Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 14-03-2023

Local, US officials advance discussions on food, energy security, democracy

A high-level cabinet team, led by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, met with United States Vice President Kamala Harris’ Special Advisor for the Western Hemisphere, Joseph Salazar and Deputy Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Office of Caribbean Affairs, Michael

Taylor at State House, on Monday.

The meeting discussed food, energy and climate security and Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy.

Discussions also focused on the government’s commitment to democracy and strengthening bilateral relations between

Guyana and the US.

The visiting officials were accompanied by the United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah Ann Lynch; Deputy Chief of Mission, Adrienne Galanek, and Political & Economic Chief at the US Embassy, Brian Hall.

Salazar and Taylor are also expected to meet with business leaders and key stakeholders to discuss several topics of mutual interest including the US-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030 (PACC 2030). [Office of the President photo]

Upgrades to Liliendaal, Ogle pump

big plans on MoM’s 2023 agenda

50 homes for vulnerable persons, camp for young men –– among

By Tamica Garnett

THE Men on Mission (MoM) initiative, on Monday unveiled it’s 2023 programme, which will include the building of at least 50 homes for vulnerable persons, camps for young men who have previously passed through the criminal justice system, a series of men’s health clinics, and a focus on rehabilitation of homeless persons.

For 2023, the MoM programme will be divided into five focus areas, namely, male behavioural changes through character building, men’s health, en -

Those and other programmes were outlined by Chairman of MoM, Chief of Staff Brigadier Godfrey Bess, during a press conference held at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) headquarters, Camp Ayanganna.

“As 2023 is well on its way, we are ready to roll up our sleeves and make the impact this initiative is meant to have,” Brigadier Bess said.

DEEPEN OUR PARTNERSHIP

He went on to say: “Overall, our 2023 programme will deepen the existing partnership between our Joint

vironmental transformation, capacity building for emergency relief efforts and rehabilitation.

The group will also identify communities, countrywide, that have high amounts of unemployed young men, then create projects that will keep them occupied, and give them an opportunity to earn an “honest living”.

There will also be a series of countrywide sessions, called “Stages of Hope”, during which various influential personalities in areas such as sports, entertainment, academia, and medicine will be speaking to men and boys in the communities on how to effectively do conflict resolution, and provide career guidance while fostering male responsibility.

Under environmental transformation, MoM will launch an exercise called, “Colour of Life,” which will support home owners along Guyana’s primary corridors in fixing their fences, painting their buildings and fences, and to plant flowering and colourful plants. The first corridor identified for this exercise is the first few miles of road from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timehri.

Services, community based organisations, faith-based organisations and the private sector, with the unwavering support of both central and local governments.”

Also present at the press conference was Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken.

Some $500 million was approved in the 2023 budget for the MoM initiative; however, the programme has also been receiving overwhelming financial and other support from the private sector.

Since its launch in October, members of MoM has been working to curb gender based violence, providing employment opportunities and mentoring young men.

The organisation has held job and career fairs, health fairs, endorsed fathers taking time off from their busy schedules to spend family time with their loved ones, and constructed in excess of 45 homes for vulnerable Guyanese

A brainchild of President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, MoM was created to bring together at least 1,000 men from across

GDF Chief of Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess (centre), Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken (left), and CEO of Tagman Media Alex Graham

Upgrades to Liliendaal, Ogle pump stations, other drainage facilities

–– to commence, with signing of $1.8B in contracts between ‘Agri’ Ministry, companies

By Naomi Parris

IN continuing the roll out of its capital works programme for 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture, on Monday, signed a number of contracts to the tune of $1.8 billion for the rehabilitation of several drainage facilities across the country.

Of the Six contracts signed, the ministry’s Agriculture Sector Development Unit signed two contracts with General Engineering Supplies and

Services Inc. and CEMCO totaling close to $1.3 billion for the rehabilitation of the Liliendaal and Ogle Drainage catchment areas in Region Four.

This project, which is funded by the World Bank, will see the reduction of flooding in vulnerable areas along the coastland.

It is anticipated that once those works are completed, the pump stations will be able to indirectly impact the entire region through its improved operations, monitoring and

emergency preparedness.

Additionally, two contracts were signed under the purview of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) for the construction of a drainage facility at Palmyra in Region Six and the construction of a revetment along the Lamaha Canal, in Georgetown

Those contracts were awarded to NP Investments and M Sukhai contraction services to the tune of $57 million and $19 million respectively.

Meanwhile, the National Agricultural Research and Extension institute (NAREI) also signed a contract with Agrosol totaling some $185 million for the construction of 100 tunnel houses.

The final contract was inked with the Agriculture Sector Development Unit and Anil Lalsa Construction for the construction of an office and laboratory to support the Guyana Food Safety Authority (GFSA). This $199 million project will see Guyana’s food security efforts being expanded.

Minister Mustapha, in his address during the sim-

ple ceremony, said that the projects will be executed to form part of the government’s overall development agenda for the sector.

“This project from the World Bank is a continuation of the government’s partnership with the World Bank to improve the drainage system in vulnerable areas,” Mustapha said.

With adverse effects of climate change, the government is continuously working to upgrade the country’s drainage system.

“Through the years, we would have seen a number of areas that were flooded

in 2005 and then in 2021

we would have suffered the most devastating flood in the history of our country… so as a government, we have been very cognisant of the fact that we have to improve our drainage systems,” Minister Mustapha said.

He added: “Over the last two and half years, we have seen a number of pump stations, new pumps, canals, kokers, sluices and other areas that have been rehabilitated and as we are improving the D&I and the flood risk management aspect of our country, we are seeing more and more

development especially in the agriculture sector.”

Meanwhile, Diletta Dorettie, the World Bank’s representative to Guyana, said the financial organisation is committed to and will continue its support towards Guyana’s efforts in its Flood Relief Project.

“The World Bank is supporting the Government of Guyana by providing technical assistance with the development of a complimentary masterplan related to the Georgetown area which will be completed shortly,” she said.

BOSAI suspends all operations as search, rescue operation continues

PRIME Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips; Minister of Public Works. Bishop Juan Edghill, and Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat visited Region 10, where they were briefed by the management of BOSAI Mines and met with the family members of Neptrind Hercules, who went missing following an accident at the mines.

Prime Minister Phillips and the ministers were briefed on the ongoing search and rescue operation currently underway since early Saturday morning.

During a programme on Hits and Jams radio in Linden, the Prime Minister said: “This is a fact-finding mission as to what occurred in the East Montgomery mines very early on Saturday morning.

“We had a briefing from the management of BOSAI and an opportunity to meet and interact with the family of Mr. Hercules. We made some assurances to the family as well as give some directives to BOSAI’s management.”

The Prime Minister said immediately after the incident, a search and rescue operation was launched and remains in force.

“I know that there were some concerns that in the evening the search was suspended and that was purely based on the safety concerns for the search party – it was suspended late at night because we have been advised by the competent authority and agencies such as the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) that we should suspend the search

– it was suspended only for the night and started again at 5:00 hours the next morning,” he assured listeners.

Meanwhile, Minister Edghill said: “What is clear is that BOSAI has suspended all operations in the mines and all the manpower that is available are on site, this is to ensure that the search and rescue remains on-going without interruptions. Secondly, it is still and active search and rescue operation and we need to emphasise that and we have communicated that to the family.”

The Public Works Minister said that the search and rescue team and management of BOSAI remain committed to the operation given the relationship many shared with Hercules over the years as

Minister Bharrat added: “This is not a matter that we are taking lightly…we will ensure that everything is done to make sure that

our regulatory

in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, which has been on site since day

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill, and Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat visited Region 10 on Monday, where they were briefed by the management of BOSAI Mines and met with the family members of Neptrind Hercules colleagues.

According to BOSAI, the accident occurred at its East Montgomery mines around 4:00 hours on Saturday, March 11. (DPI)

An artist’s impression of the rehabilitated pump station at Liliendaal was also unveiled by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and the World Bank Representative to Guyana, Diletta Dorettie (Shaniece Bamfield photo)

Several contracts were, on Monday, signed for upgrades to a number of drainage facilities across Guyana (Shaniece Bamfield photo)

50 homes for vulnerable persons...

Guyana to mentor young men and boys to address the unique issues facing them.

Stakeholders hope that the programme would be the answer to scourge of domestic violence-related homicides facing the country.

According to Brigadier Bess, the rates of domestic violence, sexual abuse, male unemployment and

underemployment, crime and road violence continue to be unsustainable, and so MoM will continue to work with men and boys across the country to address the underlying reasons for these dysfunctions and make the necessary interventions to bring about lasting change.

“The primary driver for MoM remains the urgent need to see transforma -

tional behavioural change through character building among men and boys in Guyana,” the Chief of Staff related.

The programme has been having positive effects thus far.

“Our mentors have been having sessions with the male population, giving them guidance as to how to deal with conflict resolutions and I must say that in all of these cases, we’ve been receiving pos-

itive feedbacks and reports from the environments and we will continue to work with our male folks,” Brigadier Bess said.

Through the series of one week camps being held for boys, MoM is targeting at least 500 boys across the country. The camps will be held during the August school vacation period and will include instructional sessions, group activities, and other components that are

designed to encourage the healthy growth and proper development of boys into men.

The camp for young men who have previously passed through the criminal justice system is being held too to cut down on repeat offences.

In the area of rehabilitation of homeless persons, MoM will be looking to create homeless shelters in the city and towns.

“The facility would

provide a different level of hygiene, healthy meals daily, and access to quality healthcare. The lives of these citizens should be significantly improved by the proposed MoM efforts,” Brigadier Bess said. The initiative is also looking to repurpose or construct new buildings to provide multi-family shelters that could be used to support families displaced by natural or manmade disasters.

China strengthening health systems against COVID-19

PREMIER of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Li Qiang, said that the country will continue strengthening its medical and health service systems at all levels to guard against COVID-19.

The newly appointed Premier, on Monday, held his first press conference, during which he fielded questions from the media on several areas of China’s policies and developmental plans.

Premier Qiang said that as part of the humanitarian battle against the COVID-19 virus, China will continue collaborating with other countries and accelerating its development of new vaccines and drugs.

“We have also been engaged in communication and co-operation with the international community to jointly protect the health and well-being of humanity,” he said.

The Premier add -

ed that the battle against the COVID-19 virus is a long-term process, noting that because the threat of COVID still exists, China will continue to monitor and build capacity for early detection and forecasting.

He noted too that the government has made contingency plans for different kinds of scenarios.

Qiang recalled the leadership of the Communist Party of China during the pandemic stating that under the party’s “strong leadership,” the Chinese people came together in the fight against COVID-19 to achieve “a major and decisive victory in the battle against the disease.”

“We have adopted a well-conceived and targeted control approach and adjusted and improved our response measures in light of changing conditions,” he said.

Qiang told the media that even though China

has a large population and imbalanced development, it was able to contain the spread of the disease in two months.

“It only took us less than two months to achieve a smooth transition in the COVID response phase, and restore normal economic and social order in a relatively short span of time. This is indeed a remarkable achievement,” he said.

The Premier added that China’s COVID-19 strategies and measures are right and highly effective.

Only late last year, China further relaxed its COVID-19 restrictions, a significant shift from its zero-COVID policy allowing persons to enter public spaces without a PCR test.

However, people are still encouraged to wear masks in public places and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and others from contracting the virus.

Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Li Qiang (centre)

No Absence of Inclusion

THE People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)

Government has been implementing strategies and policies that promote and support the development of every Guyanese, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, creed, political persuasion, or any other personal features or preferences. This is done with inclusion as its guiding principle.

The Dr. Irfaan Ali-led administration’s goal, as seen over the past two years, has been to fulfill the short- and long-term needs of every person by creating an inclusive system and agenda, all under the aegis of “One-Guyana.”

Despite several attempts by Opposition elements to sow seeds

of discord, the PPP/C’s efforts have extended beyond rhetoric and are evidenced by its investment in initiatives such as the education cash grant, the GOAL scholarship programme and the creation of part-time jobs, among many other things that target the entire Guyanese population, and not just one section of society.

It is clear that the government’s actions are aligned with the United Nation’s definition of social inclusion, which is: “The process by which efforts are made to ensure equal opportunities – that everyone, regardless of their background, can achieve their full potential in life. Such efforts include policies and actions that promote equal access to (public) services

as well as enable citizens’ participation in the decision-making processes that affect their lives.

In fact, President Ali has said that the overarching goal of the “One-Guyana” initiative is to make society more equal, ensure that everyone has a chance to live fulfilling lives, and lessen disparities in access to justice, employment, health care and education.

“One-Guyana vision, in this regard, aims to ensure that every citizen is accorded a dignified existence and with due respect for their rights and with equality before the law,” the Head of State had said.

The development unfolding before our eyes and the government’s plans are evidently far

different from the image that some sections of society are trying to paint and the misinformation they are propagating, as part of their efforts to destabilise the country and cultivate divisiveness among Guyanese.

The possibility exists that the outbursts by the Opposition are sparked by its fear that the PPP/C is making significant inroads in known stronghold areas.

Persons are encouraged by the PPP/C’s policies and programmes which include the $40,000 education cash grant, increased old-age pension, billions of dollars in the form of various grants to cushion the economic conditions influenced by COVID-19 and other factors, and removal of VAT

on water, electricity and data, among other things.

Further, through its Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), thousands of Guyanese have benefitted from distance learning in 187 programmes offered through eight universities.

Should those and other initiatives not address the direct needs of citizens, the government has gone the extra mile to conduct outreaches in various communities and meet Guyanese directly in order ascertain what issues exist and how they could be addressed effectively. The government has so far visited every region and engaged persons in communities such as Buxton and Linden that are known strongholds of the APNU+AFC.

President Ali has repeatedly said that the approach of his administration to decision-making is one of stakeholder engagement, which could pave the way for the realisation of the One-Guyana vision.

“Together, we are going to embark on the journey of prosperity with all of you; the achievement of peace and prosperity; this is a golden opportunity to attain that objective. The future belongs to us. The naysayers wish to break our stride, but the evidence is overwhelmingly clear that Guyana is surely… on a fast track to peace and prosperity. Let us keep it that way under the umbrella of One-Guyana,” President Ali had said.

Civil society, PNCR, AFC must condemn WPA’s racism, violent rhetoric

Dear Editor,

THE Guyanese public is constantly treated to the voice of so-called civil society groups and personalities in the press, not least so in Kaieteur News and Stabroek News. The groups and persons have made big names for themselves, and many have become local celebrities.

Some time ago, I intro-

duced the idea that many of the big names seem to be pursuing jouissance, meaning involvement in anti-government activities simply for the pleasure of doing so.

Well, now is the time for those who claim to have an interest in our national well-being to speak up. The occasion is the recent whiplash racism and treasonous pronouncements aired by senior WPA personalities,

the most well-known of them being Tacuma Ogunseye.

I call on the following organizations/groups and persons to openly and without reservation condemn in the strongest possible terms the abject racism and violent rhetoric of the WPA - Mike McCormick and the Guyana Human Right Association; Yog Mahadeo and Article 13, Lincoln Lewis and the Trades Union Congress; Melinda

Janki, Janet Bulkan, Mike Persaud, Charles Sugrim, A. Brandli, Alissa Trotz, Norman Browne, Troy Thomas, Vanda Radzik, Alfred Bhulai, Danuta Radzik and Kenrick Hunte.

The same call goes to the entire PNCR and AFC, especially Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton; Leader of AFC Khemraj Ramjattan; MPs Annette Ferguson, Cathy Hughes, Amanza Walton-De-

sir, Sherod Duncan, Roysdale Forde, Vincent Henry, N.N. Flue-Bess, Vinceroy Jordan, and others.

Though failure to condemn the WPA’s violently-racist rhetoric and their call for subversion does not necessarily mean approval, your silence could be interpreted as personal and political weakness, and lack of courage in a time of clear threats to the Indian popula-

tion of this country. You cannot and will not have any credibility to speak in the name of national unity, national progress, and national well-being. And most certainly, you will be severely compromised in asking upstanding Guyanese for their votes.

Yours sincerely, Dr. Randolph B. Persaud

Hunte’s flawed analysis on the cost per barrel of oil is disingenuous

Dear Editor,

REFERENCE is made to the so-called economics professor, Kenrick Hunte’s letter to the editor that appeared in Kaieteur News edition of March 9, 2023. The author argued that the average cost per barrel of oil produced by ExxonMobil is questionable and unacceptable.

Readers would recall that around July–August of last year, Hunte and this author were engaged in an extensive debate in the media on oil and gas issues to the extent that the quality of Hunte’s analyses in response to this author (the challenger) began to diminish. He then vanished for a few months before recently re-appearing with another series of flawed/bogus analyses in the local media.

While the learned economist admitted that he hadn’t access to EEPGL’s, HESS and CNOOC’s financial statements to perform a more accurate analysis, he has incorrectly asserted or believed that the financial statements are not publicly available.

Contrary to Hunte’s belief in this regard, the financial statements are filed with the Deeds Registry, and anyone can obtain copies of same from the registry. In fact, all of the media houses are in possession of the financial statements and have published several reports accordingly. So, Hunte is either oblivious of this fact or he is being disingenuous.

Consequently, the author mistakenly presumed that the 75 per cent cost recovery ceiling is the total cost from which he derived an average cost per barrel of crude of US$52.86 using data reported on crude oil production in the Bank of Guyana report for 2021.

The correct [average] cost per barrel of crude oil, however, using the financial information reported in the 2021 financials for EEPGL, Hess and CNOOC, and based on the total crude oil produced in 2021 which was

42.213 million?would in fact work out to US$22.28 per barrel.

This is in line with the average cost per barrel of crude in the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Venezuela, according to the comparative data presented by the author?as well as in line with the average cost for the U.S Non-Shale.

Having said that, I wish to, for the benefit of the readers, reveal some important historical facts in relation to the author that most readers may not be aware of about him?that is, his professional track record in Guyana.

First, the learned economist has a proven track record of producing mediocre analyses. To this end, in a letter published in Stabroek News on December 22, 2009, the economist made an assertion which he claimed to have cited from the Bank of Guyana’s annual report of 2008 that the agriculture sector’s output has been declining over the decade which spanned 1999–2008. But if one were to peruse the agriculture sector’s output for this period as reported in the Bank of Guyana reports during these periods, one would derive the findings outlined in the graph.

As illustrated in the chart above, the agriculture sector grew steadily during the period 1990– 2008. Though there were few years in which the overall output declined, the sector rebound in the following years to

levels above where the sector was prior to several periods of decline.

The most notable period of significant decline was in 2004–2005, when more than half of the population was affected by the most severe flood in our history. One would recall that a national emergency was declared. The then Finance Minister reported in the 2006 national budget speech that following an economic impact assessment of the flood, the estimated economic loss from the flood was $93 billion, the equivalent of 60 per cent of GDP. In addition, it was predicted (then) that the production of sugar and rice, two of the largest contributors to the agriculture GDP, would fall precipitately.

Notwithstanding, the learned economist failed to acknowledge that the other agricultural subsectors?namely, livestock and other agriculture, experienced uninterrupted growth from 1990–2008, and that the only subsectors that experienced periods of interrupted growth due largely to the 2005 natural disaster, were the sugar and rice subsectors, and in other cases inclement weather among other factors at the time that were unrelated to the policies of the government and allocation of financial resources in the sector.

Second, and most notably, in the same letter of December

22, 2009, Hunte disclosed that he served as the former General Manager of the Guyana Agricultural and Industrial Development Bank (GAIBANK)? a development bank established in 1973, which went bankrupt and was liquidated in the mid-90s.

According to Hunte, he was employed at GAIBANK from 1980-1993 in various technical positions before advancing to the General Manager in 1985–1993. The economist was responding to someone at the time who accused him of mismanagement of the said institution under his tenure which largely led to it having to be liquidated.

He then sought to deny this allegation and absolve himself of any mismanagement of the institution and claimed that if the government had implemented the Auditor General’s recommendation at the time in relation to some foreign exchange losses that he claimed was a government liability, then the true profit of the entity would have been reflected.

In this regard, the author cited the Auditor General’s recommendation which stated that it was proposed by the Auditor General to invoke the laws of Guyana to deal with the foreign exchange losses, section 50 (2) of the Co-operative Financial Institutions Act, Chapter 75:01. He claimed how the PPP government ignored the advice of

the Auditor General. However, a perusal of the referenced section of the Act states that:

“If the reserve fund is in any given year insufficient to cover any net loss of the financial institution recorded in its Profit and Loss Account, an amount equivalent to the deficiency is hereby charged on the Consolidated Fund”.

Again, it would appear that the former General Manager of GAIBANK was not entirely truthful in his missive. Because a perusal of the 2001 Bank of Guyana Annual Report, Table 5-V contained a statement of asset and liabilities of GAIBANK. The table showed that as of June 1991, the accumulated deficit of GAIBANK was $397.6 million, which was cleared, resulting in a surplus position of $23.5 million by December 1991 and remained in a surplus position of $2 billion as of May 1995.

There is another column in the table that shows government contributions on the liability side of the statement which could only mean that the deficit balance was cleared by way of a charge on the Consolidated Fund.

Moreover, the core business of the development bank was lending and therefore, the true performance of the institution under Hunte’s tenure would have been reflected in the quality of the loan portfolio and not the foreign exchange gains/losses.

In this respect, it must be highlighted that in the former General Manager’s letter of December 2009, he was careful to stay completely away from speaking to the portfolio’s performance under his tenure. As such, to give him the benefit of the doubt, here are a few ques-

tions he should provide answers to in response to this article:

a) What was the status of the loan portfolio in 1985 when he took over as General Manager and where did he leave it in 1993?

b) How many loans were approved and disbursed during this period?

c) How many were repaid?

d) What percentage of the portfolio was non-performing?

e) How much bad debt was written off during his tenure?

The answers to these questions will prove or disprove whether the former General Manager was indeed culpable of mismanagement and whether indeed he was responsible for the ultimate failure of the institution.

It is worth noting that at the time of writing this article, the author did not have access to GAIBANK’s financials and audit reports for the period 1985–1993 to confirm the numbers/answers to the questions posed above. But these can be and will be easily obtained from the Parliament’s library which will be done during the course of the week. For now, Hunte is given a fair chance to come clean with his management performance of GAIBANK.

Yours respectfully, Joel Bhagwandin

Source: Bank of Guyana Annual Reports

Why hasn’t Christopher Ram filed private charges against Ogunseye as he did to Bharrat Jagdeo in 2015?

Dear Editor,

I note the Demerara Waves online news report of March 10, 2023 which says as follows:

Urging Guyanese to get “battle ready”, Mr Ogunseye believed that the Afro-Guyanese dominated police and soldiers, who he said mainly support the opposition,

would stand with Afro-Guyanese in resisting the mainly Indo-Guyanese supported PPPC. “We come to tell you that freedom is not far away. We come to tell you that we will ensure that our brothers and sisters in uniform do the right thing and this thing will be over quickly,” he said.

Further, I also saw a recording of the very WPA

Buxton public meeting at which Tacuma Ogunseye made his racist and incendiary declaration. In that recording, another WPA member, Ms. Rhonda Layne, stated as follows:

“All these other people who come here, who suddenly getting land, many of them came from the slums of India... they lived in pipes,

they live in all the deplorable places.”

Readers would recall social commentator and civil society activist Christopher Ram’s swift action in filing private criminal charges in 2015 against former President Bharrat Jagdeo over comments he made during his speech at a PPP rally at Babu Jaan earlier that year.

Why has there been no similar sort of action by Ram in this instance?

Could it be that he is mortally afraid of the opposition and its supporters?

Could it be that he chose a softer target in the form of Jagdeo with the knowledge that he won’t be attacked by PPP supporters?

Attorney General Anil Nandlall has already pointed out that Ogunseye’s declaration amounts to several criminal offences, including but not limited to, sedition, seditious libel, inciting riot-

ous behaviour and exciting racial hostility in order to create a breakdown of law and order within the State of Guyana.

So, why is there a seeming reluctance on the part of erstwhile civil society activist Christopher Ram to file similar charges?

Yours Truly, Alvin Hamilton

Election fraud case adjourned to April 18

THE electoral fraud case involving former District Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo; former People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) Chairperson Volda Lawrence; PNC/R activist Carol Smith-Joseph; and four others, has been adjourned to April 18.

The trio, along with Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) employees Sherfern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Bobb-Cummings and Michelle Miller, are before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defrauding the electors of Guyana by declaring a false account of votes for the 2020 elections.

On Monday, the case was called before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for report. However, it was later adjourned.

A team of special prosecutors comprising attorneys-at-law Darshan Ramdhani, QC; Glenn Hanoman, Mark Conway, Ganesh Hira, Arudranauth Gossai, and George Thomas are on record for the state.

Attorneys-at-law Nigel Hughes, Eusi Anderson, Ronald Daniels and Konyo San-

diford are on record for the defendants.

It is alleged that Lawrence, Smith-Joseph, February, Livan, Bobb-Cummings and Miller between March 2 and August 2, 2020, at Georgetown, conspired with former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield and Mingo to defraud the electors of Guyana by declaring a false account of votes cast in the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections.

Additionally, Miller is slapped with a separate charge which alleged that between March 3-5, 2020, at the GECOM command centre at Ashmin’s building on High and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, she conspired with persons to defraud the people of Guyana by not using the figures from the Statements of Poll for the purpose of ascertaining the figures to make the declaration of the results for the said District Four, thereby resulting in a false declaration being made for the said District.

The defendants’ attorneys had previously argued for the case to be heard in the High Court given the nature of the proceedings which they

claimed might infringe on their client’s rights to a fair trial within a reasonable time.

Nevertheless, the Chief Magistrate ruled that despite the voluminous evidence and the complexity of the case, the court has been proceeding with hearing of the case “expeditiously”.

In August 2021, Mingo, along with Lowenfield and his then deputy, Roxanne Myers, had their employment terminated by the commission.

It is alleged that the trio inflated or facilitated the inflation of results for Region Four, the country’s largest voting district, to give the APNU+AFC Coalition a majority win at the polls when, in fact, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had won by 15,000 votes.

Those who rejected the results filed several legal challenges which ended up before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Guyana’s highest appeal court.

A lengthy recount of the votes eventually declared victory in favour of the PPP/C, and Dr. Irfaan Ali was sworn

in as the President of Guyana on August 2, 2020.

Top row, from left, are: Volda Lawrence, Keith Lowenfield, Denise Babb-Cummings, and Michelle Miller. Bottom row, from left, are: Enrique Livan, Sheffern February, Clairmont Mingo, and Carol Smith-Joseph

Infrastructure, ‘talent cultivation’ pertinent to economic growth

–– Chinese leader tells Guyanese

By Shaquan Gill in China

IF any country wants to develop, it must first focus on the creation of strong infrastructure, both physically and technologically, according to international business tycoon, Li Dongsheng.

Dongsheng is currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the TCL Technology Group Corporation (formerly known as TCL Corporation), as well as a Deputy of the National People’s Congress (NPC).

He gave this recommendation when specifically asked about Guyana’s development at a recent press briefing with foreign journalists.

“My suggestion is that, from the development process of China, if a country wants to develop fast, the prerequisite is the infrastructure. This means you should have the very improved infrastructure system and then its industries can move ahead,” Dongsheng pointed out.

Moreover, the NPC deputy highlighted that after the digital and physical infrastructure networks have been created, the country must ensure that there is a significant development of its human resources.

“After putting all the infrastructure in place, the talents are also very important. You need people to work in order to get the processes going…so

the technicians, [and] the leaders to implement all the projects. So, two things – one is infrastructure first, and then the talent cultivation,” he posited.

Since its being elected to office in August 2020, the Dr. Irfaan Ali-led People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has directed significant resources to the infrastructural transformation and modernisation of Guyana, in what was deemed the “build-out.”

Several major road networks have been completed and are currently being constructed to open up new lands for economic and industrial expansion.

Further, the recently approved gas-to-energy project is another critical piece of infrastructure that

aims to reduce the cost of electricity by 50 per cent, as well as to reduce the price of cooking gas on the domestic market.

To build the capacity of its digital infrastructure, Guyana recently signed an agreement with a German company for the establishment of a one-card system, which aims to digitise the records and information of individuals on one document, for smoother and simpler transactions.

In the areas of talent cultivation and human resource development, the

Government of Guyana has also provided more than 9,000 tertiary-level scholarships to Guyanese to build their academic and technical capacities. Already, through the Ministry of Labour’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT), more than 7,000 persons have been trained from 2020 to date in the areas of heavy-duty operation, electrical engineering, welding and fabrication, agricultural machinery operation, and many others.

Li Dongsheng, NPC Deputy and Chief Executive Officer of TCL Corporation

Local COVID-19 cases at record lowest level

Health Ministry receives Paxlovid pills to bolster response to the virus

THE Ministry of Health, on Monday, received some 5,040 Paxlovid pills from UNICEF to further boost Guyana’s capacity to treat COVID-19.

The pills were received by Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony at his Brickdam, Georgetown Office, where he said that the handing over follows several efforts on the part of UNICEF to procure the medication for Guyana.

Just last year, UNICEF signed an agreement with drug maker, Pfizer, to procure the medication at a

reduced cost to be able to provide this to countries like Guyana for the care and treatment of COVID-19 patients.

As a result of that agreement, the organisation was able to purchase the medication at US$83 per box as opposed to the initial cost of US$600 per box.

According to the Health Minister, the medication is considered an antiviral one and at critical points in the lifecycle of the virus, it would help to interrupt the flow and prevent the coronavirus from replicating.

“It has been quite effective in doing so and most people who used this medication actually saw a reduction in the time that they spent and even if they were very symptomatic you would see that change quite rapidly,” Dr Anthony added.

Further, he said that studies have shown that Paxlovid also decreases the incidence of long COVID-19.

While he noted that having these drugs marks another milestone in Guyana’s fight against COVID-19, the country has not been seeing a lot of cases as of late and

it is at the lowest level seen thus far.

“So, that’s a very positive thing, we want to keep it that way, but just in case we have patients we now

have medication that we can use for those patients,” Dr Anthony said.

Meanwhile, UNICEF’s Deputy Representative to Guyana and Suriname, Irfan Akhtar, said that UNICEF was advocating with its headquarters and other partners to ensure that Guyana would be able to access the medicine.

Initially, he said that

because of the high cost and high demand for the drug, it was not accessible to lower- and middle-income countries.

While this tranche includes 151,200 pills and will be able to treat some 5,040 patients in Guyana, if needed, Akhtar said UNICEF would he happy to mobilise more in the future.

Fisherman remanded for allegedly killing reputed wife

RICARDO Kattow, called ‘Otis,’ was on Monday remanded to prison for allegedly stabbing his reputed wife to death during a domestic altercation.

Kattow, a fisherman, of Hope Estate, East Coast

Aneeza Ishmael

Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court and was not required to plead to the capital offence.

It is alleged that on March 6, 2023, at their Hope Estate home, Kattow murdered Aneeza Ishmael, a 26-year-old housewife.

He was remanded to prison until April 25.

According to a police report, Kattow habitually abused his wife and often accused her of being unfaithful.

It is alleged that Ishmael left her home on March 3, and went to stay with a friend due to the abuse.

On March 6, Ishmael returned to her home with her younger sister to collect her belongings.

REMANDED:

Ricardo Kattow

While there, she was confronted by Kattow, who begged her not to leave. However, the woman insisted that she only came to collect her clothing, which caused Kattow to become annoyed.

It is alleged that Kattow pulled a knife from the waist of his pants and attacked the woman. The victim’s sister pushed her away and told her to run, which she did.

Kattow gave chase and after catching up with her, he allegedly stabbed her in the neck, face, and hands, causing her to fall to the ground.

Kattow then turned his attention to the victim’s sister, but she fought him off. He inflicted several wounds on his body and consumed a poisonous substance.

Both the victim and Kattow were rushed to the hospital.

The woman succumbed to the injuries she received, while Kattow was treated and later discharged.

Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony (second from left) receives the Paxlovid pills from UNICEF’s Deputy Representative to Guyana and Suriname, Irfan Akhtar (second from right)

Equipment for US$15M hydroponics project to depart Israel today

EQUIPMENT necessary for the commencement of the US$15 million hydroponics project will set sail from Israel today, according to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Seal Group, Matan Koren, who is among the investors from KARLICO Inc., which is undertaking this massive investment in local hydroponics.

Koren, who provided an update on the project, was part of a recent engagement among Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha; Non-Resident Israeli Ambassador, Itai Bardov and another shareholder in the KARLICO Inc., Business Development Director at the LR Group, Joseph Harrosh.

The investor, during the meeting, said that the

equipment should arrive in Guyana within the next four to six months. Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil.

Approximately US$15,750,000 is being invested by the company to execute the project which will involve a three-phase hydroponic production system based on nutrient film techniques and soilless production systems.

Those systems will be designed for the production of fresh herbs, lettuce, and other leafy vegetables as well as other high-value crops.

During the meeting, Minister Mustapha and the Ambassador discussed additional areas for collaboration in agriculture.

Mabaruma residents receive BIT certification

SOME 39 residents of Mabaruma, Region One, received certification in four vocational and technical programmes offered by the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) which falls under the Ministry of Labour.

Motor vehicle servicing and repairs, joinery, cosmetology, and photovoltaic installation were the courses taught to the graduates.

The BIT Public Relations Department shared the stories of some of the graduates on its Facebook page following the conclusion of the graduation ceremony.

According to Julena Jocintho, it was her desire to learn something new that led her to the joinery course.

Jocintho told BIT representatives that her aunt encouraged her to take advantage of the agency’s free vocational and technical programmes.

“After hearing my aunt, I thought it was a great opportunity for me to follow through while I’m taking steps to become a teacher,” Jocintho said.

The aspiring teacher

stated that she is grateful for this life-changing decision because it has opened her eyes to a new horizon. As a result, she hopes that others would see the value in taking advantage of the agency’s programmes to become employable.

According to the BIT, Clinton Desouza, like Jocintho, had a desire to learn a skill that would make him marketable for job opportunities in the region.

“Now that he has joinery skills and knowledge, he hopes to help me, my community, because there are a lot of people in my community who have the talents and capability but no one to teach them. He credits his dream to his friends, who introduce-d him to the vast technical programmes offered by the Board of Industrial Training. As a result, Mr. Desouza encouraged others to learn more about the agency’s training programmes and to apply for a life-changing opportunity,” the BIT said on its Facebook page.

On the other hand, Lydia Albert discovered the agency in 2021 when she

decided to enroll in its tractor maintenance programme.

“I had originally planned to do the agency’s heavy-duty equipment operation programme, but I changed my mind because I saw the vast job opportunities in this profession,” she explained.

This prompted her to decide to broaden her employment opportunities by becoming certified in motor vehicle servicing and repairs.

“I can now apply for any job vacancy without fear of being rejected, and this is because of the Board of Industrial Training, for which I am eternally grateful,” Albert added.

Her time with the agency, however, is not over as she plans to return soon to learn new skills.

Meanwhile, Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton said that the graduation exercise demonstrates the government’s commitment to empowering its citizens through educational opportunities to improve their chances of finding work.

“Under the previous administration, there was

no such training offered by the Board of Industrial Training in this region. Now, since taking office in August 2020, the PPP/C Administration has been able to certify several batches of individuals here,” he said, according to the BIT’s Public Relations Department.

This positive trend, he said, will continue because it will help the region’s and, by extension, the country’s development.

As a result, the minister

encouraged the graduates to encourage others to participate in the agency’s training programmes.

The BIT’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Saskia Eastman-Onwuzirike, spoke briefly about the agency’s role and responsibilities in developing the country’s labour force. She praised the graduates for recognising the importance of becoming skilled individuals in order to meaningfully contribute to the country’s

development. She encouraged them to pursue other educational and training opportunities in order to broaden their profile and increase their chances of finding work. Also present at the graduation ceremony were Mayor of Mabaruma, Chris Phang and Regional Chairman, Brentnol Ashley. The graduates received tools and equipment from the agency to help them start a business.

From left: Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture Madanlall Ramraj; Permanent Secretary Delma Nedd; Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha; Israeli’s Ambassador to Guyana Itai Bardov; Business Development Director at the LR Group Joseph Harrosh, and CEO of the Seal Group Matan Koren

Cop critical after allegedly shot in head by cousin

JERMAIN Semple, a 32-year-old Police Sergeant, is currently hospitalised after he was shot in the head on Sunday at the Crown and Anchor Grill and Bar in Linden.

The alleged shooter is his cousin Fawazz McRae, a 27-year-old building contractor. He is in police custody as-

sisting with the investigations.

According to a police press release, at approximately 21:00 hours on Sunday, Semple who is stationed at the Tactical Services Unit, along with his brother Dervon Semple and McRae, were at the Crown and Anchor Grill and Bar when a fight erupted between the policeman and

his brother.

“During the altercation, Fawazz went to ‘part’ them, and a fight ensued between the victim and Fawaaz, which caused him (Fawaaz) to take out his licensed handgun (one .32 pistol) and discharge two rounds in the victim’s direction. One struck the victim in his head, causing him to

Jermain Semple

receive severe injuries,” the release said.

Semple was then rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex, where the doctors on duty treated him. He was admitted and his condition is listed as critical.

The suspect was arrested and the firearm which contained “four suspected live ammunition in the magazine and one live ammunition in the chamber,” were retrieved.

According to the police, the suspect, who received injuries to his left elbow and right ear during the fight, was escorted to the hospital for medical attention. He was later discharged.

The scene was canvassed and two .32 empty spent shells were found.

Investigations are ongoing.

Man chopped to death at Caracas Dam, friend critical

DETECTIVES are investigating the alleged murder of 22-year-old New Amsterdam resident, Kevin Small, which occurred on Sunday at Caracas Dam, West Canje, Berbice.

Police said in a press release that at approximately 10:30 hours, Small, in the company of Shamar Wilson and another friend, went to a canal along Caracas Dam (‘De Blacker’)

to swim.

It is alleged that upon arrival, an argument erupted when the suspects approached the three friends. It later escalated into a fight.

“In his bid to escape, 22-year-old Small jumped into the trench, but was grabbed by one of the suspects, who chopped him about his body. Shamar Wilson jumped into the trench to assist him, but

the two other suspects started firing chops and lashes towards him,” the release said.

At approximately 12:30 hours, Small and Wilson were taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital by public spirited citizens. Small was pronounced dead on arrival while Wilson was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Investigations are ongoing.

EU-Guyana bilateral political agendas,

trade relations

— on agenda for discussion between local authorities and Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service

BILATERAL political agendas, trade relations, co-operation in multilateral fora and preparation of the European Union (EU)-CELAC summit in July are topics to be discussed this week, when the Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Helena König visits Guyana.

According to a press release from the EU, König will be here from March 15-17. During her visit, she will meet with President, Dr. Irfaan Ali and members of the Cab-

inet to discuss long-term bilateral relations between the EU and Guyana.

She will also interact

with civil society and will visit one of the projects being executed under the EU funded Spotlight Initiative.

König who has a background in trade, will also meet with members of the private sector and business community, with the aim of fast tracking the establishment of a full-fledged EU/Guyana chamber of commerce.

Her arrival in Guyana is a continuation of a visit to Barbados and St Vincent. She will end her Caribbean tour with a visit to Suriname after Guyana.

Helena König

Time to re-enter Guyana through investments

— Ministers Bharrat, Benn urge Guyanese in Canada; highlight efforts to improve security sector

By Frederick Halley

MINISTER of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat and Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn have lauded the developments and progress taking place in Guyana over the last two years.

Fresh off attending the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s (PDAC) annual three-day convention, held at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto, the two were guests at a meet and greet hosted by the Guyana Consulate in Toronto last Wednesday evening.

Among the persons in the audience were Canada’s High Commissioner to Guyana Mark Berman and Guyana’s High Commissioner to Canada Keith George.

Echoing a call he made during his visit last June, Minister Bharrat once again urged Guyanese living in Canada to return and serve their country of birth, while boasting that the country is now primed for investment.

Unlike in June when the minister announced that a contract for a new power plant would have been signed, he boasted that the gas-to-energy project, which will change the lives of

Guyanese, has commenced and, once completed, will significantly reduce the cost of power generation and its reliability.

According to Minister Bharrat: “Right now, we are generating at nearly the highest rate in the hemisphere, at 30 cents (US) per kilowatt when countries are generating at less than 10 cents (US), so it makes us a destination that is not attractive in terms of cheap power.”

He went on to say: “This is not a dream; this is a plan we have and this is a project that has already started. We have already awarded the contract to a US company that will build the power station at Wales and we have already awarded the contract to a company from India to overlook the project on our behalf.”

The project, Bharrat said, will reduce electricity cost in Guyana by as much as 50 per cent by early 2025.

“It will also ensure we have reliable electricity and it will have cleaner energy and cut emissions even further,” Minister Bharrat said.

He told the gathering that Guyana is at a point of “take off” and Guyanese should be proud of that.

Bharrat said: “We came

from nothing to 2022 as the fastest growing economy in the world, when the entire world is battling from the effects of the war in Ukraine and the economic impact of COVID-19 in terms of shortage and shipping issues.”

Guyana, he said, recorded a 62.5 per cent growth rate with the hard work of the President and others in the Cabinet along with the technical officers and “every single Guyanese in and out of Guyana who participated in the process.”

“What we are particularly pleased about is that we had the second highest growth rate for non-oil producing countries, which was 11.5 per cent, so it’s not only about oil and gas but for non-oil economies,” Minister Bharat said.

He, however, cautioned: “What we have to do now, as a responsible government, and what our policies and programmes are geared toward, is ensuring that this growth rate is translated to working towards developments throughout the entire country.”

Minister Bharrat assured persons that the development is not only taking place in Georgetown or Region Four but throughout the

length and breadth of Guyana.

“We have to ensure that we decentralise and spread economic activities throughout the entire country. You can go through every region and point to development and progress that would benefit our people throughout the entire country,” he related.

Minister Bharrat said: “We need all hands on deck to develop our country, hence the reason for meeting with you. The avenue to get back to Guyana is through investment and the time is right for that. Those of you who haven’t been in Guyana for a while will be astonished at the development that is taking place…”

ALLAYED FEARS

For his part, Home Affairs Minister Benn allayed fears about the crime situation in Guyana, pointing out that based on the statistics over the last two years, serious crimes have reduced by 20 per cent while road deaths have also decreased, but there are still issues of domestic violence and drinking and driving.

According to the minister: “Our young people are reckless in many instances and need to find better ways

in using up their energies to work with our Police Force.”

He pointed out that the Force is in the process of launching “Increasing the Peace in Guyana,” which will involve, “changing the way with which we engage with the public. We have to change the mindset and the culture, and that is why we had engagement with the Chief of Police of Toronto, talking about cooperation, exchanges and looking at the new Police Academy.”

Minister Benn said there is also need for diversification, highlighting plans for the prisons to be moved from Georgetown and New Amsterdam to a central location at Lusignan. He also spoke about the construction of schools for prisoners where they will be taught in vocational areas such as agriculture and carpentry. Experts in psychology and psychiatry will also be employed.

The Guyana Fire, he pointed out, will be rebranded Fire and Rescue Service while new training techniques will be developed and several old fire hydrants will be replaced.

Among the topics discussed with the Chief of Police of Toronto were the importance of diversity,

professionalism, exchange visits, and cooperation to enhance Guyana’s Police Academy.

Minister Benn also took the opportunity to visit the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury’s recently commissioned fire station. He was accompanied by Consul General (ag) Grace Joseph and active diaspora member Mahesh Ramdeo. They were greeted by Fire Chief Brent Thomas, and Deputy Fire Chief Steve Hall.

The facility opened in June 2022 and is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. The team was given an extensive and detailed tour of all aspects of an excellent Fire and Emergency Service and given insight into how the Bradford Fire and Emergency Services operates. Much like Guyana, Bradford is growing, and this fire station was built with that in mind.

During the tour, Mayor Leduc, Fire Chief Thomas, and Deputy Fire Chief Hall stated their willingness to assist Guyana’s Fire Service in improving its quality and service. The facility is equipped with in-house training and accommodations to facilitate such.

A section of the gathering during an engagement with Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat and Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn (right) with Toronto Chief of Police Myron Demkiw

Malicious, offensive comments by WPA go against constitutional values — Association for Democracy and Human Rights laments

THE Association for Democracy and Human Rights has condemned the call for the Disciplined Services “to turn their guns on the State,” made by the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) executive member,

Tacuma Ogunseye, at a recent public meeting.

The association, in a release, related that the statement was intended to incite violence and intimidate the democratically elected government and citizens in pur-

suit of political gains.

“Such malicious and offensive comments erode the values of our Constitution and incite social tensions in communities. These statements have no place in a modern democratic state such

as ours,” the association said.

The release further stated:

“The timing of these atrocious and inexcusable comments is intended to create an atmosphere of fear at a time when Guyanese are preparing to exercise their democratic right to elect leaders at the level of the Local Government Elections.”

The association related that they support the Government of Guyana’s decision to ensure that swift and appropriate legal action is taken against Ogunseye.

Guyana protects a person’s constitutional right to freedom of speech; however, political actors must be held accountable for promoting racist ideology and instigating violence against people, just like all other citizens.

“We have more in common that unites us than which divides us as Guyanese. It is equally important that we continue to confront the forces of darkness that continually seek to divide us as a nation,” the association said.

The body encouraged Guyanese not to become distracted by the race-baiting and hate speech maneuvering by insurrectionist opponents of democracy; instead, to continue to take advantage of the unparalleled opportunities available, as Guyanese advance together as a country.

Ogunseye threatened last Sunday to incite violence in Guyana by waging war on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

“A time is going to come

in this country, very soon, when we will test our brothers and sisters…They will have to make up their minds whether they live with us or whether they live with the PPP (People’s Progressive Party). And they can shoot us down and we will shoot them back,” he said.

The WPA member had a strong message to the servicemen and women, which was aimed at creating public discord in Guyana and among Guyanese.

“We want them to be crystally clear and if the police and the army allow themselves to be used to slaughter African people, we will wage a war against them,” he said, as he urged his supporters to “spread the message.”

Man shot, four robbed during robbery at Kamboat’s Sheriff Street branch

DETECTIVES are on the hunt for two gunmen who allegedly shot a man and relieved several persons of their valuables during a robbery at the Kamboat Chinese Restaurant on Sheriff Street.

The incident occurred on Saturday at approximately 22:30 hours while

the victims were purchasing food.

According to the police, a 21-year-old resident of Crown Street, Queenstown, who works as a ramp attendant at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) was relieved of one ZTE cellphone and $11,000 in cash; an 18-year-old Kamboat Restaurant bill clerk was robbed of her Samsung Galaxy A51 smartphone valued at $75,000, her gold chain, and an undisclosed sum of cash belonging to her employer; and a Police Corporal, who resides at Industry, East Coast Demerara, was robbed of a Samsung Galaxy A30 phone worth $40,000, and several documents.

The fourth robbery victim was a 36-year-old taxi driver of Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, who was relieved of his Samsung Galaxy S20 smartphone, valued at $120,000, and $25,000 in cash.

According to the police, investigations have revealed that the victims

were purchasing food when the two suspects entered the building posing as customers.

One of them pulled a handgun from his pants waist and instructed the victims to hand over their valuables.

“One of the victims refused to comply, and the armed suspect discharged a round towards him, causing him to receive an injury to his leftside abdomen,” the press release said.

After relieving the victims of the abovementioned valuables, they mounted a motorcycle which was parked on William Street, Campbellville, and made good their escape, proceeding east along William Street.

The injured victim was escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) by emergency medical technicians from the Alberttown Fire Service. He is presently receiving treatment, and his condition is listed as stable.

Investigations are ongoing.

MVP Sports...

Smith and Honicia Adams securing one goal each before the final whistle.

Pearson credited the victory to her team following the plays practiced during training sessions.

“It was an excellent game. We came out and did what was taught on the training field. We executed the game plan well. We underestimate no opponent. We came to give our A-game today and we got a victory,” Pearson shared.

In the second game, Fruta Conquerors Football Club thrashed Milerock Football Club, another visiting team, 7-3.

Conquerors’ Jessica Teasdale who netted a brace was pleased with her team’s performance.

“The girls played really, really well together today. Lots of moving the ball around, really keeping possession of the ball, lots of shots from anywhere”, Teasdale noted.

The Georgetown team’s high pressing and fluid attacking strategy allowed

Sandra Johnson to bag a hat-trick while Jalade Trim netted twice in the route.

Johnson shared that she was excited that her team has advanced to the next round.

Region 10’s Milerock Football Club three goals were scored by Seanica Camoron, Donella Rice and Shenessa Cornelius.

Twelve clubs, featuring senior and junior national players, made the cut for the GFF Women’s Development League Playoff sponsored by MVP Sports and Urban Life. The league was launched in June 2022 with 37 teams from across Guyana to give female players more match minutes.

The 12 clubs are Bartica All Stars FC, Potaro Strikers FC, Essequibo All Stars FC, Foxy Ladies FC, Milerock FC, Coomacka FC, Pakuri Jaguars FC, New Amsterdam United FC, Guyana Police Football Club, Guyana Defence Force FC, Fruta Conquerors FC and Santos FC.

The much anticipated championship match will be held on March 23.

English

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(TUESDAY MARCH 14, 2023)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 GARNETT STREET, CAMPBELLVILLE, GEORGETOWN (TEL: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Mark Boucher-553 dismissals in 146 Tests (530 catches; 23 stumpings)

(2) A B De Villers-11 catches (vs PAK, Johannesburg, 2013)

Today’s Quiz:

(1) What was the result of the second Test of the recent WI/SA series?

(2) Who was declared Man of the Match?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Australia batted throughout day five to earn a draw but India won the series 2-1

INDIA secured a 2-1 series win over Australia after the fourth Test petered out into a draw.

The tourists batted throughout day five in

India to face Australia in World Test Championship final

final-ball defeat by New Zealand.

They will play Australia for the Test title at The Oval on 7-11 June.

The tourists started the day trailing by 91 runs on first innings after India amassed 571, with Virat Kohli scoring a majestic 186.

But Australia’s batters defied India on a flat wicket as Marnus Labuschagne finished unbeaten with a gritty 63 from 213 balls.

Earlier, opener Travis Head made 90 from 163 balls in a partnership of 139 for the second wicket with Labuschagne.

home, and will be their second appearance in the World Test Championship final after they lost to New Zealand in the previous final in 2021.

Australia’s place was confirmed after their victory over India in the third Test in Indore, but India were still battling with Sri Lanka for the second spot.

With India avoiding defeat, it means Sri Lanka can no longer qualify even if they beat New Zealand in the second Test of their series, which starts on Friday.

Ahmedabad and declared on 175-2 with a lead of 84 before the teams shook hands.

India secured their place in the World Test Championship final after Sri Lanka’s earlier

Nightwatchman Matthew Kuhnemann was the first wicket to fall for six to Ravichandran Ashwin, with spinners bowling the majority of the overs in batter-friendly conditions.

It was India’s 16th consecutive series win at

The draw also ensured India won the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the fourth successive time.

India will next face Australia in three oneday internationals, with the first on Friday. (BBC Sport).

Nagamootoos contribute to ‘Project Cricket Gear’

THE Nagamootoo cousins, Vishal and Moses are the latest sponsors to come on board “Cricket gear for young and promising cricketers,” the joint initiative between Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Executive Anil Beharry and Kishan Das of the USA.

On a recent visit to Guyana, Vishal, a former National and West Indies “B” wicket-keeper/batsman, contributed one cricket bat and one pair of cricket shoes. He also represented Berbice and Guyana at all youth levels.

Moses, who is the son of former Prime Minister

of Guyana, Moses Nagamootoo, contributed one pair of batting pads and one pair of batting gloves.

They are the nephews of former West Indies captains and cricket legends Rohan Kanhai and Alvin Kallicharran. Vishal’s brother Mahendra, represented West Indies at the senior level.

At a simple ceremony held recently, the Nagamootoo cousins disclosed that they were delighted to be part of the initiative and at the same time the development of young cricketers in general. In response, Beharry thanked Vishal and Moses for their kind gesture.

Mathura appointed cricket coach for Newton’s Grove School

FORMER Canadian National Under-19 player Terry Mathura has been appointed the after-school programme cricket coach for Newton’s Grove School, located at 6850 Goreway Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Newton’s Grove School is a student focused private school for children from JK through to grade 12.

The school, in partnership with Nike, is set to introduce an after-school cricket programme in the spring and summer of 2023, the first of its kind in Canada.

According to a post on the school’s website, participants in the after-school programme may be new to cricket or want to improve their introductory

skills. “Through fun and interactive skill-building exercises, participants will learn proper bowling, batting, catching, and fielding techniques. Participants will learn teamwork and sportsmanship as well.”

Sessions will be held on Thursday evenings from 16:30 hours – 18:00 hours and commence on Thursday, April 20 to June 8 and it is for children between seven and 10. For more information visit newtonsgroveschool.com.

A certified Level One National Coaching Certification Programme (NCCP) Level One Coach, the Guyana-born Mathura also captained the Ontario Under-25 team and was a member of the senior team. He was once Vice-president for the Ontario

Total cricket related items received so far: $310,000 in cash, two trophies, 14 cricket boots, 23 pairs of batting pads, 27 cricket bats, 21 pairs of batting gloves, 21 thigh pads, one pair of wicket-keeping pad, four arm guards, two boxes, six cricket bags and four helmets. In addition, $600,000 worth in gear was donated by Sheik Mohamed, former national wicket-keeper/batsman.

To date, 52 young players from all three counties of Guyana have benefitted from three junior gear bag, two trophies, four arm guards, 21 bats, two boxes, four helmets, 19 pairs of cricket shoes, 13 pairs of batting pads, two thigh pads, one bat rubber and 19 pairs of batting gloves. In addition, two clubs in the Pomeroon received two used bats. Pomeroon, Leguan, Wakenam Cricket Committees

and Cotton Tree Die Hard also received one box of red cricket balls each, while RHCCCC collected two, 15 white cricket shirts, one pair of junior batting pads, one pair of wicket-keeping gloves and a set of stumps and bails. The Essequibo Cricket Board and the Town of Lethem also benefitted. Cricket related items, used or new, are distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana. Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipients. Talent spotting is being done across the country and club leaders also assist to identify talent. Progressive and well managed clubs will also benefit. Distribution will continue. Anyone interested in making a contribution can contact Anil Beharry on 623 6875 or Kishan Das on 1 718 664 0896.

Moses Nagamootoo (right) hands over equipment to Beharry

Vishal Nagamootoo (left) hands over gear to Anil Beharry

Softball Cricket League (OSCL) and is currently a certified level Two umpire with the Canada Cricket Umpires Association (CCUA).

Former Canadian National Under-19 player Terry Mathura

Williamson epic denies Sri Lanka’s WTC final dream

New Zealand have conjured up a remarkable victory for the second time in two weeks by chasing down a target of 285 runs on the final ball of the rain-shortened final day to beat Sri Lanka by two wickets in the first Test in Christchurch.

The win, which came on the back of the one-run victory over England after following on in Wellington, put the hosts 1-0 up in the two-match series and ended Sri Lanka’s hopes of playing in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Kane Williamson played the leading role by notching up his 27th Test century in a beautifully controlled innings of 121 not out after the first four and a half hours of play at Hagley Oval had been washed out by rain

The winning run came when the former captain and the in-

jured Neil Wagner ran a bye, Williamson securing the victory by diving full length to get his bat down in the crease before a direct hit broke the stumps.

With Sri Lanka’s loss, India and Australia will meet in the second WTC final at The Oval in London, starting on June 7

The match will come less than three months after the Border-Gavaskar series, which India are poised to win 2-1.

New Zealand defeated India in the inaugural WTC decider in 2021.

The Black Caps went into the final day on 1-28 needing 257 more runs for victory and after the rain finally cleared were allowed 52 overs in one extended session to achieve the task.

First-innings centurion Daryl Mitchell contributed 81 to a stand of 142 with William-

Silas carries bat for unbeaten 101 in GCA’s U-19 Trials

IN the GCA 50 overs

U-19 Trials played in hot conditions over the weekend at the DCC ground, Zachary Jodha side rattled up 276 with 15-year-old Kishawn

Silas, who opened the batting and was there at the end unbeaten on 101 with 12 fours and a six as he carried his bat.

Jadon Campbell 29, Revaldo Phillips 34 and Shaquan Walter 21 also contributed to the total as Skipper Jeremiah Hohenkirk took 2-11.

In reply, Hohenkirk

X1 made 179 in 50 overs with Miguel Nandu top score 47 with three fours and Riyad Latif 32, three fours and two sixes. Gabriel Rookhum 25, and Neil Hutton 26 also contributed valuable runs.

Bowling for Jodah’s side, pacer John Persaud captured 4-24, Temal Ramsaroop 3-21and off spinner Ezekiel Wilson 3-20.

son for the fourth wicket that put victory within grasp but there were plenty of nervous moments before the win was finally secured with eight wickets down.

Sri Lanka were still chasing a win that would keep them on course for a spot in the WTC final and Prabath Jayasuriya put them on the front foot with two early wickets

The left-arm spinner bowled Tom Latham for 25 and had Henry Nicholls caught in the deep for 20 but that only brought Williamson and Mitchell together in the middle.

Seamer Asitha Fernando (3-63) gave Sri Lanka renewed hope with yorkers to dismiss Mitchell and Tom Blundell (3) before having Michael Bracewell (10) caught at deep midwicket.

That set up the dramatic

finish with New Zealand needing 15 runs from the last two overs, and local nerves intensified when skipper Tim Southee holed out in the deep and Matt Henry was run out.

Williamson kept his own nerve and clubbed a four off

the fourth ball of the final over with a smoked cover drive but Fernando’s last two deliveries were short and high, giving the batsmen no option but to go for an undignified scramble to secure victory.

Sri Lanka would have qualified for the WTC final if they

had swept New Zealand in the two-match series and Australia denied India victory in the ongoing fourth test in Ahmedabad. The second Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka starts at Wellington’s Basin Reserve on Friday. (Reuters and cricket.com.au)

Demerara surge to emphatic 243-run win over Select X1

..-Alimohamed named match MVP after brilliant all-round display

DEMERARA hammered the Select XI by a whopping 243-run margin, with a day to spare thanks to some clinical all-round performance by their team, gaining further momentum heading into the upcoming rounds.

The winners posted a daunting 419 all out in 101.4 overs during their first innings. A classy ton from Shamar Yearwood (105) with support from Man-of-the-match Ronaldo Ali Mohamed who scored 94, led the charge for Demerara.

The GCB Select XI were then rattled out for 166 in 45. 6 overs in their first innings due to some brilliance from West Indies youth spinner Ashmead Nedd who snared 5-43

The spinner overcame some resistance provided by the likes of Kelvin Umroa (32) and veteran Rajendra Chandrika (28).

Batting a second time, Demerara called an end to their innings at 171-8 in 58 overs, with middle-order batsman Akshaya Persaud showing his class with a top score of 59 with 5 boundaries. Support came from Captain Chris Barnwell (37) and Richie Looknauth (23).

Jonathan Rampersaud who bagged 3-82 in the first innings, claimed an additional 2-44, ending with 5 wickets in total. Two wickets apiece from Kelvin Umroa, Carlos Larose and Dimitri Cameron sealed a clinical bowling effort by the Select XI.

In the end it was a simple victory for the Demerara boys who made light work of their opponents, knocking them over for 183 in 54.3 overs. Rampersaud had an aggressive approach to the 300-plus target, racing to 53 off 51 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes.

Another trial match is scheduled and is in preparation for the Demerara Cricket Board’s Inter-Association U-19 tournament which commences on March 25.

(Sean Devers)

LaRose (36) and the opener Chandrika (30) added support amidst a dismal batting card. For Demerara, it was a feast for their bowlers, mainly their spinners with Steven Sankar (4-64) spinning webs around the opposition batsmen. Pacer Alimohamed, returned to claim (2-28) with additional magic from Looknauth (3-43), helped dismantle the GCB XI in no time.

(Clifton Ross)

(Final Scores.Demerara (419 all out 101.4 overs, S. Yearwood (105) , R. Alimohamed (94). (GCB XI Bowling J. Rampersaud 3-82)

Select XI 1st innings 166 all out 45.6 overs, K. Umroa (32) , R. Chandrika (28). (Demerara Bowling A. Nedd 5-43)

Demerara 2nd innings

(171-8 A. Persaud 59, C. Barnwell (37), R. Looknauth (23) (GCB XI Bowling K. Umroa 2-45, J. Rampersaud 2-44, D. Cameron 2-36, C. Larose 2-19)

Select XI 2nd innings

(183 all out overs, J. Rampersaud (53), C. LaRose (36), R. Chandrika (30), ( Demerara Bowling S. Sankar 4-64, R. Looknauth 3-43, R. Alimohamed 2-28)

Former captain Williamson was the hero for New Zealand // Getty

All-rounder Ronaldo Alimohamed receives his MVP award from GCB executive Anthony D’Andrade following the match.

Kishawn Silas made an unbeaten century in GCA U-19 trials over the weekend

National Under-21 Men’s Hockey team named for Junior Pan American championships

FOLLOWING months of intense training and continuous fitness and skill tests, the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) has approved an 18-member Under-21 men’s team to represent Guyana at the Junior Pan American Championships, scheduled for Barbados from April 10 to 18, 2023.

The team consists of 14 players who traveled to Barbados in December last year and defeated the host country’s junior team in a four-match series, and there are also four newcomers who will be making their international debuts. Guyana’s first group match will be against the USA on April 10th followed by Barbados on April 11th and concluding with power house Canada on April 13th.

Speaking on his expectations of the team, Head Coach of the national men’s programme, Robert Fernandes said, “All credit to

the boys for putting in the work, I think we have a great group of youngsters who are capable of executing at a high level. I’m confident that we will be competitive and hopefully pull off some upsets to advance from the group phase.”

The team has been working on strength and conditioning with former national Rugby Captain, turned physical trainer, Theodore Henry. Fernandes noted “We were struggling for a while after our long-time trainer Barrington Browne migrated, but Theodore has had a great impact on the boys’

Panthers deal heavy blow 45-26 to GDF

fitness since he started working with them. Our philosophy is that, “We cannot control the absence of an artificial turf to train and play and our inexperience, but we can control how fit we are and how hard we work on the field.”

Although fairly balanced, the team’s strength comes from

Go Gracefully

LETTER TO THE SPORT EDITOR

I have read in another section of the media the utterings of current president of the Guyana Olympic Association Mr. K. Juman Yassin. Mr. Yassin claims fraud leading up to the elections. Mr. Yassin wants the elections postponed.

This is someone who has been at the helm of the GOA for more than 25 years and has done nothing other than attempt at prolonging his tenure. If there is/was a fraud then call in the police, why go to the media? His call to postpone the election is another three card trick to extend his miserable tenure and reeks with the stench of March 2020, when persons tried to hold on to power regardless. It’s time to go Juman.

The most decent thing you can do is to go gracefully.

Yours sincerely Ronald. Trim

their midfield three of Shaquan Favorite, Tahrea Garnett and Shakeem Fausette. The dramatic improvement of players like Oshazay Savory, Simeon Moore and Vladimir Woodroffe has also contributed to the high expectations surrounding this team. The players will be accompanied by Manager and former national captain Marisha Fernandes, Coaches John Abrahams and Robert Fernandes, as well as team doctor, Charlyn Elliot.

The team is grateful to our local sporting bodies for their financial support and will be

reaching out to Corporate Guyana for assistance in making this journey a successful one.

The National Junior men’s team are as follows: Jamal Gaskin, Raoul Whittaker, Baraka Garnett, Daniel Woolford, Jabari Lovell, Javid Hussain, Leroy Geer, Nandalall Persaud, Oshazay Savory, Quinn Tobin, Samuel Woodroffe, Shakeem Fausette, Shaquon Favorite, Simeon Moore, Tahrea Garnett, Vladimir Woodroffe, Warren Williams & Yonnick Norton. Standby Players - Donnel Alleyne & Robert Marcus

Missed moments cost us, says coach Coley

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, (CMC) – Interim West Indies head coach Andre Coley has rued two missed opportunities on day three which contributed to his side’s heavy defeat in the second Test at the Wanderers on Saturday last.

The Jamaican, on his second tour of the men’s senior side, said had they “dropped the hammer” on those occasions, West Indies would not have found themselves facing the daunting target of 391, and suffering the eventual 284-run crushing.

the game situation, you could be in front but find yourself behind very quickly.

“I thought [Temba] Bavuma played really well. We gave him an opportunity and we seized that. Coming off the back of lunch and four down, we potentially could’ve started with Alzarri [Joseph] – our fastest bowler – who’s been pretty on song and have good results against Bavuma [before] in the series.

lunch before being dismissed for 106, an hour after the resumption.

“Whatever we did well, we needed to do it a lot longer,” lamented Coley.

THE National Park was a hive of activity on Sunday afternoon and the Guyana Rugby Football Union’s (GRFU) 12s tournament played a role as the event attracted a decent sized crowd of supporters who witnessed Panthers make light work of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) with a dominating 45-26.

Panthers’ Godfrey Broomes was the standout player in the clash as he

registered two tries and five conversions; helping his side lead from start to finish in the 20-minute per half match.

D’Arcy Durant made hay in the perfect sunshine for rugby and helped Panthers’ charge with a pair of tries. Delroy Fordyce, kareem Fisher and Makayah Smith also were on the scoresheet for the victors with a brace each.

For GDF, Avery Corbin,

Jamal Darrel, Akeno James and Leon Cole scored a try each, while Kevin Wills successful registered two conversions that were nothing more but consolations as they were dominated entirely.

Rugby 12s is a new format introduced; there are 6 forwards and 6 backs. The matches are 45 minutes; 20 minutes per half with a five-minute break at half-time.

“When I reflect on [day three], two key moments come to mind. I think around lunch time at 69 for four was a key moment where we potentially could’ve dropped the hammer to get another wicket,” Coley pointed out.

“And then tea time, around 145 for five, that was also another crucial period where if we had gotten another wicket or so, would’ve limited whatever total we needed to chase. So those two moments spring to mind.”

He continued: “Discipline is always important in every game regardless of the skill that you have. Taking into consideration

“Not taking anything away from him, I thought he played well in that period to wrestle the game from us and gain some advantage but generally it’s about maintaining discipline and looking at the right combinations at the right time.”

Behind by 69 runs on first innings, West Indies were on top early on the third day after medium pacer Kyle Mayers struck two telling blows to reduce South Africa to 32 for three in their second innings.

Bavuma, however, in his first series as captain, slammed a career-best 172, while adding 103 for the sixth wicket with Wiaan Mulder who made 42, to turn the tables on West Indies.

Set an imposing total on the penultimate day, West Indies then slumped to 34 for six at

“There were periods in both Test matches where we had significant partnerships or partnerships that were trending towards a significant partnership … and then there was a key moment, let’s say a key bowler came on and broke that partnership which then exposed someone else.

“So from that standpoint, we were not able to have significant batting partnerships – at least one or two in both Test matches that would’ve allowed us to score at least 300 in one innings.

“That, I believe, would’ve made a difference.”

West Indies lost the opening Test at Centurion by 87 runs after also suffering a second innings collapse, in pursuit of 247 for victory.

Only two batsmen –vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood (126) and marquee all-rounder Jason Holder (116) – managed an aggregate of above 100 runs for West Indies in the two-Test series.

The 18-member junior national (and standby players) selected to represent Guyana at the Junior Caribbean Championships

Sunday’s top scorer Godfrey Broomes on his way to another try (Adrian Narine photo)

Horse racing off to awesome start with Ariana’s Vision epic victory

Rising Sun Turf Club was buzzing with excitement for the recently held horse race, “Opening Day Stakes.” Thousands came out to support their favorite thoroughbred while enjoying a day with family and friends.

Although the race was postponed previously due to inclement weather the organizers extended their sincerest apologies to those in attendance. There were 7 races carded and run with the highlight of the day being the final race where Ariana’s Vision owned by Mr. Fazal Habibula stole the crown from Looking To Heaven owned by Nasrudeen Mohamed of Jumbo Jet Auto sales. The much anticipated event was executed seamlessly with patrons clamoring for information of the next scheduled event.

As an added incentive to the hundreds of horse racing enthusiast who follow these races throughout Guyana the JJTRC offered free parking and programs for patrons. The parking initiative was done to ease the traffic and congestion previously seen at events held at Rising Sun. Throughout the days proceedings the commentator made special mention of the proud sponsors, Associated Construction Services, Forester Lumber Yard, KP Jagdeo Construction & Stable, Sinotruk, Mohamed’s Construction Inc., Banks, AJM Enterprise & XCMG. The patronage is expected to much larger for the second race by the JJTRC carded for Sunday 20th April, 2023 at the Bush Lot Turf Club.

When contacted, International Race Official Glen Mohamed indicated, “It was a magnificent effort by the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee and the entire execution team for staging yet another successful event. On behalf of the entire fraternity we would like to thank all the horse owners, jockeys, trainers, groomers and die-hard supporters for their support.

It took weeks of planning and organizing with all major stakeholders to run all races on the scheduled time and to shift all jockeys to the winner’s circle to be weighed. The security was out in their numbers enforcing all gates leading to the track to ensure the safety of patrons through while they rejoice and maybe be tempted to storm the track when their favorite horse wins. Trophies were given out immediately after the races were run.

This is just the beginning of an extremely exciting year for horse racing. So horse owners, trainers and jockey’s keep up the good work.”

MVP Sports/Urban Life women’s development league

Pearson and Johnson star in latest match-day

THE Police FC and Fruta Conquerors Football Clubs recorded thrilling wins on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Women’s Development Football League Playoff.

Winning prizes in Regal fund-raising raffle

TICKET number 1092 has won the first prize of a refrigerator in the Regal Cricket Club fund-raising raffle, drawn on Sunday last at the Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) ground.

The other prizes are: second, ticket number 1175 – one gas stove; third prize ticket number 1819 – one microwave; fourth prize ticket number 1837 – one blender; fifth prize ticket number 1362 – one steam iron; sixth prize ticket number 205 – one toaster.

The fund-raising raffle was held in aid of the Regal Legends participation in the Orlando Softball Cup, scheduled to be held from Friday to Sunday in Orlando, Florida.

The Regal Legends players departed Guyana yesterday (Monday).

Ariana’s Vision won the feature event of the day

The Guyana Police Force Football Club dominated visiting team Potaro Strikers 7-0, with striker Lakesha Pearson scoring the first goal just two minutes after the first whistle at the GFF Training Centre, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

A strong attacking strategy by the winning team allowed Pearson to score four more goals, with teammates Tiandi

Sandra Johnson (on the ball) scored a hat-trick for Fruta Conquerors

Lakesha Pearson (in possession) banged five goals for Police FC