Issuu

MONDAY 20th DECEMBER, 2021

No. 106581

President Ali: People are at the centre of everything we do

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Over 2,300 jobs to be created - with 48 private projects approved this year; locals account for majority of investments

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Spreading the Christmas spirit: First Lady Arya Ali, in the presence of Santa, presents a Christmas present to this little girl of the Island of Wakenaam on Saturday. More than 500 children on the island received Christmas treats during the visit by the First Lady. The occasion also saw the lighting up of a beautiful 12-foot Christmas tree (Office of the Frist Lady photograph). At right, the Guyana Police Force Band in action on the night of carolling at the Police Officers’ Mess, Eve Leary, Georgetown, on Sunday (Elvin Croker photograph

Bright Christmas for severed Wales sugar workers SEE PAGE

Norton takes over PNC/R amid concerns of ethnic bias SEE PAGE

From roadside sellers to owners of a multimillion-dollar business

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Bright Christmas for severed Wales sugar workers - urged to use $250,000 cash grant wisely By Tamica Garnett TWO brothers who lost their jobs at the Wales Sugar Estate following its closure are grateful for the $250, 000 cash grant, which will help fund homeimprovement projects and make the festive season enjoyable for their families. The Guyana Chronicle

recently spoke with the duo who recounted the hardships they have encountered as a result of being out of a job. “That day when I heard the estate close down, there was [sic] tears in me eyes and in me heart,” 40-yearold Hussein Bacchus reminisced as he painted the verandah at his Vriesland, West Bank Demerara home.

Bacchus was among the 2,000 workers who were laid off when the Wales Sugar Estate closed its doors in December 2016. Bacchus, who had worked 16 years at the estate as a cane-cutter, said he is now struggling to provide for his family, which includes his mother, wife and daughter. However, this year Bacchus is looking forward to a brighter Christmas thanks to the $250,000 cash grant

that is being disbursed by the government to those from Wales and two other estates which were closed by the previous government. “It’s good what the government do. We’re glad for it because we were out of job and them thing. I just sell bird seed and that can’t really maintain me and my family,” he said. It was early October that Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo announced that

sugar workers who lost their jobs when the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration closed several sugar estates, will each receive $250,000 from the government. Approximately 7,500 workers had been severed as a result of the closures. The government began the pay out earlier this month, just in time for the struggling workers to enjoy the Christmas season. With little disposable income since 2016, Bacchus will be using some of the money to do some improvements on his home and to enjoy a better Christmas. He urged those who have

also received the money to be cognizant that it can only do a little, hence the need for them to ensure that they spend or invest it wisely. “They must put it to good use. They mustn’t drink or smoke it out,” he emphasised. When the estate was closed, Bacchus started selling bird seeds as a means of getting an income. However, this was not sufficient and this led to him struggling financially to make ends meet. “It wasn’t easy, but you still have to give God thanks and praise and cope with the little that come and see what you can do with it. You can’t give up,” he said. TURN TO PAGE 4

Hussein Bacchus paints his house. This project was funded with part of his cash grant

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Over 2,300 jobs to be created - with 48 private projects approved this year - locals account for majority of investments

EVEN as Guyana continues to contend with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and other external shocks, there has been a notable increase in the number of opportunities for Guyanese, with the latest symbol of this being the approval of 48 private projects which, collectively, have the capacity to create over 2,300 jobs. The Guyana Chronicle understands that the local economy has been a magnet for investors, who have expressed an interest to invest in massive projects across the various economic sectors. Based on information shared with this publication, of the 48 projects which have been approved, 17 are in the services sector, 17 in the manufacturing sector, five in agriculture, four in mining, three in forestry, two in tourism, two in Information and Communications Technology and one in the energy sector. Those project proposals signal the growing interest and confidence in the local economy, from both Guyanese and foreigners. Noteworthy amidst this advancement, is the fact that 33 of the approved projects are from locals. Speaking during a recent interview on Globespan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Go-Invest, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop, had said that 65 per cent of the private investments made this year were from locals. Dr. Ramsaroop said that, even as the economy continues to grow, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, and, by extension, the government, are committed to having Guyanese benefit from the investment opportunities that are available locally. “So, when people think the foreigners are coming in and benefitting, I can say that 65 per cent of my signatures on investment opportunities this year, through the Senior Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, have been local businesses,” Dr. Ramsaroop said.

He added: “We’ve got another 10-20 per cent from CARICOM, which we are proud of, too, and then the rest come from the rest of the world. But it will change over time.” But even with this being the case, the CEO had assured foreigners that Guyana is also opened to them. Their participation in local development was also visible this year, with some nine Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects being recorded up to this month, while there were three proposals from Guyanese in the diaspora, and six joint ventures. In light of those and other projects, authorities have been investing in initiatives to enhance the skills of the local workforce. Among the programmes the government has rolled out so far is the 20,000 Online scholarships initiative, which is being facilitated through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL). The objective of this and other initiatives is to ensure that every Guyanese of working age is equipped with the skills necessary for employment in the sector of his/her choice. “An educated and highly-skilled workforce is critical to our competitiveness as a destination for investment, but also critical in ensuring that the Guyanese people are able to get jobs,” Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, had said in a past interview with the Guyana Chronicle. Further, he related: “We want to create an environment where every single Guyanese who is of working age is equipped with skills that make them employable. Every Guyanese of employment age should have access to opportunities to acquire skills that will make them employable; and we are planning to do this at every level.” Dr. Ramsaroop too had said personal enhancement, whether through skills train-

FLASHBACK: Persons being registered for job openings at the newly opened call centre at Kara Kara (Delano Williams photo) ing or academia, will be In a move which is in of qualified Guyanese na- diting procedures and concrucial going forward. consonance with this advice tionals and their compa- ducting regular audits for LOCAL CONTENT and its own objectives, the nies; recommending for the purposes of monitoring Former Head of the De- government, on Thursday, approval or refusal, local and ensuring compliance partment of Economics at tabled a Local Content Bill in content masterplans and with this legislation, and local content annual plans measuring and reporting the University of Guyana, the National Assembly. Sydney Armstrong, has also In this bill, the govern- and proposals for modifi- on the local content perforbeen one advocate for local ment is proposing the estab- cations to the master and mance of contractors, subcontent to be on the front lishment of a Local Content annual plans; develop au- contractors or licensees. burner of every investment Secretariat. This secretariat, made in Guyana. the bill outlines, will be esHis view is that this in- tablished within the Ministry creased attention that Guy- of Natural Resources and ana’s economy is witness- shall consist of a director and ing is not unique, as it was other members, appointed observed in countries like by the Minister of Natural Trinidad and Tobago, Nige- Resources. ria, Ghana and even SuriThe functions of the secname, where there have been retariat will be to develop discoveries of major oil re- and maintain measures for sources. the effective implementation “What you find is, gener- of local content by contracally, in countries which have tors, sub-contractors and discovered oil and gas, you licensees; develop and imwould see a lot of businesses plement strategies that will coming to their doorsteps… give preference to, or ensure oil and gas is a lot of money equal treatment of, Guyanese and businesses are going to nationals and companies; try to get in on that money,” conduct market analysis, and Armstrong had said in a past make recommendations to report. the minister. But Guyana, unlike other This new institution will countries, has other lucrative also be tasked with developresources like land, minerals, ing formats for local content fresh water and other things plans and reporting, and crewhich are very attractive to ating guidelines, including investors. those for local content reportSo, as Guyana prepares ing, procurement, big evaluto absorb those opportuni- ation, training, research and ties and attention, Armstrong development, partnership and advised that the country joint ventures, and financial must develop a local content and insurance services. policy, to serve as not just a In addition, the secresafeguard, but as a conduit tariat will be tasked with for persons to capitalise on developing and maintaining the potential opportunities. a Local Content Register

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Two more COVID-19 deaths recorded

TWO more persons have died after contracting COVID-19, taking Guyana’s overall death toll to 1,030, the Ministry of Health has reported. The ministry said that the latest fatalities are a 66-year-old man of Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) who was fully vaccinated and died on December 18 and a 34-year-old woman of Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), who died on December 16. The woman’s vaccination status is unknown.

There are currently 800 active COVID-19 cases in Guyana, following the addition of 53 new cases on December 19, 2021. Region Four accounted for 17 of the new cases, Region One, Two and Three recorded one new case each, Region Six recorded 27 and Region Seven recorded seven. The country has now recorded a total of 38,870 confirmed cases since the first COVID-19 case was reported in March 2020. Of the active cases, 10 persons are at the COV-

ID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital, Liliendaal; 39 are in institutional isolation, 749 are in home isolation and two are in institutional quarantine. Many of the persons infected with the virus are said to be asymptomatic, that is, they are not exhibiting symptoms. The updated COVID–19 Emergency Measures are in force until December 31, 2021. They may be extended or amended by notice of the

Minister of Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions of the pandemic. As per the current measures, all persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes, and physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are recommended. The current curfew is 12:00hrs to 04:00hrs. Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166; 226-7480; or 180/181 for assistance.

Former Wales Estate workers anticipate...

FROM PAGE 2 Bacchus added: “That was a big impact not only on my life alone, was about 2000 workers and that was bad for us. We go through a struggle and onto now we in the struggle, hoping for jobs because right now we don’t have jobs.” The closure of the Wales Estate had a harsh impact on the economic and social landscape of many communities on the West Demerara, affecting not only the laid-off workers, but also businesses. Bacchus told the Guyana Chronicle that though the cash grant may seem like a lot, given the struggles that many of the severed workers are facing, the money will give them only a little breathing room for a short time. “Me alone working in my home and I have my mother and my wife and my daughter to send to school. With the money we got to pay bills, buy ration, and do other things. Can’t wild it out and waste it; we have to put it in use,” he said. As he spoke, he smiled in anticipation of a brighter Christmas this year. GRATEFUL Living next door to Bacchus is his brother, Hasser, whose household was particularly hard hit by the closure of the estate. Both himself and one of his sons were working there at the time. He shared that due to the estate’s closure and the lack of finances, one of his sons

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was unable to write his Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams. In addition to being unable to provide for his family, it was painful to see his child’s education disrupted. “Up to Form Five [Grade 11] he go school, but I hadn’t the money [to pay for the CSEC subjects]. I go all about and ask all body to help me, beg everybody. This boy had to come out of school without writing CXC. If we had the estate, I would’ve get [sic] the money plus his [older] brother used to back up because he had a regular work. Nobody didn’t helping me out to get it, that’s why he didn’t get to complete school,” he said. The 50-year-old, who is a father of five, had worked at the estate for 28 years as a cane-cutter. Like his younger brother, he too has since found work selling bird seeds. “I only sell two days this week. I does only afford to pay the bills and buy lil goods, so the $250,000 really come in to help with that, so I thank God for that,” he says He is also taking some of the cash grant to do work on his home. He said he is profusely grateful for the financial assistance the money brings. “I thank God for it because after the estate close down, all I do is pick bird seed. I have two sons [who are old enough to work] them not really getting regular

Former cane-cutter, Hasser Bacchus, takes a short break from his home-improvement project

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tation costs are eating into their salaries and the burden of dealing with the long travelling has taken a toll on them mentally. “A lot of people would be grateful to be working in the area again. Because a lot of people working in Georgetown, but the passage [transportation fare] too much for them. You leaving 6 o’clock in the morning then you now done work 4 o’clock and with the traffic, you reaching home til 6 - 7 o’clock. So it does rough,” he noted.

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work. It was lil rough but thank God we still bearing and the little that we get we still make much with it. The $250,000 is alright. I thank God for it. It’s the $250,000 that I’m spending here to do some work,” he said. Hasser added that he and the rest of the community are anxiously awaiting the proposed projects coming to the Wales area. With the closure of the estate, many persons in the community would have had to take up jobs in the city or farther away. High transpor-

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

People are at the centre of everything we do - says President Ali, reminds business community of need to enhance capacity

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali has called on the business community to pay heed to the national development strategy and to continue working alongside the government to not only develop Guyana, but also its people. The Head of State told the Private Sector Commission’s membership at their annual Christmas Dinner at Roraima Duke Lodge on Thursday evening that they need to get serious about playing their part in the development of the country. He reminded his audience, which included proprietors of numerous wellknown local businesses, that they have a responsibility to build stronger companies to enhance investment and job creation, while his government had a responsibility to create an enabling environment for investments and to focus on improving the lives of all Guyanese. “The intersection between government and what you do is the people. You don’t have a business if you don’t have people—you don’t have demand if you don’t have people.” The President spoke of the need to create the “best healthcare, education and infrastructure,” and about crafting activities to encourage positive growth and development—and ultimately building stronger Guyanese families. “We also have to implement the softer strategies, and they are as critical as strategies for profit-making—we cannot build a society in which the family has no place. Those programmes are the things that would create a transformative mindset that is greater than the physical road.” He reminded the audience that the entire Lamaha reserve will be transformed into a ‘Guyana Walk’ with a local food court, craft and art. “As simple as these things look, it [sic] is immensely transformational. Seeing hundreds of families every night on Main Street for the last couple of days fills the heart with joy, because that is what is going to take this country forward.” THINK BIGGER The Head of State said that the business community needs to start thinking bigger and bolder and envision the growth of their businesses in a more developed Guyana, due to the radical

changes that are currently taking place. “We are not dealing anymore in an environment with small businesses and medium-sized businesses alone, and we have the most sophisticated investors that are on the international market.” He said his government will create the pathway, but it is up to the business communities to make the investments. He pointed to the Local Content Bill, which is set for debate at the next sitting of the National Assembly on December 29. He said that it is a “living document,” since it is transitional and transformational and will aid local business development. The President added that among the most important attributes of the country are its political and social stability and its predictability when it comes to policy direction. INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION That policy direction has resulted in numerous big investors and even countries coming on board. He told the PSC members that Guyana and Barbados have signed an arrangement to move forward unhindered. “The Prime Minister of Barbados has committed to the removal of all hindrances and barriers to the goods and services to Barbados—we are pushing at open doors.” He also said that in January, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, will be coming to Guyana for a summit among the host nation, Suriname, Brazil and France — who just recently asked to join. “The discussion of that summit is the development of an energy corridor, linked to the deep-water harbour, facilitated by bauxite deposits on both sides of the river that could lead to a smelter of an aluminium plant that supports the investment in the deep-water harbour and also you’ve heard us talk about the potential investment opportunity coming with some serious interest for a small refinery.” Throughout the country, the infrastructure will be upgraded. He said that roads will also be developed to facilitate movement and to create more business opportunities. This includes the Linden to Mabura Hill road link. “As I speak to you, the bids are completed, and the recommendation for the Linden to Mabura Hill road is

at [the] CDB (Caribbean Development Bank), and our intention is to have it awarded before the end of the year.” He also reminded that the designs for the bridges along the road have been completed to international standards and that the government will be financing them. FORWARD NOW The President said that those who are not willing to push forward now will not have a chance to benefit from the opportunities. “We do not have the luxury of time anymore. If there is a culture of 8-4:30, it cannot work anymore because of the scale of what we’re doing—the scale of what we’re involved in.” The Head of State then went on to list a number of transformational activities that are happening throughout the country to show that it is not only Region Four that is developing. He spoke of development in agriculture, including the soya bean/corn project; swamp shrimp, packaging and processing initiatives; environmental and biodiversity services; tourism; manufacturing; call centres and housing, among other areas. As the country advances, he noted that discussions are also ongoing on how the government can formulate a strategy that will be equivalent to a development fund to finance areas of innovation

and creativity. SHORTCOMINGS IN ETRANSACTIONS Local development cannot happen, however, without total support. The President used the opportunity to urge the banking sector to do more for development. “The bankers are innovating more and more ways to make transitions to the bank hard… it is absolute nonsense, it is not in any international requirement for a man to withdraw $25,000 and fill up a whole load of forms… so how are we even going to get to e-transaction”? The President said that it is imperative that the existing problems are fixed since, institutionally, the systems do not support the technology. “The banks are hopeless in customer-care and customer-handling, I’ve said it publicly, they have to fix it, unnecessary burden on customers and consumers. People are at the centre of everything we do -- people are unhappy with the system.” Overall, the President said that owing to the magnitude of the investment potential coming to Guyana, the future will be very progressive and that the government will continue to be innovative. “If we don’t have the capacity, we have to build the capacity, we have to invest in the capacity, and it will

President Dr Irfaan Ali come; do not believe that it will not come, once we make the right shifts and the right movements, that capacity will come.” He reminded the PSC that the entire service of ExxonMobil has migrated from Trinidad to Guyana and that it proves the country’s everdeveloping capacity and po-

tential. “We must be proud of ourselves—you must celebrate this…it shows us that we have the ability and the capacity to get more… let us work together, demonstrating that we have the capacity, come together, let’s do this,” he said. (Office of the President)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Bold Thinking

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Mohamed Ali has reiterated his commitment and that of his administration to pursue a pro-people approach to development, one in which people are placed at the centre of all development. Development is about people; it is about lifting the material and cultural well-being of the Guyanese people and the President has made his intentions clear on the approach his administration intends to take as the country moves forward along the development path. The President was speaking at the Annual Christmas Dinner hosted by the Private Sector Commission (PSC) during which he took the opportunity to challenge the business community to rise to the developmental challenges the country is now experiencing. The national wealth of the country is likely to in-

crease astronomically with the injection of petro-dollars into the economy. These are no ordinary sums and it is for the business community to position itself strategically to take advantage of these new opportunities. This, as the President said, requires new and bold thinking on the part of the business community. The government, for its part, is doing all that is needed to ensure that the local private sector is not overwhelmed by the bigger transnational companies. Only recently, the Local Content Bill was tabled in the National Assembly which, when enacted, will make it mandatory for certain categories of goods and services utilised by the oil companies operating in Guyana to be sourced locally. This will certainly give the local business community a built-in competitive advantage. It is now for it to come up with strategies to take maximum

advantage of that facility and to build capacity to ensure that it is in a position to respond accordingly. It is in the best interest of the private sector to align itself with the development plans of the government and to work in a more collaborative way to insert itself in the national development effort. Indeed, the private sector is the growth engine of the country and the main catalyst of wealth generation. It is also the main source of job creation as the government is constrained by the number of employees it could have on its payroll. It is therefore a national imperative for the private sector to grow and expand, and in the process generate more jobs. Not only must there be more jobs, but more high-paying jobs which would allow for a higher standard of living for those who provide labour to turn the wheels of industry and

commerce. The current minimum wage offered in the private sector is significantly lower than that offered by the government. To say that those who earn the private sector’s minimum wage are challenged to survive would be an understatement. It is almost a miracle how workers can manage on the incomes they get in certain low-paying jobs such as those in the private security sector, domestics and as sales assistants. As pointed out by the President, “the intersection between the government and what you do is the people. You don’t have a business if you don’t have people.” The business community is being urged by the Head of State to implement ‘softer’ strategies which he said are as critical as strategies for profit-making. We cannot build a society in which the family has no place; those programmes are the things that would create a transfor-

mative mindset that is greater than the physical road. President Ali challenged the business community to think bigger and bolder and to see the growth of their business in a more developed Guyana due to the radical changes that are currently taking place. The environment for doing business has changed and local business must adapt to the new and changing dispensation, failing which they run the risk of being pushed in the backwater of economic development. The private sector and the business community enjoy the support of the current PPP/C administration which has been doing its best to create an enabling environment for businesses to grow and expand. Such growth and expansion, however, must take into account the overarching goal of the government, which is to ensure that there

is growth with people in mind, one in which the benefits of such growth are distributed in a fair and just manner. Meanwhile, President Ali took the opportunity to remind the nation of an impending business summit hosted by Guyana, which would see the participation of Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro and other leaders with the aim of developing an energy corridor linked to the deep-water harbour facilitated by bauxite deposits on both sides of the Berbice River. This in turn could lead to an aluminum smeltering plant that supports the investment in the deep-water harbour. T h e s e a re a l l f o rward-looking and transformative projects, which will catapult this country to a much higher level of economic competitiveness and sustainable growth and development.

GECOM must be transparent and must win the trust of the nation!

Dear Editor, THE appointment of Vishnu Persaud as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), is most welcome, encouraging, and a step pointing towards some level of incisive decision-making at the level of the commission. However, much more is required to realign GECOM to an institution of national embrace, through its review where necessary, and implementation of fair and transparent policies worthy of our citizens’ trust. Given the recent elections milieu which almost

brought our country to its knees, Chairperson Justice Claudette Singh will have to give that superb leadership to the commission. This is necessary, since the structure of the commission itself lends to the need for strong, assertive positions from the chairperson, since there is much evidence of some commissioners playing dubious bi-partisan roles contrary to their constitutional mandate. The position APNU+AFC commissioners took in support of the G E C O M S e c r e t a r i a t ’s preparation for the March 2020 elections together with their public assault on

the commission’s decisions related procedures and the final results is quite despicable. The recent Vincent Alexander public attack on the chairperson, given her rationalisation of the best candidate for the CEO position is slanderous and leaves much to be desired. Consequently, the role of the commissioners and the GECOM Secretariat will have to be demarcated. The approach by the commission regarding delegation of responsibilities must have emphatic and robust monitoring counter-checks where they are to be applied. This should be done together with strengthened

policies; commission-approved Standard Operating Procedures and directives outlining the scope of performance defined for compliance by officials of the secretariat. contributed to by a number of the senior administrative staff of its secretariat. We can no longer accept the CEO usurping the authority and responsibility of the commission without approval, and one who then turns around and challenges the commission to whom he reports in the courts of law. Of course, the results of such undercurrents are clear and these are evidenced by the almost unchecked

fraudulent contribution by a number of the senior administrative staff from the secretariat who were charged and placed before the courts. The immediate task of the commission is to win the confidence and trust of the nation through several internal reviews, particularly related to staff selections and financial policies. The filling of all vacancies for the advertised posts must be carefully done as all people employed must be untainted with regard to corrupt activities. Hence, the stained persons who were working at GECOM who reapply for work must

be carefully screened and approved on established criteria, particularly for senior vacancies. Vetting for junior staff vacancies must also be thorough and must be done with some level of balance. GECOM will also have to immediately address the issue of replacement of national identification cards. Given the delays caused by the last elections debacle, the commission is far behind time in respect of the holding of Local Government Elections (LGEs). Therefore, it is imperative that GECOM advance immediately, the cont’d on page 7

First Lady, NGO bring cheer to 500 children in Wakenaam 7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

First Lady Arya Ali presents a gift to a child in the presence of Santa Claus and a helper (Office of the First Lady photo) MORE than 500 children on the island of Wakenaam are beaming with joy after First Lady, Arya Ali partnered with the Give Another Chance Foundation on Saturday to distribute toys to them and light up a 12-foot Christmas tree. The visit on Saturday marked Mrs Ali’s second appearance on the island

from page 6 task of updating the Register of Registrants. To this end, a period of continuous registration will serve to make provision for all those youths, 14 years and over, to be registered. It follows that the subsequent period of Claims and Objection will also have to be done by competent persons. There is no doubt that future audits of GECOM will be very revealing given the issues raised by the auditor-general several years ago and the lack of cooperation by the previous CEO. Vishnu Persaud as the new CEO will have his hands full, but with the commission’s concurrence, will have to immediately take an inventory of all what they have in the stores and conduct a needs assessment of all the materials, supplies, and equipment to run the commission effectively.

A section of the gathering at the Christmas party on Saturday (Office of the First Lady photo)

since becoming First Lady. She had visited earlier in the year to distribute hampers to approximately 100 senior citizens. But on Saturday, it was about the children for Mrs Ali, a release from the Office of the First Lady said. “The Christmas season brings a kind of joy that we cannot adequately describe and since this has been a

difficult year for most of us, including our children, it was important for me to bring hope and joy to them,” the First Lady shared. The short programme began with Mrs Ali and a group of children decorating the Christmas tree with ‘One Guyana’ ornaments. The tree was erected in the Arthurville Primary School

compound and was partially decorated by the Foundation and residents of the island before Mrs Ali’s arrival. After completion of the decoration, Mrs Ali joined the executive members of the Foundation and distributed beautifully wrapped presents to the 500 children who were accompanied by their parents and guardians.

The chief election officer must be also thorough in his takeover process to establish a basis from which counterchecks could be made. This will serve well for the building of trust and confidence. This new-look GECOM Secretariat will have to work with a plan and, therefore, be diligent in that they will have to carefully put together a work programme for the year 2022. Regarding the immediate task of holding LGEs, GECOM will have to conduct public education to bring public awareness for the registration commencement period and the related procedures for uplifting identification cards. The production and distribution of ID cards must be done in a very thorough way, while GECOM must also revisit the shifting of the many

boundaries that were done arbitrarily by the previous CEO. The GECOM Secretariat under the leadership of Vishnu Persaud and his team will need the support of all our people. To win our trust, there

must not be any secret deals; all activities must be transparent and accountable. In context, professionalism is required and will be demanded. Yours sincerely, Neil Kumar

It was a moment of joy for many of them who not only saw the First Lady for the first time, but received their giftts for the holidays. “As a child, you always look forward to a present at Christmas time. I know this from experience and so we wanted to be able to fulfil that wish for many of these children. Today, we were able to do that, thanks to the Give Another Chance Foundation,” she added. The Office of the First Lady also donated a quantity of exercise books which were distributed to the children in attendance, the release noted. The Foundation’s founder, Miranda Thakur-Deen also

expressed how much of a pleasure it was being able to give back to the island where she was born. “This is our seventh annual Christmas tree lighting and present distribution on the island and this year was made even more special with the presence of the First Lady. Mrs Ali, who has a baby son, understands how important it is to ensure our children are happy and that we fulfil our obligations to them. So it was indeed a privilege to have her here spending time and spreading joy among the children of Wakenaam,” Thakur-Deen said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

THE RIGHT GIFT FOR CHILDREN

IT is Monday, 20th December and only 11 days until Old Year’s Night. Wow! The time has flown by and soon we will usher in a new year. Presently, most people are preparing for this season. Furniture is put away to ‘fix back’ once the home is cleaned; the paintwork is touched up, and the festive curtains are hung. Delicious foods are bought, stored and prepared for families and friends to enjoy, and people will drink and eat more over the next two weeks than they usually do during any other time of year. There is good reason to rejoice and be happy we have made it to the end of the year; what better way to appreciate and cherish loved ones than to spend this special occasion together. Exchanging gifts is also a tradition that marks the season’s significance, and children especially look forward to receiving toys, new clothes and treats. Regardless of how much people try to avoid it, they usually get caught up in the hysteria

accompanying Christmas. They buy presents they cannot afford, take things on credit with little (or no) means of paying instalments, and generally spend money they don’t have. Wherever this season finds you financially, emotionally, socially or religiously, if you have children, take the time to sit down, relax, and think about prioritising their needs -- not their wants, desires, or requests, but their needs. For parents, it is easy to get swept along with the tide and overlook some of the apparent needs that children require for healthy development and progress. Life is busy, parents must meet responsibilities, and children are part and parcel of the mix. There is little time for regular, meaningful conversation and time and attention are seldom given or paid to them. At this time of year, parents may focus on material gifts and things that will make a child happy to the point of indulgence in some cases. There is nothing wrong with ‘spoiling’ your young ones for a day (or season).

But what children need above all are parents and adults around them who make it their duty to love and protect them. Parents who are approachable, who show compassion and understanding. Children need to feel safe in their homes, environments and communities. Only adults can ensure that this essential element of their lives is in place. Children rely on adults to look out for them and safeguard them from harm and danger. They strive well, socially, emotionally, intellectually and morally, when they know they are safe, cared for and appreciated by adults. Children do not have the mental capacity to tell parents or adults what may be lacking in their lives; they are resilient and adapt to the circumstances set before them. If affection, attention or appreciation are scarce, they rarely recognise it and point it out. They are too busy being children. When parents work together in a child’s best interest, they can anticipate their child’s needs. Although every parent and child is different,

adults can succeed through trial and error, which stems from the adults’ will to do right by children. Parents who want the best for their children will realise where their love is needed, where a word of encouragement is necessary and where there is room for improvement. Self-reflection is essential if parents intend to be true to themselves and, in turn, true to their children. Are you providing the best environment to raise your child? Do you consistently overview safety issues? (e.g. inappropriate touching, peer pressure, following the crowd versus thinking independently, etc.) Have you taught and upheld a high standard of morals in your home? (honesty, integrity, humility and respect for one’s self and others, justice and compromise) The gifts children need are all of these, plus good nutrition and health, confidence and self-esteem. Only parents can invoke these qualities in their young ones, by role-modelling and consistency in their words

and deeds. Parents can help children socialise safely by asking questions, getting details and (for older children) monitoring their whereabouts -- building their independence little by little as they grow. Not every child will be a number one scholar, but ensuring that your child has access to good education and helping them achieve their best is a beautiful gift that children will remember and cherish all their lives. There is plenty to consider when raising children. The correct balance can elude parents if they are caught on the treadmill that life quite often affords us, full of daily routines, obligations and more than often playing catch up to financial, domestic and socio-emotional issues and needs. During this season, set aside the festive hype and merriment for a moment to connect with your child. Find the space and time to interact significantly and find areas in your relationship where you can make improvements for the future if needs be. Raising children is like

building a wall. Once you have laid each brick soundly along the way, the wall will hold fast and withstand all types of weather. But if your bricks are defective here and there, the wall may look strong at first glance; however, it will not be viable. ON BEHALF OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, ANN GREEN AND THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION OFFICERS FROM ALL REGIONS OF GUYANA WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH Y O U S E A S O N G R E E TINGS; HAVE A SAFE AND MERRY CHRISTMAS If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@ gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF HUMAN SERVICES AND SOCIAL SECURITY

HIGH Court Judge Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall has issued orders which compel the Town Clerk of the City of Georgetown to instruct the City Constabulary to take action to prevent vending in front of popular Regent Street, Georgetown business, Shamdas Kirpalani. The orders are consequent to the proprietors of the establishment initiating judicial- review proceedings which sought to compel the town clerk to direct the City Constabulary to comply with the city’s by-laws of the Municipal and District Councils

Act, so as to prevent persons vending in front of the store. The applicants, Kanayalal Kirpalani and Meera Kirpalani, have been the owners of the establishment since 2000. In their Fixed Date Application, they contended that for several years there has been a “proliferation” of vendors which have caused them to write to the authorities on several occasions about the encumbrance of the pavement in front of their store. The encumbrance of the pavement has caused the Kirpalanis great inconvenience, they claimed, as vendors would often trespass on their property to hang items on the grill work, and block the proprietors and their customers from parking or walking in front the store. Further, they claimed that the vendors engage in obscene behaviour, involving in the sale of illegal substances and congestion in front of the store due to the vending also attracts pick-pocketing. The applicants had initiated legal action against the then town clerk in 2010, who had consented to monitor the pavement in front of the store and try to, as far as possible, ensure that there is no encumbrance of the pavement; however, this was to no avail. Senior Counsel K.A. Ju-

man-Yassin, the applicant’s attorney-at-law, also wrote to the town clerk’s office on multiple occasions in 2015 and in 2020 and 2021, seeking that a court order from 2010 be complied with; however, the town clerk failed on each occasion to ensure compliance. In the recent matter before Justice Morris-Ramlall, Juman-Yassin, S.C. contended that unless restrained and commanded by the court, the Kirpalanis will continue to be inconvenienced and suffer financially, as potential customers avoid the store because of the vendors. Further, he highlighted that the town clerk has completely disregarded their statutory responsibility and has been illegally collecting fees from the pavement vendors for their unlawful occupation of the pavement. The orders which he sought are enshrined in the Municipal and District Councils Act, he stated, while explaining that there is no other remedy available to the Kirpalanis. In her Affidavit of Defence, Town Clerk Candace Nelson denied that the Mayor and City Councillors (M&CC) of Georgetown have not tried as far as possible to ensure that there is no encum-

brance of the pavement in front of the store. She also denied that the M&CC are collecting fees for occupation of the pavement and stated that she has no knowledge of a loss of customers for Shamdas Kirpalani and asked that the applicants provide proof of financial loss or loss of customers. Nelson noted that the Office of the Town Clerk has taken practical measures on a periodic basis to remove vendors encumbering the pavement and has issued periodic instructions to ranks of the City Constabulary to take action against the vendors. The learned judge granted the orders sought by Juman-Yassin, S.C., to compel the town clerk to prevent any person or persons from carrying or placing any receptacles or other articles on the pavement which incommode the applicants and/ or other persons in the use of the pavement and to prevent the placing, storing and or causing to be left any box, cart, freezers and trays on Regent Street immediately in front of the applicants’ property. The town clerk was also ordered to pay costs to the applicants in the sum of $100,000 by the January 15, 2022.

Court orders town clerk to prevent vending in front Regent Street store

The Shamdas Kirpalani Store located at 107 Regent Street, Georgetown

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Norton takes over PNC/R amid concerns of ethnic bias - Shurwayne Holder is new Chairman

AFTER serving the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) for 49 years, Aubrey Norton has finally managed to climb his way to the head seat of the long-standing political party, replacing former President and party leader David Granger. Norton’s elevation to leader of the PNC/R has been viewed with concerns from some quarters in the party and society who see him as someone who is unable to win cross-over support due to his pass actions as the party’s grassroots organiser. The party he now leads is notorious for rigging elections and violent confrontation when it illegitimately occupied the seat of power and during its years in opposition before it came under the umbrella of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), which it played an instrumental role in forming. Many public commentators have posited the view that the APNU is a cloak to hide the PNC form its sordid pass. Norton, who joined the youth arm of the then PNC at the age of 15 in 1972, racked up some 967 of the total 1, 282 votes during the party’s 21st Biennial Congress held on Saturday at Congress, Place, Sophia, Greater Georgetown. Norton essentially outperformed his two competitors by a landslide. Dr Van-West Charles secured 64 votes, while Leader of the Opposition Joseph Harmon got 245 votes. The official results were announced on Sunday afternoon by the party’s Chief Election Officer, Vincent Alexander, who maintained that the internal elections were free, fair and transparent. In an invited comment, Norton said that once the party’s new leadership is properly in place, he intends to focus heavily on strengthening the functions of the party’s secretariat, as well as executing training and capacity-building initiatives for party members in an effort to ensure that the party is more economically independent. “We have a lot to do…organise ourselves to place ourselves in a position where we can hold the PPP [People’s Progressive Party/ Civic government] accountable,” Norton said. Despite his years of service to the PNC/R, Norton was overlooked several

times in recent years for a seat in the National Assembly; first, after the General and Regional Elections in 2011, then in 2013 when Richard Allen resigned from the House, and again in 2014, when a replacement was being sought to fill the chair of the late Deborah Backer. At that time, concerns that Norton was being sidelined by the Granger-led PNC/R had hit the political arena; however, in 2014, Granger denied that this was the case. But, even so, Norton was still overlooked again in 2015 when the PNC/R-led A Partnership for National Unity merged with the Alliance For Change and won the elections. Norton, a former parliamentarian himself, had always been vocal about the need for Members of Parliament to do more work, and for the opposition to always be prepared to fulfil its role as a government in waiting, having clear policies and programmes for every sector. Now that Norton is head of the PNC/R, many are wondering whether he could possibly replace Harmon as Leader of the Opposition, since the PNC/R does have the majority membership of the APNU, which also holds the majority membership in the APNU+AFC Coalition. As it is, David Granger is leader of the APNU, while Harmon holds the position of General-Secretary. This means that again, Granger has the final say as to who sits in Parliament. Speaking on a radio programme earlier in the month, Harmon, an attorney-at-law, had said that even if he loses the race for leadership of the PNC/R, he cannot be removed as Leader of the Opposition. “I am the current Leader of the Opposition in Guyana. And that there is some rumour going around that if somebody else wins, they could remove me. But I just want to make clear that the constitution is very clear about that. That the Leader of the Opposition could only be removed at the next elections of the country…He can’t be removed any other way,” Harmon said. COULD BE REMOVED The Guyana Chronicle had previously reported that in accordance with Article 184 of Guyana’s constitution, there are a number of

ways in which a member can be removed from the National Assembly, including a no-confidence provision for removing the Leader of the Opposition. The provision, as reported previously, reads: “Where one-third of the non-governmental members of the Assembly represent to the Speaker that the Leader of the Opposition no longer enjoys their confidence, the Speaker shall call a meeting of all the non-governmental members at which it shall be decided whether the Leader of the Opposition shall be removed from office.” The provision continues: “The removal shall be effected by the votes of a majority of all the nongovernmental members.” This means that if Norton has the support of the majority members of the parliamentary opposition, he can ascend to the Opposition Leader ’s chair. Asked specifically whether this is a course of action he intends to pursue, Norton responded, “As leader of the PNC, whatever functions has to be performed generally, I will perform them.” Outside on the internal politics, Norton said that he would be promoting a campaign for a new national voters’ list, as well as the “action” to challenge the recent appointment of Vishnu Persaud as Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Nonetheless, also moving up in the ranks of the PNC/R is Member of Parliament Shurwayne Holder, who, with 407 votes, will soon be declared Chairman of the party. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday evening, Holder said that he is happy to have the confidence of his party, and that his first course of action would be to unite the membership of the party. Meanwhile, when the official declaration of winners is made today, Faaiz Mursaline is expected to be named Treasurer, while Elizabeth Williams-Niles will be named first ViceChairperson. As at Sunday evening, government Chief Whip Christopher Jones and his colleague Member of Parliament Vinceroy Jordan were tied for the position of

Aubrey Norton, Leader-Elect of the PNC/R second Vice-Chairman; a final decision is expected to be made today. At that time also, Chief Election Officer Alexander said that the party was not yet prepared to announce

Shurwayne Holder is slated to be declared Chairman of the PNC/R

the 15 Central Executive members of the party. “Even as we speak, we are still finalising the count in that regard,” Alexander said. As it relates to voter turnout, Alexander in-

dicated that there was a 100 per cent turnout in Mahdia, Region Nine, followed by voting in North America, which was just a couple points short of a perfect turnout.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Region Three man ‘busted’ with over $113M in cocaine

Ryan Da Silva A TUSCHEN, East Bank Essequibo man was arrested on Saturday after ranks of the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) discovered 15 brick-like parcels of cocaine valued $113 million. According to a CANU press release, the man who is currently in police custody has been identified as Ryan Da Silva. CANU officers acting on information conducted narcotics operations in the Tuschen-Parika area. Dur-

ing one of the operations, a motor vehicle with a sole occupant was stopped and searched, resulting in the discovery. At CANU headquarters, the substance in the parcels was tested and was confirmed to be cocaine. The cocaine, which weighed 17.4 kg (38.3lbs), has a street value of more than US$552,000 (approximately GY$113,160,000). Saturday’s bust is one of several recorded in 2021. As at September 6, 2021, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) seized about 1, 530 pounds (693.2 kg) of illegal drugs, which include cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy. The drugs were seized between the period of January 1 – September 6 during intelligence-led operations. This information was contained in a report released by the GPF. It was stated that some 347.2 pounds (157.5 kg) of cannabis was confiscated up to that point while in 2020, 1, 136 pounds (515.3 kg) were seized. The report also disclosed

that the seizure of cocaine recorded a slight increase this year as 1, 181 pounds were seized compared to the 1, 180 pounds in 2020. Approximately 2, 316 pounds (1, 050 kg) of illegal drugs were seized in 2020. When compared to illegal drugs seized for the same period in 2020, a 33.9 per cent decrease was recorded. Ecstasy recorded the lowest number of seizures for both years: 52.1 grams were seized this year and 54 grams were seized in 2020. In September, the GPF and CANU destroyed over 2,000 kilos of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and other illicit drugs. The GPF disclosed that the narcotics destroyed were from operations conducted by the police and CANU over the last two years. Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn in a recent interview had highlighted that there has been significant success in the fight against drug trafficking in several communities across Guyana; and that significant seizures, destruction and the

capture of planes and persons transporting narcotics have been recorded at Nine Miles, Potaro, Orealla, and Kwakwani. Minister Benn indicated that CANU has information relating to several highranking persons of interest in drug-trafficking operations here. He noted that CANU ranks will act at the opportune time to ensure success in its operations. The Home Affairs Minister noted that since the government took office in August 2020, it has worked strategically to verify the identification of several persons who were confirmed to be involved in narco- trafficking. Additionally, the minister had noted that the government continues to boost its efforts to ensure that prosecutors representing the GPF and CANU can take these cases to court and have the drug traffickers convicted. “There has been some training together with the Attorney General’s Chambers with agencies in the

United States either virtually or directly face-to-face with respect to prosecutorial training for the persons who have to go to court, representing the state in respect to these and other matters and so refresher training, of course, has to continue and we have to make sure that we have integrity in the work that is done at all levels,” Minister Benn noted. Further, Head of CANU, James Singh, recently told the media that Guyana has benefitted from significant collaboration between the GPF and other enforcement agencies, which has played a

pivotal role in the seizure of a large portion of narcotics and other illegal substances. Singh also spoke about the sharing of information among regional counterparts and neighbouring countries, which has allowed local authorities to prepare for flyovers and the landing of drug-laden aircraft in Guyana. “A lot more open, a lot more is coming to the table and that is why we are able to identify specific areas where these aircraft are going, the patterns and the organisations behind it,” Singh had stated.

The cocaine that was found in Ryan Da Silva’s vehicle

From roadside sellers to owners of a multimillion-dollar business

- two sisters tell their story By Jeune Bailey Van Keric CLAUDETTE Allen and her sister Ann Seepaul fulfilled their dream when they recently opened the doors to their new multimillion-dollar culinary and wine business in the township of New Amsterdam, Berbice. This new venture came after

years of selling pastries at the roadside and having to later pay high rentals when they decided to expand their business. The sisters are also the owners of the two-storey timber and concrete edifice which houses the business. It is located along Republic Road between St. John and Pope Streets. The spacious hall on the upper flat can be

rented for events such as seminars and weddings, while the lower flat houses the Zilliana’s Water Restaurant and the Wattsan Wine Bar. Construction of the building commenced on March 19, 2019. Standing and observing the symbolic cutting of the ribbon by a five-year-old customer and Mayor of New Amsterdam, Winifred Heywood, the sisters beamed with pride. It was Anna who was quick

to recall that the edifice was a vision which was realised. “It was during an Empretec (Guyana) Business seminar in 2014 that the question was asked, ‘Where do you see yourself in 10 years?’ Responding , I said ‘I will own my own building with 10 tables and chairs.’ Today, seven years later , that vision has materialised,’ she said. The journey was a long one. Bringing the dream to realisation involved facing numerous challenges, problems, obstacles and resistance. In 1999, their brother Courtney had gone to the United States of America on vacation. He baked and iced cakes and his customers were unaware that he was away. As the orders kept coming in as normal, the sisters decided that they needed to fulfil those orders. So, they baked cakes and asked a family friend, Mrs. Vincent, to make the iced roses. That was the beginning of Wattsan Catering . Due to the increasing demand by customers, the sisters attended cake-decoration classes at the University of Guyana’s Institute of Distance and Continuing Education, where they mastered the craft od icing cakes and more particularly, to make roses. They subsequently attended the Carnegie School of Home Economics in Georgetown, in their quest to improve the quality of their products. During the earlier years

Claudette Allen and Ann Seepaul of the business, the sisters befriended Elise Bailey and were given their first “big” order by her, who, at that time was conducting a Municipal Governance Management Programme . That order boosted their business tremendously , and it resulted in the hiring of their first employee, Candace Wallace. Anna, the younger of the two siblings, ably assisted by her son Royston, sold brightly coloured cakes and pastries in a glass case at the junction of Main Street and Lad Lane. The short crust and flaky pastries were “hot” on the market and were quickly sold out. The business grew and soon enough the sisters, in 2010, took the opportunity to rent two units, which housed their restaurant and bar, at the Bristol

Mall. Claudette laid the foundation for the business. She provided the business name “Wattsann,” which was derived from her then surname and part of Anna’s name. The combination has brought much success over the years. They experienced a lot of adversity, including criticism, high rentals, and a legal battle, but the sisters persevered through the “storms” and survived. Anna manages the restaurant, while Claudette focuses her energy on the bar. Over the years, the siblings have employed scores of skilled and unskilled individuals and have made financial donations to groups and welldeserving individuals, locally and nationally .

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Substance Use Disorder (SUD): A closer look, Part 2 2

By Vanessa Cort

GUYANESE all over the country are familiar with the smell and taste of barbecue chicken. It has become popular at house parties and a variety of functions. What many do not know is that tall and handsome, Lenny, was the person single-handedly responsible for introducing barbecue chicken to the Guyanese public over two decades ago, when he began a business with only this item on the menu. And even back then, when crack cocaine was relatively unknown in this country, Lenny was a binge crack smoker, spending thousands of dollars in a matter of days, whenever he felt the urge. A consummate entrepreneur, Lenny was also a talented clothing designer, with a boutique selling his own brand. He subsequently opened a successful restaurant in the City centre and enjoyed wide popularity. Of his habit he would say, “I can afford it,” joking that all he had to do to cover his spending was walk around the boutique and “add a zero” to certain items. Many of Lenny’s friends, also successful businessmen, smoked crack too. Though in those days the process was different and the product was known as ‘free-base’. However, these men did not smoke on the block but in the privacy of their own homes. While they would sometimes get their supply from a block, often the seller would deliver to their homes and was always only a phone call away. Frequent travellers, Lenny and his friends would be ‘clean’ while abroad only to ‘go on the rampage’ when they returned to Guyana, smoking non-stop for days on end. Before long they all began to show the signs of prolonged crack smoking – weight loss, sunken cheeks, nervous energy and paranoia. They became suspicious of everything and everyone. Lenny eventually had to close the doors of his business, because his habit escalated and he no longer found time, nor had the money, to maintain it.

While many of his friends moved away and ‘kicked’ the habit, Lenny resorted to smoking alone at his home, often with his supplier in attendance and even joining him sometimes as he smoked. He became withdrawn and increasingly paranoid and was found dead in his home days after he died. Whether his death was related to his habit is unclear, though likely, but it certainly had a negative impact on his life. Bobby often referred to himself as the ‘black sheep’ of the family. Dark-skinned, with a winning smile, he was always wayward, but muchloved by his family. A talented, young, Berbician cricketer, his career was on the rise until he took his very first ‘hit’ of crack. “From then all I wanted to do was smoke,” he said, with his quirky lop-sided grin. He would regularly turn up late or miss practice altogether, though he had been selected for the Under-19 Cricket Squad. And on the day of trials he stopped by the block and never left until the following day. Bobby had to quit the squad and soon resorted to petty crime to support his growing habit. Fleet-footed and agile, he quickly gained a reputation as the ‘thief who was never caught’. While he was often the chief suspect in crime, nobody could catch him in the act. “When dem women in de market (Port Mourant Market) hear that I deh bout dey does hold on tight to dem aprons wid de money!” he joked one day. But following repeated pleas from his family, especially his mother, Bobby quit stealing and would do odd jobs, market portering and selling fruits to make his money. “ I like ma mother bad and she always begging me to stop, plus I get a ‘flingings’ one day from the police and I had to stop (thiefin’) cause I know one day dey would shoot me,” he declared. He even stopped smoking, when he developed a lung problem and started going to church with his mother. But, ironically, it was the depression caused by his condition which led him to resume smoking.

“I was the fastest in the squad and I couldn’t take it when I had to slow down,” he admitted. Eventually Bobby’s chest condition worsened and he developed tuberculosis and an awful ‘hacking’ cough. He was smoking on the block one day when he

‘took in’ and died on his way to hospital. There are many more of these stories about an army of addicts, who smoke all day every day, in between jobs. Many are market porters and handymen and women who work just to support their habit. There are substance abusers in need of help from a society which must ‘sit up’ and take notice.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Hundreds currently on dialysis to benefit from tissue-transplant legislation By Richard Bhainie Dr Kishore Persaud (at left), Head of Department, Multi-Organ Transplant and Vascular Access Surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation

THE Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Bill which was pre-

sented to the National Assembly on Thursday last will be of benefit to hundreds of Guyanese who suffer from kidney failure and are currently on dialysis. “This legislation is very significant for the entire country in terms of everyone who has kidney failure,” Dr Kishore Persaud, Head of Department, Multi-Organ Transplant and Vascular Access Surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) told the Sunday Chronicle. “We have hundreds of patients who are on dialysis who are suffering because they have to do dialysis regularly. It’s one of the most expensive treatments and the morality and mobility of being on dialysis is so severe, they cannot afford it, they live a poor quality of life,” he explained. If passed in the National Assembly, the Human Tissue Transplant legislation will provide the regulatory framework which will enable Guyana to perform cadaveric transplantation; this is the transplant of tissue from ‘brain dead’ individuals, or cadavers as they are referred to, to living persons. “What this legislation is going to do, it’s going to allow people who are willing to donate kidney after they die, allow us under safe guidelines to transplant it into these patients so they can actually live a normal and healthy live afterwards,” Dr Persaud said. Implementation of the new legislation will mean that persons in need of organ donations would no longer be at the mercy of just relatives and friends who may or may not be matched, as they would also stand the chance of being saved by organs extracted from a ‘brain-dead’ patient. The Bill caters for

establishment of the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Agency as the national regulatory body for the donation and transplantation, as well as a National Donor and Transplant Registry, which will handle all matters relating to the consent. The registry will be responsible for the establishment of a register of patients in need of transplants, as well as the establishment of efficient storage facilities for organs, cells and biofluids. It also provides mechanisms to protect against human-organ trafficking; it prohibits the sale and/or trade of human organs, tissues, cells or biofluids for valuable consideration, specifying jail time of five years as well as a fine of $5 million, and stipulates that removal of organs shall not be done unless the donor is pronounced dead by two medical practitioners. Added to that, the proposed law empowers the Minister of Health to name any hospital, including a private hospital, clinic, healthcare provider or laboratory as designate facilities approved to function as transplant facilities. Once enacted, the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant law is expected to result in many lives being saved, especially considering the growing number of persons in Guyana awaiting organ transplants; more prominently, patients suffering from kidney failure who rely largely on dialysis as a life-saving mechanism. “It’s [the legislation] going to help the citizens of this country who are suffering on a daily basis, this has no benefit to me or my unit, it’s more work for us, this legislation is going to help the people of this country,” Dr Persaud said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Australia in control as defeat looms for England

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Australia maintained their vice-like grip on the second Test, ripping out four England wickets before the close of day four at Adelaide Oval. Half-centuries from Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne

Alex Carey, David Warner, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne go up in unison (Australia vs England, 2nd Test, The Ashes, Adelaide, 4th day, December 19, 2021 © Getty Images)

had enabled the home side to declare their second innings 467 runs ahead, and with more than four sessions still to play - and although England fought to see out the night under lights, the dismissal of Joe Root from what became the final ball of the day was a hammer blow to their hopes of salvaging something from the game. Already 1-0 up in the series and sitting on a 282-run lead overnight, the contest was set up for Australia from the outset. England managed to chip away and avoid being completely overrun, but by the time that Steven Smith called his men back to the dressing room just over an hour into the evening session, the scale of their task in attempting to avoid an 11th defeat from 12 in Australia was clear. England's brittle batting was soon back in the spotlight - and before the floodlights had even started to fire up. Jhye Richardson struck with his sixth ball, Haseeb Hameed propping forward only to see the ball prance and take him on the glove, as England's opening stand - so far worth 0, 23, 7 and 4 in the series - failed again. Rory Burns did succeed in carving out some time at the crease, as he and Dawid Malan battled through to tea and beyond during a 44-run partnership. But with the pink ball, glowing in the

twilight, fizzing and spitting at the behest of Nathan Lyon, who bowled a relentlessly probing round-the-wicket line to the two left-handers, it seemed only a matter of time before further Australians dividends would be forthcoming. Lyon deserved to make the breakthrough, only for Smith to put down a regulation slip catch with Malan on 19. The reprieve was brief, however, as Michael Neser found some nip back in to beat a tentative defensive push and pin Malan lbw to his very next ball - a dismissal upheld with three reds on review. Burns used the DRS to overturn a caught-behind decision on 30, and had faced 95 balls when he finally succumbed to Richardson, who scrambled the seam to produce a thick edge that was taken low in the cordon. Root and Ben Stokes then battened down the hatches in an attempt to reach the close. They were just two balls away from achieving that goal when Root, having been hit painfully on the box a few overs earlier - the second low blow he had suffered in the day - edged Mitchell Starc behind to spark jubilation among the Australians. It was not a good day for English dignity. In a hole and facing the prospect of Australia steadily driving home their advantage, the tourists initially took the

field without their captain, Root requiring a scan after being hit in what the ECB euphemistically termed "the abdomen" while taking some throwdowns - this time not wearing a box. It all added to the sense that this Ashes tour is becoming yet another cock-up and balls story. A lively start followed, belying the lack of tension in the game. Neser was nearly run out from the first ball of the afternoon, the nightwatchman only just making his ground to beat a direct hit from point after being sent back. He was then bowled in the second over, James Anderson finding some seam movement to beat Neser's forward defensive and hit the top of middle stump. Two balls later, Stuart Broad found Marcus Harris' outside edge to dismiss the Australia opener for the fifth time in four Tests - Jos Buttler completing the dismissal with a flying one-handed catch. But the punchline was still to come, as Broad induced a first-ball nick behind from Smith, only for Buttler to send an easier chance clanging to the ground. Broad's next delivery brought a confident no-look lbw appeal from the bowler, but Rod Tucker remained unmoved - and DRS backed up the decision on umpire's call. Smith was not able to cash in on his good fortune, gloving a short ball from Ollie Robinson down the

leg side - Buttler lurching back into the sublime with a one-handed take - to give Australia's stand-in captain his first single-figure score in an Ashes Test since the 2017-18 day-nighter at Adelaide. England had taken 3 for 10 from 12 overs and given themselves something to smile about. But a further sign of their parlous position came when Robinson opted to switch to bowling offspin - apparently in a bid to lift the over rate. Root returned to the field shortly after and Australia began to ease back on to the front foot, Head's counterattacking knock lifting them from 4 for 55 to 4 for 134 at the dinner break. Head added 89 in good time alongside Labuschagne, as Australian thoughts began to turn once again to the possibility of a declaration. Head became a second wicket for Robinson - now back to bowling seam - shortly after bringing up a 49-ball fifty on his home ground, and England soon resorted to bowling Malan's part-time legspin in tandem with Root, rather than put miles into the legs of their quicks. Malan claimed Labuschagne as his maiden Test victim, but four wickets falling to spin only seemed to underscore England's errors in selection. And Australia will not worry themselves with that.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Former TTCB Chief lauds CWI selection panel sacking

(CMC) - One of the critics of the selections made for West Indies’ Twenty20 (T20) Cricket World Cup squad is not only in agreement with the decision to sack most of the selection panel but believes changes are also needed to the management team. Former West Indies player and Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board chief executive, Suruj Ragoonath, told the Sunday Express newspaper that Cricket West Indies’ decision not to renew the contracts of lead selector, Roger Harper, and fellow selector, Miles Bascombe, when they expire at year end, was “the right thing

to do given the team performance and the whole selection debacle”. The sackings come a month after West Indies’ failed T20 World Cup title defence, when the panel’s selections sparked widespread criticism for the inclusion of an out-of-form Chris Gayle, fast bowlers Oshane Thomas and Ravi Rampaul, at the expense of several players who were expected to have been chosen, such as Romario Shepherd and Sherfane Rutherford. Ragooonath had called for the three-member selection panel to be sacked when that 15-man squad was announced. But while agreeing with

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the decision to let Harper and Bascombe go, he said the changes must go further. “We need to re-look the whole management structure of West Indies cricket, not just the selectors. We need a new team philosophy on how we play the game,” said the former opening batsman. CWI has said the recruitment process for the new selection panel will begin next month. Until then, coach Phil

Simmons, who was the third member of the selection team, will lead an interim panel comprising the captains in the respective formats, with CWI director of cricket, Jimmy Adams, overseeing the process. Their first task will be to choose a white-ball squad for three One-Day Internationals and a one-off T20 International against Ireland at Sabina Park, scheduled for January 8-16, 2022.

Suruj Ragoonath

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Guardiola criticizes City performance despite thrashing New Castle

(BBC) - Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola criticised his side's performance, despite them thrashing Newcastle to record an eighth successive Premier League win. The league leaders were gifted a fifth-minute opener

as Newcastle defender Ciaran Clark failed to attack Joao Cancelo's hooked cross and Ruben Dias had a simple task to head City ahead. City doubled their lead in the 27th minute when Cancelo collected the ball 35 yards out,

beat two Newcastle players and fired an unstoppable strike into the top corner from outside the penalty area. However, Guardiola was angry with his side's opening half at St James' Park. "The first half was one of

the poorest we've played this season," said the Spaniard. "We were not there. We didn't play in any rhythm and everyone had too many touches, losing balls. "We were lucky, but Newcastle did not defend well for the

Ruben Dias has scored twice this season, with both goals coming in December. He also scored in Manchester City's 2-1 win at Aston Villa on 1st of December

first goal and it was a brilliant action from Joao Cancelo for the second goal." Guardiola described his side's second-half performance as "much better" and "closer to who we are" as Riyad Mahrez scored his 50th Premier League goal for the club in the 63rd minute, superbly volleying in Oleksandr Zinchenko's cross for City's third. It got even worse for the hosts as Raheem Sterling tapped in from close range four minutes from time after a fine run down the left flank from Gabriel Jesus. This victory ensures City will be top of the Premier League at Christmas for only the third time - and on both previous occasions in 2011-12 and 2017-18 they went on to be champions. Newcastle remain 19th in the table, three points behind 17th-placed Watford and with only goal difference keeping them above bottom club Norwich City. Guardiola had to cancel a pre-match news conference on Friday after he returned an inconclusive lateral flow coronavirus test, but a later negative PCR test allowed him to manage City from the touchline on Sunday. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe had lost all his 10 previous games against City and would have been horrified with his side's start as miscommunication between goalkeeper Martin Dubravka and Clark saw the centre-back leave Cancelo's cross to present Dias with an easy goal. Joelinton had a chance to equalise but shot just wide from 20 yards, before Cancelo put City two ahead. Although it was

a great strike from the Portugal international, Howe will have been unhappy with the ease he evaded two defenders and managed to get his shot off with a further three Newcastle players surrounding him. The home fans thought they should have had a penalty when City goalkeeper Ederson slid into, and wiped out, Ryan Fraser but nothing, surprisingly, was given. Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, called it a "disgusting decision" to not award a spot-kick. Isaac Hayden almost pulled a goal back before the interval, but glanced a header wide with Jacob Murphy also shooting wastefully over. At half-time, Howe brought on Allan Saint-Maximin, who had suffered a calf problem against Liverpool on Thursday, for Joe Willock in an attempt to get back into the game. City nearly grabbed their third, but Dubravka made fine saves to tip over Jesus' closerange header and parry Sterling's curling effort. But it was only a brief respite as Mahrez's goal, originally ruled out for offside before being overturned by the video assistant referee (VAR), stretched the visitors' lead further. Newcastle almost grabbed a late consolation, but Ederson tipped over Callum Wilson's powerful header and Sterling claimed his 101st Premier League goal to ensure another frustrating day for the hosts. City secured their 34th league victory of 2021, establishing a new record for the most top-flight wins by a team in a calendar year.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Rosberg’s RXR wins Extreme E Championship (BBC) - The RXR team of Johan Kristoffersson and Molly Taylor won the inaugural Extreme E championship. The car came home fourth in the final title-deciding race, the Jurassic X-Prix in Dorset. RXR, run by 2016 Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg, beat Lewis Hamilton's X44 team on win countback after the two ended on 155 points each. "We're racing to save the planet, and once again Lewis and I were separated by nothing," said Rosberg. Extreme E held its first five-race season in 2021, in which cars travel on a 'floating paddock' - the St Helena ship - to

remote locations around the world to race electric SUVs, raising awareness in areas affected by climate change. Each team also runs one male and one female driver to promote equality in motorsport. Hamilton, who was not at the final race, "is influential in the running of the team and helps to select key people", added Rosberg. X44 won the final event through Cristina Gutierrez and nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb. Another former F1 world champion, Jenson Button, saw his JBXE team claim third in the championship.

Nico Rosberg with his team

NBA season suffers more postponement amid covid (BBC) - The NBA has postponed the next two Brooklyn Nets games and fixtures for three other teams because of high numbers of coronavirus cases. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers will also have matches rescheduled because of the recent wave of new cases.

A total of seven games have now been postponed since last week. The Nets, who currently lead the Eastern Conference, have nine players unavailable under NBA protocols. Among them are stars Kevin Durant and James Harden, plus Kyrie Irving, who has refused to be vaccinated but was

cleared to come back to the fold on Friday. Sunday's games between Brooklyn and Denver, Atlanta against Cleveland and Philadelphia's home meeting with New Orleans have all been postponed. Orlando's visit to Toronto on Monday is also off along with Brooklyn against Washington on Tuesday.

India ponders line-up as New Zealand test looms (ESPNCRICINFO) - Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, neither, or both? Of all the questions that will keep India's team management awake on the nights leading up to Boxing Day, this one might be particularly vexing. All four options could come under consideration, with Ravindra Jadeja out of the tour, making a five-bowler combination trickier to balance, and with Ajinkya Rahane's form potentially putting his spot under doubt. The case for Iyer is simple. He got his opportunity against New Zealand, and grabbed it with a hugely accomplished 105 and 65 on debut. The Test match was in the balance each time he came in to bat, and he steered India to positions of strength both times before being dismissed. He's already close to being a fixture in India's whiteball teams, and his domination of domestic attacks - he has a firstclass strike rate of 80.22 from 56 matches - has long suggested he belongs at a higher level in red-ball cricket as well. That Iyer got that chance at all, however, was down in part to the selectors leaving Vihari out of the squad and putting him on an India A tour of South Africa instead. If that decision was aimed at getting Vihari ready for the Tests in South Africa, it could be argued that he

Shreyas Iyer followed up his century with a vital second-innings fifty, on Test debut (BCCI)

has readied himself most excellently, with scores of 25, 54, 72*, 63 and 13* in three four-day games in Bloemfontein. Just as much as it was a demonstration of ability in South African conditions, however, it was a demonstration of ability against South Africa's second-stringers. While Vihari was scoring those runs, Iyer was scoring runs against

New Zealand's Test attack, except he was doing it at Green Park and the Wankhede rather than Centurion Park and the Wanderers. And as skillful as Iyer's displays were, he was acing an entirely different test to the one he will face if picked in South Africa. Take, for instance, his first-innings hundred in Kanpur. On the second morning, Kyle Jamieson

delivered an uncharacteristically wayward spell, and Iyer took full toll, clattering him for six fours in five overs. Up to that point, however, Iyer had faced 32 balls from New Zealand's seamers and scored seven runs off them. Against their spinners, he'd scored 68 off 104. Iyer, of course, was only doing what generations of India batters have done to visiting attacks:

play the waiting game against the quicks, and milk their spinners ruthlessly. Mayank Agarwal did much the same during his 150 in Mumbai: 45 off 119 balls against the fast bowlers, 105 off 192 against the spinners. Both innings were masterclasses in punishing minute errors in length and line from spinners in subcontinental conditions. But neither Iyer nor Agarwal will get too much of a chance to unveil that side of their game in South Africa. The last time India toured the country, fast bowlers delivered 91.34% of the balls South Africa bowled in the series. Unless illness or injury intervenes, Agarwal will open India's batting at Centurion, and will immediately face a ruthless examination of his technique against pace. He seems to have narrowed his stance since his struggles on the 2020-21 tour of Australia, but it can't be said conclusively if that's helped him overcome the technical issues that dogged him on that trip. On day one in Kanpur, for instance, he was beaten and squared up multiple times by Jamieson before he nicked off, shaping to go forward but not quite managing to transfer his weight fully onto his front foot in time - the same issue that had caused him strife in Australia.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Liverpool loses ground after draw with Tottenham

(BBC) - Liverpool lost ground in the Premier League title race in a pulsating draw at Tottenham that was packed with incident and saw Andrew Robertson sent off for the visitors. Manchester City's 4-0 victory at Newcastle earlier meant Liverpool could not top the league at Christmas for the first time in four years, with Jurgen Klopp's side now three points adrift. Harry Kane ended his Premier League goal drought when he found the bottom corner from Tanguy Ndombele's pass but Spurs wasted a number of opportunities to double their lead. Diogo Jota made the hosts pay on 35 minutes by heading in a cross from Robertson, who had missed a golden chance of his own in the opening 70 seconds. Robertson then headed the Reds in front in the second half only for Son Heung-min to level after a mistake by Alisson four minutes later in an open and frenetic game. Liverpool left-back Robertson had been excellent but was sent off for a reckless hack on Emerson Royal, a decision given after Paul Tierney reviewed the decision on the pitchside monitor. The draw extends Antonio Conte's unbeaten league start at Tottenham to five games, though his side stay seventh with games in hand on those above them. On a weekend of depleted Premier League action, these sides served up a thrilling encounter packed with drama at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Both faced Covid-related interruptions to their own preparations and Klopp said beforehand the managers had no idea which players would be available until the morning

Harry Kane scored his first home Premier League goal of the season

of the game. Tottenham had to close their first-team training facility for three days last week and have had three games in five days postponed, despite travelling to Leicester on Thursday, something Conte said had affected his squad's morale. Nine Spurs tested positive during the past fortnight, as well as staff and under-23s, meaning Conte was unable to implement his usual meticulous tactical plans and had to resort to mannequins as opposition, but it was

Liverpool's defence looking static as the hosts opened them up in north London. Ndombele, making his first league start under Conte, showed his undoubted quality with a superbly weighted pass for Kane that the England captain swept into the far corner for only his second goal in the Premier League this season and first in seven games. Conte has called Kane "one of the best I've had the pleasure to train" and the 28-year-old almost set up a second moments later, though Son could not turn his cross into the net.

The South Korean overran another Kane pass to allow Alisson to smother before Kane then dived in on Robertson and was perhaps fortunate to only receive a yellow card - a decision brought further into focus by Robertson's own sending-off. For all Liverpool's pressure, Tottenham could have been out of sight with Dele Alli - another awarded a chance by Conte - the next to fail to convert a glorious chance from Son's clever pass, although Alisson got a vital fingertip to his effort.

Chelsea held by Wolves

(BBC) - Covid-19-hit Chelsea slipped further behind leaders Manchester City in the Premier League title race as they were held to a goalless draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The visitors had a request for the fixture to be postponed because of a coronavirus outbreak rejected on Sunday morning - with manager Thomas Tuchel saying they were "a bit angry" with the decision. Consequently, the Blues named just four outfield players on the bench at Molineux. The first XI was still strong enough to be competitive but they struggled to create as they were held to a second successive draw. Daniel Podence had an early goal ruled out for offside as Wolves enjoyed the better of the opening peri-

od but in foggy conditions chances were few and far between. Leander Dendoncker's header just before half-time was comfortably saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, while Wolves counterpart Jose Sa did well to deny Christian Pulisic from close range late on. The result, coupled with a 4-0 win for Manchester City against Newcastle on Sunday, means Chelsea are six points adrift of Pep Guardiola's side. Wolves, meanwhile, remain eighth but move level on 25 points with seventh-placed Tottenham. Chelsea lacklustre amid Covid-19 issues Wolves 0-0 Chelsea: 'It's not safe' - Tuchel annoyed Covid-hit Chelsea forced to play

Daniel Podence's early strike was ruled out for offside after a VAR review

Chelsea boss Tuchel had argued pre-match this game should not have gone ahead - and the quality of football on show would certainly have justified that decision after revealing his side were without several players be-

cause of positive Covid-19 tests. Jorginho, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Kai Havertz and the injured Andreas Christensen were all absent from the squad, and Tuchel was unwilling to include un-

der-23 players because they train in a separate bubble. Six of the weekend's 10 Premier League fixtures had already been postponed because of Covid-19 outbreaks within clubs so Tuchel arguably had good reason to feel

aggrieved, especially as his side laboured to a result that does little to help their title ambitions. While the coronavirus situation will not have helped, Tuchel was still able to name a decent side which should have offered more than the lacklustre performance they produced. Having failed to manage a shot on target in a drab first half, they did have one golden chance to take all three points late on when Pulisic got in behind the defence but he was denied by Sa at close range. Wolves, the lowest scorers in the Premier League at home, struggled to trouble Mendy but the result was more damaging for Chelsea, who have now won just one of their past four league games.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

GCB using tournaments to bridge U-19/Senior cricket gap

and away); Under-17 50over (home and away); Under-17 Two-Day, Under-19 Three-Day (home and away); Under-19 Inter-County 50-over (home and away); Franchise Under-19 50-over; National Secondary School 50-over; National Primary School 100-over; Senior Inter-County Four-Day; Senior Inter-County 50over; National Club T20 or Franchise Cricket and Franchise 50-over to be played before Inter-County.

The Guyana Cricket Board is hoping to transition youth players to senior cricket via several tournaments

The West Indies and, in turn, Guyana have produced several top cricketers at the youth level, but many have fallen through the cracks on their transition to senior cricket. Remember Alick Athanaze from Dominica, who was the leading run-scorer at the Under-19 World Cup in 2018, with 418 runs at an average of 104.50, where he reeled off two centuries and two half-centuries? Nope? Well since then, he has just played 13 FirstClass matches and 23 List A matches for the Windward Islands. Finishing behind Athanaze on the run-scor-

ing list was India’s Shubman Gill, with 372 runs. Gill, 22, has already played Test and One-Day Internationals and is a consistent face for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League Without question, India’s structure, and financial power outweigh West Indies, but the key word is structure. From a local level, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) is looking to better groom their youth players, and their method is via tournaments at the Under-21 and Under-23 level along with the Academy structure. “They will fit into academy and development pro-

grammes and so on, but this gives you a clear idea as to the end-game and how you bridge that gap”, GCB President, Bissoondyal Singh stated at a press conference. Earlier in the year, the Cricket West Indies (CWI) president indicated they too are hoping to put systems in place to bridge the glaring gap in the region between junior and senior cricket. Meanwhile, weather and sponsorship permitting, the GCB is aiming to host numerous other tournaments in 2022, namely: Female Inter-County 50-over (home and away); Female Senior Inter-County Two-Day; Under-15 50-over (home

GCB president, Bissoondyal Singh

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, December 20, 2021

Former TTCB Chief lauds CWI selection panel sacking Suruj Ragoonath

Alex Carey, David Warner, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne go up in unison (Australia vs England, 2nd Test, The Ashes, Adelaide, 4th day, December 19, 2021 © Getty Images) Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

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Australia in control as defeat looms for England 18 PAGE

MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2021