Guyana Chronicle news 18-07-2021

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18th July, 2021

No.106425

Extending cash grants to private schoolers being considered – Dr Jagdeo

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E-Networks plugs $1.2B into boosting internet services in Essequibo 03 PAGE

–– says the project answers President Ali’s call for better connectivity

Thousands of NIS claims 02 now resolved –– as gov’t intensifies efforts to clear backlog, PAGE

improve services for contributors

‘Optimal package’ for flood-relief being crafted 14 Retired judge heads Law 17 Reform Commission PAGE

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Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh addressing a citizen’s concern during an NIS outreach at the Giftland Mall on Saturday (Delano Williams photo)

Anyone can record the police in action – says Benn

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

Thousands of NIS claims now resolved –– as gov’t intensifies efforts to clear backlog, improve services for contributors

THERE has been a massive reduction in the number of outstanding claims at the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) over the past few months, as the organisation fo-

cuses its efforts on improving its services for contributors, according to Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for finance, Dr. Ashni

Singh.

Dr. Singh said this on Saturday on the sidelines of an outreach activity at the Giftland Mall that was organised by the NIS to meet with residents on the ground, and listen to their concerns in relation to any issues they may wish to address with the scheme.

“When the new Board was appointed in November last year, we had a stock of about 14,000 pending claims. We are down to about 3,000 or thereabouts, so we have managed to clear out quite a lot of the pending claims by resolving these,” the senior minister highlighted.

Addressing this significant amount of outstanding claims was identified as a priority for the current administration, since it was recognised that the issue was a source of great “frustration” for a number of citizens.

As a result, the Finance Minister related that the new administration of the body was tasked with rolling out more efficient services, and this has been yielding some successes.

In fact, Dr. Singh highlighted that one specific issue that has been of particular concern was the challenge with the untimely processing of life

Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh meets with persons during the NIS outreach at the Giftland Mall on Saturday certificates. On average, there were about 3,000 certificates that were not processed in a timely manner that would result in a pensioner receiving their pension late, or even dropping off the pensioners.

But, the Finance Minister said, “We have now reduced that to zero.”

That reduction, he explained, was a direct result of a new intervention employed by introducing WhatsApp video calls to have pensioners who live in Guyana and abroad verify their life certificates intermittently. Dr. Singh, however, said that the body has to continue its work to reduce the backlog of claims and resolve concerns, since there may be a large number of citizens

who may not have even been able to register their complaints, much less get those matters resolved.

It is for this reason, Dr. Singh said, that President Dr. Irfaan Ali mandated him to implement a nationwide series of outreach events to make the NIS’s services more accessible to the people. These outreaches are being done at convenient locations, such as the Giftland Mall, to address a diverse range of complaints and concerns.

According to a recent press release from the Ministry of Finance, the matters to be dealt with at the outreaches include compliance certificates, contribution statements, registration & replacement of NIS cards, signing and submission of

life certificates, submission of claims and benefits, and pension queries.

On Saturday, by about 13:00 hrs, it was reported that some 60 people had already been engaged on a myriad of concerns, and left very satisfied. Still, Dr. Singh said that the outreach efforts will continue until the “accumulated stock of issues” will have been reduced significantly.

Another outreach similar to the one held on Saturday at the Giftland Mall is scheduled for today at the car park at Parika in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) from 10:00 hrs to 16:00 hrs. Additional outreach locations and dates are expected to be announced later.

NIS staff helping citizens at the Giftland Mall on Saturday (Delano Williams photos)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

E-Networks plugs $1.2B into boosting internet services in Essequibo –– says the project answers President Ali’s call for better connectivity

AFTER being burdened with substandard internet services for decades, the people of Essequibo, Region Two, Pomeroon-Supenaam, are soon expected to benefit from significantly improved connections, owing to a $1.2 billion investment from E-Networks Incorporated.

The company in a statement, on Saturday, said that it will be landing the first-ever submarine fiber optic cable to serve the Essequibo Islands and Essequibo Coast.

“With this cable, E-Networks can now offer Essequibians the same services at the same prices as those available in Georgetown, with up to gigabit (1,000 Mbps) internet speeds on its business fiber and up to 75 Mbps on its 4G/5G fixed wireless service,” the company said in its announcement.

E-Networks, the only locally-owned internet service provider in the country, said that it has already moved to roll out testing of the improved services in several areas along the Essequibo Coast, with ongoing expansions to most areas between Aurora and Charity.

“As the only Guyanese telecoms provider, the company is immensely proud to have answered that call and expand its services to Essequibo.”

To accommodate the service boost, E-Networks said that it will also be opening a branch office in Anna Regina in early August.

“Customers can also

immediately sign-up for services using the company’s website and social media channels,” the company’s press release indicated.

It highlighted too that the company’s motivation to conclude the notable investment in a swift manner can be directly attributed to a challenge extended by President Irfaan Ali earlier in the year.

Recognising the need for improved connectivity throughout Guyana, the Head of State had emphasised the need for more investments within the telecommunications sector and committed to working with various stakeholders to deliver better quality internet services to citizens, especially within the context of the novel coronavirus and the pandemic it has created.

“With these new services, E-Networks looks forward to connecting more persons to the transformational power of the internet, which has been highlighted during COVID-19 as the crucial link to education, work, and keeping informed,” the internet company related.

It boasted too that with E-Networks’ faster and more reliable connectivity, Essequibo residents will now have more access to online options for socioeconomic development, remote learning, entertainment, e-commerce, collaboration, and connecting with family and friends.

“In the business community, E-Networks also

looks forward to supporting the region’s financial, insurance, and entrepreneurial industries by providing access to advanced services to the cloud and other platforms to enhance productivity and efficiency,” the company said.

It also pointed to the fact that since the telecommunications sector was liberalised last October, E-Networks has stimulated considerable competition, forcing the complacent incumbent providers to upgrade their services reactively.

“E-Networks offers businesses the fastest internet access available in Guyana, and at lower pricing. The company’s network is also widened to cover more of the country’s densely populated areas, with continuous expansion to new areas almost weekly,” the statement read.

Further, the company also commended President Ali along with Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips; Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and the Government of Guyana for fast-tracking the liberalisation, which had been long overdue.

“The commencement of the new order has resulted in tangible benefits to the Guyanese people, for whom connectivity is now a necessity in the current and postCOVID-19 world,” the company noted.

It should be noted that the Telecommunications Act of 2016 was first laid by the People’s Progressive Party Civic

Submarine cable installation across the Essequibo River

An E-Networks engineer installs 4G/5G network tower on the Essequibo Coast (PPP/C) government in son” only brought a few greater significance.” the ninth Parliament in sections of the Act into In addition to EsseAugust 2011; it was laid force, thereby “frustrating quibo, reports are that again in the 10th Par- the intent and objective of Linden, Region 10, Upper liament in 2012, after the Act by denying Guy- Demerara-Upper Berbice, extensive consultations anese the benefits flowing and the West Demerara with both the public and therefrom.” region are slated to benoperators.

As the telecommuni- efit from improved bandDuring the life of both cations sector was being width.

Parliaments, the Act en- fully liberalised, Phillips Further, E-Networks joyed commendable bi- projected that the move said that it remains compartisan support. It spent will be felt countrywide mitted to playing its part considerable time before a “at a time when enhanced, as the only 100 per cent select committee, chaired universal and competitive Guyanese telecommuby former Opposition access to telecommunica- nications provider to Member of Parliament, tions is pivotal to Guyana’s continually improve its Carl Greenidge, and in- developmental trajectory. network to bring better cluded Former Prime In face of the COVID-19 services to more peoMinister Samuel Hinds, crisis, it assumes even ple.” and President Ali who was a minister of the government at that time.

Although finalised before the 2015 elections, the Act was enacted by the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition Government in 2016, again with bipartisan support.

In finally bringing the Act into force in October 2020, Prime Minister Phillips lamented the fact that even though the benefits of the Act were well known to the coalition government, they, for A vessel offshore installing submarine fiber optic some “inexplicable rea- cable

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 18, 2021

Europe flood victims face massive clean-up (BBC) - Residents in regions of Germany and Belgium worst-affected by recent floods have begun the huge task of clearing their neighbourhoods, as the waters begin to recede.

The scale of the damage is becoming clear, as rescue crews continue to look for victims. At least 170 people have died, and with many still missing the death toll could rise further.

And there are fears that a dam weakened by the floods could burst. Inspectors say large parts of the Steinbachtal dam, south-west of the German city of Bonn, have come away leaving it extremely unstable.

Inhabitants of areas downstream have been evacuated, and more people may be asked to leave their homes. Another dam in Heinsberg district near Düsseldorf burst on Friday night, prompting hundreds of evacuations.

Meanwhile a senior German politician has been criticised for laughing during a visit to affected areas. Armin Laschet, who is the conservative candidate to replace

the scenery,” said wine shop owner Michael Lang told Reuters.

Residents of Bad Neuenahr are already starting to clear their town

outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel, was caught on camera apparently joking with colleagues as President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was expressing sympathy to victims. Mr Laschet later tweeted (in German) that he regretted his behaviour, but commentators and politicians were quick to condemn him.

“Laschet laughs while the country cries,” Bild newspaper said on its website. Mrs Merkel herself is expected to visit the village of Schuld, described by one resident as a “war zone”, on Sunday.

European leaders have blamed climate change for the

floods, which have also affected Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Experts say global warming makes torrential rainfall more likely.

The world has already warmed by about 1.2C since the industrial era began. At least 143 people are now known to have died in the floods in Germany, including four firefighters.

The states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland have been the worst affected.

Thousands of people were reported missing during the height of the floods, but many have since been accounted for.

In the spa town of Bad Neuenahr in Rhineland-Palatinate’s Ahrweiler district, residents were determined to begin the clean-up operation, scraping mud from the streets and clearing piles of debris.

But the task is huge, with many businesses and livelihoods in the town swept away, electricity and gas still cut off and communication lines destroyed.

“Everything is completely destroyed, you don’t recognise

Baker Gregor Degen told AFP news agency he had gathered a group of neighbours to start clearing away mud and debris. He had been ready to go to work the day after the floods but water levels were too high, he said.

Nearly 100 people in Ahrweiler are believed to have died. Meanwhile in North Rhine-Westphalia emergency workers have begun removing abandoned cars from the flood-hit B265 road.

Fire service spokesman Elmar Mettke said the cars had been checked for bodies while still submerged. In Belgium, the army has been sent to four of the country’s 10 provinces to help with rescue and evacuations. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo declared 20 July a national day of mourning.

He said the floods - which have claimed at least 27 lives in Belgium - could be “the most catastrophic our country has ever seen”. Rescue workers from France, Italy and Austria were sent to the city of Liege, where residents were evacuated after flash floods.

Meanwhile in the Netherlands, thousands of people fled their homes in Limburg province as rising waters swamped cities and broke through a dyke. But waters were receding in the southern city of Maastricht and nearby towns, where residents were able to return to their homes on Friday.

UK Health Secretary tests positive for COVID-19 (BBC) - Health Secretary Sajid Javid has tested positive for Covid-19 and is suffering “very mild” symptoms.

Mr Javid, who has received both vaccine doses, said on Saturday night a PCR test had confirmed a positive result he received by lateral flow test. He said he would continue to self-isolate and work from home.

It is understood Mr Javid met Boris Johnson on Friday. It is not clear yet whether the prime minister will have to isolate. Meanwhile, England’s deputy chief medical officer, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, has warned of a “bumpy winter” ahead.

It comes as the UK recorded more than 50,000 daily cases for the second day running, days before almost all legal restrictions on social contact are lifted in England on Monday.

There were 54,674 cases - following 51,870 new cases on Friday - with 41 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test.

The last time cases exceeded 50,000 was in mid-January. ‘A bit groggy’ In a video posted earlier on his Twitter feed, Mr Javid said he took the lateral flow test after feeling a “a bit groggy” on Friday evening. He said: “I’m grateful that I’ve had two jabs of the vaccine and so far my symptoms are very mild.”

Mr Javid later tweeted that the positive result was confirmed by a PCR test, which is checked in a laboratory. He urged people who had not been vaccinated yet to “get out there and get them as soon as you can”.

Mr Javid also said people who feel groggy or come into contact with someone who is positive should take a lateral flow test.

Sajid Javid replaced Matt Hancock as health secretary last month

Linden would not be left out of Guyana’s development

GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 18, 2021

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_refurbished call centre will create needed employment, says Prime Minister P R I M E M i n i s t e r, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips has assured Lindeners that they would not be left out of his government’s development plans.

He made these comments while touring the newly-refurbished Toucan Call Centre building, located at Kara Kara, Linden, in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

“It is our intention, as part of the overriding principle, to create employment for the people of Linden; so Linden will not be left out of the plans for Guyana,” PM Phillips

Prime Minister, Mark Philips and Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton during their visit to Linden on Saturday (Office of the Prime Minister photo)

said. “The focus now is on the development

of all Guyana, and all Guyanese,” he added.

The call centre, which is expected to

Inside the newly-refurbished Toucan Call Centre, located at Kara Kara, Linden

employ over 200 residents from the region, once fully operational, was refurbished at a total cost of $142M. “We will put out Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for investors to come to inspect, and to set up their businesses here. By doing that, they will create employment,” the prime minister said.

Noting that the aim is to ensure that Lindeners benefit from the project, the PM said that the refurbishing of the call centre is in keeping with the government’s plan of furthering social and economic development within the region, while providing a conducive environment for investment.

He stated that his government is committed to other such initiatives, not only in Region 10, but throughout the length and breadth of the county.

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, who was present at the facility, stated that the Ministry of Labour, through the Board of I n d u s t r i a l Tr a i n i n g (BIT), is currently exploring having training programmes and other

opportunities available to residents in the region.

“We have a responsibility, as the Ministry of Labour, to create conditions regarding stabilised employment, so we have an interest in this matter, and so I am here to lend support to the Prime Minister,” Minister Hamilton said.

The Regional Executive Officer (REO) for Region 10, Dwight John, who also toured the facility, lauded the initiative by the Government of Guyana, and posited that it would bring much-needed economic development to the region.

“I am thankful to the Prime Minister’s office and the Government of Guyana for the fast rehabilitation of the call centre, after being in disrepair for a while. It is a wonderful initiative by the government, and I am thankful that the Prime Minister has stated that other such developmental activities will be coming to the region.”

(Office of the Prime Minister)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

Tajeram Mohabir

Remembering our martyrs THE month of July can be described as the month of martyrs.

It was on July 14, 1979 that Father Bernard Darke, a British-born Jesuit priest and photographer for the Catholic Standard was stabbed to death by members of the House of Israel, a religious cult that was closely linked to the then People’s National Congress (PNC).

Father Darke was at the time taking photographs of a massive demonstration organised by the political opposition against the then PNC regime. The killing took place on Brickdam, Georgetown, not far away from the Brickdam Police Station.

It was also on July 17,1964 that a young Michael Forde, aged 22, had his life snuffed out after he attempted to remove a bomb that was planted in the bottom flat of the PPP’s headquarters, Freedom House, which also housed the party’s bookshop, now renamed the Michael Forde Bookshop in his honour. Forde was at the time of his death a member of the youth arm of the PPP, the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO).

He was also an active participant in the

historic Freedom March, organised by the PPP in 1964. Several other leading PPP members, including former First Lady Mrs. Janet Jagan, and the wife of the then Education Minister, Cedric Nunes were in the upper flat of the building when the explosive went off. So powerful was the device that it not only dismembered Michael Forde, but sent an old adjacent building crashing to the ground, and smashed glass windows of the nearby Metropole Cinema. The eastern part of Freedom House, and furniture in the building were also destroyed.

Incidentally, the bomb went off at a time when a meeting was in progress between the then Premier of British Guiana, Dr. Cheddi Jagan and leaders of the two main opposition parties, Forbes Burnham and Peter D’Aguiar of the PNC and the United Force (UF) respectively. The meeting was called by the premier to work on a solution to the volatile political situation that obtained in the country at the time.

Then there was the shooting to death of two men, then still in the prime of their lives, Jagan Ramessar and Bholanauth Parmanand, who were both shot to death

on July 16, 1973 by members of the armed forces. They had gathered, along with several others, outside a polling place at No. 63 Village, Corentyne, as the ballot boxes were carted away from the polling place at the end of voting by members of the Disciplined Forces to some unknown destination. Those were the days when the counting of ballots was not done at the place of poll, as is the case today, but at a central location without the presence of polling/counting agents from the contesting parties. Indeed, it took robust and sustained representation by the PPP and other democratic forces that the then Desmond Hoyte administration agreed, after much arm-twisting by the Carter Centre to count the ballots at the place of poll in the October 1992 poll. Hoyte had earlier described such demand as ‘a logistical nightmare’.

Only last month we observed two significant martyrdoms: The shooting to death of five sugar workers, now regarded as the Enmore Martyrs on June 16, 1948 by colonial police and the assassination of Dr. Walter Rodney on June 13, 1980, allegedly at the hands of individuals close to the then

Burnham-led PNC regime.

All of these killings had one thing in common: A desire to stand up for freedom and justice, for which they all paid the ultimate price.

This is why it is so important that we do everything within our power to ensure that we do not have a return to such an ugly and sordid past. Sadly, there are still elements in our society who can see no evil in a return to that dark past, when the rights of Guyanese to elect a government of their choice were trampled upon with gross impunity. Thankfully, attempts to derail the democratic process once again in the March 2, 2020 National and Regional Elections by the APNU+AFC coalition were thwarted by the combined efforts of the PPP/C and other democratic forces in and out of Guyana.

It is incumbent upon us as a society to play our part to ensure that democracy and the rule of law are consolidated and fully entrenched.

We owe this to the memory of our fallen heroes, and for this and future generations to come.

Procrastination is a sinner’s curse THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) must stop all procrastation and get rid of the high-profile trio who are before the courts for fraud. There must be no hesitation and the commission must make the long-awaited decision and fire the trio.

The public has lost trust and confidence in the trio. All three of them are facing criminal charges that were instituted against them for alleged misconduct during the post-voting process after the 2020 National and Regional Elections.

The rigging attempts that took place during the painful five months during the 2nd March, to 2nd August must never be forgotten. However, systems must be put in place to ensure that all officers of the commission maintain the integrity of their positions. No one should be allowed to hold our nation to ransom again.

It is most disheartening to hear and read that the commission was unable to source copies of the contracts of the chief election officer and his deputy. While the likes of Vincent Alexander and his biased commissioners are rightly asking for copies of their contacts, the inability of the GECOM secretariat to produce copies of the staff members’ contracts stinks. This nation is wondering why the secretariat had refused to cooperate with the Ethnic Relations Commission when there was the investigation on the employment at GECOM. Today, we must demand that this nation get all the necessary information about the employment and staffing at GECOM. There are serious allegations about ‘Phantom” staff at GECOM; further, it is imperative that all these shenanigans at GECOM are weeded out.

The court and our eminent people in the judiciary must recognise what GECOM is doing. It is unacceptable for the PNC and the staff at GECOM to misuse the judiciary and at all times use the courts to delay and avoid doing things the correct way.

Keith Lowenfield must be a very wealthy man to be in a position to go to the court at all times to just delay natural justice. His request for the court to bar Bibi Shadick and Sase Gunraj from participating in the debate to dismiss him must not be granted; it is pleasing to know that no injunction was granted.

According to information, Lowenfield’s services could be terminated via a three-month notice or without notice for gross misconduct. The Chairperson of GECOM did the correct thing when she

requested Lowenfield to show cause why he should not be removed from his position as CEO. Guyanese had enough of all these delaying tactics and the commission must be decisive and send them home.

Local Government Elections (LGEs) are due this year and we must have all systems put in place for the holding of LGEs. Electoral reforms are on the front burner and GECOM must be prepared to hold free and fair elections at all times. As this nation looks forward to the holding of Local Government Elections this year, it is imperative for GECOM to cleanse itself of these notorious characters and re-earn the trust and confidence of the population.

Yours sincerely, Neil Kumar

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

Showdown looms over at Congress Place in leadership race Dear Editor, A TOP PNC executive member, speaking under condition of anonymity, has suggested that the delay in holding the upcoming PNC/R congress is an attempt to manipulate the internal processes to favour one candidate. This is likely to cause a blowup at the upcoming congress.

“It has become apparent to some of us in the party that attempts will be made to manipulate the internal process of the election to allow a specific candidate to emerge victorious,” the member told the Guyana Daily News recently. However, they stopped short of saying who the candidate is that is likely to be favoured should the election not be transparent.

Right now there are three candidates running for the PNC/R leadership. They include David Granger; Dr Richard Van West-Charles, son-in-law of Forbes Burnham and Aubrey Norton.

Charles is of the opinion that the PNC should apologise for past wrongs.

Speaking in a Stabroek News interview of 2009, he was asked whether persons in the PNC administration did wrong. Charles said he cannot identify any person specifically. “We may have done wrong–we apologise and move forward. It does not mean other operatives have not done wrong in the political realm of the country, had members who did wrong things, therefore, the organisation has to apologise for those wrongs as a principle,” he explained, “I can’t say who, with what specifics [but] if the cases are brought before me and one can see that persons have done wrong, I have no difficulty in saying ‘yes’.”

But he emphasised that such a pro-

cess cannot be based on hearsay or rumour, saying it would not move the situation forward. He did not rule out incidents of victimisation, but was firm that it was not a policy of the party.

“But, that does not mean that the party must be absolved from it, because if a member commits wrong, the party has to take that blame and deal with it,” he points out, adding “once there is evidence, one way or the other, we have to say–if it is perceived we did”.

The PNC executive member, who has predicted a blowup at Congress and has served the PNC for more than a decade, also commented on the candidacy of Charles. “Van-West Charles’ announcement that he wants to run for the leadership of the party is nothing to be taken seriously. It is nothing more than an attempt to split votes, which will give one of the other two candidates an advantage,” the person said. The other two candidates are Granger and Aubrey Norton.

Prior to the Coalition being voted out of office in 2020, Van-West Charles served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI). He spent $85m on Christmas parties for his staff over a two-year period.

Charles now joins party stalwart Aubrey Norton as two executive members of the party who have indicated their interest in the top job. According to Norton, who challenged for leadership of the party and lost to Granger in 2014, there is a need for a new political culture.

“What I can say is that the era of absolute leaders, maximum leaders, that era is clearly gone and what we need is a new political culture in which leaders

see themselves as first among equals and to shift and to move away from this culture of maximum leader…. who could you talk to when one man determines everything,” he said.

“I think this process of democratization should bring a new type of leader that is disposed to listening to its base and acting in keeping with the ideas that emerge from the various approaches and discussions which are taken by all the political parties within the coalition,” Norton added. Norton was expelled as PNC General- Secretary by President Desmond Hoyte. He is the third General-Secretary to have been expelled by the PNC. The first was Eusi Kwayana and the second was Hamilton Green.

The truth of the matter is neither Charles nor Norton have any core support as, say, Volda Lawrence, who is Chairman of the Georgetown PNC group and which would work in her favour should she decide to run for the leadership position. But Lawrence has not made her intentions known. She may be content to remain a chairman of the party where she should be a “shooin.” So far, no one else has announced their intention to challenge her in this job except Harmon. At the last PNCR congress, Lawrence easily trounced Harmon.

Additionally, Norton is not likely to get past former PNC leader Robert Corbin who has a strong dislike for him. Norton seems to be running for every office and cried foul when he lost to Lawrence in a past Georgetown election. In June 2009 “Norton, who lost the chairmanship of the Georgetown District to party co-chair, Volda Lawrence, through a vote 96 to 220,

alleged that there were blatant cases of padding of the voters’ list. According to Norton, there was a turnout of less than 300 delegates to the conference, yet the tally of votes reflected that more than 300 persons voted.

According to reports, chaos reigned at Congress Place because of accusations that some persons had received several ballot papers, while others received none (Chronicle). Norton also lost to Granger in 2014 for the leadership.

This leaves Granger so far with a weak opposition, except of course Lawrence if she decides to throw her hat in the ring for the race. So far, the only negative against her is her signing of those fake election results. So far, both Granger and Harmon have come under massive criticism from party groups criticising their leadership. James Bond, former MP, dubbed Granger’s leadership as ‘mediocre’ while Harmon was described as ‘ineffective.’ Harmon has refused to recognise the PPP/C as the legitimate government of Guyana, even as he seeks engagement with it.

Party members have even picketed Congress Place calling for PNC leaders not to act as dictators. As it stands, the PNC/R has too much baggage and needs to come clean. A totally clean candidate is Dominic Gaskin who is not tainted and who is honest.

He is Granger’s son-in law, but he is AFC. He has no constituency within the PNC. Whether the PNC will break from its past and go for him remains to be seen.

Yours sincerely, Sultan Mohamed

Unease in PNCR camp over leadership issues

Dear Editor,

WE, the elected members of the Central Executive Committee of the People’s National Congress Reform were dismayed by the publication of an anonymous, unauthorised and unsigned ‘Statement’ titled – David Granger will not be allowed to turn the PNCR into a one- man show.

With regard to the specific matter to which the anonymous statement referred, we wish to bring the following facts to your attention: - It was reported that APNU’s Executive Council, the partnership’s highest deci-

sion-making body held a properly constituted meeting on Thursday 10th June, 2021.

- Mr. David Granger is properly the Chairman of A Partnership for National Unity and has held that position for 10 years.

- The Executive Council meeting was attended by Mr. David Granger, Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform; Mr. Vincent Henry, General-Secretary of the Guyana Action Party and Mr. Keith Scott, Leader of the National Front Alliance. Mrs. Volda Lawrence, Chairman of the PNCR, was also invited but asked to be excused.

- APNU executive members deliberated

and collectively and unanimously approved the applications of the Equal Rights and Justice Party by its leader Mr. Jaipaul Sharma and the Guyana Nation Builders Movement by its leader, Mrs. Tabitha Sarabo-Halley.

- The PNCR CEC did not reach a decision on the issue and the publication of the ‘Statement’ was unknown to the Central Executive Committee, which is due to meet soon.

PNCR disassociates itself from the ‘Statement.’ We wish to point out that the CEC did not authorize, and does not endorse the public disclosure of discussions of internal party matters under current consideration by the Central Executive

Committee.

We denounce, most emphatically, the personal attacks against our constitutionally elected party leader Mr. David Granger, by a minority of persons who did not have the courage to affix their names to the ‘Statement,’ but who claimed, cowardly, to write on behalf of the entire CEC.

Yours sincerely, Jennifer Ferreira-Dougal, Shurwayne Holder, Ganesh Mahipaul, Ernest Elliott & Annette Ferguson Elected Members, PNCR CEC.

Anyone can record the police in action 8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 18, 2021

--says Home Affairs Minister, charges new CPG executives to develop community profiles

By Rabindra Rooplall ANYONE has a right to video/record the work of the police, whether good or bad, and, much as there are a few deviants within their fold, the majority of the members of the Guyana Police Force are men and women of integrity.

The foregoing sentiments were expressed by Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn on Saturday, during the Biennial Elections of the National Community Policing Executive at the Leonora Secondary School, in West Demerara.

And, speaking of integrity and how advantageous such a trait can be in fostering closer ties with the public, Minister Benn seized the opportunity to appeal to members of the various Community Policing Groups (CPGs) to help with the profiling of communities and intelligence gathering, activities that can contribute significantly to the prevention of murders, robberies, rapes and negative actions within various communities.

“Who got guns, who doing drugs, who interfering with little children, who beating up their women, and should be spoken to in the first instance. Police behaving bad, too; we need to know those things,” Minister Benn said, adding: “I have said to the police, and I have said it publicly, any individual has the right to videotape and record the actions of the police, whether good or bad.”

He reminded the CPG members that their volunteerism in their duties must be carried out professionally, and not in a personal capacity.

“We have to document the core morbidities of the Guyanese society; the core morbidities in the communities in which we live,” Minister Benn said,

adding: “And for those who are drug addicts and got other problems, we will try to get them the psychological and other help they need.”

Noting that there are those for whom crime will always have a certain fascination, and will inevitably end up in certain places, because of the choices they make, Minister Benn said: “It’s a long and rugged road, and through intelligence and information, and the

with sponges; we must treat our people better!

As wicked and as bad as they are, they are still our people, and if they do things, they have to be dealt with properly, in the criminal justice system,” Minister Benn said, adding: “If we humiliate them; treat them like animals and beat them up, and kick them on the road, they will not get better. They will either be psychologically damaged, or they will come out as

CPG liaison officer, Phillip Ishmael receives an award for his almost four decades of service to the organisation

cooperation from the community, the CPGs, from the liaison officers, we need that information; that is actionable. Either by the police or by others, we need to have that.”

CLEANLINESS Turning his attention to other equally intrinsic matters, Minister Benn reminded the Guyana Police Force that the lock-ups must be clean; that persons must not be sleeping on dirty cardboards, and using toilets without toilet paper.

“The lock-ups got to be better and clean, and there has to be bunk beds

broken men; useless. Or they will come out with greater aggression, and will continue to do more bad things. So, we want to treat them better, which is the reason for works on the new prisons.”

Minister Benn also took to task those persons who are in the habit of fighting with police ranks and CPG members, noting that everyone should comply, in order to get the situation resolved as quickly as possible.

“That has to come along with greater integrity in the Police Force; taking bribes, and people coming to complain to me

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn (centre) flanked by Administrator of GPG, Rishi Das; Permanent Secretary, Mae Toussaint Jr. Thomas and Divisional Commander, Senior Superintendent Errol Watts along Superintendent Himnauth Sawh with the new CPG executives (Rabindra Rooplall photo)

about all sorts of things…

And I know the commanders got big trouble with these things, because I does write to them for them to send me a report,” he said, adding: “Then the nice young policeman or woman get thrown out or thrown in jail for stupid things; corruption and extortion behaviour. “I don’t want the CPGs to get involved in those type of behaviours; to take advantage or make life harder or stressful for ordinary people.”

COMMUNITY SAFETY He underscored that making the community safer, reducing crime, and making Guyana a safer place is the reason why the CPGs must be reconstituted nationwide.

According to Benn, some of the main focus areas

for the CPGs should be on what types of behaviours that make a community unsafe, “whether it is loud music, whether it is rowing and cussing on the road, whether it is the village ram goat or the old thief up to something, whether we men beating we wife, things like that are the core issues along with what is going on in drug dealing, in human trafficking now that we have migrants coming in and even for some of our own people.”

He continued: “The CPG, for me, is the buffer between the police and the community, it is a buffer to engage first in the level of the community and to consult and advise persons who may be errant in their ways, it is to mitigate efforts and activities which can escalate to the point where we

have grief in the communities for perpetrators and victims.”

Minister Benn said the idea is to assist persons in the communities instead of them having to walk up the court step or into the prison walls.

Meanwhile, giving brief remarks on behalf was Region Three Commander, Senior Superintendent Errol Watts, who noted that the Guyana Police Force will continue to support all CPG members as crime preventions is everyone’s business.

Those elected to the National Community Executive are: Chairman Kishore Gobin, Vice Chairman N. Looknauth, Secretary Sunita Dhanraj, Treasurer Samad Bacchus, Assistant Treasurer Devika Hassan and Public Relations officer Krishna Seelall.

Officials assist with the counting of the votes in the CPG National Community Policing Executive biennial elections (Rabindra Rooplall photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 18, 2021

77.6% of second rice crop already sown

- majority of losses occur in Regions 5 and 6 -farmers still forge ahead to replant EVEN with the ongoing floods, rice farmers are pressing ahead to sow, and in some cases, re-sow for this year’s second rice crop and according to documents provided by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, some 77.64 per cent of rice lands across the country has already been sown.

This represents the initial sowing of approximately 150,673 acres of land; of that figure, 17,919.72 acres of paddy were destroyed, largely owing to the ongoing floods.

Despite the devastation that the floodwaters have caused, rice farmers have still managed to forge ahead, and were able to resow some 9,666.31 acres of land. As a result, an adjusted 142,419.72 acres of rice lands were sown.

The figures indicate that all rice-producing regions have suffered losses of paddy,

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

on the country’s second rice crop for 2021. Customarily, the May/June period would see rice farmers across the country engaged in preparing their fields and sowing seeds for harvest in October-November.

Further, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB)

69,090.84 acres.

Minister Mustapha had previously indicated that even though many rice lands are facing the threat of being flooded, only a small amount of the current rice crop has been damaged.

He said that Extension Officers from the Ministry of

Floodwaters prevented harvesting of a small amount of this year’s spring crop

with Region Six, East Berbice-Corentyne leading the list with an estimated loss of 9,807.88 acres of rice lands.

The Ancient County is one of the areas most affected by the ongoing floods.

Initially, some 37,753.48 acres were sown, while 6,483 acres were re-sown as a result of the losses. Ultimately, there was an adjustment of 34,428.6 acres to be sown, with 66.47 per cent sown thus far. To this end, the region has a revised target of 51,795.90 acres of rice lands.

Minister Mustapha had reiterated the government’s commitment to partnering with farmers to minimise the effects of the current flood

had warned against sowing after the recommended period which ended on June 30; however, many farmers have persevered to re-sow. In Region Five, Mahaica-Berbice, where many rice lands remain inundated, farmers have recorded a loss of some 6,367.96 acres of paddy.

A total of 51,586.20 acres were initially sown, while 1,630.93 acres had to be re-sown. Many farmers in the Mahaica/Mahaicony area have chosen not to participate in the current crop. As a result, only 67.81 per cent of paddy was sown, with an adjustment of 46,849.17 acres and a revised target of

Agriculture and the GRDB have been mandated to work with all rice farmers to minimise damage and safeguard the rice being planted.

In the regions minimally affected by the floods, sowing has been recorded in the 90 percentiles. More specifically, Region Four, Demerara-Mahaica has seen 93.26 per cent of rice lands already sown, while sowing in Region Three, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, has reached 97.63 per cent.

From all indications, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) has been leading the targets with 98.95 per cent of all rice lands already sown.

Moreover, of the 253 acres of paddy that were lost, all were re-sown. Consequently, the adjusted sowing stands at 34,444.53 acres, in pursuit of a revised target of 34,809.71 acres.

Minister Mustapha had said that even though the majority of this rice crop has been saved, authorities will still have to wait until the harvest to determine the success of this second crop. Notwithstanding the challenges, Guyana’s rice industry continues to be one of the leading local income earners, raking in some US$123,023,868 (G$25.7 billion) from the export of paddy, rice and rice by-products between January and June 2021.

During this period, some 280,878 tonnes of paddy were produced, representing an improvement in production when compared to the corresponding period last year, that period saw the exportation of 242,000 tonnes of paddy, rice and rice by-products, which earned US$99 million.

General Manager of the

GRDB, Kuldip Ragnauth, had previously told the Guyana Chronicle that some 98 per cent of the year’s first crop has already been harvested, while a small amount remained in the fields and suffered damage due to the ongoing floods.

Minister Mustapha had indicated that since the unprecedented floods started in May, the Ministry of Agriculture and all of its agencies, including the GRDB and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) have been working around the clock to reduce the effects of the floods on all Guyanese, especially those who rely on farming for their livelihoods.

As it is, all agencies have been tasked with executing daily monitoring and providing constant updates. “It’s a work in progress,” Mustapha acknowledged.

In addition to providing tangible relief, the government has also moved to ensure that farmers have shoulders to lean on in their time of distress. To this end, Extension Officers attached to the National Agricultural Research and Extension in-

9

stitute (NAREI), were trained to provide some amount of psychological support to distraught farmers and their families.

According to Pooran Seeraj, Head of NAREI’s Extension Services, the agency has recognised the impact of the floods on more than just crops and livelihoods; he said that farmers have begun to rely on agricultural extension officers for hope and courage to persevere.

Added to that, the government has also initiated conversations with various banking and financial institutions to ensure that humanitarian relief is given to the farmers.

During a previous interview, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh had said that even though the entities are yet to definitively say how they are going to assist, all the institutions are cognisant of the devastation that the floods have brought, and are committed to assisting in government’s recovery efforts.

Flashback: one rice farmer uses his body length to measure the depth of floodwaters that had taken over his rice field

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

The Science of COVID-19

Coronavirus: Vaccines have stood the test of time; here’s proof

By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt Medical Center VACCINES have been around for more than a century and have proven their worth time and time again.

Numerous diseases have been eradicated or controlled by vaccines. Without vaccines, millions of lives would have been lost and humans would not have been progressive as we have been especially in the 20th and 21st century. We are in a pandemic with no effective way of treating the COVID-19 infection as it continues to wreak havoc worldwide.

However, modern science has finally derived a way for us to control this threat in the form of vaccines. All of a sudden, persons are scared of vaccines and are spreading so many myths about them while the virus continues to take too many lives daily. Today, I will discuss vaccines and how they work and, hopefully, put some ease to the confusion that’s being peddled about them.

How vaccines came about During a smallpox epidemic in the west of England in 1774, a farmer by the name of Benjamin Jesty decided to try something.

He scratched some pus from smallpox lesions on the udders of a cow into the skin of his wife and sons. None of them contracted smallpox. A man by the name of Edward Jenner first started to add science to this theory of vaccines back in 1796. He took material from a blister of someone infected with cowpox and inoculated it into another person’s skin; this

was called arm-to-arm inoculation.

It was successful and by the late 1940s, scientific knowledge had developed enough, so that large-scale vaccine production was possible and disease control efforts could begin in earnest. Vaccines that protect against pertussis (1914), diphtheria (1926), and tetanus (1938) were subsequently developed and these three vaccines were combined in 1948 and given as the DTP vaccine. As time progressed, new vaccines were made to protect against diseases that were taking many lives.

The world was able to eradicate smallpox because of successful vaccination efforts in the 1970s.

How safe have vaccines been so far There have been accusations of vaccines causing diseases such as autism, different autoimmune diseases and that it can even weaken your immune system. Most of these accusations come from anti-vaxxers who believe vaccines were created to control the human population. After all of these years of vaccine use, there hasn’t been any credible evidence to suggest that any of these accusations are true. The evidence that has been very clear is the fact that vaccines have prevented many outbreaks and controlled many diseases that they were created to combat. In Guyana, we vaccinate children everyday and almost everyone was vaccinated during their childhood. A child gets about 20 vaccines before he/she reaches school age and yet, we have not seen any major issues related to vaccines after so many years of Guyana’s successful vaccination campaign.

What have vaccines helped us to do so far?

So far, vaccines have helped us to either eradicate or control the following diseases: * Mumps * Measles * Tetanus * Rubella * Hepatitis A and B * Diphtheria * Tetanus * Polio * Smallpox * Cowpox * Influenza * Varicella (chicken pox) * Hemophilus Influenza * Pertussis * Rotavirus Can you imagine how it would have been if we had to live with all of these diseases freely circulating? Human evolution would not have been the same and many deaths and complications would have occurred which could have even threatened the existence of the humans altogether.

Are COVID-19 vaccines different?

Most of the vaccines developed to combat COVID-19 were developed using the same technology as previous vaccines; an inactivated virus or part of a virus is used to mimic the virus in our body and hence, stimulate us to create an immune response. However, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were developed using a new technology and are called mRNA vaccines. This technology basically allows the

Dr. Zulfikar Bux

vaccine to teach our cells to create a structure similar to the part of the virus that binds onto our cells. This then triggers our immune system to make antibodies against it and hence, we develop immunity against the virus.

This mRNA technology has been around for decades but there was never a concerted push for vaccines to be made using its technology until the pandemic started. This pandemic triggered a worldwide response where scientists cooperated like never before and it helped to eliminate bureaucratic steps in vaccine creation. These vaccines had to undergo numerous safety tests and scrutiny from medical professionals and organisations all over the world.

There have been safety issues identified but these are expected when vaccines or any other medications are administered on such large scales. However, there has not been any widespread deaths or major morbidities from any of the COVID-19 vaccines. The data has shown that they are effective against COVID-19 and persons that are properly and fully vaccinated are not the ones that are dying from COVID-19.

You would have most likely taken over 20 vaccines already in your lifetime and you are still alive and well after so many years.

If you are doubting vaccines, my question to you is why was it OK for you to be vaccinated and get protection during childhood and it is not OK to do so now when you are faced with a virus that can wipe you out of existence?

The race is on for political power

THERE has been a political battle occurring amongst the factions within the People’s National Congress Reform party.

And despite the treatment by the leadership of the party, it was allowed to burst into flames. It has now found its way to the pages of the press and media.

Now, the cat is really out of the bag as the saying goes in politics. We know now what is happening with the opposition parties in Guyana that form part of the parliamentary party, the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change.

It is badly fractionalised because the post of the party’s leader of the PNC

is up for grabs. Moreover, the Congress date and other details are not confirmed even though one is likely this year.

Incumbent party Leader David Granger is hanging by a thread and is seeking to have sole control of the party’s future. It has been claimed that he wants the negotiating power to decide who gets to be chosen for top posts in the political party, as he did when he snubbed Volda Lawrence and other members.

But the membership and leadership are not having it at all, with some claiming Granger is not leading the party the way it should. Granger allegedly is not listening to the party and doing everything in a militarised and secretive

manner. One section of the leadership wants the Congress now while others say in October. The other half don’t plan to have it until they get the numbers to win it or rig the vote.

This situation is more complex because Chairman Lawrence and Leader Granger have not been around the PNC party at the same time. Lawrence is reportedly keeping away from the party’s events and she is still not working along with the Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon as is expected.

So, Granger’s plan to stall and hold the Congress back due to COVID-19 restrictions has backfired.

His second attempt to gain control at the level of APNU+AFC Coalition

through the back door by adding two recently formed shell parties to APNU has also backfired.

Every shot he fires, the team on the side of Lawrence is firing back. And given the performance of the current opposition in Parliament, the puppet master has no more strings left to pull.

The truth is, the public is watching every development in the race to the seat of power. The public is interested in the politics of the PNC that could suffer a massive paradigm shift.

One school of thought believes that the soul of the PNC party is on the line. If Lawrence wins the leadership race, the party might revolutionise its strategy, thereby becoming a worthy

adversary to the PPP Government. She will try and use more modern political tactics and maneuvers to gain back the government from the PPP. That is, in addition, to the usual lines of race and discrimination that they seek to spew out to the public.

Another perspective is if Granger holds on and fights back, and wins then the opposition will continue in a militarised and autocratic fashion. The outcome is having his chosen candidate continue to sleep, respectfully, throughout the 12th Parliament. And with little or no support, Harmon will try to convince the citizenry to

vote the PPP out of office.

But the party resignations will continue to climb until the PNC holds its Congress so these two sides could duel for supremacy. The others, Aubrey Norton and Van West Charles who are vying for control of the superstructure of the PNC, will choose whom to support.

This decision will come at the time of the Congress, or they can suffer being the losers.

That’s why Congress Place isn’t a hype of activity just yet. The PNC party machinery of rigging has to go on internally. But who will turn it on and who has the keys?

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

Politics & Society Forum

The way we speak

SPOKEN language is probably the most defining feature of a person’s life because it reveals where that person was born, where he or she was educated, and where he or she is positioned in the social structure of society.

These are not fixed social rules and expectations since many persons in multi-lingual societies do code-switching, and, that is, speak many languages and dialects in one conversation. These dynamics may not reveal a person’s social standing in society.

Nevertheless, spoken language reveals more to others than we know of ourselves. If I am permitted to tweak the adage “show me your friends and I will tell you who you are” to speaking, it would sound like this: speak and l will tell who you are.

I grew up in a rural village in Upper Corentyne where life revolved around sugarcane and rice cultivation as well as fishing and raising cattle and various livestock. My parents were peasants. I attended primary and secondary schools. I did not attend the University of Guyana, although I would have loved to. At home, we communicated

in Pidgin (broken English), and my parents would speak in Bhojpuri with their generation and older folks, who were still carrying some traditions from India in Guyana. At school, I was taught basic English by some teachers, whom I believe, were not versed in the English Language - one consequential sin of colonialism. In sum, at an early age I was exposed to a variety of languages and dialects but did not have a good command of any except for Pidgin.

I first realised the way I speak when I visited my sister in New Amsterdam. I was 11 years old. One day my sister asked me to pick up some items for her at the grocery store. The grocery stores in New Amsterdam were owned by the Portuguese and Chinese. I ended up at a Chinese grocery store and after standing in line for about fifteen minutes I reached the counter and instead of handing the Chinese gentleman the list, I started to read the items loudly thinking that he did not read English. I was doing well until I got to the sugar item when I heard a peal of loud laughter behind me. I realised they were laughing at me for pronouncing sugar as “sugaa.” One

person asked, “you from the coast”?

If that “sugaa” inflection had inflicted feelings of how I speak, then my experience in the United States extended it to unimaginable ways, the epitome of the immigrant existence. I was in Utah, a predominantly white American State. Naturally then, like the typical immigrant experience, I had to learn the English language more intensely to communicate fluently and fluidly; though challenging, I had fewer problems than I anticipated. What I did experience, however, was an embarrassing moment. The telephone rang, and I picked it up to answer, but I held it upside down, putting the lower part of the phone to my ear when it should have been the other way around.

I could hear the person on the other side shouting “I cannot hear you”, then someone in the room told me to switch the phone around. At that moment, I realised how much I was held back by my rural upbringing and Forbes Burnham dictatorship on the basics of life. I grew with no television, no telephone, and practically with no of anything that was common in the wider Caribbean, and though

Professor Lomarsh Roopnarine

I had limited access and use of a telephone, it was not routine enough to get the basics correct.

Fast-forward to my return to Guyana in 1989, after an absence of seven years. I landed at the Guyana airport and when I got to the parking lot, there were at least 10 young males around me begging for one US$1.00 each. I was scared, and I said, “leave me alone”, and one of them responded, “man, you sound like a hunky”, meaning, oh well, I will ask you to figure that one out. In my village, I was told “speak like abbe”, and while I did, I remained pretty much quiet most of the time.

A few days ago, I returned to New Amsterdam with Nevil Boodhan, a prominent tax consultant from No. 64. Village, to see if that Chinese grocery store was still there by Trinity and Main Street, but it was gone. I stood on Main Street thinking about how one situation can really make an impact on one’s life.

By the way, I do not speak like any ethnicity or any nation, but I speak like Lomarsh, myself. Now, can you gauge my social status? (lomarsh.roopnarine@ jsums.edu).

Understanding Energy

Breaking down the specifics of gas-to-power projects FOR decades, oil and gas producing countries across the world, both developed and developing, have pursued gas to power projects to supplement electricity generation and support the development of new industrial sectors.

Countries can also use gas to power projects to complement ongoing renewable energy development and meet sustainability goals.

While these projects create numerous benefits, it is important to understand the process that makes them possible.

Associated natural gas is commonly found alongside oil in geologic reservoirs. This gas is extracted as a normal part of the production process. While the amount of gas found with oil varies widely from project to project, the industry uses it in a variety of ways to increase production, provide power, or supply other benefits.

In some cases, including Guyana, associated gas can be reinjected into the reservoir, which is safe and environmentally responsible. It can also be a profitable option if the reinjected gas is utilised to manage the pressure within an oil reservoir and maximise oil production. Many companies also use associated gas to power floating production storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs) or platforms to reduce operating costs.

Finally, associated gas can be sent by pipeline to shore and used for a number of applications including power generation

and support for additional industrial sectors.

Compared to reinjection and onboard power, piping gas to shore does require significant additional infrastructure and planning but once on shore it can deliver low cost energy on a large scale.

In addition to an underwater pipeline that can safely deliver gas to shore, gas to power also needs an onshore Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) processing plant that splits the associated gas into useable, purified natural gas, while separating out other products like ethane and butane that have other industrial uses.

The purified natural gas, which consists primarily of methane, can be used for industrial purposes like fertiliser manufacturing or in a power plant, where gas-driven turbines can create low cost and highly reliable electricity.

While the infrastructure for gas to shore facilities may take time and significant resources to build, many countries have pursued gas as one of the cheapest and most reliable electricity sources. As Guyana is expected to become a prolific oil producer in the coming decade, the country has the opportunity to take advantage of associated gas and reduce electricity costs for many households. According to a study done by Energy Narrative for the government and the Inter-American Development Bank, electricity costs could fall by over half current prices, to as little as 7 US cents per kilowatt hour (kWh).

Canada has long piped associated gas to

shore to generate cheap and reliable electricity. Today, over 11 percent of Canada’s electricity is generated with natural gas, some of which is piped to shore from FPSOs and platforms on the Atlantic coast. Gas to power efforts have also helped Canada’s energy mix become more environmentally friendly by reducing emissions from coal.

Regionally, Colombia has started using associated gas from its own oil production to generate cheap electricity and to complement hydro power, which can be disrupted by seasonal changes or drought. Trinidad and Tobago, perhaps the most prominent example given its proximity to Guyana, has used gas produced in tandem with offshore oil production for decades to generate electricity and fuel its profitable chemicals sector.

Although every country follows its own unique pathway in oil production, Guyana has an opportunity to take advantage of increasing amounts of associated gas being produced offshore. Gas to power provides several advantages including cheaper, more reliable electricity that generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Transitioning to gas also provides Guyana with a pathway for renewable energy development. While gas provides more reliable, cheaper electricity in the medium-term, it can also serve as a complementary energy source once the country transitions to renewables. In the event of weather changes that impact wind

or solar energy, gas to power can produce electricity in times of need and can quickly reduce production once renewable sources are available again.

Historically, Guyana’s high energy costs have held back development, but with gas to power, businesses could be able to operate much more cheaply.

According to a study by the International Monetary Fund, Guyanese could expect basic living costs to fall by over 5 percent per month on average if the country switches to gas for electricity.

These feasibility studies are worth exploring and are widely available online and through government websites. Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also holding scoping meetings for the public to share their concerns and provide input on what should be evaluated by the Environmental Impact Assessment. These meetings also aim to increase transparency surrounding the project and engage the public as the project progresses.

As discussions continue, it is important to remember the full benefits that gas to power will provide to all Guyanese.

In addition to lower household costs, reduced electricity bills can open up new industries, create more jobs and encourage new investment far beyond oil and gas— setting Guyana up for a better economic future over the next several decades.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

20,000 ‘ganja’ plants destroyed in Berbice SOME 20,00 marijuana or ‘ganja’ plants, the cultivation of which spanned some three and a half acres of land, were destroyed by ranks of the Guyana Police

Force during an eradication exercise at Cow Savannah, Canje River, Berbice on Friday.

According to Police Headquarters, a party of

policemen were greeted by two gun-toting males when they arrived at the location to conduct the eradication exercise; the men ran into some bushes while opening

A section of the marijuana farm

fire as police gave chase.

The police returned fire; no one was hurt and the men eventually disappeared.

Meanwhile, when the officers returned to the area, a marijuana field measuring about three and a half acres, with about 20,000 marijuana plants ranging from four to eight inches in height, were discovered.

The police also discovered two camps which, when searched, unearthed two live 12-gauge cartridges, one Stihl chainsaw, one Stihl weeding machine, one Evinrude outboard engine, one water pump, a quantity of substance suspected to be dry cannabis and seeds.

Police said that the camps and marijuana plants, dry cannabis and seeds were all destroyed while the other items were lodged at the Central Police Station, New Amsterdam.

The substance suspected to be cannabis

One of the camps being destroyed

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

$120M for road works in Wakenaam THE MINISTRY of Public Works has allocated $120 million for road works in two communities in Wakenaam, Essequibo Islands, Region Three, according to subject minister Deodat Indar.

During a visit to the community on Saturday, Minister Indar indicated that the government has committed to constructing one kilometre of new concrete road from Maria Johanna to Ridge to the tune of $60 million, and another

one kilometre of road from Meer Zorg to Zeelandia for an additional $60 million.

According to Indar, for years, residents on the island have unavoidably traversed near impassable roads which have outlived their time. He stated that not only is the existing infrastructure in those two communities deplorable, but it is also ancient and much unlike the modern, asphalted roads found in other parts of the island.

Minister Indar disclosed

that the project is currently at the bidding stage and this is expected to be completed within two weeks time; the road works should be completed by the end of this year.

The two communities have a collective five kilometres of road which are in a “deplorable” state, according to Minister Indar; it would take some $300 million dollars to complete all the roads, but according to the minister, the government has put a strategic

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, assessing the damage on a section of the Zeelandia Road on Saturday (Adrian Narine photo)

plan in place to ensure that the works are done in phases.

“We know these roads had to be done, so we budgeted for it [sic] to be done in the supplemental budget when we went to Parliament, because we understand the plight the residents are facing and we intend to do our best to alleviate it and to provide

them with some comfort.

From the studies we conducted, each kilometre of road is $60 million, so we have to phase this project for now, but we intend to have the entire stretch of road done,” Minister Indar said.

He stated that the new concrete roads are also being constructed as a way to modernise the infrastructure and provide a more accessible commute across the island. He said the impending work will significantly improve the standard of living of res-

idents who reside in the targeted communities.

Further, the Public Works Minister highlighted that the upgrades to the road networks will also provide opportunities for improved commerce and innovation across the island. He explained that new roads will provide a smoother journey for business people to move their produce and products to and from the island, thus decreasing the transportation cost while increasing the opportunity for business.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

‘Optimal package’ for flood-relief being crafted - says Finance Minister

Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, speaks with members of the press during an NIS outreach at the Giftland Mall on Saturday (Delano Williams photo)

–– Gov’t mulls replenishing budgetary allocations of agencies that aided flood response AFTER weeks of nationwide flooding, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, has highlighted that the government is crafting an optimal package for flood relief for affected farmers and households.

Dr. Singh said this during an outreach activity at the Giftland Mall, Georgetown, on Saturday. In June, the National Assembly cleared a sum of $10 billion which will be spent on intensifying the government’s relief efforts, particularly as it relates to the provision of food, sanitary and medical supplies to those affected.

The supplementary funds for flooding will also facilitate the execution of critical emergency repairs to a number of public infrastructures, such as roads and bridges, that have been destroyed by unprecedented levels of floodwaters.

On Saturday, Dr. Singh explained that in order to decide the detailed deployment of that sum, a nationwide survey, led by Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, has been ongoing. Currently, officials are examining the data collected thus far and filling in the gaps so that the flood response could be decided upon.

“We are going to have to decide the optimal package of response that we are going to be provided and the exact shape and form (of) that is currently being examined,” he highlighted.

The Finance Minister reminded members of the media that the government’s initial focus was on safeguarding the lives of citizens while the floodwaters filled their homes and farms. During that time, food and cleaning supplies were provided

and worse-affected residents were housed in a number of shelters. Emergency drainage works were also engaged in.

Now, he related, emphasis is being placed on facilitating a return to productive economic activities.

REPLENISHING AGENCIES Meanwhile, the senior minister also reminded that a number of agencies redirected their budgetary allocations towards efforts geared at providing flood relief.

For example, he said the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) spent large sums of money to aid the deployment of flood-response equipment such as pumps.

“To the extent that there are agencies that utilised their existing budgetary resources to execute the immediate post flood response, we’re also going to have to be looking at that because we are going to have to do some kind of replenishment so those agencies to ensure that they are able to execute their originally planned programmes,” Dr. Singh contended.

Furthermore, he reasoned that those agencies were scheduled to execute a number of activities that are still needed or that may be more urgently needed.

“I’m hoping that that can be completed very soon so that we can, first of all, restore those agencies budgets so that they can return to doing or implementing the activities they have in their budgets and also I am hopeful that we can roll out the assistance that is needed to the farmers and the other persons and households who were affected,” the minister said.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

Learner driver-packages, classes now available in Orealla, Siparuta

RESIDENTS in the villages of Orealla and Siparuta, located in the Corentyne River, were recently afforded the opportunity to purchase their Learner Driver Packages in their communities for the first time in history.

The unprecedented process was facilitated by Licence and Certifying Officer, Sergeant Haslyn George, who is the first such officer to ever visit the communities.

This occurred recently when the Joint Services team visited the villages. The two-day visit comprised a team led by Deputy Commander

alised, when they were told by the ranks of the opportunity to purchase their Learner Driver Packages in their communities.

Superintendent Sawh and Major Medonza sponsored the first four Learner Driver Packages and assured the residents that Sergeant George will visit frequently to conduct classes so as to ensure that the process of achieving a valid driver’s licence is completed.

As the team continued their visit, the ranks were engaged in friendly games with the residents of Orealla and Siparuta. Some of the games

Village Toshau, Lewis Davair (center with ball in hand) receives the sporting gear donated by the Joint Services Team Regional Division Six, Superintendent Himnauth Sawh, along with Assistant Superintendent Sheer Laljit, Sergeant Haslyn George, Corporal Chaitram Seeram and Constable Clifford George from the Guyana Police Force.

Along with them were Major Courtney Medonza, Major Paul Castello and Lieutenant Terrondé Benn from the Guyana Defence Force.

During the visit, the ranks met and interacted with the residents from both communities.

Superintendent Sawh addressed the residents and highlighted that the reason for the visit was to address core issues within the community while fostering relations between the residents and the Joint Services.

Additionally, residents from both communities had their dreams re-

played included volleyball, cricket, football and dominoes.

The residents also received sports gears such as cricket bats, gloves, balls and COVID-19 personal protective equipment, all of which were donated by the Joint Services Team.

Receiving the donation was the village Toshau, Lewis Davair, who expressed much gratitude and appreciation for the timely and greatly needed supplies.

Before departing the villages of Orealla and Sipurata, Superintendent Sawh and his team thanked the residents for their hospitality and urged them to continue being responsible citizens working towards the common goal of building trust between members of the community and the Joint Services.

Sergeant Haslyn George displays a Learner Driver Package which was purchased by a resident of Orealla

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

Single-window system for business registration, trade –– E-commerce Bill, capacity-building on govt’s agenda

By Richard Bhainie

RECOGNISING the many hurdles that entrepreneurs must overcome when starting up and managing a small business in Guyana, such as having to visit multiple agencies for registration and compliance, and an archaic business environment, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce is implement-

ing various mechanisms to create a more conducive business environment.

Director of Business and Entrepreneur Development attached to the ministry, John Edghill, during an interview with the Sunday Chronicle, pronounced on some of these measures, namely, a ‘single-window’ permit system where persons can access most of the services needed to facilitate their business in

one place.

According to Edghill, the ministry recognises the “run around” persons might face while conducting business, especially having to visit several agencies during the registration process to secure certificates and compliances, which may be counterproductive to the overall scheme of an efficient business environment.

In most cases, people are

not afforded the time to visit the number of agencies on multiple occasions at various timings, and the drawn-out process may even deter innovative entrepreneurs with potential from making significant contributions.

“That causes stress and decreases the intention to even want to set up a business, because many persons don’t want to have to stand up in long lines, go to different agencies and then be going in a back and forth and we recognise that inconvenience.

“So, we have been working with several of our sister agencies to set up single-window systems,” Edghill told the Sunday Chronicle.

“There is going to be a single window for trade, and that project is expected to be finished by 2023 where work will be done through the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), this ministry and several other agencies that are responsible for trade and export,” Edghill said.

“Those single-window systems are essentially just to have one centralised portal where you can file all of your applications and it goes through the relevant chains without you having to use your own time and cost. The system will be improved, inconvenience will be in most cases removed,” he added.

Currently, any entrepreneur desirous of starting a business needs to visit multiple agencies, namely GRA, the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and the Deeds Registry, for registration purposes; the main reason the ministry is contemplating linking the process in one “window”.

“Because this process is so fragmented, many persons just register their business name and they never register with GRA and [we] find that this is a grave situation for these businesses because when you don’t register with GRA, you’re not paying your taxes, you’re not compliant and if you want government procurement you have to be compliant,” Edghill explained.

According to him, in some cases, persons are not even aware of the various processes and procedures with which they must comply for their businesses to be legitimate and be afforded access to procurement of projects.

“Even private-equity per-

sons when they look at your business, they might see a risk in investing because you have no formal records to say you have been paying your taxes and that’s something a lot of private-equity and venture capitalists look at when they want to invest in your company,” he explained.

“Not only does the single window benefit the government in terms of getting the financial contributions, but in the long run it really benefits the businessperson who is able to have a record, who is able to benefit from government procurement, who is able to market their business and be able to scale up their business,” he added.

Edghill reiterated that President Irfaan Ali in January 2021 announced that the central government will be undertaking modernisation of the institutional and legislative infrastructure to establish a single-window approval system for building permits and construction permits, a project which has been already commenced by the Central Housing & Planning Authority and the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce.

Not only is the ministry looking at ways to encourage entrepreneurship and to make conducting business in Guyana easier, it is also focused on strengthening the capacity of businesses to ensure that competitive products and services are produced locally and to facilitate a modern, convenient business environment.

Edghill told this publication that the Organization of American States (OAS) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have already engaged the ministry subsequent to recognising the many issues highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to conducting business, especially in developing countries such as Guyana.

“We know with the stayat-home order that was imposed, a lot of businesses suffered because they were conducting business by the traditional ways; one of the times the ministry is going to be pushing is more electronic use of commerce,” Edghill said.

“We have a WhatsApp for business training that we will be rolling out, as well as we have an E-commerce Bill that is yet to be tabled, but that E-commerce Bill is

Director of Business and Entrepreneur Development attached to the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, John Edghill what will really transform the use of E-commerce in Guyana and having all the online market places being regularised,” he added.

Edghill highlighted that currently, entrepreneurs are prevented from accepting payments online as the country lacks the requisite legislation, unless they have a United States (US) account or are using methods provided by third parties. Further, online markets are not regularised and conduct business in a lackadaisical manner.

“So, the E-commerce Bill will actually help to regularise this and this will actually reduce the cost of doing business for many young persons, because no longer will they have to set up a brick-andmortar business, try to rent a 10x30 space for $30,000 or get a shelf somewhere and all of that is good.”

The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce is also targeting capacity-building as it relates to the functionality of businesses through training in marketing and other areas. The ministry usually works alongside the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) and the Guyana Office for Investment (GoInvest) to help train persons to improve packaging and labelling.

“That has always been a problem we have identified, especially for small businesses when they start up; they might have their own unique labelling, but it might not be [of] international standard,” he said.

“Partnering with these entities helps them to improve their standard, so that they can become export-ready; we have seen that happen with many of our small businesses already who have moved from a just regular labelling to international standards,” he added.

It was previously reported by the Sunday Chronicle that as a result of the unemployment rate among the youth population, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce has embarked upon a path to promote entrepreneurship in this section of society by providing easy access to financing for the development of small businesses.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

Retired judge heads law reform commission –– Pres. Ali appoints other members

PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali, in the discharge of his functional responsibilities pursuant to the Law Reform Commission (Amendment) Act 2021, has approved the Chairman and Members who will sit on the much-anticipated Law Reform Commission, which is expected to pave the way for incremental legislative amendments.

A Law Reform Commission is an instrumental body in any society, as it ensures that the legal system does not remain stagnant. It keeps the law under constant revision, and makes recommendations to Parliament for the repeal, creation, consolidation and codification of the laws.

The approval follows Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C., meeting and consulting with a number of stakeholders in March of this year, in accordance with the requisite legislation, and inviting them to submit their nominees to be considered for appointment to the Commission.

Section 4(1) (b) of the Act requires that the Minister of Legal Affairs consults with the organisations that appear to represent the legal profession, organisations such as the private sector; the trade union movement; the entities representing the interest of consumers’ affairs; the religious community; the Rights Commissions; and the National Toshaos’ Council for the appointment of members of the commission.

Those who will sit on the Commission are: Retired Justice of Appeal B. S. Roy, the Chairman; Vice-president of the Guyana Bar Association, Teni Housty; former High Commissioner for Guyana to Canada, Clarissa Riehl; Veteran educator and proprietor of Nations Incorporated, Dr. Brian O’Toole; and attorneys-at-law Emily Dodson, Roopnarine Satram, and Deenawatie Panday.

According to a press release from the Attorney-General’s chambers on Saturday, “A Law Reform Commission in Guyana is long overdue, and exists

in most Commonwealth countries. This institution is expected to ensure that the country’s laws are updated regularly, and embrace new and emerging legislative trends across the world.”

The Law Reform Commission Act 2016 was enacted by the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government, and while Minister Nandlall had commended the initiative, he’d also heavily criticised sections of the legislation pertaining to the appointment of commissioners.

That Act was eventually amended when the Law Reform Commission (Amendment) Act 2021 – No. 2 of 2021 received Presidential Assent on February 16, 2021, thereby bringing it into effect, to allow for persons who hold a variety of qualifications to sit on the commission.

“When the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) took office in August 2020, it pledged to move swiftly to establish the Commission after it reviewed the Act, and this was done with the Amendment of the document, which was assented to by the President on the 16th February, 2021,” the release noted.

Prior to the amendment of the Act, for one to be appointed a member of the Law Reform Commission, they first needed to be in possession of legal and judicial qualifications; be the holder of, or held judicial office; be an attorney-at-law for at least 10 years; or possess experience as a teacher of law at a university.

While recognising that the Law Reform Commission must consist of legally-trained personnel, the Attorney-General had noted that law-making is much more than technical law, as there are social, financial, cultural and ethnic components, along with rights components.

The amendment of the Act caters for that diversity and inclusivity to be reflected as part of the Commission, as it will allow for the commission to comprise persons who have a legal background, as well as persons who have at least 10 years of experience in the areas of banking,

industry, economics or commerce, social or natural sciences, and law enforcement.

Minister Nandlall had previously told this publication that law reform is imperative, since it “captures and embraces the aspirations, the exigencies, the social maladies and the vicissitudes of society as it evolves, so that at no point in time the laws of our country become archaic, out of sync with modern reality, and remains static while development of the population moves ahead.”

The Commission will be operating out of a government building located at Lot 91 Middle Street, Georgetown. A Secretariat for the commission has already been established and staffed, and the members of the Commission are expected to be sworn in shortly.

“The Law Reform Commission is expected to hire researchers, social scientists, financial minds and persons trained in different disciplines who will constantly review issues arising in the country, and then consider whether we can find a legislative solution or whether some social solution,” Minister Nandlall had said.

The establishment of a Law Reform

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C Commission is part of a fundamental component of the US$8 million Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded Support for the Justice System Programme. The statement from the Attorney-General’s chambers noted that the IDB will fund the functioning of the Commission for a specified period, after which the government is expected to take over.

Former Attorney-General, Basil Williams, S.C., under the same Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded Support for the Criminal Justice System Programme, had tabled and presented the Law Reform Commission Act 2016 to facilitate the implementation of the Commission.

Sources close to this publication indicated that almost some $100M was spent on the Commission for a threeyear period, however, the Commission never even met. Some of the expenses included renting an office for some Retired Justice of Appeal B. S. Roy, $800,000 per month, which was fully Chairman of the Law Reform Com- equipped with necessary utilities, as well as funding a full secretariat. mission

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

Extending cash grants to private schoolers being considered – says VP Jagdeo

THE Government of number of children there ty returned to office in to prevent the rolling out G u y a n a i s a c t i v e l y are in the private school August 2020, it sought of the initiative which considering the exten- system. to not only reinstate the has been seen as critical sion of its ‘Because “The ministry doesn’t programme, but increase at this time, especially We Care’ cash grants have all the numbers; its benefits from well owing to the COVID-19 to accommodate chil- they are trying to ver- beyond $10,000. With pandemic and other exdren attending private ify the numbers,” the the increase, the grant ternal shocks that have institutions, according vice-president added. will now be valued at resulted in escalation of to Vice-President Dr Dr. Jagdeo indicated $15,000, which will be the cost of living.

Bharrat Jagdeo. that should the govern- added to the School UniMany within the opT h e f o r m e r H e a d ment decide to extend form and Supplies Grant position camp have also of State explained that the cash grants to those of $4,000 to represent criticised the initiative since announcement in the private school the final sum. as being a waste of monof the grants was made, system, strict measures As this year’s distri- ey; however, Education many persons who have would have to be insti- bution commenced, it Minister Priya Manchildren attending pri- tuted to curb “leakages was heavily criticised ickchand had rebuked vate schools have been and corruption.” by members of the A the opposition’s efforts advocating for the monDr. Jagdeo main- Partnership for National to discourage teachers ies to go towards them tained that as it is now, Unity + Alliance For from participating in as well. d i s t r i b u t i o n o f t h e Change (APNU+AFC), the rolling out of the Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo “…Maybe not all of $19,000 grant for each including the party’s welcome initiative.

She added, “If you them will take it, but child within the public Member of Parliament, Minister Manick - ple of Guyana, especialdon’t know how hard some parents have been it is for a grandmother making this solid case bringing up her [grand] that they struggle at children because mother home to make their kids [and] father [are] gone; go to private schools,” if you don’t know how the former Head of State hard it is even in nuclear said during an interview families where you have with a known social meboth mother and father, dia personality. then you can’t serve He recognised that the people; you can’t some parents have been bring programmes that arguing that sending will serve the people,” their children to private the education minister schools does not mean argued. they are wealthy.

She stated categor“It’s not as though ically that unlike some they are rich in a way, personalities, neither she [and] those kids that go nor the government hold to private schools, they the view that any of the take some pressure off $3.2 billion is wasted the public schools too, money. in terms of space, so the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, handing over the suitcase of cash to several teachers and par“Could we do more government will con- ents at the Cotton Field Secondary. Also pictured is Regional Education Officer, Nichola Matthews (left) with $3 billion? Of sider all the facts on this course! But you are imissue, and we will make school system is be- Coretta McDonald. chand, in a recent post ly those in need.

She indicated that portant to us; your chila determination very ing done using a robust It is alleged that Mc- to her Facebook Page, soon on the matter,” Dr. system which requires Donald, who is also said “It is bizarre to me the government’s move dren are important to Jagdeo said. the submission of each the General-Secretary that any person, or polit- to distribute the cash us, and that will remain He explained that as class register. Further, of the Guyana Teach- ical party or any of their grants stems from an that way,” Manickchand a result of the plea, ef- the entire process is be- ers’ Union (GTU), has affiliates would object to understanding of the re- emphasised.

In addition to the forts have commenced ing keenly monitored by launched an effort to Guyana’s families being alities and needs of famto re-examine the pro- the Office of the Auditor derail distribution of assisted with $19,000 ilies in all parts of Guy- education cash grant, ana. “You see, the issue the government had gramme and identify the General. the funds to parents and per child.” possibility of extending The ‘Because We guardians of more than In a video statement becomes not knowing a l s o i m p l e m e n t e d the aid to private school Care’ cash grant was 172,000 pupils and stu- posted later on Thurs- what our families are the one-off $25,000 pupils as well. Already, initiated by the People’s dents. day night, the education going through, and if COVID-19 cash grant, he said that the Ministry Progressive Party/Civic A c c o r d i n g t o t h e minister reiterated her you don’t know that, which seeks to cushion of Education has been government even be- claims, McDonald has government’s intention you can’t serve them,” the impact that the tasked with compiling fore it demitted office already solicited the sup- to provide as much sup- minister Manickchand pandemic has had on Guyanese families. data in relation to the in 2015. When the par- port of teachers, seeking port as it can to the peo- posited.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

Saved by adoptive parents after haemophilia mistaken for ‘Ole Higue’ torment THIS is the second in a series of four articles produced by the Guyana Hemophilia Society (GHS) to bring awareness of the existence of the condition in Guyana.

WHEN Looknauth Mohamed was a child his mother observed what she described as black and blue marks on his skin. Fearing

that her son was being tormented by the Guyanese folklore creature known as the ‘Ole Higue’, she ‘gave away’ her only son to her neighbour at the time.

What Mohamed’s mother did not know then was that the black and blue marks were actually hematomas -- bruising that occurs when an injury causes blood to

collect and pool under the skin. She also did not know that her son had a condition, hemophilia, that would result in him living a very difficult life.

Mohamed credits his adopted parents for doing all they could to assist him but they could not have shielded him from the pain he endured as a child, and which

Looknauth with GHS family at one of the group’s activity continued into adulthood, coupled with other unfortunate events as a direct result of that condition.

Forty-two-year-old Mohamed said not only has his wife left him because of the condition that saw him missing work for days and being hospitalised for extended periods, but he has also had many near-death experiences and at one time was even referred to as a ‘miracle patient’ because of how close he came to death then.

Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot properly. This causes spontaneous bleeding, and/ or prolonged bleeding after an injury or surgery. People with hemophilia have low levels of specific clotting factors, which are proteins in the blood that help it to clot.

Persons with low levels of Factor V111 (Factor 8) have Hemophilia A, and those with low levels of Factor 1X have Hemophilia B. Hemophilia is quite rare; about 1 in 10,000 people are born with it. The WFH’s Annual Global Survey surmised that with Guyana’s population of approximately 755,000 persons, an average of 52 persons could be living with and suffering from Hemophilia.

The Guyana Hemophilia Society (GHS) is extremely concerned that to date there are only 15 confirmed cases in Guyana.

OLD HIGUE Mohamed, who also now walks with a limp as a result of the condition, recalled that as a child he was always in a lot of pain and

Looknauth Mohamed had black and blue marks on his skin.

“She hand me over to the people them opposite, because she didn’t know what been happening and she say like is old higue,” he said about his mother.

It was the neighbour who took him to a doctor where he was diagnosed with the condition. But he described his childhood days as “hell because as a child you don’t know how to take care of yourself properly and you would jump and so and it was pain.”

Were it not for his neighbours, who eventually adopted him and gave him their name, Mohamed said, he would have been “six feet under”. He said his adopted parents spent a lot of money on him in an attempt to alleviate his suffering. He lived opposite his mother’s residence until he was about

16 years old before moving to Georgetown with his adopted parents.

His mother is now dead and Mohamed said he does not hate her for giving him away as not only was she unable to properly assist him but his adopted parents gave him a new lease on life.

He said he is well known at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) because of the countless times he has been hospitalised.

As an adult, Mohamed said, he worked for many different companies including a pharmacy and as a salesman for Bakewell but because of his condition which saw him being away from work for extended periods, it was difficult holding down a permanent job.

He also got married but because he was hospitalised for long periods his marriage did not last. He recalled that after one hospitalisation he returned home to find that the lock on the gate had been changed and all he received was his clothes. He lost everything but is still grateful for life.

Today he does not work but receives support from his adopted siblings who live overseas; their parents have since passed away.

He hopes to be granted a piece of land, for which he has applied, so that he would be able to own his own home.

CARRIER Mohamed believes he got the condition from his mother; he has three sisters, none of whom had any See page 21

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

Rockstone businesswoman robbed at gunpoint

A 57-year-old businesswoman of Rockstone Junction, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) and her grandson were robbed of a quantity of cell phones and jewellery by three armed men on Friday night.

According to Police Headquarters, the businesswoman was in her shop with her grandson around 22:00hrs when the three identifiable male suspects rode up on two ‘XR’ motorcycles without number plates to purchase some items.

One of the suspects, who is known to the victim, approached the shopkeeper to

purchase a pack of cigarettes, two bottles of water and one tin Canada Dry. She reported that the suspect then returned to his accomplices and rolled a ‘joint’ of marijuana and began to smoke.

The victim went into her room where she normally sleeps and observed the suspects heading in the direction of Mabura. However, about 20 minutes later, she heard her dogs barking continuously in her back yard, which is surrounded by thick vegetation.

Police reports that her grandson armed himself with a cutlass and ventured out-

Saved by adoptive parents after...

From page 20

symptoms of the condition.

Today, however, he has a nephew who suffers from the condition so badly that he uses a wheelchair to move around as he cannot walk. According to Mohamed, his sister did not know how to take care of her son, who was not diagnosed as a child, and he therefore sustained many injuries and eventually lost his mobility.

Mohamed is grateful for the GHS through which he receives the Factor V111 (eight) injection that allows him now to lead a relatively normal life. Prior to accessing the injection, if he got so much as a cut when shaving it meant that he had to be hospitalised.

Before he started taking the injection, Mohamed said, there were many instances when he needed blood and there were times when the blood bank did not have his blood type and he just remained in the hospital bleeding out.

It was during one of his hospitalisations that the doctors found that nothing was stopping his bleeding.

Contact was made with the GHS which was looking for people for trials with the injection. It was administered and the bleeding stopped.

He pointed out that the medication is provided by the World Federation of Hemophilia through the GHS and he lamented the fact that the Government has played no role in reducing the plight of those living with Hemophilia. He hopes that his story and those of others will engineer change at the level of the government so as to ensure that every Guyanese living with hemophilia will not only have access to the needed injection but that people would be sensitised about the condition and come forward to be diagnosed if the need arises.

He is fearful that one day the WFH will be unable to donate the injection and he would be back to square one and so he appealed to the government to assist people living with hemophilia. The injection is required twice a week. He receives it through the GPH, stores it in his refrigerator and goes to a Health Centre to have it administered.

Mohamed was high in praise for the doctors who have treated him over the years at GPH and also for the support he has received from members of the GHS.

side into the dark to assess the situation when he was accosted by one of the suspects, whom he knows from Kuru Kuru, who choked him and pointed a hand gun to his head.

The other two suspects, whose faces were covered with black jerseys and who were armed with two handguns, then followed and took

him to the shop and instructed him not to make noise as they barged in and confronted the owner. They instructed her to lay down and she complied.

According to a police report, the suspects then removed the victim’s jewellery and made way to her shop counter where her “money bowl” was situated along

with a number of cell phones.

The bandits stole a Samsung Note 5 cell phone valued at $90,000; one BLU Smart phone valued at $22,000; one Logic Smart phone valued at $26,000; one Ique phone valued at $6,000; one Blue cellular phone valued at $20,000; $1500 in phone cards; one gold chain valued at $150,000; one

gold ring valued at $60,000 and six gold studs valued at $30,000.

The victim reported that she raised an alarm and alerted a car driver who made an effort to apprehend the suspects, however, this proved futile since they had already escaped on their motorcycles through the trail.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

‘We will always invest in the lives of our children’ –– Min. Indar says during distribution of ‘Because We Care’ cash grant in Reg. 3

By Jared Liddell

MINISTER within the Ministry of Public Works,

Deodat Indar, has reiterated the government’s commitment to investing in the lives of children as

he spearheaded the distribution of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grants in Wakenaam, Essequibo Is-

lands (Region Three) on Saturday.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Govern-

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, oversees distribution of the cash grants at Essequibo Islands Secondary School on Saturday (Adrian Narine photo)

Sohodia Persaud, a mother of three, receives her cash grant (Adrian Narine photo)

Joycelyn Ramoutar receiving three of her four “Because We Care” cash grants on Saturday (Adrian Narine photo) ment has budgeted for the distribution of the $15,000 cash grants along with the $4,000 School Uniform and Supplies grant, for students of public schools across Guyana; this means that each child is entitled to $19,000 as part of the initiative.

Approximately 400 children make up the school age population of the is-

land of Wakenaam, and so, the government has injected $7,600,000 in the region through the Ministry of Education.

The 400 children belong to the Essequibo Islands Secondary; Maria’s Pleasure Nursery and Primary Schools; Arthville Primary; See page 23

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

Chief-of-Staff engages ensigns

AS ensigns of the Standard Officer Course 52 prepare for their ceremonial rite of passage into ‘officership’, Chief-of-Staff Brigadier Godfrey Bess recently engaged them for a discourse on reflections and impressions.

The activity allowed for a smooth flow of interaction between the Chief-of-Staff and the potential officers; they were engaged individually to relate their most impactful moments and lessons during training.

Ensign Ralph Williams, aged 21, believes that the two years of training has taught him valuable lessons which will benefit him in every aspect of his life. He has dedicated himself to being a motivation and role model to the troops he will command.

Ensign Mauro Cucul, also aged 21, of the Belize Coast Guard, is thankful for undergoing his officer training in Guyana. The course has enabled him with, among other valuable attributes, the ability to think under

pressure.

“In real situations in operations, we will have to think fast and under pressure, and make the best possible decisions in those circumstances,” he stated. He also spoke about the core value of identity, which demands that all military members wear their uniform proudly, as their positive identity contributes to the public confidence in the Force.

Ensign Javid Mohammed, of the Guyana Fire Service, is the course senior, and this, he said, enabled him to practice one of the essential variables, command and control.

The three ensigns are among 16 who are completing training on the Standard Officer Course 52.

Brigadier Bess told the ensigns that while the training has provided them with the foundation and necessary skills to command and be leaders in their respective organisations, it is essential for them to continue investing in themselves to enjoy a fruitful

and rewarding career.

The Chief-of-Staff was impressed with the ensigns and urged them to take seriously the position of trust and leadership entrusted to them.

“You have made the decision to become leaders, and you committed yourself to completing this course. You defied the odds in the face of a pandemic. I can assure all of you that you have made a good career choice,” said Brigadier Bess.

The Standard Officer Course 52 commenced on June 28, 2019. Sixteen out of the 40 who commenced training have so far withstood the rigorousness of the course.

Two are from the Belize Coast Guard, two each from the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, and St. Kitts and Nevis Defence Force, and one from the Guyana Fire Service, and another from the Guyana Prison Service.

The remainder will serve in the Guyana Defence Force.

‘We will always invest ...

From page 22

San Souci Nursery and Primary schools; Zeelandia Primary School; Belle Plain Nursery; and Noitgedacht Nursery school.

“Children are the future, if we don’t help, develop and sustain and support our children we wouldn’t have a future. That’s the cycle of life; we grow, we born, we die and a new generation of children come up and if we don’t support them now, we won’t be able to give them the chance to give the future generations better,” Minister Indar said.

Minister Indar reminded parents that regardless of their political affiliation, they should ensure that their children benefit from the government initiative.

“Our people need help and don’t let anybody tell you or make you feel that it’s wrong to come and receive this support from government. Don’t let anybody make you feel guilty about that, reject it,” Minister Indar emphasised.

Meanwhile, a resident of Wakenaam, Bibi Saffurah, expressed her gratitude to the government, describing it as “timely” and “necessary.”

Saffurah collected $19,000 each for her four grandchildren, whom she takes care of. Three of them attend the San Souci Primary

Wakenaam resident, Bibi Saffurah School, while the youngest child goes to the nursery school.

“This money would help me greatly to buy school supplies and so for the children. Since the pandemic started, they were working from home and so we didn’t have to find uniform and all that, but school could reopen for face to face and this grant would come in handy to help pay for uniforms and books and everything to prepare them,” Saffurah said.

Another resident, Sohodia Persaud, noted that she will begin school shopping today after receiving the grant. The mother, who has three children attending pub-

lic schools in the region, stated that while she will not be purchasing school uniforms as yet, she will be utilising the funds to ensure books, backpacks and other necessities are purchased for the new academic school year.

“I think it’s nice that the government gave this grant, because I have children in different levels and they would need different things for school.

“I have two children in secondary school and one in primary and I know that there are different things that are necessary for secondary that would be different from what is needed in primary,” Persaud stated.

Similarly, another resident, Joycelyn Ramoutar, noted that since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents have seen a dent in their finances, and so, she is thankful for the cash grant.

“I didn’t start shopping as yet but I am thankful for this grant.

I have one child in second form and one starting secondary school this September and the other two are still in primary, so I know what a far way this money would carry me in purchasing things for them to use at school,” said Ramoutar.

Chief-of-Staff Brigadier Godfrey Bess addressing the ensigns

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

SBM Offshore to implement new mooring technology

SINGLE Buoy Moorings, better known as SBM Offshore, has received New Technology Qualification from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the

implementation of an Intelligent Agent Mooring Line Integrity Tool which utilises Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The Dutch company in a recent statement said that

the new qualification marks an important milestone in its digital-transformation programme, and will allow for the technology to be integrated into offshore systems for

Séverine Baudic, Managing-Director, New Energies and Services of SBM Offshore the first time.

“SBM Offshore’s operating experience, standardised design through its Fast4Ward® programme, and a strong data-management programme, put SBM Offshore in a unique position to unlock significant value through the development of Intelligent Agents,” the company said.

It explained that the tool was built on SBM Offshore’s “unrivalled” mooring expertise and Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) lifecycle management, combined with the advancement in machine-learning capabilities. The technology enables the detection of a potential mooring line failure and its location, without relying on a traditional mooring tension-monitoring system.

According to Oivind Tangen, the Managing-Director, Operations, of SBM Offshore, “This achievement is only one example of how SBM Offshore is using digitalisation to make meaningful shifts in offshore operations, making them safer, more reliable and more efficient.”

Tangen gave the assurance that this is just the beginning of the application of machine learning in its offshore operations. “We target the development of intelligent agents into areas where it is challenging to create value from operational data through traditional analytics,” the SBM Director related.

Meanwhile, Séverine Baudic, Managing-Director of New Energies and Services of SBM Offshore, pointed to the fact that the company’s machine-learning capabilities are developing fast, in an agile work environment.

“We expect a lot to follow through our collaboration with our strategic partner FieldBox.ai. The ultimate objective is to deliver more value to all our clients including the ones in the floating offshore wind market,” Baudic said.

It was explained that the company’s latest accomplishment follows the opening of its first Operational Intelligence and Performance Optimization Centre (OIPOC) in 2018 and “the offshore testing and deployment in 2019 of intelligent agents,” thereby advancing the company’s machine-learning capabilities.

SBM Offshore in its announcement said that the artificial intelligence and machine-learning developments are “executed in partnership with FieldBox.ai, a digital native organisation that brings reliable Industrial Operations AI to scale.”

Nonetheless, with the ABS new technology qualification, it means that SBM Offshore has demonstrated

Oivind Tangen, Managing-Director, Operations, of SBM Offshore a high level of maturity, and has committed to systematically reviewing potential risks that the new technology may pose.

As it is, SBM Offshore is the builder and operator of ExxonMobil’s Liza Destiny FPSO, which continues to produce oil offshore Guyana, as well as the Prosperity FPSO which was delivered earlier in June.

Further, SBM Offshore will also be constructing additional oil-production vessels for ExxonMobil’s Guyana operations.

This is being done under an aforementioned state-ofthe-art Fast4Ward® programme, and will include building of the Liza Unity FPSO, which is slated to be delivered later this year.

With ABS already positioned in 200 offices in 70 countries around the world, SBM Offshore is pleased to have received qualification status, recognising it to be part and parcel of a wider ambition to expand its activities by offering digital services to the offshore energy market.

The SBM Offshore-built and operated Liza Destiny

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

Wakapoa Vil age Council gets $3.6M to construct bridge at Curemeru THE Regional Democratic Council of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), on Wednesday, approved a $3.6M project for the Wakapoa Village Council to construct a walkway bridge at Curemeru Wakapoa, Lower Pomeroon.

At a simple handing-over ceremony of the project to the council, Regional Executive Officer, Devanand Ramdatt, said that the establishment of the bridge will result in a significant boost to the transportation service in the village.

It will ease the burden of pregnant mothers and children who are forced to walk approximately four miles to access basic services. The bridge will

Toshao of Wakapoa, Llyod Perreira, and Regional Executive Officer, Devanand Ramdatt, sign the contract for the construction of the bridge measure 68 feet in length and 12 feet in width.

Ramdatt assured that the RDC will monitor the construction works. The bill of quantities and the specification of the project will also be circulated to the residents.

“We are doing this because we hope that the community will take ownership and it creates economic and improves social benefit, I hope residents will benefit,” Ramdatt said.

The REO called on the Toshao, Lloyd Perriera, to ensure that residents benefit from the project through employment. Meanwhile, the Toshao said the Curemeru area was a large wetland and he was happy that the RDC realised the importance of a bridge.

“So now we will be able to have such a contract, this project will make lives easier for the mothers especially those who have to visit the health post; I will ensure that the project is successful from the council level,” Perriera said.

He noted that over 1,000 residents will have access to the project.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 18, 2021

Boy, 16, and woman, 74, latest COVID-19 deaths

THE Ministry of Health on Saturday announced that two more persons who tested positive for COVID-19 have succumbed to the dreaded virus.

The latest fatalities are a 16-year-old male from

Region Nine (Upper Takutu - Upper Essequibo) and a 74-year-old woman from Region 10 (Upper Demerara – Upper Berbice).

The two latest deaths take the total number of deaths recorded consequent to the COVID-19 virus to

509. The ministry reported that both victims died while receiving care at a government medical facility.

The Health Ministry also recorded some 120 new cases of COVID-19, from 1,199 tests carried out up to the end of Friday, July

16, 2021.

Of the new cases, Region One (Barima-Waini) recorded two; Region Two (Pomeroon – Supenaam), three; Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), five; Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), 34; Region Five (Ma-

haica-Berbice), seven; Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), six; Region Seven (Cuyuni – Mazaruni), two; Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), 54; and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice), seven.

Amongst the newly infected persons were 57 males and 63 females. To date, eight persons occupy the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), while 103 are institutionally isolated; 1,068 are isolated at home, and five are in institutional quarantine.

Of Guyana’s 21,471 confirmed cases recorded from some 208,667 tests conducted, there have been some 19,805 recoveries recorded.

All Guyanese are urged to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures, which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving home, the importance of maintaining the six-foot physical distance from others, and the need for good hand hygiene to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

If anyone you know is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or needs any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline 2311166, 226-7480 or 6246674 immediately or visit the Ministry of Health at www.health.gov.gy.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 18, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 18, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 18, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 18, 2021

Aggressive Brathwaite fifty dwarfs Mayers debut in T20 Blast

BIRMINGHAM, England, (CMC) – An explosive Carlos Brathwaite half-century overshado w e d K y l e M a y e r s ’s debut for Birmingham Bears, as the home side brushed aside Worcestershire Rapids by 17 runs, to improve their chances of a berth in the next round of the T20 Blast.

Choosing to bat first at Edgbaston on Friday, Bears recovered from 63 for five in the ninth over to reach 169 without further loss off 20 overs, with Sam Hain hitting an unbeaten 83 off 53 balls and

Brathwaite, 52 not out off 38 balls.

Mayers, entering at number five, made only 13.

In reply, Jake Libby top-scored with 36, Daryl Mitchell got 29 and Ross Whiteley, 28, as Rapids came up short on 152 for six, after needing 23 from the final over.

The victory, the first in three outings for the Bears, left them fifth in the North Group on 13 points but only six points off leaders Nottinghamshire, with one game left against Northamptonshire on Sunday.

Bears started poorly when Ed Pollock was comprehensively bowled by Australian left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshuis for five off the fourth ball of the match, and opening partner Sam Hose played on to pacer Dillon Pennington (2-11) for four in the next over.

Captain Will Rhodes edged Pennington to short third man in the fifth

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West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite

over for 11, paving the way for Mayers’ arrival but the West Indies Test left-hander blasted seamer Charlie Morris for a straight six before holing out to long on off pacer Ed Barnard in the eighth over.

When Robert Yates (1) spooned a return catch to leg-spinner Brett D’Oliveira in the next over, Bears were staring down the barrel but Hain and Brathwaite combined in

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an entertaining unbroken 106-run, sixth wicket stand to bail them out.

Hain struck eight fours and a couple of sixes while Brathwaite, whose first 19 runs required 27 balls, picked up the tempo to lash two fours and three sixes as his last 33 runs came from only 11 deliveries.

With both batsmen on the charge, Bears gathered 53 runs from the last three overs, Brathwaite reaching his third T20 half-century off the last ball of the innings with a boundary to extra cover off Morris.

Staring at a straightforward total, Rapids slumped to 21 for two in the fourth before Libby and Mitchell

revived the innings in a 55-run, third wicket stand.

But once Mitchell picked out deep mid-wicket with seamer Craig Miles (2-27) in the 11th over and Libby holed out to deep extra cover in the 14th over off Rhodes’s medium pace, Rapids quickly faded.

They needed 29 from the last two overs but medium pacer Brathwaite produced a miserly penultimate over which cost only six runs, to snuff out any remaining threat.

The former West Indies T20 captain, who has already taken 18 wickets in the tournament, went wicketless from four overs which cost 39 runs.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday July 16, 2021)

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TODAY’S QUIZ:

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(2) Which ENG player has claimed most ODI wickets against the WI to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 18, 2021

First COVID-1...

Continued from page 36

run from July 23 through August 8.

The Japanese public has been wary about hosting the Games at all, amid resurgence in new coronavirus infections and worries that an influx of visitors may

create a super-spreader event, straining an already-stretched medical system.

Only around 20% of the population is fully vaccinated.

Although Japan has escaped the explosive outbreaks of other nations, it has recorded more than 820

Edghill, swimmers ...

Continued from page 36

would have arrived in Tokyo yesterday along with coach Idi Lewis.

She is the first table tennis player from Guyana to qualify for an Olympic Games.

Edghill, who was granted a spot at the Games through the tripartite system, which only has two spots worldwide for table tennis, one male and female, had been in training at the Indian Community Centre in California fine-tuning her game ahead of the global

showpiece.

Swimmers Aleka Persaud and Andrew Fowler are already in Tokyo for a preparation camp which ends on July 19. They are accompanied by coach Shyka Gonsalves.

Keevin Allicock (boxing), Jasmine Abrams (100m), Aliyah Abrams (400m), Emanuel Archibald (100m) are the other Guyanese athletes at the Olympic Games.

In total, seven athletes, five coaches and four officials

000 cases and about 15 000 deaths. The number of new cases in host city Tokyo, which is in its fourth state of emergency over the virus, has been over 1 000 for four straight days.

Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto also ac-

will form Guyana’s delegation to the Olympic Games.

The contingent comprises mainly regular faces in national colours, with the newest addition being COVID-19 Liaison Officer/ Physiotherapist, Angelica Holder.

Treasurer of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) Garfield Wiltshire has been designed Chef-de-Mission of Team Guyana and four-time Olympian Aliann Pompey will travel as the Athlete Representative at the Games.

As part of the COVID-19 measures implemented by Games’ organisers, Holder

knowledged the public’s concerns.

“I understand that there are still many worrying factors. Organisers must try to make sure that people understand that these games are safe and secure,” she told a news conference yesterday.

So far, more than 40 people involved in the Games, including Japanese and foreigners, have tested positive for the virus. revealed all members of a delegation are required to download two Apps – Ocha and Cocoa.

The Ocha App is basically a health reporting App they will use to report their status every day and when they arrive in Tokyo, they will have to download the Cocoa App that everyone in the Olympic Village will be using via Bluetooth.”

The Cocoa App will record positive COVID-19 cases within the Olympic Village and notify persons who have been in close proximity to immediately isolate

Toshiro Muto, chief of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, said yesterday, officials were working on the assumption that there would be positive COVID-19 cases.

A key part of the anti-contagion measures is daily saliva testing of the athletes who take part, as well as frequent testing of others involved in the event. Visitors’ movements are also due to be monitored and restricted.

But in a sign that the organisers were already finding rules difficult to enforce, Ugandan weightlifter Julius Ssekitoleko went missing from his team’s training site in Osaka on Friday.

Authorities are still looking for him, according to Games organisers. Media reports said he left behind a note saying he wanted to stay and work in Japan, as life in Uganda was difficult.

Swimmers Andrew Fowler (left), coach Shyka Gonsalves and Aleka Persaud

No spectators at Kensington Oval

NO spectators will be allowed at Kensington Oval during the slew of international matches to be staged there at the end of the month.

The Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) said in a media release Friday that the non-admittance of spectators will extend to the three One-day Internationals between West Indies and Australia on July 20, 22 and 24, and the two Twenty20 Internationals between West Indies and Pakistan, July 27 and 28.

“Due to the recent directive issued by the Ministry of Health & Wellness in Barbados, there will be no spectators allowed at Kensington Oval during the hosting of the West Indies One-day International and Twenty20 International home series of matches,” the BCA media release said.

Cricket fans in Barbados hoping to see Jason Holder, Shai Hope and Roston Chase in action during the ODIs will not have the same privilege that was extended to spectators in St Lucia and Grenada following meetings earlier this week involving cricket officials, the ministry and the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit. (Barbados Nation)

Windies Women’s team skipper Stafanie Taylor could retire soon WEST Indies Wo m e n ’s t e a m captain Stafanie Taylor is already considering a future beyond cricket and has hinted she could be tempted to put up her bat sooner rather than later.

The 30-year-old Taylor has been the most domi-

nant force in West Indies cricket for over a decade. In a 13-year career, the player has racked up some impressive stats.

She is third overall on the all-time One Day International runs scoring list with 4908, behind Charlotte Edwards (5992) and

Mithali Raj (7304).

In terms of ODI wickets taken she ranks 9th, the second West Indian in a top 10 that also includes teammate Anisa Mohammed.

In terms of T20 runs scored, Taylor has 3121 a figure that is surpassed by only New Zealand’s Suzie Bates.

The West Indian is, however, younger than those ahead of her, in the case of Edwards, by 11 years and the case of Raj by 8. It’s not even a stretch to imagine the player eventually topping both lists. She, however, may simply not play that long.

“The youngsters are good to watch.

I’m currently here watching them in a series against Pakistan A and they are very vibrant, they seem to really enjoy what they are doing,” Taylor told SportsMax.tv’s InCaseYouMissedIT when quizzed about the future of

West Indies cricket.

“It’s important for us too because when I look at myself, I’ll probably retire soon, and you want to know that you are leaving West Indies cricket in good hands.

These girls are the future.”(Sportsmax)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 18, 2021

Tokyo 2020: Five reasons why the women’s 100m will light up Olympics

By Ellie Thomason (BBC Sport)

SPRINT events are one of the highlights at any Olympics.

Tokyo 2020 will be no different, but this year the women’s 100m stands out as one of the most hotly-anticipated race of the Games.

Here are five reasons why the sprint queens will light up Japan’s capital and provide one of the standout events of the summer.

Dina Asher-Smith stormed to a superb 100m victory in Gateshead in May, beating Sha’Carri Richardson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Marie-Josee Ta Lou From a British perspective, BBC athletics commentator Steve Cram says “we’ve got a real contender” in Dina Asher-Smith.

“We haven’t always had somebody with a chance of if not winning it, certainly winning a medal,” said Cram.

“Dina knows that she’s going to have to be at her best, but she’s in my top three.”

GB have not had a woman in an Olympic 100m final since 2008. Jeanette Kwakye, who finished sixth in Beijing, is confident the fastest British woman of all time can win a medal.

“We know, as a 200m world champion, what Dina is capable of, but she’s also exciting as a 100m runner. She is going to have to be at her absolute best to challenge for medals,” she said.

“What we love about Dina and why we are so confident about her medal chances is that she’s a championship performer and a competitor and she knows how to do it.”

‘It is so much more exciting than the men’s right now’ Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won gold in the 2019 World Championships 100m in Doha, with Dina Asher-Smith taking silver and Marie-Josée Ta Lou bronze “We all know Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, we all know Elaine Thompson. Dina is becoming a big name,” said the 1984 1,500m Olympic silver

FLASHBACK: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won gold in the 2019 World Championships 100m in Doha, with Dina Asher-Smith taking silver and Marie-Josée Ta Lou bronze.

medallist.

“On the men’s side it is an open race. Anyone who makes the men’s 100m final can probably genuinely line up and think ... ‘I could maybe win a medal here’. That’s nice in some respects but in terms of bringing attention to the event, it’s not Bolt and it’s not (Justin) Gatlin or even (Yohan) Blake.

“It’s missing some of the characters we’ve got to know over the last 10 years. The women, though, have got the characters; they’ve got the well-known people.”

Even better, the top contenders are all in the shape of their lives, says former British 100m champion Kwakye.

“It’s super exciting to see them all line up and be ready to go for a 100m that for the first time in a long time is going to overtake what we think about the men. It is so much more exciting than the men’s right now.”

NO FANS? NO PROBLEM Only American legend Florence Griffith-Joyner has run faster than Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, athletes have regularly competed in empty stadia or in front of very few fans. Their times haven’t suffered.

In June, Fraser-Pryce became the second-fastest woman in history after running 10.63 seconds in Kingston.

Only world record-holder Florence Griffith-Joyner has run faster.

“All the athletes are saying the same thing, that when

you go into your blocks, it doesn’t matter if there are 100 000 people there or nobody.

We’ll still see big performances,” said Cram.

Kwakye added: “Sometimes that crowd can add an extra percentage for the home athletes, but there are no home athletes involved here.

“This is all very much about pride, being the best and who’s able to do that, so I don’t think the crowd will make that much of a difference. For sure I think we’re still going to have a spectacle.”

IT’S WIDE OPEN Fraser-Pryce, who missed more than a year of action around the birth of her son in 2017, is aiming for a third Olympic 100m title after winning gold in 2008 and 2012.

She also won bronze in Rio in 2016 With no one standout performer this year, you can’t pick a winner easily.

Jamaican trio Shericka Jackson, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce have all gone below 10.8 seconds, a feat most impressive for the latter, who is only getting faster after two years away from the sport to have her son Zyon.

“Shelly-Ann has won it twice before in 2008 and 2012. She has multiple world medals. She knows how to win and she comes into this in the shape of her life and as a mother, so her motivations will change, everything about it is different. Her priorities are different which makes it

super exciting,” said Kwakye.

Her fellow Jamaican Jackson has dropped down from the 400m and Kwakye says the 26-year-old could spring a surprise in Tokyo.

“Shericka is doing such an amazing, incredible job,” she said. “Being in that position is great for her because she’s got nothing to lose. Nobody is expecting anything of her so it will be really interesting to see how she goes through the rounds being quite relaxed about it all.”

Whilst Asher-Smith has only clocked the 10th-fastest time this year, she is yet to lose a race and stormed to victory over Fraser-Pryce in May. Before she received a onemonth ban that would rule her out of the Olympics after testing positive for marijuana, U,S, sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was arguably the 100m favourite heading into Tokyo.

Until Fraser-Pryce eclipsed her time in Kingston, the 21-year-old sprint sensation was the fastest woman in the world this year and the sixth-fastest in history after running 10.72 in Miami.

Kwakye says her absence from Tokyo makes the race even more intriguing.

“She has caused such a stir because she’s such an outstanding talent. People are still going to be speaking about her,” she said.

“She thinks that she could have gone there and won, beaten two of the strongest Jamaicans. People will still be watching to see what all the fuss is about.”

Cram added: “I’m disappointed for the sport.

“We’ve all been watching her for three or four years because she’s been a prodigious young talent and smashing records at college.

“I hope we’ll see her racing the rest of the season. She could do if she wants to because her ban will finish. Next year the World Championships are in Eugene so I fully expect her back. The next three or four years she could be the dominant force.”

Das leads with 102 as Bangladesh thrash Zimbabwe in first ODI

Liton Das century came off 114 balls with eight fours.

BANGLADESH opener Liton Das made a fine 102 to set up a 155-run victory over Zimbabwe on Friday in the first of three one-day internationals at Harare Sports Club.

The tourists made 276-9 off 50 overs before left-arm spinner Shakib al Hasan took 5-30 as Zimbabwe slumped to a dismal 121 all out, with injured Timycen Maruma unable to bat. Shakib’s third five-wicket haul in ODIs also gave him the record most dismissals in ODI cricket, going past former captain Mashrafe Mortaza’s tally of 269 wickets.

Das, who was only picked for this game after regular wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim left the tour because of a family matter, struck his fourth ODI century for Bangladesh after they were put in to bat when Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor won the toss.

Three of his four tons have come against the southern Africa nation, and the latest came off 114 balls and included eight fours.

Bangladesh lost captain

and opener Tamim Iqbal in the third over without a run on the board and were 74-4 before Das and Mahmudullah Riyad turned the tide in the first match of a three-ODI series.

They added 93 for the fifth wicket before Mahmudullah was caught behind by wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva off Luke Jongwe for 33.

Das carried on to post his century before being caught at square leg by Wellington Masakadza from a Richard Ngarava delivery.

Batting at number six, Afif Hossain struck two sixes in scoring 45 off 35 balls before being clean-bowled by right-arm medium pacer Jongwe, who was the most successful Zimbabwean bowler, taking 3-51.

In reply, Zimbabwe made a disastrous start, losing openers Wesley Madhevere (9) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (0) to slip to 13-2 within the first five overs.

Hopes that Taylor could celebrate his 200th ODI appearance with a big innings failed to materialise and he made only 24 before being caught by Taskin Ahmed at short fine leg to give Shakib the wicket he needed to claim the national record.

PROMOTED It was left to Chakabva to top-score with 54. He produced four fours and two sixes, before falling to a Mehidy Hasan Miraz catch.

The matches are part of the World Cup Super League, a feeder tournament that determines which seven teams, along with hosts India, earn direct qualification to the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

Lancashire beat Yorkshire to secure T20 Blast quarter-final place LANCASHIRE put aside a wobble with the bat to seal a T20 Blast quarter-final spot by beating Roses rivals Yorkshire.

Luke Wood put Lancashire in firm control, taking 4-20 to help limit Yorkshire to a below-par 128-7.

England Test captain Joe Root (32) and Gary Ballance (31) top-scored for the visitors, who have already made the last eight as North Group runners-up.

Lancashire slipped to 67-5 after an aggressive start, but Luke Wells (30) and Steven Croft (26no) got them home.

Yorkshire were in trouble after just three overs as Wood removed openers Adam Lyth and Mark Stoneman within four balls of each other.

Root, Harry Brook (22), Ballance and Will Fraine (22 n.o.) steadied the ship, but none of them were able to go on and make the big score needed.

Lancashire, whose qualification hopes would have been left at the mercy of other results today if they lost, responded strongly as two Finn Allen sixes helped them to 35-0 after just two overs.

They lost five wickets in 28 balls through some questionable shot selections, but Wells and Croft batted sensibly to ensure progression.

There was drama at the end as Yorkshire sportingly passed up the chance to run-out an injured Croft, who pulled up with cramp, with 15 runs required.

Danny Lamb - who was dropped right on the ropes going for a big six - then scored the winning runs with an over to spare. (BBC Sport)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 18, 2021

Pogacar set to win back-toback Tour de France titles

SAINT EMILION, France, (Reuters) - Tadej Pogacar was poised to win a second consecutive Tour de France title as the Slovenian retained his overall lead following the final time trial, a 30.8-km solo effort from Libourne yesterday.

The 22-year-old UAE Emirates rider finished eighth in the 20th stage won

by Belgian Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), who clocked a best time of 35 minutes 53 seconds. Danes Kasper Asgreen and Jonas Vingegaard were second and third respectively in the 20th stage, 21 and 32 seconds off the pace. Overall, Pogacar leads Dane Jonas Vingegaard by five minutes 20 seconds and Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz by 7:03 ahead of today’s final stage, a largely processional ride from Chatou to the Champs Elysees in Paris The UAE Emirates rider bettered his rivals in the opening time trials and in the mountain stages, claiming a total of three stage wins in a

Knee injury puts skipper Finch in doubt for ODI series AUSTRALIA have found themselves in trouble on their ongoing West Indies tour with their skipper Aaron Finch aggravating his knee injury.

The visitors lost the fifth and final T20I on Friday night going down in the series 1-4. During the game, Finch twisted his knee, which he was already managing, and also appeared in discomfort while batting later.

The three-match ODI series between Australia and West Indies is set to commence on July 20 with all matches to be played in Barbados. With Finch under injury cloud, Australia are now left with finding a new skipper as the designated vice-captain Pat Cummins has not toured Caribbean.

Matthew Wade, the T20I vice-captain for the tour, confirmed he had no idea if the tag will carry forward in the ODIs as well. He has not played a single 50-over game for Australia since September 2017.

“It’s a bit of a moving thing, the vice-captaincy.

Going forward in the one-dayers I have no idea what

UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia wears the yellow jersey in action during stage 20. (REUTERS/Stephane Mah)

dominant performance.

It came in sharp contrast with last year, when Pogacar snatched the overall lead in the final time trial only as his fellow Slovenian Primoz Roglic cracked in the uphill drag to La Planche des Belles Filles.

This time, Pogacar was

the favourite and he duly delivered, even though he benefitted from his main rival’s failure with Roglic pulling out ahead of the eighth stage following a crash earlier in the race.

Crashes also effectively ruled 2018 champion Geraint Thomas out along with his

Ineos Grenadiers team mate Tao Geoghegan Hart, the 2020 Giro d’Italia winner.

Just like last year, Pogacar won the white jersey for the best Under-25 rider and also the polka-dot jersey for the mountains classification.

Pogacar is now the youngest double winner of the race.

Verstappen wins first-ever FI sprint to take pole for British Grand Prix

RED Bull’s Max Verstappen will start the British Grand Prix from pole position after winning Formula 1’s new trial sprint race yesterday.

The Dutchman got the jump on Lewis Hamilton off the line and led comfortably to the end to extend his championship lead by a point to 33.

Hamilton chased Verstappen all the way and crossed the line 1.4 seconds back.

The race was enlivened by a brilliant first lap by Fernando Alonso, the Alpine driver going from 11th to fifth.

The result of the sprint sets the grid for today’s Grand Prix, so Alonso’s gamble on starting on soft tyres paid

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen

off handsomely.

He lost places to the McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo during the 17-lap race but still gained four places on the grid for the Grand Prix today from his qualifying position.

Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas also gambled on softs at the start but failed to make any ground on Verstappen and settled

into a lonely drive to third place, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Norris and Ricciardo.

Verstappen said: “It is difficult to pass but we had a good start and a good fight with Lewis around the first lap. We were pushing each other hard and at the end the tyres were blistering and we had to look after them.

“It’s a funny way to score pole position but we will

take it and see what happens tomorrow.”

The drivers were taken around the track on a bus after the race to do their interviews and Hamilton said: “I’ve got to say thanks to all the fans. The energy I am getting from them is amazing.

“I am sorry I wasn’t able to get the win for them today.

But they (Red Bull) are just so strong. In the race he was pulling away, there was nothing I could do to stay with him.

“I don’t know whether it was the most exciting race but we should do more like that or a variation on it because it makes the weekend more enjoyable.”

(BBC Sport)

Australia white-ball captain Aaron Finch

will happen there. I am probably not expecting to play, especially if Finchy plays, but if he doesn’t there might be an opportunity for me to play.

“I came over here thinking I would play the T20s and I wouldn’t play the ODIs. I think some of the younger guys would get some opportunities to play them - which is fair enough, I’ve been around a long time now. But if Finchy doesn’t come up there might be an opportunity to play, so we’ll wait and see,” Wade said while speaking to cricket.com.au after fifth T20I. It is still not entirely confirmed if Aaron Finch has been ruled out of the ODI series but Matthew Wade is ready to fill up for the role if needed. He led in one of the T20Is against India last summer back home. Moises Henriques is another experienced campaigner in terms of leading a side at the domestic level.

“I love to captain whenever I get an opportunity.

I captained in the T20s (against India last summer), and we’ve got plenty of different leaders here. Moises is a really good leader, Adam Zampa is getting better and better, ‘Starcy’ and ‘Hoff’ (Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood) go about their thing.

“Captaining is pretty easy at this level with those experienced guys around so if I got the opportunity I’d jump at it,” Wade, who has played 94 ODIs, added. (CricTracker)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 18, 2021

Rise of Marsh a much-needed salve for Aussies’ T20 wounds

THE form of Mitchell Marsh has emerged as the brightest of few shining lights, after Australia slipped to a crushing 4-1 series defeat against the West Indies in St Lucia.

The all-rounder asserted his dominance with bat and ball to turn in what was statistically the greatest individual performance in a T20 series for Australia in nine years.

Not since Shane Watson at the 2012 T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka has one player topped Australia’s run-scoring and wicket-taking charts.

In that tournament, where Australia crashed out at the semi-final stage against eventual champions West Indies, Watson opened the batting alongside David Warner and led all scorers with 249 runs at a strike-rate of an even 150 and average of 49.80.

The 11 wickets he took, opening the bowling in three of the team’s six matches, was second-most in the tournament behind Sri Lankan Ajantha Mendis’ 15.

Over the past seven days, Marsh has delivered an individual tour de force that saw him finish as the series’ leading run-scorer with 219 at a strike-rate of 152.08 and an average of 43.80, having struck ten sixes and 20 fours on his way to passing fifty three times in the five-game series.

He was also the Aussie’s top wicket taker with eight scalps, behind only Hayden Walsh’s 12 as the most successful of the series, while conceding just 6.76 runs per over, the best economy rate of anyone to bowl five overs or more.

Fellow Western Australian Andrew Tye, who has seen plenty of the all-rounder at state, Big Bash and international level, said Marsh had elevated to new heights on this tour.

“He’s grown into his new role at No.3, taken it on board, and flourished,” Tye said yesterday in the wake of Australia’s defeat in the fifth T20 “I’ve never seen him execute so well with ball.

“He’s put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes on his

bowling, learning new tricks and really trying to become that proper all-rounder instead of having one area let him down.

“And it’s the best form I’ve ever seen him in with bat.

I’ve seen it first-hand plenty of times with the Scorchers the power he’s got, and to see him consistently putting performances on the board for Australia is a sight for sore eyes.

“It’s everything we’ve known he’s been able to do

In the past 18 months before this series, Smith (six times), Josh Philippe (four), Matthew Wade (twice), Alex Carey, Marcus Stoinis and Maxwell (all once) had all batted at No.3 for Australia.

Of that group, Marsh is the only one to have scored a half-century, having put up three this series, while hitting as many sixes as Smith and Philippe combined “The way Mitch Marsh went about it with ball and with bat was a huge positive

we’ve seen, batting against the new ball is the time to really get after it and the time to get ahead of the game.

“I’m really enjoying the role but it is purely based and we speak about it as a team, with the World Cup coming up – on playing a role.

“I’m 29 now; I’ve had a lot of experiences both good and bad in international cricket.

“I came to this tour really well prepared and had

Flemmings late strike earns Reggae Boyz dramatic win over Guadeloupe ... Costa Rica come from behind to beat Suriname 2-1

ORLANDO, Florida (CMC) – A magical late strike by Junior Flemmings rescued Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz as they overcame a lethargic display to edge a determined Guadeloupe 2-1 and qualify for the next round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup here Friday night.

The two-time finalists had trailed as early as the fourth minute courtesy of Dimitri Ramothe’s fortuitous strike – initially credited as an Amari’i Bell own goal – before equalising through Cory Burke in the 14th minute at Exploria Stadium.

However, Jamaica then struggled to find a way through the French Caribbean side’s defence, and shared points seemed the most likely outcome of the Group C encounter when Flemmings danced into the box to find the dramatic winner with three minutes left.

“First and foremoast, it’s not the kind of performance that would be expected from the guys but nonetheless, the result is more important,” said a disappointed head coach Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore.

“I don’t think the team played up to expectations. I

think we only played the last 20 minutes of the game but Goal-scorer Junior Flemmings holds off Guadeloupe’s Kevin Moeson during the Group C game.

Michell Marsh finished as the series’ leading run-scorer with 219 at a strike-rate of 152.08 and average of 43.80, having struck ten sixes and 20 fours on his way to passing fifty three times in the five-game T20 series.

for years, and now we just hope he can continue to do it.”

Marsh found himself batting at No.3 for the first time in his T20 international career with the absence of seven first-choice players from this tour due to a combination of physical and mental fitness issues.

With David Warner, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell all in Australia’s first-choice XI for the T20 World Cup, Marsh may still find himself squeezed out of the top of the order.

But with Smith recently telling cricket.com.au that he would prioritise the Ashes over the T20 World Cup if the elbow complaint that kept him out of this tour doesn’t allow him to regain full fitness quickly, a difficult decision may yet be taken out of the Aussie selectors’ hands.

leading towards the World Cup,” T20 vice-captain Matthew Wade told cricket.com. au.

“For him to get some confidence in that (No.3) role that he could potentially do going forward is a good thing.”

Marsh himself played down the prospect of a more permanent move to first drop earlier in the series, saying: “I certainly don’t want a headline saying that I want the No.3 spot but any time you get an opportunity to bat up top for Australia, it’s great.

“I’ve done it a little bit in the past for the Scorchers, so I do enjoy it.”

After his stunning allround effort in the fourth match that helped Australia to its only win so far on tour, Marsh added: “I’m certainly loving the opportunity to bat up the top of the order and as

a great break. I feel in great physical shape and mentally feeling really good.”

Adam Zampa noted a changed outlook from the man nicknamed ‘Bison’, after the leg-spinner was asked to provide feedback on how Marsh could improve his play against the turning ball.

“He’s had to deal with a lot of pressure which is probably unwarranted, I think,” Zampa said on Friday.

“The Australian fans, media might put too much pressure on all-rounders.

“I don’t know if he’s taken it to heart, but the way he trains – he smacks the ball – and I think he gets into habits of feeling that pressure early in his innings.

“But this series he’s just gone for it.” (Cricket. com.au)

again, the result is what matters “(Jamaica) allowed Guadeloupe into the game because the intensity (was lacking), I think we were lackl-ustre so we made it difficult for ourselves. It wasn’t Guadeloupe who made it difficult for us.”

Jamaica started slowly and succumbed to Guadeloupe’s first real attack of the game when they lost the ball in midfield and got caught out with a pass over the top.

The England-based Bell, one of only two defenders back, then watched as Ramothe’s attempted pass from the right side of the box ricocheted off his knees to get past goalkeeper Andre Blake at the near post.

Jamaica levelled nearing the quarter-of-an hour mark when the Sweden-based Blair Turgott robbed Edwing Malpon and teed up Burke at the top of the 18-yard box, the Major League Soccer star making little mistake with a superb volley which left goalkeeper Yohann Thuram flat-footed.

Shamar Nicholson came close with a half-chance in the 39th from close range before Malpon nearly put his side back in front in injury time, Blake diving full stretch to tip a goal-bound 22-yard volley around the post.

The Belgium-based Nicholson was guilty of his second miss in the 62nd minute, this time a glaring opportunity. Burke led a counter-attack down the left and squared for Nicholson with only Thuram to beat from close range, only for the 24-year-old to blast over the crossbar.

Thuram dived low to save from Bayer Leverkusen’s Leon Bailey in the 65th minute as Jamaica scented the winner which eventually came with full time nearing.

Bailey on the left picked out Flemmings – a 61st minute sub – on the edge of the box, and the United States-based striker weaved his way past three defenders to beat Thuram at the far post with a superb low drive from seven yards.

In the other Group C game, Costa Rica came from behind to beat Suriname 2-1 following a goalless first half, to also notch their second win and advance to the quarter-finals.

35

GUYANA CHRONICLE Sunday, July 18, 2021

Chess Federation selects 22 for FIDE Cadet and Youth Online Rapid World Cup THE Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) has selected a team of 22 to compete in next month’s FIDE Cadet and Youth Online Rapid World Cup tournament.

The August 1 - 31 U-18 battle is an official FIDE event, which attracts the best young players from all affiliate nations around the world.

Although the national side has increased by eight players from last year, a number of key players are still missing. “We will miss the contributions of some of our strong players as a result of the irregular examination schedules for NGSA, CSEC and CAPE examinations,” the GCF release added.

It said that the GCF Chess in schools programme is now seeing some of its efforts bear fruit with a wider base of competitors from which to select its national representatives.

TALENTED GROUP Despite missing a few big

names, the players selected are also very talented and have had ongoing training sessions in preparation for events of this nature.

Eight-year-old students Julian Mohabir and Aquilani Swaminadha from the School of the Nations and nine-year-old Nicholas Zhang from Mae’s School will all compete in the Under-10 category.

The GCF noted that the NGSA examination schedule has had a major impact on the Under-12 division.

Omar Sharif from Mae’s School, who has demonstrated remarkable prowess for the last year, is selected as the number one contender in the U-12 Open division. Schoolmates Alexander Zhang and Mahir Rajkumar and Marian Academy’s Micaiah Enoe will join him. In the girl’s division, deaf chess player Anaya Lall has moved up from the U-10 division, in which she competed last year.

In the U-14 Open division, School of the Nations student Emmanuel Primus is the lone competitor. The U-14 Girls’ selectees are Queen’s College student Maliha Rajkumar, who played in this category last year, along with newcomers to the team - St Stanislaus College’s Italy Ton-Chung, Queen’s College’s Nailia Rahaman and Pooja Lam from the Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) School.

The U-16 Open Division will see a seasoned Queen’s College trio led by Kishan Puran. The champion of the qualifying tournament, who has shown remarkable progress over the past year, will be joined by schoolmates Raveon Adonis and Mathew Singh.

The girls’ U-16 battle will feature Queen’s College student Aniyah Couchman and Marian Academy’s Adia Alphonso, who have both been in constant training but will face quality players in that highly competitive

category.

In the U-18 Open, Marian Academy Upper Six student Oluwadare Oyeyipo, St Stanislaus College senior Keron Sandiford, and Akili Theophil from the University of Guyana, will take to the board to prove that they are the best juniors in the country.

They will be playing at the highest level, for which they have been preparing over the last 18 months. They have all been competing against the best senior players in Guyana and will have to apply themselves well to advance in this category.

According to GCF, the online event offers the federation, “a unique opportunity for its young players to participate with their peers from other countries at a fraction of the cost,” given that prior to the pandemic, the event was expensive since it was over the board at venues around the world.

GROS ISLET, St Lucia, (CMC) – Captain Kieron Pollard says confident West Indies are unfazed by the prospect of facing World number ones England, along with powerhouses Australia and South Africa, in the preliminary Super 12s round of next October’s Twenty20 World Cup. The Caribbean side, who are reigning champions following their conquest in the last showpiece five years ago, were Friday announced in a difficult Group 1 of the October 17 to November 14 tournament in United Arab Emirates and Oman, which borders UAE. Group 1 will also comprise the winners of Group A

and the second place finishers in Group B, of the preceding T20 World Cup qualifiers.

“For us, it doesn’t matter what group we’re in, we still have to come up against all teams,” Pollard said.

“If you want to be the champions, you’ve got to play all the teams and you’ve got to win. It’s just a matter of continuing to improve as a team.”

West Indies, ranked eighth in the ICC T20 rankings, have endured mixed results in the shortest format this year.

They beat Sri Lanka 2-1 in a three-match series last March before suffering a 3-2 defeat in a five-match series against the Proteas earlier this month.

They bounced back strongly to demolish Australia – minus several leading players – 4-1 in another fivematch series, which wrapped up here at the Daren Sammy National Stadium Friday night with a 16-run victory.

West Indies beat England in the final of the last T20 World Cup in India but have lost three of their four games against them since.

Pollard, who missed the Australia series through injury, said while West Indies were now familiar with the Aussies and South Africa, having just clashed with both, the focus would be on execut-

ing their own game regardless of the opponent.

“The good thing about it is we’ve just played two of the opponents so we may have a fair idea about Australia and South Africa but we’ll see what happens,” he explained.

Sixteen of the 22 players selected for next month’s championships

Group 1 holds no terrors for Windies, assures Pollard

Confident West Indies looking forward to T20 World Cup challenge

“For us, what is very, very important is that we play cricket as a team and we understand our game, and we understand who is going to do what, where and how, and when we go to the World Cup, have a clear understanding of what is needed.”

Group 2 of the T20 World Cup will comprise India,

Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan, along with two qualifiers.

Sri Lanka, the 2014 champions, are part of the eightteam qualifying tournament.

Following their recent defeat to South Africa, West Indies entered the Australia series as underdogs but dominated from the outset, to storm to an unassailable 3-0 lead.

And Pollard, who was replaced by vice-captain Nicholas Pooran at the helm, said the series success was a clear signal of progress for the regional unit.

“I’m very, very pleased.

It’s fantastic how the guys went out. Nicholas getting this opportunity to lead West Indies at age 25 [in] a group of senior guys,” Pollard said.

“And the way that he went out and led, helped by the senior guys, was absolutely fantastic.

“It was a joy to watch how the fellas played throughout the entire series and you can’t feel any better than how we’re feeling right now.”

West Indies face Pakistan in their third straight five-match T20I series starting later this month in Barbados and ending in Guyana.

First COVID-19 case in athletes’ village piles pressure on IOC

By Ritsuko Ando

TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) Tokyo Olympics organisers yesterday reported the first case of COVID-19 at the athletes’ village, along with 14 other new cases connected to the Games that begin next week, raising fresh doubts over promises of a “safe and secure” event.

The latest cases are a blow to the local organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who have insisted the Games will not become a super-spreader event.

The Tokyo organisers confirmed that a visitor from abroad working for the Olympics had tested positive in a routine check on Friday.

The person’s nationality was not revealed due to privacy concerns.

The other cases included two members of the media, seven contractors and five Games personnel.

The case at the athletes’ village, a 44-hectare site built on Tokyo’s waterfront, is particularly worrying as the majority of the 11 000 competitors will be staying there.

IOC president Thomas Bach, facing unprecedented opposition to an Olympics days before it starts, ac-

Edghill, swimmers in Tokyo for Olympic Games

National table tennis player Chelsea Edghill (right) and coach Idi Lewis

NATIONAL table tennis p l a y e r Chelsea Edghill has departed for the Olympic Games in Tokyo which commences July 23 and ends on August 8 It is expected that Edghill, who was in the United States of America preparing, See page 31

No spectators at Kensington Oval See page 31

West Indies and Australia are due to play three ODIs on July 20, 22 and 24, and two T20s between West Indies and Pakistan on July 27 and 28.

knowledged the concerns in the Japanese public but urged them to welcome the athletes.

Bach said he was hoping domestic sporting success could help shift the mood from what he said bordered on the aggressive to something more supportive.

“We are well aware of the scepticism a number of people have here in Japan. We ask and invite the Japanese people, humbly, to welcome and support the athletes from around the world,” Bach told a news conference.

“We are also confident once the Japanese people see the Japanese athletes successfully performing in the Olympic Games then the attitude may become less emotional.”

DAMAGE CONTROL Originally intended to showcase Japan’s recovery from its 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster, the Tokyo Olympics has become an exercise in damage limitation.

Postponed for a year due to the global pandemic, it is being held mostly without spectators and under tight quarantine rules. Most athletes are starting to arrive for the Games, which will See page 31

Windies Women’s team skipper Stafanie Taylor could retire soon See page 31

Stafanie Taylor is third overall on the all-time One Day International runs scoring list with 4,908 runs.

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| SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021