Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 13-12-2020

13th December, 2020

, No.106210

Payment to CJIA contractor halted

–– AG threatens legal action, says company must deliver in accordance with contract

Make money from your skills

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Tax-free Christmas bonus for GDF ranks

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11 Santa shows his moves during an interaction with these children at the City Mall (Elvin Croker photograph)

$272.6B investment in Guyana to create over 10,000 jobs

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 13, 2020

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 13, 2020

Payments to CJIA contractor halted

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–– AG threatens legal action, says company must deliver in accordance with contract

By Navendra Seoraj

PRESSURE continues to mount on the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) to deliver the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project in accordance with the agreed terms outlined in the initial contract, as the government has halted all payments and the next resort will be to take legal action.

The CJIA expansion project has been subjected to criticisms from the new government since it took office in August 2020.

President Irfaan Ali and other officials of the government have said that Guyana will not be tolerant of unsatisfactory work, specifying that the project will only be accepted if it is done in accordance with the “original contract” that was signed in 2011.

When the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition assumed office in May 2015, the project, which had been slated for a December 2017 completion, was halted for review.

Following that review, the scope of work was adjusted, several changes were made, and a new deadline was set for December 2018. But the new government is adamant that the conditions agreed to in 2011 must be delivered, or legal action will be taken against CHEC. In a letter to the company, dated December 8, 2020, Attorney-General Anil Nandlall said: “Your company has failed to satisfy the employer’s requirement, contractor’s proposal and schedules, and all works necessary for the stability, safe and proper operation and completion of the whole works.”

The Attorney-General said the Ministry of Public Works entered into a “Fixed Priced Contract” to the tune of US$138 million to CHEC for the extension of the CJIA on No-

An artist’s impression of the completed airport expansion project, as was outlined in the initial agreement between the Government and CHEC vember 11, 2011, and its subsequent addenda failed to deliver works that shall be fit for the on September 15, 2014, July 28, 2015, March purposes for which the works are intended, as 15, 2017, December 12, 2017, and November defined in the contract after nine years of the 10, 2018 collectively forming the existing implementation of the extension project,” said contract. the Attorney- General.

“In accordance with the terms of the unThe company, he argued, has failed to derlying contract, CHEC Ltd’s contractual uphold critical contractual elements, which obligations are to carry out the planning, de- include remedying all defective items for the sign and construction of the Extension of the entire project, even after a notice was issued CJIA, which is listed as one of the top-priority to correct the defective work. development projects of Guyana,” Nandlall Nandlall said, too, that the company also reasoned. failed to achieve substantial completion as per The project includes the construction of a several clauses in the contract, and to complete New Terminal Building (NTB), and the exten- the work within the given timeframe. sion of the existing main runway to allow for “Our dissatisfaction with your perforCode E Aircraft operations at the CJIA. This mance and your breach of contract has already project, when completed, is expected to attract been reported by our Ministry of Public Works more international airlines and travellers, to to the Chief Executive Officers of the Expromote tourism and to provide economic port-Import Bank of China, and by our Prime development.

Minister to Mr. Wang Tongzhou, Chairman of “Pursuant to the contractual obligations China Communications Construction Group, of the underlying contract, your company your parent company,” said the Attorney-

General.

The government has also rejected all and any unilateral demand for additional payments, and has reiterated its ultimatum for specific performance as outlined in the contract.

“Any failure to comply with the aforementioned demand will result in my advising my client to seek legal remedies, and to forebear from any engagements with your company in the future,” the Attorney-General asserted.

On December 2, 2020, it was reported that the government received a revised work plan for the project, but the resubmitted document, prepared by CHEC, has come in for much criticism from the Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill.

According to Minister Edghill, the revised work plan has failed to once again address a number of the concerns highlighted by the government.

Prior to the adjustments, the original project specified the extension of the runway from 7,500 to 10,800 feet, so as to accommodate the Boeing 747-400 aircraft. It also provided for the construction of eight passenger boarding bridges. This required the demolition of the existing terminal building, and the construction of a new one capable of accommodating the eight structures.

The revised scope of work done by the previous Coalition Government facilitated the refurbishing of the terminal building instead of its demolition. This meant that only four air bridges could be accommodated.

While the recently resubmitted work plan did include provisions for the eight air bridges, there were still a number of unresolved issues, including the construction of office spaces, a gallery and waiting area.

Over the past nine years, the project has also encountered a plethora of other problems, including an inadequate and malfunctioning sewerage system.

Luke’s Manufacturing on road to expansion LUKE’S Manufacturing will soon become a bigger name in Region Two (Pomeroon Supenaam) since President Irfaan Ali has expedited the process of granting the business land for growth.

John Luke was one of many persons who benefited from a recent presidential outreach, which was held at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) building in Anna Regina on Wednesday last.

His business had been taking a beating of late, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and on top of that, he had been given the ‘royal runaround’ for years to acquire the land he needs to expand his business.

Currently, Luke is making 21 different products, including wine and various

types of porridge-mix out of local ingredients.

Upon hearing about the businessman’s plight and about the numerous jobs that the business can generate, once it is at full capacity, the President directed the representatives from the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission to fast-track the process.

Some five acres of land will be given to the Essequibian.

The entrepreneur expressed gratitude to President Ali for not only listening to him, but for the advice he gave him. He said he is confident that he would finally get the assistance he needs, because the President told him he would help.

“I know he is a man of his word. And this is not just about me; this is about all the other people I will employ in

the future,” the businessman said.

With the support, Luke can now build his dream multi-million-dollar business in the region.

Many other persons also realised their dreams during last week’s exercise, including several land owners, who received their titles.

One of the main objectives of the exercise was to reduce the bureaucratic hurdles that many persons face when accessing services.

According to President Ali, the achievement of this goal requires a vital shift in culture, which, he emphasised, is necessary if all Guyanese are to benefit from the massive development underway in Guyana. ‘’Positive change is vital, especially with Guyana’s development trajectory. It is

imperative that we fix our culture of doing business to ensure greater local content,’’ the President said.

During the exercise, residents were able to speak directly to President Ali and to raise issues of concern ranging from access to electricity, water, drainage issues and land allocation challenges.

President Ali said that all Guyanese should be treated fairly and that all agencies and Government offices should be working to deliver optimum services to enhance citizens’ lives.

Since his inauguration in early August, President Ali has preached brotherhood, unity and togetherness.

He has constantly stated that Guyana is for all Guyanese and that under his tenure he aims to enhance the life of every individual.

Essequibo businessman, John Luke with products made by his company

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 13, 2020

Kaikan will not be left out of Guyana’s development agenda – President Ali

– 100 relief hampers, children’s toys distributed

to further address the needs of children, particularly in riverain communities.

“To our children, I want you to know that in our programme, we have restored the uniform grant, especially to children in the hinterland and riverine communities.

But importantly, in our next budget, we are addressing nutrition programmes, nutritional needs to ensure that when our children go to school, they will have the right meals. And your village of course will not be excluded from this programme.”

President Ali said too that

nities, to your community in a continuous basis.”

He also assured the members of the Guyana Defence Force that they will also play a major role in the process, which will transform the way in which they engage the community and in so doing they will become more sensitive to community development.

The President also said that the National Security Advisor along with a team will return to the community at a later date to interact with residents and to gauge ways in which they we can enhance the relationship

President Irfaan Ali is greeted by residents of Kaikan

PRESIDENT IRFAAN ALI, on Friday, assured the residents of the border community of Kaikan in Region 7 (Cuyuni Mazaruni), that they will be included in the developmental plans for the country, which is designed to improve the lives of all Guyanese.

The Head of State gave this assurance as he addressed

scores of residents and Guyana Defence Force ranks gathered in the community which borders Venezuela.

“Today, I’m here to visit not only our soldiers, but importantly to visit this beautiful village and interact with its residents. I’m here to learn more from you about your challenges and to share with you some of our plans, geared to improving

Sunday December 13, 2020 –– 2:30 HRS

our lives and ensuring that we build a better future for all Guyanese, including you and this village,” the President was quoted by the Office of the President as saying.

Among the plans the President revealed was the implementation of education programmes, ICT and technical vocational training and improved access to health care services.

“We will be expanding our services to all the regions in Guyana to ensure that young people have equal access to not only primary and secondary education, but importantly also for those who want to pursue university education and technical education.”

According to the release, President Ali informed the residents of the implementation of a new nutrition programme

President Irfaan Ali interacts with residents of Kaikan during his visit to the community

government will be seeking to enhance community involvement in national and regional development. Towards this end, he announced that they will also be engaging with Toshaos and Town Councils in developing and formulating livelihood and social programmes to better serve the needs and priorities of communities.

“It is important that communities themselves identify what their priorities are. I want to assure you that the government and the cabinet will be reaching out to these commu-

of Border Patrol groups which will be responsible for the protection of the community.

Residents are to be permanently engaged through this mechanism.

“I want to assure you before I close, that my government intends to win your trust, my government intends to work closely with all of you to ensure that no family, no community, is left out from the development and advancement of our country regardless of where those communities are.”

He lauded the residents for adhering to the COVID-19 protocols by wearing their masks. The President also urged them to reflect on the challenges of the past year and assured them that the coming year would be better.

“Next year will be filled with improved livelihood options, improved development, but more importantly, it will be a new year that is filled with the hope that all of us, including myself, including the Army Chiefs, including the men and women, for all of us, we will be better Guyanese.”

Meanwhile, Village Toshao, Marlon Williams expressed gratitude to the Pres-

President Irfaan Ali and officials unveil a new sign board (Office of the President photos)

and involve the communities themselves in training and development.

One of the ways identified is through the establishment

ident and his team for their visit. Following the official welcoming ceremony, President Ali and his team distributed 100 relief hampers to residents and almost the same amount of toys to children in the community.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces then attended the Christmas lunch with GDF ranks stationed at the border community.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 13, 2020

Business, tourism sectors to benefit from JetBlue

By Jared Liddell MINISTER of Public Works, Juan Edghill, is of the view that there is great potential for Guyana’s business and tourism sectors to benefit, with JetBlue becoming the latest international airline to join Guyana’s aviation sector.

The minister was at the time speaking at JetBlue’s inaugural flight to Guyana at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Friday.

Minister Edghill described the potential for investment in Guyana as “limitless”, noting that having an international carrier like JetBlue would allow a significant number of investors to have easier access to Guyana.

As of recent, several major investors in the international hotel industry have tendered their proposals to be part of Guyana’s growth by providing first-class accommodation and other activities/services. This type of international investment partnership, Minister Edghill said was only expected to grow with JetBlue now here.

He said tourism sector is also set to benefit from the investment made by JetBlue, pointing out that, with the unique tourism experience

Guyana provides, it is strategically positioned to benefit from persons looking for vacation time.

“We have a very diverse culture and diverse tourism products here that draw in persons, and we are aware that persons would have access to Guyana through JetBlue; they would come and would want to experience all we have to offer as a tourist destination. The fact that families could go out for relaxation and recreation at affordable rates and come back, that’s good for Guyana.

Every passenger that comes

$1000,” said Minister Edghill.

Meanwhile, Peter Ramsaroop, the Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest), emphasised the possibilities for major investment in the country, noting that with Guyana rising as an oil giant “comfortable access” is one of the major things investors are looking for.

“Guyana is looking for investment; the President has outlined an aggressive economic agenda and as we look forward in agriculture, in tourism, in the oil sector, investors

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, greeting passengers that landed in Guyana on JetBlue’s Inaugural Flight

into Guyana, it’s good for the economy even if they spend

are coming into Guyana.

“This flight allows more

JetBlue’s Airbus A321neo aircraft which arrived in Guyana on Friday

people to explore the opportunities and we are ready to welcome them from an investment perspective and guide them through the process and allow all of us both local and diaspora coming back and the foreign investors to enjoy the economic and political freedom that we have in Guyana and get a chance to invest in our country,” said Ramsaroop.

He explained that from an economic standpoint. Guyana could see significant growth in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), not just from the business investor, but also from the significant tourism-related businesses that would benefit.

“This has the potential for us to create wealth for our people and ensure our people are employed. So as we welcome these investors back to Guyana, we believe that they will contribute to our GDP and our development and it’s a pleasure just to be here to see

JetBlue as an investor coming into our country and bringing their airline to our nation,” said Ramsaroop.

Meanwhile Vice President of network planning at JetBlue, Andrea Lusso, in a media release, expressed the company’s commitment to continue to connect more travellers with the people and places they want to see.

She said JetBlue intends to provide the most competitive service for the most affordable prices to ensure that Guyanese and foreigners wishing to travel to or from the company have the largest possible benefit.

“JetBlue’s arrival in Guyana introduces our low fares and award-winning service to another new market in the Caribbean and Latin America where customers have long faced high prices and little competition,” said Lusso.

At approximately 22:03h on Friday, JetBlue officially

commenced non-stop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Guyana’s Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), with the first roundtrip flight arriving back in New York Saturday morning. The new service operates up to four times weekly on JetBlue’s Airbus A321neo aircraft. One hundred and fifty passengers were on board JetBlue’s first official flight to Guyana.

JetBlue’s newest route connects New York’s Guyanese American community –the largest in the U.S. –with the capital city, making the connections between friends and family easier and closer than ever.

Guyana becomes the fourth country in South America that JetBlue serves and grows the airline’s presence in the broader Caribbean and Latin American region to nearly 40 destinations.

Essequibo teenager missing it. They didn’t have any issues. We want her to return home safe; we asking

Missing: Kelly Singh

A WEST BURY, Essequibo Coast, Region Two family is desperately searching for its 16-yearold relative who left the house on Thursday last for school and never returned.

Missing is Kelly Singh.

Her aunt, Marlyn Featherson, told this newspaper that her niece is a fifth form student at the Anna Regina (Multilateral) Secondary School.

Several calls to her mobile phone went unanswered. The family remains at a loss as to where the teenager could be; she was living with her parents and her brother.

“She was the only daughter; whatever she asked for, she does get

anyone with information to help,” the aunt pleaded.

A missing person’s

report was lodged at the Anna Regina Police Station. The teenager

was last seen wearing a green and white school uniform. Anyone with

information can contact the family on telephone number: 693-6510.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 13, 2020

Tajeram Mohabir

Education and National Development IN flowering out Guyana's potential to be a global success story, the national development agenda's utmost concern must be cultivating the Guyanese human capital resource base, and preparing the country to be a fertile ground for innovative solutions, design thinking, and intelligent citizen participation.

This must be a top concern.

This country's success depends on its people being of high-class education. It is imperative that education, literacy, and skills cultivation become the number one goal in the national development agenda.

Government, in its development manifesto, outlined a comprehensive strategy to phase in free education countrywide from nursery to university. This is laudable. At least for a first degree at the University of Guyana, citizens should be channelled and streamed through high school into completing their tertiary education. Guyana has already developed a tertiary education system that encompasses UG, technical institutes in the three counties, and the GuySuCo training centre. Yet, it is troubling that scores of young citizens in villages and inner cities suffer from a level of illiteracy that is unacceptable.

Indeed, much of petty criminality and street crimes occur because illiterate young people roam too many corners of this dear land.

The top development agenda must be to ensure that every citizen is able to tap in to the socio-eco-

nomic opportunities that government is working so hard to open up; no citizen should fall through the cracks. One case showcases what's possible. Guyana stands in an admirable posture regarding the community of persons with visual impairment. Under Education Minister Priya Manickchand's leadership, back in those pre-2015 days, the community of persons with visual impairment took a leap forward in their living standards.

This is because they moved from being condemned to a life of destitution with little or no higher education, to being able to attend UG and study for fields they found interesting.

Today, a big percentage of persons with visual impairment do not spend their days idly at the blind institute. Rather, they are well educated, with most moving on from high-school education to the university. They are versed in technology, and many are gainfully employed. The era of destitute, visually impaired persons is over.

In fact, the community through the Blind Institute formed a strong informal partnership with Canada-based, visually-impaired technology expert Raj Tribhuwan that rapidly transformed their lifestyles.

Today, Tribhuwan and leader of persons of the visually impaired community, Ganesh Singh, maintain close contact as Singh works hard, succeeding in elevating the community.

This is one example of what's

possible for the Guyanese human capital resource pool: nothing stops the country from becoming a global hub of educated, technology-savvy people who can take on high-level projects, innovate new solutions, and play a significant role in national affairs. Having an educated workforce is a prerequisite for rapid national development.

Guyanese by nature are go-getters, and full of enterprising solutions. Transferring this natural ability into a national pool of highly skilled citizens, could only be for the good of the nation.

One challenge is to make education at UG free for all citizens.

There are all kinds of costs, including hiring lecturers, maintaining classroom facilities, and providing course materials. But such a challenge is not insurmountable. With the new roll-out of online UG courses that Minister Manickchand announced recently, students could study anywhere once there is efficient wifi connection. Also, school buildings around the country, even in far-flung hinterland locations, could become evening classrooms for adult education for citizens who are not yet technologically savvy to use computers at home.

These school buildings could operate computer hubs where citizens could make use of in the evenings and enrol in UG courses, even completing degrees.

Also, first-degree graduates, and even graduates who complete their post-grad studies, could be

co-opted to volunteer as lecturers in these adult education centres around the country, in a form of giving back for receiving a free UG degree or government scholarship.

The world is moving into a global system that rewards knowledge, experience, application of life experience, and the ability to design solutions that could be scaled and globalised. With a national culture that feeds on higher education, like the developed world, with every citizen streamed and channelled into a love for higher education and constant learning, Guyana's future would be ideally secured.

In Asia, the focus on education, especially in India and China, is the single most important factor for the global rise of those countries. Countries all around the Pacific Rim and throughout Asia leapfrogged into developed status because they rolled out aggressive education plans. Today, Indians dominate most CEO positions in the U.S., Canada, and they're making inroads even in Europe. The Chinese are known for their love of education and skills development.

Former General-Secretary of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, said this about the value of literacy to a nation's progress: “Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics

and factories. Literacy is a platform for democratisation, and a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity. Especially for girls and women, it is an agent of family health and nutrition. For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right.... Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realise his or her full potential.”

As opportunities open up for Guyanese to exercise new initiatives, design thinking, and solution generation, not only for local but also for international issues, the country must see the road ahead, and prepare the way. A massive bandwidth of possibilities would demand a citizenry that is able, equipped and ready to jump on board with new thinking, new ideas, new projects.

In fact, Guyana, with its relatively small population, could become a start-up mecca, because higher education would develop Guyanese into worldclass thinkers and solution generators, who could brainstorm and mind-map entrepreneurial projects and social innovation solutions and digital businesses that could easily go global. A national focus on literacy, skills training, and tertiary education, for every Guyanese citizen, is possible today, and therefore it must be of utmost concern in the national development strategy.

Theft of workers NIS, PAYE, and VAT is criminal Dear Editor IT is with great satisfaction one reads in the various print media: "Gov’t to name and shame non-compliant security firms – Minister Hamilton". This sense of gratification and triumph, in particular, is owing to the fact that I, the undersigned, have religiously advocated for similar actions to be taken against security firms and others known to abuse and manipulate NIS, PAYE, and VAT. I have penned several missives, and spoken out virtually to the relevant authorities to have them take a stand on this despicable and deplorable act.

It is with this in mind that I take the opportunity to commend the Honourable Minister of Labour, Mr. Joseph Hamilton for his far-sightedness, and for taking the much-needed stance on this issue. However, while I applaud the Honourable Minister for saying that these security firms would be named and shamed, I believe that we need stricter means to nip this disgusting practice in the bud. I say this because some people

are bereft of shame. We have seen one company, after robbing billions of dollars in NIS, PAYE, and who, after having never paid corporate taxes, declared bankruptcy after decades of being in business, and then restarted with a new name, while continuing the same despicable practices. Because of incidents like this, it is my view that if the law does not allow imprisonment, then these people need to be charged for fraud, privately, until the law is changed. It is the only way to bring a semblance of respect and decency to some security firms which are bent on thievery to make big money, destroy the lives of our workers, and put pressure on our social security system. I reiterate, if you cannot jail them, then private criminal charges must be imposed. I have already proposed this in an article: "Blacklist/Jail companies known for their deceit," which was graciously published in the November 22, 2020 edition of the Guyana Times, Kaieteur News, and Guyana Chronicle respectively.

These measures are needed now more than ever, as we are seeing more and more security

services tendering below cost and subsequently stealing VAT, workers NIS, and not paying annual taxes. These security firms have ways and means of getting certain contracts, or to get away with their corrupt dealings. With more than 200 security firms in Guyana, it would seem that obtaining a security licence is as simple as opening a street-side cake shop.

Opening a security firm should be like getting a bank licence for banking operations: Hard and rare! Not just to every Tom, Dick, and Harry who uses security to arm themselves. Drug traffickers and money laundering professionals, in particular, take advantage of the loopholes in the Security Company Policy to procure weapons, while legitimate security firms are left in limbo or wiped out. I recall when the former Minister of Labour, Mr. Keith Scott called in security firms to speak with them, and while doing so, no respect was shown to the Honourable Minister by some of these firms.

Further to the Minister of Labour taking a stance on this issue, I was extremely proud of His Excellency the President, Dr. Irfaan Ali for making a stern statement on this matter,

and raising the concern of security wages and NIS for workers in Regions Six and Two. Mr. President, I must say that, sadly, this is a matter that is prevalent throughout the nation. These firms are bidding below cost so that they can steal workers NIS, and subsequently put pressure on the government's social security system. Sadly, this habit has also ruined the lives of many. Given these unethical practices, I propose that the lowest tenders/offers should never be the criterion for awarding government contracts, particularly in the case of labour.

Additionally, as a gentle advisory, I wish to highlight that under the Private Security Act 2009, Section 3 and Section 4 of the laws of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, it is the Commissioner of Police who has more authority than the NIS and GRA to suspend or close down a security firm. Almost instantaneously, he can take the relevant action to curb the abuse of the requisite standards a security firm is expected to adhere to.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 13, 2020

Turn your creative skills into income-generating activities

–– advises craft-maker Melba La Gadoue

By Jeune Bailey Van-Keric CRAFT-MAKING is not a skill that is learnt overnight but requires dedication and perfection to achieve products of very high quality.

Melba La Gadoue, a New Amsterdam resident, would say nothing different.

“What I am doing is not something I just woke up and decide to do, nor have I just jumped on a bandwagon. It

was always there. Learning from my grandmother who did pickles, my grandfather was into leather craft and an uncle was a sculptor… I have combined those skills to produce new products under the line ‘Eco Intricate Creation’ and ‘Genuine Naturally fresh,’” she said. La Gadoue’s products were on display at the Women in Business Shows in Miami, Florida,

Barbados and Suriname.

Her first exposure came moments after a telephone call to Sonia Noel, hostess of the Women in Business exposition. Initially, she was told that the space at the Pegasus Hotel-slated event was filled, but after pleading and sending one of her signature pieces to Noel, she was considered.

The rest is history.

Her first set of pieces

Melba La Gadoue's Pointer creation

Melba La Gadoue in her craft shop at Stanleytown, New Amsterdam

called “Pointer and bamboo craft” was an intricate wrapping, bending and twisting of various materials.

“I had to produce 65 pieces in seven days. It was long days and short nights to complete the task,” she recalled, while beaming with pride.

A trained teacher by profession, La Gadoue is head of the Integrated Science Department at Vryman’s Erven Secondary School in New Amsterdam. Juggling between the classroom and her business is not such a difficult task, as her craft products are done mainly on weekends or late at nights.

Her craft preference is the use of the palm, the coconut material, because each piece is unique. She promotes upcycle, recycle management within her community and when a piece is purchased from ‘Eco Intricate Cre-

Theft of workers NIS, PAYE ...

FROM PAGE

With this in mind, GRA and the NIS must therefore involve the Commissioner of Police as the “Controlling Authority” for such matters. I also urge the GRA and the Government to have a mechanism in place through which the government can automatically know how much VAT it pays to the security firm and other labour-intensive contractors, and others, as we have excellent information that most of these firms that tender for Government contracts are actually stealing VAT, as they steal the PAYE, NIS and do not comply with corporate laws.

In addition to the above, and as I have done many times in the past, I am appealing to the Minister of Labour, the Private Sector and all the concerned members of the Cabinet that if you desire to

increase the minimum wage, which I think is necessary for our workers, then you need to cater to those who have tendered for labour, and were paid the old rate. In other words, you need to ensure that whatever the rate you raise by, the contractor supplying security services, cleaning services, etc. must have an automatic increase from the Government as well. Some years ago, when the minimum wage was dramatically increased in the middle of the year, some security firms managed to manipulate the NIS, GRA, and VAT in a criminal manner, and even attempted to underpay their guards. For those of us who obeyed the laws, particularly the undersigned, we worked for three months, and after realising that the Government did not listen to our appeal, we gave notice and respectfully

withdrew our services. In the process, we lost millions of dollars which we are still paying for. My humble appeal is that the Government must be conscious of this fact. This is only fair to those of us who fully comply with NIS and GRA. So, with all of this in mind, respected Editor, I reiterate that by just naming

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and shaming without imprisonment, blacklisting, and/ or seizure of properties, the reality is that it would all just be ‘talk,’ 'harum-scarum', so to speak, or of no serious consequence.

Sincerely, Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan Snr.

International performing artiste Eddy Grant with an intricate creation of Melba La Gadoue during his visit to the Vrymans Erven Secondary School in 2018

ations’, one directly promotes and shows appreciation for the environment.

“I do bottle craft too. It’s different, comparing to the regular designs. I work with burlock materials and leather... I impart a bit of sculptor [sic] as I have made photo frames made of leather and stones... I also do ‘Fascinators’… a few were displayed by models for Michelle Cole at Guyana Carnival in 2019,” she said.

Due to COVID-19, business is a bit slow as persons have been channelling their financial resources differently, so as to survive during this period. However, during the ‘lock down’, she has ventured out and has expanded to include a new line of products tabled under the “Genuine Naturally fresh” brand.

The items are Moringa cheese straws, Lemon water,

Sweet and Sour Bar-B-Que sauce, Tamarind dip, Lime syrup, Lime achar and Energy bars, among others. The products are organic and the produce are grown on a family-inherited estate, the Palm Grove Estate, an area where slaves once cultivated cocoa and coffee at Ekura, Canje River, in Berbice.

La Gadoue is encouraging her womenfolk to discover their gifts and turn them into income-generating activities.

“There is room for everyone. When you are creative there is so much you can do. Everyone is born with a skill or a gift. Whatever you do best is a gift.

Follow through passionately. Fight the fear within you and you will succeed,” she said.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 13, 2020

Head of Argentine Forensic Team assessing murder of Berbice boys –– engaging in fact-finding mission to determine whether assistance can be provided

MORE than three months after the murder of teenage cousins-- Joel and Isaiah Henry-- along with Haresh Singh, Director of the Argentine Team of Forensic Anthropology (EAAF), Dr. Luis Fondebrider, has come to Guyana to assess whether the EAAF can assist the police with their investigations.

According to the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA), this visit is being facilitated in accordance with the wishes of the affected families. Dr. Fondebrider arrived on Saturday and will be in Guyana until December 16.

During this time, he is expected to meet with all the families, visit the crime scene, meet with the investigators and police personnel and brief appropriate

Director of the Argentine Team of Forensic Anthropology (EAAF), Dr. Luis Fondebrider government and diplomatic representatives.

“As a result of the visit, the EAAF will determine whether and to what degree

they may be able to support the Guyana Police Force in its investigations. If that conclusion is positive, the modalities of how it may be implemented will be addressed,” the GHRA stated in a press release.

The mutilated bodies of cousins, Joel and Isaiah Henry, were found in the Cotton Tree backdam in West Berbice on September 6, 2020. Their gruesome murders have since sparked public outrage. On September 9, three days after the Henry boys were found, Singh was found, in a bloodied state as well, in the Number Three Village backdam, hours after he left home on his motorcycle to transport water for his relatives who were working on their farm.

Local investigations into

Dead: (L-R) Isaiah Henry, Joel Henry and Haresh Singh the murders of the three teenage boys have not been successful in bringing the perpetrator(s) to justice; a $3M reward was even offered to anyone who could provide information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the gruesome murders.

Further assistance was also sought from the CARICOM Regional Security System (RSS). Though the RSS was satisfied with the work done by local authorities, the team recommended the local authorities do more work.

Attorney-at-law, Nigel Hughes, who is representing the interests of

the Henry families, recommended the Argentine team be part of the investigating team. In November, he indicated that the Argentine team is asking for $4M in professional fees, along with travel, food and boarding to visit and offer their specialised services.

The team will include a forensic anthropologist from Argentina, and, from Spain, two forensic pathologists and a criminalist.

The GHRA also said that Dr. Fondebrider will meet with representatives of official and civic organizations engaged with the problem of violent deaths

of women, since the EAAF will explore the possibility of capacity-building in investigations of femicide in the future.

He will also give a public presentation on the work of the EAAF at the Brickdam Cathedral on Tuesday, from 17:30hrs.

Dr. Fondebrider was one of the speakers at the Conference on Truth and Justice, In Search of Reconciliation in Suriname, held in Paramaribo in 1998 by the Justice & Peace Organisation and the Inter-American Institute for Human Rights.

At the time, he was a staff member of the EAAF.

$2B funding secured for Tourism and Hospitality Institute THE Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved a US$11 million (approximately $2.3 billion) loan for the development of a Tourism and Hospitality Institute in Guyana, according to Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh.

The institute was conceptualised during the last People’s Progressive Party /Civic (PPP/C) government.

“We had already at that time identified the need for the development of technical capacity in the tourism and hospitality sector, raising standards, training of personnel, ensuring that people have the skills that are necessary to staff and to manage a modern dynamic and competitive tourism and hospitality sector,” Dr. Singh is quoted as saying by the Department of Public Information (DPI).

According to DPI, the minister said the conversation with the CDB for financing the project commenced over six years ago, before it was approved on Thursday. Dr Singh said the Institute is important, as it suits the agenda outlined by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, of a robust economy, powered by numerous sectors.

“We want to create an environment where Guyanese can get world-class training and can deliver world-class service, in or with world-class companies. This is also about giving people skills, it is also about enhancing their employability and it is also about meeting a need in the job market,” Dr Singh said.

Guyana is seeing growing interest from major international players in the hospitality and air travel sectors which augurs well for the local tourism industry.

9

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 13, 2020

Imprisonment damages households, … says Director creates cycle of poverty of Prisons

By Rabindra Rooplall A PARENT, with up to three children or less, who is incarcerated, usually leaves behind financial hardship for members of that household along with a breakdown in discipline which continues a vicious cycle of poverty and crime.

This was revealed by Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, during his presentation at a virtual launch Friday of the Regional Comparative IDB report, which focuses on imprisonment in the Caribbean for the period 2016 to 2019.

Under the “Survey of Individuals Deprived of Liberty, Caribbean,” data was collected from over 3,500 inmates from six Caribbean countries – The Bahamas (2016), Barbados (2018),

Guyana (2017), Jamaica (2018), Suriname (2018) and Trinidad and Tobago (2018).

“A review of the persons imprisoned with one to three children shows that in all six countries, between 50-55 per cent of the respondents falls within that category, that is, they have one to three children per household,” Samuels noted.

The Prison Service Director explained that those factors result in school dropouts and low education levels, which then contribute to the vicious cycle.

As such, he emphasised the need for alternatives to imprisonment. In the Caribbean, Samuels noted that the rate of imprisonment across all the countries that were reviewed was quite disturbing.

“While we may want to take into consideration the recidivism rate, it points to the fact that some other critical institutions of society, for example family, schools and religious organisations are not being as effective as they should be,” he noted while adding: “Our failure to act and act now could result to further increase in the recidivism rate. While working on improving the standards of our people, the current rate of imprisonment points to the need for aggressive consideration of alternative forms of imprisonment.”

He noted the research shows that in four of the six countries investigated, an average of 50 per cent of the respondents indicated that they had previously been imprisoned. Guyana

100 new recoveries, 40 new cases of COVID-19 GUYANA recorded 40 new cases of COVID-19 from 306 tests, taking the total number of positive cases locally to 5,879, according to the Ministry of Health.

These new cases were recorded from 22 males and 18 females.

These cases were also distributed across Region One (three cases), Region Two (four cases), Region Three (two cases), Region Four (seven cases), Region Six (four cases), Region Seven (one case) and Region 10 (19 cases).

So far, 5,044 infected persons have recovered, an additional 100 persons over the 24-hour period.

Many of the persons infected with the virus are said to be asymptomatic, that is, exhibiting no symptoms. However, six patients are being kept at the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

There are 33 persons in institutional quarantine, 47 in institutional isolation and 628 in home isolation. There have been no additional deaths recorded.

The updated COVID–19 Emergency Measures (No. Nine) are in force from December 1, 2020 until December 31, 2020. They may be extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions of the pandemic.

As per these current measures however, all persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes. Physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are also important.

The current curfew is 22:30 hours to 04:00 hours.

Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166; 226-7480; or 180/181 for assistance.

and Jamaica were the only two countries where the recidivism rate is below 35 per cent.

“It points to the fact that much more must be done to address the issue of rehabilitation. When we further evaluate the time that elapsed between previous and current detention, it shows that almost immediately following their release, persons returned to their life of crime,” the Prison Director emphasised.

Adding that this could be an indication that interventions were not very effective or that no intervention was done, Samuels said, adding that it therefore points to the fact that reform efforts need to be more aggressive and meaningful so that the programmes offered could be more effective.

Samuels said that social intervention and support, combined with punishment and encouragement, are much more effective in preventing crimes, and if an inmate is not exposed to opportunities that contribute to positive changes, leaving prison and returning to a life of crime would likely be the first option.

As such, he noted that since the research was done, Guyana’s recidivism rates reduced from 35 per cent to 28 per cent.

“Reform is very much needed and more aggressive and meaningful programmes need to be offered so as to prepare inmates with the required skillset or educational training so that they can be more effective upon their release back into society,” Samuels noted.

Guyana’s prison pop-

Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels ulation is close to 1,800 and the holding capacity has significantly decreased over the years in the aftermath of a fire at the Camp Street Prison in 2017 and at Lusignan Prison in 2020.

The survey found that the prisons’ occupancy rate is at 129 per cent and 36 per cent are persons on remand.

The report on the survey noted that the prison population can be reduced by lessening the time spent in pre-trial detention and using imprisonment for only serious offences, noting that drug offences account for a notable proportion of offenders.

10

SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 13, 2020

Understanding Energy

Building appropriate local capacity takes time AT last week’s launch of the new Canada-Guyana Chamber of Commerce, President Irfaan Ali and the outgoing Canadian High Commissioner, Lilian Chatterjee, spoke at length about how Guyana can tackle one of the biggest emerging obstacles to the country’s newly found oil wealth: lack of a local technical capacity needed to win contracts in the industry.

“We will provide Canadian expertise— but in order to have true partnership, Canadians will rely on training a skilled workforce in Guyana. But let me be clear—that workforce does not exist in Guyana right now,” High Commissioner Chatterjee said. She urged Guyana “not to resist foreign investment, but use its judgement on who to trust,” as it continues to develop and grow its oil and gas sector and signs additional contracts.

This highlights the challenge companies face here: Many strides have been made in just a few short years for a country that had no previous experience with oil and gas, but Guyana’s industrial and technical capabilities still have a long way to go. That process of building up local abilities to meet the high standards of a complex industry is not one that can be rushed and must be balanced with investments and expansion in Guyana’s other major economic sectors.

President Ali echoed many of the same

concerns in his own remarks, saying “The private sector needs to be more innovative and become a partner that is capable of managing the new economy.” High Commissioner Chatterjee went on to note that Canadian companies have reported that they do not have sufficiently educated or specialised labour resources available to sustain project growth, despite following through on promises to provide training and capacity building exercises.

While Guyana has made significant progress with a local content policy to frame expectations to provide first preference and fair and adequate opportunities, it must be careful to avoid overly prescriptive legislation that could stifle investment and actually hinder companies ill prepared to compete right now. A bad fit there could be harmful to companies, the country’s timely development, and could unintentionally put its workforce in jeopardy.

Developing the best combination of education and skills for such a technically complex industry on an appropriate timeline is a constant work in progress over the longterm. But continued development will only help the country’s local businesses become more integral to the industry.

There are currently over 700 local Guyanese companies working in the oil and gas

industry, and that number is growing every day. The Centre for Local Business Development in Guyana is supporting these efforts and has set up a mentorship programme to help local companies obtain ISO international quality certificates. So far, over 20 companies have joined the programme and six are already certified. From business services, to training programmes for oil infrastructure crews, to construction, Guyana is building expertise in this sector and is providing the professional development pathways needed for the country to succeed.

One potential area where local companies could be involved to develop further expertise would be building a power plant to take advantage of natural gas found offshore. This has the opportunity to provide Guyana with cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable energy.

According to reports, Exxon has agreed to support development of the gas pipeline.

But that’s where the company’s involvement would likely end. Although it is one of the world’s largest oil and gas producing companies, Exxon is not a utility company and is not in the electricity generation business, which is a separate industry.

Through a public-private partnership, Guyanese companies could have the opportunity to work with the government to support building an onshore power plant that

would connect to Exxon’s gas pipeline. As Guyana’s local expertise grows to include the power sector, this type of cross sector project could substantially build up Guyana’s industrial and technical capabilities.

Although the comments made by the Canadian High Commissioner that Guyanese companies need to step up ring true to some extent, it’s clear that many have already done so. And opportunities for more to join are only likely to grow. But it’s also clear that a process based on meritocracy cannot be rushed. Developing local content is a recognised competitive advantage.

Guyanese should be wary of any attempts to regulate technical capabilities into existence through questionable practices like mandatory joint ventures or ring fencing — which can become fertile ground for corruption and patronage. Equally important, Guyana must be cognizant of the induced resource movement effect from stringent and sometimes unrealistic local content targets, which have been implemented in other countries to the detriment of the growth of wider economic sectors.

Guyana is on the right track. But a steady and carefully calculated pathway forward is still the best way to keep up the progress in the country’s rapidly growing energy sector.

Politics & Society Forum

2020: What a wash!

THIS is one of the most taxing columns I have written, because like you, my life has also turned topsy-turvy because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I never thought in my lifetime that humanity would be forced to come to grips with the daily gloom and doom of wearing masks regularly, washing hands consistently, social distancing routinely, and so forth, just to hang on to the strings of life. If we factor in the COVID-19 impact on the economy, social relations, politics, and inter alia, we are not only seeing but feeling a war onto ourselves that has no obvious beginning and no secure ending amid escalating numbers of sick and dead to maddening heights across the globe.

Welcome to the new norm of life, I suppose.

The announcement of a few reliable vaccines to combat the virus, however, is applause-worthy, considering how desperate we have become to find any respite to the prowling virus. Understandably, this revelation might be of little consolation to those who have suffered in every sense of that word and made worse by the fact that better commonsense policy of protection should have been applied from the outset from those who control the levers of power and from those who embrace the conspiracy theories that the virus is a hallow hoax. As in the U.S., leaders in Guyana,

albeit at a less harsh level, have also been criticised, taken to task for not stepping up to the challenge of doing enough to contain the spread of the virus. The real test of our leaders though is yet to come, and that is, when and how the vaccine will be distributed among the populace, a situation that does not necessarily require guidelines from the World Health Organisation or doctors in the developing world.

Put differently, what is the distribution strategy for the vaccine? And finally, we are beset by questions as to what will be the side effects of the vaccine, which will not be seen in 2020, meaning that the residues and ramifications of the pandemic will be carried over to 2021 and beyond. We are trapped in a state of oblivion as to when we will be marching out of the woods without looking back. In the meantime, we must not, however, forget to thank the persistence of researchers at Germany’s BioNTech and its U.S. partner Pfizer, U.S. pharmaceutical giant Moderna, to list a few, and the unwavering support of all and sundry to bring some finality to our new, bewildered world order.

We in Guyana have witnessed our own homegrown political pandemic of sorts in 2020, notably, the failed attempts by the former APNU+AFC Coalition administration and its planted sidekicks in GECOM to

steal the general and regional elections in front of millions watching in shock. What is unsettling about this failed attempt was that it lasted for five months, and at one stage many were convinced that the regime would be successful. The regime had mastered the art of changing the narrative to ensure its survival in ways lacking shame and self-pruning, while its source of strength was cultivated and abetted by overblown rhetoric from its diehard supporters, including so-called lawyers, university professors, and activists.

We know that in the belly of the beast there was also a confrère of silent supporters (about 65) who preferred to watch and wait with hand-wringing anxiety. Since August 2, these individuals have crawled out of their cocoons, and ironically, have been speaking and writing about justice in the letter columns of the dailies. They are not shy about listing their names and revealing their infelicities of hypocrisy.

Sadly, there is no reliable cure for this mindset -and meme. We should not be bogged down by these unsavoury and despicable elements, however. We must instead thank the international diplomats, observers, missions as well as Guyanese from all walks of life to detox, defy and defeat the convoluted minds of the rogue riggers to ensure that the will of democracy prevails over vulpine leadership.

Professor Lomarsh Roopnarine

Not everything was bad in 2020 for Guyana. Revenues from oil have poured in, and Guyana’s economy when compared with other tourism-dependent Caribbean islands, experienced growth in double digits. The economy of some Caribbean islands such as Jamaica has contracted by 18 per cent. It is refreshing then to read, hear, and see the explosion of investment in Guyana, for example, in the hotel industry, signalling the opposite of what Ernest Lawrence Thayer said in his poem Casey at the Bat, “there is no joy in Mudville.” Seems as though the government has sprung into action to prove that it will not be business as usual and you better jump on that train or you will be left behind.

I depart by saying that 2020 was a wash.

We were badly bruised, battered, and perhaps bankrupted by force majeure. Despite these headwinds, I think the pandemic has transformed us inadvertently in beneficial ways to meet unexpected challenges of the future.

Tell me, what other events could possibly get under your skin and test your determination to merely live than the COVID-19 pandemic, and to put an unpopular government in Guyana in the opposition in 2020?

You have stepped up to the challenge admirably, but do not be complacent. (lomarsh. roopnarine@jsums.edu).

11

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 13, 2020

Tax-free Christmas bonus, educational opportunities for GDF ranks –– President Ali announces during Christmas lunch

President Ali engages with members of the Guyana Defence Force (Office of the President photo)

President Irfaan Ali serves a Guyana Defence Force rank who is stationed at Kaikan, Region Seven (Office of the President photo)

GUYANA Defence Force (GDF) soldiers will receive a two-week, tax-free bonus for the Christmas season and increased educational opportunities from next year, according to President Irfaan Ali. On Friday, President Ali joined ranks stationed at Kaikan, in Region Seven, and some residents for a community lunch. According to a release from the Office of the President, the President announced to the ranks that the two weeks of tax-free bonus will be reflected in their next pay slip.

He highlighted that even though a large portion of the budget will be used to mitigate issues surrounding the

pandemic, the government is still going to deliver to the men and women in uniform.

“I assure you that not only are we concentrating on a bag of goodies at Christmas time, but we are concentrating on lifetime change, lifetime opportunity. And I assure you that during my tenure in office, your life, your family life will be better and you will be better equipped for the future,” he posited.

Importantly, the President also announced that in 2021, the ranks will benefit from scholarships and training after the government commences a programme to launch 20,000 new scholarships.

“Many of these diplomas, degrees and certificates will be achieved through distance or online training, giving you the opportunity to also participate. And I assure you, in this location, our health workers, our teachers that these opportunities will meet you and you will be able to achieve your educational goals even in these locations, even with the difficulties of the pandemic,” President Ali said.

He also challenged the officers present to select three most eligible ranks, from amongst themselves, to be given University of Guyana (UG) scholarships.

He emphasised that the government recognises the

responsibility undertaken by the soldiers to serve their country, and to ensure that the ranks are rewarded, opportunities to equip them in other fields must be made available. This, the President reasoned, will allow them to contribute to national development, even after their army duties are completed.

UNITY The Head of State called for the soldiers to also break down the prejudices and to serve selflessly as they strive to accomplish their mission.

He also pointed to the merits of greater community involvement.

He, however, emphasised that the soldiers had

an important role to play in uniting the country.

“I want to say to you that we have a bright future for Guyana in uniting this country, I depend on all of you in helping to unite this country,” he said. “You are stationed here, see the unity of our country as part of your responsibility.”

Though he assured that their lives, livelihoods and even the economy will improve in the coming years, he lamented that the absence of national unity will prevent Guyanese from truly enjoying those improvements.

President Ali also announced that resources will be set aside in the 2021 budget for one of the reserves,

Marlon Daniels, to visit the community and work with residents to fix the water system.

In addition, the President pointed to the need for adequate lighting at the airstrips.

Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Godfrey Bess, also addressed the ranks and extended appreciation to the Head of State for his unprecedented engagement in the community. Following a cultural programme, the Commander in Chief, as is customary, served the GDF ranks and joined them in the festivities.

Public imbibing at supermarkets on Task Force radar

By Vishani Ragobeer FOLLOWING the closure of bars to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 disease, supermarkets have become a novel ‘hotspot’ for public imbibing and loitering and this has caught the attention of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF).

The Guyana Chronicle has received several reports that individuals would purchase alcohol or alcoholic beverages from supermarkets and congregate outside, while consuming those beverages.

A number of these complaints

came from the West Berbice region. Supermarkets have been listed as essential services and therefore are allowed to be open; the sale of alcohol or alcoholic beverages is prohibited.

In response to this increasingly harmful practice, and given that a number of the supermarkets are Chinese-owned, the Task Force engaged the Chinese Association of Guyana.

Director of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), Colonel Nazrul Hussain, in a recent interview told the Guyana Chronicle that the Task Force was aware

of the issue and has been trying to deal with it for a number of weeks.

Eventually, the Task Force engaged the association and translation services were provided so that the Chinese-owned supermarkets and even restaurants could be edified on the gazetted COVID-19 measures. It was hoped that the owners and managers of the establishments would prohibit the loitering and public imbibing on their premises.

A few owners of small bars have also lamented that while they have been closed and have been suffering losses, these supermar-

kets were allowed to sell alcohol.

Colonel Hussain also gave a reminder that such establishments were not licensed for the consumption of alcohol on the premises, but said that in general, the sale of alcohol is not prohibited.

“People could buy their alcohol and go home and drink,” he explained.

Amidst complaints from small bar owners that they are suffering immense losses after being closed for about eight months, Colonel Hussain emphasised that the body is only trying to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony contended that bars should not be operational, because one would have to remove one’s mask in order to drink, and most bars are based indoors where the potential for spread is much greater.

The NCTF Director said, however, that the bar owners could try to engage in alternative businesses in the meantime. He reasoned that they already have some infrastructure in place and could easily sell other products, such as foodstuff.

12

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 13, 2020

Address Haitians provided turns out to be empty lot ––arouses suspicion of human smuggling

By Richard Bhainie THE address provided to the immigration authorities by the 26 Haitians who were recently detained in Guyana has turned out to be the location of Surinam Airways along with an empty lot.

In court documents seen by this newspaper, the Haitians provided Lot 110 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown, as the address where they would be staying while in Guyana, but investigations by the police revealed that the owner of the land at the said address is one Janiel Lee, who resided at the property with his family.

Lee subsequently informed the authorities that the property was demolished in August, 2020. When the Sunday Chronicle visited the location, it was discovered that the lot is divided in two with Surinam Airways occupying one part, while the remaining part was abandoned.

The court documents also disclosed that one of the Haitians also provided a Kitty, Georgetown, address but the occupants of the said address denied knowing or expecting

The empty lot at 110 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown (Delano Williams photo)

the arrival of the individuals.

During an interview with the Sunday Chronicle, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, explained that this, along with other factors aroused the government’s suspicion of the individuals being involved in people-smuggling.

Investigations by the Trafficking in Persons Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), further fuelled the authorities’ suspicion.

The court documents related that on November 07, acting upon information, a party of policemen conducted a raid at a city hotel where they found 13 Haitians solely occupying the hotel.

Meanwhile, on November 08, a bus transporting 12 Haitians and one Guyanese was intercepted at a police roadblock at Amelia’s Ward Public Road, Linden, where the conductor of the bus informed the police that the Hai-

tians were being transported to Wismar Shore for further transportation.

Upon suspicion that the Haitians were being trafficked to Brazil, they were placed in protective custody and transported to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Trafficking in Persons Unit for questioning.

During interrogation, it was revealed that there were also five children travelling with the group, who had no relation to anyone in the group.

Two of the children, ages 9 and 13, were travelling with a woman who informed investigators that she is the aunt of the two children; however, she later admitted that she lied to the police.

She disclosed that she received the two children at the airport in Haiti and had never met them before, and they were en route to French Guiana.

Meanwhile, the authorisation of travel for the other three children, ages seven, 13 and 17, did not correspond with the individual listed on it and the person with whom they were travelling.

Based on the information discovered, the Haitians were subsequently placed into protective custody at the Hugo Chavez Centre for Rehabilitation and Reintegration.

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION The government came under heavy scrutiny for detention of the said Haitians, with accusations of racial discrimination purported.

The Attorney General dismissed the claims of racial discrimination and alluded to a similar position taken by the government against Cubans, in dealing with the larger issue of people-smuggling.

“It is not a question of Haitians alone, but it is an issue of unlawful emigration and people-smuggling,” Nandlall explained.

He added: “There were 1,000 Cubans that had to be blocked from coming to Guyana, a similar position, and for that reason the ferry opening was cancelled.”

Nandlall referred to existing data to highlight a large

number of individuals arriving in Guyana; however, a vast majority have not legally departed.

He highlighted that in 2018, the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by then Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, had summoned then Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix to appear before the committee to discuss matters pertaining to human-smuggling.

According to data provided by the then Ministry of Citizenship to the committee, there was no departure record to account for some 3,224 Haitians who arrived in Guyana in 2017.

The data also displayed that between January and April 2018, of 1,238 Haitians that arrived in Guyana, only 85 officially left. As a result, some 4,377 Haitians were unaccounted for between 2017 and 2018.

In relation to Cubans, there were no departure records for some 7,255 of 44,747 Cubans who arrived in Guyana in 2017.

Meanwhile, between January and April 2018, 6,170 Cubans failed to depart Guyana through a recognised port of exit.

Nandlall informed this publication that from all indications the situation has only gotten worse. He explained that the data suggests that when persons enter Guyana, they are able to make their way into other neighbouring territories due to Guyana’s inability to rigorously monitor the borders, a proposition previously upheld by Felix.

“Former Minister Felix in 2018 told a Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations that he is not worried about the thousands of Haitians entering Guyana because they are going to other countries; this amounted to a public admission that Guyana is being used as a trans-shipment point for people-smuggling,” Nandlall explained.

The Attorney General explained that this can have detrimental effects for Guyana, especially for trade relations and therefore Guyana cannot be seen as a trans-shipment point.

Further, he explained that the accusation of Guyana discriminating against a particular group of people is preposterous, especially when the Caribbean has adopted a similar stance to combat the issue at hand.

“The complexity of this situation has led to almost every country in the CARICOM region imposing a visa requirement in respect of Haitians; it would be plainly foolish to argue that all the countries are discriminating against Haitians on the ground of race,” Nandlall said.

Nandlall explained that the government has engaged various governments and agencies to assist with the matter, including the Cuban government, the Suriname government, the United States of America Embassy and the United Nations agencies in relation to migration within Guyana.

“The Cuban government has been engaged and they say they have no role to play; these people are not here with their

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall

support and they related that we should uphold our laws,” Nandlall disclosed.

He added: “The Suriname government has been engaged and they are committed to managing the situation, so Guyana cannot be accused of acting unilaterally.”

The Attorney General recognised and acknowledged the complexity of the situation, as it is a matter involving fundamental human rights, and explained that persons should steer clear of utilising the situation for political gain.

“Because we are dealing with human rights, this matter is very complex and complicated and one has to balance national interest against the human rights of the victims of this nefarious smuggling scheme. I therefore caution persons not to exploit this issue for political gain and the pursuit of selfish agendas,” Nandlall said.

While the government has faced tremendous criticism from the public at large for the decision to hold the Haitians in protective custody, Nandlall explained that government has made the decision in keeping with the best interest of the country.

Nandlall explained that the presenting of false information to immigration officials by the Haitians was in contravention of Section 9 (1) (a) of the Immigration Act 1948, by virtue of which resulted in the individuals becoming prohibited immigrants, and therefore warranted grounds for their deportation.

“That is all that the government sought to do, but the matter has been discoloured by the sensationalism and sinister objectives which have become attached to the issue,” Nandlall explained.

Last week, Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, S.C. granted a conservatory order staying a previous order made

by Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus for deportation of the Haitians.

The Haitians were released from protective custody on Wednesday night at an address of their choice, given the uncertainty in relation to when the case will be concluded.

The case is scheduled to come up again on December 18, 2020.

13

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, December 13, 2020

COVID-19 and Post-COVID Syndrome

By Dr. Ariane Mangar

THE COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a major concern all over the world.

To those who believe that once you have already recovered from the deadly virus you are completely safe, it might not be so.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), about 20 to 30 percent of people who have had symptomatic COVID-19 develop post-COVID syndrome.

Post- COVID syndrome has been described as signs and symptoms that develop during or following an infection consistent with COVID-19, which continue for more than 12 weeks and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis.

Persons will no longer have the virus in them and they can't infect anyone, but it takes them anywhere from weeks to months -- and maybe even beyond -- to feel perfectly normal.

SYMPTOMS These symptoms of long COVID can be similar to those experienced in the first few weeks of having contracted COVID-19 and could be debilitating enough to make even the most basic activities difficult to perform.

The symptoms may also be similar to those experienced post-stroke – but the age group is much younger – and, given the scale of global infection, this has the potential to become a major problem. The neurological impacts of COVID-19 are unknown because it is a new virus and we are still working to understand the longer term impact of the infection.

The most common symptoms of post-COVID syndrome include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty regulating body temperature, sleep disturbances and problems concentrating on daily tasks. There are also reports of damage to the lungs and heart.

The condition has been likened to post-viral fatigue, or chronic fatigue syndrome, which is a disorder that causes extreme fatigue that lasts for at least six months and doesn't improve with rest.

People with this disorder often don't have any underlying medical conditions that could otherwise explain the symptoms.

Other reported symptoms include chest pain, headaches, neurocognitive difficulties, muscle pains and weakness, gastrointestinal

Director of Disability and Rehabilitation, Dr. Ariane Mangar

upset, rashes, metabolic disruption (such as poor control of diabetes), thrombo-embolic conditions, depression and other mental health conditions.

Some possible theories for why COVID-19 symptoms cause more long-term symptoms include low level of inflammation in the brain, decreased blood flow to the brain, or an autoimmune condition where the body attacks itself.

Checks 1. Daily checking of your oxygen saturation -- it should be maintained at >94 percent on room air.

2. Checking for respiratory symptoms -- that is, persistence or worsening of symptoms like cough and breathlessness.

3. Checking for persistent rise of body temperature above 100 degrees F. 4. Watching for signs of lethargy, drowsiness and fatigue.

5. Regular monitoring of blood sugar if you are a known diabetic -- COVID-19 infection (as any other infection) alters blood sugar levels of the body.

Referral to a specialist rehabilitation service, such as physiotherapy, does not seem to be needed for most patients, who can expect a gradual, if sometimes protracted, improvement in energy levels and from breathlessness, aided by careful pacing, prioritisation, and modest goal setting.

In our experience, most but not all patients who were not admitted to hospital recover well with four to six

weeks of light aerobic exercise (such as walking or yoga), gradually increasing in intensity as tolerated. Those returning to employment may need support to negotiate a phased return.

Anyone who had severe illness or was hospitalized with COVID-19 needs to consult a doctor about whether it’s safe to exercise. But even people who experienced mild illness or no symptoms need to take precautions before exercising again.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Don’t exercise if you’re still sick. Do not exercise if you have active symptoms, including a fever, cough, chest pain, shortness of breath at rest, or palpitations.

2. For sportspersons returning to exercise: -- after recovery from mild illness: one week of low level stretching and strengthening before targeted cardiovascular sessions.

-- very mild symptoms: limit activity to slow walking or equivalent, increase rest periods if symptoms worsen, avoid high-intensity training.

-- persistent symptoms (such as fatigue, cough, breathlessness or fever): limit activity to 60 percent maximum heart rate until twothree weeks after symptoms resolve.

-- patients who had lymphopenia or required oxygen: need respiratory assessment before resuming exercise.

-- patients who had cardiac involvement: need cardiac assessment before resuming.

Even if you’ve never been diagnosed with COVID-19, be mindful of

how you are feeling. Many people with COVID-19 don’t know they have it, or have general symptoms like gastrointestinal upset, fatigue or muscle aches. So if you’ve been feeling “not your usual self” during exercise, listen to your body, ease up and check with your doctor.

COVID-19 is an aggressive virus that spreads easily and carries significant morbidity and mortality.

Cardiac risk in particular is greater with COVID-19 than with other viral diseases, so it makes sense to return to activity with caution.

From the limited current evidence, we anticipate that many patients who suffer from post-COVID will recover. It is of utmost importance to monitor such cases, and a proper post-discharge rehabilitation plan is put in place to monitor the patient’s health so that timely intervention could be done.

At present, the unknowns about long-term consequences of this potentially devastating viral infection far outnumber the knowns.

One fact already known: a person does not need to have suffered severely from the disease to experience symptoms that persist for months and, time will tell, possibly for years.

Even some young people who had mild COVID-19 infections continue to experience symptoms long after recovering from the acute illness and some even require re-hospitalization due to the lingering effects of COVID-19. COVID-19 is essentially less than one year old and, as such, is characterized as a brand-new disease.

We need three things: we need research to understand it, we need guidance for the clinical teams who will treat it, and at the high end we'll probably need rehabilitation

specialists.

In these uncertain times, one key role that we must all play is that of witness, or “listening to the story” of the person whose protracted recovery from the COVID-19 disease was unexpected, alarming and does not make sense.

There are rehabilitation departments in every region in Guyana and, for more information, please call the Georgetown Public Hospital Rehabilitation Department, 225-3294.

Article submitted as part of the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 public information and education programme. For questions, email ministersecretaryhealth@gmail.com.

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Parliamentarians to undergo training before next sitting

–– Clerk says need for training cannot be ‘over emphasised’

By Navendra Seoraj THE novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had restricted the Parliament Office of Guyana from arranging and conducting training for Members of Parliament, especially the “new faces,” but an assessment of the situation and careful planning have paved the way for Parliamentarians to be trained before the next sitting of the National Assembly.

While it is still undecided when the next sitting will be convened, Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, has told

the Guyana Chronicle that training is necessary and will be held soon.

“What we decided to do because of COVID-19 is to bring out the MPs two days before the next sitting to conduct training. So, they will come out and they would have meetings of the Parliamentary committees, training and sittings… it is necessary for them to be training… when new people are elected they are trained, but we haven’t been able to do it yet because we have to bring people from all over the country,” said Isaacs during a recent telephone interview with this publi-

cation.

Training, he said, is essential because Parliamentarians need to learn how to draft questions and motions, deal with standing orders, and, most importantly, they need to learn about the duties of a Member of Parliament.

“They have not been taught anything, so the need for training cannot be over emphasised,” said Isaacs.

The plan, amidst the pervasive COVID-19 pandemic, is to conduct training in various sections of Parliament Building. Arrangements will be made to have Parliamentarians physically present,

but separated to avoid congestion and to promote social distancing.

“I spoke to my senior officers and they are prepared to get the training done… the thing with virtual training is, when you feel the MP is attending, they might break off… I saw it during the sitting, they are participating and you call for them and he or she is not there,” said Isaacs.

It is for this reason that he plans to have Parliamentarians assembled in one building and equipped with the necessary tools to conduct productive sessions.

Guyana’s National As-

Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs

sembly has 65 members elected using the system of proportional representation.

Twenty five are elected from the ten geographical constit-

uencies and 40 are awarded at the national level on the basis of block votes secured, using the LR-Hare Formula as prescribed by the Elections Laws (Amendment) Act 15 of 2000 (Sections 11 and 12).

The National Assembly is presided over by the Speaker, who may be elected from the members of the National Assembly or from outside the membership. If the Speaker is elected from outside the membership of the National Assembly, he/she does not have an original or casting vote. The members also elect a Deputy Speaker from among their membership

$272.6B investment in Guyana to create over 10,000 jobs –– 34 local exporters matched with overseas business

By Navendra Seoraj THE Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) has facilitated 55 investments worth $276.6 billion within three months, paving the way for the creation of more than 10,000 jobs.

According to information from Go-Invest, applications were received for investments across all platforms and sectors of Guyana’s economy.

A business-friendly climate supplemented by the anticipated economic ascension is being credited for the attraction of those expressions of interest.

The aggregate investments are expected to create 9,386 direct jobs when the projects are fully completed. There will also be spin-off benefits which will reach suppliers, cottage industries, individuals and other sections of the economy.

From 2017 to 2019, the unemployment rate in Guyana increased from 12.2 per cent to 13.4 per cent, but the new administration aims to reverse this over the next five years through the creation of 50,000 jobs.

The country is moving closer to this vision, with the latest investments set to come on stream very soon.

The Sunday Chronicle understands that of the 55 projects, 28 are local, 25 are Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and there are two joint ventures.

The FDI agreements were predominantly within the tourism and services sectors.

According to the investors’ projections, the value of the FDI projects totalled G$239 billion, while the joint ventures totalled G$5.3 billion.

The FDI projects include the construction of world-class hotels across the country, to cater for the anticipated increase in visitors who are being attracted by the nation’s burgeoning oil-and-gas sector and its spin-off benefits. Total investments in the hospitality sector value close to US$1 billion (G$215B).

Proposals have been received from major players in the hotel industry such as, the Sheraton, The Element, Delta Marriott, Best Western Hotels and Resorts, the H-Tower Luxury Hotel, the Hyatt Hotels Corporation, the Radisson Hotels, and the Hilton Hotels and Resorts, among others.

According to a study by Oxford Economics, hotel operations and guest spending support eight million jobs across the U.S. alone. The same study found that a typical hotel with 100 occupied rooms per night supports 230 local jobs every year. And the nation’s hotel and lodging industry brings other important benefits to local communities.

These businesses are a cornerstone for local economic activity, providing increased tax revenue, capital investment, tourism-related development and promotion, civic leadership, charitable

contributions and sponsorship. These benefits are also expected to accrue to Guyana, as the country continues to function as an investment magnet.

Outside of the hospitality sector, Nexus Machining of Guyana is partnering with Louisiana’s Machine Tech Inc, while GUYSON Engineering is partnering with K + B Industry Inc from the U.S. On the local side, notable investments include the expansion of Royal Chicken Inc, which will be doubling its production line with state-ofthe-art machinery. This investment is valued at G$531.2 million.

Other notable local projects include John Fernandes Limited providing services to the oil-andgas industry and ZECO Industrial Engineering.

According to investors’ figures, the value of local investments for the period August to November is G$27.9 billion, primarily in the agriculture, tourism, services and light-manufacturing sectors. Those projects are projected to create at least 1,752 jobs when fully operational.

“Despite the global pandemic our export department continued to work with our exporters.

The agency matched 34 local businesses with overseas clients. These were involved in the supply of sugar, teas, prefab houses, straw mats and wooden furniture to Trinidad, St. Lucia, London and Barbados,” said Go-Invest.

The office also facilitated the participation of Guyanese companies at the very first virtual trade show event in the Caribbean-Trinidad International Convention (TIC) 2020.

This event was hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA) on October 28- 30 and November 11-14, 2020.

Seven Guyanese companies participated- Deen Furniture and Nibbi Works, Banks DIH Limited, GuyTIE, Indigenous Coconut Oil, New GMC, Prestige Manufacturing and Bottling Enterprise, and Roy’s Quality Spices.

The agency continues to work closely with other key government agencies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and through various collaborations with Guyana’s overseas missions, the Ministry of Housing and Water through the central Housing and Planning Authority, Guyana Lands and Surveys, Ministry of Finance through the Guyana Revenue Authority, Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Guyana Tourism Authority and Guyana’s private sector organisations.

“Our 2021 plan is to assist in retooling our foreign missions with investment prospectus in addition [to] conducting out- reaches across the world,” said Go-Invest.

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124 daycare ‘facilities’ trained to serve children of frontline workers

By Rehana Ahamad THE Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is moving rapidly to be able to provide daycare services for the children of hundreds of Guyana’s essential and frontline workers.

Of the 240 properly licensed daycare facilities, some 124 centres have benefitted from the requisite training to be able to execute their functions in accordance with the country’s COVID-19 guidelines.

“They would have been worked with and given $50,000 to get themselves ready, so that the persons who are accessing this subsidy can place their children there,” subject Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, speaking on the sidelines of an event on Thursday last.

She noted that the initiative also falls in line with the Ministry’s anti-violence efforts.

“We know that these workers have issues with where to leave their children safely…if you think of violence too, it is also looking at things like child abuse and maintaining the safety of children,” Dr. Persaud said.

She added that facility operators will also be tested for the deadly COVID-19, and would have to be cleared before the centres are opened for operations.

The assistance programme, in its first phase, is intended to benefit healthcare workers, police officers, prison officers, fire service officers,

security officers and army officers, with children who are below the age of seven.

Director of Social Services, Wentworth Tanner noted that several preventative and responsive procedures have also been put in place. “Even if a child gets sick while at the centre, there are mechanisms in place to be able to address situations like that,” Tanner noted.

He said that while there are in excess of 240 daycare centres across the country, only 240 are properly licensed compliant with childcare guidelines set out by the Ministry, even prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“We plan to train all of the 240 licensed daycare centres,” Tanner emphasized.

Minister Persaud specified that the ministry will be compensating the daycare entities directly, so once operational, frontline and essential workers in both the public and private sectors can benefit from the free services.

Dr Persaud, in her budget presentation had specified that $22M would be budgeted for the provision of free childcare services for the children of these critical workers. These monies represent a fraction of the $150M budgeted to address the needs of frontline work-

Buttercup Daycare and Playgroup, owned by Joyce Sullivan

ers all across Guyana.

In addition to forms being sent to employers, these can also be accessed via the ministry’s website, as well as all of its locations across the country. It was explained that once the centres become operational, the programme will undergo constant review so as to facilitate expansions and improvements at all levels.

EVICTION AND DEPRESSION Joyce Sullivan is the owner and administrator of Buttercup Daycare and Playgroup, one of the many daycare facilities that have been closed since March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven years ago, she resigned from her well-paying supervisory position at an international money transfer company to establish her own daycare.

“I had my daughter at the time and as single mother, I found it difficult to

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud

find good places for her to stay while I’m at work. I imagine there were other parents who felt the same,

so I decided to leave my job and start a business,” Sullivan related.

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Chief Justice dismisses case filed by “Ponzi Scheme” couple CHIEF Justice (ag), Roxane George, last week, dismissed the case filed

by Cuban national, Yuri Garcia Dominguez and his wife, Ateeka Ishmael, who had filed an application in the High Court seeking to discontinue charges and investigations against them.

The Chief Justice, in her ruling, noted that the couple

did not produce any evidence to support the reliefs sought. On September 14, attorney-at-law Dexter Todd, who is representing the couple, filed judicial review proceedings in the High Court, asking that all charges and investigations against his clients be discontinued immediately. The couple had also asked the High Court to order

the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to discontinue all charges against them.

The couple is alleged to have been operating their investment company, Accelerated Capital Firm Inc (ACFI), here in Guyana, from as far back as 2017 without the required licence from the Guyana Securities Council (GSC). They were accused

of swindling monies from 86 victims in a multi-million dollar scam.

In response to their submissions to the court, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, sought a declaration that the court should not exercise its jurisdiction to grant the orders sought by the couple. He also sought an order to strike

Yuri Garcia Dominguez and his wife, Ateeka Ishmael out the Fixed Date Application on the grounds that it is an abuse of the process of the court and that it discloses no cause of action.

On December 9, the Chief Justice upheld the Attorney General’s submissions, dismissing the case filed by the couple. In the course of her ruling, she stated that the couple failed to adduce any evidence in support of the reliefs sought in their Fixed Date Application against the Attorney General, Commissioner of Police and Director of Public Prosecutions.

Costs were awarded to the Attorney General in the sum of $250,000 and that same is to be paid on or before December 31, 2020.

The orders, filed on behalf of Dominguez and Ishamel, included: (a) an Order of Prohibition against the Commissioner of Police from instituting or continuing to institute further charges against them; (b) another Order of Prohibition against the Top Cop, restraining him from commanding or inviting private investors who are contracted with ACFI based on a private contract executed between them and the investors.

They also sought: (c) an Order of Prohibition against the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), from directing the institution of criminal charges or further criminal charges against them in relation to contracts signed by his wife in her capacity as Director of ACFI, a limited liability company and private investors, and (d) an Order of Prohibition against the Attorney General, restraining him from issuing or continuing to issue or directing or to direct the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Guyana Securities Council, Central Bank and the Guyana Police Force from investigating or continuing to investigate the contracts and terms

of the contracts between his clients and the investors.

Finally, the couple, through their lawyer, also sought: (e) an Order of Mandamus issued against the Attorney General, his servants and/or agents and/or any agency acting in conjunction with or through the Attorney General to unfreeze and release the bank accounts held at Bank of Baroda in the name of ACFI, and (f) another Order of Mandamus issued against the Attorney General, his servants and/ or agents and/or any agency acting in conjunction with or through the Attorney General to unfreeze and release the bank accounts held in their names at Demerara Bank Guyana and Republic Bank Guyana.

As it concerns Order (a), the Chief Justice stated that there was no law that permits an order of Prohibition against the Commissioner of Police from instituting or continuing to institute criminal charges and in any case the Applicants failed to adduce evidence supporting the order sought. Furthermore, for Order (b), the Applicants asked for leave of the Court to withdraw the said Order sought after conceding that the Order was unclear and would prove futile if granted. For Order (c), the Applicants were unable to address the Court on that Order when asked to provide a response.

There was no evidence to show that the Attorney General gave any such directions as alleged in Order (d).

And as it concerns Orders (e) and (f), the Applicants admitted to the Court that the Orders sought were not within the discretion of the Attorney General but within the ambit of the Central Bank of Guyana and the Orders sought were therefore misconceived.

The Chief Justice found that the Attorney General has no authority to unfreeze funds held in the Applicants bank accounts.

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With Dr. Shivani Samlall, MBBS, Gynecologist Oncologist Dr. Shivani Samlall, MBBS, is a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology with a sub-specialty in Gynecology Oncology, and with over 10 years of medical practice. Dr Samlall can be contacted at drshivanisamlall26@gmail.com.

PREVENTING CERVICAL CANCER- PART 2 This week’s column discusses the World Health Organization’s (WHO) first pillar in its global strategy for Cervical Cancer elimination – 90 per cent of girls should be vaccinated by age 15.

As mentioned in last week’s column, the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the main cause of Cervical Cancer. By age 25, 90 per cent of sexually active people would have been exposed to the HPV, making it the most common sexually transmitted infection. Most (90 per cent) HPV types do not cause any signs or symptoms; our body’s immune response resolves them. However, in some cases, HPV infection persists, resulting in either genital warts or precancerous lesions (abnormal changes of cells), which, if undetected, can progress to cancer.

While they are more than 100 strains of HPV, 13 strains are considered high risk i.e. they can potentially cause cancer. Together, they are responsible for all cervical cancer cases. Of these, strains 16 and 18 are the most aggressive, accounting for at least 70 per cent of cervical cancers.

HPV ASSOCIATED CANCERS HPV infects both women and men and has been responsible for most anal and oropharyngeal (mouth, throat) cancers. In females, it is linked to vaginal and vulvar cancers, and in males, penile cancer.

The burden of HPV-related diseases in the world is significant. In 2018, 690,000 cases of cancers were attributable to high risk HPV. The highest was related to the cervix with 570,000 cases globally (almost 83 per cent) and the remaining were linked to anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers, with more than 90 per cent occurring in lower-middle income countries.

WHY IS THE VACCINE RECOMMENDED BY AGE 15? CAN THE VACCINES BE GIVEN AFTER? The vaccines do not treat pre-existing HPV infection or HPV associated disease.

Therefore, vaccination is recommended prior to initiation of sexual activity.

The Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP) recommends that the vaccines can be extended to age 26 in women and age 21 in men, if not vaccinated previously. In special populations that are of a higher risk of developing HPV-related cancers,

such as men who have sex with men and immune-compromised persons (including HIV infected persons), and those who may not have been vaccinated previously or may not have received all the doses, the vaccines can also be extended to age 26.

AVAILABLE VACCINES Three types of HPV vaccines have been developed, targeting several types of HPV: Cervacix – targets HPV strains six and 11 (responsible for genital warts); Gardasil – targets HPV strains six, 11, 16 and 18 and Gardasil 9– targets the strains mentioned above and five others.

From a public health perspective, evidence suggests the HPV vaccines offer comparable immunogenicity, efficacy and effectiveness in preventing cervical cancer. In Guyana, we use the Gardasil vaccine.

These vaccines have shown 90-100 per cent effectiveness against HPV types 16 and 18 and have also demonstrated “cross protection” against non-targeted high-risk types of HPV. In other words, they offer protection to other strains of HPV as well.

VACCINE DOSING AND INTERVAL All three vaccines are administered in either a two or three-dose schedule which varies depending on age, HIV and immune status. The WHO recommends a minimum interval of six months and a suggested maximum of 12-15 months.

However, this interval can be extended in cases of vaccine shortages.

Interestingly, data from vaccination registries have shown protection in persons who did not receive the full three-dose; thus, benefits are noted with one or two doses of the vaccines. However, the maximum effect is achieved if all doses are completed.

BENEFITS OF THE VACCINES Evidence of the benefits in those who received the vaccines, i.e., the decline in HPV infection rates, genital warts and precancerous lesions and cancer, were observed in several countries. By 2015, Australia observed reduced cervical HPV infection rates in women aged 18-24 years after vaccination with Gardasil, from 92 to 1.5 per cent and a 92.6 per cent decline in genital warts in females less than 21 years. Sweden recorded an 88 per cent and 53 per cent reduction in invasive Cervical

Cancer rates in girls who were vaccinated before age 17 and at age 17 and above respectively.

Additional benefits including strong “herd immunity” effects have also been observed.

“Herd immunity” is the effect observed when approximately

70 to 80 per cent of a population is vaccinated, thus reducing the virus’ spread among the unvaccinated population.

An example of this effect was observed in Australia in unvaccinated boys less than 21 years who displayed an 81.8 per cent decline in genital warts.

Given all the benefits of the vaccines, achieving this WHO pillar becomes crucial.

Accomplishing this 90 per cent vaccination target by age 15 would require advocacy and information on the disease and the benefits of the vaccines; programme funding; estab-

lishing and maintaining public trust in the vaccines; and strong collaboration between the Ministries of Health and Education (most girls at age 15 will be in school).

This target is achievable - Australia has successfully implemented the world’s first and largest HPV immunisation programme. We can look to these countries and learn from them.

I reiterate the call for all of us to play our part in eliminating this disease. We will not only be saving lives but will also reduce suffering and the need for costly medical interventions while improving the quality of life of women in Guyana.

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Suspected bandit shot dead in Eccles –– remains unidentified INVESTIGATIONS are ongoing into the fatal shooting of a so far unidentified man who was suspected to be a bandit.

Regional Commander, Superintendent Linden Isles told the Sunday Chronicle on Saturday that the incident occurred at about 21:45h on December 11, 2020, in the compound of Sueria Manufacturing, located at Lot 70 Industrial Site, Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

According to information reaching this publication, it is alleged the man was shot dead by a security guard employed with Delta Security Service, after he suspected he was a bandit.

“The security officer was visiting the site and he saw two men in the yard. It is alleged that one of the men discharged a round in his direction; he stopped and took cover and returned fire. The two men started running; one scaled the fence, the other while scaling the fence fell and upon checking, it was noticed that he would have been hit by that round discharged by the security guard,” explained Superintendent Isles.

The police are yet to review security footage of the incident to verify the account given by the security officer.

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124 daycare ‘facilities’ ...

She said that after seven years of running a successful business, COVID-19 struck and ruined it all. Sullivan was renting a William Street, Kitty property for her daycare, and when COVID-19 struck, she was forced to close. She explained that even though there were options to do online classes with her children, the pandemic had taken its toll on her mental health.

“I was not well. I started to show signs of depression, so I didn’t want to engage with the children. I opted out of the Zoom classes,” Sullivan told this newspaper.

The Ministry’s decision had come as a light at the end of a dark tunnel.

“They had visited and done a COVID-19 readiness assessment, and I was expecting a response very soon,” Sullivan noted. Before a favourable response could come, however, Sullivan was asked to remove her daycare equipment and furniture from the Kitty premises. After seven months of receiving no rent, the landlord finally caved and asked Sullivan to move.

She had been evicted; a single mother with no alternative income. Sullivan said that she and her landlord had always shared good relations, and that he was even kind enough to have waivered her rent for many months after the pandemic hit.

“It was very hard, but I don’t blame him, because

that $150,000 rent was also his source of income,” Sullivan empathised. “Even the three staff that I had working with me had become jobless,” she added.

Sullivan now has to search for a new building to house her daycare business.

“This is another challenge, because even if I find a place now, it takes about three months for me to receive the necessary approvals to reopen. Added to that, my daycare licence is set to be expired in February, and to reapply is a hectic process,” Sullivan posited.

She added, “It would be a very good thing if the Ministry considered issuing licence that are valid for two-three years, because renewing annually is difficult.”

Sullivan believes that the extended licence would not cause any hiccups, since the Ministry usually does comprehensive monthly monitoring and inspection.

“You have the fire service would come, the Health Ministry, the Childcare and Protection Agency…is a lot of inspection,” Sullivan posited.

Due to the pandemic, Sullivan is now preparing to start afresh. She is in search of a new location, and is hopeful to still be part of the group of agencies that will be approved to care for the children of essential workers.

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Forde hails 2020 Congress a success

By Rawle Toney THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) yesterday hosted its Ordinary Congress in the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Hotel, where the Federation’s president Wayne Forde labelling the event a success.

Forde said the day was productive, with GFF’s highest decision-making body leaving the Pegasus Hotel “satisfied with the work of the GFF and that all its recommendations were adhered to and acted upon.”

“We’ve made some very important decisions and we’ve been able to share some of the plans to bring football into operation in 2021,” Forde said, pointing to the ‘bounceback’ initiative with UEFA. “We’ve very optimistic about the improving situation across Guyana and we look forward to getting back to on-field activities within the context of our ‘bounceback’ programme that we’ve been preparing in partnership with UEFA and I would like to encourage our members, that until such time that the

requisite approval is granted from the COVID-19 Task Force, we continue to be safe, and to operate within the guidelines that have been issued by the authorities,” the GFF president said.

Coming out of yesterday’s Congress, Forde said, “The GFF Constitution has been amended to allow for them to host their congress virtually, as is the case with FIFA.” Forde also told the media at the post-Congress Press Conference, that GFF’s Members Financial Assistance Programme was also passed.

“That’s a new funding programme that we’ve launched and they have also approved the regulations which has a bit of compliance requirements for the Regional Associations, their affiliates and Elite League Clubs who will be entitled now to significant funding and equipment support, but the compliance part of it is very, very rigid,” the GFF head explained.

“We have already implemented it last year, where our

members would have already received the first tranche of their payments and we have been awaiting the approval today before the other payments were made to the associations.”

Under GFF’s Members Financial Assistance Programme, member associations will be given $50 000 a month and will receive the annual payments in two parts, every six months.

This will go towards operational cost.

The member associations will then receive competition funding for their U-17, U-20 and Female programmes.

According to Forde, GFF will “also allocate funding for senior leagues, which will be staged under a single umbrella, which will be named the National league in the future.

That way, we can manage the quality control and we will have a greater input as to how those senior men’s leagues are organised.”

Meanwhile, GFF also gifted its member associations laptops in order to better help them to effectively function.

Kremlev’s election as AIBA president pivotal - Ninvalle THE election of Umar Kremlev to the presidency of AIBA is a pivotal moment in boxing and sends a strong message that the governing body of boxing could be sailing into calmer waters.

This is the view of president of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Steve Ninvalle, who had openly supported Kremlev’s quest to become president. The Russian Kremlev was yesterday elected president of AIBA, the body that governs amateur boxing worldwide, during the first day of Congress held virtually.

Kremlev, the secretary of the Russian Boxing Federation easily defeated four other candidates to win 57.33 of the votes to clinch the hotly contested seat.

The Congress was attended by 155 National Federations from five continents.

“At this critical juncture AIBA needs strong leadership, integrity, transparency, vision and accountability. Mr Kremlev is a true representation of these qualities and genuinely loves the sport.

There is no doubt in my mind, and I dare say those of many other Caribbean presidents, that Umar Kremlev will guide boxing back to its rightful place,” Ninvalle said.

In the English-speak-

ing Caribbean Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and St Lucia openly supported Kremlev’s bid but Ninvalle assured that more than half of the region would have voted for the Russian.

“A vice-president of the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC) divulged that shortly after the election he received a call from the new president who reiterated that much hard work is ahead in order to make “AIBA Great Again.”

Meanwhile, Kremlev declared that rebuilding of AIBA would not be done overnight.

“Let me make it clear: the path to rebuilding AIBA is not easy. It will not happen overnight. We have to unite and work with one mission, and one mission alone: rebuilding the credibility and trust that AIBA once had in the minds of sports people worldwide and that includes, of course, restoring AIBA’s Olympic status,” Kremlev told the AIBA website after winning the election.

The Russian’s ambitious manifesto aims to pay off the millions of dollars in debt accumulated by AIBA under previous administrations.

“Getting rid of AIBA’s debt will be the first priority. As I promised when I

announced my run for the presidency, I will clear this debt in the first six months.

My administration will aim to raise $50 million within two years, all of which will be used to rebuild AIBA,” the burly Kremlev said.

He has announced plans to provide annual funding of $2 million to AIBA’s national federations and to set up boxing academies on each continent to train athletes, coaches, referees and judges.

Kremlev is confident he can chart a clear path for AIBA to be reinstated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in time for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

“Boxing is the sport of fighters. Our fight today is against financial debt, against incompetence, against corruption, against doping, against poor training, and against poor safety. Strengthening AIBA’s governance structures, and ensuring our checks and balances work, will be the focus of my tenure as president,” announced Kremlev.

The new AIBA president has received strong support from the National Federations, who see his leadership qualities and strong track record as necessary for AIBA at this crucial juncture in its history.

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Lady Jags prepare for busy season … CONCACAF launches new senior women’s national team competitions to benefit entire Confederation

THE ‘Lady Jags’, Guyana’s senior female National football team, should be gearing up for a busy international period, as CONCACAF announced, Thursday, the structure of a new senior women’s national teams football calendar which will begin in 2021 and will include major centralised summer tournaments in 2022 and 2024.

The CONCACAF Council approved the structure of new competitions with the aim of transforming women’s national team football across the entire confederation.

The new calendar prioritises providing more official match dates for all CONCACAF women’s senior national teams and ensuring there is elite competition to showcase the highest level of women’s international football.

Through this new calendar, CONCACAF said the number of official se-

nior women’s national team matches will more than double, compared with the current cycle of competitions.

women’s football strategy – which has focussed on working with CONCACAF Member Associations

Khadidra Debesette #6 of Trinidad & Tobago battles for the ball against Guyana’s Mariam El-Masri during the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying at BBVA Compass Stadium on February 16, 2016 in Houston, Texas

“This major development for the women’s game follows the launch in June 2019 of CONCACAF W – the Confederation’s

(MAs) to grow all aspects of women’s football in North and Central America and the Caribbean,” the Confederation said in the state-

Joshua delivers FROM BACK PAGE knockout ... the opening round to test one another’s control of distance.

It then exploded in a dramatic third round, however, when Joshua stood his ground and let his right hand go, landing it in the form of a cross, which hurt and later dropped Pulev, and also as an uppercut, which had the same impact. Legs unsteady, but spitting defiance, Pulev seemed on the brink of being stopped. Yet somehow he stuck in there.

Better than that, Pulev, 28-2 (14), recovered well enough in the fourth to win the round, gambling now with right crosses of his own, and had moments of success with that shot in the following round too.

Ultimately, though, it was Joshua, 24-1 (22), who boast-

ed the edge in power and this showed in the ninth when he once again stood in range with Pulev and made a dent in him.

Uppercuts this time did the trick, a series of them dropping Pulev to his knees, before a final right cross, thrown with confidence, left Pulev flat on his back and left referee Deon Dwarte of South Africa with no option but to wave the fight over.

This was a fight three years in the making – originally scheduled for October 2017 – and one Joshua wanted to put behind him. A fight ordered (by the IBF), not chosen, it had been niggling away at the Londoner and represented a hurdle he had to overcome before taking on the more lucrative and

challenging fights in the heavyweight division.

Now, with Pulev duly disposed, the talk is of Joshua and Fury meeting next year in a heavyweight blockbuster, one likely to take place in Saudi Arabia.

Between them, Joshua and Fury own all four of the major heavyweight titles (Joshua has the WBA, IBF and WBO; Fury has the WBC) and have in the past 12 months clearly established themselves as the top two fighters in the division.

More than that, they represent a compelling contrast in styles and personalities and would, together, for one night put boxing at the very forefront of the sporting world. (Telegraph)

All-local South American 10K set for today

AN all-local star-studded cast is expected to headline the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) South American 10K, which will race off today from the village of Mary, West Coast Demerara and will conclude at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora.

The event was originally planned for Sunday December 6, but the country’s National COVID-19 Task Force and the Ministry of Health did not give the AAG permission to host what would have been their second event since restrictions were lifted in November.

Last year, Kenyan runners Alex Ekesa and Veronica Jepkosgei were able to march through a large field of local and several international athletes to win the male and female divisions of the Guyana leg in the South American 10K

Road Race. Ekesa clocked 32 minutes 43 seconds to finish ahead of Guyana’s Winston Missigher, who took 32 minutes 57 seconds.

Trinidadians Matthew Hagley and Shirvan Baboolal finished third and fourth respectively, while Junior Ashton of St Vincent and the Grenadines rounded off the top five.

However, in the absence of the aforementioned overseas athletes, Missigher will come face-to-face with his usual rivals, Cleveland Forde and Cleveland Thomas. Forde had the better of Missigher in the 2018 South American 10K race while Thomas was third.

The AAG said all systems are in place for today’s race and thanked the Ministry of Health for its support and guidance in setting the health protocols for the race.

(Rawle Toney)

ment on Friday.

According to the new structure, for the CONCACAF qualification tournament for the 2023 FIFA Women’s Cup, which will be played in FIFA Windows of November 2021 and April 2022, teams ranked three and below in the FIFA Rankings will be drawn into six groups of five.

Each team will play a total of four matches (two at home and two away); at the end of the group stage, the six group winners will qualify for a centralised Finals event.

The top two CONCACAF nations in the FIFA Rankings from August 2020, USA and Canada, will not compete in the group stage and will receive a bye straight to the Finals; should more than 30 CONCACAF Member Association participate in this competition, a Play-In would be organised ahead of the group stage.

The six group winners will be joined by the top two CONCACAF-ranked nations (USA and Canada). The eight nations will be split into two groups of four.

After single round-robin play, the two group winners will qualify for the knockout rounds; the final event will qualify CONCACAF teams into the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023.

Meanwhile, for the Women’s CONCACAF Nations League, the Group Stage will be played during the FIFA Windows of September, October, November 2023 (and April 2024 Play-In).

The competition will see CONCACAF national teams being split into groups within three leagues; home and away matches will be played within league groups.

The three top league group winners will qualify

directly to the Finals event in summer of 2024; the second league group winners and runners-up from the top league will have an opportunity to compete in a Play-In to qualify for the Finals.

The CONCACAF women’s national teams which compete in the summer 2024 Olympic Games will not compete in the group stage and will receive a bye directly to the Finals.

The qualification of CONCACAF women’s national teams to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be structured through this new calendar of competitions.

Further information on how Olympic qualification will be determined will be communicated in due course.

The names and brands of the new CONCACAF women’s senior national team competitions are still to be determined and will be communicated in 2021.

Annual Kennard Memorial Boxing Day race called off due to COVID-19

… KMTC president Kennard disappointed

By Clifton Ross

TURFITES will endure a strange end to 2020 with their premier holiday event, the traditional Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) mega Boxing Day race being called off due to no permission given by the COVID-19 Task Force.

In an interview with Chronicle Sport on Friday, KMTC boss, retired Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Cecil Kennard, confirmed that the biggest horse meet event of the year and arguably one of the premier tournaments in the country’s history was forced to cancel its 2020 plans.

A disappointed Justice Kennard said that he supported the Task Force for properly assessing the pros and cons of possibly permitting the race; adding that the nature of the event makes it highly impossible to adhere to social-distancing guidelines.

Back in March, the annual Phagwah Day race was also postponed following the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak which inevitably led to lockdown on all sports as well as other social aspects of mingling.

The next proposed date

which was also forced into cancellation was summer’s big race billed for August 4.

However, similar to now no permission was given to any sport association to engage in live action, with horseracing again feeling the brunt of the blow.

part of preserving the fraternity during this period of uncertainty.

This blow will also have significant financial implications as Kennard, a few months back during the initial height of the pandemic, said it was hard on the horse-racing

KMTC president Justice Cecil Kennard

Now with things 50 percent back to normal with regard to sports being played live again under strict COVID-19 mandates, the horse-racing community is still left wondering when some sort of permission will be given to resume races in the Ancient County of Berbice.

Justice Kennard was, however, in good spirits as he said that the safety of the jockeys as well as the horses remained the most integral

community as not too many of the horse owners and jockeys were wealthy and needed the occasional events to help generate income.

Meanwhile, Justice Kennard and KMTC had met with clubs Nand Persaud, Rising Sun, Port Mourant and others prior to lockdown and held regular talks on how to cope with COVID-19 and make plans going forward.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE December 13, 2020

Thousands attend Rossi’s funeral in Vicenza

VICENZA, Italy (Reuters) - Thousands of mourners gathered in the Italian city of Vicenza yesterday for the funeral of former Italy forward Paolo Rossi, whose coffin was carried to the cathedral by his teammates from the 1982

World Cup-winning side.

Marco Tardelli, Antonio Cabrini, Giancarlo Antognoni, Alessandro Altobelli, Franco Causio, Fulvio Collovati and Giuseppe Bergomi were among the pallbearers. The event was shown live by state broadcaster

Rai. Rossi, who died on Thursday at the age of 64 after an illness, returned from a twoyear ban from football to score six goals, including a hat-trick in an epic 3-2 win over Brazil, as he led Italy to their third

Marco Tardelli, Antonio Cabrini and other 1982 World Cup winners carrying the coffin of Paolo Rossi

world title.

“I have not only lost a teammate, but also a friend and a brother,” said Cabrini, who provided the cross for Rossi to score the opening goal against Brazil.

“Together we fought, we won and we sometimes lost, always picking ourselves up even in the face of disappointment.

We were part of a group, that group, our group. I didn’t think he would leave so soon.”

Before the funeral, Rossi’s coffin was placed at the Stadio Romeo Menti in Vicenza where supporters could lay flowers and pay their respects.

Rossi was topscorer in Serie B as he led Vicenza to promotion in 1976-77 and was also the leading scorer in Serie A the following season.

“Over the last few days we have received incredible, moving expressions of affection. I hope that Paolo has seen all this affection,” said Rossi’s wife Federica Cappelletti.

“Paolo belonged to the people, to everyone, and it is right that he should be remembered for his greatness.”

COVID-19 puts Stanton Rose’s NCAA debut on pause

By Rawle Toney

GUYANA’S Stanton Rose Jr will have to wait a little longer to bounce off his National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) career after it was reported that a player from the opposing Lubbock Christian University (LCU) tested positive for COVID-19.

Rose, who was making his NCAA Division Two debut for the San Antonio, Texas-based St Mary’s University, was scheduled to face LCU in back-to-back matches on December 11 and 12, but, the player told Chronicle Sport yesterday that for now, they await a word from the NCAA on their other engagement.

According their clash with Dallas Baptist University on December 18 and 19 is still on schedule.

“It’s definitely a setback because we’re not sure if we will have those two games back. We don’t know if teams will want to travel and come, or, if the school will want us to travel to certain places because of the high COVID-19 numbers,” Rose said.

At the moment, his team’s doctor is the one calling all the shots. “So if they said we can’t go certain places, then I guess that’s it.”

Rose, the 2018 Carib-

bean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championship’s, Most Valuable Player (MVP), moved to San Antonio, Texas after accepting an offer from the University of St Mary’s.

cially taking into account that he thinks he has something to prove.

The point guard noted that coming from Guyana and playing in the NJCAA,

level after receiving many offers, following his sensational historic performances at the CBC Championship, where he propelled Guyana to their first Senior Men’s crown.

Coe hopes crowds will be able to enjoy Tokyo Olympics

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, wearing a protective face mask, inspects the National Stadium, the main stadium of Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, in Tokyo last Thursday

PARIS, France (AFP) World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said yesterday he was confident the Tokyo Olympics will take place next year - but hopes a passionate crowd will be able to watch the events if COVID-19 precautions allow.

The Games are scheduled to start in July after being postponed for a year due to the pandemic in a move unprecedented in peacetime.

“I think the Games will go off,” Coe told reporters from international news agencies including AFP. “What nobody is clearly across at the moment is - I sincerely hope so - whether we are going to have a stadium populated by good, noisy, passionate fans.

“I guess there will still be an element of social dis-

tancing.”

The Tokyo organisers have said they are examining a range of options to be able to admit spectators.

Coe, who was chief organiser of the 2012 London Olympics, said when he had visited Tokyo last month to hold talks with the organising committee working to keep the Games on track, he felt: “I share your pain here.

“I can’t imagine what I would have been saying if someone had knocked on my door in March or April 2012 and said, ‘by the way, we’re not going until 2013’. It’s an enormous challenge,” he said.

“I think we should be enormously grateful that it’s the Japanese that are dealing with this, because this is a first-class organising committee.”

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER Sunday, December 13, 2020 FLASHBACK! Stanton Rose, playing for Bounty Colts, carries the ball up the flooring while he’s guarded by Ravens’ Ralph Brown in the final of the GABF 2018 National Club Championship (Delano Williams photos)

Prior to his move in April this year, Rose suited up for Jacksonville College and Panola College at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) level.

Rose had told Chronicle Sport that he was anxious to get back on the court, espe-

provided the much-needed help to first allow him to balance playing a tight schedule and the classroom - something he wasn’t used to doing while in ‘GT’.

He also stated that his stints at Jacksonville and Panola colleges proved to be the perfect catalyst to the NCAA

Meanwhile, Rose was adamant, that at any given time, he can be called upon to represent Guyana, telling Chronicle Sport that “there’s nothing more beautiful in basketball for me, than putting on the colours of my country and making them proud”.

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 QUIZ:

(1) L. Rowe, A. Kallicharran, C. Gayle (2 each) (2) G. Turner, B. Congdon, N. Astle, K. Williamson (2 each)

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) What are the best bowling figures by a WI in a Test against NZ in the WI to date?

(2) What are the best bowling figures by a NZ player in a WI/NZ Test in the WI to date?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

31

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, DECEMBER 13, 2020

GCB Tropical Spring T20 Over-40 Tournament final‌ ed their team the crown.

After the openers departed, the foundation for victory was The victorious Regal Masters Over-40 team Photo saved: Masters

Regal Masters maul WD Masters by 7 wickets to snare title

REGAL Masters stormed to an emphatic 7-wicket win over West Demerara Masters, bringing an end to what has been an exciting few weeks of Over-40 T20 cricket.

Everest Ground was the battle venue on Saturday, as West Demerara Masters who have been brilliant all tournament long, mustered 119-8 in their 20 overs.

It was a strong top-order performance from Ramesh Thakur, Ganesh Persaud and Chabiraj Ramcharan who stroked 27,24 and 29 respectively.

After their departure, it was a dismal exhibition by the middle and lower

order batters who fell victim to the tag-team pair of Eon Abel and an all-round MVP showing by Anthony Ifill who both mirrored returns of 2-11,with a few of their teammates grabbing a with each for good measure.

Chasing a decent target under ever-changing weather but with form under their belts, Regal Masters strolled to 120 for 3 16.5 overs.

The opening stand of 60 between Chien Gittens who slammed 35 with 3 fours and Ifill who returned with the bat to smash three fours and a six in his quick-fire 36, sealed the win and hand-

laid and the middle-order batsmen in Ejoz Mohammed (29) and David Dick, who clob-

bered a six and four; effortlessly got their team over the line. (Clifton Ross)

SEE PAGE 27

Forde hails 2020 Congress a success

The GFF gifted its members and affiliates laptops at its December 12 Ordinary Congress at the Pegasus Hotel (Rawle Toney photo)

Kremlev’s election as AIBA president pivotal ― Ninvalle SEE PAGE 27

Joshua delivers knockout in ninth round after commanding display WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua retained all three of his belts by thwarting the game challenge of Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev inside nine rounds at London’s Wembley Arena.

To the cheers of the 1,000 fans allowed inside the venue, and with Floyd Mayweather watching on at ringside, Joshua knocked down Pulev twice in the third round and twice more in the ninth round to keep an all-British heavyweight unification battle with Tyson Fury well on track for 2021.

The fight, which was Joshua’s 25th as a professional, and also his first defence as new champion, began slowly, with

Anthony Joshua delivers knockout in ninth round after commanding display over Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev Credit: Reuters

TURN TO PAGE 29

Boult strikes twice after New Zealand enforce follow-on

FLASHBACK: GBA president Steve Ninvalle (left) and AIBA president Umar Kremlev in Siberia last year

SEE PAGE 29

HAVING taken only two wickets in his first three innings of the series, Trent Boult finally got the rewards his bowling has deserved as he made the early breakthroughs after New Zealand enforced the follow-on early on the third morning in Wellington.

Tim Southee took the last two first-innings wickets within the first five overs of the day, to complete his five-wicket haul and wrap up a 329-run lead for New Zealand. Following on for the second Test running, West Indies found batting a little easier than it had been on day two with seam movement having eased up considerably, but Boult reminded them of the arduous task on their hands with two wickets in his sixth over.

At lunch they were 73 for 2, still 256 runs away from making the hosts bat again.

The wickets demonstrated New Zealand’s mastery over their home conditions, which often get significantly better for batting in the second innings. There had been swing for the new ball but not a lot of seam, and John Campbell and Kraigg Brathwaite had battled through their early discomfort to put on 37.

Then Boult found success by working away at a plan, targeting Brathwaite’s tendency to flick in the air without getting his weight onto the front foot. A full ball at the stumps

flew to the left of Will Young, stationed at leg gully for just that sort of shot, and he completed a stunning low catch with a full-length dive.

New Zealand also use the short ball to telling effect in these second-innings scenarios, and Darren Bravo got a nasty one from Boult, homing in at his head. He threw his hands up reflexively to protect himself, and gloved the ball to gully.

Either side of that Boult over, Campbell got his eye in and, by lunch, looked in promising rhythm, with a markedly improved front-foot stride compared to the first innings. He played and missed a few times early on, and survived an lbw shout from Boult when he fell over a flick - ball-tracking suggested the ball hadn’t straightened enough to hit leg stump after New Zealand reviewed the not-out decision - before beginning to show signs of confidence, most notably when he transferred his weight fully into a cover drive off Kyle Jamieson, bending his front knee at impact.

Campbell was batting on 26 at lunch, and with him was Shamarh Brooks, on 19. Brooks had faced 92 balls to score 14 in the first innings, but found scoring far easier this time around, receiving balls on his pads from Boult and then Southee, which he flicked for four and six respectively.

(Cricinfo)

Lady Jags prepare for busy season

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, DECEMBER 13, 2020