsuyama seized control of the tournament on Saturday afternoon, when he shot six-under par on the back nine of the third round to take a four-stroke lead into the final round Solid play and mistakes by competitors allowed him to increase his lead to as many as six shots by the middle of Sunday’s round.

But his margin shrank when Matsuyama found greenside water at the long 15th.

His playing partner, Xander Schauffele of the US, came within two shots with a birdie — but blew his chance at the very next hole with a triple bogey after watching his tee shot slip agonisingly into the

lake on the short 16th.

Despite two more late bogeys, including on the 18th, Matsuyama clung on, leaving him with the slimmest margin of victory over Zalatoris.

“Hopefully, I will be a pioneer and many other Japanese will follow,” said Matsuyama through an interpreter during the presentation of the green jacket in the Butler Cabin. “I’m glad to be able to open the floodgates, hopefully, and many more will follow me.”

The Masters was played just days after Georgia Republicans enacted an election bill that critics said targeted black voters. In response to outcry over the law, Major League Baseball moved this summer’s All-Star Game to Colorado.

Augusta National chair Fred Ridley declined to condemn the law but said that “[n]o one should be disadvantaged in exercising that right [to vote]”.

Ridley also rejected calls for boycott, saying “those actions often impose the greatest burdens on the most vulnerable in society”.

The Masters and elite golf circles have long been dogged by accusations of exclusion based on race and sex. The 2021 tournament began on Thursday when Lee Elder, who in 1975 became the first black man to play at the Masters, was invited to join the ceremonial tee-off alongside sixtime winner Jack Nicklaus and three-time champion Gary Player. (Financial Times)

Biles may go for one more Olympic Games

(REUTERS)-After thinking hard about hanging on another year to compete at the COVID-19 delayed Tokyo Olympics, fourtime gold medallist gymnast Simone Biles said on Wednesday she just might stick around for another three years for the 2024 Paris Summer Games.

Winner of the coveted all-around crown along with team, floor and vault gold at the 2016 Rio Olym-

pics, Biles had given every indication that the Tokyo Games would be her competitive swan song.

But the 24-year-old American hinted during her appearance at the Team USA virtual media summit on Wednesday that she might put off retirement and try to compete in Paris in an individual event such as the floor exercise where she is a five-time world champion.

Biles said she was get-

ting some pressure from her French coaches Cecile and Laurent Landi to consider Paris and did not rule out the idea.

“Right now my main focus is the (Tokyo) Olympic Games,” said Biles, who has also won a record 25 world championship medals. “After, we have a tour that has been put together and I am really excited to go around the U.S. with all the girls and do that 36

city tour.

“Afterwards I am not so sure because Cecile and Laurent are from Paris and so they have kind of guilted me into at least being a specialist and coming back.

“But you know the main goal is 2021 Olympics first, tour and then we will have to see.”

The Olympics, delayed one year by the COVID-19 pandemic, begin July 23.

Dom Bess has spoken to Joe Root about England winter tours SPINNER Dom Bess says he has spoken to England Test captain Joe Root about how he was managed during the winter, but sees “only massive positives” from the tours of Sri Lanka and India.

Moeen Ali was preferred to Bess for the second Test in India, despite being set to be rested for the last two matches.

Bess struggled when recalled for the final Test, returning 0-71 in 17 overs.

“I certainly got across how I felt and how, at times, I felt I was managed,” said Bess.

England’s handling of Bess was criticised during the India series, with former captain Michael Vaughan saying: “I don’t think I’ve ever been as disappointed with the management of a player.”

Yorkshire off-spinner Bess, 23, has also had talks with England coach Chris Silverwood and performance director Mo Bobat.

Bess took 17 wickets as England won both Tests in Sri Lanka and the series opener in India.

However, after an indifferent display in the second innings of the first Test - he conceded more than six runs an over - Bess was replaced for the next match.

REPORT Moeen was also asked to stay in India for the final two Tests by the England management, but returned home for a pre-planned period of rest.

“In that first Test and first innings in India, I felt really good. Then it just didn’t click for me,” said Bess, who has taken 36 wickets at an average of 33.97 in his 14-Test career.

“Rooty and Spoons [Silverwood] have both said how tough it was to drop me out of that second Test, but I was really disappointed.”

Bess was overlooked for the third Test, then recalled for the fourth as England lost by an innings to go down to a

3-1 series defeat.

Vaughan said during the final Test: “What they are expecting from a kid to suddenly then put him under this amount of spotlight, after being dropped. It is just completely wrong.”

Bess said: “I look back at that fourth Test as a great experience - a really tough learning curve.

“I can only see massive positives from the winter. I perhaps didn’t impact games the way I would want to at times, but I did impact upon games for England.”

With Bess moving from Somerset to Yorkshire during the winter, he is now county team-mates with Root.

Both men played for Yorkshire in their opening game of the County Championship season, a draw against Glamorgan at Headingley.

“I’ve spoken to Joe and I understand where I stand with it all. I certainly feel backed from these guys, who gave me good feedback in

terms of what I need to do,” said Bess.

“I know Rooty, Spoons and the whole team back me in terms of the longer process. I have to buy into that.”

Bess was England’s first-choice spinner during the home summer in 2020, but now appears to be behind slow left-armer Jack Leach, who played all four Tests in india.

England play seven Tests this summer, beginning with two against New Zealand in June.

A five-Test series against India starts in August, with England then looking to regain the Ashes in Australia in December and January.

“Of course I want to be involved in the English summer,” said Bess.

“The New Zealand Test series is in the back of my head, but I’m very realistic. “For me it’s a longterm thing. If I’m not in and around the team I can think of the longer picture.”

(BBC Sport)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

21

Who will captain Australia after Tim Paine?

Does Steven Smith still have a chance? …Cricket Australia has to answer a number of questions before picking a replacement for Tim Paine

By Ian Chappell THE job of Australian captain is a much debated role.

That is again the case now, following former captain Steven Smith’s response to a query. “If the opportunity did come up again I would be keen,” Smith said.

The opportunity to captain Australia should only arise when the incumbent, Tim Paine, is either incapacitated or decides he has had enough of an extremely demanding job.

In Paine’s case, he took over in extenuating circumstances, when Smith abrogated his duty by allowing a case of blatant cheating to occur under his watch. Since that time, Paine has done an admirable job of restoring Australia’s cricketing reputation.

There are a number of questions Cricket Australia has to answer before deciding who permanently inherits the captaincy from Paine. The first one probably won’t be answered, on the basis that it could be incriminating.

Why didn’t Smith and David Warner receive the same punishment regarding their captaincy future?

Smith and Warner were guilty of the same crime cheating. If anything, Smith’s crime was greater: when he witnessed the plot being hatched in the dressing room, he cynically said, “I don’t want to know.”

It’s the captain’s job to know what the team is up to at all times, and he should have put a stop to one of the worst, if not the worst, crime in the game.

So how come they received different punishments? Was Warner punished more severely because he was the prominent player spokesman during the last contracts MoU scuffle? It’s always dangerous to assume, but this is a reasonable conclusion.

Next question: will the players accept Smith as their leader bearing in mind his serious error of judgement the last time he was in charge?

The incorrect answer is, “He’s served his punishment so the slate is now clean.” That might pass in a court of law, but it doesn’t work that way in a cricket dressing room.

Respect is a cricket captain’s greatest ally and without it,

he’s floundering.

The correct question is, will the players unconditionally accept Smith as their captain? I’d be surprised if the answer was a unanimous yes.

system for gauging potential captains is flawed and doesn’t provide enough opportunities to test leadership skills in a less dramatic atmosphere.

5:53

vice-captain for some time.

All things being equal, if the vice-captain doesn’t inherit the role then why make the appointment?

Cummins’ main attri-

Is Tim Paine looking at the future captain of Australia? (Getty Images)

The last question is simple. Who is the best candidate to lead Australia into the future?

The dilemma CA faces is the lack of obvious candidates to take over when Paine decides to retire. The current

The potential candidates - apart from Smith - are fast bowler Pat Cummins, batsmen Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, and at a pinch, wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Of those players Cummins is best qualified as he has been

butes are that he’s guaranteed a place and he’s also the most inspirational player in the side. The only things counting against him are a lack of captaincy experience and his role as a fast bowler.

Being a bowler-captain is an

extremely demanding job, but it shouldn’t automatically bar Cummins from the role. There have been bowlers who have been very successful captains, it’s just that they are few and far between.

Head is the most experienced first-class captain but he’s struggled to establish himself as a Test player. Australia doesn’t have a history of choosing captains who don’t merit a place as a player and that tradition must be maintained. Labuschagne is certainly good enough to hold his place but he has had little leadership experience.

Also he would need to temper his quirky character if he were given the top job.

Carey’s obvious problem is that it’s hard to imagine the selectors picking him as Paine’s replacement as keeper and immediately installing him as captain.

Those considerations could leave Smith as captain by default. This is not a good reason to put any player in charge - especially one whose credentials already involve a murky captaincy past.

(Cricinfo)

Boston Celtics end Denver Nuggets’ eight-game winning run Pakistan Super League to resume on June 1 THE Boston Celtics ended the Denver Nuggets’ eightgame winning streak with a 105-87 win in the NBA. Celtics trailed 79-65 late in the third quarter but went on a run of 31-3 to turn the game around at the Ball Arena in Denver.

“We just picked up the intensity,” said Jayson Tatum, who scored 28 points and made 10 rebounds for the Celtics.

“That was big because we could have let it get away from us.”

DeMar DeRozan scored the winner with less than a second left as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks 119-117.

The Atlanta Hawks beat the Charlotte Hornets 105-101, with Bogdan Bogdanovic scoring 32 points, including eight threes, and Lou Williams putting the Hawks 103-101 ahead with 58 seconds to go in the

fourth quarter.

Zion Williamson’s 38 points helped the New Or-

leans Pelicans overcome the Cleveland Cavaliers 116-109. (BBC Sport)

Tatum was key in helping Boston Celtics to victory

THE Pakistan Super League(PSC) will resume on June 1 with the final on 20 June after it was postponed because of a coronavirus outbreak.

The Twenty20 tournament was halted on 4 March after seven cases were reported.

A June restart was initially proposed subject to a Pakistan Cricket Board-commissioned independent report into how Covid-19 protocols were breached.

Those plans have now been finalised with enhanced safety measures based on the commission’s findings.

“The board of governors endorsed all recommendations of the fact-finding 11:55 hrs Ottonian 12:25 hrs Mawlood

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Pakistan Cricket Board statement.

Teams will begin a mandatory seven-day quarantine period from 22 May before Lahore Qalandars take on Islamabad United in the first match on 1 June, with all remaining 20 games to be played in Karachi.

England and Quetta Gladiators batsman Tom Banton was one of the players who tested positive in the days prior to the tournament being suspended.

(BBC Sport)

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Linde leads the way as Proteas romp to six-wicket win to level T20 series (AFP)-Pakistan opening batsman Mohammad Rizwan fell into a trap off the first ball of the match and the tourists never recovered as South Africa romped to a six-wicket win with six overs to spare in the second Twenty20 international at the Wanderers on Monday.

Man of the match George Linde revealed at the postmatch presentation that South Africa deliberately placed mid-off Aiden Markram inside the 30-metre circle in order to tempt Rizwan to go over the top.

Rizwan danced down the wicket and went for a big hit but only succeeded in hitting a high catch to Markram.

“We had a game plan to bring that guy up and I was happy when he (Rizwan) came down the wicket,” said left-arm spinner Linde who went on to take three for 23.

He also held three catches in the deep and Pakistan were restricted to 140 for nine on what South African captain Heinrich Klaasen said was “a 180-190 wicket”.

South Africa showed up Pakistan’s batting shortcomings by racing to a series-levelling victory. Opening batsman Markram set the tone by slamming 54 off 30 balls.

ten balls.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam made 50 and shared Pakistan’s only productive partnership, 58 off 49 balls for the third wicket, with

George Linde’s three early strikes broke the back of the Pakistan innings (AFP/Getty Images)

There was a brief wobble when leg-spinner Usman Qadir took two wickets in successive overs to reduce South Africa to 92 for four but Klaasen (36 not out) and Linde took the hosts to the target with no further alarms.

Linde finished off a good day by scoring 20 not out off

Mohammad Hafeez (32).

“Aggression cost us the game,” said Babar after five of his batsmen fell to catches when they mistimed big hits.

“Early wickets cost us and the South Africans bowled really well,” he said.

Klaasen said the exe-

cution of South Africa’s bowlers was “spot on”. He singled out fast bowler Sisanda Magala, who had a nightmare first over, starting with three no-balls and then bowling three wides in conceding 18 runs.

“He begged me for another over,” said Klaasen.

“He said, ‘I’m your guy today’ and he proved it.”

Magala’s next three overs, including two at the ‘death’, cost only 14 runs and he took the key wicket of Babar, his first in international cricket.

Klaasen said the message to the South African batsmen was to be positive and to base their approach on the quality of the pitch rather than the runs required.

“We want to play aggressive cricket but not cowboy cricket,” he said, pointing out that he tempered his aggression after Qadir’s double strike.

The series moves to nearby Centurion for the final two matches, tomorrow and Friday.

Encouraging results for West Indies THOUGH the opposition teams in their last four Test matches are lowly ranked, it can be argued that results by West Indies are encouraging from a statistical perspective.

Under the captaincy of opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite, West Indies beat Bangladesh 2-0 away in February and battled 0-0 against Sri Lanka in the just concluded series in the Caribbean, or to be more precise, in Antigua on flat pitches at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

It is the first instance since 2012-13 that West Indies have played three or more consecutive Tests without a defeat. As my old school cricket teammate, Trevor Eastmond, later to become a well-known comedian, would say, “clap for that”.

But this is no joke. The statistics tell us that West Indies have been struggling for a very long time to dominate teams.

Coincidentally, it was against Bangladesh in November 2012 when they won 2-0 and then enjoyed similar success over Zimbabwe (for the Clive Lloyd Trophy) in March 2013 in the Caribbean – Daren Sammy was the captain for both series – that West Indies had last played three or more successive Tests without losing.

Since beating Zimbabwe eight years ago, West Indies have played 26 series, winning only six, while losing 17 with three drawn.

Of 64 matches in the period under review, West Indies have won 17, lost 37 and drawn ten.

The triumphant series were against Bangladesh (three times; all 2-0) – 2014, 2018 and 2021; Zimbabwe (1-0), 2017; England (2-1), 2019 and Afghanistan (1-0), 2019. (See list at the bottom).

Of the top ten teams in the ICC Test rankings, India lead

the way followed by New Zealand, Australia, England, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Now, the likes of lead selector Roger Harper and head coach Philip Simmons have talked about the spirit and determination exhibited by the West Indies team during the last two series.

No one can blame them for feeling upbeat but they know that much tougher examinations are expected this year at home against South Africa and Pakistan.

In the absence of some leading players for the tour to Bangladesh as they cited concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic, a few rookies performed impressively, namely batsman Nkrumah Bonner, all-rounder Kyle Mayers, wicket-keeper/ batsman Joshua Da Silva and off-spinning all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall.

“I think the dressing room is exciting. There’s an energy around the dressing room,” Simmons said.

“I think winning the two Test matches in Bangladesh brings that kind of energy, and there’s a lot of young players who have just come into the team who bring that type of energy too, whether it’s in their batting, their keeping, in their bowling.

“Whichever it is, they bring that energy and it’s a nice feeling in the dressing room in a nice way. Players are looking after one another and want each other to succeed.

“So the energy in the dressing room is great but it can always get better. We keep working on improving it and making sure that it keeps getting better.”

Against Sri Lanka, Brathwaite batted in typically obdurate style, amassing the

most runs for his team (237) including one century at an average of 59.25.

His 126 in the first innings of the second match was his first century in 38 Test innings and ninth all told. He batted for 514 minutes and with a knock of 85 in the second innings lasting 299 minutes, he now holds the record in terms of minutes (813) for the longest time at the crease in a match for West Indies.

Five West Indies batsmen averaged over 50.00. Apart from Brathwaite, Bonner scored 144 runs (ave: 72.00); former captain Jason Holder 138 (ave: 69.00); Cornwall 134 (ave: 67.00) and Mayers 201 (ave: 50.25).

Next in the averages was Da Silva (33.50), having scored 67 runs.

There were two disappointments in opener John Campbell and vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood. Campbell scored 68 runs (ave: 17.00) and Blackwood 42 (ave: 10.50).

Veteran fast bowler Kemar Roach was the top West Indies wicket-taker with nine (ave: 23.55), while Holder picked up seven (ave: 18.57).

Medium-pacer Mayers took four wickets at 11.25 runs each to head the averages. Pacer Alzarri Joseph got four (ave: 53.00) and off-spinner Cornwall, also four (ave: 60.00).

Experienced fast bowler Shannon Gabriel struggled and managed just one wicket for 146 runs.

Following are the results of the Test series played by West Indies since 2013-14: + denotes won, * lost, # drawn. *2013-14 v India in India (won 0, lost 2, drawn 0). *2013-14 v New Zealand in New Zealand (won 0, lost 2, drawn 1). *2014 v New Zealand in West Indies (won 1, lost 2, drawn 0).(Extracted from Bar-

bados Today) +2014 v Bangladesh in West Indies (won 2, lost 0, drawn 0). *2014-15 v South Africa in South Africa (won 0, lost 2, drawn 1). #2015 v England in West Indies (won 1, lost 1, drawn 1). *2015 v Australia in West Indies (won 0, lost 2, drawn 0). *2015-16 v Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka (won 0, lost 2, drawn 0). *2015-16 v Australia in Australia (won 0, lost 2, drawn 1). *2016 v India in West Indies (won 0, lost 2, drawn 2). *2016 v Pakistan in UAE (won 1, lost 2, drawn 0). *2017 v Pakistan in West Indies (won 1, lost 2, drawn 0). *2017 v England in England (won 1, lost 2, drawn 0). +2017 v Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe (won 1, lost 0, drawn 1). *2017-18 v New Zealand in New Zealand (won 0, lost 2, drawn 0). #2018 v Sri Lanka in West Indies (won 1, lost 1, drawn 1). +2018 v Bangladesh in West Indies (won 2, lost 0, drawn 0). *2018-19 v India in India (won 0, lost 2, drawn 0). *2018-19 v Bangladesh in Bangladesh (won 0, lost 2, drawn 0). +2019 v England in West Indies (won 2, lost 1, drawn 0). *2019 v India in West Indies (won 0, lost 2, drawn 0). +2019-20 v Afghanistan in India (won 1, lost 0, drawn 0). *2020 v England in England (won 1, lost 2, drawn 0). *2020-21 v New Zealand in New Zealand (won 0, lost 2, drawn 0). +2021 v Bangladesh in Bangladesh (won 2, lost 0, drawn 0). #2021 v Sri Lanka in West Indies (won 0, lost 0, drawn 2).

Punjab Kings win thriller despite Samson ton

Arshdeep Singh dismissed Sanju Samson off the final ball of the match

SANJU Samson struck the first century of the new Indian Premier League season, but it was not enough for Rajasthan Royals to beat Punjab Kings.

Samson needed five from the final ball, bowled by Arshdeep Singh, to complete the Royals’ chase of 222 in Mumbai.

But Samson was caught at deep extra cover to fall for 119 and give Punjab victory by four runs.

The Kings were lifted to their 221-6 by 91 from KL Rahul, Deepak Hooda’s 64 and 40 by Chris Gayle.

The extraordinary game had echoes of when the Royals chased 224 to beat Punjab - then known as Kings XI Punjab - to set the record for the highest IPL pursuit in Sharjah last September.

On that occasion, Samson made 85 from 42 balls.

Here, he took advantage of being dropped on 12, 35 and overturning being given out lbw on 53 to mark his first match since taking over as captain from Steve Smith with a century.

His innings looked set to make light of a poor Royals fielding display - each of Rahul, Hooda and Gayle were dropped, Rahul on 15 by

Ben Stokes and Hooda on 39

by Jos Buttler after a mix-up with his England team-mate.

Stokes’ difficult night continued when he lasted only three deliveries opening the batting before top-edging Mohammed Shami.

Buttler looked in supreme touch for 25 until he was deceived by a superb slower ball from new Punjab singing Jhye Richardson.

Samson, though, displayed awesome power and clean hitting to reach three figures from 54 balls.

He was in the company of Chris Morris - at £1.6m the most expensive signing in IPL history - when 13 were needed from the final over.

Eleven from three became five from two when Samson struck a glorious six over extra cover.

However, when he failed to find the boundary from the next ball, he turned down the single, trusting himself to strike the winning blow.

But 22-year-old left-armer Arshdeep held his nerve and another Samson loft towards extra cover ended in the hands of Deepak Hooda. (BBC Sport)

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER TUESDAY, April 13, 2021

COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD – 83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S:

(1) (2)

Chris Gayle-117 (WI vs SA, Johannesburg, 2007) Umar Gul-5/6 (PAK vs NZ, The Oval, 2009)

(1)

(2)

Who is the first player to register a double-hundred and a century in the same Test?

Who are the only two players to compile a triple

TODAY’S QUIZ:

century and a hundred in the same Test?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, April 13, 2021

23

Vitality Inc. on board RHTY&SC U-23 U-23 team as sponsor for 2022 VITALITY Inc. of Providence, East Bank Demerara, on Thursday last, became the seventh official sponsor of the club cricket section.

They join an elite list that includes Poonai Pharmacy, Farfan and Mendes Ltd, Bakewell, Pepsi, Metro Office Supplies and the National Milling Company (NAMILCO).

RHTY&SC Secretary/ CEO, Hilbert Foster, disclosed that the company would be sponsoring the newly established under 23 team which would be playing in the upcoming Berbice Cricket Board Sandeep and Son tournament.

The team will be led by West Indies white-ball player, Kevin Sinclair, while the highly talented Kevlon Anderson is to be his deputy.

The Rose Hall Town Vitality team would start the tournament as one of the favourites with a long list of national and Berbice players.

Among the players in the team, apart from the captain and vice, would be Junior Sinclair, Keith Simpson, Slyus Tyndall, Jonathan Rampersaud, Mahendra Gopilall, Chanderpaul Govindan, Jer-

mey Sandian, Tyreese Sealey, Kevin Ramnarine, Lucas Arthur, Christopher Deroop, Surendra Ramcharitar and Matthew Pottaya.

The sponsorship from Vitality Inc would cover the cost of cricket balls for practice sessions and matches along with transportation, snacks and the overall operation of the team for the year.

Additionally, the management of the RHTY&SC had mandated the team to successfully complete a total of thirty personal development programmes under the name of the sponsorship for 2021 under the sub headings of education, culture, cricket development, community development, anti-crime and anti- suicide.

Among the upcoming events to be hosted by the team would be a Special Mothers-Day hampers project, cleaning up of the public beach in Rose Hall Town , senior citizens breakfast project and the distribution of cycles to less fortunate students.

Meanwhile, the company would also be co-sponsoring the 21st edition of the

RHTY&SC Youth Review Magazine. Assistant Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu stated that the club, since 2000, has

future and highlight the support of its sponsors.

Additionally, each year the magazine also features

the middle of the year. Naidu disclosed that special articles would be done on West Indies players, Kevin Sinclair,

Vitality director, Abbas Hamid, hands over sponsorship to RHTY&SC Vice President, Mark Papannah

published an annual magazine as part of its youth outreach programmes.

The magazines have traditionally carried articles on the work of the club during the calendar year, outstanding members, plans for the

articles with advice to youths on topics such as drug abuse, suicide, importance of education, religion, climate change and domestic violence.

The 2021 edition would consist of 48 pages and is expected to be published by

Shakabi Gajnabi and Kevlon Anderson.

Foster, who is also president of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), expressed thanks to the Directors of the company for their support and reassured them that the

club would be good ambassadors of their brand and play a major role in making the company a household name in Guyana.

Company Director Abbas Hamid stated that Vitality Inc was pleased to be associated with the team and wished them success on and off the cricket field.

The company was recently launched in Guyana .

The company is a US $1OM investment in Guyana and offers a wide range of services including providing equipment needed to serve the oil sector in Guyana, consultancy and strategic planning.

Subsidiaries include Vitality Supplies and Vitality Accounting and Consultancy.

The other sponsored teams of the RHTY&SC are Poonai Pharmacy under-12 and 13, Farfan and Mendes under-15, Bakewell Under-17 and Second Division, Pepsi Under- 19 and Intermediate, Metro Females and Namilco Thunder Bolt Flour Under- 21 and First Division teams.

70% of Japanese want Carl Moore re-elected president of Tucber Park CC Tokyo Games cancelled or delayed: poll TOKYO (Reuters) - More than 70% of people in Japan want the Tokyo Olympics to be cancelled or delayed as the coronavirus pandemic rolls on, a Kyodo News poll showed on Monday, just over 100 days ahead of the planned start of the Games.

The survey showed 39.2% want the Games scrapped, while 32.8% favour another delay.

Only 24.5% of respondents want the world’s largest sporting event to go ahead as scheduled.

Tokyo on Monday began a month-long period of quasi-emergency measures to blunt a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections driven by virulent mutant strains.

More than 92.6% of respondents felt anxiety about the resurgence of infections, the Kyodo survey conducted from April 10 to 12 showed.

While vaccination shots for people aged 65 and above began at some 120 sites across the country on Monday, the imported doses are still in short supply and the pace of inoculations is unlikely to stop the latest wave of infections.

The survey found that about 60% of people were dissatisfied with Japan’s progress on vaccinations.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s cabinet approval rate rose 1.9 percentage points from a month earlier to 44%, while his disapproval rating was at 36.1%, the survey showed.

VETERAN cricket administrator, Carl Moore, was re-elected as president of the Tucber Park Cricket Club (TPCC) following last week’s elections held at the Berbice High School.

Moore, who resides in the United States of America (USA), will continue to serve as president of the club.

National Youth Coach and Moore’s son, Julian, will serve as first Vice-President while Anthony D’Andrade was elected as second Vice-President. Tamesh Mohabir is now the Secretary.

Gary Millington is the assistant secretary while West Indies female player, Tremayne Smartt, is the treasurer. Orlando Tanner was elected as Assistant Treasurer and Brandon Corlette is the Public Relations Officer.

In a virtual call, the senior Moore said he is impressed with the works of the club. He hailed his son Julian and the other members of the club. “Julian, Anthony, Smartt and the Secretary, Tamesh, has done a good job. They are carrying on the works that we started a few years ago to help the youngsters in New Amsterdam and surrounding areas,” Carl said.

Over the past years, Tucber Park has continued to move from strength to strength in producing solid players. West Indies senior player, Romario Shepherd and Guyana pacer, Nial Smith, are the latest elite

the championship-winning Guyana team in the Stanford T20, Carl Moore, said he is impressed and beyond proud of both Shepherd and Smith, who began their cricketing careers at the TPCC.

was the captain of the Guyana U-19 Team in 2008. The likes of former senior Berbice players, Devon Clements and Maxie De Jonge, along with D’Andrade, also played for UWI Vice Chancellor vs Zimbabwe back in 2010, are

The elected members of the TPCC (From left: Gary Millington, Orlando Tanner, Tremayne Smartt, Anthony D’Andrade, Julian Moore and Joel Davis)

products from the New Amsterdam-based club. Jeremy Gordon, the former senior Guyana player, is also a product of the club. Gordon now ply his trade in Canada.

The former Manager of

In addition to Tremayne Smartt, Candacy Atkins, who played for USA, is also another West Indies female product of TPCC. Eugene La Fleur is another proud product of TPCC; he

also products of the TPCC. The TPCC produced more than 40 National youth players in recent years. Another election for the TPCC is due in two years.

Matsuyama becomes first Japanese player to win the Masters SEE PAGE 20

Hideki Matsuyama is presented with the winner’s green jacket by last year’s US Masters champion Dustin Johnson © Reuters

Newly elected GCB executive names sub-committies

Biles may go for one more Olympic Games SEE PAGE 20

Ramnaresh Sarwan Andre Percival THE newly elected executives of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), on Saturday last, met for the second meeting under the chairmanship of president, Bissoondyal Singh.

The executives discussed a wide range of matters relating to the development of the game in Guyana and the way forward.

“The GCB would release more information to the general public as we go forward and wishes to reassure the general public that we are committed to a policy of transparency, fairness and accountability. Guyana Cricket needs a lot of work and the entire executive body committed to leading by example and to create an atmosphere for all stakeholders to strive in,” the GCB said in a release yesterday.

The executives established several sub-committees and the names of the persons selected would be released shortly after they were informed.

The committees established were Senior Selection, Junior Selection, Cricket Development, Finance and Public Relations.

Former West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan heads the senior panel while the most successful youth captain in the West Indies, Andre Percival, heads the junior selection panel.

Vice-president Hilbert Foster heads cricket development; PRO Claude Raphael heads the Public Relations Committee and acting Treasurer, Dr. Cecil Beharry, the Finance Committee.

“The GCB has made available several positions on the different committees for the Essequibo Cricket Board and they would be contacted to fill them. The executives also visited the board office to introduce themselves to the staff after the meeting. The transition from the previous executives to the newly elected ones is still an ongoing process,” the release ended.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021