Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 15-05-2023

Johnson equips himself with ‘new gear’ to help enhance Guyana’s infrastructure

former Guyana cricket captain makes positive strides in the field of construction

By Cindy Parkinson

WITH steady and continuous progress, it is anticipated that Guyana will become the Dubai of the Caribbean and one of the leading economies of the world , and , as such, international and local investors are flocking to get into one of the many sectors in the country.

This is no different for the retired Guyanese captain and West Indies left - hand middle-order batsman, Leon Rayon Johnson, who plans to capitalise on the opportunities that are available

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Chronicle, Johnson said that he spent the first four years of his life in the Amerindian Settlement of Santa Aratak, which is the only indigenous settlement in Region Three (Essequibo-Islands West Demerara).

However , after he was old enough to attend nursery school , the cricketer came to the city of Georgetown,

the early 2000s. Johnson related that he made his debut in 2004, and, within his first four years of joining the club, he was playing senior cricket for Guyana at the age of 16 years old

The now retired captain said : “ I enjoyed playing for Guyana I played for 19 years for my country

In all, I would have played 16 seasons for Guyana, and sometimes I was left out and didn’t play, but I would have also won numerous championships I also had the privilege to represent the West Indies, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, and I also played league cricket in England, where I met my wife, Carolyn Johnson , and she gave me our three beautiful children, Joshua Johnson and our twins , Ava and Oliver Johnson.”

He said that even though he had his parents in his life, they migrated when he was young, so they did not play an influential role in his

he remained humble and true to his roots The former captain said that he was grateful for the sports that enabled him to elevate himself and form a lot of friendships and everlasting bonds with genuine people, both locally and around the world

Johnson related that he retired from the gentleman’s game so that he could spend more time with his wife and kids, who he said are “pretty young,” and he believes that he should be around to help in their development and to guide them in the right direction

Along with that, Johnson also teamed up with his teammate, friend, and now business partner Steven Jacobs in venturing out in the construction field and creating their company , “First Change Builders.”

GROWTH MUST CONTINUE

He said: “I think that I have given a lot of my time

of the building, which further led to them working together

“Steven and I would have played cricket for a long period of time, and we know each other well, so we decided to work together Through the sport, we have the drive and discipline to want to do our best, and that is what we are striving for We want to be the best and give the best to the people of Guyana , and we are happy that we can also provide employment for our own people through our business,” Johnson said

According to him, 20 of the homes were completed two months ago, and work has begun on an additional 40 homes at Prospect on the East Bank of Demerara.

Johnson said that those homes are about 30 per cent complete thus far In addition to that, Johnson related that they are also doing some infrastructural work for a housing scheme along the East Coast of Demerara

need to do our part as well

While we are sleeping, we have a President who is out in communities in the wee hours of the mornings He doesn’t have to be out there, but he is doing it, and we need to help him by bettering ourselves and our lives as well ,” he said

where he lived with his grandparents in Meadow Brook Gardens

Johnson related that he quickly developed a passion for cricket, but it was during his secondary school years at St. Roses High School in Georgetown in 1999, that he truly realised his talent

He went on to say that he was about to join the Malteenos Cricket Club, but a few of the senior players from St Roses High at the time recognised his abilities and advised him to join the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) club instead

According to Johnson , GCC was producing a lot of national and international players at the time, and he decided to take the older guys’ advice and joined in

cricketing career

However , Johnson said he received a lot of inspiration from the players at GCC, but one of the people who supported and encouraged him was his neighbour, Kevin Walcott, who was a football coach in those days

“ Mr . Walcott , gave me a lot of really good advice I also got advice from guys like Ramnaresh Sarwan and Rayon King, who were very instrumental in my development The late Mr Harold Dhanraj and his son Neil , along with Mr Mendonza, were very influential in my early years at the GCC, and I am grateful for all of them and the role that they played in my life.”

Even though Johnson became successful at his craft,

to cricket, and I believe that now is the time to step away from the playing aspect of it and give some more time to my family.

I have always said that there is a life after cricket, and that is why I wanted to start up and establish my business , and that requires a lot of time from me now.”

While cricket will always be his passion, Johnson said that he has always had a keen interest in the construction of houses

According to him, he had invested in building a few homes as his own private projects while he was still playing the sport; however, he related that while Jacobs was building his jewelry store, he visited him and they had discussions of the design

When it comes to construction in Guyana, Johnson said, “There is a big boom in the construction industry right now in Guyana Lots of roads, buildings, and housing developments are moving at a rapid pace right now, and I would like to encourage the young people to make full use of the job opportunities that are offered

“I want my fellow males to know that there is an avenue for you to get employment, provide for your family , and also develop yourselves You can start off as a labourer at a construction site…...”

Currently , Johnson and Jacobs are working in conjunction with the Ministry of Housing to build young professional homes

Johnson expressed his gratitude to President, Irfaan Ali for all that he is doing for the people of Guyana

“The President is a great person , who is very down to earth and is very easy to speak with, and he obviously has a vision for Guyana and all Guyanese His leadership skills and abilities are second to none I know how important leadership is from my cricketing career and being the captain of the Guyana cricket team for nine years I know that the President wants to take us as a people and as a country to new heights by involving a lot of his own Guyanese people

“In order for us to get out of third-world status and be developed to first-world status, we have to have a leader who is inclusive of everyone, and that is what we have with President Ali We as people

Johnson added : “ I was never one who followed politics keenly because of cricket and having to travel most of the time, but I cannot think of any President who has been so hands-on and accessible to the people of a nation

“Every day, you can see the love that this President has for his people, and we can all spread that love with each other as well One of the things I heard President Ali say that will stay with me forever is ‘humility is the key to life’ and I will like to leave that with us all.”

Johnson said , however , that his cricketing days are not quite over, as he will be playing a very important role in the Guyana Amazon Warriors team for the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

He said that the details will be announced when the time is right, but like all Guyanese, he is optimistic that this will be the year for Guyana to hoist the cup!

Former Guyanese and West Indian captain Leon Johnson with his wife and kids

Teammates and business partners, Leon Johnson and Steven Jacobs

Home ownership on the horizon for over 1,600 Lindeners

- Jagdeo says lands to be allocated by 2025

DESPITE myriad “lies and misinformation” being peddled by the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R), the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, on Saturday, proceeded to set the record straight regarding development for Lindeners, especially in the area of housing.

The PNCR/R, “masquerading as the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition,” “utterly neglected” the Housing Ministry's potential and only allocated 7,000 house lots nationwide despite inheriting a thriving housing sector.

Jagdeo, during his address to a massive crowd in Linden, said: “Every time the PPP is in office, the country moves forward.”

The PPP/C’s General

Secretary further called out the opposition for failing the residents of Linden, pointing out that while 1,000 house lots could have been developed on 200 acres of land, the previous administration chose to give former senior Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) official, a whopping 216 acres of land rather than considering the needs of the town.

“They didn’t see it fit to give the land to ordi-

nary people,” he said, adding that when the PPP/C came into office, immediately they started expanding another 400 plots of land at Amelia’s Ward.

Jagdeo said that apart from the developmental works being done and by the end of five years, 1,600 persons from Linden will have a plot of land.

Just last month, the Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authori -

ty (CH&PA), Sherwyn Greaves, announced that the government had discovered a new location to accelerate the government’s 1,000 homes project in Linden.

The newly identified housing area is situated at Plantation York along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, Region 10.

Initially, the government had started developing an area at Millie’s Hideout to construct the houses as part of a commitment by President,

Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali to build 1,000 homes to meet the housing needs in the mining town.

Greaves explained that the project was halted after it was discovered that a significant bauxite reserve was present in the area.

As a result, Greaves said that the government was able to identify a new location for the project, spanning over 500 acres of land, thanks to the efforts of President Ali.

The CEO expressed his confidence that the new location will prove suitable for the 1,000 homes project, and work will commence shortly.

The development will include a residential area as well as commercial and industrial zones. All necessary amenities including roads, bridges, drainage, culverts, electricity, and water will be included.

“This is a larger lo-

cation…the other things that come with it are creeks running through it. And so, we thought it best that we will put some commercial activity…if persons see the area, I am sure they will want to build hotels and resorts there,” he said.

Currently, 20 of the 40 elevated and flat units in Amelia’s Ward have been completed as part of the first phase of the project.

According to Greaves, these houses will be delivered to the respective allottees within a month.

The initiative is a key component of the government’s affordable housing programme, aimed at providing opportunities for Guyanese citizens to become homeowners.

It is also aligned with the government’s manifesto commitment to allocate 50,000 house lots by the year 2025.

‘doing absolutely everything’ to make travel to EU nations easier

EU Ambassador affirms

THE European Union (EU) Ambassador to Guyana, Rene van Nes, has said that Member States of the European Union (EU) are still exploring the possibilities to make it easy for Guyanese to obtain their Schengen visa, and there is optimism that the issue could be resolved within a year’s time.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, van Nes said that President, Dr. Irfaan Ali continues to be on the forefront of lobbying the EU countries on this issue, so such negotiations will continue to a resolution

“You can be sure that your government is doing absolute everything, they are very adamant, they are very much pushing this agenda,

and you know your President, he is a man that is very clear in what he wants. So, there is no doubt that is indeed what he wants to have,” van Nes remarked.

He reminded that decisions on the issuing of the Schengen visa is not within the authority of the EU, but remains the approval of the individual EU countries, nonetheless he sees a conclusion in sight.

“I wish that I could give that [Schengen Visa] to Guyana today and then I would. But this is something that only Member States can do, so this is in the hands of the individual European Member States.

“I know that a few Member States are looking into this. It will be solved, but it

goes of course slower than we would have hoped for. I would hope that we would have solved it this year. I'm still hopeful, but it might be that it is sort of early 2024 but it is not my decision. This is the Member States that have that mandate to take that decision,” van Nes related.

A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that allows a person to travel to any mem-

ber of the Schengen Area, per stay up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes. The Schengen area encompasses 27 European countries.

Currently, there is no processing facility in Guyana for this visa. Guyanese looking to obtain the credentials are processed at the Netherlands embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname, or Trinidad.

Last year at the launch of the EU-Guyana Business

Chamber, members of the private sector, and President Ali used the platform to highlight the inconvenience that Guyanese are faced with in obtaining the travel document and advocated for the establishment of a processing facility in Guyana.

Van Nes said that he understood the difficulties facing the Guyanese, particularly the business community.

“Honestly my job would be so much easier if I could give Guyana their Schengen visa right here because I totally understand how frustrating it is for all of you to have to travel to Parimaribo or Trinidad to apply for a visa, and it is not useful for promoting EU Business. I really wish I could tell you now this evening that I have a solution but I would be lying. I can't give that to you at

this moment,” he said.

Questioned if the planned opening of a French Embassy in Guyana could help the process along, van Nes said that this remains to be seen. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the French Government plans to enhance its diplomatic presence in Guyana through the establishment of a French Office in Georgetown by September 2023.

“The French are upgrading their presence and that gives a good chance for them to consider this. But I can’t speak on behalf of the French government. You will have to ask the French what is their intention. I hope they will indeed do this but that is entirely in the hands of the French government That is not my decision,” van Nes said.

Gov’t

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Cyclone Mocha: Deadly storm hits Bangladesh and Myanmar coast

A powerful cyclone has hit the coastlines of Bangladesh and Myanmar after intensifying into the equivalent of a category-five storm.

Cyclone Mocha brought with it heavy rain and strong winds , leaving residents in low-lying coastal areas fearful they may lose their homes.

More than 1,300 bamboo shelters in Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest refugee camp, have been destroyed.

At least five people have been reported dead in Myanmar.

Landslides and floods are also hitting the area.

As the storm approached, police patrolled the coastline in the town of Cox’s Bazar carrying loudspeakers, urging people to stay indoors.

The streets emptied as the cyclone intensified - the skies darkened, the winds picked up pace and the rains pounded down.

Hundreds of people crammed into a school in the city which had been turned into a temporary cyclone shelter

Mothers with babies, young children, the elderly and the frail packed into any available space in the classrooms, sleeping on desks and sitting under them.

Authorities here say more than 500,000 people were evacuated from their homes in this south-eastern stretch of Bangladesh.

As many arrived at the shelter in rickshaws and on foot, they brought their livestock - cattle, chickens, goats - as well as mats to sleep on.

They had come from fishing and coastal villages, as many as two hours away, making a difficult choice.

“I didn’t want to leave my house,” said Sumi Akter, who lives on a riverbank.

Sumi and others we met here say they have lived through other cyclones in recent years and are resigned to the regular pattern of leaving their homes to the mercy of nature.

Storm surges of up to four metres could swamp villages in low-lying areas, Sumi and others here are fearful their homes may be submerged

“I wish the homes we lived in were built more

strongly,” she said.

Jannat, aged 17, who we had met the day before in the same shelter, said she too was terrified of what state her home, on the riverbank, would be in once she went back.

Last year, another cyclone, Sitrang, destroyed her house, forcing her to spend what little money she had on repairing it.

“How can I live if this keeps happening? I can’t afford to rebuild it - we are very poor,” she said.

Nature was also punishing the poor in the world’s largest refugee camp nearby.

Bangladesh’s government does not allow Rohingya refugees to leave the camps, nor to build permanent structures.

As the cyclone hit, they hunkered down in flimsy bamboo shelters with tarpaulin roofs. Some were moved to community shelters within the camps, which offered little more protection.

Authorities told the BBC that more than 1,300 shelters were damaged by the wind, as were 16 mosques and learning centres. Trees had fallen in the camps, while two landslides also caused some damage.

The tarpaulin that covered Mohammed Ayub’s shelter was torn off by the winds. Now he and his family of eight are living in the open, in wet and miserable weather.

Having spent the days before terrified of what Cyclone Mocha could bring, Mohammed was relieved the camps didn’t take a direct hit from the storm.

Mizanur Rahman , from the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner said that as far as he was aware, there were no casualties in the camps as a result of the cyclone.

Forecasters warned Cyclone Mocha could be the most powerful storm seen in Bangladesh in nearly two decades. It also hit neighbouring Myanmar with great force.

Heavy rain and driving

winds battered the region as the storm system moved to the coast, with reports of increasing disruption near the city of Sittwe, in Myanmar, from about 13:00 (07:00 GMT).

Electricity and wi-fi connections were disrupted across much of the Sittwe area, where videos showed the tide rising dramatically and carrying debris down flooded streets.

A telecom tower was brought down by the high winds as the cyclone approached. Videos shared on social media also showed roofs being blown off houses and billboards flying off buildings in Yangon amid teeming rain.

Images from the city of Mrauk U showed palm trees bending in the wind, metal roofing sheets being swept into the street and a few people still hurrying to take cover in storm shelters.

Local media reported that a 14-year-old boy was killed by a falling tree in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, while there were reports of damaged and collapsed buildings in various parts of Myanmar.

The Bangladeshi meteorological department office said the maximum sustained wind speed within 75km (45 miles) of the centre of the cyclone was about 195km/h (120mph), with gusts and squalls of 215km/h.

In preparation for the storm’s arrival, nearby airports had been shut, fishermen were ordered to suspend their work and 1,500 shelters were set up as people from vulnerable areas were moved to safer spots.

Authorities in Cox’s Bazar said no lives were lost as a result of the Cyclone , despite the ferocity of the storm.

As families began to leave their shelters once the storm had passed, there was relief.

Evacuations in this area have been credited for saving lives, as the extreme weather continues to disrupt them. (BBC)

G7 plans new vaccine effort for developing nations ––Yomiuri reports

(Reuters) - The Group of Seven (G7) rich nations are set to agree on establishing a new programme to distribute vaccines to developing countries at next week ’ s summit of leaders , Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper said on Saturday

In addition to the G7, G20 nations such as India and international groups such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank will participate, it added, citing Japanese government sources

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVAX facility, backed by WHO and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and

Immunisation (GAVI), delivered nearly 2 billion doses of coronavirus vaccine to 146 countries

However, COVAX faced setbacks in ensuring equitable access, as wealthy nations prioritised shots for their citizens while insufficient storage facilities in poorer nations caused supply delays and disposal of millions of close-to-expiry doses

The new program aims to pool rainy-day funds for vaccine production and purchases, as well as investment in low-temperature storages and training of health workers to prepare for the next global pandemic, the Yomiuri said

Japan, this year’s chair of the G7 meetings, looks to build support from emerging nations on wide-ranging issues such as supply chains, food security and climate change to counter the growing influence of China and Russia.

Saturday’s meeting of G7 finance ministers agreed to offer aid to lowand middle-income countries to help increase their role in supply chains for energy-related products

At a meeting on Saturday G7 finance and health ministers called for a new global financing framework to “deploy necessary funds quickly and efficiently in response to outbreaks without ac-

cumulating idle cash”, they said in a statement

The G7 will collaborate with the WHO and the World Bank, which manages an international pandemic fund, to explore the new funding scheme ahead of an August meeting of G20 finance and health ministers in India, they said

The G7 grouping of Britain, Canada , the European Union , France , Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, is considering whether to issue a statement on global pandemic response at the May 19-21 summit in Japan’s city of Hiroshima, the Yomiuri said. (Reuters)

Mabaruma women’s group promoting locally made chocolate

–– 180 bars already produced; packaging underway as they explore market opportunities in Georgetown

By Naomi Parris

A women’s group in Mabaruma, Region One, is supplementing their income by producing locally made chocolate bars.

The group is also targeting the regional market for the export of their products , Chairperson of the Blue Flame Women ’ s Group, Christina James, said in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle

They recently expanded their product line following a training programme facilitated by the Ministry of Agriculture Twelve women participated in the programme and were able to produce 180 bars of chocolate with varying recipes , including dark, milk, and fruit-mixed chocolate bars

James stated, “We have been making cocoa sticks for a number of years and we have also been producing other products such as cassava bread, virgin coconut oil, mixed fruits, ground coffee, and so on But we wanted to make sweet chocolate.”

The women are currently exploring the use of nuts in their recipes and working with the Guyana Marketing Corporation ( GMC ) to upgrade their packaging for further exportation

James mentioned, “Cur-

rently, we are only selling it in Mabaruma We have not brought it out to Georgetown because we are working on the packaging We are receiving assistance from the GMC, and we will be receiving training on packaging.”

The group was formed in 2005 by 15 wives of cocoa farmers who worked with the Mabaruma Hosororo Organic Cocoa Growers Association

The purpose was to utilise the cocoa beans produced by their husbands

The recent training program , spearheaded by the Ministry of Agriculture ’ s Hinterland Environmental Sustainable Agriculture Development Project (HESAD), has generated renewed interest in the industry Raymond Latchman, the project coordinator, mentioned that the project is funded by the government of Guyana and the International Fund for Agriculture of the United Nations

He explained, “The HESAD project was signed in 2017, and we are in the process of implementing it on the ground The project supports communities in regions one and nine for their development in the public space.”

The project targets various community groups and cooperatives in regions one and nine that may re -

quire funding for community-based development projects

Latchman added , “ The women ’ s group has been in existence for quite some time , and they have been producing cassava bread and cocoa sticks They have been in the market for some time, so they were looking to diversify their product line We provided funding for them to improve their operations, and we also funded the training for them to be able to make chocolates.”

Nigel Fisher, Chairman of the Mabaruma Premier Cocoa Growers , expressed his belief that with the renewed interest being shown, cocoa production can be further expanded within the region

He stated, “I expect cocoa to expand because it is the main crop in the Maba-

ruma sub - region We have good varieties and planting material here, and we have an excellent climate for cocoa cultivation.”

However, the challenge is that most cocoa farmers work only on a part-time basis.

Fisher mentioned , “ Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture, through the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), confirmed that there is no cadmium in the soil So, we have everything going for us here There is an unlimited market for cocoa beans both locally and internationally, and what we have here is considered fine flavor Farmers here need incentives because most members in our group are not full-time farmers.”

Fisher believes that with the development of a strategic plan, cocoa production

in the region can increase significantly

The Mabaruma Premier Cocoa Growers was

first established in the 1950s and had previously exported products to the United Kingdom (UK).

Investments With Purpose

GUYANA, a country with immense untapped potential, has embarked on a transformative journey towards enhancing its infrastructure. Recent developments, such as the signing of an agreement between Guyana and the Islamic Development Bank to reconstruct the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, demonstrate the nation's commitment to bolster its transportation networks and open doors to further economic growth.

The enhancement of Guyana's infrastructure is a crucial catalyst for unlocking economic opportunities. By reconstructing the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, Guyana is revitalising a vital transport corridor that connects re-

mote communities, facilitates trade, and unlocks the vast potential of the interior regions.

Improved transportation infrastructure will encourage investments in sectors such as agriculture, mining, and tourism, fostering job creation, enhancing productivity, and driving economic growth.

One of the notable benefits of infrastructural development is the potential to bridge the urban-rural divide.

By investing in road networks, bridges, and transportation facilities, Guyana can ensure better connectivity between rural and urban areas, reducing isolation and promoting inclusive growth.

Improved accessibility will enable farmers to efficiently transport their

produce to markets, enable healthcare providers to reach remote communities, and help students to access quality education, ultimately reducing inequality and improving the overall quality of life for all Guyanese citizens.

Enhanced infrastructure not only benefits Guyana internally, but also plays a crucial role in strengthening regional integration. Reconstruction of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway will bolster connectivity between Guyana and neighbouring countries such as Brazil.

This development aligns with Guyana's aspirations to become a regional economic hub, attracting foreign investments and fostering closer ties with neighbouring nations, thus unlocking new

avenues for economic collaboration and integration.

In the pursuit of infrastructural development, it is imperative to balance progress with environmental sustainability. Guyana, known for its vast rainforests and rich biodiversity, must prioritise sustainable practices in infrastructural projects.

By implementing measures such as eco-friendly construction techniques, proper waste management, and reforestation initiatives, the country can ensure that development does not come at the cost of its natural heritage. Embracing sustainable infrastructural practices will not only preserve Guyana's unique ecosystems, but also attract environmentally conscious investors and tourists.

Enhancing infrastructure also presents an opportunity for Guyana to bolster its resilience and preparedness for natural disasters.

The nation is vulnerable to floods and other climate-related challenges. Therefore, incorporating resilient design principles into infrastructural projects, such as building robust drainage systems, reinforcing critical infrastructure against extreme weather events, and incorporating climate- adaptation measures, are crucial. By doing so, Guyana can mitigate risks, protect livelihoods, and safeguard infrastructural investments in the face of a changing climate.

Guyana's plans to enhance its infrastructure,

exemplified by the recent agreement with the Islamic Development Bank to reconstruct the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, mark a significant turning point for the nation's development trajectory. These endeavours hold immense potential to unleash economic opportunities, bridge the urban-rural divide, strengthen regional integration, prioritise environmental sustainability, and foster resilience.

By embracing sustainable infrastructural practices and ensuring inclusive development, Guyana can pave the way for a prosperous and resilient future, positioning itself as a shining example of sustainable development in the Region.

Massive infrastructural projects ongoing across Georgetown

SEVERAL transformational infrastructural projects are ongoing across Georgetown , according to the Ministry of Public Works

A number of those projects are currently being undertaken under various categories such as road enhancements, miscellaneous roads and urban renewal projects.

According to information provided by the Ministry of Public Works, some of those ongoing projects include, the rehabilitation and upgrading of Lamaha Street at different sections and the upgrading of sections of Aubrey Barker Road among others.

Other ongoing works include the upgrading of Sheriff Street to Middleton Street and Middleton

Street to Station Street , the upgrading of Seawall Road from Pegasus to High Street and even the construction of a parking area along seawall road

Meanwhile , several projects were listed as completed from the year 2022, which included the enhancement of avenues along Waterloo Street and even Carmichael Street along with the rehabilitation of roads in several areas

The Government of Guyana has been on an aggressive campaign to improve the region’s infrastructure since 2020

Just last week , President, Dr Irfaan Ali while inspecting ongoing projects, said that the magnitude of the ongoing transformational works is expected to transform Guyana’s urban centres and improve traffic

flow in various areas

The Head of State was

at the time inspecting the ongoing project to widen

corridors from Conversation Tree to Dennis Street

These enhancement works , he said , will also add value to the areas and have a significant social and economic impact on the communities

Added to this, in previous reports, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill had said that the Ministry is working to ensure that these rollover projects across the region are implemented at an accelerated pace to benefit the citizens

As such, the ministry is expected to continue developing and enhancing its road projects nationwide this year. Over $136 billion was set aside in this year ’ s budget to advance infrastructural projects across the country

The ongoing road-widening project from Conversation Tree Road to Dennis Street (Office of the President photo)

‘My military foundation led to my success as a judicial officer’

outgoing Chief Magistrate, Guyana Defence Force Colonel Ann Mc Lennan says

CHIEF Magistrate and Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Colonel, Ann Mc Lennan officially retires today, after a combined 37 years and nine months of service.

She is a graduate of the Standard Officers’ Course 17 Colonel McLennan was fortunate to have been afforded the privilege at a time when few officers were pursuing academics, to read for a law degree, both at the level of the University of Guyana and further afield

She was admitted to the Bar in Guyana in 1996 after gaining her Bachelor of Laws Degree (Hons) from the UWI (Cave Hill Campus, 1994), a Legal Education Certificate from the Sir Hugh Wooding Law School, Trinidad (1996), and a Post Graduate Certificate in Diplomacy from the University of Guyana

She then returned to the Force and went on to hold several appointments including Trainee Welfare Officer, Admin

Officer Ground Forces Group, Personal Assistant to the Force Commander, Commanding Officer of Medical Corps and Legal Services Department, Staff Officer

Two within the G1 Branch and Staff Officer to the Chief-of-Staff

In 2007, enthusiastic to expand her legal career and to give further service to country, permission was granted for her to be seconded to the Judiciary to sit as a Magistrate in the Georgetown Magisterial District She was later appointed Chief Magistrate in 2015

At a recent cocktail reception held in her honour , Chief - of - Staff , Brigadier Omar Khan congratulated Colonel McLennan for her strong and dedicated service to country

Colonel Mc Lennan recollected her years as an officer, still delighted by her decision to enlist

“I thank God for bringing me through the rigours of the Standard Officer Course

17 and further, for allowing me to stand here today 37 years and nine months later a satisfied officer, fulfilled and happy that the military career choice that I made back then in 1985, as a teenager was an excellent choice, and if I had to do it all again, I cannot think of anything that I will change to trade for it,” she said as she addressed officers, soldiers, relatives and friends who attended the event

Regarding her military career , she said: “This profession is both noble and unique, as it stands alongside the legal profession as being noble but, the uniqueness is beyond any other and this is because the military profession is one upon which any other profession can be built

“I, on the other hand, am privileged to belong to two noble professions, each of which was demanding as the other My success as a judicial officer, if I may say so, was only because I had this military foundation,” she said

Colonel Mc Lennan has served under 10 of the 12 Chiefs-of- Staff since the establishment of the GDF.

She has lauded the progress of women within the Force and made reference to the female paratroopers and women now serving on border locations, as women continue to work along with their menfolk

“Women have qualified themselves in almost every academic discipline alongside their men folk in the Force; lawyers, doctors, educators, chefs, football referees internationally at FIFA just to name a few,” she said

In this regard , she encouraged the members of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) to continue to break glass ceilings

She alluded to the fact that never were there two female full Colonels among the membership of the Corps; referring to herself and Colonel Lorraine Foster who currently commands the Training Corps.

“To the male Officers and other ranks,

keep a watchful eye for the members of the WAC for there is so much more to come,” she said

After 37 years, Colonel Ann McLennan said she has enjoyed every moment of her career journey where endurance, patience and support from her mother and other family members were key factors

“ I am grateful to the GDF and by extension each Chief of Staff under whom I served for believing in me and for their guidance and support every step of the way, firstly to my course Officer Maj Pickering and the course Principal Instructors , one of whom is now the Honourable Prime Minister Mark Phillips, who was also a Chief of Staff, for believing that I was officer quality and seeing my potential,” she said

Colonel McLennan proceeded on pre-retirement leave early last month. (GDF)

Chief Magistrate and Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Colonel, Ann Mc Lennan

Raghubir returns as GPA president amidst elections controversy

AMIDST heated discussions on how concerns were handled, and questions of the eligibility of several members of the electorate, LOOP Caribbean News journalist and local freelancer, Nazima Raghubir was re - elected President of the Guyana Press Association (GPA), when the body held its Annual General Meeting ( AGM ) and elections at Theatre Guild, on Sunday.

Raghubir won 70 votes to prevail over Newsroom’s Editor, Neil Marks, who got 25 votes The two were the only nominations for the presidency A total of 110 persons were on the voters list

“ My role as president is to guide you Not to rule or not even to control It is merely to guide I am only as good as you And I will guide all of you or each of you that I can assist That is my commitment as president,” Raghubir remarked on her re-election

She added: “The GPA is not Nazima We have elected a competent group of our colleagues and I am convinced we will work in the interest of our colleagues and continued advocacy for

press freedom issues My one hope for the Guyana Press Association moving forward is that the enthusiasm when elections are near is sustained through the time of drudgery and work.”

Former executive member, Rawle Toney, a sports journalist at the Kaietuer News, was elected unchallenged as Vice President ,

while former secretary , Svetlana Abrams of News Source was also unchallenged in the post for Treasurer

Former executive member , Ariana Gordon , who had resigned during the time of the previous executive, was unopposed for the position of Secretary

For the position of the

four floor members, Demerara Waves’ Denis Chabrol; Capitol News’ Iva Wharton; freelancer, Alva Solomon; Stabroek News ’ Marcelle Thomas, and HGPTV News

Nyjel Fraser were nominated and elected Chabrol was the most popular among the set with 62 votes, Wharton followed with 55 votes , Solomon

received 48 votes, and Fraser receive 42 votes, barely coming in ahead of Thomas who had 41 votes However, following the conclusion of the elections, Thomas was also co-oped as a member of the executive

The declarations culminated after weeks of controversy and accusations of electoral irregularities

There were particular questions surrounding the voters list , which was only announced moments before the elections Attorney-at-law, Ronald BurchSmith presided as the Returning Officer

On the announcement of the list, Marks Immediately raised a point of order He identified at least three individuals included in the electorate whose eligibility were questionable Following the conclusion, Marks issued a statement noting his disappointment with the process “ My fears that the list was heavily padded came through and was very evident The list was only read out before nominations were taken and gave no chance for even a simple check to verify that those who were on the list actually qualified,” Marks said

He added : “ Immediately , I was able to note that there was a Bollywood show producer and a control operator who voted at the elections Neither of them qualified for membership There were several new persons who do not reach the three-year requirement to vote but were added, with their membership backdated As I said before, some who actually qualified were denied membership by reason of the direct plan to rig the elections.”

The GPA’s constitution requires that an individual be a practicing member of the media for at least three consecutive years before they can be granted full membership

However, other technicalities surrounding a deadline for the payment of dues also barred a number of longstanding members of the local press from being able to participate in the elections

Following the elections, the new GPA executive began discussions on proposals for amendments to the body’s Constitution. It was decided that these would be ventilated and decided on at a future meeting

PAHO-CARPHA to sign pact in support of routine vaccinations for Caribbean countries

DIRECTOR of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, revealed recently that an agreement between the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and PAHO on supporting routine vaccinations for Caribbean countries, as imminent

“ This is an important agreement given that we are at great risk of the re-emergence of diseases which had already been eliminated from our Region , such as polio,” PAHO Director said during his address at the Twenty - Ninth Special Meeting of the Council for Human and Social

Development (COHSOD)

– Health, 26 April, in Nassau, The Bahamas

He said that PAHO has collaborated with Caribbean countries over the years to eradicate smallpox and polio and end endemic transmission of measles, rubella and congenital rubella syndrome , and other vaccine-preventable diseases

He made specific reference to PAHO’s close collaboration with CARPHA

“ Through this new agreement , the refunds from COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) will be used by PAHO to support routine vaccinations for our Member States in the Caribbean,”

stated Dr Barbosa

He added : “ We look forward to continuing successful implementation of this important initiative with CARPHA,” he added

According to PAHO , “ Almost one in 10 children under one year (more than 11,000) in the Caribbean do not receive all of their routine vaccination doses, leaving them susceptible to diseases such as polio, tetanus, measles and diphtheria.”

In response, Caribbean Ministers of Health have agreed on the Declaration of Nassau: Reinvigorating the National Immunisation Programs of the Caribbean The

Declaration proposes to strengthen national immunisation programmes using evidence- informed interventions , including prioritising immunity gaps

among children, older persons , pregnant women , persons with pre-existing conditions, health workers and those living in situations of vulnerability

The PAHO-CARPHA agreement will provide critical support for implementing initiatives outlined in the Declaration ( CARICOM TODAY )

Ground-breaking data platform plays key role in tackling acute food insecurity

DETAILED, comprehensive and timely data is essential to address the impact of shocks such as droughts, earthquakes or conflict on agricultural production and livelihoods in parts of the world affected by food crises.

Since its launch during the first wave of the COVID-19 global pandemic three years ago, the Data in Emergencies (DIEM) Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has made it easier for decision-makers to assess the acute food insecurity of agricultural households and analyse its drivers when such shocks occur.

Driven by regularly collected primary data, combined with geospatial data, DIEM is a ground-breaking tool in terms of its size, sophistication, quality and speed. This is the first time that data focusing on agricultural livelihoods in food crisis contexts is being collected on this scale and frequency.

DIEM is currently active in more than 25

- FAO’s Data in Emergencies (DIEM) Information System monitors impact of shocks on agricultural livelihoods

food-crisis countries and the DIEM-Monitoring system surveys approximately 150,000 households per year, representing more than 650 million people.

“The DIEM system fills an important gap in our understanding of the impact of shocks on agricultural livelihoods,” said Rein Paulson, Director of

In addition, countries such as Bangladesh, Mali, Mozambique and Sierra Leone now cite DIEM data in their project proposals, thus helping them secure funds for projects on the ground.

Another recent example of its use for FAO partners was in relation to the February earthquake

itarian Assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with contributions from the European Union and FAO’s Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities (SFERA).

The platform aims to support FAO members, United Nations’ agencies,

in just three days, while the entire lifecycle – from data collection to validation and publication -takes just 30 days.

Transparency and open data are key aspects of the project. Anyone can create a DIEM account to explore surveys, navigate dashboards, export maps and download data. This ensures that DIEM activities serve as public goods and that the humanitarian community, academics, media and all stakeholders can benefit from the large amount of data that is available to everyone.

combining remote sensing, secondary data review, household surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and crowd-sourcing surveys.

the FAO Office of Emergencies and Resilience.

“This has great value not only for FAO but for all our partners, allowing us to collectively make improved decisions, including enabling meaningful anticipatory actions as well as response actions.”

In Afghanistan, for instance, more than 20 project proposals were drafted using DIEM data, raising more than $400 million in 2022 alone, and the FAO no longer drafts any proposal for Afghanistan without citing DIEM data.

that devastated large areas of Türkiye and Syria. Within days of the event, the DIEM team produced a preliminary analysis of cropland exposed to differing levels of earthquake intensity and displayed this as an interactive map with details at both district and sub-district level. This kind of product is fundamental for the targeting of on-the-ground assessments and emergency assistance.

CARPE DIEM

DIEM was developed by the FAO and is funded by the Bureau of Human-

the donor community and other stakeholders in informing decisions designed to trigger the appropriate anticipatory and response actions in support of agricultural livelihoods.

Data is collected multiple times per year in the world’s most food-insecure countries -- at household level through computer-assisted telephone interviews and face-toface surveys -- and is published on the hub rapidly thereafter. Data processing and analysis is completed

The shocks analysed by DIEM comprise both natural and human-induced hazards. They include climate-related hazards, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, invasive pests, conflict and violence, as well as economic shocks.

In addition to regular food-crisis monitoring, the DIEM platform also provides an integrated picture of the impact of large-scale hazards (severe shocks) on livelihoods and an estimate of the dollar value of damage and losses to the agricultural sector. This is achieved by

One interesting example is Pakistan, where DIEM expertise facilitated a Post Disaster Damage and Loss exercise for the whole agricultural sector following the devastating floods in June – September 2022. The results were then displayed on an interactive map on the DIEM hub, which breaks down overall damage and loss into subsectors (crops, livestock, fisheries) per province affected.

DIEM data is also designed to feed into the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) process and other humanitarian response programming efforts, for example, as a source of Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)-based measures of recent food insecurity. Over time, this will prove key to improve the coverage and reliability of IPC acute food insecurity assessments in DIEM countries. (FAO)

Education Ministry opens bids for the construction of five new schools nationwide

IN keeping with its commitment to improve and enhance education delivery across the nation, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has officially opened bids for contractors to construct five schools in various regions.

According to an invitation to bids (IFB) issued by the MoE and published by several print and online media platforms, reputable contractors are being sought for various works.

Bids for these projects are to be submitted by May 17, 2023 at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office.

It was stated in the IFB that bidding will be conducted through the National Committee Bidding (NCB) procedures, as specified in the Procurement act 2003 and Regulations 2004.

At a number of lots, works such as: Plumbing, sanitation, electrical, furnishing among others were listed

to be done at the Kwebana and Hosororo Secondary in Region One; Jawalla Secondary in Region Seven; Kopinang Secondary in Region Eight and a modern building/ complex which can house 800 hundred students in Tuschen, Region Three.

In November 2022, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, announced that newly established secondary schools will be constructed in Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara, Georgetown; Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, and Orealla in

East Berbice-Corentyne.

Those will be among several secondary schools set to be constructed across the country over the next few years, as part of the MoE’s plan to achieve universal sec-

ondary education in Guyana.

Other areas that were earmarked for newly established secondary schools include Hosororo in Region One; Vreed-en-Hoop, Region Three, and Karasabai in Region Nine.

The school at Hosororo will complement the North West Secondary in Mabaruma, which is scheduled to be rebuilt after it was destroyed by fire in September 2021.

In addition to the increased capacity at schools, increased dormitory spaces will be created at the Abram Zuil Secondary School in Region two, at schools in Region Five, and the Paramakatoi and Kato Secondary Schools in Region Eight, while the secondary schools in Region Ten are also scheduled to be rehabilitated.

The expansions and construction are part of the MoE’s plan to widen intake

capacity at secondary schools all across the country, given the massive increase in retention of secondary school students currently being experienced.

As a result of effective policies being implemented by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, more primary school pupils are being retained by the secondary education system. However, this is resulting in overcrowding at several secondary schools; as such, the Ministry has seen the need for a massive rollout to increase capacity.

“Universal secondary education means all over the country children can access a secondary education; that’s not cheap and that’s not easy. [This is] very strategic, well thought out, this is not ‘harem scarem’,” Minister Manickchand commented.

RESIDENTS of St. Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri Village, Region Four could expect the commencement of infrastructural works in the community, as 18 community participation contracts were awarded on Friday.

The contracts, totalling nearly $90 million were signed between the residents of St. Cuthbert’s Mission and the Ministry of Public Works.

The works involve the construction of approximately 900 metres of reinforced concrete internal community

roads.

This is a follow-up to a commitment made by President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali during a visit to the community in March.

During his visit, the Head of State said government will partner with the community and its residents to train them

President Ali had said: “Whether you’re on the highway, whether you’re in the hinterland, the riverine community, you’re in an urban centre, we are going to go there, we are going to meet you. Every single community we are trying to visit, every single commu-

and utilise their skills and labour to construct concrete roads in the community.

Consistent with the twomonth deadline attached to this commitment, residents will soon benefit from enhancement works on a number of the roads.

nity we’re trying to get into, because we want to hear from the people themselves.”

This also forms part of the government’s drive to involve communities in the larger development agenda, while supporting local economies.

Almost $90M in contracts signed for infrastructural works in St. Cuthbert’s Mission

‘Learning Lab’ to open on May 22 for persons living with disabilities

PERSONS living with disabilities will soon benefit from a new training and empowerment centre dubbed the “Learning Lab,” which is slated to open on May 22.

The announcement was made by Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud on the sidelines of the CopSquad2000 graduation ceremony hosted at the National Cultural Centre on Friday.

“We are opening what we call the “Learning Lab” a centre for training and empowerment for persons living with disabilities on the

22nd of this month. His Excellency will be there to open that institution and there we are expecting members of the various communities of persons living with disabilities to utilise this,” Minister Persaud said.

Minister Persaud and Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, along with members of the Blind and Deaf Association, and Council for Disabilities examined the building in April.

The goal was to identify the specific needs and requirements of each type of disability so that the modifications made to the facility would address

those needs and make the space more accessible and accommodating for everyone.

The centre is currently 95 per cent completed and will consist of a recreational space, kitchen, dining area, and training space, where persons can develop and learn life skills.

The learning centre is the first of its kind and will also allow persons to benefit from a number of training programmes to be gainfully employed.

“We would’ve trained a significant number of persons and we are aiming to complete training at least

600 persons before the end of this month, especially in skills train-

ing and vocational type training.

“We are offering

abuse and violence training because persons

TURN TO PAGE 15

The ‘Learning Lab’ is nearing completion

Guyanese teachers complete CARICOM skilled workers programme

Ministry of Education and CARICOM for the opportunity to enhance their skill set.

Reflecting on her experience, Richmond stated the students were interactive during teaching sessions and were eager to learn.

Similarly, Bissessar noted that the students were

engaged in a hands-on approach to learning.

Both teachers said the exchange programme provided them with valuable insight into the best teaching practices used in Belize. This, they said, will help them in the delivery of lessons to their students at Queen’s College and

Zeeburg Secondary School. The programme which was launched in March 2023, is supported by the European Union and aims to provide opportunities for the learning of best practices in the administration of the regimes of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.

TWO Guyanese secondary school teachers recently completed the CARICOM Skilled Workers Programme in Belize.

Queen’s College Business Education Head of Department, Calisiah Richmond, and Zeeburg

Secondary School’s acting Head of Department for Business, Anella Bissessar, were selected to participate in the programme.

According to a press release from the Education Ministry, the two Guyanese teachers were placed at the Edward P. York High

School and the Belmopan Comprehensive High School in Belize, from March 6 to March 17, 2023.

In addition to observing the teaching practices, they also engaged the students and delivered lessons.

Richmond and Bissesar expressed gratitude to the

‘Learning Lab’ to open...

FROM PAGE 14

who are in the grouping of living with a disability are at a higher risk for those. So, those are some of the additional areas they will be

trained in,” the minister added.

Further, the commitment by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali to provide retrofitted buses for persons living with

disabilities has been fulfilled, as two buses were handed over to the ministry to transport persons attending the learning institution. (DPI)

Zeeburg Secondary School’s acting Head of Department for Business, Anella Bissessar with the students at the Belmopan Comprehensive High School

Queen’s College Business Education Head of Department, Calisiah Richmond, engages students at the Edward P. York High School

Opinion poll projects landslide victory for PPP/C at upcoming LGEs

THE preliminary findings of an ongoing opinion survey being conducted by pollster and political analyst, Dr. Vishnu Bisram, for the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA), have shown that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is on course to a landslide victory at the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGEs).

As earlier NACTA polls have found, there was a lack of enthusiasm for the opposition, People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) which has had miniscule overall support in the local government bodies.

In several NDCs and in many seats, the PNC showed no meaningful (or no) presence; there has been hardly any sign of an election contest from the main opposition party.

A NACTA poll conducted last January and February found zero presence of PNC activists in hundreds of constituencies, suggesting that the party had thrown in the politi-

cal towel and was not likely to contest in those seats, especially in PPP/C rural strongholds.

In contrast, the PPP/C that has been governing the country since August 2020, has a strong or dominant campaign presence of activists everywhere, suggesting it was likely to contest in all seats, inclusive of traditional opposition strongholds where it had zero chance of victory in previous elections.

As revealed by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in early May, many local government seats (and a few NDCs) are not being contested by more than one

candidate, landing wins to the PPP nominees as the NACTA polls had projected.

The PNC seems hamstrung with funding challenges and leadership issues. There is a paucity or scarcity of the party's campaign paraphernalia in the public domain. And many donors who supported the party's campaign in the 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020, elections have said they will not fund the party under the current political dispensation.

“In addition, a large majority of traditional supporters express a lack of confidence in the leader and are not enthused about voting. Also, unlike in earlier elections, volunteers appear very scarce to canvass and motivate voter turnout. Political and voter morale in strongholds is very low,” Bisram said.

The opposition party has virtually no campaign (staff and or paraphernalia) presence in several of the 70 NDCS and ten municipalities, including in areas it won in the 2018 and 2016 local elections. Voter turnout among PNC supporters

Region Eight to be transformed with modern infrastructure

is expected to hit an all-time low.

In the contested NDCs and municipalities, the trend as found in the NACTA poll, is an overall sweeping victory for the PPP/C. As earlier NACTA polls found and now confirmed by the latest poll, the PPP/C is attracting cross-over racial appeal. The PPP/C has been making inroads in every local authority area.

“The PPP/C has made gains everywhere in voter support. including in traditional PNC strongholds and will wrest seats from the opposition party although it is too early to say whether the PPP can dethrone the PNC in its hardcore base,” Bisram said.

Only in the traditional strongholds of Georgetown, Linden, and New Amsterdam and a few other areas, is the PNC putting up strong resistance to PPP/C’s political encroachment. However, the findings of the poll reveal that the PNC could lose several areas that it won in or has controlled since the 2016 and 2018 LGEs.

WITH Guyana experiencing an unprecedented wave of development, Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, has reassured residents of Mahdia that they too will experience the

Region Eight is receiving the same level of attention from the government that is offered on the coast.

“While infrastructure, roads and buildings are good evidence of development in a

massive transformation.

Since the government took office on August 2, 2020, Guyanese have seen tremendous development reaching all corners of the country.

A number of roads, bridges, hospitals, schools and hotels are among a plethora of projects being undertaken by the administration.

On Saturday, Minister Sukhai affirmed that the government intends to ensure all Guyanese benefit equally from the resources of the country.

“Whatever opportunities prevail and make themselves available to our government, we will ensure that the entire Region Eight benefits. And even though we may be building skills, building capacities and abilities to do little things that are of concern and challenges to our people, we will continue to ensure that we do not turn a blind eye to it,” she said.

Deputy Regional Executive Officer, Shawn Britton, has attested that

society, that is not just limited to that. This government is not just a government that talks about development, it is a government that brings development to the people. This is a government that sees development as something meaningful to each and every single Guyanese, regardless of where you’re from ─ coast to the hinterland,” Britton said.

To date, the region has benefitted from improved schools, the construction of a stateof-the-art hospital in Paramakatoi, roads and health centres along with health quarters in Karisparu.

On a wider scale, hinterland communities have benefitted from Amerindian land-titling, improved education and health services, the hinterland electrification programme, the Hinterland Scholarship Programme, agriculture development, and a better supply of potable water, among a myriad of other developmental initiatives.

- schools, hotels, hospitals, on the cards, Minister Sukhai says

Pollster and political analyst, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Guyana inks landmark agreement with IsDB to help ready it to meet its LCDS 2030 objectives

SENIOR Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance Dr. Ashni Singh on Friday signed a landmark agreement with President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser,

press release comprises of two pillars, the first of which comes under the scope of ‘green’, resilient and sustainable infrastructure, and primarily has to do with seeking to support the enhancement of base infrastructure across the

ana, “had underscored that in order to sustain strong non-oil growth into the medium and longer term, the government is putting in place the prerequisites for diversifying the productive sector, improving competitiveness and in -

essentially to help prepare Guyana to meet its objectives in accordance with its ambitious Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 trajectory.

The LCDS 2030 at reference sets out four inter-linked objectives for Guyana, the first three of which were the basic objectives of the initial LCDS since 2009. The fourth was added to reflect new local and global realities, namely:

• Valuing ecosystem services

• Investing in clean energy and stimulating low-carbon growth

• Protecting against climate change and biodiversity loss; and

• Aligning with global climate and biodiversity goals

According to the Ministry of Finance, the deal was reached in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Minister Singh currently is for the annual IsDB Group Meetings, being held this year under the theme: “Partnerships to fend off crises”. The arrangement, the ministry said Friday in a

energy, transport, water and sanitation sectors and affordable housing.

The second has more to do with supporting economic diversification and doing business, and addresses, inter alia, the integration of Information Communications Technology (ICT) in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and Digital Financial Inclusion, and the development of the agriculture and tourism industries, as well as supporting the mining sector.

The four-day meeting, which began on Wednesday and ended yesterday, saw in attendance delegations from the Group’s 57 member countries, in addition to observers from international and regional organisations who have gathered to discuss development issues and institutional matters.

Last June, while attending an IsDB meeting in Egypt, the ministry said in its release, Dr. Singh, besides positing that the institution will continue to be a highly valued development partner for Guy -

creasing resilience, as well as investing in adequate, reliable, affordable, and cleaner electricity, which is essential for a competitive manufacturing sector, expanding and upgrading transport infrastructure, improving internal access; ramping up food production by bringing more acreage under cultivation, and widening the range of crops grown, as well as animals reared.”

He is also quoted as saying at that same June 2022 forum, “On the climate front, despite being a new oil producer, Guyana places the highest level of importance on its climate credentials.

“Our Low-Carbon Development Strategy outlines a plan to ensure that the role of our standing forests in the global effort to fight climate change is recognised and remunerated in order to enable us to make the required investments to achieve accelerated economic growth along a lowcarbon, climate-friendly trajectory.”

Dr. Ashni Singh and IsDB President Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser shortly after signing the watershed MoU in Saudi Arabia on Friday (Ministry of Finance photo)

CWI announces men, women tours of Australia

(CWI) - The West Indies women and men teams will both tour Australia during the Australian summer, with dates and venues confirmed by Cricket Australia (CA) today. The West Indies Women will tour in October 2023 for three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is), while the West Indies Men will tour in January and February 2024 for two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.

The women’s ODIs form part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Women's Championship, while the Tests will be part of the 2023-2025 ICC Men’s World Test Championship.

The Women’s T20 Inter-

national series will bowl off at the North Sydney Oval with two matches scheduled for Sunday, October 1, and Monday, October 2, culminating with the third match at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Thursday, October 5.

Following the T20I series, the West Indies Women will gear up for the ODI series which commences on Sunday, October 8, at the Allan Border Field before heading to Melbourne for the final two matches at the Junction Oval on Thursday, October 12, and Monday, October 15.

Hayley Matthews, the captain of the West Indies women, expressed her excitement about the upcoming tour.

“We are looking forward

to this opportunity to play against Australia as part of the ICC Women's Championship cycle. We look forward to putting up a strong fight, as we’ve been working hard to refine our skills and strategies. I’m sure the fans are going to see some entertaining cricket,” she said.

The West Indies women will first be playing their next international fixtures against Ireland’s women in June and July before heading to Australia, with the schedule for the Ireland Tour of the West Indies to be announced shortly.

The West Indies men’s tour of Australia will start with the Test series, playing for the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy, named in honour of the former

West Indies captain and icon. The first Test will be played at Adelaide Oval on 17-21 January 2024. The second Test will be a day/night match using the pink ball at The Gabba in Brisbane from 25-29 January.

Following the Tests, the West Indies will play three day/night ODIs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (Friday, February 2), the Sydney Cricket Ground (Sunday, February 4) and the Manuka Oval, Canberra (Tuesday, February 6). The three T20Is will be at the Blundstone Arena in Hobart, Tasmania (Friday, February 9), the Adelaide Oval (Sunday, February 11) and the Perth Stadium (Tuesday, February 13).

Singh, Rana keep Kolkata Knight Riders alive

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Kolkata Knight Riders tripped Chennai Super Kings in their last home game of the league season, out-spinning them and out-batting them on a tricky Chepauk pitch to stay in contention for the playoffs. CSK would have become the first team to seal a playoffs spot if they had won; they're still in a good position to go through, but this defeat may have hurt their chances of a top-two finish.

KKR's mystery spinners played a massive role in restricting CSK to 144 for 6, with Varun Chakravarthy continuing his excellent season and Sunil Narine returning to wicket-taking ways after taking just one in his last eight games. KKR were always favourites from there, particularly with dew setting in, but they kept the contest interesting by losing three wickets within the powerplay before Rinku Singh and Nitish Rana put them back on top with a 99-run stand for the fourth wicket.

KKR eventually won with nine balls to spare. They may have hoped for a more comprehensive win, but Rinku and Rana had little choice but to put NRR considerations on the back burner after KKR lost three early wickets.

Varun, Narine dominate after Dhoni chooses to bat

Interviewed at the end of the game, MS Dhoni said CSK would have needed 180 to have any chance of defending a total once dew set in, but there was no way they could have scored 180 in the conditions that prevailed through the first innings.

It was, of course, Dhoni's decision to bat first. Their

Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh both hit fifties as they added 99 for the fourth wicket•May 14, 2023•Associated Press

innings began promisingly enough, with the first two wickets putting on 31 and 30 respectively. Varun ended both partnerships, with his carrom ball turning significantly both times to have

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ajinkya Rahane caught off miscues.

Rahane's wicket sparked a collapse, as CSK slumped from 61 for 1 to 72 for 5, with

Shardul Thakur dismissing a scratchy Devon Conway for 30 off 28 balls before Narine struck twice in the 11th over to send back Ambati Rayudu and Moeen Ali.

Dube repairs CSK innings from one end

With the odd ball stopping on the batter or turning sharply, or both, and with not a lot of batting to come,

Shivam Dube and Ravindra

Jadeja cut out risk-taking and looked to take the innings deep. But while Dube still found the boundary every now and then, Jadeja stagnated; he hit just the one six and no fours while scoring 20 off 24 balls.

Dube, though, ensured

CSK passed 140, hitting Suyash Sharma for two sixes, and clearing his front leg to clatter Varun for another in the 18th over. He found a way to score even when Varun bowled his typically strangulating lengths, working the ball between long-on and deep midwicket for a pair of doubles in that 18th over.

Chahar picks up an unusual three-for

At the innings break, it felt as if the result would hinge on how KKR dealt with CSK's spinners. As things happened, though, the powerplay was all-pace, with Deepak Chahar from one end and Tushar Deshpande from the other. Chahar struck in each of his overs, but this was no vintage display of swing bowling: the wickets, instead, came off catches to deep point, short third and short third.

Rinku and Rana bat CSK out of the game

By the time the powerplay was done, Rana and Rinku had already showed signs of rhythm. Rana had whipped

Women’s Tour

MATCH SCHEDULES

1st October: 1st T20I at North Sydney Oval, Sydney

2nd October: 2nd T20I at North Sydney Oval, Sydney (night)

5th October: 3rd T20I at Allan Border Field, Brisbane (night)

8th October: 1st ODI at Allan Border Field, Brisbane

12th October: 2nd ODI at Junction Oval, Melbourne

15th October: 3rd ODI at Junction Oval, Melbourne

Men’s Tour

17th-21st January: 1st Test at Adelaide Oval, 10.00am

25th-29th January: 2nd Test at Gabba, Brisbane (day/night)

2nd February: 1st ODI at MCG, Melbourne (day/night)

4th February: 2nd ODI at SCG, Sydney (day/night)

6th February: 3rd ODI at Manuka Oval, Canberra (day/night)

9th February: 1st T20I at Blundstone Arena, Hobart (night)

11th February: 2nd T20I at Adelaide Oval, (night)

13th February: 3rd T20I at Perth Stadium, (day/night)

Chahar off his hip for six in the fifth over, and Rinku had hit Deshpande for a straight six to end the sixth over.

Spin came on immediately, with Dhoni bringing on his two offspinners against the two left-handers. They began well, conceding just seven runs across the seventh and eighth overs, before Rinku relieved the pressure with a pair of fours off Moeen Ali in the ninth.

Moeen continued to go for runs thereafter, with Rana hitting him for three fours across his third and fourth overs - a reverse-sweep and two inside-out drives. In all, he took 34 off 22 balls against the offspin pair of Moeen and Maheesh Theekshana.

It was a demonstration of a well-known fact, that Rana is among the best left-hand batters against offspin in the IPL.

Rinku usually prefers pace onto the bat, but on this day he was excellent against the spinners too, and made sure that he dominated his favourable match-up, hitting Jadeja for two sixes.

It didn't help Super Kings that they put down the one chance they got to break this partnership when it could have still mattered, with Matheesha Pathirana putting Rana down at deep backward square leg when he miscued a sweep off Moeen in the 11th over. Rana was on 18 at that point. Both batters went on to bring up their fifties before Rinku was run out in the 18th over, attempting to take a tight single that would have brought up the century stand. By then, the contest was all but over, with KKR needing just 13 from 17 balls.

American Racing Tips

Finger Lakes

Race 1 Pop Cover

Race 2 N Y Anthem

Race 3 Saratoga Red

Race 4 Motley Sue

Race 5 Riding On A Winner

Race 6 K. K. Ichikawa

Race 7 Dr Blarney

South

GuyanawinCLDAW/CupqualifiersinCostaRica

Madhoo, Fitzgerald to play in Darts World Cup in Germany

NORMAN Madhoo and Sudesh Fitzgerald have qualified for the Professional Darts Corporation World Cup of Darts to be held in Germany from June 15-18 after winning the male doubles in Costa Rica in the CLDC World Cup qualifier.

The experienced Guyanese pair beat Andres Montero and Diego Orozco of Costa Rica on Saturday night in their own back yard in the male

doubles category.

However, Rajendra Naraine and Christopher Lochan, who made their national debuts in San Jose, missed out on the trip to Germany when they lost in the semi-finals of the Doubles.

Dr. Terence Joseph, as the manager and GDA President, Victorine Chandro, as Coach, travelled with the four-man team to Costa Rica.

The 36-year-old Sudesh Fitzgerald and

veteran 59-year-old Norman Madhoo will have little time to prepare for Germany where they are expected to be very competitive.

The pair of Madhoo, who has been the National Champion for over a decade and Sudesh Fitzgerald, who is national champion and won that title since 2018, will aim to put Guyana on the Map in the sport of Darts. (Sean Devers)

RCB ambush Rajasthan for 112-run win

(ESPNCRICINFO) - With their campaign on the line in Jaipur, Royal Challengers Bangalore ambushed Rajasthan Royals, smashing them by 112 runs to stay in the race for the playoffs. It was their largest margin of victory away from home and it did wonders for their net run rate: RCB are now in fifth place with 12 points and two games to go.

Glenn Maxwell blasted a 30-ball half-century on a tough pitch, while Faf du Plessis and Anuj Rawat played contrasting support acts. Yet the biggest contributor to RCB's win was their bowling, and the five wickets they took in the powerplay set up the Royals' decimation for 59 - the third lowest total in the IPL.

Wayne Parnell was in top form, picking up three of those wickets: Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and Joe Root. He wouldn't have played had Josh Hazlewood been fit, and his spell of 3-0-10-3 won him the Player of the Match award.

While RCB can get to 16 points, the Royals can now only reach 14 if they win their final game, and their playoff hopes are extremely slim.

RCB's steady powerplay

Royals trusted their match-ups in the powerplay.

Virat Kohli v Sandeep Sharma: seven dismissals, the most he's got out to any bowler in T20s.

Kohli v legspin: strike rate of 110. So it wasn't a

ball, off R Ashwin, for a near 100-metre hit down the ground. In the next over, Chahal tried to bowl away from his hitting arc as Maxwell tried to outfox him by employing the reverse sweep. After two failed

slashed over point. Maxwell then raised the tempo further by blasting Chahal into the stands to bring up a 30-ball half-century. And when Chahal went wide, Maxwell went wider to shovel one over the shorter leg-side boundary. The platform had been set.

RCB stumble after du Plessis falls

RCB lost three wickets in six deliveries beginning with du Plessis in the 15th over, with Zampa taking out Mahipal Lomror and Dinesh Karthik in the same over. That meant that Maxwell had to delay the charge at the death, and when he eventually went after Sandeep, he was bowled trying to reverse sweep a yorker. At 137 for 5 in the 18th over, RCB were in danger of finishing poorly.

day. Yashasvi Jaiswal drilled Mohammed Siraj to Kohli at mid-off to trigger a stunning collapse. Parnell was playing his first game since April 20 and he made the most of it, dismissing Buttler, Samson and Root inside the powerplay. Buttler was also out for a duck, slapping one straight to point; Samson was cramped for room and top-edged a pull; and Root was lbw playing all around a full delivery.

Bracewell, Karn complete the rout

A niggle to Wanindu

Hasaranga meant Karn Sharma got a game, but he was taken for three back-to-back sixes by Shimron Hetmyer. Ashwin was then run out by a nifty flick between the legs from the wicketkeeper Rawat, and Hetmyer holed out to long on for 35 off 19 balls. Bracewell returned to pick up his second wicket - Dhruv Jurel - and Karn made a strong comeback by taking the final two wickets to close out the game in the 11th over of the chase.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Monday May 15, 2023)

surprise to see three overs in the powerplay bowled by Adam Zampa and Yuzvendra Chahal.

RCB hit only four boundaries in the first six overs, but

Faf du Plessis and Kohli ensured they didn't lose a wicket on a tricky pitch, scoring 42. Kohli was eventually caught off a knuckleball from KM Asif, for 18 off 19 balls.

Du Plessis drops anchor; Maxwell flies Maxwell walked in at No. 3 and thumped his third

attempts, Chahal perhaps played on Maxwell's ego by dangling the carrot for a third. Maxwell used the depth of his crease to slap a fierce cut to the boundary. This injection of momentum allowed du Plessis to drop anchor.

After a lull - RCB didn't score a boundary from overs 9.2 to 12.3 - Maxwell tore into Sandeep. The first of two boundaries was a reverse ramp over the wicketkeeper and the second was

Rawat comes to RCB's rescue

Anuj Rawat gave RCB the finishing kick in the final over by taking down KM Asif. Standing deep inside the crease to convert yorkers into half-volleys, he muscled two sixes and a four to end with 29 off 11 balls. RCB finished with 171, which was above par on a tough batting surface.

Parnell's powerplay punch

Fastest IPL fifty two nights ago. Two-ball duck to-

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

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Mohit Sharma-23 wickets (CSK)

(2) Ravindra Jadeja-4/12 (CSK vs KKR)

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Which wicketkeeper effected the most dismissals in IPL 2014?

(2) What was the highest partnership recorded in IPL 2014?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Glenn Maxwell scored a fifty off just 29 balls on a tough pitch• BCCI

Madhoo (2nd right) & Fitzgerald are flanked by Darts officials as they show off the Guyana flag

Woodpecker Junior Nationals

Alphonso (Boys), Gomes (Girls) win ‘Colin Ming’ U19 titles

By Sean Devers

THE longest day of the tournament produced the most entertaining Squash, the largest turn-out and a fantastic atmosphere as curtains came down on the 31st Woodpecker Junior Nationals tournament at the Georgetown Club on Saturday night.

When the dust had settled, Mickey Alphonso had beaten Louis De Silva 11-9, 11-3, 8-11, 11-2 in a riveting Boys U-19 final while Kirsten Gomes defeated Safirah Summer 11-2,11-4, 11-2 to take the Girls U-19 ‘Colin Ming’ Trophy in memory of Ming, a former GSA member who died two years ago.

The final day action commenced at 13:00 hrs and concluded just before 19:00 hrs and was watched by a large and raucous crowd, which included members of the National Senior team that will compete in the Pan Am Games qualifiers next month, the GSA President David Fernandes and Singer Dave Martins.

With pulsating music emanating from the bar and barbecue chicken, desserts and beverages being sold and with the hyped-up supporters on their feet during the boys U-19 final, the atmosphere was electric.

Arguably the most nat-

urally talented player in Guyana, Alphonso, who has sprung to over six feet and is fitter and stronger that he was a year ago, faced-off with U-17 player De Sliver in an epic final.

Highlighted by very long rallies, the match was

FL Sport gets support from General Marine

THE pioneers of live streaming of sport in Guyana, FL Sport, received a power generator from General Marine to assist with power woes, especially in remote areas.

Live streaming depends on bandwidth, while the equipment needs electrical power to create the final output. Since the start of 2022, FL Sport has traversed the coastline of Guyana to offer live- streaming services at various events, but was hampered by fluctuating power. In some cases, critical aspects of the event were missed, which defeated the purpose of having video evidence.

After a trip to Region Five, Executive Producer of FL Sport, John Ramsingh shared the experiences with Managing Director of General Marine, Rahaman Khan and immediately they came

up with a solution.

“FL Sport has made streaming very popular and now there is a demand, but without power we have no show. That is why we are jumping on board to play our part to ensure continued coverage,” said Chief Operating Officer of General Marine, Anthony Khan, while handing over the Elite brand generator set.

The younger Khan who is also a former national youth cricketer remarked that the Elite brand is very popular and will sufficiently handle the load associated with live streaming wherever team FL Sport goes. Khan also said that General Marine is also committed to offering service for free for the lifetime of the machine which is the norm for the company with every customer and for every product.

Upon receiving the timely donation, Ramsingh conveyed his gratitude on behalf of team FL Sport and further stated, “That after persons secure the services of FL Sport, there is a level of expectation. To deliver that expectation, FL Sport cannot afford to have drop outs of either bandwidth, electricity, equipment or manpower, so we are covering all bases. That is why this tool [generator] is so important. We feel empowered to continue to serve our stakeholders.”

Live streaming has taken off in a significan t way during the height of the recent COVID-19 pandemic where persons adapted to social distancing and virtual interactions. It was around the same time that a demand for streaming live sport also became popular, which forced Ramsingh to expand

between the front and side walls to win the point, his supporters erupted in loud cheering.

With score 2-nil to Alphonso, Da Silva, demonstrated plenty of fight and dug deep to win the third game 11-8 to take the match to a fourth game which Alphonso won 11-2 to take the U-19 title.

Shiloh Asregado beat 15-year-old Josh Verwey 3-0 while Demitri Lowe defeated Jeremy Ten Pow 3-2 in the U-17s.

Summer beat Rylee Rodrigues 3-0 in the Girls U-17 division while Emily Fung-a-Fat 3-0 beat Tiana Gomes 3-0 in the Girls U-15.

Silva (U-17), Mickey Alphonso (U19)

Winners Girls: Zoey McDonald (U11), Kaylee Lowe (U13), Malia Maikoo (U-15), Safirah Summer (U17), Kirsten Gomes (U19).

Special Awards: Ethan Bulkan (Most Improved Boy), Zion Hickerson (Most promising Boy) Kaylee Lowe (Most improved Girl), Zoey McDonald (Most Promising Girl).

Kirsten Gomes received the ‘Heart of a Champion Tony Farnum’ Award. Farnum, a past GSA Secretary, died two weeks ago.

Guyana’s Junior CASA team is expected to be named this week.

played at a frenetic pace with both lads showing good use of the court, hard drives, vollies and well executed drop shots.

The pair exchanged shots in a rally which lasted over 30 shots and when Alphonso pinned a ‘nick’

Zoey McDonald beat Tehani Munroe 3-0 in the Girls U-11 while eight yearold Zion Hickerson, who collected three trophies, beat Jacob Mc Donald 3-0 and Mathew Daby beat Kaiden Alli 3-2 in Boys U-13.

Winners: Boys: Ethan Bulkan (U 11), Justin Ten Pow (U-13), Richard Rodrigues (U-17), Louis Da

Junior CASA returns to St Vincent from July 15-22 after the first Junior CASA was contested on that Island in 1981. Guyana holds the record for 12 consecutive titles under Coach Carl Ince; from 1998-2018.

Barbados broke that streak in Guyana in 2019 while Guyana’s reclaimed its title in last year on home soil.

the services beyond the cricket field.

In the second half of 2022 and so far this year, FL Sport has covered in excess of 50 events including cricket (hardball and softball), swimming, football, field hockey, press conferences, launch ceremonies, prize-giving ceremonies and crossfit games.

“We are open to any

event which we pledge to execute in the most professional way. We take bookings on a first come, first-come, firstserved basis and recently we even juggled multiple events on the same day; so reach out to us and let’s give our athletes the recognition they deserve,” the international cricket broadcaster said.

Rahaman Khan and Ramsingh are executive

members of the Everest Cricket Club (ECC) where the handing over took place. They both reckoned that ECC is an ideal hub for live streaming because of the layout and infrastructure, including internet and electricity. Khan said he is willing to provide further assistance as the demand grows for FL Sport.

Ronaldo McGarrell (left), Anthony Khan (centre) and John Ramsingh at the handing over of the generator at the Everest Cricket Club

Kirstine Gomes won the Colin Ming Girl’s U-19 title (Sean Devers photo)

Mikey Alphonso won the Colin Ming Boys U-19 title (Sean Devers photo)