Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 18-06-2023

A magnet for investments

- Region Three continues to be transformed into major economic hub

- $40M supermarket opened at Leonora

plantain flour, among other things.

Reflecting on what started off as just two young entrepreneurs trying to find a place in the world, Kanhai said that after meeting her

percentage higher. She further said: “We will continue on this path because at the same time we want to educate and train these local staff so they can [also] develop their

skills.

Young, on the other hand, told this publication that setting up a business in an area that is undergoing a major economic shift is ideal, espe -

cially with the tremendous injections of investments from the government. He also added that he and his wife are aiming to cut the daily expenses of Leonora residents.

By Trina Williams

REGION Three has been a magnet for investments over the past few years, as persons are answering the President, Dr. Irfaan Ali's call for more ventures outside of the city and Region Four.

Residents of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) have been particularly responsive to this call, and testimony of this is the recent opening of a $40-million "hypermarket," Premium Eats.

On Saturday, Premium Eats, a hypermarket on the Leonora Public Road, West Coast Demerara, opened its doors with the mission to cater for persons from all walks of life, and do its part to enhance the community and region.

Co-owners, Jia Hui Young and Serenity Kanhai, a business-oriented couple, during the welcoming remarks said that they were aiming to provide "West- Siders" with jobs, as well as assist local producers by purchasing from them.

In his feature address, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, commended the couple for their investment in the region and their strong commitment to accommodating everyone with their hyper-

market.

According to him: “In any economy, about 60-80 per cent of the businesses are small businesses,” noting that the key to a striving economy is having citizens who would take the risk and open their own businesses.

Reflecting on the enhancements Leonora has been witnessing, Indar said there has been the development of a housing scheme and even the construction of a state-of-theart mall and hospital.

He remarked: “Region Three, in particular Leonora, has been seeing a whole host of broad base in development. So, bringing development into Region Three is something that our government has been doing.”

Minister Indar further added that development cannot be done in isolation and thus, with the plethora of works being executed such as the setting up of a massive hotel in Coghlan Dam and the four-lane road, to name a few, this shows where the region is going.

Moreover, boasting how Premium Eats will continue to support local makers, Kanhai expounded on the fact that the hypermarket is selling a wide array of local products such as the ‘Fulaflava’ extracts and ‘Braf’s’

husband, they established a small trading business which just catered for their clientele.

She related to the Sunday Chronicle: “So we said why not create a hypermarket where everything is there for everyone"?

Khanai added that there is even an assortment of items for home decorators, electricians, and construction workers.

In keeping with their commitment to enhance and support the region, Kanhai revealed that 90 per cent of their staff are Guyanese and they are aiming to make this

Minister Deodat Indar and co-owners, Jia Hui Young and Serenity Kanhai, cutting the ribbon for the opening of Premium Eats

Co-owners: Jia Hui Young and Serenity Kanhai along with their employees (Japheth Yohan Savory photos)

CCJ cases in Guyana begin on Wednesday

THE Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will hold sittings in Guyana this Wednesday and Thursday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) where it will hear five matters, two of which are from Guyana.

It was last month that the regional court’s Registrar and Chief Marshall, Gabrielle Figaro-Jones, had noted that the CCJ in its itinerant capacity will sit in Guyana from 21– 22 June.

Earlier last week, Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag),

Yonette Cummings issued a legal notice to notify that the sittings will be held at the ACCC in the west wing on the second floor.

For the Guyanese cases, the court will hear the cases of Micah Williams v The Director of Public Prosecutions, and Sasedai Kumarie Persaud v Sherene Mongroo, Zenobia Rosenbery, Indranie Mulchand.

The first case involves trade unionist, Micah Williams who was convicted of and is currently serving two life sentences for raping an

eight-year-old girl. Williams was tried and found guilty in 2018 in the Sexual Offences Court, in the Georgetown High Court, for two counts of sexual activity with a child. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after serving 20 years in jail.

In April 2022, Williams challenged his conviction and sentence in the Court of Appeal. In December, 2022, the court threw out the appeal. Williams has now moved to the CCJ as a

last recourse.

The second case involves the contesting of the last Will and Testament of Yusuf Mongroo, the late owner of the Horseshoe Racing Service.

Also scheduled to be heard are two cases from Barbados: Apsara Restaurants (Barbados) Limited v Guardian General Insurance and James Ricardo Alexander Fields. The other case is from Dominca and involves Successors Limited v the State of Jamaica.

Established in February

2001 by the Agreement

Establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice, the CCJ is the Caribbean regional judicial tribunal.

The CCJ is intended to be a hybrid institution: a municipal court of last resort and an international court vested with original, compulsory and exclusive jurisdiction in respect of the interpretation and application of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

The CCJ is headed by its President Justice Adrian Saunders, of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and also includes Justice Jacob Wit, of The Netherlands, Winston Anderson, of Jamaican, Justice Maureen Rajnauth-Lee, and Justice Peter Jamadar of Trinidad and Tobago, Justice Denys Barrow, of Belize, and Justice Andrew Burgess, a native of Barbados.

President of the CCJ, Justice Adrian Saunders

Teen murdered after trying to part fight involving sisters

THE police are investigating the murder of Dequan Pyle, a 19-year-old labourer who was fatally beaten on Saturday at Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, by a 30-year-old man at around 06:30 hrs.

According to the Police, Pyle lived with his sisters at Laing Avenue, and on the morning in question, he attempted to break up a disagreement involving his sisters and a few other girls in the

neighbourhood.

During the fracas, the male partners of the other females also intervened, during which one of them, who was armed with a piece of wood about 30 inches in length, lashed

the victim to the back of his head.

The young man collapsed, and, according to the Police, the suspect dropped the wood during which he and the others started throwing bottles

and bricks at the victim’s family members before making good their escape.

The victim was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was pronounced dead; his

body is presently lying at the hospital’s mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Investigations are ongoing, and the Police are trying to locate the suspect and his accomplices.

Small businesses benefit from management training

SEVERAL small-business owners on Saturday benefitted from management training

Centre, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, said commerce and en -

have a major role to play in this advancement.

“Small businesses and small enterprises like

up hiring one or two persons in your establishments and what we want to do is to give you the tools, that the particular enterprise that you are engaged in or thinking of engaging in can grow and employ even more people,” Minister Walrond stated.

Meanwhile, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy noted that under the previous administration, only a selected few benefitted from funding for their businesses, but now more persons are benefitting from small-business loans.

why you are here today,” he stated.

The minister told those in attendance that the funds, along with their own efforts and sacrifices, will give them the opportunity to expand their businesses.

“Our job is to work with you all, together to support you because

we want all our people in this country to do well. We want all our people to strive for development. We want all our people to have the maximum benefit of business opportunities that exist amongst us,” Minister McCoy emphasised. (DPI)

facilitated by the Small Business Bureau.

Speaking at the opening ceremony at the Arthur Chung Conference

trepreneurial activities are major contributors to Guyana’s rapidly growing economy. She noted that small businesses

yours are the ones that fuel that kind of growth because it puts disposable income in your hands. Many of you would end

“The mission of this government is really to work with people all across the country, wherever they exist to help and to hold your hands and to walk you through the steps to development and success, and that’s

Participants at the training session

Drawing inspiration from our fallen heroes

PRESIDENT, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, during his recent address to commemorate Enmore Martyrs, spoke of the importance of advancing the One Guyana vision. According him, a One Guyana commission will soon be established.

This recommittal to the One Guyana vision comes against the background of a landslide victory by the PPP/C alliance in the recently concluded Local Government Elections. The PPP/C won an overwhelming majority of the constituencies and local government including in a number of APNU strongholds. This is indeed a major development; one that augers well for a stable and harmonious society.

It is significant that the call for a new and united Guyana was done at Enmore which was the scene of one of the most brutal

and cold-blooded assaults on sugar workers on June 16, 1948. It was the killing of the sugar workers and the injuries sustained by several others that catalysed the formation of the People's Progressive Party on January 1, 1950. The PPP, under the leadership of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, won a landslide victory in the 1953 elections, the first to be held under universal adult suffrage.

The formation of the PPP resulted in a change in political dynamics of the then colony. It took the workers' struggle to a higher level, namely to the political level. For the first time, there was a political awakening of the people across ethnic and class lines which found expression in the massive electoral victory of the PPP in the 1953 elections. Regrettably, that unity was fractured with the suspension of the constitution and the eventual split

of the PPP in 1955.

It would appear from recent developments that there is once again an emerging sense of shared values and consensus along the lines of the One Guyana vision as articulated by President Ali. This optimism is grounded in the massive modernisation programme of the PPP/C administration which is impacting positively on the lives of all Guyanese, regardless of their ethnicity or political orientation.

The sugar industry which was on the verge of collapse under the previous APNU+AFC administration has now been resuscitated. According to President Ali, there will be a major replanting exercise in which Guyana will benefit from technical assistance from other sugar producing nations such as India, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

The Albion packaging fa-

cility is expected to become operational by the end of this year as the industry seeks to become more diversified and value-added in its production line.

Sugar, it must be said, has had its period of glory and at one time was even regarded as 'King Sugar'. But times have changed and its dominance over the economy has been progressively diminished due to a number of factors, some outside of our control.

The precipitate decline in the preferential price of sugar on the European market no longer obtained which had taken a severe toll on the competitiveness of the industry. Despite all of this, the PPP/C administration has been taking a menu of measures not only to keep the industry afloat but to increase sugar production beyond current levels.

Despite the growing im-

pact of oil revenues on the economy, the agricultural sector still remains the backbone of the Guyana economy both in terms of employment opportunities and foreign exchange earnings. This is why any attempt to downplay the sector as the previous APNU+AFC administration attempted to do was not only short-sighted but an act of downright folly. The sugar industry has always been an integral part of our collective existence, both from a political and sociological standpoint.

The way forward for Guyana is to increase production and productivity in all sectors and to enhance the country's competitiveness on the international market. In this regard, the measures taken by the PPP/C to reduce the cost of energy by way of the oil and gas facility and the several other initiatives are forward-looking and

commendable.

These developments are part of a much bigger developmental framework intended to catapult the country as a key player on the international market-place. The President has indicated plans of making the East Coast Demerara a major developmental corridor and hinted of the viability of having railway connectivity between the East Coast Demerara and the East Bank.

These are all visionary thinking on the part of the PPP/C administration. Guyana is now firmly set along the path of sustainable development and human progress. As pointed out by President Ali, it is important that we honour the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for a better and more dignified society and draw inspiration from their struggles and sacrifices.

Largest domino tournament in Guyana set for July 1

Dear Editor, ON Saturday, July 1, 2023, the Macedonia Joppa Voluntary Committee (MJVC), a non-profit organization located at Eversham Village, East Corentyne, Berbice, will host the largest domino tournament in the country at Kiltearn Community Lodge.

The tournament will start at 13:00hrs and several domino teams from the various Neighbourhood Democratic Councils in Region Six from as far as Canje; Fyrish-Gibraltar-Courtland; Whim, Lancaster-Liverpool-Manchester-Alness to Nurney-Limlair-Kildonan,-Bush-

lot; Evershan-Kiltearn-Brighton,to Leeds, N0. 51 and 52 and Union and Skeldon are expected to participate. Other domino teams from the region are also invited to participate.

For centuries, domino has been a regular indoor sporting activity among friends and relatives within the many villages on the Corentyne and elsewhere in Guyana, but there has never been any wide-ranging tournament among other teams in the region.

This is the first of its kind and it is expected to attract hundreds of supporters from each team, which means

that the spotlight will be in Kiltearn Village. Like many other indoor sports, there will be lots of food and alcoholic beverages to consume, which is normal at any domino tournament, as well as cash prizes and trophies for the two winning teams and the two best players.

The game of dominoes originated in China in the 1300s and represent one of the oldest tools for game play. While the traditional game set comprised 32 tiles or pieces, the modern European game set has 28 tiles made from synthetic materials such as polystyrene plastics. From professional

domino game competitions to setting them up and then knocking them over, dominoes allow for a variety of games, as well as the tests of skill and patience. However, the most common domino game being played today comprised four players paired into two teams that opposed each other or three individual players with seven pieces each involve the emptying of one’s hand while blocking opponents’ play.

From China, the game spread to Italy in Europe, then to France and later to England before reaching North America, the Caribbean, and the continent of Af-

rica. The game of Dominoes is now being played internationally. It is recognized as an ingrained cultural activity within the countries of the Caribbean and is considered a generational game in the region.

In Guyana and other parts of the Caribbean, domino has become a family game, it is played mostly on weekends and is a symbol of unity and togetherness and a test of one’s patience, endurance, and knowledge of the game. It is a testimony to our enriched social culture and shared heritage as a nation. The Macedonia Joppa Volun -

tary Committee is proud to sponsor the July 1, 2023, domino tournament under the “One Guyana” initiative and thanks everyone for participating and looks forward to a friendly and peaceful tournament. Following the domino tournament, which is scheduled to end at 8:00 PM, there will be a KARIOKE singing competition and a dance.

Sincerely,

Dr. Asquith Rose, MJVC Chair Ms. Vanessa Ross-Albert, MJVC Public Relations Director

APNU, Norton facing a dialectic of psychological and political trauma

THE elections are over.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has managed to win 906 out of 1,220 seats contested at the June 12 Local Government Elections.

This is approximately 75 per cent of both Proportional Representative (PR) and Constituency seats, while the People’s National Congress Reform-led A Partnership for National Unity (PNC/RAPNU) clinched 275 seats.

The PPP won seven of 10 towns and municipalities, including Bartica and Lethem, which are considered PNC/R-APNU strongholds traditionally.

The smaller parties and individuals were whitewashed and massively defeated with only 39 winning the seats where they contested.

It is fair to say from everything that the public

saw playout between these two big parties with these elections in the last week, the APNU and its leader Aubrey Norton are facing a dialectic psychological and political trauma.

In other words, the defeat they suffered has resulted in all sorts of complex, chronic and acute trauma. This trauma has resulted in the denial that they were defeated, rejected and ignored by the electorate and the people of the country.

This even resulted in lies, falsehoods and alternative facts told by Norton and the others who appeared at their weekly press meetings and public engagements. And, who could forget the brazen and bold attempt of the PNC/RAPNU to fool the public about which constituencies and towns were won?

The effects of trauma

suffered by Norton and the APNU have it organising victory parties, marches and rallies through the streets in the areas that it won by a small margin of votes, notably Industry to Plaisance NDC and New Amsterdam to name a few.

The state of confusion, denial, guilt or shame, and numbness is a normal symptom of political defeat but Norton has taken it to a new level. He chooses to wear his defeat and badge of shame, proudly turning his failure as the opposition leader into some sort of virtue.

After all, as the author of the book called “A Game of Thrones”, George R.R. Martin said, “Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it.” This makes perfect political sense as APNU is dying, and Norton’s legacy as opposition leader will be

defined by this rejection suffered at the local level before 2025 when he will have the audacity, chutzpah, effrontery, gall, and temerity to offer himself up as the candidate for president before suffering rejection and withdrawing.

Also, this conspicuous or flagrant boldness of APNU and Norton can never distract the public from the level of infighting, war and turmoil that is taking place behind the scenes within Congress Place among the political elites and party supporters. Is this the reason why all but three parliamentarians do not want to be seen at Norton’s side when he declared victory but did not offer the type of intellectual, scientific and verifiable information to the public and media?

Do they not want to stand by their leader as he

talks about the buffoonery and stupidity that he has seemingly become infamous for?

Where are the General Secretary of PNC/R Dawn Hasting-Williams, Chief Whip Christopher Jones, the Chief Scrutineer Carol Joseph, and the other usual suspects? Where is the AFC, its divorced partner? Where is the WPA? Where are the members of “the lunatic fringe” as the PPP/C GS Bharrat Jadgeo calls them?

Or are many of these same opposition politicians and parliamentarians quietly planning a coup for Norton ahead of the rigging that will overshadow the emergence of a new party leader at the next biennial congress?

What is known for a fact, the PNC/R-APNU must get some help for the psychological and political

trauma it is battling. It is never good to suffer alone or to be living in denial. After they get the help that is needed and come to grips with reality, the same group has to do introspection before commencing the reconciliation and healing amongst the masses. Remembering and telling the truth about defeat is a prerequisite both for the restoration of the socio-political order and for healing. The conflict between the will to deny defeat and the will to proclaim them aloud is the central dialectic of psychological trauma.

If this develops into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), APNU and Norton may have a mental disorder. To the ordinary and sane individuals, Norton and APNU’s slip is showing and it is not cute!

The industrialisation of anti-Jagdeo propaganda

“THE man” was a character in Ayi Kwei Armah’s 1968 novel, “The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born.” The book was set in the waning days of Kwame Nkrumah's Ghana, and “the man” represented a figure of incorruptibility, resilience, steadfastness, and most of all, hope for Africa’s first post-colonial nation, as well as for the Third World. The character was at once mythical and allegorical, but in the Guyana of today, some men nourish the dangerous fantasy that they are the “Beautyful Ones.” Many of them think that they can let the world know they are “the man” by constantly attacking Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo. (I will deal with the attacks against President Ali soon).

The writings of GHK Lall comes to mind. Mr. Lall is a high-visibility anti-Jagdeo activist with considerable privileges in Kaieteur News and Stabroek News. While both outlets have firstrate journalists, their editorial stances are permissive of what might be termed the

industrialization of attacks against Dr. Jagdeo. I use the term industrialization here to depict two interrelated processes, namely, manufacturing and mass-production. Manufacturing of distortions, half-truths, and outright lies are past of the modus operandi; the mass production and distribution of these are also an integral part of the anti-Jagdeo industry.

Let’s get back to GHK Lall who has given every indication that his attacks are the result of Divine Calling. Mr. Lall is jubilant that Bharrat Jagdeo has mentioned his name a few times at the recent PPP Thursday press conferences. I was present on both occasions when the General Secretary mentioned Lall’s name. My own impression is that GHK’s writing was brought up mostly in the form of banter, during interregnums of light talk, or at the other end, treated with surgical dismissiveness. I feel confident that Jagdeo will burst into laughter when someone brings to his attention that GHK believes his “…name is a hot button issue of daily

discussions inside Freedom House.”

V.S. Naipaul was the most perceptive observer of the tendency of Caribbean men to fantasize about power and mistaking their fantasy for reality. He did not only have in mind the rich and the powerful, but those also in the peripheral lens of power. Think of the comical Elder God and Little God in “A House for Mr. Biswas.” Now, here is GHK Lall – “I have developed a kind of appreciation for the efforts that I share with Guyanese and others. Unlike Dr. Jagdeo and his fellows, I am not doing this for likes and the lot; but what is being essayed now has progressed beyond public service and into the rarified territory of God’s work.” Oh My God!

GHK does seem to have room for humour. Here he is – “I may get swell-headed and begin to think of myself as important, and God’s gift to Guyana, and start thinking of throwing my hat in the ring.” God’s Work! A Calling! Something divinely Willed by Him! And if I may be allowed my own moment

of levity – how could such a thing be? From Gold Board to God’s candidate?

While GHK Lall may be the captain of a divinely ordained anti-Jagdeo industry, only days ago, Member of Parliament the Hon. Ganesh Mahipaul also couched his anti-Jagdeo diatribe in shades of divinity. Here he is – “I would like to inform Jagdeo that the English translation of the name ‘Ganesh’ is ‘lord of wisdom,’ and ‘Mahipaul’ means ‘King of Kings.” Mahipauls’ attack on Jagdeo (read the article) was brought on by the General Secretary’s perfectly appropriate criticisms of Mahipaul’s misrepresentations on the LGE results. Astoundingly, Mahipaul in one fell swoop has become a Hindu-Rasta – Lord Ganesh + Haile Selassie (aka King of Kings)!

If GHK Lall and Mahipaul are establishment contributors to the anti-Jagdeo attack industry, then others like Leyland Roopnarine fall in that category of foreign irritants, who without any first-hand knowledge of Guyana, plug away night and

day against the Vice-President. Roopnarine is one of those foreign-based Guyanese whose sole purpose is to split the PPP/C leadership by attempting to pit President Ali and Vice-President Jagdeo against each other.

I have news for Leyland Roopnarine: you are dealing with two astute, mature, experienced, and sturdy, very sturdy statesmen. And even more to the point, the people of Mahdia have voices of their own, and are in touch daily with all the members of the Cabinet, as well as with the President. The people of Mahdia do not need a foreign, 3000 miles away, to speak on their behalf.

Readers should know that many of the anti-Jagdeo movement crave a response from the Vice- President. They look forward to a strong reply, or any reply from Jagdeo. For most of them, a reply from Bharrat Jagdeo, even a mere mention of their name, is the greatest honour of their lives. Some of them get emotional about it and represent the mention of their names by the VP as a secret message from God himself to become “The Man” in Armah’s, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born.”

Sincerely, Dr Randolph Persaud

Guyanese actress Carmen Munroe

AS a youngster growing up in England, I always felt a tingle of excitement when I heard that my glamorous cousin Carmen Munroe was due to pay a visit to her sisters and brothers, who lived in several apartments in the same building in London.

The news would spread through the family like a murmur and even though I did not live in London, I hoped that my summer holiday visit would coincide with hers and I would

get a chance to see her.

Living in Yorkshire, in the north of England with her older sister, Daphne Steele, who had already achieved fame as the first black matron in England, I would hear snippets of conversation about Carmen’s appearances in theatre shows in London’s famed West End.

This was in the late 60s and Carmen had already appeared on television, making us all proud. And so it was on one fateful day I happened to be at the apartment of one of her sisters when she wafted in on a cloud of expensive perfume, cloaked in what I learned was chinchilla fur.

I remember to this day her rich, distinctive voice, great diction, dimpled smile and an air of mystery which fascinated me. I knew I was in the presence of a rising star and I was in awe.

So it came as no surprise that Carmen went from strength to strength until she became a household name on British television in the popular sitcom, Desmond, in 1989. Starring alongside another stellar Guyanese actor, Norman Beaton, she played his wife, Shirley and the mother of two children, in the half-hour show which was set in a barber shop.

Emigrating to England three years before I was born, in 1951, Carmen’s ground-breaking work began from her first appearance in the West End in Tennessee Williams’ ‘Period of Adjustment.’ She went on to appear in an impressive list of West End productions such as Lorraine Hansberry’s, ‘A Raisin in the sun’; James Baldwin’s, ‘The Amen Corner’ and Alice Childress’, ‘Trouble in Mind.’

These were the days

when hardly a black face was seen on stage and television and, as Carmen recalled, “the struggle was real”, not just to get the part or be seen, but to be recognized as being capable of quality acting.

In fact, in a tribute two years ago to black actor Earl Cameron, Carmen noted, “I grew up with American actors, black and white…and even when I came here first, films weren’t British. We didn’t see a lot of British films, English films…” And she credited, Cameron, one of the first black actors to break through in British film, with being her inspiration.

“Those were my days looking up and thinking, ‘Gosh, this is one of us, who can do this…this is where I want to be, this is where I think I’m capable of (being)’.”

So this vivacious and tenacious woman, with a consuming love for her craft, pressed on, with renewed determination. She subsequently ‘spread her wings’ directing a James Saunders play, ‘Alas, Poor Fred’ and also a British premiere of Remembrance by Derek Walcott at London’s Arts Theatre in 1987.

Carmen’s television career also took off in the late 60s, with parts in the scifi drama, Dr Who in 1967, General Hospital, the Persuaders and later, another sitcom, The Fosters (1976 – 1977).

She appeared in Alfred Fagon’s, ‘Shakespeare Country’ (BBC 1974) and four years later in Michael Abbensett’s, ‘Black Christmas’, also for the BBC. She was, for a time presenter of Play School

and the BBC’s lunchtime children’s programme, ‘How Do You Do.’

She was hailed for her ‘outstanding performance’ as Essie Robeson in a BBC play, ‘A Song at Twilight’ in 1992 and in 2007 received ‘rave reviews’ for her part as Eartha in Allister Bain’s play, ‘Catalysta’.

The Guyanese actress, born when this country was still British Guiana and so referred to as British, is one of the founders of Talawa, which is the leading black theatre company in the UK. It was established along with Mona Hammond, Inigo Espegel and Yvonne Brewster.

For her services to drama, Carmen was appointed an ‘Officer of the Order’ of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s 2007 Birthday Honours and also received the Trailblazer Award for which she was lauded by cast members of ‘Desmond’ and others with whom she worked, who considered her a shining source of inspiration and encouragement for them in their careers.

Now 90 years old, with more than five decades in drama, Carmen Munroe has not only ‘blazed a trail’, but ‘broken the ice’ and ‘paved the way’ for so many who came after her. No doubt, when another Guyanese actress, Letitia Wright, acknowledged that she had achieved success ‘on the shoulders’ of those who came before her, she was alluding to the inimitable Carmen Munroe and others like her who have made it possible for black actors to gain recognition on screen and stage today.

Carmen Munroe

ExxonMobil’s 2022 Financial Statements and what they mean for Guyana

IN a first-of-its-kind Annual Report, ExxonMobil Guyana announced last week that, along with its co-venturers, it invested G$570 billion in Guyana in 2022.

The report is replete with indications that ExxonMobil is investing heavily in additional exploration and development for the long term here in Guyana—and using nearly all of the cash it gains from oil production to do so.

In a press briefing held last week, a company representative presented key facts and figures that show the impact of less than a decade of oil operations. In 2022 alone, the Government of Guyana lifted approximately 13 million profit-oil barrels, received approximately 200 per cent increase in royalty payments, and contributed

a record G$240 billion to the Natural Resource Fund (NRF).

At this stage, the Stabroek Block partners ExxonMobil Guyana, Hess Corp, and CNOOC have been reinvesting essentially all of their profits back into exploration, development and the local economy. To date they have invested roughly GY$4 trillion to develop projects offshore and committed to another GY$8 trillion through 2027. With cash flows of GY$440 billion since 2020, the companies have invested GY $1.5 trillion more than they have made to-date.

Combined spending on local content amounted to GY$83 billion (US$400 million) in 2022, with more than 1,500 Guyanese businesses providing goods and services and over 5,000 Guyanese

workers employed by the company and its contractors and sub-contractors.

An analysis by public commentator and analyst Joel Bhagwandin found that Guyana’s net take, including local content spending and the government’s revenues, amounted to G$697.7 billion (US$3.34 billion) from 2019 to 2022. These numbers paint a clear picture of the financial upside with Guyana rapidly developing as an oil and gas producer without risking any of its own money in the expensive and costly exploration.

“We believe that the true measure of our success lies not only in the barrels produced but also in the positive impact we create for our people and the communities in which we operate. By prioritising local talent, part-

nerships, and investments, we aim to cultivate a thriving and sustainable environment that benefits everyone,” the President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, recently said.

The financial strength of these investments also helps assuage concerns about liability coverage in the unlikely case of an accident. Disclosures from ExxonMobil emphasise that prevention is its main priority but that they have more than sufficient assets on hand in case the worst happens, including a US $600 million per incident insurance policy, US$19 billion in local assets, $12 billion in equity, and an additional US$2 billion affiliate guarantee. While the “unlimited insurance” policies that some have called for do not actually exist on global

markets, compensation for an accident would be covered by the sizeable assets and policies already in place.

Additionally, ExxonMobil Guyana has maintained that increased production and environmental stewardship can go together with numerous processes and controls in place to operate safely and prevent potential incidents. The focus on prevention in Guyana is about both insurance and assurance. The financial positions outlined in the disclosures have been established to ensure that in the unlikely event of an oil spill incident, the company is in the best position to respond, handle, and mitigate the impact.

ExxonMobil was not shy about their ambitions for Guyana over the coming decades with steady investment

planned and more exploration and production efforts for projects on the horizon. Guyana has proven itself to be a worthy and reliable new exploration frontier. Companies like ExxonMobil and its partners seek attractive geology and stable government and political conditions in a country, according to ExxonMobil’s Exploration Chief John Ardill.

The success of the oil and gas industry and pace of development in Guyana is so influential, Ardill went on to say that his company “uses Guyana as a benchmark for exploration in Africa. Guyana is a model for other countries both in its Caribbean region and globally.”

APNU deeply divided – Jagdeo

GENERAL Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has described the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) as a “deeply divided party”, highlighting its inability to recover from its continuous declining track record, in-fighting within the party and claims of a ploy to remove the party’s chairman, Aubrey Norton.

Dr. Jagdeo made these assertions during his weekly press conference on Thursday last at the party’s Freedom House headquarters in Robb Street, Georgetown.

According to Dr. Jagdeo, he is intricately aware of backbiting currently facing Norton and he sympathises with the position Norton finds himself in.

“The hounds [are] after Norton now, and he's now making it easier for himself by sometimes the utter nonsense that he says at [his] press conferences. They will go after him,” Dr. Jagdeo noted.

He added, “A number of people have called me from their side, they share information with us from the inside about all that's going on and it's not a pretty picture that you can paint about their state of affairs there. It's a deeply divided party, some based on failures of the past, [and] lots of the characters who are still here have come with baggage.”

There were discussions that the recently concluded Local Government Elections (LGE) would have been a litmus test on Norton’s leadership of the APNU, and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R).

Norton is also leader of the PNC/R, which is the largest faction in the APNU coalition. Norton has been leader of the party for just over a year and a half now, but has faced a litany of controversies during his short reign, including financial impropriety and lack of accountability, and turning a blind eye to racial hostility in the party. This has seen

members of the executive questioning his leadership and his ability to increase support for the party.

“There was a plan to remove Norton even before the local government election and sometimes I pity Norton. Let me be frank with you and I can speak my mind now, because when you have cutthroats…hoping you would fail so they can come after you, then it must be a lonely place for him in Congress Place. He probably wouldn't even know who to trust in the

area,” Dr. Jagdeo noted.

During the LGEs, the APNU statistically performed incrementally worse than it did when the LGEs were last held in the 2018. This was further compounded by the PPP/C making further inroads in many APNU strongholds such as Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Linden and other townships.

Overall, the PPP/C has won 906, or 74.26 per cent, of the 1,220 seats in the 80 LAAs across the country; this marked an increase from 779 seats that the party won in 2018.

Meanwhile, the APNU only managed to pick up 275 seats, or 22.5 percent of the seats across the country.

Conversely, Dr. Jagdeo noted that not only is the PPP/C united, but the party is currently working together to decide on its Proportional Representation (PR) candidates to take up seats on the councils of the various LAAs across Guyana.

PPP/C General Secretary, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo

A song for Mohamed Irfaan Ali on his 2023 LGE success

WHEN I was a student in the 1970s, I would frequent the staff lounge to ground with many of the radical European lecturers who imbibe there almost every night. I got close to two such personalities. One was Bill Carr, the English

with them. Each time Franz was in the joint, he would ask the barman, Mr. Tucker to play “Fantasy” by Earth, Wind and Fire.

One night Franz was in a maudlin mood. He was alone drinking, and I joined him. He asked me to drink with

that the song is about one’s dreams that one must always fantasise about because when you do so, the dreams stick closer to you and drives you to seek its eventual realisation. He went on to add that his fantasy was about a free South Africa with a

Every man has a place

In his heart, there’s a space

And the world can’t erase his fantasies

Take a ride in the sky

On our ship, fantasize

All your dreams will come true right away

And we will live together

Until the 12th of never

professor in Literature who was married at the time to one of the leading figures in the Working People’s Alliance, Andaiye.

The other was Franz Lee from South Africa who lectured in Political Science. Both men were committed Marxist ideologues and my Marxist horizon expanded through my endless talks

him but I told him I don’t touch alcohol. We chatted for hours (the last state-owned bus at UG left at 11:30 PM) and I asked him what’s up with “Fantasy?” Why he makes Tucker play that song all the time?

He explained that the song is about his life as an exiled South African under the apartheid system. He said

Black Marxist leadership. I remember him saying before we parted that a Black ruled South Africa is coming sooner than the world could imagine.

I explored the meaning of “Fantasy” long after I met Franz and to identify with its inner meaning because of my commitment to the anti-dictatorship struggle against

Burnham. While studying in Canada, my wife and I invited Bill Carr to our student apartment and he came. I gave Bill a coffee cup to give to Franz and to tell Franz that I listen to “Fantasy” often. Bill died one year before his hero, Cheddi Jagan, brought his fantasy into reality and became President of Guyana. I don’t know where Franz is as I write.

Today I dedicate this fantastic song to President Ali of Guyana. I believe Dr. Ali has a dream of making Guyana a united country and I believe he will achieve a great legacy. We see what is to come with his multiracial achievement in the just concluded 2023 LGE. “Fantasy” is my second best soul song after Bobby Womack’s “Harry Hippie.” But there is something inexplicable about the version of this song that I have chosen. For reasons I will never know, I like the version done by the Vienna Boys’ Choir. It is simply amazing to listen to a choir of 10-year-old Austrian boys covering one of soul music’s most philosophical songs. I keep wondering why I like this rendition and I believe the arrangement by the Vienna Boys’ Choir reminds me of my memorable days in journalism with Jesuit Priest, Andrew Morrison. Listen to “Fantasy” and keep dreaming.

Our voices will ring forever, as one

Every thought is a dream

Rushing by in a stream

Bringing life to the kingdom of doing

Take a ride in the sky

On our ship, fantasize

All your dreams will come true miles away

Our voices will ring together

Until the 12th of never

We all will live love forever, as one

Come to see victory

In a land called fantasy

Loving life, a new degree

Bring your mind to everlasting liberty

Come to see victory

In a land called fantasy

Loving life for you and me

To behold, to your soul is ecstasy

You will find

Other kind

That has been in search of you

Many lives have brought you to

Recognize, it’s your life now in review

And as you stay for the play

Fantasy has in store for you

Glowing light will see you through

It’s your day, shining day

All your dreams come true

As you glide in your stride

With the wind as you fly away

Give a smile from your lips and say

“I’m free, yes I’m free, now I’m on my way”

Come to see victory

In a land called fantasy

Loving life for you and me

To behold, to your soul is ecstasy

You will find other kind

That has been in search of you

Many lives have brought you to Recognize, it’s your life now in review

In typical white supremacist style, Tom Sanzillo says Guyana

Summary

To understand where Guyana is projected to be in the future, one has to understand and appreciate its economic history. Historically, Guyana was once a Centrally Command State where more than 80% of the productive sectors were controlled by the State. In the post 1992 era, Guyana transitioned from a Centrally Command and Bankrupt State to a mixed economic system with more predominant features of a market economy. Guyana’s debt-to-GDP stood at over 900% at one time in our history (over three decades ago).

The argument put forward by Tom Sanzillo et.al on the Newsmakers interview are evidently not grounded in empiricism. The views expressed are woefully uninformed. The government of the day has a good understanding of the peculiar challenges for the country’s development and economic transformation. Those challenges are being addressed frontally. Notably, work is currently ongoing to develop, update, strengthen and enhance all of the requisite frameworks including the legislative framework―that will enable the next wave of development towards the latter half of the decade and onwards.

BACKGROUND

In a panel interview aired recently by “The Newsmakers” on the topic “Will Guyana’s oil wealth bring prosperity or turmoil”, in a typical white supremacist style, Tom Sanzillo pronounced his views on Guyana’s oil and gas industry. Sanzillo argued that Guyana does not need the road networks and gas-to-shore project that the country is advancing. He further argued that the Natural

Resource Fund (NRF) is not designed to build up savings at the outset similar to Norway. Instead, he contended that the government is utilising the funds to expend on capital projects solely to retain political power. This type of behavioral posture by Sanzillo is unarguably highly misinformed, mischievous, divorced from reality and the Guyanese context altogether. And worse, Sanzillo is given a platform in Guyana by Guyanese to propagate this sort of “white supremacists” commentary. Additionally, the other panelists on the interview held the collective view that the Government of Guyana does not have a clear vision how to develop the country in a sustainable manner and how to confront the inherent developmental challenges. This article is dedicated, therefore, in response to the foregoing contentions by Tom Sanzillo et.al.

Discussion and Analysis

The NRF Fund and Withdrawal Rules

The withdrawal rules of the NRF are not designed to withdraw all of the funds especially as the balance in the fund starts to grow. The upfront drawdown from the fund is necessary to accelerate and advance Guyana’s development agenda in infrastructure (new roads and bridges, drainage & irrigation, social infrastructure, health care, education, national security, and ICT etc.) all aimed to modernise and transform the economy and diversify the economy away from oil and gas. This is in keeping with a sustainable development model, thus preventing the economy from being exposed to any significant risks of bankruptcy and external shocks.

Important to note as

well is that the investments of today are for the benefit of the future and present generations. The new four-lane roads that are being built, investment towards a modern education system, cheaper energy, etc., will be enjoyed by the present and future generations.

Given where Guyana is today and its development needs of today, the government cannot only save for the future generation, but has to invest in the facilities, infrastructure, education system etc., today, for the future generation to enjoy.

Economic History

To understand where the economy is projected to be in the future, one has to understand and appreciate its economic history. Historically, Guyana was once a Centrally Command State where more than 80% of the productive sectors were controlled by the State. In the post 1992 era, Guyana transitioned from a Centrally Command and Bankrupt State to a mixed-economic system with more predominant features of a free market economy. Guyana’s debt-to-GDP stood at over 900% at one time in our history (over three decades ago).

Current Economic Landscape

 The Debt-toGDP ratio is down from 900% more than three decades ago to less than

30% as of 2022.

 GDP grew from US$200 million to US$14 billion and nonoil GDP stood at US$5 billion as of 2022.

 Per capita income increase from less than US$500 in 1992 to US$9,000 as of 2022.

 The foreign reserves of the country stood at U$900 million at the end of 2022.

 The net foreign assets in the commercial banking sector stood at over US$400 million as of 2022.

 The incumbent Administration has managed to eradicate extreme poverty over the past three decades.

 From more than 90% poverty over the last three decades, poverty levels is not an estimated 40% of the population (based on dated studies).

Development Challenges

 Historically many attempts to destabilize the Government, political instability.

 High energy cost inhibiting private sector growth, infrastructure deficit.

 Human capital deficit where less than 5% of the labour force possess a tertiary level

designed to equip the future labour force with the skills and competences for the future economy,  Government is aiming to provide free tertiary education by 2025,

 Affordable housing across the country targeting 50,000 new homes by 2025,

education; historically, owing to Guyana’s economic, political, and social challenges there were mass emigration.

 Improving the ease of doing business.

Development Needs

Accelerating Guyana’s development needs essentially means accelerating the strategies that have been developed decades ago that were not fully accomplished due to the development challenges highlighted above. Guyana’s Development needs have been well articulated and identified since 1996 in the National Development Strategy of 1996, National Competitiveness Strategy (2006), Low Carbon Development Strategy (2009) now being updated and expanded. The development needs of the country can be summarized as follows:

 Currently, Guyana has a major infrastructure deficit: Infrastructure needs include roads, bridges, ports, moving development towards the South (inland), new Secondary City to be developed (Silica City);

 Climate resilient infrastructure,

 Modern Public Health Care and Infrastructure,

 Making Education affordable and accessible, overhaul the Education curriculum,

 Strengthening National Security,  Investing in people, human resources especially within the public sector, better wages, salaries, and working conditions.

 In terms of the skills deficit, Government is confronting this by making available over 20,000 scholarships by 2025, free tertiary Education, investing in non-academic training such as TVET, and in the interim, an immigration policy is being developed. In the absence of an immigration policy, however, expatriates are filling the gap in the private sector, and this is not only in the oil and gas sector, but across other sectors.

Economic Transformation

Major transformational projects include but are not limited to:

 The gas-to-shore project aimed at reducing energy cost by 50%. It should be noted that this is not the only benefit this project will derive once implemented. A cost benefit analysis done by this author about a year ago showed that the savings in the country’s fuel import bill, export earnings from exporting the liquefied natural gas (once there is excess), cheaper cooking gas for domestic use, and the potential positive impact on the manufacturing sector―can translate to an estimated US$1 billion in net benefit annually to the economy.

 Economic trans-

doesn’t need new roads and Gas-to-Shore…

In typical white supremacist style...

FROM PAGE 11

formation within the framework of the inevitable structural transformation of the economy from a largely primary producing economy to a tertiary producing econ-

omy. Major focus and investment in economic diversification, Agriculture, Agro-processing, the Services Industry, Manufacturing, ICT, and Eco-Tourism.

 Regional food

and energy security agenda to tap into a US$5b and US$9b market, respectively.

The Capital Budget

The capital budget is premised on a national development frame -

work which began three decades ago under the incumbent government, viz-á-viz, the National Development Strategy (NDS) (1996). The NDS is a seven-volume document with over 3,000 pages. If one were to peruse this document one would recognize that all of the infrastructure and physical development program, in particular, the tourism development strategy among other things that the Government is advancing, were all identified in that NDS framework. The need to revisit the feasibility of reintroducing railway network s with respect to the development of the transportation sector– aimed at reducing the logistical cost in transporting goods in bulk across the country and of course connecting the country through rail networks once again to enable cost effective and efficient movement of goods and people, is articulated in the NDS.

It is worth noting at this point that in respect of reintroducing railways, beyond connecting the country through rail networks, Guyana is now in a position where over the long term, policymakers may need to consider inte -

grating Guyana in South America through rail networks which will open up new opportunities and access to a larger market within the South American continent. The NDS, over the years was subsequently complemented by the National Competitiveness Strategy (NCS), the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) which has been recently updated and expanded to include the blue economy, and the manifesto commitments of the Government upon which it was elected.

Cost of Living

The Government implemented several measures to combat the cost-of-living issue which is largely impacted by external factors within the global economy. To this end, the inflationary pressure is driven by two forces: (1) imported inflation attributable to the fact that Guyana imports more than 80% of consumption goods, intermediate and capital goods. This aspect of inflation is impacted by events in the global economy such as supply chain disruptions leading to cost push inflation and demand-pull inflation. (2) Secondly, the inflationary impact within the domestic economy is driven by strong domestic demand across all sectors as demonstrated by the vibrant double-digit growth in the overall economy and in the non-oil sectors. The total estimated cost of the COL measures implemented by the government in terms of direct cost to the treasury and foregone revenue to the treasury–is approximately $89 billion. This represents 11.3% of the total budget, 28% of current revenue, and 43% of the NRF withdrawal to finance budget 2023.

Contrary to the views expressed by the hostess on the Newsmakers interview that cost of living in Guyana has soared, infla-

tion at the end-2022 was an estimated 7.2%, 1.5 percentage points below the global average of 8.7%. Of note, this achievement is attributed to the COL interventions by the government. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Turkey recorded higher inflation rates in 2022 of 10.1%, 7.6% and 79.6% respectively, just to name a few.

Concluding Remarks

With all of the aforementioned in mind, the argument put forward by Tom Sanzillo et.al on the Newsmakers interview are evidently not grounded in empiricism. The views expressed are woefully uninformed. The government of the day has a good understanding of the peculiar challenges for the country’s development and economic transformation. Those challenges are being addressed frontally. Notably, work is currently ongoing to develop, update, strengthen and enhance all of the requisite frameworks including the legislative framework―that will enable the next wave of development towards the latter half of the decade and onwards.

About the Author

Joel Bhagwandin is a public policy/financial analyst―and an experienced financial professional with more than fifteen years’ experience in the financial sector, corporate finance, financial management, consulting, and academia. He is actively engaged in providing insights and analyses on a range of public policy, economic and finance issues in Guyana over the last six years. He has authored more than 300 articles covering a variety of thematic areas. Joel has also written extensively on the oil and gas sector. (Author’s professional profile on LinkedIn can be accessed here: https://www.linkedin. com/in/joel-bhagwandin-57481470/.)

Gov’t investing $2.2B to expand Eccles water treatment plant

SOME 40,000 residents from Eccles to Providence on the East Bank Demerara are being provided with an increased level

Close to $200 million was invested to complete the Eccles well, while some $2 billion are being expended to complete ongo-

tive Director of Projects, Marlon Daniels, during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Friday at GWI’s Sh elterbelt, Vlissengen Road. Additionally, residents will receive water service for a minimum of 18 to 20 hours daily.

With the expansion of the plant, close to 7,000 residents will have an improved level of treated water and service.

of water supply following the completion of the new well and expansion of the water treatment plant.

ing works at the treatment plant.

The disclosure was made by GWI’s Execu -

He further noted that the well, which was completed about a month ago, is capable of delivering approximately 240 cubic metres of water per hour. Some $17.7 billion were allocated in the 2023 budget to further improve access to potable water across the country.

GWI’s Executive Director of Projects, Marlon Daniels

Tagman Technology inks partnership with brand developer Ingram Micro

TAGMAN Technology, a leading provider of innovative digital solutions in Guyana, has partnered with supply chain and the technology brand developer Ingram Micro, to bring a new level of digital transformation and state-of-theart solutions to organisations in Guyana.

This collaboration brings several key benefits, including an expanded product portfolio featuring renowned vendors like Microsoft, Adobe, Google, Dell, Apple, and Cisco.

Tagman Technology is a company that evolved from a merger between Tagman Media Inc. and Housty Designs, and is dedicated to implementing innovative and sustainable digital solutions that enhance industry operations.

Ingram Micro has operations in over 60 countries, with over 27, 000 associates, covering six continents.

According to a press release from Tagman, through the partnership, Tagman

Technology and Ingram Micro will be able to bring together their extensive knowledge, expertise, and resources of the two companies and combine their unique strengths of to set up a new benchmark for excellence in

the technology landscape in Guyana

“With the support of Ingram Micro's global distribution network and profound expertise in IT, Tagman Technology is poised to enhance its service offerings

and expand its capabilities to better serve clients' evolving needs,” the statement said. It further noted that “With enhanced logistics and support powered by Ingram Micro's robust supply chain capabilities, Tagman

Technology ensures efficient product delivery and exceptional post-sales assistance.

Leveraging Ingram Micro's extensive distribution network spanning over 160 countries, Tagman Technology gains a global presence,

opening doors to new market opportunities. By combining their expertise, Tagman Technology and Ingram Micro accelerate clients' digital transformation initiatives, unlocking efficiencies, enhancing agility, and providing a competitive edge.”

CEO of Tagman Technology, Alex Graham called the collaboration powerful synergy between two industry leaders committed to driving digital transformation in Guyana.

“Through our expanded capabilities and access to a broader range of transformative technology solutions, we are confident in our ability to deliver exceptional value and help our clients achieve their digital objectives," Graham is quoted in the statement as saying.

“Tagman Technology and Ingram Micro are poised to reshape Guyana’s digital landscape, providing cutting-edge solutions and unparalleled service to propel organisations into the future.”

Mocha to Eccles road nearing completion

MOST of the major road works being done in and around communities on the East Bank of Demerara are steering towards com-

pletion and the Eccles to Mocha road is progressing smoothly.

So far, drains have been dug on both sides of the bridge, and sand

has been placed evenly where the road will be. Additionally, concrete walkways on both sides of the road, and a concrete bridge-like struc-

ture have been built, linking persons to the work site.

While it is unclear when the road will be completed, work is

moving along smoothly and will be of great benefit to residents of those communities upon completion.

It was previously reported that the new road will be connected to the other phase of the bypass coming from Mandela Avenue to Eccles, Haags Bosch road. From Haags Bosch, the new link will intersect with “red road” and pass through lands that were previously slated for house lots, before connecting with Mocha and onto Great Diamond, with efforts continuing for the completion of the interlink road.

The Government of Guyana has remained committed to bettering the lives of Guyanese in any way they can; this includes construction of the four-lane, Eccles to Great Diamond highway and also on the East Bank.

The governing People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government had included in their 2020 to 2025 manifesto the four-lane highway from Georgetown to Timehri, under the heading, “Infrastructure Boom: Building for the Future.”

Some 12 contractors signed contracts for more than $13 billion for construction of the Eccles to Great Diamond interlink road, which will provide linkage to the Eccles to Mandela Avenue fourlane highway.

This is scheduled to be completed by August 2023. President Irfaan Ali had previously emphasized the traffic ease that commuters would enjoy as a result of the alternate road, given the major congestion currently being experienced on the East Bank corridor.

Tagman Technology CEO, Alex Graham, (centre) and other representatives from Tagman and Ingram Micro

Work is ongoing on the new Eccles to Mocha road on the East Bank of Demerara (Photos: Adrian Narine)

Multimillion-dollar luxury hotel to be constructed at Da Silva Street

By Cindy Parkinson

MOTIVATED by the continuous growth of the local economy and a conducive business environment, the Sheriff Group of Companies is sparing no effort to enhance its investment portfolio in Guyana, and will soon add a multimillion-dollar luxury hotel at Da Silva Street, Newtown, to its list of ventures.

One of Sheriff’s proprietors, Ameir Ahmad, during an exclusive interview with the Sunday Chronicle,

said that due to the increasing demand for lodging brought on by

the economy's exponential expansion, the company is building the new luxury hotel in Georgetown.

According to the businessman, the structure, which will contain 20 luxurious, self-contained rooms with all amenities, will cater to both long and shortterm customers, and it is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2024. He also added that the modern facility will be offered at an affordable rate.

Ameir disclosed that the cost of the three-storey hotel is

over US$2.5 million.

And while the obvious aim, as is the case with every business person, is to make profits, their brand also recognises and takes pride in knowing that through their investments, regardless of how "big or small," it provides them with an avenue to give back to the country and its people by creating jobs and other direct and spin-off opportunities.

Ahmad said: "We are investing billions in hospitals, hotels, casinos, shopping malls, and security firms, just to name a few, but we are also building smaller, modern hotels that every local or international person can afford to relax and be comfortable in without spending a ton of money.

The facility will feature adequate parking facilities for customers, greenery overhanging on the balcony, and a pool on the ground floor for relaxation.

“With this hotel, we have also looked at the location and realised that the structure will enhance the landscape of the community, as well as create jobs for people within that neighbourhood as well.”

Such facilities are ideal, especially given the fact that Guyana is hosting the CPL finals and Cricket Carnival, which would attract a significant number of visitors. This is coupled with the now common demand for accommodation by expats working offshore and onshore in Guyana’s oil and gas sector.

Although there is a large market, Ahmad said the intention is to build affordable and modern facilities.

“Building more affordable and modern accommodations is a

ing US$100 million in Palmyra, Berbice, to construct a 150-room hotel and casino.

The investors said the state-of-the-art facility is slated to be completed by Decem-

plus for us. Not only in Georgetown but throughout Guyana, we are developing as a country, and we in the private sector have to play our part as well,” the businessman said.

He added: “The president of Guyana (Dr. Irfaan Ali) and his government are doing an amazing job, but we have to play our role too; it is the only way that we can continue to progress in a faster and more meaningful way."

In April of this year, the Sheriff Group of Companies announced that it would be invest-

ber 2024. A home away from home is what the luxury hotel and casino aims to offer.

The company believes that this investment will not only aid Guyanese but also the local tourism sector.

Ahmad said, "We are investing a large chunk of our budget that was supposed to be for the next five years, but we have decided to put a large portion into Berbice. We are taking a lot of risks in Berbice and hope that the Berbicians will support us."

A model of the US$2.5 million hotel on Da Silva Street

Construction is ongoing at the side of the hotel (Adrian Narine photo)

Ameir Ahmad of the Sheriff Group of Companies

Soldier remanded for murder of colleague

BRIAN Morrison, 25, a solider of Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara, was charged with murder after being accused of fatally injuring a fellow colleague at the Guyana Defence Force's (GDF) Camp Stephenson base.

Private Morrison is accused of shooting Tevon Daymon with an AK-47 rifle last Monday.

He appeared at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court before

Senior Magistrate Sunil Scarce where the charge was read to him and he was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

He was then remanded to prison and the matter was adjourned to July 31, 2023 for disclosure of statements.

According to the GDF, Private Daymon died on Monday morning while receiving medical treatment at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, East Bank Demerara. The GDF

said preliminary investigation revealed that Private Daymon was shot by Morrison, while they were performing security duties at the base.

Reports indicated that

the two had a disagreement during the early hours of Monday when a fight ensued. Unfortunately, this resulted in Morrison grabbing a weapon and further pursued Private Daymon, during which he shot him some 27 times.

The GDF noted that a Board of Inquiry was convened to investigate the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting of Private Daymon.

$18M in narcotics seized in Republic Park

- two suspects arrested

FOLLOWING an intelligence-led operation led by Commander Regional Division 4B, Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh, law enforcement officials made a significant breakthrough with the discovery of $18M worth of narcotics.

Two men are in custody pending further investigations and charges. Police in a release noted that the operation, which took place on June 14th at approximately 17:30 hours, resulted in the arrest of two male suspects who are now in custody pending further investigations and charges.

Acting on credible information, a team of policemen, led by Senior Superintendent Singh, descended upon Republic Park, East Bank Demerara.

Their search focused on the storage room of a property, where an astonishing find awaited them. Four 45-gallon barrels, carefully concealed, contained several bulky plastic bags wrapped meticulously with transparent scotch tape. Upon closer examination, it was revealed that these parcels concealed a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems believed to be cannabis.

During the operation, the suspects were present and informed of the suspicions against them. Despite the caution, they chose to remain silent, leading to their immediate arrest.

Further investigation led the authorities to a motorcar with the licence plate PVV 810, parked on the bridge adjacent to the property. The vehicle was subjected to a thorough search, resulting in the discovery of another bulky plastic bag containing a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis.

The two apprehended individuals were promptly escorted to the Diamond Police Station, where the seized narcotics underwent careful weighing. The stash found in the motorcar weighed approximately 2,900 grams, while the narcotics discovered in the storage room amounted to a staggering 48,750 grams.

The total estimated street value of the confiscated narcotics is $18.7 million. The success of this operation would not have been possible without the ongoing support and co-operation of the public in the fight against illicit drugs.

Remanded: Brian Morrison

Dead: Tevon Daymon

The barrels and plastic bags of seized narcotics

$53.4M in contracts awarded for infrastructural development in Region Two

MORE infrastructural enhancements will soon take place across Region Two, following the award of three contracts valuing $53.4 million for significant projects at Golden Fleece, Windsor Castle and Charity.

a revetment totaling $31.9 million.

The project which was awarded to R.I.V.A Investment by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NTAB), is expected to

awarded to A. Bacchus Contracting and Trucking Service, and will see a new concrete structure being built with concrete drains on both sides.

The contract will also cater for the construction

Housing Scheme, Charity. The street will be upgraded using concrete and will provide easy access to residents.

At the signing ceremony was Regional Engineer Kawan Suchit; Civil Engineer, Harindra Nandalall;

an engineer from the Anna Regina Town Council, Brian Alves and Superintendent of Roads, Saywack Persaud.

The contracts were signed at the project sites and the bill of quantities were given to residents.

The regional officials visited the sites and interacted with residents who expressed gratitude for the projects.

More developmental contracts are expected to be signed in the region within the coming weeks.

Officials at Charity where a contract was awarded

The contract was recently signed by the contractors and the region’s Regional Executive Officer, Susanah Saywack.

At Golden Fleece, there will be the construction of

be completed within four months.

At Windsor Castle, $10.7 will be spent to upgrade Tomesh Street.

This project, which is expected to be completed within three months, was

of walkways to allow for easy commute for residents.

Lastly, Golden Key Construction and Supply was awarded a $10.8 million contract to updade the second cross street, Old

Four ‘teens’ remanded over fire at Karasabai girls’ hostel

FOUR teenaged boys of Region Nine who were arrested on June1, 2023 were recently charged jointly with the offence of ‘setting fire to a building contrary to Section 140 of the Crim-

sabai, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) on June 1.

Reports indicated that their arrests resulted from the four boys allegedly issuing threats to torch the

school girls’dormitory which claimed the lives of 20 individuals.

They appeared at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court on 13th June 2023, before Magistrate Allan Wilson, where the charge was read to them and they were not required to plead to the indictable charge.

According to the law, a court-appointed doctor will carry out an evaluation/assessment to determine the competency of the teens involved. All four boys were placed in the custody of the State and are currently remanded at the Juvenile Holding Centre.

inal Law (Offences) Act 08:01’.

They are charged for allegedly setting fire to St Angela's Girls’ Hostel in Kara-

facility, after being scolded by caretakers. However, no one was injured in the fire, but it came just a week after a fire at Mahdia Secondary

The case was postponed to 13th July 2023 at the Lethem Magistrate's Court for report.

Improved vigilance by law-enforcement agencies necessary to eliminate TIP

EVEN as Guyana continues to maintain the Tier One ranking for its efforts to combat trafficking in persons (TIP), the government is urging law-enforcement agencies to remain vigilant in addressing new and evolving cases.

The Ministry of Home Affairs press statement recently, the Ministerial Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons said the government continues to face challenges with the increased use of online platforms by traffickers

to coerce and recruit those most susceptible and vulnerable.

As such, the government will remain steadfast in its approach to countering this crime locally.

“Therefore, it is imperative that law-enforcement officials remain vigilant in addressing new and evolving criminal patterns and adapt their responses to investigate and prosecute human traffickers from acting with impunity,” the statement added.

The task force will also expand its partnerships to include more stakeholders in the coming months. Meanwhile, the Guyana Police Force Trafficking in Persons Unit has been making strides in countering the crime. In the first half of 2023, the unit investigated 21 reported TIP cases, of which 244 alleged victims were interviewed and screened, 23 being under the age of 18.

Additionally, five persons were officially charged and placed before the court between January – May 2023 for offences ranging from trafficking in persons, assault, forgery of currency notes and the operation of a brothel.

“The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has recommended that one of the alleged perpetrators, who was charged and sentenced to prison for the operation of a Brothel in May 2023, be further charged with two (2) counts of trafficking in persons. The Guyana Po-

lice Force TIP Unit will institute these charges shortly,” the statement noted.

The ministerial task force is building capacity in this area. Over 170 law- enforcement and community policing groups were trained on the indicators of human trafficking and migrant smuggling along with national referral mechanisms in place to report such acts.

Awareness and sensitisation sessions were done with several secondary school students in Regions One, Three, Four and Six through a collaboration of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Guyana Police Force and Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU). Persons are encouraged to continue to report suspected instances of trafficking in persons, utilising the 24-hour English or Spanish TIP Hotline numbers, 227-4083 /623-5030 or 624-0079 (Spanish) or the nearest police station. (DPI)

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud

Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn

Lower Corentyne Secondary beat Port Mourant Secondary to lift the title

— Ramjit grabs six wickets

A destructive spell of off-spin bowling by Deeraj Ramjit led Lower Corentyne Secondary School (LCSS) to an easy eight-wicket victory over arch rivals Port Mourant Secondary (PMSS) to lift the championship trophy for the Berbice Cricket Board-organised ARMCO Ltd tournament.

The tournament was for secondary schools in the Lower Corentyne area and was sponsored by Mr Armand Ramdial , a popular contractor of Kildonan village.

Playing in front of a sizeable crowd, Lower Corentyne Secondary won the toss and elected to put PMSS to take first strike. They were bowled out for 98 in the allotted 25 overs. The match was reduced to 25 overs from the original 30 due to CSEC exams at both schools.

Ravin Budwah top scored with 34 while Romesh Bharrat and Matthew Pottaya each scored 10 in a disappointing batting display by the strong PMSS team. Bowling for LCSS, Ramjit had the remarkable figures of 6 for 14 from five overs.

In reply, LCSS cruised to an eight-wicket victory as Ari Afrizal Kadir struck a solid 56 not out; he received support from Nyron Hicks 13 and Devin Lalbeharry 12

not out. Romel Budwah was the only successful bowler for PMSS. It was a sweet revenge for LCSS, who last week lost the RHTYSC/ GBTI title to their arch rivals at the same venue.

BCB president, Hilbert Foster, congratulated his former school on winning the Lower Corentyne title and urged them to continue training for the overall Berbice championship to be played later in the year. The respective champions of the four sub zones: West Berbice, New Amsterdam/ Canje, Lower Corentyne and Upper Corentyne will play in a knockout event to determine the overall Berbice champions.

Foster stated that he was very proud that cricket is back at the school level once again and called on the players to take advantage of the BCB investment in the game.

RACING TIPS

Stuart Broad offers no excuses for England errors against Australia

By Stephan ShemiltChief cricket writer at Edgbaston

STUART Broad said there was "no excuse" for his no-ball that bowled Usman Khawaja, one of four England errors on the second day of the first Ashes Test.

Khawaja was on 112 when Broad overstepped and will begin day three on 126 with Australia 311-5, 82 behind.

He also expressed thanks to the sponsor for his support of Berbice cricket .The BCB, as part of its developmental programme, had donated over $2m worth of cricket uniforms to over twenty schools in the county, along with balls.

Each school also received a supply of gear to assist them. Bush Lot Secondary last week had won the West Berbice leg of the countywide tournament while the New Amsterdam/ Canje finals will be played this week between Vryman’s Erven and the Berbice Educational Institute at the Rose Hall Canje Ground.

LCSS received $50,000 worth of educational materials and the runner-up thirty $30,000. Ramjit carried home $5,000 worth of materials and a medal for his man-of-the final award.

Portugal win as Ronaldo collects his 199th cap

CRISTIANO Ronaldo won his 199th Portugal cap as his side cruised past Bosnia-Herzegovina to maintain their winning streak in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

Bruno Fernandes set up Bernardo Silva who opened the scoring with a chipped effort in the 44th minute.

Fernandes added a second through a 77th minute header and a third in the closing stages with a sweet strike.

Ronaldo had a first-half header ruled out for offside at Estadio da Luz.

Portugal stay top of Group J having won all three

of their matches.

Coming into the fixture in Lisbon, Al Nassr's Ronaldo, 38, had scored four goals across two European Championship qualifiers in March.

He was fractionally offside when he nodded home

Joao Cancelo's cross in the 23rd minute, but Portugal were able to canter to victory

Cristiano

for Portugal

without their talisman among the goals.

Bosnia-Herzegovina are now fourth, four points behind second-placed Slovakia. The visitors could have taken the lead midway through the first half but Edin Dzeko volleyed over when unmarked in the box. (BBC Sport).

10:05

10:40 hrs Call Me Master

Canadian Racing Tips

Woodbine

Race 1 Chasing Trouble

Race 2 Morstachy'vs

Race 3 Tory's Holiday

Race 4 Souped Up

Race 5 My Boy Prince

American Racing Tips

Belmont

Race 1 Wine On Tap

Race 2 Pleasant Passage

Race 3 Ministerial

Race 4 Brennan's War

Race 5 Gem Mint Ten

Jonny Bairstow also missed two chances behind the stumps and there was an edge past slip Joe Root late on Saturday.

"It's really frustrating," Broad told Test Match Special. "I got tight to the line and it was a close decision."

England collectively bowled 13 no-balls, their most in an innings since Ben Stokes took over as captain at the beginning of last summer. Broad was responsible for six of those, the most he has ever bowled in a Test innings.

On another compelling day at Edgbaston, England reduced Australia to 148-4 and 220-5 in response to the hosts' 393-8 declared.

But Bairstow, preferred behind the stumps to Ben Foakes, missed a stumping off Cameron Green's second ball, with the all-rounder going on to make 38 in a stand of 72 with Khawaja.

Then, Alex Carey was dropped on 26 by Bairstow and missed on 46 by Root. Carey remains unbeaten on 52, his partnership with Khawaja worth an unbroken 91.

"We did create enough chances to probably bowl

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Sunday June 18, 2023)

CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD

- 83 Garnett Street, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to Sunday’s quiz:

(1) Jack Hobbs - 3636 runs

(2) Don Bradman - 5028 runs

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Who has claimed most Test wickets for ENG against AUST to date?

(2) Who has taken most Test wickets for AUST against ENG to date? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Australia out today, but also, really it doesn't strike me as a sort of pitch on day two where you would be looking to get 10 wickets in a day," said Broad.

Michael Vaughan, who led England to Ashes victory in 2005, had concerns over their preparation for this series.

Bairstow has only been back playing for a month after nine months out with a broken leg, while Root had been a reserve for Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals for most of April and May.

England beat Ireland inside three days at the beginning of the month as their only warm-up for the Ashes, then some of the players spent the week before the first Test playing golf in Scotland.

"The concentration element of fielding and being out there for long periods, you get that by playing cricket and that's my only concern," said Vaughan.

"The freedom of the mind and the culture England have created is fantastic. I love it. But having the body prepared for longer periods, you only get that by playing cricket.

"England will be rueing four missed chances. On this pitch, which is very flat, my concern is their bodies. In that final session they looked jaded and this is their first day in the dirt of a five-match series over six weeks."

Earlier in the day, Broad had his old nemesis David Warner chop onto the stumps to dismiss the Australia opener for the 15th time in Test cricket.

From the next ball, Broad found the outside edge of Marnus Labuschagne, with Bairstow taking a super catch.

And, despite the missed chances, the 36-year-old still believes England are in a strong position.

"We had a really good day," he said. "The game is nicely poised. We are 82 runs ahead, one or two wickets away from the tail.

"It has been a hard gruelling day on a pitch that offered very little but being in this position is a really positive place to be."(BBC Sport)

LCSS captain Damion Cecil receives the winner’s trophy from Anand Ramdial of ARMCO Ltd

Ronaldo is the all-time international record scorer with 122 goals in 199 caps

Shanto, bowlers shine as Bangladesh create history in Dhaka

TWIN hundreds by Najmul Hossain Shanto, coupled with a strong collective bowling effort, helped Bangladesh register a crushing 546-run win over Afghanistan in the one-off Test at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday.

The victory margin is Bangladesh's best in Tests in terms of runs and the thirdbest overall in Test history. It is also the biggest margin of victory since the 20th century in red-ball cricket.

Resuming at 45/2, it needed something miraculous for Afghanistan to even take the game deep into the fourth day, let alone drag the match into Day 5. In the end, a session is all they could manage as Bangladesh's bowlers ruthlessly sliced through the inept batting lineup. Having endured a rusty first innings with the ball, Taskin Ahmed led the show with career-best figures of

4/37 as the hosts made short work of the task at hand.

Brief scores: Bangladesh

382 (Shanto 146, Zakir 76; Masood 5-79) and 425/4 decl (Shanto 124, Mominul 121*, Zakir 71) lead Afghanistan

146 (Zazai 36, Jamal 35;

Ebadot 4-47) and 115 (Rahmat 30, Taskin 4-37, Shoriful 3-28) by 546 runs

Only three Afghanistan batters got to double figures - a stat that should tell you all that is needed to know.

Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi couldn't recover from the concussion suffered last evening and his replacement Bahir Shah didn't trouble the scorers too much either. Everything fell into place for Bangladesh who had a near perfect Test match right from the time they opted to bat on the first day. Shanto's twin hundreds were the highlight of their batting performances in each innings while Zakir Hasan

also chipped in with fifties in both innings. For Afghanistan, debutant Nijat Masood's fifer in the first innings was probably their only bright spot in the game. Their batters were unable to cope with Bangladesh's pacers on an unusually pacy Dhaka surface that also had extra bounce for the fast bowlers.

Ebadot Hossain's fourfer set the ball rolling for the hosts in the first innings, much like Taskin's in the second essay. Bangladesh had the chance to enforce the follow-on but instead opted to bat again and ground the Afghanistan bowlers to dust. Before the start of day four, a Bangladesh win was inevitable and it was more about how quickly they could get the job done. In a game that lasted ten sessions, Afghanistan batted just 72 overs. (Cricbuzz).

VMFA teams up with Spotlight Initiatives to eliminate violence against Women and Girls

THE Vurlon Mills Football Academy (VMFA) teamed up with the Spotlight Initiative (SI) as part of the SI's overall goal to eliminate violence against women and girls. Coaches and staff of the VMFA participated in a Gender-based Violence (GBV) sensitisation session yesterday at the UN House, Duke Street, Kingston.

The European Union (EU) - United Nations (UN) Spotlight Initiative was conceptualised and developed out of an urgent need to engage in a global strategic plan to address the scourge of all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG).

In Guyana, 20 per cent of women have experienced non-partner sexual abuse in their lifetime and 1 in 2 women will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime.

According to statistics published by the Spotlight

Nathan DeNobrega is highest ranked Guyanese Junior tennis player

…heads to Dominican Republic on June 23

Initiative, which has a community-level focus within Regions 1, 4, 6, and 7 to address GBV and VAWG across six thematic areas of intervention: Legal and Policy Framework, Institutions, Prevention and Norm Change, Quality Services, Data and Women’s Movement.

Founder and CEO of the VMFA, Vurlon Mills, expressed his gratitude to the Spotlight Initiative for facilitating this very important session and said, “the knowl-

edge gained will better equip the staff and coaches to work with children and we are now much more knowledgeable on GBV. The academy will continue to look for more opportunities to educate the staff, coaches and members of the academy.”

The session was coordinated by the Spotlight initiative and facilitated by Ms. Natalia Isava GBV – Project Officer with the UNFPA and Dr. Cona Husbands –Gender-based Violence Specialist/Manager (ag) Sexual

Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.

The Vurlon Mills Football Academy operates at the Saints Ground, Carifesa Avenue and was established in 2019, with the motto “Practice winning every day”. The academy has successfully facilitated football and personal development sessions for hundreds of children between the ages of 3 – 17 years old.

By Sean Devers

THE Rebel Tennis Club has been making their name known, both locally and Internationally.

In the recently concluded Sheltez tournament, the players of Rebel Tennis Club were dominant. It was an all Rebel semi-finals in the Boys U18, with Gerald Scotland taking the title and Denzel Luthers runner.

Nathan DeNobrega and Christin Richmond were crowned the Boys and Girls U14s champions, while Kimora Erskine and Niomi Erskine were winner and runners-up (respectfully) in the girls U12.

Nathan continued his winning record by taking the Boys under 14 consolation Title in Panama in May/June, in his first ever clay court event.

“Nathan, who was ranked number 18th in the COTECC ranking calendar as of April, is now ranked 15th.

This is a great achievement not only for our club but Guyana by extension, since this is highest rank a Guyanese has ever reached in recent times, said coach Andre Erskine. COTECC is made up of countries from the Caribbean, South America and Central America”

Nathan DeNobrega will also be heading to Dominican Republic on June 23rd, compliments of the Guyana Tennis Association.

Five of the Rebels Tennis Club’s players will also travel to Miami for training before they head off to their Caribbean tour.

The VMFA team at UN House, Duke Street, yesterday

Taskin Ahmed took career-best figures of 4 for 37 in the second innings. © AFP

Nathan DeNobrega is now the highest ranked Guyanese tennis player

'If we don't qualify, we go a step lower' - Carl Hooper on West Indies' 'distressing' position — ‘never thought I'd

FORMER West Indies captain and current assistant coach, Carl Hooper, has called the team's current position "distressing".

West Indies are ranked tenth right now in ODI cricket, below Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and will have to compete with nine other teams in Zimbabwe to qualify for the ODI World Cup, which will begin in October in India.

Earlier last year, West Indies had failed to make it out of the qualifier to the T20 World Cup proper in Australia, losing to Scotland and Ireland.

"The position hasn't changed," Hooper said ahead of the ODI World Cup qualifier in Harare. "The point is can we go lower than this? Yes, we can go lower than this and if we don't qualify, we go a step lower. Never thought that I'd live to see the day where West Indies are trying to qualify for major tournaments. I sat in Australia, and we struggled to get through it in the T20s and

trying

Sammy, as you know, is a fabulous, inspirational leader. Now he has been tasked, trying to get West Indies into the qualification, which will be massive for us. So, the energy so far in Dubai and with the other boys joining us here in Zimbabwe has been great. We're looking forward to the game on Sunday and I'm sure we will do well.

West Indies' 114-run win over UAE.

here we are in Zimbabwe.

"No disrespect to the other teams, but we're playing against the likes of the USA, Nepal and Scotland. Even Afghanistan is ahead of us, and Bangladesh has gone ahead of us. So, this is distressing, and can we go lower? Yes, we can go lower. This game continues to remind you that until you start doing the right things, you

Daren

can go lower. As I said before, I never thought I would live to see this day, but here I am in Zimbabwe, starting a game on Sunday. We've got to try and beat the USA." After West Indies crashed out of the T20 World Cup in Australia, Phil Simmons decided to step down as head coach and then Nicholas Pooran also gave up white-ball captaincy.

Sammy, Shai Hope, Hooper and Co. have tuned up for the World Cup Qualifier with a 3-0 sweep of the UAE earlier this month. West Indies have been bolstered further by the return of their IPL stars who had rested during the UAE tour.

"We're ready. I mean you get a feel, and you get a vibe for the energy in the team," Hooper said. "I think Daren

Hooper was also pleased with how some of West Indies' players have adapted quickly to the Harare conditions, despite not getting enough game time in the IPL. All-rounder Romario Shepherd, who got just one game at Lucknow Super Giants, hit the ground running in Harare, smacking 53 off 34 balls and then bowling three overs in West Indies' 91-run victory over Scotland in the warm-ups.

Rovman Powell, who played just three matches for Delhi Capitals for the IPL, got cracking with 105 off 55 balls, including eight sixes and as many fours, in

"What we've tried to do is guys who are going to be an integral part of our campaign get a chance to spend some time in the middle," Hooper said. "We've had quite a few players coming from the IPL. I believe five or six of the boys…while they've been involved in the IPL haven't played a lot apart from maybe Pooran. So, the important thing was to get them some time in the middle.

"Having said that, the games that we're going to play here in Zimbabwe are going to start pretty early in the morning. So, we noticed that in the two games we bowled, it certainly swung around. So, we've addressed that, and we've been having conversations, so there's not much you can do technically but you can I suppose raise an awareness of conditions and how we might approach them to get the best out of the batting group."(Cricinfo)

Sam satisfied with preparations for U-19 Ruggers

By Sean Devers

GUYANA’s U-19 Rugby team will head to Jamaica to compete in the Rugby America’s North (Rans) U-19 competition to held at UWI’s Mona Campus ground from July 12-17.

The 61-year-old former National Rugby player, Sherlock Sam, has been appointed Manager of the team and has been working along with Coach Larry Adonis and some senior players in getting the squad up to scratch for what is expected to be a tough trip to ‘Reggae Country.’

Sam, also known as Solomon, informed that a Captain should be appointed this week before the 23-man team is

— Captain to be named this week for trip to Jamaica

Sam said the biggest challenge for the GRFU is sponsorship in general to help build capacity in schools, grassroots community programmes and clubs.

“There is no rugby outside of Georgetown at the moment. We started a programme in Linden, Berbice, West Demerara, on the Linden Highway sometime back, but we were unable to maintain that programme due to lack of funding.

selected to depart Guyana on July 10.

Asked if he was satisfied with how preparations were going, Sam informed that he was.

“Yes, but there are a few

grey areas the coaches are still working on mainly on rucks/maul,” disclosed Sam who added that the GRFU’s budget is close to US$40,000.

“The Ministry of Culture, Youth & sports, Guy -

ana Olympics Association and RUGBY AMERICA NORTH(RAN) have provided much-needed funding, plus Corporate Guyana has been very generous,” stated the Team Manager.

“It's a new team playing in their first international tournament, so I won’t single out anyone. What we have is loads of hard workers going after a team effort,” posited Sam.

“There are only three clubs: the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force and the Panthers’ Rugby Club,” lamented Sam, who said that training sessions are being held in the National Park.

live to see the day where West Indies are

to qualify for major tournaments,’ assistant coach says

Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope are among the senior players in the side (AFP/Getty Images)

Guyana’s U-19 rugby squad after a triaining session at the National Park Manager Sherlock Sam

The Ashes 2023:

England defied by Usman Khawaja unbeaten 126 on second day

ENGLAND wasted chances and were defied by a classy century from Australia's Usman Khawaja on a riveting second day of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

Khawaja batted throughout the day for his unbeaten 126, the left-hander's first Ashes ton in England, guiding Australia to 311-5, just 82 runs adrift.

He was bowled by a Stuart Broad no-ball on 112, one of four errors from England that also included Jonny Bairstow missing two opportunities behind the stumps.

In an electrifying morning session, England used favourable overhead conditions to reduce the tourists to 67-3 in reply to their 393-8 declared.

The renewal of Broad's battle with David Warner resulted in a 15th dismissal in Test cricket and, next ball, Broad sent Edgbaston into rapture by having Marnus Labuschagne brilliantly caught by Bairstow.

Ben Stokes, proving his fitness to bowl, trapped Steve Smith lbw for 16.

But Khawaja stood firm, adding 81 with Travis Head, who made 50, and 72 with Cameron Green. Both Head and Green were removed by Moeen Ali on his return to Test cricket.

Even at 220-5, Australia were on the back foot, only for Khawaja to add another unbroken stand of 91 with Alex Carey, the beneficiary of a Bairstow drop in his 52 not out.

By the end, Australia had moved to a position from where they can take a first-innings lead, which could be crucial on an extremely dry pitch that seems set to deteriorate later in the match.

Tactical battle follows frantic first day

If day one was frantic from start to finish, this was a strategic battle, yet still every bit as compelling, dramatic and competitive.

Just as they were defensive in the field on Friday, Australia barely engaged in England's full-throttle approach. There were more maidens in the first three overs than the whole of day

Olympic great Allyson Felix calls for better maternity care for black women after Tori Bowie's death

one and Australia crawled at marginally more than two an over in the first session - and it played right into England's hands.

Stokes was relentlessly tinkering. Seven bowlers were employed in the first session, and the use of Harry Brook's medium pace inside the first hour stretched credulity. Smith was greeted by eight close catchers on his arrival.

Broad's dismissal of Warner was almost comical in its inevitability, followed by wild celebrations at the Labuschagne dismissal next ball. The Edgbaston roar returned when Stokes got Smith and for Moeen's important interventions.

But on such a placid surface, and with Khawaja fronting the Australian resistance, England needed to take all of their chances. The four mistakes - there was also an edge between Bairstow and slip Joe Root in the dying moments - could yet prove to be hugely costly.

Khawaja stands up in the chaos

Since being recalled in the last Ashes series, Khawaja has outperformed all of his Australia team-mates, but retained the stigma of an average below 18 in this country.

However, this was an assured century when Australia badly needed himKhawaja showing steel to be

the constant presence in the rearguard partnerships with Head, Green and Carey.

Khawaja is a beautifully languid player. When England's pace bowlers dropped short, he swivelled to pull. When Moeen was bowling, he chased down the pitch to hit straight, twice for six.

He reached his 15th Test hundred, and first Ashes century outside of Sydney, by late-cutting Stokes then celebrated passionately by throwing his bat into the air. At the end of the day, he took his daughter to the news conference.

Khawaja was, though, decisively beaten in Broad's first over with the second new ball. With the off stump pegged back, Khawaja's walk back to the pavilion was halted when the TV umpire detected the no-ball.

By that point, Carey had been let off on 26 by Bairstow off Root's off-spin and later, on 46, another edge off Moeen went between the keeper and Root, who was slow to move low to his right England's day of two halves

England were electrifying in the morning session, using some favourable overhead conditions that even the home side could not have predicted when they surprisingly declared on Friday.

After Australia resumed on 14-0, Warner had added only one to his overnight

eight when he played a wild hack at Broad and dragged on. Next ball, world number one-rated batter,, Labuschagne, poked at an out-swinger and was superbly caught one-handed by Bairstow.

Smith, so often England's tormentor, was easing himself in when he got into an awful position to Stokes. Even after seeing the review, Smith could not believe the decision.

From then on, England had to work much harder. Khawaja and Head frequently belted Moeen down the ground, only for Stokes to refuse to drop men out.

It worked when Head miscued to mid-wicket and Moeen followed with a beauty that turned to bowl Green through the gate. In his first Test in almost two years, Moeen performed admirably, getting through 29 overs.

Green should have been stumped off his second ball by Bairstow, who also missed the fine edge off Carey. Though Bairstow made 78 with the bat and took the spectacular catch off Smith, those mistakes add ammunition for those who believe Ben Foakes should be keeping wicket.

The dry conditions did little for James Anderson, while Ollie Robinson looked short of fitness. Mark Wood's pace was missed and Broad's overstep was a crucial error.(BBC Sport).

OILYMPIC great Allyson Felix has called for better maternity care for black women to ensure the death of team-mate Tori Bowie is "not in vain".

Bowie died at the age of 32 in May from complications in childbirth.

Of the four Americans who teamed up to win 4x100m relay gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics, three have nearly died or died while giving birth.

Felix gave birth at 32 weeks in 2018, having developed pre-eclampsia, and was "unsure if she was going to make it".

Her and Bowie's teammate Tianna Madison (formerly Bartoletta) said she nearly died during childbirth after going into labour at 26 weeks.

Writing for Time magazine, seven-time Olympic champion Felix said: "Three gold medallists from that 4x100m relay team in Rio set out to become mothers. All three of us - all Black women - had serious complications.

"Tori passed away. We're dealing with a black maternal health crisis. Here you have three Olympic champions and we're still at risk."

Felix, the most decorated US track and field athlete of all time, pointed to CDC data from 2021 which states the maternity mortality rate for black

women in the United States is 2.6 times higher than the rate for white women.

In the UK, data published by the University of Oxford in 2021 showed black women were four times more likely than white women to die in pregnancy and childbirth.

Felix said: "That needs to change, now, especially in light of Tori's tragic passing.

"Awareness is huge. Serena Williams had near-death complications during her pregnancy. Beyonce developed pre-eclampsia [a condition that causes high blood pressure during pregnancy and after labour].

"I hate that it takes Tori's situation to put this back on the map and to get people to pay attention to it. But oftentimes, we need that wake-up call."

Felix, 37, added she has a "very real concern" about having more children and called for the medical community to "do its part" and "hear the pain of black women".

"I'm hopeful that things can get better," she added.

"I'm hopeful that Tori, who stood on the podium at Rio, gold around her neck and sweetness in her soul, won't die in vain.(BBC Sport).

Usman Khawaja brings up his first Test century in England • (Getty Images)

Tori Bowie (left) died during childbirth while gold medalwinning team-mates Tianna Madison (formerly Bartoletta, second left)) and Allyson Felix (third left) had lifethreatening complications

Hope and Sammy confident ahead of opener against USA

HARARE, Zimbabwe, (CMC) – West Indies captain Shai

Hope and head coach Daren

Sammy exuded confidence on the eve of their opening match against the United States in the ICC Men’s One-day International Cricket World Cup Qualifier today in Zimbabwe. Hope and Sammy said the twotime World Cup champions will be hoping for a winning start to the tournament at the Takashinga Cricket Club in an effort towards punching their ticket to India 2023.

West Indies captain Shai

Hope (front left) and the captains of the other nine teams taking part in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. (ICC photo)

“Preparation has been going well,” Hope told ICC Media. “As a team, we are focusing on mindset and consistent execution. We have a number of impact players, so any one of them can win us a game at any stage of the tournament.”

The Caribbean side will enter the tournament in a good frame of mind after they swept hosts United Arab Emirates in three One-day Internationals in Sharjah without a several regulars before arriving for the tournament this two Saturdays ago.

At full strength for the Qual-

ifier, they brushed aside Scotland and the same opponents in two official warm-up matches during the past week.

“We want to go in the tournament and start really well, but I think, my guys, the way we’ve prepared, what I’ve seen, we’re ready to take on the challenges

the other teams going forward to us,” Sammy said during a news conference. “It’s about focusing on us and executing the plans that we have put in place, and so far I could see massive steps being taken in that direction.”

West Indies have been drawn in Group A for the Qualifier, alongside Nepal, Netherlands, United States, and hosts Zimbabwe.

After the Americans, they face Nepal on Thursday, June 22, at the Harare Sports Club, where they also face the Zimbabweans on Saturday, June 24, and the Netherlands on Monday, June 26.

The Caribbean side have never missed an ODI World Cup, though they were forced to go through the same tournament in the same place five years ago to qualify for England 2019, where they finished ninth.

Sammy said his side were under no illusions about the task ahead of them because all 10 teams taking part in the tourna-

ment wanted to qualify for the World Cup.

“You have got 10 teams and two spots available, so it’s about who wants it most, and for us, it’s one game at a time and the focus solely on (Sunday) is USA, and not looking too far ahead, but USA, what they bring, the challenges they bring to us, and make sure we we don’t let that get the better of us,” he said.

The top three sides in each group will advance to the Super Six stage, with the bottom two sides in each group playing off to decide the seventh to 10th placings.

At the Super Six stage, the teams will play the three qualifiers from the other group, with the two results against teams from their own group carrying forward from the group stage.

The Super Six stage will commence on June 29, and for the first time in this tournament, DRS will be used for all matches from this stage onwards.

The top two teams after the Super Six stage will be able to book their tickets to India as the two qualifiers for the Cricket World Cup 2023.

They will also play off to be crowned Qualifier champions in the final on July 9.

Squads:

UNITED STATES (from): Monank Patel (captain), Aaron Jones (vice-captain), Abhishek Paradkar, Ali Khan, Gajanand Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Kyle Philip, Nisarg Patel, Nostush Kenjige, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Saurabh Netravalkar, Shayan Jahangir, Steven Taylor, Sushant Modani, Usman Rafiq.

WEST INDIES (from): Shai Hope (captain), Rovman Powell (vice-captain), Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd.

Archibald’s heroics in penalty shoot-out send through St Kitts & Nevis in Gold Cup

FORT LAUDERDALE,

Florida, (CMC) – A couple of daring saves from their captain and goalkeeper Julani Archibald enabled St Kitts & Nevis to upset Curaçao 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time in the first round of the preliminary stage in the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Friday in the United States.

Archibald blocked the first and four penalties from Kevin Felida and Vurnon Anita respectively, before Leandro Bacuna shot the fifth and final for the Concacaf 14th-ranked Curaçaoans over the crossbar to spark celebrations in the camp of the Sugar Boyz, as the Kittitians are known, appearing in the tournament at this stage for the first time.

For St Kitts & Nevis, Romaine Sawyer had his penalty blocked, but Mervin Lewis, Carlos Bertie, and Tyquan Terrell, their scorer in regulation time, were unerring and earned their 21st-ranked side a famous win in the nightcapper of a triple header at the DRV PNK Stadium.

Earlier, Concacaf No. 19 Guadeloupe easily eliminated No. 20 Antigua & Barbuda 5-0, and No. 12 Martinique had to dig deep to shake off No. 24 St Lucia 3-1 in the second match.

The results meant that St Kitts & Nevis, Guadeloupe, and Martinique move onto the second round of the preliminary stage to be played on Tuesday at the same venue.

Curaçao had only themselves to blame after taking a lead in the 22nd minute when Jurgen Locadia let loose a low strike from the top of the penalty area that barely made it past the fingertips of Archibald to secure his first international goal and give the Dutch side a 1-0 lead at half-time.

The Sugar Boyz played with a sense of purpose in the second half, and Omari Sterling-James almost found the equaliser in the 49th minute from long range, but Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room parried the ball away.

Curaçao still maintained control of the match, but they were able to break down the St Kitts & Nevis defence, and Archibald proved to be rock between the uprights, intercepting several crosses and chances that may have challenged a player of lesser calibre.

The Kittitians soaked up the pressure, and they got their breakthrough in the 83rd minute when Tiquanny Williams cut the ball back towards the penalty spot, and Terrell rocketed it straight into the top

corner of the net for a dramatic late equaliser.

Once the final whistle sound, the match proceeded to a penalty shoot-out, and the heroics of Archibald extended a lifeline to St Kitts & Nevis in the single elimination preliminary stage of the tournament.

In the second round, they will face the winner of the match between French Guiana and St Maarten playing on

Saturday.

In the day’s opener, five different players scored for the Gwada Boyz to prove the closeness of the two sides in the ranking was grossly misleading.

Steven Solvet directed a corner kick into the back of the net with a towering header in the 28th minute to give Guadeloupe the lead, and they were ahead 2-0 at halftime

after Jordan Tell pounced on a loose ball following a free kick from Andreaw Gravillon that curled around the Antigua & Barbuda wall and off the post mere seconds before the break.

In the second half, it was practically one-way traffic after a nifty chip from Steven Davidas extended the lead for Guadeloupe in the 55th minute.

Luther Archimede with

his first international goal in the 70th minute, and Matthias Phaeton in stoppage time completed the rout.

In the second round, Guadeloupe will meet the winner of the match between Guyana and Grenada playing on Saturday.

Martinique followed up with a hard fought win, needing two items in the final 15 minutes to send the St Lucians packing.

Karl Fabien gave Martinique the lead when he received the ball a little inside the penalty area and calmly finished past St Lucia netminder Vino Barclett into the side netting by the far post before looping corner kick presented Reeco Hackett-Fairchild with a chance to equalise, and he took his chance expertly in the 40th minute.

The two sides battled hard to separate themselves, but Martinique proved their pedigree when Anthony Labeau tidied up a cross from Enrick Reuperne and put them ahead again in the 75th minute before Patrick Burner sealed the deal with five minutes remaining.

In the second round, Martinique will play the winner of the match between Puerto Rico and Suriname playing on Saturday.

West Indies captain, Shai Hope (front left) and the captains of the other nine teams taking part in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe (ICC photo)

Teammates Romaine Sawyer (left) and Rowan Liburd (right) mob St Kitts & Nevis captain and goalkeeper Julani Archibald after they beat Curaçao 3-2 on penalties in the Concacaf Gold Cup on Friday at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. (Concacaf photo)

ExxonMobil U-14 schools football tournament

Waramuri Top girls, Bartica boys are 2023 champs

WARAMURI girls and Bartica boys are the respective champions of the 2023 ExxonMobil U-14 schools football tournament following the final

yesterday. Played at the Ministry of Education Ground Carifesta Avenue, the Waramuri Top primary girls laid waste to their President's College

opponents via a 4-1 margin. Meanwhile, Bartica boys stopped the day being a double for the region one side after they beat Waramuri 4-0.

The tournament was well attended by fans of all four schools competing in the finals as well as dignitaries, government officials and special invitees.

The tournament was sponsored by ExxonMobil with support from MVP sports and Demerara Distillers Limited.

It was organised by the

Petra organisation through support from the Ministry of Education.

Details in tomorrow's edition

Waramuri girls (right) and Bartica boys (left) are champions! (Adrian Narine photo)

One of the four goals scored by Bartica (Adrian Narine photo)